Imbalanced?
Question:
I tend to get a little too neurotic
Being image concious, my fear is
will anti-anxiety medication increase your weight?
and I don't want to relay on them my entire life
Also, The fact that I'm quite young (22)and dealing with these symptoms (irritability, a bit of depreesion, nervousness, confusion. )bothers me.
Should I "chemically alter" my brain?
Answers:
It depends on what the quaility of life you want... if PMS is that bad, you might want to try it to see if it helps. Also, consider doing a search on the drug name to be more informed about what the side effects might be.
You can control your hormones to an extent through the foods that you eat. Try eating foods rich in seratonin enhancing chemicals. Nuts seeds brocolli and avocado all help.
Anti-anxiety meds can also make you feel better give you energy and make you lose weight!!Since it is your uncle who loves you and is a Dr. maybe you need to try them.If you don't like what they do after giving it a fair try(which is a couple months because you have to allow time to get a therapeutic level in your body) then you can just stop taking them. But just think if it did work and you felt better how great that would be! I think you should try it, family won't try to point you in the wrong direction!!
Take it from someone who was there.I felt the same way and my doctor told me about this great new "non-addicting" anti-anxiety med called Xanax.(in 1988) that was supposed to be non habit forming...well it wasn't, and it took years for me to feel normal without it. Be careful of any drug that alters your moods unless you just can't cope with it. They also seemed to make me hungrier than normal, so I did gain weight and coming off them was a *****, i still miss em!!
I've taken Zoloft and I gained 15 lbs on it. It did work, but I just didn't like the feeling of something controlling my brian. I got off of it. There are more natural things you can do to ease stress: yoga, excercise, etc. I would try that first.
Instead of taking something that will have so many side effects and after-effects why not take Extra strength Estroven, it is for menopause symptoms, very similar to your symptoms and it won't hurt you. It is sold over the counter, great product.
There are much easier and healthier ways of dealing with PMS than taking a pill. Most have to do with your diet. Consider at least trying dietary suppliments and changes before doing something so dramatic and detrimental as pharmaceuticals. Here's some suggestions:
1200mg calcium per dau
600 iu's vitamen E per day
300-500mg magnesium per day
50-300mg B6
1500mg evening primrose oil
also, following a whole food vegetarian diet, reducing refined sugar, salt, red meat, alcohol, and caffeine. Increase fruits, green leafy veggies, and whole grains.
I know it sound like alot but diet is responsible for so much of what happens to our bodies. Please take good care!
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