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Sometimes switching antidepressants helps.

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AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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23 Mar 2012, 3:34 pm

Quote:
Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock, by David Margolick, 2011.

http://www.e-reading.org.ua/bookreader. ... _Rock.html

pages 185-86:

“For years, Elizabeth had been on a regimen of medication and therapy designed, in large part, to keep her from killing herself. But when she switched antidepressants in 1992, her world began to brighten. Her emotional palette suddenly extended beyond the blackness of anger and despair. She could sense again when things were funny, and grew more tolerant of people. She started to read again, stocking up on books from the thrift store. Some--the novels of Charles Dickens; Robinson Crusoe; The Call of the Wild--she remembered from childhood; others, like the works of Plato and Aristotle, were new to her. They complemented the mysteries, true-crime sagas, and police procedurals she'd loved since she was young, and had begun picking up again as well.

“In 1992 the organizers from Toledo persuaded Elizabeth to appear at a conference there. Her mother had died only a few days earlier, but Elizabeth wasn't deterred: for one thing, she needed the honorarium--$750--to help defray the cost of her mother's burial. (She took the money under the talbe so as not to jeopardize her disability payment.) Elizabeth spoke before a large and appreciative audience. Several of the Nine were there; one organizer was struck by how little attention the others paid to Elizabeth. Terrence Roberts spoke as well, and was startled afterward when Elizabeth lit into him for, at least as she saw it, discussing their trials so blithely. He had never realized how affected she remained by her experiences. . . ”



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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23 Mar 2012, 3:34 pm

And this newspaper article largely says the same thing.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/03 ... ug-choice3

And sometimes it’s also important to step down from an antidepressant in stages, even if the damn thing doesn’t seem to be working.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/03 ... ing-drugs3



willzzz
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23 Mar 2012, 9:01 pm

Yes ALWAYS follow medical advice.

I can't stress that enough. There is a REASON the FDA approves these things to a micro-spec.

Also check for co-morbidities. Some of these problems are medical and not entirely shrink based in some ICD book.



Sweetleaf
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23 Mar 2012, 9:09 pm

willzzz wrote:
Yes ALWAYS follow medical advice.

I can't stress that enough. There is a REASON the FDA approves these things to a micro-spec.

Also check for co-morbidities. Some of these problems are medical and not entirely shrink based in some ICD book.


Trust the FDA? no thanks.


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willzzz
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23 Mar 2012, 9:25 pm

I'm not saying trust the FDA per SE because I know drug economics a little bit (Believe me, there's someone that I haven't talked to in a while that has a self medical practice. Pharma reps do ALL SORTS OF THINGS to sell product, even if it IS legal drugs. Examples include French dinners and other fancy schmoozing things.)

Use your OWN intelligent judgement.

It is its own twisted version of capitalism.

Anyways... The reference I'm talking about it to don't go off of med's randomly without a medical professional superivising it, which is what this article is referring too.



Sweetleaf
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23 Mar 2012, 9:36 pm

willzzz wrote:
I'm not saying trust the FDA per SE because I know drug economics a little bit (Believe me, there's someone that I haven't talked to in a while that has a self medical practice. Pharma reps do ALL SORTS OF THINGS to sell product, even if it IS legal drugs. Examples include French dinners and other fancy schmoozing things.)

Use your OWN intelligent judgement.

It is its own twisted version of capitalism.

Anyways... The reference I'm talking about it to don't go off of med's randomly without a medical professional superivising it, which is what this article is referring too.


That is not always possible...when I tried prozac I had to quit taking that because it was not doing good things to my mental state and I could not exactly wait to go to the doctor to stop so I just stopped. If I had been taking them longer I would have reduced the dose more slowly but I figured 3 1/2 weeks wasn't that long.


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AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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24 Mar 2012, 4:42 pm

Another method is to cut down to half, on a person's own initiative. And then call the doctor's office, "Hey, this really wasn't working. I've cut down to half. Can I get in and see the doctor?" Still no guarantee get in to see the doctor, but does improve the odds.

===========

I have struggled with bouts of depression. Have not yet tried antidepressants. They're kind of my ace in the hole. Have also struggled finding some good help. As a general rule, doctors don't listen worth sh!t and that's just the fact of the matter.

So, a person has a choice. Maybe a psychiatrist, or maybe a regular doctor like an internist or family practitioner.