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Post by Jay on Jul 20, 2016 14:23:28 GMT
Hi I have not used this forum for a long time, but I would be so great full for some help. I suffer with PTSD, anxiety disorder, and co-morbid depression (which basically means that it will never go away). Had an appointment with psychiatrist last week she thought I needed to change my meds as she thought that the Trazodone 500mg per day was over dosing me which has evidently been making me poorly for years. She suggested Venlafaxine which I had a bad reaction to when I tried it before, when I said about this she said that the GP had not faxed through the list of past medication. I was told to visit the GP this week for check on if this pill is going to be suitable and also to ask how to do the change over. Well today the GP had not received any info from psychiatrist but she though that as I was anxious about venlafaxin then she was not going to give me those, she prescribed citilapram and said I should have ECT. She had evidently done a 6 month rotation in psychiatry and had seen someone have 1 shock and depression was gone so no more meds would be needed anymore...mended!! She then waited for my answer....should she not have checked with the hospital psychiatrist who I saw last week? I don't know what to do, I am so scared. I have lots of questions ie: will it make my PTSD worse. I have looked on mind website since getting home as GP did not explain anything and 9 minute apt is not long enough to talk about these thing What are your thoughts? Many thanks Lynne
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Post by monica on Jul 20, 2016 20:51:07 GMT
Welcome back Lynne - I remember you well and it's great to hear from you again . There's lots I want to say n reply to your post but I'm shattered do I'll try to get back to you asapx
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Post by monica on Jul 21, 2016 8:09:06 GMT
Hi
How has life been for you over the past couple of years. It's really great to hear from you and I have thought about you.
I feel it was wrong of your GP to suggest ECT (I think that's what you meant - electro convulsive therapy). Just because she is not an expert and if she does suggest this she should really justify her reasons and expeience for it.
It also sounds as if the gp and the psychiatrist are not communicating at all, so that's another issue. If you are under the care of a psychiatrist surely it would be best for her to recommend which drugs she feels would benefit you. Presumably your previous ones which she feels have have adverse effects were prescribed by the gp in the first place....you're absolutely right that the short gp appt was in no way enough time to discuss anything!
Please please try not to worry about the ect. It can't go ahead without a significant amount of thought by the psychiatrist anyway and you'd have to give your consent. at this stage it's not even an option. Perhaps you could get a list of the drugs you've tried in the past from the gp and the ones you are not able to take and take this to your next psychiatrist appt. Perhaps then you both could discuss alternative meds and make a plan. speak to the psychiatrist about what your dr said about the ect.
Keep talking Lynnex
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Post by Jay on Jul 22, 2016 22:12:20 GMT
I feel a bit better today. I have felt very unsafe with GP's for a long time now, I use to have a nice lady doctor who knew me although those awful years when the PTSD was very bad and when I use to collapse all the time, but she left and I feel very frightened and unsafe and feel that I have no one to go to. They seem to have a thing about my weight which I know is a problem and back in October one of the GP's laid into me about it...telling me off, it was bad enough that it has taken me months and months to get over it and it made me feel like a complete failure, a failure at not being able to lose weight, a failure at not being able to sort out how to get well. The meds I am on are.... Trazodone 200mg Morning and 300mg at Night. Lamotrogine 200mg Morning and Night [these were given to me to try to force the antidepressants to work] Diazepam when required
I do not collapse anymore and I am not too frightened to go out . I did have to leave work as I got too terrified to go, it was not good to lose my wages and I could not get them to pay me my work pension. I am still not well and struggle all the time. I got sent back to see the Psychs again as I told one of the GP's that I had freaked out at how many more years I might have left to live and that I was just biding my time until I could die,I told her that the Psychologist when she finished with me about 3 yrs or so ago had told me that there was nothing else anyone could do for me and that I was not going to get any better, so I just plod on day to day. My days are really just to get up in the mornings I am ashamed to say that sometimes I don't even have a wash as I feel so tired, by the time I get downstairs my awful head feelings kick in so I sit with me eyes shut and sometimes I fall asleep again, or I just watch the TV. I usually feel a bit better in the afternoon and can take the dog to the park and just stand still while I throw her ball, then home and sit and watch the TV until I have a bit more get up and go to cook the dinner. Husband does the hovering and washing etc.
It is nice to have somewhere to talk as I usually don't say much. When I tried to talk to Hubby about ECT I really just wanted him to listen while I talked and worked it out for myself, but off he went telling what I should do and got all cross with me when I tried to tell him what I thought about it, he said that it affected him and he should be able to make the decision as well, I just told him to leave the room so I could be on my own and I made the decision not to discuss it with him anymore..I shall work it out without his help. Many thanks for listening. I hope that I have not written too much rubbish. Lynne
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Post by monica on Jul 23, 2016 8:01:23 GMT
Hi
You talk as much as you like and it's not rubbish at all!
I know life sounds tough but you have come a long way since you were on here last a few years ago. I remember you used to have frequent fainting spells and had trouble going out so well done. Giving up work was the right thing to do as it seems directly or indirectly it's had a positive impact.
