Re: A message from a former "candida sufferer"

Hi there,

I'm going to be extremely careful what I say because I am not a qualified practitioner of either medicine or psychology/psychiatry.

Firstly regarding my medication I was lucky enough to be almost side-effect free. However considering all the stories on the internet about horrific side effects of SSRI's maybe I am in the minority (Interestingly I know about 5 other people who have been on anti-depressants and all said they had no side-effects - very odd). Mirtazapine is sedating - when i checked on the net about it the common complaint seems to be sedation & weight gain. When I first started it I was really hungry & a bit sleepy in the morning but this went away.

With the benefit of hindsight let me perhaps offer the following suggestion -

1. Take a step back & objectively study your situation looking at the following points -

a) Have I exhausted all possible organic causes? - eg - allergies, candida infection, inflamatory bowel/crohns etc - this means getting proper testing like blood, stool or even gastroscopy/colonoscopy

b) Could the cause be stress/anxiety/depression? Are my symptoms aggravated by stress or adverse events?

c) If you suspect there may be a psychological component - first go online, find a reputable body such as the NIMH in the USA or Beyond Blue in Australia, take a quick test to see if you may have something that needs to be looked at.

d) then, MOST IMPORTANTLY, obtain a referral to visit a qualified psychiatrist (I would recommend someone with a background in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Your average doctor you usually visit does not have the specific experience or the time to give you the attention you require.

e) If you do have a stress/anxiety/ Depression issue which needs to be fixed, medication may not be required. I think medication can be a bad thing in some cases because some people just sit back & wait for the medication to make them better. In my opinion, Depression & anxiety are a function of neurochemistry & thinking patterns/habits - not 100% one or the other. YOU are responsible for making yourself better, not the medication - medication just gives you the momentum.

f) dont concern yourself with which medications worked for other people - every person is different - there is no magic bullet out there. If you decide, after consultation with your practitioner that you will try medication, give it at least 3 months to work & if it doesnt work or you experience intolerable side-effects, ask to try something else - there are so many different options, all with different mechanisms of action in the brain.

g) The decision to go on medication should not be taken lightly - they are often very difficult to come off for some people (according to what I have read). So, unless you are experiencing severe depression, other options should be investigated first.

h) dont forget natural options like St. Johns Wort, Meditation etc

Hope that helps :)