I'm no expert, but I thought I was seeing Paxil advertised on TV for anxiety?

-animaldoc

Hi Lessara

I was having anxiety feelings and heart palpitations and irrational thoughts a few months ago after my son died........I was first given Effexor..no change.....then Aropax.........the anxiety stopped, but the side effects when trying to stop were bad, so now I'm taking Luvox (not Luvan) to that I can gradually reduce the dose more before I stop.

Good luck

I tried Paxil but it aggrivates my ADHD, fustration jumps even highter! I'll throughly discuss this with my doctor, thank you for the advice, Frances!

Hi Frances

I am happy staying on Aropax for now as I don't have any side effects from taking it and after years of anxiety I love feeling so good. Thanks for the advice though, as if I do decide to come off in the future, I will be prepared to change to something else to assist with the reduction and do it over a very long period.

I have to say though, that I have felt so fantastic taking Aropax that I have no desire to go back to being anxious and depressed at all. If it is reducing the amount of weight I lose, I don't care. I would rather lose really slowly than go back to being so miserable. I always found when trying to reduce weight I would get even more anxious and depressed - I don't want to go there anymore.

Thanks for the advice

Gemma

I'm glad your happy Gemma, it's the most important thing.

My problem is that I thought taking pills would help me deal with the loss of my son and I suppose hoping I could control the grief so I wouldn't make people feel uncomfortable with me because I seem to cry at the drop of a hat, But of course this is quite natural and people will have to deal with their own feelings.

So taking pills didn't stop me feeling bad and they never will. But I have put on heaps of weight and so feel depressed about that, this turns into a vicious circle. So I'm going to stop so I can at least know if I really need to take anything.

I hope I haven't bored you too much.


Frances

Hi Frances

I think that the loss of a child is the most horrendous thing any mother could experience. I cannot express my sadness for what you must be feeling. I lost my mother to cancer in 1994 and still cry whenever I think deeply about her and our lost relationship. I believe that my depression and anxiety were made so much worse by her death and my difficulty coming to terms with it.

I can certainly understand that your weight gain has made things for you much worse. I put on five stone (14 lbs to the stone) in about two-three years while she was sick and afterwards. I just stopped worrying about the weight. That was probably the only sensible thing I did at that time.

I thought I would just get over it but now with hindsight I realise I should have had grief counselling with a really good counsellor as well as commencing anti-depressants. Maybe I would have still gained the weight, but perhaps I wouldn't have suffered so much anguish for so long with the grief issues.

Good luck and above all be kind to yourself - don't worry about other people's discomfort if you cry - just do it. People may feel uncomfortable but they will also learn how much pain you are feeling and perhaps that will help them have a better understanding of the depth of your grief.

Gemma

Thanks Gemma for your kind words.

How do you go finding Low Carb foods in Victoria? Canberra is hopeless. I know there are places in Sydney now but still a bit inconvenient for us country girls.

What do you think of the Protein Power Plan?

F

Hi Frances

I find it the same here - pretty hopeless. I see the adverts for food available in North America and wonder how long it will be before we can get some of those things here.

I love Protein Power. Would love to read PP Lifeplan, but not willing to purchase over the internet - waiting for it to be released here.

Have also read Atkins Age Defying Diet, Sugarbusters, Carb Addicts Healthy Heart book and a couple of Australian books by Donna Astin called Fat or Fiction and I can't think of the name of the second one by her, but it is really good. When I remember I'll post it here.

I live in Gippsland (south east section) in Vic. My husband and son were in Canberra recently for a short trip. A friend from work's daughter is at Uni up there too.

What plan do you like best?

Bye

Gemma

I've read a few, but I'm really not following anything, just low carbing. Not much seems to be happening.....how's you loss going?

Can you give me an idea of what you eat in a normal day? Maybe I can follow you!

F

Hi Frances

I did a long reply a couple of days ago but got disconnected before I could press send and lost the lot. Will try again!

I really like PP but also have read two Aussie books by Donna Astin. The first one she wrote is called "Fat or Fiction" and the second is "Body Business". Both are really interesting - but the second one is particularly good. They should be available in Canberra.

