I've posted a couple of times about the lights I've had at the periphery of my vision since increasing the topomax (antideprssant), and that I dug around & discovered that the medication has a problem, even been pulled off the market a couple of times, because it can cause severe optical disorders. Retinal detachment, which can rapidly lead to blindness, glaucoma that is not reversible when the medication is stopped, other horrid optical stuff. Really great, and yes- it makes me wonder why it is on the market at all? Apparently, the incidences of such cases occurring are, while not common, are also by no means rare.
I'm pretty logical about medical things, take it step-by-step. I live close to an enormous medical university, so I called their ophthalmology clinic, told them what I'm experiencing. A cranky lady told me I need a referral to be seen. Okay. Saw my kindly GP today. He's familiar with the topomax situation & put in an urgent referral request. Examined my retinas. Thankfully, they don't appear to be "bruised," which apparently is a good sign. Whew. But GP instructed me to speak with med dude right away to discuss a plan for decreasing the topomax with the goal of stopping it.
I went into the parking lot, got into my car, called med dude's clinic. He had left for the day. So the medical assistant (after I beat into her brain the seriousness of the problem) said she'd speak with the on-call med dudette and call me back.
I got home. No message. I called the clinic. Was told to go to urgent care (not affiliated with them) to get a different AD. I said NO. They will not prescribe a psych med there so do not tell me to do that. YOU need to take care of this situation because I am YOUR patient. Put me on hold. Came back. The whole thing dragged on. I am, by now, fighting WW4 to get medical care. Finally, the best I could get - and it was big, considering - was that I reduce the topomax over the week-end. Then the medical assistant moved someone's appointment to a different time slot so I can see med dude on Tuesday (since they're closed on Monday).
So, super fucc. There goes the AD that has done a decent job of lifting me out of the hellish depression I've had this season. I mean, yeah, I'm one of the lucky ones who didn't go blind from the stuff. I'm just so afraid med dude will say he doesn't see an option for another AD. He starts with the whole I don't want to prescribe an AD that will set off mania. And I made a try for Emsam, but he nixed that right away, which is sooo frustrating. The MAOI's have been the one AD class I have not tried, so why not give it a shot?
The medical university near my town is enormous, spreads throughout this region; in my home city they have their teaching hospital, which includes a psychiatric clinic. I'm going to call them tomorrow. I very, very much doubt that they accept my insurance. Their out-of-pocket cost is prohibitive. But, I can call and ask. They are just so much more open to new ideas that med dude is, as dear and kind as he is, poor dude.