Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with health and drugs

Could/should I find the man whose psychosis was directed at me?

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:19:50 -0800

About a decade ago I started University in the UK. Towards the end of my first year a friend I made began to become paranoid. His behaviour towards me was particularly troubling, and eventually rumours circulated that he had been institutionalised. I have always wondered what happened to him, and if he is OK. My concerns linger these many years later, but tracking him down online has achieved nothing. Is there any way I can find out if everything turned out alright for him, preferably without causing too many ripples? The fuller story to avoid questions...

This friend was a valued member of a new and exciting friendship group I made at that time. Many of those people are still close friends these many years later (including myself).

Towards the end of that academic year the guy started making accusations against my friends and I, most of which were utterly delusional. We all wondered whether his apparently mild drug use had something to do with the problems, but, of course, this was only conjecture and fuelled by rumour. His behaviour became increasingly unpredictable and socially problematic, and so naturally myself and my friends began to put some distance between us and him - difficult because we shared so many classes. In the end his erratic behaviour became mainly directed at me, the person in the friendship group who had perhaps been the closest to him. There were eventually some violent altercations, both in private and in front of other students and staff. People were very concerned for my safety, but I was always more worried about him hurting himself. My friends and I were obviously worried and talked to university staff about our worries for this guy, we really were more concerned about his health and well-being than anything. Staff basically told us they were dealing with it, and to keep them up to date.

This all took place at the end of the academic year. At that time examinations were taking place and the guy insisted that his name be changed on all academic forms. His new name was very very odd, and occasionally on examination room layouts you could see where he had crossed out his name and written in the new name.

When term began again in year two, the guy had gone, never to be seen or heard of again. Through the rumour mill we heard that he had possibly tried to attack a member of staff and had eventually been institutionalised. These rumours were backed up a number of years later by a chance conversation with an old member of staff at the university, but to be honest, the complete truth is unknown.

I'd really like to know what happened to the guy. Deep down in my psyche I am still worried about him. Tracking him down in the era of Facebook etc. should be easier than ever. I even tried both the names he was eventually using, but no luck. Any advice on this would be appreciated. I don't want to track him down in the flesh, just know how things turned out.

Good mental/emotional specialists in Seattle?

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:06:04 -0800

Looking for a relatable, compassionate, pill-free mental/emotional/marital health specialist in Seattle, for a spouse who hates doctors. Any recommendations (or advice in general)? Details inside. My wife needs a new doctor but carries a lot of baggage from her old ones that kept her heavily medicated since she was a child. They steadily upped the ante over the years, increasing her dosages and escalating to more potent pills when the old ones lost their effectiveness (or produced unwanted side effects, which they all did). My wife has decided she wants off this train, and I support her decision fully.

The complication is that she strongly dislikes and mistrusts doctors for a few reasons, which I'll list shortly. Recently we moved to Seattle and she seized the opportunity to cut ties with her old doctor and cease medication (concerta and effexor) cold turkey. I cautioned her that she needed assistance from a professional but she did it anyway, and after a few rough weeks of withdrawal I think she has purged the drugs from her system.

We're both glad she did it regardless of the method she chose. The pills she was taking were overkill for her naturally occurring symptoms. However, it's clear that without treatment she still needs help staying focused and managing her emotions. If she had her way she'd never set foot in a doctor's office again, but I'm urging her to start over with a blank slate and new diagnoses. After a great deal of negotiation she's agreed to try, but she's not fully cooperative and gave me a "three strikes" condition... if we can't find a good doctor after three tries, she's giving up hope permanently. Here are the reasons she's so averse to them:

She's ashamed of her issues and the stigma attached to them. Despite my protests, she's afraid she might be labeled "crazy" and would rather avoid the matter than tackle it head-on, even if it makes things worse.
Every doctor she's seen in the past has prescribed pills for her. We definitely don't want to start that cycle again, but she's not convinced a doctor exists anywhere who won't try it as a first resort.
In her experience, doctors are always in a hurry and won't take the time to listen or care.
She's extremely trypanophobic. Though it's probably irrelevant in this case, her fear of getting a shot makes it hard for her to enter any medical center.

