Posted by scott-d-o on February 12, 2004, at 23:11:47
In reply to Re: EFFEXOR for ADD? frustrated w/ my psychiatrist » snarley, posted by jerrympls on February 12, 2004, at 19:30:20
some pdocs get various drug propaganda in their heads about certain meds and that's when their prescribing practices start to make little sense. I have been told "benzo's are addictive as heroin" by one pdoc, and another one whom didn't think twice to prescribe klonopin and adderall within the first two weeks of treatment. it turns out that he, and i for that matter, were right; those were the meds that I needed.
benzo's get the worst rap of all, i think because companies that hold patents on SSRI's attempt to smear the reputation of these great medications, so doctors will prescribe a SSRI as first line treatment for anxiety every time; regardless of the fact they are useless for anxiety disorders. just know that there are other factors at work such as these..
some doctors will not prescribe any meds that are immediately effective, meaning they will only prescribe meds that take a certain period of time to "take effect." think about it, just about any med that immediately alters your psyche has at least some hysteria surrounding it regarding abuse. if a doctor refuses to prescribe a med it also may mean that he knows nothing about it, and doesn't feel you are even worth the effort to learn despite the big dollars you fork over every month. the pdoc suspects you will never have the audacity to disagree with him, and that the patient, particularly one in a depressed state, would never dare to think they know what's better for themselves than someone with a pretentious "m.d." at the end of their title. besides, what incentive does he have to care for your welfare? keeping your mental problems intact is what keeps you coming back every month and is what pays the bills. i speak from experience, i have confronted doctors such as this and most will be able to provide no justification for their choice in medication or therapy; instead they just tell you to get out of their office.
please note I speak only of some pdocs, not all. in your case, i don't think it's a matter of under or over medicating. the fact is, your current pdoc isn't carefully choosing your meds, rather he is avoiding certain meds on purpose, perhaps the ones that could help you the most. effexor's manufacturer must have a good marketing dept because I haven't encountered a pdoc yet who hasn't tried to prescribe it for me, however, when I come onto this forum all I hear are disasterous results with this med.
my current pdoc is primarily a forensic psychiatrist, so perhaps he isn't exposed to all this b/s as much as the others.
of course, my advice is to find another doctor, but in the mean time, try not to obsess about it and try not to let it distract you from what is most important (college/work/etc.)
scott
poster:scott-d-o
thread:312542
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040210/msgs/312666.html