Hi Everybody, Just wanted to give everyone an update on my status. As I mentioned previously I had detoxed and done the cutler program for a good year with DMSA for about 7 months. I quit caffeine, sugar, white flour ect... Very slowly I was able to get almost 70% off my antidepressant (celexa) med. Can't say I was doing great but not bad. Well the last cut of medicine was the one that threw me. Linda Lou, you were right when you said it was that! That coupled with perimenopause coming on which my Dr. confirmed. She put me on a very low dose of birth control. Im hoping that that will stablize my cycle and stop the extreme mood swings. And the depression was sooo extreme all I could do was lie on the bed and stare like I was in a catonic state. I also realize that depression, suicide and mental illness runs in my family on both my mom and dads side. And honestly I cannot remember NOT being depressed, ever. But I can't remember much before the age of 5 or 6. But thats possibly whe the merc fillings started too. Anyhow about a month ago I came to the conclusion that I need to up my dose of celexa as much as I wanted to get off. So I did. I was as low as 20mgs just 2X a week. Now I'm seeing if I can swing 20 mgs every other day. I feel some improvement. But heres the catch. The med does help however it makes me somewhat drowsy and tired during the day somewhat mimicing the depression. Hence, the reason I have been a habitual caffeine user. Coffee, diet coke, ect... Yes I was able to kick it for most of the last year with a few mess ups but that was while going OFF the med. Now that Im going back on to literally save my life I find myself using herba mate oraganic tea (at least its packed with antioxidants) and diet coke. Yes it gives me the lift I need to get thru the day but Im wondering if this might be defeating the purpose again. ie is the caffeine making me more sick? I know I need to kick it again. But how? How can I get thru the day watching my kids and working 2 days a week without lying down to nap? Is there something else natural I can take? Theres has got to be a way. Thanks for all your support!

hmm, I have some herba mate on the shelf.. I had to stop drinking it last year alreday, it was definitely giving me major foggy head. don't think I've dared touch that since last may or june.

I am ok with 3-4 cup of green tea a day though, I dropped the honey just a little bit of cream or milk in there. My body actually seems to miss that if I stop drinking it.

I also make a ginger drink with fresh ginger which makes me feel pretty good, just run some fresh chopped ginger through the blender, add some honey or xylitol, best steeped overnight. You can boiled the chopped ginger too to get more flavor quicker. add ice and a lime or lemon.

ginseng maybe would help too.

Hi Diane, I'm really sorry to hear you are suffering so much. Have you excluded wheat and gluten from your diet? These two are big culprits in causing big problems with many people, particularly those who have mercury issues. Sugar as we know is very bad, but so is wheat and gluten.

Diet coke is a very bad choice. It contains aspartame, which could be referred to as a 'sweet poison' http://www.sweetpoison.com/. This is very toxic and is probably even wore than having sugar and you need to find out more about this and find out what it can do to a person. VERY BAD, please stay off diet coke. I have seen what it's done to someone else I know and I swear this has taken a big toll on her health. She too is on birth control pills to help her menstrual cycles and I do not know which of those things has been worse for her. Some people however, may not have too much choice with having to do something if their menstrual cycle is causing such terrible problems.

However, if you need a lift? Steer clear of aspartame (which is in diet drinks). Even caffeine is preferable! I would take caffeine anyday over aspartame. But of course in the end, they all defeat the purpose long term, as caffeine gives a short term lift, but obviously can strain the adrenal glands.

I really wish I could suggest something to you. Fruit is the only natural type sugar I would ingest, as well as carob, honey, and things like that and high carb vegetables. These are natural sugars and are slower acting. They can cause problems if you have bad candida though.

There are herbal teas that are very good.

Hi Diane
Yes get off the diet coke, the aspertame might be a very big problem...so poison. I always tell my kids if your gona drink one get a real one at least your body knows that type of sweetener.
What has helped my perimenopause is progestrine cream and I started taking Dong Quai and ashwaganda...it has helped so much. The ashwaganda will give you energy too. That might help with your caffeine problem. Coffee is my down fall right now. Don't have alot of it but I can sure use a cup on some days.

Dark chocolate is my stimulator of choice....: ) Yerba Mate felt pretty good to me, too, but I don't use it habitually or regularly. I use progesterone cream (bioidentical), too. I have also used dong quai and need to get some. It seems to be a good regulator.

I was on Elavil years ago when I first hurt my back. It helped me sleep. I then found out I had enlarged eye nerves with cupping and that tri-cyclic anti-depressants were known to cause intro-ocular pressure changes (now my eye Dr. says that iks only for closed angle, but just the same...didn't like how dull I felt on it) so I tried to get off the elavil. I had been on it nearly 3 years and it took me nearly a year of hell to get off it. I was given some Lexapro samples to try but am leery of using them. Tried half the dose and it still left me feeling weird and sick at my stomach. With me I see a direct correlation with sugar (and chocolate - dang it - affects my adrenals) and moods. But we've also had lots of very real stresses I'm getting over. Good for you for getting off the celexa but go easy on yourself. Your psyche is going through adjustments. You haven't failed. Its an ongoing work and complicated with female shifting going on. I'm dealing with that, too. Having horrid hot flashes some months. Lots of break through bleeding, too, lately. Feel out of balance.

Choclate is my problem too. I get only the organic but still has sugar in it. I only crave it right before I start but it is a big hassle for sure. Dawn posted a recipe for raw choclate on here some where and I have been wanting to give it a try but just not enough time yet with all the cleansing and trying to work too. Sounds really good though.

I like carob, too, but hard to find it already made. (Use to find the best carob candy bars in a PX in VA). Anyone know how to make that into something like chocolate other than brownies?

Like my little thing I have hanging in the kitchen says, though, "I'd Give up chocolate, but I'm no quitter." : )

Thanks you all for the wonderful feedback. Well I have gotten off the caffeine this last week, thank God! I tried using some ginseng supplement and thought that may be helping when I also noticed I had mood swings with my kids again. And I was just starting to get those stabilzed. So I quit and it does seem better. So I had to increase my celexa dose for a while. Hopefully I can get back down again. I appreciate all your support you guys, you are terrific! Linda Lou are you still out there? And Bex, I am not certain to rull out gluten sensitivity or wheat. But I am going to do a new post on that!

Congrats Diane!