Meds

[servant4ever]

OK, somebody keeps telling me that I need to take meds for me to get better. I am starting to get open to this idea of having to take meds. So, what meds should I take?

servant4ever

 

[Deamiter]

The good news is that you don't have to worry about which medications to take! If you agree with your counselor that it might be something you're willing to try, then you see a psychiatrist who will evaluate your symptoms and use THEIR expertice to perscribe a medication to you. I would guess you'd be placed on an SSRI (Selective Seretonin Reuptake Inhibitor) or something similar. Examples are Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil, POSSIBLY Effexor (though it's not an SSRI).

 

[servant4ever]

Wait, my counselor can't give me meds? How much will a psychiatrist cost? I don't know if I can afford it. I don't want to open up to another person. You don't konw how hard it is to open to new people after new people, I just want to go to one person, not 50. Also, what are SSRI's, are they the same as the meds you (deamiter) recommend I go on?

servant4ever

 

[Deamiter]

First of all, I'm not recommending meds. I can't. Secondly, you ONLY need two people, and you most DEFINATELY don't need to open up to the new person. You only need to describe symptoms, and you are likely to get medication on your first visit, so there's no WAY you can open up, even if you wanted to!

It is expensive, but not as expensive as the drugs! I heard a rumour that you might be getting your insurance card though, and since you've started taking these steps, I urge you not to turn back now! I gave you some examples of SSRIs in my last post. If you want more info, just google it or any of the drug names I gave you and you'll get yourself a good idea.

http://www.google.com

 

[fallen^sparrow]

I would stay clear of any psychiatrists and just deal with your counsellor and your family doctor. You may not need to take any pharmaceutical meds depending on the severity and causes of your depression. Continue working with your councellor and do some research on your own regarding medications in the mean time. There are a variety of classes of antidepressants (SSRI's, Tricyclics etc.) ... depending on which neuro pathways are affected in the brain. Don't get stuck either on the "newer is better" hype of the SSRI's... they cost alot and can have some serious side effects like any antipressant. Some of the most successful antidepressants have been around for years and are relatively "cheap" because their patents have sunsetted and hence generic varieties of the drug are available (ie. apo-amitriptyline, etc). Heres a good forum to do some reading regarding medication therapy. Don't start taking anything though without first talking to your doctor/pharmacist... most antidrepressants have serious side effects, some of which are dangerous when used in combination of other drugs you may be taking for unrelated issues.

www.depressionforums.com

and

http://depression-forums.com

fallen^sparrow

 

[ninetails390]

Try St. John's Wort, it's an over the counter anti-depressant type medication that should help. You don't need a perscription to take it.

 

[bliz]

With all respect, I must disagree with Fallen Soarrow.

Unless your counselor happens to be an MD, DO, or a nurse practitioner, he/she can not write you a script.

MDs can be great! But the hard reality is that there are so many anti-depressants, often used in conjunction with other anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications that it requires a great deal of time for your MD to stay current with all those medications (side effects, who should not take, which wones work well in combinations) while they also stay current on heart meds, high blood pressure, HRT, antibiotics, etc. etc.

MDs tend to be very limited in what anti-depressants they prescribe so it's ;ike gong to a doctor who only has access to half the medicine cabinet. What if you will do best on meds from a the otehr side?

Psychiatrists often work in conjunction with counselors so even before you get there, he/she will already have notes on you. they typically schedule their visits for 15 minutes apart - meaning, there isn't time for you to have to open up to this new person. "Shrinls" are MDs - their focus is on knowing, from a medical perspective, how best to treat you.

If finances is a real crunch, the Psychiatrists will probably be able to give you lots of samples.

Hang in there! Keep taking it one step at a time.

 

[fallen^sparrow]

It doesn't exactly inspire much in the way of confidence taking advice from someone who doesn't take the time or even care enough to spell a variety of simple words correctly throughout the post bliz; neither does misquoting previous thread contributers. I never said counsellors could give prescriptions did I. I said her family doctor(GP) could. Her counsellor however could give recommendations and work with her GP and find a combination of medication/therapy that would most likely help her out. I've found medical doctors CAN prescribe anything that a psychiatrist can/could... and from what I've heard and dealt with generally stay current with the latest antidepressants/medications; as depression has become such a wide spread and growing illness in todays society.