Additionally, my wife confided to me she's afraid to discuss her problems in detail with a professional. Turns out I'm the only person in the world who has seen the extent of the issues she has; even her old doctors were never clued in properly. She wants to go through the motions without revealing her vulnerable parts. I know full disclosure with the doctor is vital in order to get an accurate diagnosis, but how do I help my wife open up? I think we need a doctor who is friendly and genuine, but who also asks probing questions and knows how to dig beneath the surface.

I've said "we" quite a bit here because I'm doing my best to take an active role. The issues my wife struggles with are not hers alone; they affect our relationship as well, which is why I added "marital" to my original question. If we're eschewing psychiatric medication in favor of therapy or counseling, I want to be there. I want to learn how to better understand what my wife's going through and how to communicate with her and help her through it. I'm doing everything I can to keep our household peaceful and happy, but I don't know much about mental health personally. If I'm to support her, I need assistance of my own.

Since we've ruled out drugs, what other options are there? We are not really naturopaths (I'm actively opposed to some "alternative" medicines like homeopathy). Your suggestions are welcome, particularly if you have names of good people we can talk to in Seattle.

How do i talk to my doctor about switching my medications?

isopropyl — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:33:25 -0800

How do i talk to my doctor about switching my prescription from Vicodin(hydrocodone)/Tramadol to oxycodone? I am in a lot of pain from numerous accidents occurring and catching up to me over the years, I am prescribed Tramadol because I had a reaction to the Vicodin prescribed which was prescribed to me first. How can i get a different pain killer such as ,oxycodone, because the Tramadol is not working and I am worried about taking so much tylenol because of my liver (I used to be a very heavy binge drinker in college). How do i talk to my doctor about switching from hydrocodone to oxycodone?

Why am I immune to all medication?

jitterbug perfume — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 13:37:44 -0800

I have been almost immune to most medications for as long as I've been taking them, particularly pain medications, anesthesia, anxiety medications, benzodiapines, and psychotropic drugs (this one is iffy because sometimes they don't work on people anyway). I feel literally nothing even on high doses. Wtf? Asking for a friend:

"I have been almost immune to most medications for as long as I've been taking them, particularly pain medications, anesthesia, anxiety medications, benzodiapines, and psychotropic drugs (this one is iffy because sometimes they don't work on people anyway). I feel literally nothing even on high doses. I required more anesthesia for my first surgery when I was a small child than an adult male brain surgery patient and my body continued to move around after my mind was unconscious. I then regained consciousness. Many similar incidents have happened since. I have ruled out tolerance because the given medications don't even work the very first time I take it. Data points: I can smoke a million joints and not get high, but eating weed makes me really high. I get inebriated easily from alcohol. The same exact drugs that don't work in pill form even crushed up through a J-tube work much better (but still not to a normal level) when I receive them intravenously. I'm thinking I must be missing receptors in my brain, at this point. Is that something that can happen? If so, can anything be done to fix/regulate/stimulate receptors/something? I've heard the hypothalamus can be related to this - any legitimacy to that? I need quite a few medications for serious medical issues and I'm starting to feel completely hopeless. I've tried taking them on an empty stomach, full stomach, with lots of water, everything I can think of. Can anyone please suggest anything?"

Ethics of treating the many for the benefit of the few?

greatgefilte — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:08:54 -0800

Where can I find interesting papers, discussions, blog posts, etc. about the disparity between benefits to personal health and population health when it comes to medical interventions and the ethical implications therein? For example, browsing through TheNNT, you'll find that statins don't benefit most people who take them, but on a population level, but many bad outcomes are prevented if enough people take them. By the same token, those who are most likely to benefit from statins don't comprise the vast majority of people who are actually going to have heart attacks and die, simply because there's a much larger population at low risk than there is at high risk.

