Posted by S. Howard on December 8, 2000, at 1:06:12
In reply to Re: Why immediate relapse when even just reducing ADs , posted by stjames on December 7, 2000, at 15:47:46
First of all, I would like to say that James always talks and talks forever and never really gets around to the point, his postings are just so long. But I must agree with him, you need to stay on ADs. I've been on psych drugs for less than a year but I understand how you feel. I was
diagnosed with hypertension in my 30s and was horrified to think that I must rely on strong daily medication for the rest of my life. However, just a couple of the alternatives to going drug-free are kidney failure and/or a paralyzing stroke. Also, when I don't take it, I get headaches constantly and feel like hell.You have to consider your ADs the same way - you
have a condition that requires medication and if you don't take it there will likely be serious consequences.Of course, there's no reason for you to stick with a drug regimen that isn't working as well as other drugs could. Your pdoc should be willing to work with you on making careful adjustments. Again, this can be related to a chronic physical condition such as hypertension; I had to try several medications for an extended length of time with (3x daily) monitering before finding a drug that continuously lowered my blood pressure to an acceptable level, and I've changed medications since then to a newer drug that has lowered my BP from acceptable to normal/good. I
try to consider my psych drugs the same way; the ones I'm taking worked for me at first, maybe even saved my life, but now I'm unhappy with the side effects and want to try something new. However, like the BP drugs, I would never consider
"just quitting" like it's a gambling or drinking habit, because it's not. It's something you do to preserve life and, hopefully, make it better.Good luck-
Gracie
poster:S. Howard
thread:50139
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001130/msgs/50172.html