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Re: If you are feeling better STAY ON YOUR MEDS » HyperFocus

Posted by 49er on January 31, 2009, at 10:35:58

In reply to If you are feeling better STAY ON YOUR MEDS, posted by HyperFocus on January 29, 2009, at 18:16:08

Hi,

<<If you are responding to your meds, stay on them - there is no reason to discontinue unless there is a major problem with side effects.>>

What about side effects that may develop down the road? If a person waits until side effects develop, it might be too late to reverse them. They can be just devastating emotionally as the depression the meds are suppose to be preventing.

Maybe the person has learned good coping techniques and is at a stable place in their life. Really, it is their decision.

<<If your doctor wants you to stop because "you've been on them long enough" or "you're better now" or he/she wants to experiment with the latest pharmaceutical concoction, consider carefully what could happen when you stop and get a second opinion at least. >>

I agree that if the doctor wants to experiment with the latest pharmaceutical toy, that is a lousy reason.

However, keeping people on meds for life in psychiatry as a routine matter defies logic.

You don't keep a cast on a broken leg because it might get broken again.

Also, I feel that keeping someone on meds because they might relapse doesn't seriously take into account withdrawal issues that are confused with relapse.

People also can learn new coping techniques. Please don't take as saying that I feel you can pull yourself out of your bootstrap.

But I just feel that this argument "once or twice depressed" always depressed is simply lunacy. I was one of those who supposedly came under this category and I haven't relapsed in spite of dealing with my mother's death and job instability. I have simply learned not to go down the trail of negative thoughts that I know lead to a bad path.

<<Understand that if you adjust, switch or stop then there's a good chance you well not get the same good response again, and let your doctor know that>>

Fair point. However, many people like me have no intention of ever taking psych meds again.
>
<<If you have minor to moderate SEs consider carefully if it would be worth staying on the meds and looking for another med that can manage the SEs, rather than discontinuing.>>

And what happens when you get a side effect from the med you added to manage the 1st side effect? When does it stop? No wonder we have people on so many meds that had nothing to do with their original condition.

Please understand that I realize this not an easy issue. Even though I have tapered very slowly, withdrawal is no fun so believe me, I understand. But I also think people need to realize what it means to keep adding meds.

<<If you have severe and life-threatning SEs then you may not have a choice, but at least find out all the options available for treating them and maybe weigh the risks to your health - always mindful than quitting this particular med might mean permanent lack of response from this line of treatment.>>

I made the decision to taper off of meds when I developed a hearing loss from Remeron. I shudder to think what my emotional heath would have been like if I had stay on the med and lost my hearing completely. On top of having a learning disability, that would have been devastating.

Initially, I was going to stay on the other meds but I felt they were all causing a worsening of LD issues and I have been proven right. I also had a tremor that I feel was a potential sign of neurological difficulties down the road.

Anyway, knowing what I now know, I wish to god I had tapered off the meds when I became stable initially. Actually, I wish I had never touched psych meds but that is another post for another day.
>
> Get well and stay well.

We can all agree on that no matter what our position is on meds.

49er


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