[bellamarie]

I am planning to go to a doctor this octomber. I know its very late I should go right this instant but i dont trust the doctors here(they say i have stress. i so do not have stress)so im going to london and i keep thinking how i will be after starting medication. how would i look....its not only the side effects of the meds the doctor will give me. its me. would i change very much?i know i will stop talking to myself and keep thinking awful things but i suppose its more. Any one out there that agrees with me?

[monkeybrains21]

I don't trust docs either. I'm very careful how I say things. I see a Pdoc for the first time in about a week and half. It's very stressful. But I try not to think of it til my alarm goes off that day to remind me. I know it may take few tries to find meds that work for me. Do u? Do u have someone at home who can be there with u when u do the meds to see if they change u for better or worse? Will they know the side effects that mean stop taking immediately? I will not read the side effects my partner will. If I read them it's more likely I have those bad side effects but it will all be in my head.

Do u have someone who can do this for u?

[ashland]

I heard London dr are smart but hope you the best.

[pegasus]

Hello bellamarie, welcome to Psych Central.

Do you feel your mental health will be ok for the next 4 months? Medications should help you to stay stable, that is what they are for. Please think about seeing a doctor.

[shabur]

You may want to see your general practitioner first for a complete check up with blood work. There are medical conditions that can cause mental health issues.

Your pdoc will ask you several questions to determine what medication may work best. It can take 4 - 6 weeks for a medication to take effect. Unfortunately, there is no drastic, immediate change. During this time you should keep in contact with your doctor if you have any negative side effects.

Your doc should see you every 2 - 4 weeks during this period as you try different dosages, possibly different medications and possibly additional medications. The only science to this process is how your body uses these meds, so it can be a bit of trial and error.

Not that you should anticipate my experience, but it took me a year before I hit the right cocktail. And even with that, as I've gone through depressive episodes, my meds have changed. In addition to talk therapy, my pdoc does pharmacology therapy so she knows meds extremely well.

As I mentioned there is no dramatic, immediate change. You may want to journal every few days about how you feel, how your sleep is, if you are dreaming are they nightmares, are you eating well, how is your energy level, how you are doing socially, ... This will help your doctor determine if your med(s) are working as they should.