I've got a #Migraine again. I took an ubrelvy maybe 10 minutes ago. My head is pounding. My skull feels like it is being crushed. It's been a few days since I had this happen. Maybe a week actually. I like not having migraines but not at the expense of my memory.
1 reaction •
3 comments
My topomax is fucking with my memory. I can't remember what day it is, I can't remember what I ate the day before, it's really upsetting. I'm gonna talk with my headache specialist on the 11th to figure out what to do.
1 reaction #ECT #Depression #Anxiety #SideEffects
Hey All, I stopped doing ECT treatment a month ago. This was my second go-around and I did a total of 23 treatments this time. My mood improved slightly at first then towards the end I felt like ECT was hurting me based on how I felt. So it’s been a month and I still slightly feel the way I felt towards the end and my memory problems are severe along with my attention span. To any ECT veterans out there, what were your side effects and how long did they last? Did anything help? Also, did anyone get as many treatments as me and how did it make you feel?
1 reaction •
3 comments
WHAT A JOURNEY! I have been AWOL from here for five months! I have been pretty ill for most of that time. My doctor put me on two new meds in late September and it has taken me this long to get out from under such nasty side effects that I was literally debilitated. My doc wouldn’t hear me. All she saw was my weight.
I finally did some research on the drugs’ common side effects and took myself off of them, tapering the dose carefully to prevent shocking my body and reduce withdrawal symptoms. In addition, my doctor had encouraged me to taper off pregabalin (Lyrica) because it did not seem to be helping the way it used to and I believed I was suffering from side effects from this drug as well.
It turns out I was right on both counts!
Once off the first two meds, my anxiety and several other side effects vanished. But here is a celebration: when I got off the Pregabalin my apathy was gone! I mean that when I stuck to my routine of hiding in my nest, I found I no longer wanted to stay there. I sincerely wanted to get up and do things. I started organizing myself, cleaning, doing a LOT of healthy self-care. I started walking again.
I also finally got an appointment with a therapist after a six-month wait list. I felt at ease with her right away and shared my story. In our second session she told me I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and complex PTSD. What?!
After 57 years of suffering, she validated my traumas. She heard me and said I’m making sense and it looks clear to her that I have suffered. She wanted to discuss how we are going to rewire my feelings around the trauma. What?!
I let my tormentors (family members) know about the news that a professional had validated the trauma they caused and to please leave me alone while I heal. It felt like I put down all of my “baggage” and was free. Free of all of that self-doubt, free of confusion, of shame, of grief, free of depression, of guilt, and of even more of the physical pain I had grown used to.
It wasn’t my fault! I’m so happy it is amazing! I still get triggered, but I’m managing pretty well and will be starting EMDR therapy this week. And I still have chronic physical pain from fibromyalgia, but it is much easier to manage since I felt validated.
I also was diagnosed with sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine to make sure my brain gets sufficient oxygen all night long. This has done wonders for my brain fog, lack of energy and general sluggishness.
Do NOT go off any medication without discussing it with your doctor first. But DO look up it’s side effects and make a list of any that you experience… and think about asking for an alternative if you think those side effects are holding you down from living.
If trauma is what keeps you down, ask your doctor for trauma resources.
If you wake up tired, get a sleep study. You can do it remotely right from home. You deserve to breathe all night long.
Get the help you need and FEEL BETTER!
Drug Info: Drugs.com - Prescription Drug Information
#apathy #Depression #Anxiety #Fibromyalgia #GeneralAnxietyDisorder #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #Caregiving #SideEffects
17 reactions •
5 comments
Anyone have alternating...um... gastrointestinal patterns when on Lamictal? Was one way for months now swinging the other way after increasing my dose. At least I hope it's Lamictal. And before you say it, it is doing wonders for me mentally so I won't switch or decrease my dose. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.
