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Mood Disorder Community
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Heatherzed
Full Member (100+ posts)
241 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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 Posted - 09/07/2005 : 04:55:40
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I have found that many patient information leaflets (PILs), particularly those in generic medications, do not mention weight gain as a side effect.
I have read that weight gain, along with sexual dysfunction, is one of the most complained about side-effects of these medicines. Why, then, is it justified to not mention this in a PIL?
It would be better to state all the information, even if it not all good, so that we, the patients, can make an informed choice about whether we take a medicine or not. Then if we are really concerned about this issue, or are already overweight, we can consider asking for an alternative medication instead.
I know we all know about this now from experience and this site, amongst others, but you shouldn't have to look on the internet to find inforamtion out about the pills you are taking, it shoudl be available with them, for safety reasons.
Sorry, this issue just makes me mad! |
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| Heatherzed
Full Member (100+ posts)
241 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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Posted - 09/13/2005 : 08:09:10
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James,
I noticed you had not been around for a while. I did wonder whether to email you or put up a message asking of your whereabouts,as Soul often does, but I decided you were probably just having a break. Glad you're OK anyway. When posting messages feels like a chore rather than a pleasure and you feel you are doing it because you feel obliged rather than because you want to, then it is time for a rest. You may have felt used but you have helped so many people, you must feel good about that.
I looked up the medications thing on the site that you mentioned. I think I had seen it before and been put off by the scary looking statistics and percentages, that kind of thing, like in a medical journal. I know I am supposed to be a scientist ("supposed" being the operative word!) but at the moment my brain is dead and I can't cope with such things. But you're right, it is very useful. Maybe the doctors don't give us, the general public, things like this in case they are scared like me! But they could put it into plainer English that we could understand and make sure they include everything.
I found this website that tells you all sorts of things about medications and mental illnesses in general that is very down to earth, and funny!! It is written by someone who is not a doctor but has experienced lots of dealings with the mental health system and has suffered with various illnesses, kind of like this site. there is also a message board but it is massive, I dare not venture in for fear of becoming addiacted to posting stuff!
You may have found this yourself anyway, but here it is:
http://www.crazymeds.org/
It is a good laugh if nothing else and brutally honest, telling you everything the doctors don't. There is lots of info on many different drugs too.
The sexual dysfunction is probably more of a taboo than the weight gain, and I agree, it's not a "little thing", it can have a major impact on your quailty of life. I heard of someone who's clitoris never recoved from an episode on SSRIs and remained numb for the rest of the woman's life! This is really scary, it was on the med I am on too....
Sorry to hear about your troubles with RMT group, perhaps it would be wise to give it a miss for a while if it is just making you feel unwanted and paranoid.
I have never experienced group therapy so I cannot really comment on it, though I think it may be in the pipeline for me. My boyfriend went to one for a while about overcoming fear and anxiety, but he doesn't talk about it much, and I am too wimpy to ask...my communication skills with those closest to me really leave little to be desired.
Tomorrow I have to see a different therapist for an introductory session, which means I will have to explain my entire situation all over again. I really cannot be bothered...ararraghhh.
Oh well, thanks for posting and sharing your story.
Heather x |
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| Heatherzed
Full Member (100+ posts)
241 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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Posted - 09/15/2005 : 07:34:50
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I did not go to see the counsillor and am so disappointed in myself. These people are only trying to help me and I just throw it back in their faces. Now I will have to go and arrange another appointment and feel bad.
I am having another awful week. I have a charity run at the weekend and I may well die of a heart attack as I have not been able to do much training due to feeling like a pile of crap. Last week, I managed a bit, and started feeling better about myself. I thought the medication was working and I thought I was getting better, and I was even looking to the future and thinking about what I could do at work in a few weeks.
Now I am back to square one and I hate myself more than ever. Last night I had a mad hissy fit and started hitting myself, otherwise I would have been hitting my boyfriend. He got upset then. I was so angry, and I didn't even ever used to get angry. Now I just feel like hitting the walls all day.
