Posted by Racer on July 4, 2004, at 17:13:50
In reply to do i NEED meds or do i THINK i need them?, posted by Notaliseliz on July 4, 2004, at 15:23:32
In my opinion and from my own experience only, I'd say probably #4.
Here's the long version of that short answer, though:
None of the meds out there is perfect. They all come with drawbacks ranging from mild headaches or agitation during the adjustment phase, to moderate like weight gain, through to pretty severe: an anti-psychotic drug called Zyprexa has been linked to insulin resistance and Type II diabetes, for example. On the other hand, there are people who literally owe their lives to drugs like Zyprexa. Is the risk worth it to them? Yeah, if that's what it takes to have a life. And most of the worst side effects are known and can be mitigated. After all, most doctors aren't trying to hurt their patients -- they're trying to help us with the best tools available to them.
Here's something that I've done with good results: make a list, as well as you can remember, of all the drugs you've been on, how well they worked, what they didn't do as well as what they did do, and what side effects they caused. Then do a little research (if you haven't already) on common side effects of anti-depressants. Order the list of common side effects into "can tolerate" and "can't tolerate" catagories, and then when you next see your doctor you can use these lists as a starting point for discussing your options.
Now, again, there is no such thing as a perfectly benign drug. Even aspirin can damage the stomach, right? Best case scenario is that you find a drug that allows you full remission from the depression, with a side effect profile you can life with, and -- this is best case, remember -- your doctor works with you to mitigate the side effects as well as possible. But there are enough different drugs out there now that the second best case is very likely: a drug or combination of drugs that allows you remission and has a side effect profile you can live with.
Best luck to you, and best luck in communicating with your doctor.
poster:Racer
thread:363066
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040704/msgs/363087.html