Quote:
Originally Posted by ajpink92
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?
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ok im guessing from your long post you are taking the pro active approach and googling the meds to see what they are for, side effects and such...
when doing this one thing you need to keep in mind...that information on drug/medication websites are not what.....everyone....who takes that meds will go through. its just a statistical thing where some drug company did a study with human beings. for example maybe that study had 100 people participating in the study. those that are conducting the study have a check list of side effects. then if even ....one...person has that side effect they check it off and have to include that in information about that drug... the problem with doing that is because we as consumers dont really know how many people were having that side effect. its just on the label and it may have been just one out of thousands, one out of hundreds....
theres also the fact that each person reacts their own way to the same medications. my wife and I are on one of the same medications. she gets upset stomach if she doesnt take hers with food, I do not. I get a ringing in my ear (tinnitus) from some medications, she does not.
my point is it takes time to find the right medication, the right dosage and combination of medications.
I dont see a problem with a treatment provider prescribing adderall for someone with ADD and GAD. some peoples anxiety comes from their ADD. sometimes, but not always, proof of that is when the meds work but problems once coming down off the meds.
Also I see no problem with the prescribing of topomax. yes the side effect may be weight loss/trouble eating and such but frankly just about all medications that treat ADD and ADHD does cause weight loss, appetite problems just like many psychotropic meds cause weight gain, a feeling of always being hungry, always needing to eat...
my point is we can not tell you whether this treatment provider is doing anything wrong with how they are prescribing and treating you. only you can say that, and only you can decide what to do about it. some people stick with their treatment provider, others find someone new. and others drop out of treatment completely (not something I recommend but its been known to happen)
my suggestion is talk with the treatment provider, explain your concerns or even print off your post and give it to them. they will be able to explain how and why they are treating you the way they are, prescribing the type of meds for you they are, you know all those questions you may be having about this treatment provider because the line in the sand is they are the only ones that can really tell you what is going on and why.