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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by chiron on March 29, 2007, at 17:57:52
I watched the minutes slowly go by today, miserable and hoping that my dr. appointment would give me some hope. Instead I left feeling worse. He gave me the impression that he doesn't think my problems are physical and that I lose hope too easily- but try being depressed over 20 years when you have exhausted almost every med. How could I feel like my future looks bright? I feel unstable, hate life, no pleasure, empty, and time is painful.
I am wondering if Emsam is negatively affecting my mood (like most meds have), but he wants me to go up to 9mg. I don't know if I can hang on to give this the trial he wants me to, but I know I'm at the end of my options. I've just had so many drugs make me worse...could this still one day have a positive effect on me?
Posted by Phillipa on March 29, 2007, at 19:45:22
In reply to Help...after dr apt. feel less hope, posted by chiron on March 29, 2007, at 17:57:52
Chiron did you read the remission thread? That will give a bit of hope. And quite a few people like stargazer seem to be doing well with the addition of a med to their EMSAM. Hope this helps. Love Phillipa
Posted by greywolf on March 29, 2007, at 19:56:48
In reply to Re: Help...after dr apt. feel less hope » chiron, posted by Phillipa on March 29, 2007, at 19:45:22
Chiron:
Please give Emsam a full trial. I have learned over the last many months with a new psychiatrist that I put myself through hell with a lot of meds to no real end because the trials were too short. I have had to relearn that patience is a virtue. While that is very difficult to apply in reality when you're suffering from some serious SEs, hopefully the Emsam is not giving you too much trouble in that regard. 6mg may be too low, so give a higher dosage a shot if you can.
Greywolf
Posted by Cynthia_Greene on March 30, 2007, at 13:05:26
In reply to Help...after dr apt. feel less hope, posted by chiron on March 29, 2007, at 17:57:52
> I watched the minutes slowly go by today, miserable and hoping that my dr. appointment would give me some hope. Instead I left feeling worse. He gave me the impression that he doesn't think my problems are physical and that I lose hope too easily- but try being depressed over 20 years when you have exhausted almost every med. How could I feel like my future looks bright? I feel unstable, hate life, no pleasure, empty, and time is painful.
I don't know if I can give any advice about the medications, but I've also experienced feeling hopeless and worse after seeing a new doctor before. In my case, it was because he put down everything I cared about and basically made me feel that my goals for life were worthless and unattainable.If you don't like something about your doctor, even if it's small things, you always have the right to stand up for yourself or find a different doctor you get along with. Never forget that you're the one hiring him for his services and you deserve what you're paying for.
Posted by Ines on March 30, 2007, at 16:12:11
In reply to Help...after dr apt. feel less hope, posted by chiron on March 29, 2007, at 17:57:52
Hi Chiron,
I have had the same happen to me. Last time I went to the doctor he was very dismissive and made me feel like it was all my fault for not asking for help earlier on. I came out of there so upset I couldn't get off the couch for the rest of the day. I find when I am depressed I am very sensitive to what people say to me. Also I hang on to the hope that small things like a doctor's appointment will make me feel better, and when it doesn't happen I get a real down. I hope you are feeling a bit better now.What's your diagnosis? I was just thinking that if a lot of ADs have made you worse it's possible you could be bipolar? Have you got opinions from more than one doctor? Try not to get discouraged. I know of someone who suffered badly from depression for years until he found a psychiatrist that just hit all the right buttons with him and found a combo that made him get well, and eventually go into remission. It's now been 10 years and he's off all meds other than a daily sleep aid and he's fine. He's had to go back on meds a couple of times after brief relapses, but he says that after he found the right meds and went back on them at the first sign of depression he's never had a bad episode. I know very well how discouraging it is when nothing seems to work but don't give up- I'm sure when we find something that works for us life will be that much better because we know what it feels like on the other side...
Ines
Posted by DStupid on March 30, 2007, at 17:12:07
In reply to Re: Help...after dr apt. feel less hope » chiron, posted by Ines on March 30, 2007, at 16:12:11
Hi, Chiron:
The more important person in the doctor-patient relationship is you, not the doctor. The doctor can be great, but you can still do poorly, and vice-versa. When you stake your well-being on the doctor (who has dozens of patients like you and doesn't particularly care about any patient although you may think that you're his special patient), you can suffer terribly when the doctor doesn't respond as much as you need at that time. The way to go is to take control of your meds and decide on your own what to take. If the med. you're currently taking has improved your well-being compared to the one that existed before you started on that med, then increase it. If that's not the case, stop it. The next time you go to your doctor, bring with you names of 2-3 meds. you'd like to try and ask him his opinion. You actually get some respect from doctors that way.
Posted by Ines on March 30, 2007, at 17:35:32
In reply to Re: Help...after dr apt. feel less hope, posted by DStupid on March 30, 2007, at 17:12:07
> The next time you go to your doctor, bring with you names of > 2-3 meds. you'd like to try and ask him his opinion. You >actually get some respect from doctors that way.I've found that doctors have really different opinions on that subject. Some take your suggestions seriously. Some actively resent it if you try to self-diagnose. And some don't resent it but tell you it doesnt help treatment if you try to get too involved in choosing meds.