Having a dr you trust makes a huge difference. Their attitude and manner makes a huge difference. Would it be worth having a look at other practices? X
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Post by monica on Jul 23, 2016 8:10:58 GMT
It sounds as if u have a routine to your day which is really positive. I know life can be very tough at times - have u tried any kind of relaxation techniques. It can take time to find a technique that works and to master it but it can take the edge off the anxiety x
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2016 14:06:23 GMT
Well I'm cutting down my trazodone, the awful feelings in my head (which was like someone squeezing my brains and making me hardly able to open my eyes sometimes, and a list of other problems) is a bit better, I do seem more tired today though. I hardly dare think that I might get well from reducing the meds, I feel half excitement and half scared that this improvement might suddenly get taken away again. Is it just a fluke that I feel a wee bit better, or is it just that I now have hope? I can still hear the psychologist telling me 3 yrs ago when I was discharged that All my problems was just anxiety and that I was never going to get any better and that there was nothing more they could do to help me. Just before I got discharged I was writing to the Samaritans every day, had written my suicide note as I was so desperate and within two months of being discharged I lost my job because of this illness....but Somehow I am still alive now. I could cry about it all really. I don't know when to do the swop over to citilapram or how I am suppose to do it, I never got the copy of the letter which was being sent to the GP (and she had not received it either) which would have said how to change...why do people let you down?
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Post by monica on Jul 27, 2016 7:20:34 GMT
Hi
Have you received the letter from the psychiatrist to gp? If not call the psychiatrist . Maybe also get advice re anti ds- does she think citalopram would suit you?
How are you feeling with the meds reduction?
It's heart breaking to hear your story and how you've been struggling. It does sound that life has improved since you posted on here few years ago - I know you're still struggling - but keeping everything crossed that the steps you take next are positive for you x
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Post by Jay on Jul 28, 2016 13:48:10 GMT
I felt so ill today and my daughter got me out of bed and sent me to see the GP. I asked how to do the change over from Trazodone to Citalapram, GP phoned the Psych to ask telling her how poorly I was with only reducing a tiny bit. I have been given a list of what to do. I have to come completely off of my very big dose of trazodone before starting the new pills, soooo from Monday I have to completely stop the morning 200mg dose and take just 300mg in the evening for 3 days, then reduce the evening by 50mg for 3days then down another 50mg for 3 days etc. Etc. Then when down to no trazodone I am to start citalopram, she says that I am going to feel really unwell for about two months and that after that it will be about another month until I feel the benefit of the citalapram. She asked me if it all sounded ok, I said it all sounded awful, she did let me have some more diazepam for when the anxiety and jitters are too bad, it sounds like I am going to throw up all the time as well as all the other withdrawal symptoms. I mentioned ECT she said that she had seen it work and she said that she was going to look it all up just because she would like to know, but she sort of said to ask Psych when I next have apt. I've a feeling that it could wake up the PTSD. It makes me feel so ashamed to talk about ECT and it sounds so scary. Oh dear it all sounds very daunting. If it's OK to post as I go along then I would like to write here for some support Many many thanks Lynne x
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Post by monica on Jul 29, 2016 8:18:08 GMT
Hi
Please keep posting - always here to listen .
You sound as if you're struggling with the meds withdrawal. Hopefully the diazepam will get u through the difficult patch until you start on citalopram. It's good there's a firm plan in place . Are they going to offer you any other support? X
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Post by Jay on Aug 5, 2016 7:03:55 GMT
Well ...down from 500mg of Trazodone per day to 200mg, my morning dose has gone and the night time dose is reducing, so far the awful feeling in my head which has made me so disabled which I have lived with for about 8 years has almost gone, I have actually been able to potter around the house a bit more and do not sit nearly all day with my eyes closed. It seems good, but I still feel that I need to wait to trust it will stay like this before getting too excited, I so hope that this better feeling is not taken away from me (does that make sense?). I have lost so many years and almost feel like I will have to learn to live again. I am a bit tearful about it all now, yesterday was a bit like it too...I know that I am low on antidepressants at the moment, but I am not poorly as I expected to be (perhaps it will all get me soon when the dose reduces again. I am trying to think and work it all out, sort of sort out all the new feelings I have. Will check in again with update Lynne
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Post by monica on Aug 5, 2016 11:21:56 GMT
Hi
I think your reaction / feeling upset - is quite normal. To have felt so ill for so many years and all the things you weren't able to do because of it is simply heartbreaking. You are grieving for that. You're wise to be optimistically cautious...hopefully you'll feel no worse and maybe better. Take it easy - keeping everything crossed for you x
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Post by Kirsty on Aug 7, 2016 9:14:28 GMT
How are you Lynne? X
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Post by monica on Aug 8, 2016 15:01:04 GMT
How are you getting on Lynne? X
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Post by Jay on Aug 8, 2016 16:58:15 GMT
Well today I feel really grotty. Meds down now to 150mg, have felt OK with reducing until today...I just want to lay down and sleep because I don't feel well, well I don't really know how I feel! I know that once a few years ago that the GP said that antidepressants had an antihistamine affect, so I now have a poring nose and eyes on top of everything else. When hubby got home a few mins ago I told him I did not feel well he just said 'oh dear' somehow that did not help only make me feel a bit annoyed with him....I don't know really what I wanted him to say... I have felt positive until today, I even was having thoughts of not taking the new Citalopram and trying without...you know giving up on meds for now to see how I feel, I was going to ask what you thought about that crazy idea. I would tell other people not to dare stop without asking GP etc. I have thought also to try giving up taking my Naproxen to check if I still hurt without them. Well my aim is to try anything to get rid of side effects. All this depression and anxiety is very tiring...stupid thing I have the dentist tomorrow so that will be a diazepam day, but for the first time in lots of years I am going to go alone. Yay .....things do improve ..........so hang on in there girls, things do improve Good luck every one reading, you will get better so hang on in there. Take care everyone Lynne X
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