How Do You Know If The Meds Are Working Or Working Against You?

[dlross]

I guess the issue for me is more about my symptoms - depression specifically - has gotten worse. The problem is, is it the meds or am I going through a depression? I definitely don't think the meds are miracle pills that will make me happy, however my depression is worse, but the rages are more manageable. I'm trading one for the other and I don't think that it's supposed to work that way. :wall::wall:

I find there is no easy answer to this kind of question. To add to what I wrote earlier, those who say that 'pills are not the solution' are correct in a way. The medication I am on alllows me to reach a level of clarity, stability and energy at which I can undertake the hard work of therapy and whatever else my recovery requires.

Recently I posted in another thread, when I was having a very hard few days, my doubts about the effectiveness of my medication at that time. One of the things I am learning to do now that I have the safety net of medication and therapy, is to learn what it feels like to have 'normal' ups and downs.

So, last week, I spent a few days feeling very depressed. Because of my history I livein fear of a return to clinical levels of depression, so one of my first thoughts / fears was that the medication wasn't working. But, after I started journalling and talking about some difficult emotions that had arisen in the course of the Easter weekend, I found that the weight of pain, despair and hopelessness I was feeling lifted.

There was no problem with my meds. The problem was my bad coping skills. Suppressing a lot of hard emotions was depressing me. These are the lessons I am able to learn when I am stable and clear enough.

 

[anthony]

There was no problem with my meds. The problem was my bad coping skills. Suppressing a lot of hard emotions was depressing me. These are the lessons I am able to learn when I am stable and clear enough.

Bingo.... absolutely well said. It is a temporary solution to enable you to work effectively through your trauma.

Often many people are prescribed medication and assimilate the immediate thinking that all these symptoms are just going to go away now and be controlled, as that is what pharmaceutical companies do enjoy making people believe. The facts though are quite different, and I have a lot of hard experience from thousands of people which all confirm the same thing... medication is a temporary solution to allow you to work through your trauma and learn management skills. Once you achieve this, medication is a low dose requirement or non-requirement. Some may use it during tough times only within their lives, some may do all the trauma therapy and want to work, so the sheer stress of work alone forces them to be fully medicated the rest of their lives.... though those in that situation also learn quickly that they must manage more effectively and change their daily lifestyle patterns to release the daily work stress created.

Medication has a purpose.... that purpose is rarely met though due to physician abuse, negligence and mis-information.

 

[Anonymoose]

Are the meds working?

I can relate. I took Zoloft for about five months and then stopped. I've been off for about six weeks now and I'm not sure that I don't feel better than I did before. I'm considering a new SSRI or SNRI but I'm not sure that it's worth the trouble. My next choices would be Effexor XR or Prozac. Anyone have a suggestion?

 

[anthony]

You cannot be recommended medication, you must trial and error them yourself.

 

[becvan]

Bec, my most prevalent symptoms are the one you mentioned - anxiety, rage and hypervigilance - yes, I suffer from depression, but it is mild in comparison to the symptoms I just listed. Could you tell me what med you are on? If you don't feel comfortable listing on here, could you PM me?

It's actually somewhere on here. I'm on Remeron, also called Mirtazapine. It's a dual drug, in that it's supposed to treat both depression and anxiety. That's not to say it will work for anyone else, the same as it does for me. I can't take SSRI's without having seizures, where as many others can. I just got damn lucky with this, as it was the last drug they could try. I was out of options and damned if it didn't work.

Also a note to people. Finding the right medication can take years.. not weeks or months.. so if your going down this road be prepared for the long haul until they find what lessens your symptoms.

bec

 

[Roo]

Hey Rachel :smile:

Just read your post re: medication and my heart goes out to you. It's a crap-shoot, isn't it...there's so much about the human brain and its workings that remain a mystery.

I'm reminded of my own experiences while reading your words. I, too, have been on the medication merry-go-round (or not!:eek:) ... have been taking an antidepressant (Paxil) since 1996; tried another and became violently ill; take occasional sleep meds. Was once advised by a psychiatrist (whom I saw on a one-time-only assessment basis) to take an antipsychotic. No way!!

It's so hard to know, after being on meds for a time, what's intrinsic to you (PTSD) and what's not (side effects) -- i.e., depression and anxiety; rage; attention disorders. I often wonder who/what I would be without the Paxil, which was miraculous in that it curtailed my own rage in a way that nothing else could. That alone has been a gift. Lifelong phobias seemed to simply dissipate. I remember waking up on the 16th day after I started the medication; I felt an absence -- of the weight of depression. I felt like I'd lost 30 pounds.

