Depression

It is correct. We have researched this, and the GP acknowledged this too. But the risks are very low indeed for those with no history, so there is no need for worry. The benefits for the majority outweigh the very tiny risk, which may be nothing more than a few palpitations.

Those who have had heart rhythm problems will have the pros and cons weighed up by their doctor, as we are doing now.

Took my first dose last night and was awake half the night, but I hope I will adapt over time and get some benefit. Ready to go back to sleep now.

Hope you have had a comfortable night pompa.

"there are no anti-depressants that are not cardio-toxic to some degree"

That's going to have quite a lot of people worrying. I wonder if it's correct?

So glad that you are feeling much happier pompa. I hope they can sort your hip out simply. What a nuisance that is.

We are all crumbling merrily away it would seem!

You sound much more positive after seeing your Doc. cancel everything and just let life pass you by until you are ready to pick up the threads again. Although I wouldn't recommend the day time TV, enough to drive anyone to drink. (I could kill for a GOW, not a drop for 8 weeks now)

My news was good (ish).
Surgeon is very happy with the knee, although I had a new physio lady today and she is threatening me with nasty things if I can't get more movement in two weeks. Given me a new bunch of torture exercises to help it bend.

Hip - it probably is as I suspected, coming loose, but surgeon says if I see my GP and get referred back to him, he can get a bone scan organized and sort me out. This will be under the NHS at the same private hospital my hip and knee were done at. If it is as easy as he says, that will be great. Booked an appointment with my GP for Tuesday 18th Nov.

Surgeon wants to see me in 4 months re the knee, said he may be able to sort hip at the same time.

This may seem to be a poor outcome, but it is what I suspected and now the wheels are in motion I am much happier.

Excellent news Mishap Glad to hear that you saw such an understanding and empathetic doctor.

So . . . cancel a few things, which will take the pressure off you a bit, and concentrate on you!

for you on this grey, wet day!

I call that good service too Mishap and I'm glad you feel happier. Shame about your other commitments but the most important thing is to get better.

Now, we need to hear from pompa.

Just seen the doc who was kindness itself and so patient. He said that he was not the slightest bit surprised that I feel so bad (he knows all the things that have happened over the last few years). He is suggesting that I go back on a minute dose of Dosulepin and feels that this is the right thing to do, as there are no anti-depressants that are not cardio-toxic to some degree and at least we know that I have no known side effects with this. He was reassuring and understanding about the AF and talked me through how to deal with it if it were to happen again.

He also said that if I were of working age he would have signed me off till the end of the year and that I was to cancel the mass of things I am meant to be doing and concentrate on getting better. He is going to ring me on Friday to see how I am getting on.

I call that a good service - I feel greatly reassured and that is half the battle won.

Got an appt with GP at 11 am today, so that is good. I do not feel quite as grim just now, but it hits out of the blue, so I don't feel any confidence in it. I hope he will have some ideas for me. Poor chap must be sick of the sight of me. I am!

Good luck pompa with your appt - I do hope that your gloomy predictions for the hip scenario prove unfounded and that your knee is found to be progressing well.

There's nothing like ongoing pain to just wear you down and wipe you out.

Hugs and for all those in pain.

Mishap - What Nelliemoser said

Mishap All the stresses you have had with your joints and other health issues over the last couple of years have probably worn you down.
None of us can go on living in stressed state for a long time. It catches up with us all eventually.
Don't start thinking you are being weak and beating your self up about feeling depressed. Just be kind to yourself. xx

Sciatica is grim. Hope it is a bit better today.

I am still struggling pompa - something is seriously amiss and I feel perfectly dreadful at times. I am hoping to get to the doc tomorrow to see if there is anything I can safely take after the AF episode to help me get through this and back on track. I get sudden bouts of wipe-out weakness and weepiness - it is deeply unpleasant and troublesome in its sudden arrival in the midst of apparently being OK. Let us hope he has something to offer, just as I hope the surgeon will have good news tomorrow for you. Good luck and let us all know how it goes.

