Really sorry to hear your troubles, I am from Ireland, we have a different system here but nonetheless traumatic when trying to claim your rights, I would also like to share with you (And indeed anyone else who cares to read this.)my experiences with joint pains and anti-depressants.
I have been diagnosed Type II for 8 years now and its no joke when people who should understand and are in a position to make your life bearable as opposed to miserable are on a different agenda ruled by government cutbacks etc. but I digress, what I wanted to say is I am a non-smoker and (almost) teetotaler so having to take drugs of any sort really bothers me and when I had to have anti-depressants the Dr. went through a few different types till I found one that I can bear to take (i.e. it does not cause drowsiness or that 'spaced out' feeling) now maybe others have a different experience of it but it works fine for me the name of it is 'Lexapro'.
The other thing I would like to share is what I discovered (Actually was told in a "I'm not supposed to tell you this manner" by a dr. in the hospital on one of my many visits with severe debilitating joint pain mainly in knees) there are chemical additives put into our foodstuffs that are banned in some countries but unfortunately not in UK, Irl, USA and quite a few others, coincidentally the very same countries that have huge multinational pharmacuetical companies, anyway the things he advised me to avoid like the plague are Monosodium Glutamate = (MSG, E621, Flavour Enhancer) which are in most foods these days (and people are wondering why certain diseases and diabetes is on the increase!)
the other thing he said to avoid is juices, fizzy minerals etc with Aspartame (another dangerous and banned in some countries drug.)
My joint problems abated when I started carefully reading the ingredients of what I was eating (Warning: It it not always required by law to state that there is MSG is food, so you may simply see something like 'flavours' or 'flavouring' listed in the ingredients.)
Somebody else here posted that when they cut out processed foods their health improved! I bet if they checked the ingredients that MSG was involved, also what do/did we all do before being dignosed with diabetes, yeah, thats right we got VERY thirsty and drank loads of liquid refreshments, containing guess what? [Aspartame!]
Anyway sorry for being so long-winded, hopefully what I have told you will help alleviate your suffering and that you will have a more normal and painfree existence.
Oh, and finally, because of my weight and other issues I have like many others found exercise a bugbear and as a result was in a catch twentytwo situation until I found Tai Chi (Yang style), it is a Fantastic gentle way to get excercise.
Peace and Blessings...
The length of discourse indicates the distance of thought betwixt the speaker and hearer. If they were at perfect understanding in any part, no words would be necessary thereon. If at one in all parts no words would be suffered. - Ralph Waldo Emmerson.