Now, on a personal note... I've seen way too many people screwed up after "working" with a psychiatrist to EVER recommend them to anyone again. A couple days ago, I spoke with a friend who's wife suffers from depression and was under the care of a psychiatrist who had her on lithium. My friend and his wife both knew her lithium counts were haywire and asked her psychiatrist to check them out with a simple blood test. The psychiatrist, however, refused to order a blood test because "he knew better being the doctor" and sent them home. My friend, having a good head on his shoulders, then immediately took his wife to their GP who ordered the blood test and confirmed that her lithium counts were WAY too high. He immediately re-adjusted her levels and is now working with her. My friend has since said that he is done risking his wife's life working with a psychiatrist. The "best" experience however I've had with a psychiatrist was with my girlfriend. She was seeing a psychiatrist for anxiety and depression. He, from past discussions, knew she had tried overdosing in the past and had a history of over medicating herself. Being the bright "doctor" that he was... every 2 weeks that he saw her he would prescribe 6 weeks worth of meds. And... every time he saw her (every 2 weeks) he would ask: "Do you have any meds left from last visit?" She would of course say: "No... I'm all out." Wouldn't that kinda set alarm bells off in a REAL doctors head??? ... a doctor who truely CARED for the well being of his patient??? Guess who got to find her dead from an overdose the next morning in her bed ? ... yep, me. And I have soOo many other similar stories from other patients/acquaintances/friends/relatives that this kinda behaviour amongst psychiatrists seems to be the norm. The patients whos health the Psychiatry field puts first is 1. Themselves 2. The Pharmaceutical Industry (who keeps them fed) 3. If your lucky, the REAL mentally ill patient. So why am I telling you this? Just to warn you to watch out for yourself... because in all likelyhood, your psychiatrist won't be... not nearly to the same level that your GP or counsellor will. Just a warning servant4ever, what you do with it is up to you.

fallen^sparrow

 

[servant4ever]

Wait, I'm confused. I attend college 4 hours away from home and my counselor is in the city where I attend college. Do I go to a doctor up there or down here at home? Also do I have to sign that sheet thingy for the counselor to talk to the doctor, because I don't want my counselor answering every little question that comes in about me. What would I do during the summer months when I'm home away from college?

servant4ever

 

[needhislove]

servant4ever,

Do you have a general practitioner right now? A doctor you would go see for a checkup or a sore throat? That's the guy to go see about meds. If you don't have one then I think you should get one in the area where you spend the most time. A GP will probably just give you a prescription for about six months and leave you to seeing your counselor if he knows you have one. Also, there is not much reason for the GP to ask your counselor any prying questions, since he will just want to know your symptoms from your mouth. That's where I got my prescription. I just told my doc what I had been feeling for how long and answered a few more questions(to rule out any other problems) and off I went with a few samples and a new prescription. I like going to a GP. I think they are capable of properly medicating for depression and they are WAY cheaper than a psychiatrist although the price is my only reason for not going to a psychiatrist, but since you are going to a counselor to help you with your emotional aspect of depression, a GP should be enough for the chemical aspects. Also, if I may add, before I go to the doctor for any reason, I pray that God will give the doctor the wisdom to properly treat me. God Bless.

 

[macandcheese]

hello.
fallen, I am sorry that you are so bitter, and that you have had such bad experiences.
I would not recommend going to a GP for anti-depressants, simply because it is not their specialty, as bliz commented on. It is not necessary for them to keep up with all the information that a psychiatrist would. They could be helpful, however, in referring you to a psychiatrist if you would like. (Some psychiatric clinics require such a referral.)
A pyschiatrist, on your first visit, will ask you about your symptoms, often using a checklist. they may have you fill out some surveys for more information (multiple choice about your sypmtoms; nothing invasive or requiring you to open up). If meds are needed, they will prescribe you some and start you off using samples. They will probably want to communicate with your counselor and general practitioner, but only for necessary medical information and only with your permission. They will not discuss you or your case, as this is confidential, but only get information they need for treating you safely and successfully.
peace.

 

[servant4ever]

hi need,

I don't have a regular doctor as I don't get that sick that often, or that sick where I need a doctor, I just pretend I'm not sick.

mac,

what if I don't know my symptoms, i don't really know things that much, i just found out the other day that i get really scared fast, before I listen or read what the context is.

also, these meds are shown to have suicidal side-effects, as I have seen two articles stating that people are more suicidal with them than when they aren't on them. why would i want to go on them?!?

 

[fallen^sparrow]

I'm not bitter macandcheese, I just have basic observational skills. I'm open to hear any success stories of lives turned around after being taken under the care of those in the psychiatry field. So by all means feel free to post away. But when I see and hear of so many negative experiences from people who have undergone care from psychiatrists, results seem to speak for themselves. Would you recommend going to a hospital where every patient there ends up getting sicker or dying... are you being bitter warning people that there could be some potential risk to submitting themselves under their care? I did not tell people not to go and see psychiatrists... I am just warned them to keep their eyes and ears open to whats happening to and around them throughout the process. As for GP's not being current on available medications... if your doctor does choose to remain ignorant/uninformed on depression and its treatment reschemes, then I would recommend you find another doctor; because who knows what other areas of your health he/she may be letting "slide." Any doctor I've personally felt was good enough for me to trust my life and health to has had a fairly solid grasp of what medications are available and work with reasonable sucess rates in any of the human medical fields (mental included). And, in my case, if there was an area she discovered/felt was lacking in her medical scope, she would search out the info and educate herself so as to best serve/treat me. Maybe I just have a really good doctor and incorrectly assumed that to be the case for any other GP. In that case... if there's really any doubt in your mind, you had better go see a psychiatrist, you only have ONE head, heh.

fallen^sparrow

 

[Deamiter]

fallen^sparrow, I think it IS significant that the example you cited was with lithium. Lithium is a rather effective antipsychotic (forgive me if that isn't the correct MEDICAL term, I know what it does) but it does have very high rates of side effects, and can be quite dangerous. There is no way servant would be placed on lithium based on his symptoms. I do see your point, but you should realize that lithium is a very outdated drug, though it's occasionally the only drug that works. But either way it should always be closely monitored (unlike in your case).

