Just wanted to say hi and good on you for thinking about your health and meds before starting trying to conceive. If you need any more info on drugs and pregnancy, Rodney Whyte from Monash Drug Info Line is great to talk to (03)9594 2361.
Hi everyone! Woowwww...thanks for all the messages, support and information! I wouldn't know who to talk to normally about all this stuff!
Kate- I called Rodney today and you are right- he is fantastic and knows his stuff! He really gave me reassurance about my decision to stay on my meds when i get pregnant, and also put in to perspective the chance of a heart defect occuring (apparently 2% when on antidepressants, 1% in non medicated people) And interestinlgly he touched on why the TGA increased paxtines class of drug to D from C....a bit of a controversial issue but he implied it was a tough crackdown due to the whole Vioxx fiasco.
Anyway he was fantastic, and I'm really happy I called him...thanks!
Jelly Bean- wow! thanks so much for all the advice. I will definately look for that book this weekend. We already have a really good water filter connected to our kitchen sink, however I'm sure i could improve heaps with the additives in foods etc.
I also found the information about acidity-alkalinity VERY interesting...my husband is quite in to natural health and he drinks alkaline water...should i be doing this also?
I am interested to see what I can do to make my body less acidic.
I know you have suggested going the natural way and getting of my anti-D's, and i am completely aware that they don't address the 'root' cause of my problem, however I have tried various routes of natural therapy, including kiniesiology, naturopathy, homeopathy, spiritial healing, hypnotherapy...the list goes on! Nothing has helped. For now my medication is the best treatment to keeping me sane! Its not the depression returning that i worry about, but the coming off the meds that i fear...the three months i tried tapering off previously was the most horrific time in my life, and i dont want to experience that again.
Thanks again everyone for the info! I'm going to stop the pill after this week, and i have already started taking Elevit. apparently i have to go buy 'iodine' supplements also as its not present in elevit.
Hey Nikkers37 - pleasure to provide you with the info. Francesca Naish's book is avail from the internet if you cannot find it - as is Julie Eady's Additive Alert- a must have for every household.
Interesting that your husband drinks alkaline water - yes definitely get onto that!!!
Having freshly squeezed lemon with 1/2 a teaspoon of bi-carb soda in alkaline water every morning is incredibly good for helping to restore alkalinity and reduce acidity in the body. Most people consider lemon to be acidic, but in the body it is incredibly alkalising!! Taking the probiotics will also help restore any beneficial bacteria that the pill has killed off, in turn alkalising your system further.
Good to hear you have explored different avenues for your depression. One more thing you may wish to look at - Purified Liquid Zeolite. Preliminary studies have found remarkable results in those suffering from depression. It actually binds to and removes decades of accumulated toxins such as heavy metals and pesticides etc. It is also looking very promising for those trying to conceive, and unlike more traditional chelating methods like EDTA, it does not have an impact on nutritional status (in other words, it does not draw out any of the good stuff with the bad stuff!). Purified Liquid Zeolite is now being used as a routine detoxification method for pre-conceptual couples. Definitely something for you and your hubby to consider!!
For more info - contact the Tree of Life centre in America - they are the organisation that facilitated a large scale study using Zeolite as a detoxification method (combined with organic food) for pre-conceptual couples in the US. The results are staggering!!
Thanks JellyBean! I'm going to see if i can get that book and Zeolite from the net now! Also, just told hubby bout the bicarb with lemon and bicarb water thing, and he said yes lets definately give it a try every morning from now...so we'll be starting tomorrow! you don't by any chance know what alkalinity i should set the meter to on the filter? 12?
No, I'm afraid I don't know what ph level you should set your water filter at. Perhaps you can contact the distributor? I am sure there will be various website that can provide this info....
I just know that Ph exists on a scale of 0-14. Anything below 7 is considered acidic, and anything above is alkaline. For optimum wellbeing the Ph level in your body should be slightly alkaline, between 7.35-7.45. Symptoms and disease will ensue if this balance is not met, and all degenerative diseases (cancer, arthritis, endometriosis, candida etc) require an acidic environment to thrive.
There are also tests you can buy off the net to test your ph levels via the saliva in your mouth. This is a good way to check for improvement.
With the Zeolite - just make sure you go for the Original Liquid Zeolite known as Natural Cellular Defense, by Waiora. It is the original and has been tested for safety and efficacy, and is registered with the TGA and is recognised as safe by the FDA.
I think the other posts have some really great advice for you. I just wanted to add one thing in relation to the AD's.
I struggled with stopping an AD a few years ago. It wasn't the same one, but I too had a lot of trouble with discontinuation effects. The first GP I saw about it said some people had trouble stopping and set a program of gradually decreasing the dose over 6 weeks and then stopping. At the end of the 6 weeks I stopped and after 2 days of suffering the s/e I had to go back on them (at the lower dose).
At that point I did a lot of research online and spoke to a lot of other people taking the same thing (in forums) and came up with my own program of weaning. In the end I stopped from a much lower dose and didn't have the same problem with s/e. It took a lot longer (6 months) and I decreased the dose much more slowly, but I was able to stop taking them.
Oh, and during that 6 months I actually had another GP tell me that if I had any s/e there must have been something wrong with me because the AD wouldn't have done it.
So, if (note the "if" - I have no opinion as to whether you should/shouldn't) you decide to stop the meds it's worth getting another opinion (or ten) on the best way to manage it.
Good luck and I hope you are successful when you're ready to TTC!
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