I try to keep to the 30 grams or less carb per day, but sometimes go over.

Breakfast is usually eggs and bacon, ommlette, scrambled eggs etc or if I'm in a hurry a protein drink like "Mushashi" microfiltered whey powder in vanilla or chocolate - it is my favourite brand although I really like "Sculpt" vanilla too. I also have an instant decaf coffee with splenda and a dollop of cream - a real treat!

Lunch is usually just some type of meat: chicken, roast pork, beef slices, ham etc and green salad - perhaps a slice of beetroot and a little bit of grated carrot. Have grated tasty cheese sometimes too. Usually leave the dressing off at lunchtime.

Dinner is steak and salad or lo carb vegies such as silverbeet, (sliced, steamed and put in a greased casserole with layers of grated tasty cheese. Top with cheese and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling! Even if you don't like silverbeet it is really yummy) broccoli, cauliflower, small quantities of carrot or pumpkin, zuccini, onion (small quantity) and tomato sauteed together in butter, also mushrooms sauteed in butter - love this!!

Snacks are pretty non-existent now as I find I don't get hungry between meals any more - no more gnawing hunger pains. I find that really amazing!!!

If I do have snacks or visitors for drinks etc, I buy a variety of nuts and high protein/low carb dips and serve it with carrot, celery and cucumber strips (don't have much of the carrot though myself).

I like to have a glass of red wine some nights or brut champagne on the weekends - allowable on PP if you count the carbs (also okay in small amounts on Aropax)

Have been stationary on the weight loss for approx 4 weeks. I find I go along in plateaus and sudden drops: ie, lose for a couple of weeks, stationary for a couple of weeks - plateaus have lasted as long as 6-8 weeks (over Christmas) but then it will drop a kg or two over the next couple of weeks. I don't mind as I think it has a lot to do with hormonal fluid retention changes during the month. The thing I like is that I haven't put any kgs back on.

Wow, sorry this is so long!

Bye for now and good luck

Gemma

Thanks Gemma,

It sounds similar to me except the veggies and salads.I'm too scared to eat them. My weight loss seems non existant...but it may happen, but I loose interest before the loss would probably happen, then I start again and have to wait again.....aren't I stupid. Hopefully this time I will persevere and one day I'll weigh myself and it will have happened!!

Frances

Gemma and Frances, there is a great site called Picture of Health which is based in Sydney and you can oder low carb foods over the net. They have things like muffin mixes (only half a gram per muffin), biscuit mixes, flap jack mixes and porridge and lots of high protein low carb choccy bars. I've ordered chocolate and muffins and they are both high quality and nice. The muffins are good for breakfast when you can't face another egg. This is the site:
www.pictureofhealth.com.au

Cali

Frances could you tell me if you had the side effects of a dry mouth and slight nausea when first taking aropax? I don't know if it has kicked in yet - I'm only into my second week on it - so it might be something else.
Cali

Hi Cali

Thanks for the info on the Pict of Health site - will take a look later.

I know you directed your question re Aropax side affects to Frances, but as I'm on it too, I thought I'd give you an answer. I know that dry mouth was a bit of an issue for me but it went away. I was lucky and had no nausea at all. I am told by others I know taking it that these side affects do taper off once your body gets used to it, although I would imagine if they didn't, you would be wise to mention them to your Dr and ask for a change in meds.

How is the weather up there on the Gold Coast? We have been having amazing electrical storms in South East Victoria - had to buy a new modem today as a lightning strike close to the house cooked the old one on Monday morning!

At least we don't live in Sydney - what an amazing time they have had over the past couple of years!!

Bye now

Gemma

Thanks Gemma.
Weather up is is finally getting cooler, it's been a long humid summer, makes it difficult to exercise or even move. After my yoga class I've felt like I've run 10 kilometres in the sun. It rained this morning very heavily and freshened things up, but no storms.
I miss Victoria, I used to live in Melbourne. I even liked the drizzly cold winters, I have a thing for big heavy coats - quite impossible up here!