In my last post, I said that I was going to go to the doc at the end of the month for a physical and a meds check. Well, my mental and emotional health just tanked in the last couple of weeks. I felt hopeless, exhausted, like it was all I could do to get through the work day. I was pointless at home and our apartment looks like a tornado came through. So. I called and got in an 8am appointment with my doc. Apparently, my symptoms perfectly fit Seasonal Affective Disorder, and I had slid into a major depressive episode. Ah ha!! That fits PERFECTLY!!! So we switched my meds from Paxil (which I don't think worked well...) to Prozac. I waited around for the pharmacy to open and I swear I could feel the difference by that afternoon. Fingers crossed that this will work out well. The only real downside, though I have no medical statements for or against my theory, is that I may be going through withdrawals from the Paxil. While the recommendation from the doc was to not taper and just switch, from what I've read on various forums and sites, coming off of the Paxil can be really hard. I think my crazy dreams (so vivid, so intense, so unsettling), the rolling tingling and dizziness and lightheadedness, and the messed up sleeping may be due to coming off of that med. I'm hoping that this will pass quickly. On several forums, people wrote that exercising really helped with the dizziness. Apparently, that was the last encouragement I needed, and today I actually did it.
I made it to the Y!!
I got off my butt, into my gym clothes, and onto a bike. I rode the bike for an HOUR. I didn't push hard, as I haven't been very active in awhile. But I was steady!! And I increased the resistance. Then I did the arm bike for a while and played with resistance until my arms were shaking (not hard, my upper body strength sucks).
While working out, I was able to watch the weather changing. Amazing views, of sunshine, then snow, then a bank of snow clouds coming in from Bremerton-area.
Beautiful!I was hoping that the workout would help the dizziness... Instead, I think it made things worse. But I am pushing through and enjoying the "natural antidepressants" that endorphins give you. Chris and I are going to go out to dinner for a Date Night, and then we will start packing.
Did I mention the exciting news? We have found an apartment, in Keyport, for less than we are paying now, with 200 more square feet and a fireplace. Our applications are in and *fingers crossed* we should hear soon about it. So I am starting to pack. Really, I'm starting to get rid of recycling and trash and crap that I've held onto for too long.
Anyway, time to go to dinner with my man!!
Woo-hoo! Nice Job! Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteWay to go! Celebrate EVERY victory, no matter how small or big.
ReplyDeleteTurns out it wasn't SAD, it was Bipolar 2 (the lows and the lowers) with significant anxiety... Or unipolar depression that wasn't responding to antidepressants alone... But whatever it was, it is getting much better with a change in meds!! Thanks for the support. It was a REALLY rough year. But it's getting better!!
ReplyDelete