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Want to get off Zoloft and find right constitutional remedy

I am relatively new to homeopathy but find it absolutely fascinating the more I learn. I am currently on Zoloft for depression, volatile temper, anxiety and slight tendency toward OCD. Here is my story. Before finding out that I was pregnant with my 3rd child, I had been feeling really down and steadily more depressed. I had never suffered from depression before this time and I didn't really want to go the antidepressant route so decided to try something natural & herbal to help with my mood. I got a product called Anxietol and took 3 days of it and found that I was feeling much better already, when I noticed it said that it was not to be taken by pregnant women. I didn't think I was pregnant but took a test to be sure. What do you know...I was pregnant! My husband & I were very happy (though it was a bit sooner than we had planned on for a 3rd) so I had no reason to be depressed by this news. I stopped taking the Anxietol and within a month had spiraled down to being unable to take care of my other 2 children and having panic attacks and staying in bed all day. It was terrible! It climaxed with me having to send my kids to my in-laws for 2 days and calling our insurances' mental health help line to try to get some help. The psychiatrist I spoke with agreed to have me go on Zoloft saying it was the safest drug for pregnancy. I didn't want to be on drugs while pregnant but felt I had no other choice(did not know much about homeopathic remedies at the time). So over the following 6 weeks, I slowly started feeling much better and was back to my 'old self' again. I had my daughter almost 9 months ago now and am still on the Zoloft. I don't have depression really but still deal with some anxiety and I tend to have a very short fuse with my kids if I'm in a stressful circumstance (which is a daily occurence with 3 kids 3 & under :) I have been reading Miranda Castro's 'Complete Homeopathy Handbook' and have found that Ignatia sounds a lot like me in every way except for not liking fresh air. I really like fresh air so much so that I can be completely under covers but I have to have my head out of the covers or I feel like I suffocate. I don't like drafts though, or wind. I would love to find the right constitutional remedy so I can slowly start reducing my zoloft and eventually get off it completely. Please let me know what other information what be helpful. Thanks!
 
  mommyto3cuties on 2008-08-09
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
Please, can someone advise? I would really appreciate the help! Thanks
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
Hi,

Tell me more about your general behaviour/likes/dislikes.

Please mention about all your fears and anxieties.

Any life event that you can correlate with the start of the depression, apart from the pregnancy ?

Also mention about your food aversions and cravings.

Generals like your 'liking' for fresh air should also be mentioned.

Sameer
 
sameervermani last decade
Emotionally:
As a child I was relatively shy & docile but as I grew up I became much less shy and quite assertive. I am very stubborn and have strong ideas. I tend to be very intense in my emotions and in my interpersonal relationships to the point that some people shy away from me as they are not able to deal with my intensity (I try not to be so intense for the sake of not alienating people but find it hard). I can be very argumentative but mostly when it comes to discussing and debating subjects of interest. I tend to obsess over things, especially if I am 'into' them a lot at that time. I tend to procrastinate doing things I deem unpleasant. I am very emotional and sensitive. I feel things strongly and tend to have high highs and low lows (which can change from moment to moment). I am very sympathetic to people and can empathize with peoples emotions and situations. I will cry relatively easily in movies, etc. I tend to suppress painful emotions to the point that I seem to have a very bad memory for many things especially if they are related to painful events. I have a good memory for useless little facts and trivia though. I am sensitive to being told off or humiliated and I tend to mull over a perceived offense in my head many times over after it has occurred. Lately especially, I am very irritable and lose my temper very quickly. I do not like being alone (except for lately I am so worn out that if I get any time alone to just do nothing-like going to a coffee shop to read- I am happy to do that) but mostly I like company, especially when I am sick. I like to be comforted and I like massages. I am very jumpy, especially if I am not expecting someone to be there and I turn around and they are there, it startles me. I tend to talk a lot and very fast and I jumble my words and my thoughts because they occur so quickly in my mind and my speech can’t keep up. I like order (everything having a place) but I have been learning to live with a considerable amount of chaos since I have 3 little kids and don’t have the energy to keep things neat & tidy. I have a vivid imagination with vivid dreams. As a child I was always imagining that there were monsters under my bed, to the degree that I would get out of bed by jumping far away from it so that the monsters would not be able to grab my feet from under the bed. I tend to fear my loved ones dying and I used to torment myself with thoughts of how they might die & how I would react (not so much anymore). I am very analytical, introspective, and impulsive.

