[ThunderGoddess]

My insurance company denied me getting Abilify so I'm going to be put on Geodone which is for biploar and schizophrenia, and nowhere does is say it treats psychosis.

But when I looked up Seroquel it also doesn't say it treats psychosis although I felt like I could stand on my own two feet on it, so I am just wondering are these drugs actually working for me or is this a placebo effect?

My boyfriend, therapists and doctor believe I was doing better on meds and have gotten worse since I stopped. I flipped out at the behavioral health center twice, flipped out on my boyfriend twice and made a huge mess at the pharmacy by pushing everything off a shelf. I've been off mood meds for at least 4 weeks now.

I believe it was pmdd that made it look worse than it really is I've been feeling like crap since 2 weeks prior to my period and feel in a little more control than I did last week I feel more depressed than usual but I'm in a crappy situation right now I don't have my own money, this is the longest I haven't been able to work in my entire life, although the jobs I was regularly working at were highly stressful. I am in general feeling highly stressed about the way my life is going and from my understanding psychosis is not uncommon during stressful times.

So I just wonder how much are these mood meds really working I've always felt like I was having a hard time even with the meds so I'm contemplating just giving up on them altogether. Plus the fact that I have to keep going back to this pharmacy is an effing nightmare after what I did

[CopperStar]

Haven't ever researched Geodone, but Seroquel does treat psychosis when given at a high enough dosage. The way APs work is that they function very differently at different dosages.

An informative yet humorous article on the matter:

The Last Psychiatrist: The Most Important Article On Psychiatry You Will Ever Read

However and of course, regardless, each medication is not going to work for everyone, even if they have the same diagnosis. So if option A is not working, it might be time to move on to Option B. And onward through the alphabet until the right one is found (if meds are the right choice).

[ThunderGoddess]

Very interesting article thank you for sharing! And I feel a little bit better now to be honest because I was worrying that my meds keep changing and I'm going to die from taking something but now I see how they spread out in your head.
The only thing that really concerns me is why the majority of my psychs discontinue meds instead of trying different doses. In the past year I have been prescribed Seroquel, Trazadone, Remeron, Depakoat, and Fluvoxamine like I just want to stick with one the only reason I was taken off the seroquel was because it made me sleepy so I wonder was it really worth it to complain about being sleepy because now I'm adding Geodone to the list I'm tired of changing meds to a point that I am confused if they are even worth it anymore.

[CopperStar]

Perhaps many pdocs are used to most clients wanting to change meds when one doesn't work soon enough, so maybe it's like a knee-jerk reaction. If you want to stick something out and try a different dosage, I think you should assert that with your pdoc, for sure.

[Daeva]

I'm on these drugs:

300 mg Seroquel
600mg Trileptal
20 mg Prozac
5 mg Abilify
300 mg Wellbutrin

So far I feel like we're halfway to finding the correct 'recipe' so to speak. The abilify works but only slightly and the seroquel helps me, I wouldn't be able to live without it. But of course others are different. Give some of the meds time, if you haven't. Most meds take at least 4 weeks to even have an effect.

Can you switch pharmacies?
Don't go off your meds, if you're bad now, it'll be worse off them. I too feel like I'm off-kilter. I have had serious bouts of anger, aggressiveness, viciousness and feel like I'm out of control and am just waiting to crash. But we just got to hang on. Emotions don't last forever. I cling to that DBT phrase.

[ThunderGoddess]

Yeah all of the meds I was on for at least 8 weeks or longer. The seroquel I was on for 4 months. I honestly do not want to be on meds and I am already off all of my meds because I'm in the process of switching so I have no choice in the matter I was supposed to be on abilify 5 days ago but the insurance likes to play doctor so now I have to get the Geodone tonight that they approved.

** Update - just called the pharmacy my meds are once again declined by the insurance company for the 4th time this week.

And honestly I'm thinking F that pharmacy if they're mad or talking bad about me because I knocked some shampoo off the shelf. I obviously have mental issues that I'm working out I don't expect everyone to be happy with my actions, but I can't sit here and worry about my past mistakes what's done is done and I learned from it and don't expect to be doing that again. I'd rather not switch pharmacies because I have agoraphobia and it's right out front of the bus stop so until I can travel further I have to stay there.

Today I was able to use DBT for my paranoia, that's all I have right now to cope so I'm thankful for that at least.

[WibblyWobbly]

Geodon treats psychosis. I was on it briefly IP. Hospitals give it all the time for agitation. The hospital I usually go to uses geodon before haldol.

[BadWolfC]

Were you trying to get the generic of Abilify or the brand name type? My insurance stopped covering the brand name, but they have no problem covering the generic. Might be something to look into if you continue having med issues. I only take the generic Abilify and it works well for me, I have Bipolar 2 and Borderline traits and it seems to treat both without any problems.

[ThunderGoddess]

Originally Posted by BadWolfC

Were you trying to get the generic of Abilify or the brand name type? My insurance stopped covering the brand name, but they have no problem covering the generic. Might be something to look into if you continue having med issues. I only take the generic Abilify and it works well for me, I have Bipolar 2 and Borderline traits and it seems to treat both without any problems.

At first I was trying to get Abilify but the insurance company denied that. They also denied the generic and I don't know if it was Ziprasidone HCL the first time or maybe it was Geodone and they denied that and then gave me the Ziprasidone but denied that as well, so there was some confusion. My psych actually said he has never had to deal with an insurance company denying that many times. I am on a community health plan though.

I don't really have a full on diagnosis other than bpd and ptsd my current therapist only speculates bipolar but every doc/therapist I've seen is different. I've had 4 bipolar diagnosis, 6 bpd diagnosis and 3 ptsd diagnosis.

Which is partly why I am downright confused on jumping on meds or waiting to see how I am after therapy and then if I still have issues with paranoia, anger, si, depression, agoraphobia, dissociation ect. then go for the meds.

This is what I would like to do before I decide it's best to take medication: Create a safety kit with emergency contacts, coping skills and self soothing tools for si & self-harm, DBT, CBT, anger management, trauma therapy. Also going to look for a birth control better suited to help with PMDD.

[CopperStar]

I take the depo provera injection, completely eliminates my cycles, no PMS, no blood, no cramps, nothin. It's wonderful.

[ThunderGoddess]

Originally Posted by CopperStar

I take the depo provera injection, completely eliminates my cycles, no PMS, no blood, no cramps, nothin. It's wonderful.

I used to say I'd never try a birth control that alters my cycles because I am almost obsessive about staying organic and no chemicals blah blah but at this point it may be for best. I'll be looking into that!