I am just so fed up of me and want to be someone else. |
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| Amie (inactive)
Super Member (250+ posts)
746 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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Posted - 10/01/2005 : 11:32:06
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Hi Heather and James,
Heather I so relate to you (I seem to be posting replies to you alot!)and I am sorry you are not feeling great. I totally understand about hating oneself and I too have hit myself. It freaked me out afterwards but as this one person told me we are both normal and abnormal. Remember that you are quite capable (look at your tendancy to research stuff, your thirst for knowledge and your desire to improve yourself). Mostly, hang in there girl!
James I am sorry you have been feeling rotten. It is good to take a break from posting for awhile. Otherwise I think we become addicted to wanting just the right response and we feel crappy if we don't get it. Sounds like people really benefit from your posts though. By the way can you tell me what RMT stands for? I hope you feel better soon.
Amie |
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| Heatherzed
Full Member (100+ posts)
241 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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Posted - 10/12/2005 : 09:33:03
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Hello Amie,
That's great that you can relate to some of the rubbish I write!! Sometimes I use writing stuff down on this board as a kind of therapy, and feel like I am more "venting" for my own ends rather than being constructive. But, if someone else is finding it useful to them, if only in seeing that others feel as they do, then that's great.
It really helps to get stuff out in the open. I find it really difficult to open up to people and talk to them about serious issues (rather than just your usual every day banter), even those closest to me. So it is a relief to lay everything down here and feel as though I am letting go of some of the crazy thoughts that torment me and run round and round my head forever unless I let them loose....
By the way, RMT stands for Relationship Management Therapy. Bye for now,
Heather
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| alexhart32
Starting Member
15 Posts
Gratitude: 1
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Posted - 11/18/2005 : 08:18:41
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Hello again!
Just wondering if you were seeing a counsellor at the moment? And how it was going for you? What "flavour/type " are they?
I am having mixed feeelings about mine( dunno if that is part of the process or what ) but he is a clinical psycholoigst who specalises in psyshotherapy; I am getting it through the NHS so feel I can't REALLLLLLLLLLY moan but just wondered how you got on with this aspects of things.
I haven't come across PILS- are these the leaflety things in the packets?
I am fed up with not having an real energy to do anything and getting fatter; perahps it would be "handy" for me if it is a side effect rather than my laziness and lack or motivation or depression! |
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| Heatherzed
Full Member (100+ posts)
241 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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Posted - 11/18/2005 : 09:06:07
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Hi Alex,
Yes, I am seeing a counsillor, though I am not sure how much it is helping. But, like yours, mine is free and so I cannot complain  . It's not that she's rubbish or anything; in fact, it is much more probably my fault as I find it really hard to open up and confess all of my feelings at our sessions. So, we end up with long awkward gaps in conversation where neither of us is sure what to say, and I suppose I wait for her to say something because I feel it's her job, and she should be my guide, or something like that...!
But it's got to the point where she asked me what did I hope to gain from counselling, and I said that although my condition is considerably better than a few months ago, I still felt unable to talk through my problems with others, and not totally back to where I was before my depression. So, I felt it would be useful for me to continue with the counselling to stop all the crap from building up and causing a breakdown or something, and I still wanted her advice on coping strategies and stuff. So, as we've already established I find it almost impossible to talk about how I feel (tend to just start crying instead!), she suggested I try art therapy!! This just sounds really funny to me and I am not sure I will be able to take it seriously, but I will try as I really want to get rid of these feelings and feel better. Apparently the guy is very good and you do not need to be an artist to take part!!
I guess the person I am seeing at the moment is just a regular counsillor, whatever one of those is, without any particular title. I work as a researcher at a university so it's all organised through the uni.
I have also started a cognitive behavioural therapy group, though it's more of a series of lecures with discussion and questions at the end. The first one was last night, and was really good as it was very un-intimidating and everyone seemed pretty normal! I was worried that as it was for depressed people, we would all just be really grumpy and weeping or something! But it was great, and more like in the style of an adult education night class or something. Best of all, we were all treated as intelligent individuals who had come to learn how to help ourselves, not as mad patients, which is how I assumed I would feel about going. Looking forward to the next one and hoping the outcome of the course will be useful for me.
Yeah, PILs are the "patient information leaflets" that come inside the boxes of pills. And they are pretty crap if you ask me! They are alright for the basics, but you can find out much more from websites by people who've used these drugs themselves, or clinical data and information on the drugs such as that on this website.
