Need Help With Meds For Ptsd And Depression

[StandHopeful]

My husband was diagnosed recently with Depression and PTSD but has been struggling for over 6 years. He was incorrectly diagnosed 4 years ago with ADHD by a doctor who we now know doesn't beleive in PTSD.

His doctor now also seems to be incompetent and has him on Zoloft only. He spends less than 5-10 minutes with my husband at appointments and takes personal phone calls during the appointment. I had my husband ask at the last appointment why he wasn't on anything besides Zoloft as most of my research seems to talk about trying a bunch of different combinations until the doctors find the right combination.

We are not the specialists here so I am not sure what other drugs he should be looking into... but I know the Zoloft isn't helping enough. He's tired all the times, he has very little care to do the things he once liked, he is angry most of the time, he is pulling away and secluding himself and is very self absorbed and selfish.

When asked why he wasn't on other drugs, the doctor just said "What drugs are you talking about?" My husband said he didn't know and the doctor just increased his Zoloft. The whole appointment lasted 6 minutes. If Zoloft is all he SHOULD be on that is fine, but we just don't feel it is working enough. Any help or advice would be appreciated as we will be seeking a new doctor in 2012.

StandingHopeful

 

[Dee Morris]

What kind of Dr is he seeing? Is it a psychiatrist or general practitioner? I've found that gp's generally aren't knowledgeable enough to treat ptsd effectively. Some psychiatrists aren't experienced enough. You really have to find someone with experience in treating ptsd.

I can't really speak for the meds. I was on a combination of meds. What worked best for me was sertralene & prazosen. Not sure if I spelled those correctly. It took a little time to figure out what meds/dosage worked best for me.

 

[StandHopeful]

He was seeing a GP who said exactly that, that he wasn't knowledgeable enough and then my husband started seeing a psychiatrist who really has be a waste of time. So we're back to the drawing board to try and find another. I know it'll take awhile and that is fine, as long as I feel there is forward momentum.

 

[Dee Morris]

I really lucked out with my last psychiatrist. He was recommended by my gp after I had to use the gp for a prescription refill after major withdrawals from Cymbalta after trying for over 2 weeks to get my refill from my previous Psych. It couldn't hurt to ask about their experience in treating PTSD when calling for an appt. Prior to the most recent Dr, I'd have never thought to ask that.

 

[bankhead]

StandHopeful - I know it is frustrating but do not give up. Keep looking for the right doctor. When you feel that sense of being overwhelmed start to take over remind yourself that the right doctor is close to realization and keep going.

 

[Gamereign555]

I went through 3 doctors and ended up with with the smartest one and she is a GP. Start a notepad and get used to putting everything down on it for a couple weeks or so. Explain sleeping habits, all the major symptoms and your mood throughout the day. Do some research like you have been doing to find different medication possibilities. Bring this information into the appointment with you when you stress your concerns.

Of course do be sure to give medication time to see if it is making a difference, most people it's generally not a cure all but helps your mind mend itself hopefully.

A therapist is a good idea also, they can help you cope and determine what is really going on and should help you isolate all your feelings going on. Also if you let your GP know that you are seeing a therapist they will be more comfortable with writing prescriptions and putting more effort in it seems.

The depression might always be the rough thing to treat because it messes up everything else in our lives naturally, once some headway has been made to your partner more active again they can focus on sleep problems and anxiety if they are still a major issue.

I think for a lot of us with ptsd, antidepressant or not, our bodies minds are still raw in a sense and in my opinion probably requires the attention of a therapist... Long road.

 

[timetorecover]

I think it is amazing that you are helping him. Your support should make a world of difference!

I agree, a long road but by recognising symptoms and labelling illness is a great start.
I would suggest a Therapist with experience in Trauma and EMDR Therapy, If it is PTSD that he is suffering with.

Good luck with the meds, I have been on loads of different ones until I found what suits me, every one is different though so our bodies all react in different ways.

<Inserted Paragraph Breaks>

 

[Gamereign555]

I tent to look at it as a jumbled up knotted mess of strings. The strings are problems that flow into the next string. Where do you begin without a therapist or someone to talk to who is asking the right questions? Therapists have a way of separating or connecting old problems with newer ones. Can help you identify what you are really feeling when you dissociate. Therapists have a way with helping us identify if the drugs were on are helping as well, and we tend to see therapists more often than our doctors also.

Hopefully he has a doctor that he trusts, being misdiagnosed for so long must have been really bad for him. The symptoms sound very depression like, which is why he is on Zoloft, a common medication used to treat it. However it is common knowledge that there are about ten different types of antidepressants! Believe me, don't give up because there are many ways to approach depression. Now most of these drugs, including Zoloft can take a few months to burrow in and start working with the body correctly. During that time you will want to watch him.

Keep him busy, keep a schedule but also be prepared to be near him or tell if he needs you near him, let him groan, talk it out, read to him, put relaxation music on the tv. Let him call you or his family at a whim for support, often just a talk will ease the constant stress. He might cry or question what is happening to himself, suggest cleaning around the house to distract from the inside pain depression brings. It can be a really hard thing to get used to these meds because they can make how you feel worse suddenly and without warning. His doctor needs to probably prescribe ativan or xanax, these are life saving drugs normally used in the hospital to calm the body but are often prescribed for panic attacks. They are habit forming so doctors usually don't just come right out and give them to you without your history. But these drugs are commonly used during the time you are trying out a new antidepressant and work pretty much instantly and effectively.

While on the antidepressants for the first couple months, watch for certain signs. Signs like unable to sleep for days, uncontrollable crying, a deep sense of restlessness, hopelessness. Constant panic attacks that leave you breathless. Such behavior could be from a reaction to the medications, making depression severe and anxiety also severe. You might notice that anxiety and depression play off one another and make things far worse. It can feel like torture and that nothing can be done by you or him to help. Don't be afraid to go to urgent care, they will know what is needed and often do prescribe the anti anxiety medication at the hospital. If you can, avoid the urgent care because of the outrageous cost and do a walk in clinic. My girlfriend decided to take me to the hospital when I couldn't stop crying and was forcing myself to run to escape the pain in my chest, I had been having a panic attack for 16 hours and it just got to be too much. A couple xanax would have calmed me down but I didn't have anything left.

Prior to finding my antidepressant Celexa and getting used to it, I had been to the hospital 4 times from panic attack symptoms that left me unable to breathe and shaking. I hope things go well for you two.

 

[StandHopeful]

So my husband stated on new meds. Thankful our GP is taking this seriously and helping take over his care until we find a psychiatrist. He put him on an Wellburtrin as well as Zoloft and an anti anxiety med. He acted kinda "high" yesterday from the anti- anxiety. Is that normal? The doc said he could cut it half if he needed too but my husband wants to try it for the 2 weeks (until the next appointment to see how the meds are doing). He definitely handled the "stresses" of yesterday better but he was kinda a "shell" of himself.

 

[Dee Morris]

So my husband stated on new meds. Thankful our GP is taking this seriously and helping take over his care until we find a psychiatrist. He put him on an Wellburtrin as well as Zoloft and an anti anxiety med. He acted kinda "high" yesterday from the anti- anxiety. Is that normal? The doc said he could cut it half if he needed too but my husband wants to try it for the 2 weeks (until the next appointment to see how the meds are doing). He definitely handled the "stresses" of yesterday better but he was kinda a "shell" of himself.

That will improve as his body adjusts to the new meds.

 

[StandHopeful]

Thanks Dee I hope so.