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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by EERRIICC on April 28, 2004, at 3:19:27
Anyone know of any good psychiatrists in the Toronto area?
Posted by T_R_D on April 28, 2004, at 11:41:10
In reply to Toronto_Canada, posted by EERRIICC on April 28, 2004, at 3:19:27
Hey there. I'm from Toronto too. I don't see a a pdoc at the moment. My GP handles all of my scripts; he's got a lot of psych background so he's up on all protocols.
I have only dealt with pdocs in hospital settings--and I think they were only seeing me because of that--being hospitalized and in crisis. They were Dr. Lawrie Reznick at Sunnybrook and Dr. Doron Sagman at TEGH. I didn't deal with them too much but Sagman was decent. Last I heard though he was only dealing with short term crisis patients...nothing long term.
Can you get a referral from your GP? What has he/she suggested?
Karen
Posted by EERRIICC on April 29, 2004, at 0:11:17
In reply to Re: Toronto_Canada, posted by T_R_D on April 28, 2004, at 11:41:10
You were hospitalized and they still didn't give you a psychiatrist to work with on an outpatient basis?!
Is it that there is a shortage?
What has worked for you in the past? For me it has only been Prozac, Mannerix, and high dose Parnate. All have stopped working after awhile however.Eric
Posted by T_R_D on April 29, 2004, at 10:35:34
In reply to Re: Toronto_Canada, posted by EERRIICC on April 29, 2004, at 0:11:17
> You were hospitalized and they still didn't give you a psychiatrist to work with on an outpatient basis?!
Yeah, I was really ticked off. I pushed and pushed--I think I even begged at some point but they said that they only offered help to those in crisis. I think I went back to my GP after that and he referred me to this quack on the Danforth. Prior to my first hospitalization I was seeing someone at a Scarborough hospital--not Grace...the other one. He was okay but I didn't feel comfortable with him.
> Is it that there is a shortage?
I have no idea. They wouldn't give me an answer.
> What has worked for you in the past? For me it has only been Prozac, Mannerix, and high dose Parnate. All have stopped working after awhile however.
Hmmm. Classic poop out.
Well, I was misdiagnosed for years as having unipolar depression. As it turns out I'm actually bipolar. It really explained at lot as most ADs either didn't help or drove me into manias/mixed states. Just recently I've gotten into anticonvulsant territory and I'm finding that I am an excellent responder to these drugs. They stop my mania dead in its tracks! It just further confirms to me that this is finally a correct diagnosis.
I starged off with Tegretol--also taking 150mg of Wellbutrin and 75mg of Effexor. I'm not big on Effexor but it seems to provide minor relief. The Tegretol wasn't really helping my depression, however. That's always been a sticky spot--a real nagging depression that just won't go away!
I did some research and found that the AC Lamictal and the mood stabilizer Lithium were the only drugs for bipolar that have been tested and shown some promise in this area. I didn't want to suffer the side effects of Lithium, have to get serum levels checked etc... so of course I opted for the Lamictal. It's been about a month now and it has made SO much difference. It's unbelieveable. I haven't felt like this in years.
I've still got a long way to go though. There is still some persistent depression lurking...I can feel it. I probably need to get stabilized and find the right dosage for me (after all, it's only been a month, right?) I'd like to kick the Effexor. It gives me problems with sex (anorgasmia) and I don't want to be like that for the rest of my life--being bipolar I suspect I will need to be on meds for life.
So that's a quickie version of my story. I could give you the name of my GP if you want to check him out. We have a good working relationship--we tackle my medication together and I really appreciate that. He's open to suggestions too. I've done and continue to do a lot of research on meds and he has never gotten threatened or pulled an "I'm the physician here" sort of attitude. Let me know...
Karen
Posted by cybercafe on April 30, 2004, at 4:54:09
In reply to Toronto_Canada, posted by EERRIICC on April 28, 2004, at 3:19:27
> Anyone know of any good psychiatrists in the Toronto area?
bro i apologize for leading you astray ... my doc has been quite ill lately..... ummm... i suppose my best suggestion is to try and get a referral to sunnybrook, that is my backup plan (i think they are supposed to be #1 in TO, except for CAMH, which only does one visit consultations)
Posted by cybercafe on April 30, 2004, at 5:02:47
In reply to Re: Toronto_Canada, posted by T_R_D on April 29, 2004, at 10:35:34
>
> Yeah, I was really ticked off. I pushed and pushed--I think I even begged at some point but they said that they only offered help to those in crisis. I think I went back to my GP afteryeah really gives you the feeling people dont' care. i am going to start writing endless letters to the disability adjudication unit about how poverty has put my life in danger until they finally get off their butts and give me ODSP ... not to mention contacting my MP etc ... arrrg.. how can people be so apathetic?
>that and he referred me to this quack on the Danforth. Prior to my first hospitalization I was seeing someone at a Scarborough hospital--not Grace...the other one. He was okay but I didn't feel comfortable with him.i was at scarborough rouge river ... my doc really sucked... told him about gabapentin... was denied... 2 years later he said to me "i've just come back from a conference and found the perfect drug for you.... gabapentin!" ... uh.... thanks for nothing
>
> > Is it that there is a shortage?
>
> I have no idea. They wouldn't give me an answer.of doctors?!?!?! for sure.. i thought everyone knew this????? not enough people are going into psychiatry
whicih is good for me, cuz
a) i want to go into psychiatry
b) if you want to go in i think they make the med school requirements a little more lax ...
> > What has worked for you in the past? For me it has only been Prozac, Mannerix, and high dose Parnate. All have stopped working after awhile however.
