Posted by jane d on February 27, 2003, at 23:20:33
In reply to Is diagnosis important ?, posted by White Stone on February 25, 2003, at 15:06:30
> I have definite symptoms from several different disorders; among them are post-traumatic stress syndrome, obsessive-compulsive, bipolar, and GAD. The GP doctor first tried attacking the depression (Effexor and Zoloft) and now has prescribed an antipsychotic (Zyprexa) for the possible bipolar. He hasn't really given me a diagnosis past depression and anxiety. He seems to be trying to arrive at a more conclusive diagnosis based on how the medications effect my symptoms. Is this normal? Is a diagnosis important? Wouldn't it be more helpful to me to have a diagnosis so I could learn everything I could about what he suspects is wrong with me?
>
> Any comments would be appreciated.
White Stone,I'm sorry to respond so late. While trying to compose yet another post about whether diagnoses matter, and GPs vs Psychs I kept coming back to your statement about trying Zyprexa. You don't say what symptoms of bipolar you have or even what form of bipolar your doctor suspects. Since he only suspects you have it that must mean that you are not now manic or psychotic so why are you taking an antipsychotic? It is not the first choice of drugs as a preventative treatment for bipolar and the antipsychotics are generally conceded to be riskier than drugs like Effexor and Zoloft. For this reason I would try to find a psychiatrist if I were in your shoes.
The way he is approaching your treatment is otherwise pretty standard. As other posters have stated the diagnosis doesn't mean as much here as it does in other diseases. Every diagnosis is just a collection of symptoms that have been observed to occur together frequently. From this we assume that they will someday be found to have a common cause. How they are grouped keeps changing. What's most important may not be that you have 6 of 12 (numbers made up) symptoms of depression and therefore can be called depressed but which subset of those symptoms you have.
Jane
poster:jane d
thread:203746
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030224/msgs/204544.html