I'd like to find a discussion of, specifically, the ethics involved in approaching these matters from a clinician's point of view. Any pointers would be helpful!

Is there a natural substitute for the benzodiazepines?

DMelanogaster — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:27:44 -0800

Is there a natural substitute for the benzodiazepines? I tend toward experiencing undue anxiety. The only drugs that really work for me are Klonopin and Ativan. But I don't want to take them too frequently, for obvious reasons. I'm reading that the mechanism the benzos use is involved with enhancement of the neurotransmitter GABA, which inhibits the overactivity of some of the other neurotransmitters. There are some over-the-counter preparations that talk about working to increase GABA, but my question is: do they really work?

Is there anything out there OTC that actually relieves anxiety? I find that Benadryl seems to have a bit of the same action, but also acts as a hypnotic (as do the benzos, actually, but they have a better anxiolytic/hypnotic ratio).

Thanks.

Dead Is Dead

Miko — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:04:32 -0800

1970s/80s educational anti-drug films. Can you help me identify this one? And (hopefully) find it online? When I was in 7th and 8th grade - in about 1982 and 83 - our health class curriculum featured a handful of anti-drug movies, shown on film projectors. This was in New Jersey, if geography matters.

There was one that I have never been able to forget, and a recent Facebook thread reuniting some of my classmates shows that NONE of us were able to forget it. We can't remember many identifying details, but together we've identified several clues or motifs. I'm hoping the hivemind can identify the film based on some of these specifics.

1. There was a narrator voice employed throughout the film, and it was sort of a "Superfly" blaxploitation-style, cool and worldly-sounding male voice.

2. One of the motifs this voice repeated, whenever a subject of the film ended up dead, was that "Dead is Dead." Many of us are convinced that "Dead is Dead" is the title of the film, but searches have so far not produced this film under that title.

3. One scene involves a man strung out on something vomiting bright green vomit in a stairwell.

4. Another scene involves an affluent, suburban white woman who has life stress and takes some sort of pill for it. The narration goes something like "Had a bad day? Pop a pill! Car won't start? Pop a pill!" Ultimately the narrator visits her home and opens a suitcase full of drugs, explaining how she would get hooked on each one over time. The final drug was cocaine, and his quote about that was something like " it ends with the mother of all dirty drugs, sweet cocaine."

I would really love to know more about this film - its provenance, who was in it, who produced it, who funded it - and it would be amazing to see it again, if anyone has it streaming online. IN hopes that MetaFilter's army can turn something up - thanks!

The internet is scaring me about Yaz and birth control in general. Help!

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:27:26 -0800

The internet is freaking me out about Yaz and I am looking for more common sense answers to my concerns rather than 'This will medicine will give you blood clots and kill you.'. More specific details inside about me, and my health and my concerns. I am a mid-30's non-smoking, pretty healthy woman who is returning back to birth control, after a long hiatus. In my 20's, I was given Yasmin to control my PCOS, and help improve side-effects of other metabolic disorders. Since then, I have lost a significant amount of weight, cleaned up my diet, kept consistent with exercise and really regulated my thyroid (I am hypo and have been since I was a kid) and all of my metabolic issues have disappeared.

This time around, I am only taking Yaz for birth control. I went to my gyno and told her that Yasmin had given me no side-effects 10 years ago, which is why she put me on Yaz.

However, reading the internet has freaked me out to the point where I am certain I'll get a blood clot or have a stroke if I continue on with my medicine. I've already experienced minor leg pain and anxiety (though let's be fair, the anxiety is probably caused by what I am reading on the internet.)

Another complication that my gyno might have glossed over - I have nerve damage in both of my legs from a back/spinal cord injury and they generally hurt all the time. So I don't think I would be able to tell the difference between my normal leg pain and the possibility of something like DVT. I've been in the hospital multiple times and have been given ultrasounds during that time on my legs, due to the fact that I was in the hospital for a prolonged period of time. Luckily, they never found anything.

