[rainbow8]

After reading these threads and googling meds and reading people's experiences, I really have to wonder! I've never taken meds before and am on zoloft, which so far, makes me feel much worse than before I started it.
So many of us have side effects that make the meds intolerable. Do pdocs understand that? It seems like they just want to prescribe more and more? I've never had such a weird experience in my whole life. I know many are helped by meds, but you'd think there would be a better way than to have horrible things happen like brain zaps, hospitalizations, sleep-eating, brain freeze, agitation, feeling suicidal and bad upset stomachs!!! I hope most people do NOT suffer from their meds. I wish pdocs wouldn't prescribe more and more drugs to counteract the others. I have a feeling I'm not going to stick with the meds.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by rainbow8

After reading these threads and googling meds and reading people's experiences, I really have to wonder! I've never taken meds before and am on zoloft, which so far, makes me feel much worse than before I started it.
So many of us have side effects that make the meds intolerable. Do pdocs understand that? It seems like they just want to prescribe more and more? I've never had such a weird experience in my whole life. I know many are helped by meds, but you'd think there would be a better way than to have horrible things happen like brain zaps, hospitalizations, sleep-eating, brain freeze, agitation, feeling suicidal and bad upset stomachs!!! I hope most people do NOT suffer from their meds. I wish pdocs wouldn't prescribe more and more drugs to counteract the others. I have a feeling I'm not going to stick with the meds.

A lot of times I don't think they are very good at putting themselves in our shoes...would they take a drug that made them feel worse? would they want to take another drug to counter act side effects of the first one and so on and so fourth? I sometimes find mental health professionals a bit too pushy about meds I don't like to feel pressured to try drugs as that should be a personal decision based on the information given.

But then of course if you disagree with taking a med or a certain treatment they seem to have the attitude that it means you don't want to get 'better'...though not so sure that is what my exact goal is anyways I don't see myself being rid of my mental issues realistically even under the best of circumstances...sometimes some damage has been done. I mean for all the education psychiatirsts and other mental health professionals are supposed to have it seems a lot could learn more about the feelings of the mentally ill people they are treating and why maybe they are uncomfortable with some things or can't just deal with side effects and keep taking a medication.

[nicoleb2]

Originally Posted by rainbow8

After reading these threads and googling meds and reading people's experiences, I really have to wonder! I've never taken meds before and am on zoloft, which so far, makes me feel much worse than before I started it.
So many of us have side effects that make the meds intolerable. Do pdocs understand that? It seems like they just want to prescribe more and more? I've never had such a weird experience in my whole life. I know many are helped by meds, but you'd think there would be a better way than to have horrible things happen like brain zaps, hospitalizations, sleep-eating, brain freeze, agitation, feeling suicidal and bad upset stomachs!!! I hope most people do NOT suffer from their meds. I wish pdocs wouldn't prescribe more and more drugs to counteract the others. I have a feeling I'm not going to stick with the meds.

I think that it really depends on the pdoc. I am on pdoc #6 in 6.5 years and this one finally seems to get it and isn't pushing more and more meds. All of the ones I have had before kept pushing more meds. At one point, I was on like 12 meds and almost died from it

[BlessedRhiannon]

Originally Posted by nicoleb2

I think that it really depends on the pdoc. I am on pdoc #6 in 6.5 years and this one finally seems to get it and isn't pushing more and more meds. All of the ones I have had before kept pushing more meds. At one point, I was on like 12 meds and almost died from it

I agree, it really depends on the pdoc, and I think it also depends on the patient. I think I got really lucky with my pdoc. He was recommended by my T, and my T contacted him first to tell him about me. When I met with him, he really seemed to understand my concerns, and he's never dismissed anything I say about how any meds affect me. He accepts what I consider "unacceptable" side effects, and we work to minimize those. But, I think it's also the patient's responsibility to be willing to communicate clearly with the pdoc and acknowledge that the pdoc does have experience and knowledge on their side. I think that just like with any other doctor, the only way things can work well is if both doctor and patient have open, honest, and respectful communication. I know lots of doctors that seem to have a power thing going on with patients, and they are derogatory, cold, disrespectful, and dismissive...I won't work with someone like that and simply find another provider.

[-jimi-]

Most of the time I think they can't understand. You must have been there. Some doc told me when I complained about unbearable side effects, that the illness isn't without side effects either. But change one hell for another isn't always something you want to do.

When I refused Zyprexa, my doc told me that if I was worried about gaining 40 pounds that is an eating disorder! (I'm already overweight) I doubt she would have accepted it. (She said I should expect that kind of weight gain)

I've also been pushed to continue a med that made me not able to move, I physically froze and could only move a little at a time. I refused. Doc thought I was giving up too easily.

I guess maybe they hear less affected people complain, and think we're just making it up. Like with my iron tabs, I don't think the doc actually understood my "puking my guts out" right after taking it, as actually cascade vomiting at every attempt to take it, I think she thought maybe I exaggerated a little and maybe vomit a little once a week or so.

What do I know?

I'm glad my current meds are not a big problem. My main med is without side effects.

[Paige008]

I wonder how much their standards of care would change if they had to try the drugs that they so quickly, and even sometimes thoughtlessly, dole out...

[onionknight]

Pdocs (and let's face it, everyone else really) think that we don't take our meds because we don't think we're sick, when it fact it happens (sometimes) because these meds 1. don't help us as well as people think they do 2. have sucky side effects and 3. may not always be the best course of action in our treatment.

[cocoabeans]

I used to have a theory that the medication is supposed to be awful. You see, I have two options bad and worse. Medications made me worse than the disorder ever did so, I thought I had better accept the disorder. Bad is better than worse. Shut up and deal with it or shut up and deal with a chemical torture in addition to bipolar.

Since then I've tried some tolerable drugs but, I still wonder if my first psychiatrist was trying to do a bad job to push me either over the edge eliminating a crazy person or have me deal with it untreated and eliminating demand for an already overworked mental health care system.

[rainbow8]

I think I am going to tell my pdoc on Monday that I want to get off the zoloft. It's about 2 months, though only 2 weeks on 50 mg, and I am still jittery and very tired. I would rather live with my original symptoms than feel like this! I don't like that he wants to give me something for the "anxiety" because, while it's true that I have anxiety, the jittery feeling is much worse than my anxiety! The jitteriness and tiredness is from the zoloft. I can't live like this every day.

I am a little scared to tell him, though I know it's my body and MY decision. If I KNEW these side effects would go away, I'd want to stick with it, but my T thinks it will not get better with a higher dose if I feel this way on 50 mg.

If zoloft doesn't work, how do I know what's a good alternative to try? I want to try at least one more before I give up meds. Or a combination if the pdoc insists that it will take away the jitteriness. He wanted to give me lamactal (or whatever that is) and I didn't want to, along with the zoloft. Do you think I should try that before I stop the zoloft, or just stop the zoloft like I want to?

[-jimi-]

I had terrible akathisia on one SSRI and I actually managed to get through it and could stay on it for 6 months before I had to stop for other reasons. (Got through it by adding inderal for that while.) Akathisia=torture.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by jimi...

Akathisia=torture.

So true. So true. So true.

[onionknight]

Maybe ask to try another single antidepressant before you go with combos?