I do really think it's important to make sure all your doctors know what you're taking so that you aren't sitting there wondering if it's okay to take X with Y. You can't assume that they are aware. There may be information in your records, but they don't always connect the dots if you don't bring it up. It's been so helpful, too, when people write on the site here about their experiences with medication side effects and what's worked for them. Thanks for writing this, Merely Me - I know I will refer people to it who have questions about drug combinations. I do think pharmacists are great resources, too. The other thing is, if you're talking about antidepressants or other drugs for mental health conditions, you're better off seeing a psychiatrist than relying on your family doctor. Not only has a psychiatrist specialized in these drugs, but he/she has also usually had a great deal of experience with other patients on various combinations and can sort of know what might be expected and what works successfully more often than not. We can't be passive when it comes to this stuff.
These are good tips Judy.
The bulk of our questions are about medications and quite frankly this worries me as it means that people are either not talking to their doctor or psychiatrist or else...they aren't getting any answers. In this day and age where most people are taking multiple medications...there has to be a way to be better informed about what it is we are taking and how the combination of meds may affect us for good or bad.
Thanks Judy for all you do for this site...it is much appreciated.
Tonite me and my Rosen Bodywork Practitioner were talking about the drug cocktail that I am currently on. Its a combination of 25mg Zoloft and 10mg. Buspar. A few months ago I was doing 50mg. of Zoloft in addition to the Buspar and I was having suicidal thoughts from the Zoloft, in addition to depression that was made worse by mistakenly overdosing on Toprol XL. For about two weeks I had been taking 50mg of Toprol instead of the normal 25mg. Once the situation was remedied the depression and suicidal thoughts slowly began to dissipate and have now evaporated.
Being a superfreak with regard to organic and natural foods I hate the thought of the pharmaceuticals, but me and my therapists are in agreement that they (the drugs) are only a short term solution while we are working on the psychological aspects of finding me, and engaging life fully. The drugs really do help in addition to attending therapy sometimes five times/week.
The therapists and my pa-c are all well informed as to what dosages I'm taking and if any negative effects are occurring. With five women, I'm feeling confident in their abilities. I also did have a consult with a psychiatrist after the dosage and suicidal issues became apparent. You know its pretty serious and the therapists are concerned when I received phone calls from the psychologist who oversees the staff, my therapist, and also my pa-c after what I can only describe as the lowest point I've ever felt in my life.
I do hate taking drugs, but its the only way I can work on my issues. I did get over my fear of heights while skking on Saturday night. Had a nasty anxiety attack when I was fifty feet off the ground, but I feel the drugs helped me get back into the persent moment, and I was able to not freak out, with really nowhere to go.
Hi Rick
It sounds like you are in very good hands! I am glad to hear that you have such a responsive and caring group of medical providers. It sounds wise that you and your team have deemed the meds a short term solution. Get through this time and maybe assess where you are in six months to a year.
That is really something that you were able to go skiing with a fear of heights. I have a fear of heights too and I was only able to use the rope tow. You couldn't get me on a chair lift if you paid me.
Thanks so much for your comment and I am looking forward to hearing more from you and how you are doing.
Actually for me, I'd prefer to take a tow lift when skiing, but in the region where I live the resort only has 2-Magic Carpets for sno tubing and with the warm weather last week, sno tubing was closed. As for my fear, well when I got off the lift I could barely walk as the anxiety attack made my hands and legs numb, and my eyelids were tight against my eyes, but I was relentless, no way was I not going to experience one of my toughest challenges. I grabbed my iPhone and took a number of pictures and sent one to my therapist, with the caption, "I made it too the top of the world, had a nasty anxiety attack, and Lived." The lived part was most important. 
And yes, for my team of professionals, they are tough, but they can't do the work for me. They provide the guidance and tools, but with anything it depends how bad I want to come out on the other side of this, and finally admit, "this is me," not the person I tried portraying for my life, but the real person. That's a great feeling.
I am on 8 different prescription meds, 5 prescribed by my psychiatrist and 3 by my primary care doctor. My psychiatrist has never once (since 1997) asked what other medications I am on, so I have started bringing him an update at least a couple of times a year. I see him, on average, every 3 months. Fortunately, my pharmacist is more than competent and has caught possible drug interactions when something new is prescribed, and has called my doctors and suggested alternatives. And my doctors were grateful. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't had that awareness and done something about it. But now, my primary care doc insists on sending electronic prescriptions to a mail-order company that does NOT check for possible interactions and does NOT have any relationship with my doctor, so my meds are coming from at least 2 different pharmacists, one being a fill-and-ship assembly-line type of operation. I feel like things are out of control...out of MY control. I try to read all of the drug company info on meds, including side effects, interactions, risks, etc., but sometimes I feel I am still not getting all the info I need. And I think a great deal of that responsibility SHOULD fall on the doctor's shoulders. I think my primary care doc is an efficiency expert, and it is a quick once-over and glance at my meds and then off to the lab for blood tests and I get a snail-mail report on those. That's one concern I have with the govt's new Healthcare Plan -- automated, assembly-line-type of care in order to keep the money flowing.
As a person who has a medicine coctail I feel that whenever possible you should get your meds from as few sources as you can. This not always being a viable solution, it is up the the patient to keep them all informed of your current med list. Doctors however, don't always know how drugs will interact. I get my meds from one pharmacy. I am fortunate enough to have a great pharmasist who watches for drug interactions. Ultimately though it's up to you to know when there could be negative interactions.
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Hi Mm
I am confused and upset about asking about medicine
Even if I know what to ask
I dont think he'll listen,He hasnt before
I guess I can say Im still alive
Jon
Hi Jon
When you say "he" won't listen do you mean your doctor? I know...it can be hard to talk about meds with doctors. I just decided to switch to a new doctor for my son because I could not reach her to talk about my son's medications. It is really important to find doctors who will listen. They are hard to find it seems.
Let us know how you are doing. Thanks for stopping by to comment.