I have a family history of stroke (my grandmother, grandfather and father all passed away from massive strokes) which I did tell my gyno, but didn't seem to raise a red flag. My blood pressure and cholesterol are fantastic.

I am thinking of going to see my regular doctor, as he has treated me for all my non-specific gynecological needs and I feel he'll listen to my concerns.

Am I being paranoid? Are a handful of people on the internet, and a pending lawsuit just scaring me unnecessarily? Do any me-fis have positive (or negative) experiences they can share with me?

I've only been on my pills for a few days, and I'd rather back out if I have to before things really get screwy!

How to get high?

tr45vbyt — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:13:16 -0800

What is the healthiest way to get high? When I go out with friends we tend to drink quite a bit. I maybe do this on average 3 times a month. I really enjoy this but worry about the effect it has on my liver/brain and overall health. Sometimes I choose to drink just a drink or two but quite frankly do not seem to have quite as good a time.

I don't really care for alcohol that much and don't drink much at home (just an occasional glass of wine) but sure like the feeling of a good buzz. I've never really tried any drug except xanax a couple times which a friend had given me (it basically just knocks me out). I'm not looking for spiritual or pyschological answers/techniques etc. I am just wondering if there is any healthier way to get that buzz than what I'm currently doing.

Would you like sprinkles with that?

katyggls — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 10:03:35 -0800

What was this mysterious medication I took as a child? When I was a child, I had very severe asthma. At one point, when I was 7, I was hospitalized for nearly a month because of a very bad asthma attack. While I was in the hospital and for about two years after, I occasionally had to take a medicine called "Theodore Sprinkles". While I was hospitalized I took it nearly every day as far as I can remember, but after I was released, I only took it sporadically if I had a very bad asthma attack or had bronchitis or something.

The medicine came in a capsule, but rather than just swallowing the capsule, the capsule was broken open and just the contents (small white balls) were eaten. Both the nurses in the hospital and my mother always delivered this medication on a spoonful of something, like jam or applesauce. They tasted very bitter and unpleasant.

The name, "Theodore Sprinkles", obviously doesn't sound real to me. That must have been just the colloquial term for it or something. When I google the term I get lots of forum posts for people who remember taking it, but no actual medical information about the drug like the real name or what class of drug it is or anything. Also, my mother informed me at one point when I was younger that they stopped using this drug because of the side effects. I'd really like to know what these side effects were that caused the drug to be abandoned.

The time period that I would have been taking this drug would have been 1986-1988 or 89. I don't remember ever taking it again after about the age of 9.

Can I smell your beer? Just smell it.

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:47:14 -0800

How do I enjoy drinking less more? I've been a heavy drinker (averaged through the full week, I'd say 2 drinks/night, though definitely weighted toward the weekend) throughout my twenties and early thirties, and I've recently figured... hey! Wouldn't it be nice for my health (mental, physical, and even financial) if I cut back to a more moderate level?

So for the past two weeks (and for at least the next two weeks), I've limited myself to seven drinks a week (and no more than two drinks/night) and I have to say... it's kind of lame. Coming home and not having half a bottle of wine with dinner isn't too bad, but going to parties with friends and never getting to that tasty cuddly euphoria? Or (oh so lovely) a long leisurely brunch full of mimosas?

Can I replace alcohol with something else? David Nutt's research looks promising, but
far from available. A lot of people have success with cannabis, but that renders me a neurotic mute. Can one hypnotically induce the sensation of tipsiness? Are there supplements that potentiate the benefits of alcohol but not the dangers so those two drinks go further?

Any other suggestions for cutting back?

Eh, maybe I'll acclimate. (Am I really going to get more energy? That'd be nice.)

