Posted by Jane Doh on October 18, 2001, at 16:56:07
In reply to Self-medicatiom, posted by Gracie2 on October 18, 2001, at 4:59:09
First, I would like to commend you on your eloquent writing. (applause ensues) I am a writer in my free time - which is now since I am on medical leave from my job for an undetermined amount of time. I am a very rapid cycler - every 3 months or so, I attempt suicide,(9 times in the last 18mos) then ramp up to manic then level off is the pattern. I am a mechanical engineer in aerospace - in need absolute mental clarity to work and function as well as physical presence - I've missed practically 1/3 of the yr being in the hospital. (I'm in the process of finding a publisher for a novel I'm writing on bp see my home pg www.geocities.com/jane_doh/jane_doh to get to know me better)
I cannot fathom self-medication. It scares the hell out of me. With the cocktail that I am on presently: Effexor, Topomax, Seroquel and Klonopin, I am afraid to fool with dosages without any guidance for fear of my schizo-affective side affects getting worse. And they have.
Today I met with a new psychiatrist and expressed how I still hear voices and did have hallucinations- it is the scariest thing I have ever, ever experienced - next to the physical and mental abuse from my untreated bipolar mom when I was growing up - and from this board I learned alot of information about Geodon and suggested to him that I would like to try it. He is now tapering off my seroquel of 500mg and is implementing slowly the Geodon into my med-mix. I got my way with logical facts and suggestion.
With the psychiatrist's help, I learned that rapid cycler's, like myself, shouldn't be on anti-depressants for too long, as the AD's cause rapid cycling. And, there is a strong possiblity that he may want to cut down on my Effexor XR at 300mg to something lower in the very near future. This was very helpful. I would not have know this on my own - even though I try to find as much information as I can on meds and bp all the time - the professionals still do know more than us patients. Clearly.
However, we know our bodies. True. There must be a cohesive relationship between ourselves and the professional we have the relationship with. If you don't have a good enough relationship with your psychiatrist to tell them that you need to switch because of bad side effects or that something isn't working, or you want to try something else - get a new one. I say this to whoever is listening as I say it to myself.
I just got a new psychiatrist because my insurance ran out and my moron money grubber pdoc dropped me immediately which was a relief. But, I should have booted him long ago since I felt he was over-medicating me anyway with 500mg of seroquel that wasn't working and that was too sedating for me.
Ok, the soapbox podium is clear now for the next speaker :)
Jane
poster:Jane Doh
thread:81573
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011015/msgs/81604.html