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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Emmaley on September 19, 2003, at 18:09:56
Hi, I am a newcomer here, and also about to start medication, so I am wondering if I could ask you for some support and guidance? I will really appreciate it.
I have been in therapy for the past year and half, and have been suffering from depression and PTSD since childhood. I have just recently made an appointment with the university counseling services (I am a student right now) and they set an appointment for me to meet with a therapist, who will send me to a doctor later on......at least that's what they told me.
Frankly, I am really scared. I have never been on medication more than three days before, and fairly ignorant about it. I am wondering if you could help me with coming up with the right questions to ask the therapist and the doctor? I have heard about side effects about medication and how psychiatry not being a science.....but I am at the end of my ropes. Staying alive is getting too hard and suicidal thoughts more and more tempting. I cannot let this escalate before I completely lose motivation......too painful.
So, if you could help me prepare for the appointment in the near future, I will really appreciate it! I really don't know what to expect.
Thank you.
Posted by elbee on September 19, 2003, at 19:39:05
In reply to About to start medication--help? Thank you., posted by Emmaley on September 19, 2003, at 18:09:56
Congratulations on finding some help and recognizing what you might need to feel better. Medication can be very helpful. You sound "at the end of your rope" so it might really benefit you. There's not that much to it except that you should give it a couple of weeks (or more) before you stop or change medication if possible. That's a generalization...but try to give it time to work in your body. You might also keep track of how you feel on a daily basis informally in a journal or using a very simple "mood chart." This site has many posts about these. As a bipolar, I find that if I use too complicated of one I stop doing it though. Just keep a few notes or a number score of your moods so you can keep track of how your medication is working & if there are any effects you want to ask your doctor about on the next visit. Good luck. I'm glad you're getting help because I know how awful it is to feel depressed. Your perspective is so skewed. Medications often can be so helpful & I wish you the best.
Posted by Sebastian on September 19, 2003, at 23:22:48
In reply to About to start medication--help? Thank you., posted by Emmaley on September 19, 2003, at 18:09:56
Tell your doctor what you told us. Also be honest, very honest, you will get the better medicine this way.
You might injoy a medicine that induces drowsyness more than energy, the side-effects tell a lot about the type of effect you will get. It also might help to pick out a med of chose, most likely an anti-psychotic will help most, like zyprexa (thats what I have taken successfuly for my PTSD 5 years now). I strongly urge you to not take Abilify, this will make things worse, I garantte it. Some times they will give an anti-depressant also, admitidly it did not work for me untill recently. So if one does not work don't give up, take the other or try a new one. I tried several anti-psychotics befor finding a good one. Anyways I take Celexa for depression and zyprexa for psychosis, Wellbutrin for energy. These are my recomended drugs.
Sebastian
Posted by Rainbowlight on September 20, 2003, at 15:22:47
In reply to About to start medication--help? Thank you., posted by Emmaley on September 19, 2003, at 18:09:56
As the other poster mentioned, I would take notes about how you feel, your moods, do the moods change hourly? daily? monthly?, your sleep cycle, how much do you sleep? Do you sleepy well? what hours? Eating habits, feelings, etc. This will really help your doctor to see patterns in your life. Also, write down your past, present thoughts, etc. Have this ready at your appointment so you won't forget to tell the doctor these things when he/she asks. I wish you the best. Please let us know how it goes! Take care.
Posted by fallsfall on September 20, 2003, at 18:18:35
In reply to About to start medication--help? Thank you., posted by Emmaley on September 19, 2003, at 18:09:56
Emmaley,
Until 9 years ago I took almost no medication (I usually wouldn't even take Tylenol for a headache). Then came the depression. So I understand why you are scared.
It has helped me to see that I have an illness. There are medications that are available to treat that illness. This is no different from having Strep and taking an antibiotic, or needing insulin for Diabetes. You would take those medications for those illnesses (I assume).
Actually, there are a couple of differences. First, the chances that the first antibiotic chosen will cure your Strep is pretty good - but not 100%. You may have to take it for twice as long, or try a second antibiotic before every thing is cured. With Psychiatric drugs, the chance that the first one tried will work is lower than with many other illnesses. So the chances that you will have to try 2 or 3 before one works is higher. I think that it helps to know this so you don't get too frustrated.
Second. The antibiotic will make you feel better in 24 hours. Most(?) antidepressants take 4 or 6 or 8 weeks to work. Many times you can see signs of improvement before then. This means that if you have to try 3 antidepressants, and you try each for 8 weeks, it will be 24 weeks before you have the full benefit of the drug. I think, for me, that this is one of the hardest things to deal with. It is really hard to take something for 8 weeks and then decide it doesn't work. You can ask your doctor how long it will be before you have the full benefit of the drug - so you can set your expectations.
Third, there are side effects for all drugs. Some people take psychiatric drugs and have no problem at all. For some, the side effects are enough for them to stop taking the drug. I'm not sure that psychiatric drugs have MORE side effects (I have no data on that subject). I do know that when you are depressed, everything bad that happens to you is amplified, so I think that we may have less tolerance than some other populations to side effects.
I have been comfortable with my med use because I believe that I have an illness that can be helped by medication. I also believe that the quality of my life (such as it is) is better with the medication than it would be without. [My sister also has depression, and she does not take any medication - just therapy. That is her choice.]
Your doctor will choose particular meds based on your diagnosis, symptoms, his/her success with the various medications, your medical history etc. You could surely ask why s/he thinks that the med chosen is the best one for you to try.
Psychiatric meds can work really well. Here's hoping you find a good one on the first try!
Posted by Ramon Paz on September 23, 2003, at 0:56:53
In reply to About to start medication--help? Thank you., posted by Emmaley on September 19, 2003, at 18:09:56
well, your doc will decide is, but to depression i suggest EFFEXOR.
This is the end of the thread.
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