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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 Deneb on July 17, 2005, at 12:39:47
I've noticed that a lot of people have been on multiple medications.
There seems to be a medication to control every negative thought/feeling. Is it all really necessary?
I seem quite insane sometimes but I've never been on anything other than a simple SSRI. Negative emotions and strange thoughts are just a part of life right?
I'm glad my p-doc and GP refused to give me anything other than an SSRI even though I really thought I needed something to prevent myself from dying.
My former p-doc said I didn't need anything else. My GP was afraid I would misuse meds to harm myself.
Deneb
Posted by Racer on July 17, 2005, at 13:39:53
In reply to How did everyone get on so many meds?, posted by Deneb on July 17, 2005, at 12:39:47
>
> There seems to be a medication to control every negative thought/feeling. Is it all really necessary?
>
> I seem quite insane sometimes but I've never been on anything other than a simple SSRI. Negative emotions and strange thoughts are just a part of life right?
>Some negative emotions are part of life, as are some strange thoughts -- but sometimes the negative emotions or strange thoughts are beyond "part of life" and cross over into pathological. For instance, if my negative emotion is so strong that it overwhelms me to the point that I attempt suicide, that's pathology, not part of life. Similarly, thinking about covering one wall in velcro, so that I can stick the cat on it to keep her out of mischief -- that's part of my life, and "normal" for me. Thinking about, say, walking down the street topless to show off my surgical scars -- and then doing it, well, again, pathological.
So, no easy, cut and dried answer to that. There's a continuum, and it pretty much has to be taken on a case by case basis.
> I'm glad my p-doc and GP refused to give me anything other than an SSRI even though I really thought I needed something to prevent myself from dying.
>
> My former p-doc said I didn't need anything else. My GP was afraid I would misuse meds to harm myself.
>
> DenebThat's great, that you respond adequately to the SSRIs, so that you only have to take one med. That's true for some people, but some of us don't respond adequately to SSRIs -- and some of us don't respond to SSRIs at all.
In my case, I have one of two reactions to SSRIs: I feel stuck inside a shell, unable to communicate or experience emotions, on some of them -- Paxil, Lexapro come to mind -- or I go through a particularly awful agitation, where it feels as though I really, really need to jump out of my skin, often combined with involuntary muscle twitches bad enough to make me kick out my legs or lose control of my arms. Neither of those is acceptable to me, so SSRIs aren't a great solution for my depression.
On the other hand, a low dose of Prozac in combination with Effexor literally saved my life a number of years ago. The two drugs together were able to lift my depression, without overwhelming me with agitation and anxiety.
I guess what I'm trying to say, using my own experience as examples, is that we all react differently. If I were being treated by a single medication, I would not be in remission, and would probably have given up entirely long ago.
I'm happy for you that you have found a solution that works for you, and that your doctor is sensitive enough to recognize what you need without overmedicating you. Be well.
Posted by linkadge on July 17, 2005, at 14:52:35
In reply to Re: How did everyone get on so many meds?, posted by Racer on July 17, 2005, at 13:39:53
I agree, its not really a case of medicating for a hangnail. It's kind of got to be something a little more severe.
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on July 17, 2005, at 18:44:06
In reply to Re: How did everyone get on so many meds?, posted by linkadge on July 17, 2005, at 14:52:35
What I still don't understand is where you all get the knowledge to get your pdoc to Rx the combos you ask for and how you know what to ask for? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on July 18, 2005, at 3:59:27
In reply to Re: How did everyone get on so many meds?, posted by Phillipa on July 17, 2005, at 18:44:06
Well the way I see it, is that we are all biochemically unique, just the way that we all look unique, and therefore we may need different combos of drugs to help us.
I agree that negetive feelings are part of life, but then they completely take over and are debilitating, and they affect your ability to work/function/eat/sleep etc, then medical intervention is probably best.
I initally really hated the idea of going onto ADs - but since they have really helped me, I can't say that they are all that bad. They do help an awful lot of people.
The way I see it, is that if you had hayfever, or asthma or were allergic to nuts, you wouldn't think twice about using medication. I think mental conditions are like that - we can't help that we have them, just like you can't help that you have asthma. Some people just are mentally healthy - just like some people are completely physically healthy. I guess its just life.
:o)
Posted by woolav on July 18, 2005, at 8:01:25
In reply to Re: How did everyone get on so many meds?, posted by Meri-Tuuli on July 18, 2005, at 3:59:27
Depending on your symptoms, alot of ppl need to augment thier SSRI med. I guess it just depends on your dx. What is it??
S
Posted by Deneb on July 18, 2005, at 8:23:02
In reply to Re: How did everyone get on so many meds?, posted by woolav on July 18, 2005, at 8:01:25
> Depending on your symptoms, alot of ppl need to augment thier SSRI med. I guess it just depends on your dx. What is it??
> S
Borderline personality disorder, Social anxiety and recurring depressions(??-not sure if I really qualified as being depressed, they never last long)
Posted by Jazzed on July 18, 2005, at 16:19:46
In reply to Re: How did everyone get on so many meds?, posted by Phillipa on July 17, 2005, at 18:44:06
> What I still don't understand is where you all get the knowledge to get your pdoc to Rx the combos you ask for and how you know what to ask for? Fondly, Phillipa
Hi Phillipa,
I just tell my doctor how I feel, and how the meds have affected me. I let him decide how he can help me. Of course, I have the best p-doc, and I trust him implicitly.
Jazzy
Posted by april8 on July 22, 2005, at 19:50:11
In reply to How did everyone get on so many meds?, posted by Deneb on July 17, 2005, at 12:39:47
Everyone is different. I had a reaction to a couple of meds and needed to switch. I also needed to augment Wellbutrin with Effexor to manage the anxiety. Good for you that you only have used one SSRI. Depression is a biologically based disorder, and people need to find the medication that works for them.
By the way I still feel all of my feelings, anti-depressants don't numb me at all, I just don't get suicidal anymore, which is not a "normal" feeling!
This is the end of the thread.
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