Physically:
I am 26 yrs old, average height & weight (5’5” and normally 130lbs-though since my 3rd child I have had a very hard time losing the baby weight and I am about 143 lbs (did not have a problem losing weight with other 2)) I have always had a very large appetite with a tendency to overindulge though I have always metabolized my food well and been relatively thin. I am very sensitive to extremes in temperature (cold or heat). I especially dislike warm stuffy rooms where I feel like I can’t breathe (I don’t do well in saunas). I do enjoy hot baths as I find them relaxing, but I find that I need to bathe with my extremities out of the hot water so that I don’t overheat. I am the same way while sleeping. I like being under the covers (even just a sheet on a hot night) but I always have to have at least one leg out of the covers so I don’t overheat. I am always very thirsty and will gulp down large glasses of water at once and then I like to continually sip cold water. I crave sweets (especially chocolate) and I love rich fatty foods, though I don’t always feel very well after indulging in them. I also crave salty foods such as tortilla chips with cheese & salsa. I enjoy most fruits & vegetables and meat and a good variety of foods. I like coffee but I don’t feel very well after I drink it. I enjoy wine with food and some beers or fruity alcoholic drinks but if I drink more than one glass, I don’t feel very well after. After I have eaten a lot, I always have to loosen my clothes around my waist as I can’t stand the constriction. I tend to get bloated and gassy and feel better for passing wind. My discharges tend to be smelly. When I get stressed, especially anticipatory anxiety, I tend to get diarrhea. I get itching inside my ear canals and my ears crackle when I chew. I have lots of hayfever and allergy symptoms throughout the year (though especially during the spring/summer seasons. My other allergies are to animals and dust. I get itchy eyes and nose and throat. I have had warts on my hands and feet (currently still on my feet). My legs tend to feel very restless, especially at night when trying to fall asleep. I require lots of sleep and do not do well when I don’t get enough. I get tired rather quickly, even by just standing around or any kind of exercise. I get headaches rather regularly (though I can’t think as to whether they have a pattern) they tend to hurt behind the eyes and in the temples and in the back of my neck. I get lots of tension in my shoulders and neck and pain in my lower back. I am sensitive to light and don’t feel very well after being out in the sun too long. I sweat relatively easily. I tend to have worse symptoms at night and in the morning on waking and I also tend to not feel as well energy wise in the later afternoon and evening (though I tend to feel better by late evening).

I have already mentioned some of my fears & anxiety, but I will add that I feel a burden to help people and I feel very helpless when I can’t. I feel a strong sense of responsibility for others. It started with my childhood as I felt as though my mother relied on me for her strength and that I had to be strong for her from a very young age. My parents did not get along and I felt the need to mediate when I could.

As for what might have triggered the depression, the only thing I can think of is the high level of stress in my life over the past several years with financial difficulties and having so many children in such a short period of time. I tend to be a perfectionist and put a huge weight of responsibility on myself for doing the best job raising my kids as I can. That has led me to stress and obsess regularly over my failings. Depression & anxiety run in my family (maternal grandmother, maternal aunt, and mother).

That’s about all I can think of. Sorry it’s so long...I wanted to be thorough!
Thanks!
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
Okay, so there are indications for Ignatia, Nat-m, Calcarea Carb and a bit of Phosphorus too.

But, there is another remedy which seems to be coming through strongly, which is sister remedy to Nat-m.

Please answer these questions:

1/. Is the patient very profoundly affected by thunderstorms, and other natural phenomenon?
2/. Does the patient have a 'cafe au lait' (milky coffee) type colour to their complexion?
3/. Is the patient very emotional, and particularly, empathic towards others? Do they worry over relatives etc?
4/. Is the patient very independent? Obstinate? Are they very sensitive to reprimand?
5/. Is the patient VERY profoundly affected by music? with a great love of dancing, and keen sense of rythm?
6/. Does the patient suffer from a kind of 'intellectual torpor', which makes intellectual thought difficult?
7/. Do they feel as if they have suffered from some kind of great loss?