Man, and reading this back... do I Have a Problem?

what will they think of next?

gypseefire — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:20:06 -0800

I know someone who enjoys sniffing isopropyl alcohol straight from the bottle, not huffing but sniffing like perfume. They say they love the smell, that they don't get a high but it's like smelling a favorite perfume. Is this bad for them? I've never heard of this, have any of you? I'm interested in any information anyone may have on this.

Unintended Discontinuation Syndrome...thanks doc!

littleredwagon — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:36:36 -0800

Moved Northeast from Southeast back in January. Realized last week, I still hadn't found a pdoc to refill my prescriptions. Ends up that my Venlafaxine had no more refills. So, I called my doc back in NC...and l left a message for her with the front office person. When I called back this AM to follow up, I was told my doc left on vacation on Friday. This office person gave me the number of my doc's backup; in the same group, but in a different city. I called that #...and left a message. Within an hour, I got a call back from this office's front person. They took down all the information and I stressed that I was out. I even gave the number of a doc I have an appointment with on 4/15, so they could verify. Well, as of 5:00, my prescription wasn't filled.

Right now, I feel like crap and doubt i can sleep a full night. Should I head to the Emergency Room and ask them to fill or maybe a doc-in-the-box for the same thing? What should I do?

Why am I having speech problems?

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:12:25 -0800

I seem to be having some speech/language problems. What could be causing them, and should I be concerned? I know YANAD but I thought this might be worth a try.

For the last 6 months or so, I've noticed that I'm having more trouble talking. Occasionally a word or sentence will come out garbled/slurred unclear, I have more trouble finding the right word, and sometimes I end up saying a wrong similar word instead of the right one. For example, yesterday I remember saying 'wall' instead of 'edge' for no apparent reason, and I was recently on the phone with my friend and about 5 or 6 times I had trouble summoning up the right word.

This can't be chalked up to aging - I'm only 20, and should be in my prime. I'm a native English speaker. I've never had any language problems or learning disabilities. My reading, writing, and listening skills are the same as always. I don't have any health problems except for mild IBS and a possible case of depression.

What could be the cause of this and should I be worried? I keep wondering if it's really all that severe or if I'm just exaggerating something. One possible cause which worries me is Olney's Lesions, a potential form of brain damage caused by dissociative drug use. I've done DXM (a couple times in high school) and nitrous oxide (frequently in the past year) before, both dissociatives. Now I'm starting to panic that I have brain damage.

I'm really uncomfortable going to the doctor at any rate, and a potential massive rant about the consequences of drug use hardly encourages me. Any advice is appreciated.

The dude who said too much.

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:19:50 -0800

Told my doctor I smoked pot, now I just got a disconcerting letter from my insurance company. First of all I live in Ohio, in case that matters. I experienced a heart arrhythmia a few months back and went to the ER for it. When meeting with a cardiologist about it afterwards we went through a number of lifestyle questions one of which was do you do any drugs. I answered honestly that yes I do smoke pot once or twice a week.

I asked if this could be a cause of the problem and he said that was highly unlikely and as long as I used in moderation that shouldn't pose any specific problem with my heart.

Now I just got a letter from my insurance company saying before they could process my claims for the incident they need more information.

It says - Diagnosis: History of Cannabis Abuse
and asks for first date of symptoms, treatment and my drivers license number. Where I've sought treatment, when I started, when I quit and how often I used.

I am pretty much shocked, I assumed my statement to the doctor was going to be safe and confidential.

So yeah, anyone else experience this? Am I screwed? Will I get my license revoked? How do I respond to date stopped when I used just a few days ago. Are the insurance folks permitted to share this info with the police? Is this just an attempt to scare me out of filing the potentially expensive claim with them?

Any info or advice would be much appreciated.

St. John's wort + ADHD medications?

