Posted by wendy b on January 5, 2004, at 13:41:05
In reply to Re: Doctor's office questionnaires, posted by krazybirdlady on December 28, 2003, at 14:04:59
> glad they caught it. as far as synthroid and AD's, that's an OK combo, but maybe you'd want to stop the AD for awhile to see what effects the synthroid alone may have. an underactive thyroid can simulate or increase symptoms of depression as well as sap your strength. talk to your doc about what may be best. best of luck...
Goth,I'm an old poster here, haven't posted in a while..
Anyway, I agree with the advice above - check with the doctor though! - and ask him if it's ok to try the thyroid meds alone, at first. But do give him a call.
As for the forms, forget about it; I told my doc when he asked "Any substance abuse?" I just said "USE, not abuse." And he was FINE with that. It's not like the FBI will look at the records - although your file COULD be subpoenaed by a court, if you are ever a part of a lawsuit involving illness. But don't worry about it, that's pretty unlikely. Most doctors now are baby boomers, and almost all of them tried pot in the '60s and '70s at college, I'll bet ya. It's just part of the culture...
More importantly, the Xanax question - please don't let the script go. It is NOT a dangerous drug. Unless you are an "addictive" personality type and/or have been treated medically for addiction problems... It's quite a help if you have panic attacks, or anxiety along with the depression, which is typical for us depressives. I use it sometimes at night (I split the pill in half) if I can't fall asleep. I also use it if I KNOW I'm going to be in a stressful situation; I take it beforehand to calm myself down. It just mellows you out.
And I disagree with Birdlady, respectfully, of course. It is NOT unusual for the Doc to prescribe Xanax. It's probably one of the most useful drugs available today, and it's an old med, now called alprazolam in its generic form, and the docs know how it works because it's been around so long, and it doesn't mess with your liver or stay in your system for a long time. That's why it's better than Valium, IMO. The Doc must have thought you needed it. Ask him... I can't stress this enough: when in doubt - call the doctor's office, or schedule another appointment. That's what they're there for - to help you feel better and get you healthy.And ANOTHER THING!! (I'm going on too long, sorry) - the psychotherapy. Most family medicine docs are sort of biased in this way. They think it's all a chemical and biological issue, the depression, but many other paractitioners and researchers believe it's also conditioning by family and other social factors. I do too. We have certain "knee-jerk" reactions to stress, and therapy can help you question and possibly change those kinds of depressive patterns of thought. So consider it. It helps a lot of people, I know from my own experience.
(Also - look up your meds and other threads on thyroid - there are a lot of them on this site - on the PsychoBabble search function. There's a lot to know, so read up, and take part in your own recovery. The good doctors appreciate that, too.)
I wish you good luck,
WB
poster:wendy b
thread:291231
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20031208/msgs/296758.html