8./)Are you a perfectionist ?

9./) Are you improved from consolation ?

10./)Are you prone to head sweats during sleep ?

11./) Do you sleep with your knees close to her chest ?

12./) Do you have some what of an eye for detail especially when it comes to sense of beauty ?

13./) Are you very creative ? What creative hobby do you have ?
 
sameervermani last decade
1/. Is the patient very profoundly affected by thunderstorms, and other natural phenomenon?

No, not that I have noticed.

2/. Does the patient have a 'cafe au lait' (milky coffee) type colour to their complexion?

No, I am very fair skinned.

3/. Is the patient very emotional, and particularly, empathic towards others? Do they worry over relatives etc?

Yes, very emotional and empathetic and yes, I worry about others.

4/. Is the patient very independent? Obstinate? Are they very sensitive to reprimand?

Yes, very obstinate and VERY sensitive to reprimand.

5/. Is the patient VERY profoundly affected by music? with a great love of dancing, and keen sense of rythm?

Yes. Music moves me very much and I do love to dance and have a good sense of rythm.

6/. Does the patient suffer from a kind of 'intellectual torpor', which makes intellectual thought difficult?

No. I am quite intellectual and enjoy deep conversation. Sometimes I get confused but mostly I can hold my own quite well.

7/. Do they feel as if they have suffered from some kind of great loss?

I don't know about a 'great loss' but I did have a somewhat difficult childhood and feel as though it has definitely impacted me emotionally in a negative way.

8./)Are you a perfectionist ?

Yes, mostly. Though not in every area. I seem to care a lot about certain things and not as much about others. But I do hold myself to a pretty high standard in general.

9./) Are you improved from consolation ?

Yes, I would say so.

10./)Are you prone to head sweats during sleep ?

No.

11./) Do you sleep with your knees close to her chest ?

No. I sleep on my side. I flip back & forth between my right & left side and I curl up a bit with my knees bent but not so much that they are anywhere near my chest.

12./) Do you have some what of an eye for detail especially when it comes to sense of beauty ?

Yes. I am very detail oriented in general.

13./) Are you very creative ? What creative hobby do you have ?

I am fairly creative. I like to make things like crafts, clay sculptures, etc.
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
Okay, can we say that you were burdened with a lot of responsibility at too young an age ?
 
sameervermani last decade
Yes, I think that is accurate.
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
Okay, I think you need a dose of Carcinosin.


We will start with a single 30c dose to ascertain response.

So, the prescription is to take a single 30c dose of Carcinosin. 2 drops in 30 ml filtered water, and sipped slowly is 1 dose. No eating/drinking for 1 hour on either side of the dose.

If you are in the US, you might have difficulty in ordering this remedy. You should be able to order it from Helios UK though. Order the 5 ml oral liquid. You might want to order the 200c oral liquid as well, in case you have a minimum order limit.

The link is below

blank">https://www.helios.co.uk/cgi-bin/store.cgi?action=link&s...
 
sameervermani last decade
Thank you. I ordered both the 30c & 200c oral liquid from helios as suggested. I will take the dose when it arrives. How long should I wait before reporting back to you on my symptoms?
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
I forgot to mention that I am breastfeeding my 9 month old daughter. Is that a problem?
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
Please report in 5 days after the 30c dose.


