Meds and PDoc change, For what ?!?!??!

[tracey.f]

:mad:
My meds first changed nearly 3 weeks ago now! My new doc stopped all of my meds (600 mg tegretol and 800 mg seroquel) overnight! She has left me with just 700mg lamictal. She said they weren't working anyway! One good thing to come of that seems to be that the serious panic attacks i were having have inproved to a point where i can cope with them a bit better! That is the only good, i'm afraid!

She said i'd tried every other moodstabiliser group she can think of, all anti depressents are out,no anti psychotics that i can tolerate, she can't help me!!! Nothing like pulling the carpet out from under your feet!

Now the small amount of clonzepam she tried to put me on has had to be stopped as i was having a bad reaction to it. i have the same thing happen to me when i try to take diazepam too.That had to be stopped once the panics stopped!
I am now trying topomax though she says she wont give me any more than a 100mg. She has never heard of this medication being used in rapid cycling bipolar, so!
My old Doc hadn't told this new new women anything about my history,so she didn't bother getting my full notes before she saw me! She had notes fron2005, my file goes back to 1997. 8 Hospital addmissions, 16 ECT treatment, 5 stays that lasted around 3/4 months each time (Not too proud of that), i went toxic on a medication. She should have known some of this, shouldn't she??

Or is it to much to ask?

May i please ask you all a question and could you all please give me an honest answer? Thank-You!
I'm so severely paranoid at the moment and i noticed no one answered the post i did a few days ago! It's just,it took alot for me to put myself out there like that, took alot of whats left of my heart too,It's hard to admit that i feel complete out of my depth and out of control and i feel dumped by everyone!(Docs,Pdocs,family,friends) Even my Tortoise, Herbie is giving me evils at the mo!

If you don't want to chat to me,thats ok, i feel off the grid to try spare you all some of the babble and crap! Ironic really as here i am with even more medication and doc problems, i should have just stayed gone!
I just wanted to catch up with people who have given me support,advise and who have tried to give me some degree of hope.
Thank you for that,You know who you are!

Any input would be great,

[malign]

I'm sorry you feel dumped, Tracey. I saw your post a few days ago, but I couldn't think of anything I could say that would help. I don't know much about medications, well, nothing you could use, and I would have no power to affect your pdoc's decisions even if I did.

As for depression, I have it too, off and on. It's not like I know this fabulous solution that I'm keeping a secret from you.

I'm sorry you feel bad, and that you're not getting enough support. I'm sure that it's not that no one wants to chat with you. You have to remember that while we do the best we can to support each other, the vast majority of us are fellow sufferers of one sort or another. And not everybody visits here every day.

Um, if I can ask, how does a tortoise ignore you, I mean, more than usual? ;-)

[finding my way]

tracey, you are really going through it, and I am sorry for all you are having to deal with :(. Please don't take it personally when your post gets buried. Sometimes there are so many posts at once, it is difficult to get to them all, and some people don't know how to navigate the site and only see the most recent posts. Also, as malign says, most have a great deal they are dealing with as far as their own problems go... Hope Herbie gets over his mood soon, and I hope you are feeling a little better:o

[mscat]

Tracey,
sometimes the threads move really slow on here, or it takes a while to recieve responses. PLease try not to take it personally, however, after al the things that are going on all at once for you, I do see how it would make you feel that way. I am so sorry .
About the meds, you seem to be very sensitive or have reactions to some of them, that makes it difficult for the Psych Dr. to know how to approach what is best for you. I personally have not been on any of the meds you have, only the Clonezpam. I take that at night , and can during the day , but usually don't.
I hope the psych dr. can find the right meds that will help you and work best for you. It really sounded frustrating in your post .
Most times when I seee my psych Dr. he changes meds around all the time or does something different. He is good, although it is somewhat annoying to start a new med, or take the different doses . It can become confusing for me as well, when Iam suppose to be taking what ! not to mention trying to keep them refilled .I know meds are not 100% the answer either, and it takes therapy too.
i hope things work out for you and you start feeling better. I personally had not seen this thread until just now. I am sure Herbie was not trying to be mean to you> He does not know any better . Perhaps give him some lettuce or his fav. treat, then he will be ok :)

[confuzzed]

Hey Tracey
have you thought maybe about discussing herbal supplements with your Dr.? sometimes that's a great alternative when you are having trouble with manufactured drugs.
I personally got off of an antidepressant in January and now (knock on my wooden head) have not taken an anti seizure drug (was taking it for migraines) since 5/22/09.
and after having been on the antidepressant and anti-seizure med for about 8 years.
I went for a second opinion on my migraines and the new neurologist suggested the herbals even!! I'm so thrilled about being off the meds and that the herbals are working for me:D

[David O]

Good morning Tracey,

Others have responded with great compassion and sensitivity to your post. I wanted to just touch on one small area.

Sometimes the client needs to educate the P-MD. I tell my clients to read up on everything they can on their condition and oftentimes there will be a new treatment/approach we've not considered. Essentially, clinicians are not always the experts we believe them to be. Your best offense is to be educated ad nauseam so you can be a full partner in the decision making process. For example, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has not passed federal approval in the US, has it in the UK? If so, would you be a candidate for it? There are many treatments available in Europe and Canada that the US has yet to approve, so many will travel overseas to get the latest treatment.

Never just let your MD decide your life with the wave of their pen and a brief uh-huh listening for 5-15 minutes. You're partners in this process, this is not a one-upmanship relationship where he/she has all the knowledge and expertise. To be honest, I'm always amazed at the elevated level of respect I recieve when being referred to as Dr.____________. It sounds and feels good, others oftentimes will be highly deferential to me. The realities are that I have to always leave my ego at the door and approach each client with humbleness, compassion and great humility. In many respects, it may be your job to protect your best ineterest- you, by teaching your MD humility. This occurs when you arrive prepared, educated, engaged and ready to work. When you ask relevant and penetrating questions, you gain the clnician's respect and they will be more inclined to involve you as a partner. It takes some asertiveness on your part. Start this process tomorrow to be ready for your next visit.

Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress.