The Frustrating Trial and Error Period of Finding a Medication That Works

If someone told me to count all the medications I’ve been on, I couldn’t give an accurate answer. You just kind of lose count until you see a new doctor and have to recount, let alone remember all those bizarre medication names.

 

So when you are prescribed a new medication, you get this sense of hope, like, “Maybe this one will work and maybe I’ll feel better, maybe this is the last trial.” Well, when you try it and feel no difference, you have to keep going until you know for sure that it doesn’t work toward the end.

It does get pretty disheartening, like you’re just swallowing disappointment. That co-pay goes down the toilet and you sit there, still in pain, wondering if the next time your pharmacy calls, will it be for the medication that gives you relief?

With complex and/or rare diseases it’s hard to find treatments that outweigh the harsh side effects. For those who wait months or years to get diagnosed, no one ever talks about the trial and error period after you get that yearned for answer; just because you’re diagnosed does not mean there is always a simple treatment plan after. 

If you are one of those waiting on a treatment to work, you are not alone. There are millions of us waiting too, with every pill taken and every prescription written. You aren’t alone.

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Thinkstock photo via Purestock.