How often are you seeing your pdoc?? When I had bad side effects like falling asleep driving on Geodon--I went off it; also had kidney malfunction on Lithium (though it was GREAT for my mood); tried this & that. Saw the psychiatric nurse practictioner every week or 2 weeks during the yr. it took to get my meds right (a cocktail). The pdoc I saw just after being dxed was kind of rigid. I was in a mixed episode & he put me on Depakote which lessened the agitation but did nothing for the depression, but he told me this was as good as it was going to get.
Wait a minute--I survived a suicide attempt for THIS ?? I don't think so. "Fired" him & got the lead on the np after I did a 6-week out-patient program at the hospital. That was when I was put on Lithium which worked so well, but my blood tests kept showing my kidneys were malfunctioning--doc even ordered an ulta sound to make sure it was the Lithium & I didn't (surprise!) have a tumor on my kidney! No tumor; Lithium gone.
So when I was discharged or graduated or whatever you call it from the out-patient program my therapist recommened this psychiatric np & boy, is she good!
Works w/me as an equal parnter in a collaborative relationship. Listens to my concerns (she wanted me to try Seroquel; I said "no way" due to already gaining weight on Abilify). Ended up w/Trazodone to help sedate me plus the extra bonus on the anti-depressant effect (also take 1 mg. of Klonopin at night).
Anyway, I would "fire" any person providing me w/medical treatment that would not address my situation if I were in a mixed state, manic, severely depressed or just plain "existing." Existing is not a good enough quality of life for me. I strive for much more. After so many suicide attempts, I'm just determined if life is worth living it has to be on my own terms & I'm going to do everything possible to make it a quality life otherwise, why bother?
Take care & don't accept being miserable. Call your pdoc & let him know what is going on!
How often are you seeing your pdoc?? When I had bad side effects like falling asleep driving on Geodon--I went off it; also had kidney malfunction on Lithium (though it was GREAT for my mood); tried this & that. Saw the psychiatric nurse practictioner every week or 2 weeks during the yr. it took to get my meds right (a cocktail). The pdoc I saw just after being dxed was kind of rigid. I was in a mixed episode & he put me on Depakote which lessened the agitation but did nothing for the depression, but he told me this was as good as it was going to get.
Wait a minute--I survived a suicide attempt for THIS ?? I don't think so. "Fired" him & got the lead on the np after I did a 6-week out-patient program at the hospital. That was when I was put on Lithium which worked so well, but my blood tests kept showing my kidneys were malfunctioning--doc even ordered an ulta sound to make sure it was the Lithium & I didn't (surprise!) have a tumor on my kidney! No tumor; Lithium gone.
So when I was discharged or graduated or whatever you call it from the out-patient program my therapist recommened this psychiatric np & boy, is she good!
Works w/me as an equal parnter in a collaborative relationship. Listens to my concerns (she wanted me to try Seroquel; I said "no way" due to already gaining weight on Abilify). Ended up w/Trazodone to help sedate me plus the extra bonus on the anti-depressant effect (also take 1 mg. of Klonopin at night).
Anyway, I would "fire" any person providing me w/medical treatment that would not address my situation if I were in a mixed state, manic, severely depressed or just plain "existing." Existing is not a good enough quality of life for me. I strive for much more. After so many suicide attempts, I'm just determined if life is worth living it has to be on my own terms & I'm going to do everything possible to make it a quality life otherwise, why bother?
Take care & don't accept being miserable. Call your pdoc & let him know what is going on!