Must be the weather. I was up half the night with sciatica! Grrrrr

Hip was so painful in bed that I got up at 12:20am. Linda has banned me from the workshop and making me sit and rest the hip today. It certainly is less painful atm, but I can't believe it will cure itself. I see the surgeon about my knee tomorrow (he that originally operated on the hip also) I hope he will give me some advise on how to move forward and get it sorted.

Mishap, how are you today ?

Hang on in there, Mishap. and coming your way.

Oh poor Mishap, I do feel for you and hope you can find something to lift your mood, if I could, I would give you a hug. Try to find some positives in your recovery, I'm sure that there are some if you look hard enough.

I'm OK now, depression has broken, more enthusiastic about everything again. Peed off about this hip problem, but if it has to be sorted, so be it, it's the uncertainty that bugs me.

Fluoxetine is good stuff

The new painkillers I am using seem to have improved the digestive problems.

It's my turn to look after Linda now, she has a streaming cold and feeling sorry for herself.

Pompa and Mishap Sorry that you are both feeling so low. Keep posting on here and know that we are all thinking of you.

You will be walking in a different way pompa whilst recovering from your knee surgery and you will have been sitting and lying in different positions. It is likely that this is what is causing your new problems with your hip, so do not panic. It is easy when you are feeling down to jump to the worst possible scenario and get your mind stuck on that.

You are seeing the surgeon on Monday, which is only the day after tomorrow, so you can chat to him/her about it. I have had pains all over the place since my op and they are I am sure due to walking in a strange way and pulling on different muscles etc.

My depression problem is seriously bad today and I feel a bit as if I cannot go on at all. There seems to be no treatment that I can take that is OK with a potential heart arrhythmia so I have to find some way of battling through, but today I feel truly dreadful - it is quite indescribably and very frightening. Unfortunately it is characterised by unremitting physical symptoms of dreadful nausea, weakness, giddiness (which is a bit scary when you are on crutches) - just at this minute I can see no way out of this, although I am trying so very hard.

I think it's time to admit to myself why I am feeling low, been trying to ignore the obvious.

Whilst my knee has been the main source of pain for a while now, it is on the mend. But my right hip is getting very painful (even with all the painkillers I'm taking for the knee) I suspect it has loosened and will need replacing, which is disappointing after 6 years.

Im not sure how I go about getting it done, it was done at a private hospital under the NHS, I would like the same surgeon to sort it, but not sure how I get referred to a specific surgeon.

I see that surgeon on Monday regarding my knee, I will ask him what I should do. The though of another operation so soon is a downer, and is on my mind too much atm.

Mrs. P doesn't agree with me, she thinks its due to the knee, but the pain is getting worse as the knee improves, feels like my hip is full of needles.

OJ, I'm whinging again.

Iam64, positive thoughts are very welcome - thank you - exactly what I need.
Because I am on medication my low periods are usually very short, I recognise the early signs and know that it will pass fairly quickly if things don't gang up on me.
Been busy in the workshop today, finished a stage in the building of my current model that I don't enjoy, and neither does Mrs P, it makes a lot of mess.

A first today - I won a competition, never won one before, and I didn't even know I had entered. Won a new recipe book from Maldon Salt, which is a coincidence as they are only a few miles from us, went past their factory yesterday.

Hi there pomp, just caught up with your thread. It seems that like many of us, you know something about depression. That's a bonus in some ways, but then I believe in the power of positive thinking, so I'm sending you positive thoughts. Hope that doesn't cause you to feel grumpy

Pompa, glad your in a different mindset. I believe it is the power of Gransnet. [Brew] &
[Flowers]

Glad to hear that you are feeling well enough to come up with great ideas for us all pompa!

A quiz thread sounds like fun. Good to hear you are feeling a bit better this morning Pompa.