I think depression tends to = fat, and that anti-depressants nearly always = fat too, so when you have both, you get fat+fat= massive!! I have not put on TOO much weight with the pills - I guess I could put it down more to my laziness and fatigue caused by the depression than the meds. Bue I agree, it would be good if I could just blame it on the meds instead of myself, though it wouldn't make the problem of becoming a fat cow any bettter!!
Good luck with things anyway, I have got to get out of work...and, yay! It's the weekend now! I must be getting better as I am beginning to really appreciate weekends once more, rather than all the days blending into one and them all being crap, as it used to be...
H xx
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| StrungOutOnLife
Starting Member
3 Posts |
Posted - 11/26/2005 : 21:55:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Heatherzed
I have found that many patient information leaflets (PILs), particularly those in generic medications, do not mention weight gain as a side effect.
I have read that weight gain, along with sexual dysfunction, is one of the most complained about side-effects of these medicines. Why, then, is it justified to not mention this in a PIL?
It would be better to state all the information, even if it not all good, so that we, the patients, can make an informed choice about whether we take a medicine or not. Then if we are really concerned about this issue, or are already overweight, we can consider asking for an alternative medication instead.
I know we all know about this now from experience and this site, amongst others, but you shouldn't have to look on the internet to find inforamtion out about the pills you are taking, it shoudl be available with them, for safety reasons.
Sorry, this issue just makes me mad!
That's the difference between a Patient Information Leaflet and a Summary of Product Characteristics (or Prescribing Information for United States residents). Funny story: I just checked the RxList Paxil monograph and it says:
quote:
Weight and Vital Sign Changes
Significant weight loss may be an undesirable result of treatment with PAXIL for some patients but, on average, patients in controlled trials had minimal (about 1 pound) weight loss versus smaller changes on placebo and active control. No significant changes in vital signs (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse and temperature) were observed in patients treated with PAXIL in controlled clinical trials.
I can see this being a concern, given that Prozac was known to be an appetite suppressant (see page 10 for details). I wonder if they happened to not enroll anyone susceptible to that.
I also wonder if they enrolled atypical depression patients (that's the kind where you sleep and eat too much). As you may or may not have guessed, this was once regarded as being an uncommon form of depression. And here we see it being referred to as a form of "minor depression." Then again, I have no idea if that was true outside of France.
I do know that it's in the medical literature (here, here and here. At least one of those mentions the issue as being, "[poorly studied]").
They absolutely went into the whole sexual dysfunction on the PI sheet for Paxil (PI=Patient/Physician/Product/Package Insert/Information, by the way).
Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe.
--Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus
Anyone who expects you to "snap out of it" is essentially asking you to perform your own brain surgery via telekinesis.
--Me |
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| Heatherzed
Full Member (100+ posts)
241 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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Posted - 06/06/2006 : 09:34:16
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Well, after a year on the pills I am fatter than ever now, so I am just here to moan, moan, MOAN!!!
It just pisses me off so much. I have tried to stick to a heathly eating plan and exercise, but I give up after two weeks (if I can even manage that), and just end up putting on more weight than I lost.
The weight is a million times harder to shift when you are on these things. And the kind of apathy and ability to do absolutely nothing - totally not bothered about anything, including how I look and the state fo my health - that I'm experiencing makes it worse.
So I am now officially a fat cow. And now it's summer, and I can't wear any summer clothes as I look awful in them, so I will roast for months until it gets colder again. None of my jeans fit so I will have to wear my only "fat" pair that are falling to bits....
AAAARRGGGGHHHHH, moan, moan, moan, blahhahahhahah!!!
Ah, feel a bit better now! |
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| Heatherzed
Full Member (100+ posts)
241 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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Posted - 06/06/2006 : 09:36:19
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ooooo, by the way, thanks for the link above StrungOutOnLife, I only just saw it and when I clicked on the "kind where you eat and sleep too much" link it pretty much describes me.
Yes, I am a fat blimp who can't get out of bed and gorges herself at every given opportunity. Oh lucky me.
But thanks, it was great and very informative. |
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| warblaster
Super Incredible Member (10000+ posts)
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| warblaster
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| warblaster
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| warblaster
Super Incredible Member (10000+ posts)
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| warblaster
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| warblaster
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Why do PILs not mention weight gain?
