Prescription Drugs - Just Say No?

I never took drugs before my diagnosis of motor neurone disease, not prescription ones anyway. Doctors don't really want to prescribe from my experience. 'Have paracetamol' is the usual response for everything.

Not when you're diagnosed with a terminal illness. A plethora of drugs are pushed on you, antidepressants, sleeping pills, valium, strong painkillers and I even had morphine pills. I'm currently going cold turkey on an antidepressant and feel like death. Headaches, nausea and general fog. Difficult to function feeling so odd and I'm wondering whether it's worth it.

I wasn't depressed. My weight was critically low and it was a choice between a feeding tube or the antidepressant, Mirtazapine, which makes you munch. I knew that I had to do something and chose Mirtazapine.

I'm quite sure that this drug saved my life after diagnosis. I was very depressed and didn't want to live. I didn't want to take it either, having pre-conceptions about 'happy pills'. I'd never experienced depression before and it's totally debilitating and scary. Combined with sleeping pills, it got me back on track. I tried to stop taking sleeping pills too but kept waking up and felt exhausted during the day. I love my sleeping pills.

I think I'm trying to say that whatever gets you through the night is alright. Or the day. Motor neurone disease constantly throws up new problems, even after 14 years. There will be new drugs to experiment with, undoubtedly.

Normal service will be resumed in a few days...