I can't help but get as much info as poss about all the options and decide what I think would be best, but I haven't yet worked out whether I am helping or hindering myself....
Posted by DStupid on March 30, 2007, at 20:54:42
In reply to Re: Help...after dr apt. feel less hope, posted by Ines on March 30, 2007, at 17:35:32
I agree, Ines. But it depends how you present your drugs of choice. In my experience, doctors had asked me how I came up with the names of various drugs. I tried these explanations with the success indicated in brackets:
1. My friend is taking it (the medicine) [failure].
2. I read about it on the internet discussion board [failure].
3. I read about it in a psych pharmaceutical book. I once even brought it in: it's Handbook of Psychiatric Drugs, published by CCS Publishing (ccspublishing.com) and sold for $12 (pocket book and very good in my opinion) [failure; warned to stop playing a doctor].
4. I read a few articles in [naming the medical journals] and they recommend giving patients like me a trial of this drug. [this explanation worked several times, it was also rejected several times].The point is to try to box the pdoctor in by rejecting his choices and giving reasons therefor, and steering him towards your drug of choice. For example, if you know the drug is going to be a bust (like Effexor), say to the pdoctor that your primary doctor had prescribed it earlier and that you had tried it, etc., etc. That you regret it, but you're firm: you're not going to try it again, not a different dosage, not a different combination. (The rejection of his choice must not give him any way to weasel out: you tried it with a different doctor and it didn't work, or you got heart palpitations or other non-psychiatric symptoms. Well, there's nothing he can do about it.) But that you want to try this medication, that it happens to be covered by your plan (if true), and that it's not going to inconvenience him so much if he jots down a quick prescription. Look it depends on the doctor and the situation, of course, but coming in prepared, listening to the doctor's choice first, offering him reasons why his choice doesn't fit you (if applicable), and offering then your own drug of choice, is the way to go in my opinion.
Posted by chiron on March 31, 2007, at 10:05:53
In reply to Re: Help...after dr apt. feel less hope, posted by DStupid on March 30, 2007, at 20:54:42
Thank you all for your advice, the support has been very needed for my shaky emotional state.
Ines, my dr doesn't know how to diagnose me, I don't seem to fit anywhere. I seem to have some bipolar indicators, but the antipsychotics & mood stabilizers seem to be the worst.
In fact, topamax increased my agitation. And when I told my dr that, he said he had never heard of that reaction before (although he seemed to believe me). When I told him I had read about a few others that reacted the same way on the internet boards he seemed to dismiss it as not credible (I specifically mentioned this one).
It is sad that I am so low that I have felt that my only hope is that my dr is going to be my savior and find the right key. He does listen to my input, but I don't really have any ideas anymore, I've about exhausted everything.It annoys me that he will ask what I'm doing for the weekend, or what am I doing for fun. I've told him nothing is really fun - THAT IS PART OF THE PROBLEM! Where is he getting his other patients? On the surface my life is fine. There are weekends that I will participate in the normal social activities (sometimes I make myself), which are better for my mood than being stuck in my mind all day. BUT - that doesn't mean I am fine. The other day I was at a friend's house with a bunch of people having dinner acting like I was having a great time. But the whole time I was secretly obsessed with death and wanting to die. Does my dr. not believe in true chemical imbalances? If not, then why is he a doctor?
Posted by greywolf on March 31, 2007, at 16:55:41
In reply to Re: Help...after dr apt. feel less hope, posted by chiron on March 31, 2007, at 10:05:53
I think it's generally not a good idea to tell your doctor that you're researching meds or reading about other people's experiences on boards like this. I would be concerned that he would question your objectivity in reporting symptoms or would suspect that you're mimicking others.I just educate myself on the meds (to the extent I can understand the gibberish--I'm not like some of the experts here), ask a few important questions (usually about side effects), and then take what they give me.
As to whether your doctor believes in chemical imbalances, as I suspect that he probably does if he's a psychiatrist, only you can find out. Don't ask him the question directly; ask him what he thinks of the effectiveness of SSRIs vs. MAOIs vs. TCAs, ect. His answers should tell you all you need to know about his views of the chemical imbalance theory.
Greywolf
Posted by deniseuk190466 on April 1, 2007, at 11:56:36
In reply to Help...after dr apt. feel less hope, posted by chiron on March 29, 2007, at 17:57:52
Chiron,
Just wanted to say, I know how you feel, as I guess do a lot of other people on this board.
It's horrible to be on a drug which doesn't seem to be helping, knowing that you have to see it out to the bitter end then only to find that it doesn't work at all. Then you have to start all over again.
I feel like that about this lexapro really, although it does seem to be helping me a bit but just not enough.
Keep with the Ensam, maybe it will suddenly kick in, maybe it won't but at least you will have given it a fair trial and you can tick it off your list.
Hope you find something that helps soon and if you do be sure to let me know. Because I'm in the same place you are right now. Feeling discouraged and worried.
Denise
This is the end of the thread.
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