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In 2004 I was having a very tough time. It was horrendous. In short, I went to the GP to get some advice and he suggested I try taking a medium-strength dose of anti-depressants. I knew about the pitfalls of them, but I was desperate. So, I agreed.
Initially, I felt better and they lifted my mood and got me through a tricky spell. However, I soon started to develop lots of minor health complaints. The main ones were digestive problems, extreme exhaustion and a choking sensation evey time I had something to eat.
I eat healthily and exercise regularly, and never made the connection that the pills could be the cause. I was eventually referred to see a GI doc at the hospital late last year and he said that it would be worth trying to come off the tablets as they can sometimes cause the sorts of problems I had. I was wary because of the scare-stories you hear about withdrawal symptoms, etc.
Anyway, I came off them gradually over 1 month and was lucky not to feel too bad whilst doing it. The last pill was taken on new year's eve.
Since then, my exhaustion has gone, my digestion is 80% better and best of all, I haven't felt as though I am choking once. Not once. Not even a little bit.
I told my GP and he said 'yes, they can cause choking in some cases' !!! Even though I had begged him to get me off them he insisted I should remain on them.
I can't tell you how awful it is to feel as though you are choking to death and not able to breath just after eating a small amount of food. It has dominated my life for the past 7 years. If only I'd known or had a decent doctor tell me sooner that the pills may be the cause of my trouble.......
So, my advice is think very, very, very carefully if you or your loved ones are offered anti-depressants. Yes, they help a lot of people initially, but they also have a negative effect on many people, too.
Have you had any similar experiences?
Initially, I felt better and they lifted my mood and got me through a tricky spell. However, I soon started to develop lots of minor health complaints. The main ones were digestive problems, extreme exhaustion and a choking sensation evey time I had something to eat.
I eat healthily and exercise regularly, and never made the connection that the pills could be the cause. I was eventually referred to see a GI doc at the hospital late last year and he said that it would be worth trying to come off the tablets as they can sometimes cause the sorts of problems I had. I was wary because of the scare-stories you hear about withdrawal symptoms, etc.
Anyway, I came off them gradually over 1 month and was lucky not to feel too bad whilst doing it. The last pill was taken on new year's eve.
Since then, my exhaustion has gone, my digestion is 80% better and best of all, I haven't felt as though I am choking once. Not once. Not even a little bit.
I told my GP and he said 'yes, they can cause choking in some cases' !!! Even though I had begged him to get me off them he insisted I should remain on them.
I can't tell you how awful it is to feel as though you are choking to death and not able to breath just after eating a small amount of food. It has dominated my life for the past 7 years. If only I'd known or had a decent doctor tell me sooner that the pills may be the cause of my trouble.......
So, my advice is think very, very, very carefully if you or your loved ones are offered anti-depressants. Yes, they help a lot of people initially, but they also have a negative effect on many people, too.
Have you had any similar experiences?
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