I've never been to a Pdoc, but my T thinks it's a good idea to go for a med evaluation. I have taken meds before, but my primary doctor has always been the one to prescribe them. I'm really nervous about seeing a Pdoc. What should I expect at my 1st appointment? How long are your appointments, and how often do you go? Please tell me everything you can about your Pdoc experiences.

[Ellahmae]

I'm in the same exact boat as you and very, very nervous about it. Terrified in fact.

[catnip123]

usually the pdoc just asks a lot of questions (how do you feel ,how long have you felt this way, any previous treatment, etc) at the 1st appointment. that one lasted an hour, but all my follow up appointments are 30 min. I see my pdoc every 2-3 months depending upon how i'm doing. i can email her with any questions between visits.
i hope find a good pdoc.

[Chummy]

At my first appoinment my pdoc asked a lot. The first appoinment took longer as an half hour. The follow ups are shorter. I think 10-15 minutes. But that's also because I don't say much to him.
How often I see him depends on what we're doing. When I start a new medication or a higher dose, the next time I see him is about 6 weeks later. But the time between quiting a med and starting a new med is about 2-3 weeks. Since I haven't found a med that works, this has repeated now 4 times?
He asked me what my issues are, what therapies I've had, what medication I've tried in the past, what I expect from medication, if I had side effects from previous medication.
I can't remember a lot from my first appoinment. He might asked about your family situation, about school/work/friends, about what you do in your free time, how your day looks like.
At follow-ups he asks how I'm doing, if I've done anything fun/interesting in the past weeks. Then he asks about the medication, if I feel different, if I had side effects. He asks me about things I've mentioned before and if it has changed (sleep, appetite, energy, si thoughts).

But I've seen two different pdocs when I was a teenager. I don't remember a lot, but they didn't ask much.

[ruh roh]

For the last two I saw, the initial appt was an hour and a half. It's a lot of questions about physical and emotional symptoms (sleeping, eating, moods,) personal history, family history of mental illness, current day stressors. If you've taken medication before, bring a list of what they were, the dosage, and how you responded. Most of my eval was about medications and where I would draw the line. I've had a lot of experience with them, so knew what I felt comfortable trying.

Since it really comes down to being there for medication, if there's something they want to prescribe, be sure to ask about known side effects (weight gain, tremors). Some will cause a lot of weight gain, so I'm pretty firm about finding weight-neutral meds and tell them my quality of life is as important as having a life, so if they leave me overweight and shakey..no thanks.

I never tell a pdoc about my past history. They will ask about abuse, etc. I just say I'm working on things in therapy and prefer to keep those discussions with my therapist. Some are better at asking than others, but these are not people known for their social skills.

Don't worry about it. Go in with the intention of asking questions and being part of deciding what you will do.

[NowhereUSA]

My Pdoc just did a general intake, emotional state, diagnoses, physical stuff. Then I got a script for a low dose of some antidepressant.

I find that a pdoc is good for asking a lot of med questions. Like any doc there are good ones, mediocre ones, and bad ones. Some think they are bringing the word of God from down on high and others are aware of the limitations of their field. My Pdoc is good at pharmacology and so even when I've had consults with other physicians, I won't agree to anything until I've run it by him. I had *two* pdocs recommend something and then when I asked him about it he was like, "Oh, no, the way that drug works it generally does x, y and z so it doesn't do what you hope it does at these other doses." The first pdoc that had recommended it hadn't listened to a word I said (ugh) and the second wasn't very experienced.

The other thing to remember is that it's about finding a balance of quality of life. Only you can say whether or not a drug and its side effects are worth tolerating but also talking about those side effects with a talented pdoc is going to yield insight and hopefully better options.

[LonesomeTonight]

Mine did an extensive history on the first appointment--took 2 hours, I think. Once you've started on a med, she does 25-minute appointments, asking about how you're feeling, etc. My previous p-doc only did 15-minute appointments, which doesn't allow very much time, so I prefer the 25-minute option. P-docs are much better versed in psych meds and their benefits and side effects than GPs, so they're good at helping to find the med or combo of meds that works best. Good luck!

Oh, and if I'm trying a new med, she usually wants to see me back in a week or two to see how it's working. If I've been on something for a bit, then it's more like once every 3-6 weeks.

[Cinnamon_Stick]

My first appointment with my pdoc was an hour long and she asked a lot of questions about my history. Now my appointments are from 15 minutes to half an hour. I see her once every three to four months depending on how I am doing.