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:36:45 -0800

What are your experiences with St. John's wort? In particular, have you ever taken it at the same time as ADHD medications like Ritalin/Focalin (methylphenidate), Adderall (amphetamine) etc? Some sources seem to warn against taking then together, some say only that one will might decrease the effectiveness of the other, and many don't say anything at all, so I'd like to know if there's anything to worry about. Even if you have never taken the two together, I'd still be curious to hear what you thought of St. John's wort in general.

Throwaway email: sjwquestion@yahoo.com

(Please don't tell me to ask a doctor; I'm asking because the doctors that wrote all the information I've read seem to disagree.)

How to recover from a relapse

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:37:36 -0800

As an addict, have you dealt with a hidden relapse? I was sober for a year until last February. I have been hiding my relapse well since then but I know it will fall apart. How can I best tell the people who love me that I have fallen off the wagon? How did you do it? There is nothing obvious right now other than brutal honesty.

Tack for getting my yak sack back

gensubuser — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:12:20 -0800

What is the characteristic regeneration time for the stomach lining, after daily NSAIDs or alcohol? I know two facts: 1) NSAIDs erode the stomach lining, leading to the possibility of ulcers, and 2) the stomach lining constantly regenerates, even in the absence of this corrosion.

If I were to stop taking NSAIDs (or, stop drinking alcohol), how long would it take before my stomach lining was back to 100%? Never? A month? A year if I was just on the verge of an ulcer?

What is the characteristic time for regeneration of the stomach lining, in terms of resistance to ulcers?

[Bonus only: is the "average load" on the lining the only important issue here, or does the simultaneous occupation of my stomach by NSAID and alcohol cause disproportionately bad things to happen?]

My grandfather's paying an arm and a leg to cure his GERD.

metalheart — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:14:38 -0800

What is a good, reliable online Canadian pharmacy for Americans to purchase from? (Particularly interested in finding one with AcipHex.) My grandfather needs AcipHex/Rabeprazole. Even the generic brand costs a great deal in the States, though, so he's looking to buy it elsewhere, from Canada.

Does anyone know of a good online Canadian pharmacy? We're a bit wary of trying just any of them.

Thanks so much!

Will this drug kill my cat?

Braeog — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:20:22 -0800

Will the drug that my vet prescribed kill my cat? It's unapproved for use in the US. I have a cat that was prescribed Metacam 1.5 mg/mL oral suspension for post surgery pain after three tooth extractions. I've been reading online that Metacam in oral suspension is not approved for use in cats. I've read a lot of horror stories, and some studies saying it might not be safe for cats, notably in this dosage. Does anyone have any experience with this drug with their cats, or any evidence to support or alleviate these concerns?

There has been no blood work done to determine if there are any preexisting kidney issues, which the manufacturer's website warns against. The cats were adopted a year ago when they were about 6, so there's a fair bit of history unknown, though there have been no visible symptoms of kidney issues apparent.

Am I dumb to think I can use speed safely?

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:30:12 -0800

Any positive (or at least relatively benign) experiences with short-term usage of non-prescribed dex-amphetamine as a study aid and appetite suppressant? I've done a lot of research and read a few horror stories about withdrawal from the drug, rapidly escalating tolerance, screwed-up metabolisms, severe depression and so on. So I'm fully aware of the potential adverse effects of abuse & also the questionable morality (or whatever) of using a drug not prescribed to me, etc etc.

What I'm curious about is whether anyone has "successfully" used it for a short period (say, a couple of months) to help them study, focus, complete a project, lose a small amount of weight, or some other 'non-medical' purpose? ... 'successful' in the sense that you have managed to avoid creating a major drug dependency, ruining your metabolism for life, giving yourself chronic depression...

Am I a fool to think I can avoid these scenarios? Is there any safe use of this drug by a relatively healthy 25yo female? Are there ways to maintain the efficacy of the drug's effects while staying healthy & sane?