Some restrictions:
1/. Nothing should enter the mouth for 40 minutes prior to, or after taking the remedy.
2/. Do not touch the tablets (in your case the liquid) with your hands, tip them into the cap of the container they came in and then into the water .
3/. Avoid coffee, tea (including green), and other sources of caffeine such as some fizzy drinks and large amounts of chocolate, except where this would cause a drastic change in consumption
4/. Avoid wearing perfume/aftershave, or exposure to anything with a strong smell while under treatment. This includes any and all essential oils, and incense.
5/. Avoid the consumption of excessively spicey foods
6/. The use of medicinal herbs, either as 'teas' or supplements should be avoided during Homoeopathic treatment, as should the use of over the counter medication, unless this has been recommended by an MD.
7/. Nothing of a medicinal nature should be applied to the skin
 
sameervermani last decade
Regarding the breast feeding part, it should be fine as we will proceed very slowly and surely.
 
sameervermani last decade
How are you feeling now ?
 
sameervermani last decade
Thans for checking in on me! I have been meaning to write since tuesday. I took the Carcinosin 30c on thurday night (1 week ago) as directed. This is what I have observed: I have not noticed any significant difference in my emotional state since taking the remedy. Unfortunately, the factors around my taking the remedy make it hard to really judge as my mother came into town to stay with us the very night I took it. So I was thinking I might have been a little more calm for the first couple days but that might also be because she was around to help me with the kids. I also went to the chiropractor and got a massage for tension so that might alter my ability to gauge my emotional & physical state. The only things I noticed that were out of the norm was that the day after I took the remedy (friday) I have a small patch of eczema on my left hand that flared up a bit. Also, 5 days after I took the remedy (tuesday) I had a very runny nose bleed and I have NEVER had a nosebleed in my entire life! So that was really unusual and there was nothing that preceded it that would have caused it to happen.
The only other thing I think I should mention is that I took 3 doses of Arnica 30c the day before my dose of Carcinosin for a painful bruise on my foot.

What do you think I should do now?
Thanks for your help Sameer.
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
The next step would be to go to 200c , 1 single dose.

Both the eczema flaring up and the nosebleed are good signs.

Dissolve 2 drops of Carcinosin 200c in 100 ml water, stir and take 1 table spoon from there.

Let me know in 5 days after this.
 
sameervermani last decade
OK...do I throw out what's left of the 100 ml after I take the 1 tablespoon? Do I take it under the same parameters as before (no food or drink 1 hour before or after dose)?
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
Yes, throw the rest.

Same parameters.
 
sameervermani last decade
Thanks, I will report back in about a week.
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
So sorry I have not gotten back to you about my progress yet. We had a little accident with my 10 month old daughter; my mother tripped while holding her and landed on her which fractured her hip. So that has been keeping me quite busy. As a side note relating to my daughter's injury, I have been giving her Ruta 6c (that's all they had at the store) to help with both the healing of the fracture as well as to negate the negative effects of the x-rays she has received-about once or twice a day. Along with this, I have been giving her Symph 30c in the same amounts to help mend the bone. I initially gave her about 3 doses of Arnica 30c right after the injury and then switched to the other 2 remedies. Do you think those are the correct remedies and shuld I continue with them or stop?

Onto my situation, I took the Carcinosin 200c on August 22nd and have not noticed any drastic changes. I still get quite irritable and have to resort to using rescue remedy or something of the like to calm me down when I get very upset and frustrated with my kids. The only thing that might be worth mentioning is that the eczema on my finger went away for a couple of days in the last week but it is coming back now. So I'm not sure if you think the carcinosin is still the right remedy and I just need a few more doses or if you would advise trying something else. Please let me know if you have any other questions for me. Thanks
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
I will respond in a couple of days.
 
sameervermani last decade
OK..thanks.
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
Please take 3 doses of Ignatia 30c equally spaced on a single day.

No eating/drinking for 1 hr on either dose of each dose.

Report in 4 days.
 
sameervermani last decade
The dosage is to be taken for 1 day only.
 
sameervermani last decade
OK, thanks...I will have to go buy it so it may take a couple days before I can take it.
Thank you for your help. Would you mind telling me if you think I am doing the right treatment for my daughter's fractured hip based on my last message? She seems to be doing a LOT better and seems to be healing much faster than the doctor suggested it would take...should I continue giving her 2 pellets of 30c Symph. once a day or should I stop since she is improving greatly?
Thanks for your input.
 
mommyto3cuties last decade
Stop once she has started to improve.

These are energy medicines and all you need is to stimulate the body's reaction. Once the reaction startes, all further doses are useless.
 
sameervermani last decade

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