>
> Hmmm. Classic poop out.what?? parnate can poop out?? ug
>
> Well, I was misdiagnosed for years as having unipolar depression. As it turns out I'm actually bipolar. It really explained at lot as most ADs either didn't help or drove me into manias/mixed states. Just recently I've gottenyeah i told my doctors flat out i was bipolar but it took them YEARS to agree with me... because... i didn't "go days without sleeping" ...
>into anticonvulsant territory and I'm finding that I am an excellent responder to these drugs. They stop my mania dead in its tracks! It just further confirms to me that this is finally a correct diagnosis.
>
> I starged off with Tegretol--also taking 150mg of Wellbutrin and 75mg of Effexor. I'm not big on Effexor but it seems to provide minor relief. The Tegretol wasn't really helping my depression, however. That's always been a sticky spot--a real nagging depression that just won't go away!
>
> I did some research and found that the AC Lamictal and the mood stabilizer Lithium were the only drugs for bipolar that have been tested and shown some promise in this area. I didn't want to suffer the side effects of Lithium, have to get serum levels checked etc... so of course I opted for the Lamictal. It's been about a month now and it has made SO much difference. It's unbelieveable. I haven't felt like this in years.
>
> I've still got a long way to go though. There is still some persistent depression lurking...I can feel it. I probably need to get stabilized and find the right dosage for me (after all, it's only been a month, right?) I'd like to kick the Effexor. It gives me problems with sex (anorgasmia) and I don't want to be like that for the rest of my life--being bipolar I suspect I will need to be on meds for life.
>
> So that's a quickie version of my story. I could give you the name of my GP if you want to check him out. We have a good working relationship--we tackle my medication together and I really appreciate that. He's open to suggestions too. I've done and continue to do a lot of research on meds and he has never gotten threatened or pulled an "I'm the physician here" sort of attitude. Let me know...i am considering walking into my psychician's office with a invoice book and making an entry everytime i have to educate my gp about medicine :) :)
hey it's not like they can't afford it :)
Posted by T_R_D on April 30, 2004, at 10:01:26
In reply to Re: Toronto_Canada, posted by cybercafe on April 30, 2004, at 5:02:47
Man, so many scary stories. So you want to get into psychiatry? Good for you! I want to go back to school and get my nursing degree.
To both of you guys, sometimes I think you just have to go through the mill to find a good doc. I guess I've been lucky. I do hear stories about so many people not even being able to find a GP so why am I not surprised about a pdoc. I was almost referred to a guy from my GP but since the Lamictal seems to be kicking in I'm going to stay put for a while.
K.
Posted by cybercafe on April 30, 2004, at 13:16:45
In reply to Re: Toronto_Canada, posted by T_R_D on April 30, 2004, at 10:01:26
> Man, so many scary stories. So you want to get into psychiatry? Good for you! I want to go back to school and get my nursing degree.
>
> To both of you guys, sometimes I think you just have to go through the mill to find a good doc. I guess I've been lucky. I do hear stories about so many people not even being able to find a GP so why am I not surprised about a pdoc. I was almost referred to a guy from my GP but since the Lamictal seems to be kicking in I'm going to stay put for a while.
>
> K.MY DOC->
i talked to my doc about referring him patients but him not returning their phone calls (i was a little upset) and his reply was that he was sick for a while and not able to do so but is answering/returning phone calls now... and wanted me to apologize to anyone who tried to get through but couldn't ....
if you want to send me a private email, pbad2001@yahoo.com, i can give you his contact details (put psychobabble or something in title so i know it's not spam)....
otherwise i would go with sunnybrook....... plus asking lots of questions from the knowledgable people on the board....
i just consider myself really lucky that my doc was smart enough to know that i needed parnate (2nd antidepressant he put me on) and that you can combine ritalin + parnate no problem ... otherwise i would not have such delusions of grandeur ........ and it was awesome he could see me on a weekly basis ...
but the illness thing was a real inconvenience, to say the leastODSP->
on a side note -- what is with people these days? i guess you have to establish rapport or something or else they do not care about you..... i never realized social skills were vital to getting better...i only wish i knew where the ODSP office was so i could have a little chat with them, i'm sure i could convince them of the benefits of helping me a little now so i could really help society out a little later ...... 8 months to have a claim processed is just ridiculous ...
i actually wrote them a letter saying that i really love people, but i am getting kind of desperate and if i get desperate enough, and because i'm really feeling that people don't care about one another when i talk to them, i'll probably end up in organized crime or something......
thanks a lot ODSP
i really want to help people, so it really comes as a shock to me when i meet person after person who doesn't care at all whether i live or die and it just makes me want to join a gang where i can make money breaking people's legs or something ... just to restore the karmic balance...
i think being "sensitive" is cool, except you have to be careful how you deal with people or you will be let down a lot (okay i can't complain people have been really good to me lately, just not the ones with the MONEY that really matter most right now)
MED SCHOOL ->
oh btw i talked to my doc a bit about med school and he was telling me, yeah, you can go for aversion therapy and that helps people get over squimishness ... since i have no money, i will probably try to teach myself psychology and then treat myself.... arrrrg ... unless i can find a free psychologist somewhere (i actually was referred to a few earlier but then got hypomanic and left the country)maybe now that i have no money it's a good time to steal some anatomy books from the U of T bookstore, i really wonder how easy it would be to plead diminished responsibility due to mental illness ... and it's not like i have any money for them to fine me ...
.... ahhh toronto is weird... i think most people don't care (are very isolated/cold/apathetic) until you get to know them, and then you find there are a lot of good people out there .... (probably because people are so isolated, when they do let you into their world it is so much more powerful a connection)
Posted by cybercafe on May 1, 2004, at 7:58:11
In reply to Re: Toronto_Canada, posted by T_R_D on April 30, 2004, at 10:01:26
let us know if my doc is cool to you (if you decide to see him again) if so i will refer other patients to him, if not i won't bother
This is the end of the thread.
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