Groggy Living
Hey loyal readers,
So I guess I haven't actually posted since Halloween, which is just far too long ago! Since then I've been continuing my ingestion of daily antidepressants and am experiencing ... well, some weird symptoms, to say the least! The biggest thing of note is that it's incredibly sedating in that I'm sleeping a good 10 - 11 hours a night! WOW! And then I spend much of the day a bit groggy, usually leading up to a good two or three hours of actually feeling like being productive and doing things. While that isn't exactly much, it IS more than I had before I started taking the antidepressants. And while I'm not feeling necessarily "happy," at least I'm not feeling the horrible lows I was having beforehand.
So what's the verdict? Well, I think I'm still "coming up" on the antidepressants, meaning that I think my body is still adjusting to them and I don't think I'm getting their full effects quite yet. The sedating part of the medication is from the antihistamines found within, something they've discovered also seems to help us depressives. Among other side effects of the medication, I'm having wild and vivid dreams (some of them even entertaining) and I think I was getting some headaches as well, but adding coffee back into my daily diet seems to have helped on that front. The biggest thing really is feeling groggy for much of the day. While it's not making me feel "numb" emotionally, it's not far off as well. Still, better than the bottomless chasms of doom I was once flirting with on a regular basis.
Oh, and it's making me crave food like none other. I mean, I'm used to dealing with the munchies from my regular habit, but combined with the munchies the meds give me - WHOA! The meds are also making my digestive system slow down, making my tummy less able to eat as much as I once was, but adding in cravings that almost force me to eat beyond my limits. I've had a few sore tummies from that and I don't like it.
I finally found a regular GP, so yay for no longer being doctorless! I had my first appointment with her on Monday, just a "first meeting" type of appointment. She's a small French woman, middle-aged and quite friendly with a good bedside manner. She's just moved to Ottawa from another province, which is why she's actually accepting new patients. I have another appointment this upcoming Monday, where we'll get down to all the nitty gritty. This is especially good since I've been having issues managing my medications without a doctor - all the stupid rules with insurance and whatnot really make it so that you need a regular doctor, and trying to work things out through walk-in clinics was horrible and obviously not working. I had to go off my usual long-acting insulin for a few days, then switch to the less-effective NPH insulin until my new doctor can work things out again with the insurance company so that they'll actually cover everything the way it should be. Ick. I'm really tired of feeling like I have to be penalized all the time for having a chronic illness. I mean, I shouldn't have to switch insulins like this at all, especially because I've had ridiculously high levels for about a week now because I just can't seem to get them down to where they should be with the insulin I'm forced to use for the time being. Ugh!
Anyhow, this post wasn't supposed to be all -angst- and -drama- but you know how life goes.
On a happier note, I blazed my way through all four seasons of the new Doctor Who series. Torchwood is already under way as well. Yay for SciFi binges! I think I may have even hooked a couple of others on the series as well Mwhahahaha. Does anyone happen to know where I might find some of the oldschool Doctor Who episodes?
So I guess I haven't actually posted since Halloween, which is just far too long ago! Since then I've been continuing my ingestion of daily antidepressants and am experiencing ... well, some weird symptoms, to say the least! The biggest thing of note is that it's incredibly sedating in that I'm sleeping a good 10 - 11 hours a night! WOW! And then I spend much of the day a bit groggy, usually leading up to a good two or three hours of actually feeling like being productive and doing things. While that isn't exactly much, it IS more than I had before I started taking the antidepressants. And while I'm not feeling necessarily "happy," at least I'm not feeling the horrible lows I was having beforehand.
So what's the verdict? Well, I think I'm still "coming up" on the antidepressants, meaning that I think my body is still adjusting to them and I don't think I'm getting their full effects quite yet. The sedating part of the medication is from the antihistamines found within, something they've discovered also seems to help us depressives. Among other side effects of the medication, I'm having wild and vivid dreams (some of them even entertaining) and I think I was getting some headaches as well, but adding coffee back into my daily diet seems to have helped on that front. The biggest thing really is feeling groggy for much of the day. While it's not making me feel "numb" emotionally, it's not far off as well. Still, better than the bottomless chasms of doom I was once flirting with on a regular basis.
Oh, and it's making me crave food like none other. I mean, I'm used to dealing with the munchies from my regular habit, but combined with the munchies the meds give me - WHOA! The meds are also making my digestive system slow down, making my tummy less able to eat as much as I once was, but adding in cravings that almost force me to eat beyond my limits. I've had a few sore tummies from that and I don't like it.
I finally found a regular GP, so yay for no longer being doctorless! I had my first appointment with her on Monday, just a "first meeting" type of appointment. She's a small French woman, middle-aged and quite friendly with a good bedside manner. She's just moved to Ottawa from another province, which is why she's actually accepting new patients. I have another appointment this upcoming Monday, where we'll get down to all the nitty gritty. This is especially good since I've been having issues managing my medications without a doctor - all the stupid rules with insurance and whatnot really make it so that you need a regular doctor, and trying to work things out through walk-in clinics was horrible and obviously not working. I had to go off my usual long-acting insulin for a few days, then switch to the less-effective NPH insulin until my new doctor can work things out again with the insurance company so that they'll actually cover everything the way it should be. Ick. I'm really tired of feeling like I have to be penalized all the time for having a chronic illness. I mean, I shouldn't have to switch insulins like this at all, especially because I've had ridiculously high levels for about a week now because I just can't seem to get them down to where they should be with the insulin I'm forced to use for the time being. Ugh!
Anyhow, this post wasn't supposed to be all -angst- and -drama- but you know how life goes.
On a happier note, I blazed my way through all four seasons of the new Doctor Who series. Torchwood is already under way as well. Yay for SciFi binges! I think I may have even hooked a couple of others on the series as well Mwhahahaha. Does anyone happen to know where I might find some of the oldschool Doctor Who episodes?