#TheMighty #MightyTogether #Medication #SideEffects #gastrointestinal
7 reactions •
8 comments
Hello peeps. I am on Lamictal for BPD. I take 300mg a day, two doses of 150mg in the morning and in the evening. I have constant brain zaps as if I were withdrawaling. I also have shaky hands in the morning until I take my dose. I am thinking I need to lessen my dose even though it helps with my BPD better than any other type of medication. Does/has anyone else experienced this? #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Medication #MoodStabilizers #SideEffects
25 reactions •
24 comments
I've been having some issues with the psychiatric medications I'm currently taking that were prescribed by my psychiatrist. For example, lorazepam (Ativan) helps a lot with my anxiety, however, it makes me feel sleepy which is problematic since being alert during the day is important (especially with full-time college coming up soon for me). Then with antipsychotics, I need to take them but they also either seem to just knock me out and/or cause major weight gain (which is also unhelpful minus with my insomnia, but it causes extreme daytime drowsiness and I've also struggled with an eating disorder on and off for the past 11 years, so that can just trigger me to relapse into unhealthy eating habits).
I would ask my psychiatrist personally but he's very quick during appointments and basically just prescribes a pill then sends me on my way.
Anyways, to go back to the lorazepam/ativan issue, I also worry a bit about the addictive quality of that medication due to my addictive personality & tendencies both in the past and present.
But I don't know of a better alternative and I'm tight on money so (since most psychiatric medications are free in Ontario), my best option financially speaking is to take prescription psychiatric medications, since I don't have to pay for them. I'm on ODSP (Ontario long-term disability), so finances are extremely tight/I'm in poverty (note: I'm not being dramatic here, that is a genuine fact and you can look it up yourself if you don't believe me).
Anyways, basically my question is, how can I determine which psychiatric medications I should take when my psychiatrist isn't thorough or even borderline malpractices (and doesn't even give me drug info when giving me new prescriptions), and there's very long waitlists to get a new psychiatrist? Should I just call a pharmacist and see what they'd recommend maybe or should I not because psychiatric medications aren't necessarily their specialty (since that's what psychiatrists specialize in)?
I don't know what to do and I feel like my doctors don't either.
#MentalHealth #treatment #Doctors
#Psychiatry #Psychiatrists #Psychmeds #medications #MentalIllness #comorbidity #ADHD #Insomnia #SideEffects #comorbid #Anxiety #Mania
18 reactions •
19 comments
Ok- second post today. I’ve been sick for a long time, but I’m still managing to work full time and be independent. I think the hardest thing about chronic illness is that so much is out of my control. I worry because I miss a lot of work. I don’t want to be fired. On the other hand, I know I’m doing my best, and the days I miss are 100% necessary. So, if I get fired while doing my best, that’s really out of my control. But, in the US, there are such huge consequences to not being able to work, especially with so many health problems. I absolutely need health insurance or I will end up hospitalized and lose the stuff I worked so hard for (my house, pets). What do other people do? Why is our country like this?
17 reactions •
6 comments
A month ago, I started taking a new antidepressant at a low dose in combination with another one I've had for a while. Since then, I have noticed significant issues with water retention. My legs, knees, ankles, and feet get swollen, sometimes to the extent that they actually hurt. I have had some issues with swelling before when taking a long distance flight or bus journey (i.e. 10+ hours), so this isn't completely unusual. Also, it has been quite hot here this summer which could be contributing. Still, I've never had a problem like this before. "Dr. Internet" tells me water retention can be a side effect of this medication, but I would trust Mighty members more to know if this is all in my head or if this really is an issue that needs attention.
#Medication #meds #SideEffects #Antidepressant #Swelling #Depression #Anxiety #CPTSD
#SideEffects #AntidepressantDiscontinuationSyndrome
I truly have more side effects by using antidepressants. I don't think my doctor is convinced but I want to be off of them.
After 6 years Effexor 37.5 I quit cold turkey . Discontinuation syndrome was a living hell for me so I recently started 25 mg of Pristiq and I am visibly Dopey. It won't be like this always my doctor said. I guess I just have to live in a brain fog and hope it will pass. This is supposed to be helping me. I don't feel helped at all. I feel tired and groggy and wake up grumpy and angry and depressed. There has to be a light at the end of the tunnel right?
Latest