OTC meds, and older drugs usually don't target ANY part of the brain to help with a chronic case of depression. They work by hyping up the body, which DOES create a sense of relief from the depression (as computer games or skydiving do) but doesn't attack the root cause. Yeah, it can help in cases where a person is going through severe grief, or a short-term 'down' phase, but for a 5 year long depressive episode (like in Servant's case) they're unlikely to have any noticable effect. This is exactly what SSRIs were created for. Tricyclics also work (as you mentioned) but they have a MUCH higher number of side effects which is a good way to turn people off antidepressants off the bat!

Finally, there are 'bad' doctors in every field, and even GREAT doctors make mistakes! Even so, I've seen three in my short life, and they have all been extremely knowledgable, and their advice and perscriptions have saved my life! To generalize (as we've all been doing, so don't flame me for it) a specialist will always be more knowledgable than a GP. With Lithium, yeah, I'd CERTAINLY advise one to consult their GP as well because it has the potentially fatal side effects that can be averted by more general monitoring of the entire body. With newer drugs, though, I'd advise seeing a refered psychiatrist any day.

 

[fallen^sparrow]

Lithium and other antipsychotics are also used in the treatment of people suffering from depression... and not just for those suffering from some level of psychosis. Lithium increases the effectiveness of a variety of antidepressants for those who are suffering with more severe cases. Whether or not servant would be put on lithium would depends on how he initially responds with more moderate antidepressant doses. I won't flame you Deamiter... I'll just re-state my position that from my own personal experiences and those made known to me by friends/relatives/aquaintances/therapy session participants, the field of psychiatry apparently has a higher incidence of "bad doctors" then other medical fields, better ? I'm sure I'm bound to run across a good psychiatrist at some point in the future... I'm just not holding my breathe in the mean time.

fallen^sparrow

 

[needhislove]

Servant4ever,

I am no expert in any medical field, but in my experience, my GP did well. Also, on my limited budget, she did my wallet well, too. If you only get scared fast, maybe you just have anxiety problems. Ask somebody you trust about a GP that they feel good about. If the GP thinks you need to see a psychiatrist, he or she will tell you and can give you a referral. I hope you get the help you need. Oh yeah, not all of the antidepressants cause suicidal thoughts. If it concerns you, ask your doctor. God Bless
needhislove

 

[heavenliejediofthebeach]

ive been diaganosed(sp?) with major depressive single disorder and i take wellbutrin..im bad tho..i forget to take them most the time..but i am trying ya know

 

[TheMainException]

It's hard to say which meds you should take...people do better on different types of meds. It took my four or five before I found the right one...work with your doctor to find the right one.

 

[avouer]

servant4ever Hi!

Just wanted to jump in here and encourage you...going to a councilor or other professional for help with depression is akin to what we women experience the first time we see the gynocologist: a whole lotta fear and trepidation for nothing. Patient confidentiality is a huge issue and no professional takes that lightly. Your health and quality of life are worth it. You'll hear horror stories about medications as well as doctors and therapists. And it would be nice to think that any professional that you interact with will have a wonderfully sensitive edge when it comes to the question asking that inevitably takes place upfront. Best to remember that whoever does your intake will be human, probably overworked and underpaid. The vocabulary is terse, the questions blunt, and there will be no immediate warm fuzzy. It can leave you feeling disoriented and doubtful about why you felt compelled to go there in the first place. I can assure you that it is well worth your efforts!! Know where youre getting your support and:
Keep it simple, focus on your own experience and walk in the solution and not the problem....my best advise.
O.
And cast your cares on Him. *wink*

Joan

 

[Eye_n_stl]

I've suffered from severe depression for 13 years now. I've been taking meds on an off during that time, and have finally gotten to the point that I know I need them everyday. I used to quit taking them when I started feeling better. And they would just throw me back into depression...

I personally go thru my family practisioner(sp?) to get my meds. I already knew from my last few psychiatrists what meds worked for me. I've had both bad and good experiences with psychs. My son's doctor is AWESOME, but he also happens to be his pediatrician. He has a degree and practices both.....

If just counseling is not working, then meds are definately worth checking into! They're not for everybody, but they certainly help me tons!!