On the other hand...my own sexual pleasure has all but croaked; I struggle mightily to feel anything; some of my self-harming behaviours seem to have gone "underground" and are more subtle --> smoking; biting at the inside of my mouth until it bleeds, etc.

I've had to weigh the pros and cons...and overall, I am very glad and relieved to be on this medication. I'm willing to live with the downsides and possible long-term consequences.

I know that doing your best to maintain basic health -- eating well, drinking enough water, sleeping, moving/exercising, keeping your mind and environment as calm as possible -- helps you to see more clearly what might be side effects/drug interactions. It might be an idea to keep a daily log or journal of your symptoms and experiences -- track them over time. With that 30-second attention span that you write about (I share this!!), it might be a good idea to keep a small notebook and pen always handy :wink:

Keep the lines of communication open with your doctor and any other professionals you deal with.

Breathe...deep and long and gentle. Funny how that one simple act can make such a huge difference.

Wishing you clarity and well-being...

Roo :Hug_emoticon:

 

[linasmom]

Roo - thank you! :Hug_emoticon: It has indeed, been very trying.

I just want to stress again, that I have no expectations of anti-depressants being a miracle drug. I do not however, expect that my anti-depressants create more depression for me when for the majority of my life, my depression has been manageable (with a few exceptions of major depressive episodes).

It seems that the SSRI's just aren't working for me. I am tired though of this process while also going to therapy. My body and mind are being overly taxed.

Best,
Rachel

 

[Roo]

Rachel...keep at it. Your body will tell you what is working and what's not.

I've become (out of necessity!) very adept at tracking even tiny changes in my body-mind. Recently, my doctor and I discussed an increase in my anti-depressant med; I agreed to this, and three weeks into the change I am noticing a definite lightening of mood.

I know, too, that the medication is but one tool in my repertoire...the "miraculous" aspect that I wrote of earlier applied to one specific symptom -- uncontrollable rage -- and I don't view the medication as a panacea that wipes out all trouble...If anything, I have to be even more mindful and work very closely with my thoughts, especially...

It's a risk...a crap-shoot...the best of medical professionals admit that they don't entirely know what makes SSRIs work (or not). The brain is such a mystery, but every other bodily system is so intimately connected with the brain that everything else can be affected...

Definitely the meds should not be making you feel more depressed! That, unfortunately, is what's known as a "paradoxical effect" --> the medication actually increases the symptom(s) that it's supposed to reduce.

It may be a time now, coinciding with Spring (oh thank Creation that it's finally here!), for you to detox your body and get clear in body and mind...then take the next step, whatever that will be. Just keep at it...you are finding your way...

In my best moments, I think of symptoms as wisdom...as messages that I must pay attention to. Keep listening in, and you will find a clear passage.

My thoughts are with you...:Hug_emoticon:

Roo

 

[upstream]

It is a temporary solution to enable you to work effectively through your trauma.

I respectfully disagree about the drugs being temporary. Let's re-examine nic's post:

While Paxil can work, be CAREFUL on this medication. I had a VERY hard time when I tried to stop taking it even though I went off of it very slowly.

My brother had the same reaction to this drug. I also have read news stories about individuals who have emotional breakdowns when attempting to go off these drugs.

Gwen Olsen (former sales rep) raises a valid concern. If you start taking these drugs, you may become a life long customer for the pharmaceutical industry. You may also have to deal with some very serious side effects. I started another thread on this:
[DLMURL]http://www.ptsdforum.org/thread7290.html[/DLMURL]

 

[moog]

It's actually somewhere on here. I'm on Remeron, also called Mirtazapine. It's a dual drug, in that it's supposed to treat both depression and anxiety. That's not to say it will work for anyone else, the same as it does for me. I can't take SSRI's without having seizures, where as many others can. I just got damn lucky with this, as it was the last drug they could try. I was out of options and damned if it didn't work.

Also a note to people. Finding the right medication can take years.. not weeks or months.. so if your going down this road be prepared for the long haul until they find what lessens your symptoms.

bec

I started taking Remeron about 3 weeks ago and I am not sure if the sedative nature is quite right for me. The Psychiatrist picked it because sleep is a major issue for me (night terrors, frequent disturbances) and there was worries of possible seizures but I am finding it's to much. Unless the alarm is set or something wakes me, I could probably sleep the day away. I'm going to give it more time to see how my body adjusts to it but if it continues I will be asking for something else.