First time poster, not sure where to put this! So as you can see by the title I'm having some trouble with my psychiatrist. I've been seeing her for over a year, but off and on. She has diagnosed me with (in order) GAD, BPD, and ADD. Last year (before I was diagnosed with BPD or ADD) I first saw her for anxiety issues. She offered me two different off-label drugs, both of which I tried and didn't work: gabapentin, hydroxyzine. I also agreed to take Prozac and then Lexapro even though I had previously taken SSRI's and knew they didn't agree with me or work. I just wanted to convince her that I was willing to work with her and try different things. However, I have not gotten anywhere with my anxiety.
Fast forward to this past month or two. I was recently diagnosed with BPD and ADD. I am doing therapy and a DBT program for BPD and my psychiatrist prescribed me Adderall for ADD. Wait... what? Yes... this woman prescribed a patient diagnosed with GAD Adderall, with nothing to help anxiety. That was my first red flag.
Yesterday at my appointment, I told my psychiatrist Adderall works great but as it wears off, I get this feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach, and just a sense that something awful is going to happen, as well as a faster heartbeat. She prescribed me topamax (another off-label with only one weak study supporting any anxiety relief). When I got home and read the label I was appalled.
For one thing, topamax can lower the effectiveness of my birth control pills, of which she did NOT inform me, even though she knows I take them. Second, she knows that I have lost around 15 pounds recently from the Adderall and have been struggling to eat enough/raise my appetite. Topamax can causes anorexia and lower appetite. Along with that, come other fun side effects such as kidney stones, tingling hands/feet, hair loss, dopey feelings/mental space.
I am literally disgusted that a medical professional would prescribe me something this toxic when there is such a minuscule chance that it will help me at all. I've been honest (but kind) with her and told her I don't feel that she really takes me seriously and she just brushes me off. She knows that my anxiety at worst ends up with me feeling completely hopeless and suicidal, as though I will never feel normal or ok. It seems so unethical that she's stringing me along and prescribing me things that most likely will not work. I know I need to find a new psychiatrist but even once I can find one that is taking new patients, I will most likely have to wait up to six months for an appointment and I don't know if I can take feeling like this any longer...
Sorry for the essay, I just wanted to be sure to include all the details. Anyone have any insight?