Further info: I've been taking between 5 and 15 mg per day, 6 days per week, for around 2.5 weeks. So far it has been an excellent help in keeping me focused, alert all day, sticking to my diet, going running instead of falling asleep after work etc. My tolerance has remained fairly low. Thinking of continuing similar / slightly higher dose for next 2 months or so, until my prescription runs out. Have been trying to ensure I get enough sleep, have a day's break from the drugs - plus I was planning to taper down withdrawal rather than stopping suddenly.

Thanks to anyone who can offer their advice & experience... By the way, I have searched Google and Erowid already, but mainly seems to be horror stories... of course, this may well be because that's all there is! So your help in confirming or denying this, would be much appreciated!

This is a bad idea, right?

furiousxgeorge — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:59:36 -0800

What are the health risks of moldy pot? Would such a substance be safe to smoke?

Claritin + Benadryl

Raichle — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:11:09 -0800

Is it safe to mix 24 hour Loratadine (Claritin) with 25-50 Diphenhydramin HCl (Benadryl)? My allergies are killing me and the loratadine does not seem to be doing the job.

On antidepressants. Need to lose weight. How to get started?

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:28:00 -0800

I'm taking SSRIs. I've experienced significant weight gain while on them and am now trying to work it off. How to get started? I need assistance with physical fitness and getting back into optimal shape while on Celexa/SSRIs.

I'm male, 28, 6'3 and currently 255 lbs. I started taking Celexa in June 2007 (started on Lexapro, switched over to Celexa over cost issues) to help treat severe anxiety and regular panic attacks.

On the mental front, the combination of SSRIs and therapy have worked wonders. I feel like a new person. But before I started taking Celexa, I weighed 220 lbs. That means I gained 35 lbs. in a little over six months.

The problem is that, once I started taking SSRIs, I lost interest in working out. While before I'd go running on 3 mile runs at least 4x a week and go to the gym 3x weekly, I simply stopped working out for six months or so. In addition, Celexa really f'd with my head in regard to hunger. I could eat a huge meal - a footlong sub, a few slices of pizza, a Chipotle burrito and be hungry two hours later.
Combine the lack of exercise, the overeating and the metabolic changes that came with going on SSRIs and, bam, I gained a ton of weight.

Now I want to work on losing it and getting back to where I was before (and, hopefully, lose even more weight and build more muscle). I'm consciously eating healthily and forcing myself to work out daily. Accepting my current weight isn't an option; I looked damn good before and don't want to resign myself to looking like a premature John Goodman.

But the big question... has anyone been in this situation and managed to do it successfully? Or if you haven't, if advice can be offered?

Mean green

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 11:32:43 -0800

I think that marijuana may be giving me headaches, but I'm really not sure. My health history: I never get headaches. I never take any type of medication (Tylenol, Advil, etc.), and I am a vegetarian. I also smoke a lot of marijuana.

I've been using, daily, for maybe 4 or 5 months, and it has never interfered with my life negatively, and in fact has been more of a boon than anything, especially in the creative work that I do (we're talking maybe one joint or less per day).

However...

I started getting headaches about two weeks ago, and they have been prolonged, lasting two, three and four days at a time. Now, I feel like I have intermittent headaches throughout the day, with some lasting for the duration of the day. I tried to connect the headaches to something--change in diet, stress, environment--but was unable to detect anything in particular that had changed. Everything has been steady, for months. Sometimes they disappear for a day, only to return the next.

I have no reason to suspect that my marijuana use is causing these headaches--which are more dull, foggy aches rather than full-blown throbbing migranes--but I have to ask myself, is it a factor?

Everyone I know who uses marijuana at the same frequency as me has said that they have never experienced this kind of side-effect.

So, could it be the marijuana? Anecdotal answers are fine, and so are more scientific answers. Also, natural headache remedies would be welcome, too :)

I'll add one other bit here: about one week ago I found out that I have a small cavity, though my teeth are giving me hardly any pain or discomfort at all, and I hardly notice it. I'm having the cavity filled next week. I suppose it could be that, but something seems to indicate otherwise.