New To The Forum

[dutchiedelta]

Hello everybody.

Female vet here with C-PTSD.
Found this forum while looking for info on meds.
As a lot of us, we don't always seem to handle meds too well.
Going through a rough patch right now and am on a very long waitinglist for treatment (again).

 

[richie80]

Hi! I am also a female with PTSD. Welcome!

 

[woodsie]

Hello and welcome. Meds, ugh. When does it ever end!? I'm on something called olanzipine and it works for nightmares and sweats but made me gain weight. So I hate yet another drug given to me by the oh so wonderful VA. I have had it up to here but, that's another story.. Lots of good people and advice to keep you going on here.

 

[Jimmy1]

Welcome to the forum, I have been called a girl a heap of times.

Anyway Delta, I think a lot of us have the same problem with meds. I have a wait time of 3 months to see my shrink, so if he prescribes the wrong meds, it takes forever to change, I usually have to rely on my MD. I am lucky he has a bit of knowledge on psych drugs and a heap of experience with veterans.

Another problem I have seen a lot on here in the past is veterans not allowing time for the medication to work. They try it for a few days or even a week then don't think it works. With most meds for our problem, we will get 'some' immediate relief, but the majority takes a good 6 weeks to have any major impact. Along with that, some veterans hope it's like a headache tablet and everything will go away. Well they are wrong there, my opinion is that medications just take the edge off, we have to do all the hard work.

Just saying.

 

[dutchiedelta]

Thank you for the welcome.
With meds it's a merry go round just not so merry.
Last attempt I stuck to the meds and was shivering every day under two duvets and three blankets. Dr told me to keep going at first.
Apparently he changed his mind later on and said that's serotonin syndrome and often fatal. Eight weeks of agony that was.
Cheers for that dr, I did say something was wrong didn't I?

About gaining weighed, not too fussed. Became very heavy anyway.
Straight edger to avoid the more serious symptoms of PTSD for others. No alcohol, no drugs, not even coffee.
But I can eat for king and country.

Right now we started Valdoxan for the second time. Tried it two year ago with erm... interesting effects to my intestines.
At this point I'd eat tree leafs if someone assured me they'd make the symptoms less and stop the hell in my head.

All meds are prescribed by my GP who does his best. Before he opened his practice, he was an army dr. In itself that was a reason for me to take him as a GP but he has more burn outs then holidays.
Don't know if he was ever send on a mission but maybe he just saw too much anyway.

It's nice to see more female vets here. Apologies in advance for my sometimes spicy language.
Guessing anyone who made it here has their moments of slip of the tongue.

 

[Grizzly]

Welcome dutchiedelta. I found this site great as extra to my regular therapy.

 

[Wagon]

Apologies in advance for my sometimes spicy language.
Guessing anyone who made it here has their moments of slip of the tongue.

Ha! Spicy language. No worries Dutchie. Welcome. ex- Sailor and Dock worker here, so I've been splattering this forum with colorful language for a couple years now. Say it how you feel it sister.

Hang Tough
Wagon

 

[reddevil1111]

Welcome!

Thing about meds that I found... what works for some does not work for all. I think its due to our brains changing.

For me, the meds would work for the most...3 months then they went to shit. It was an endless cycle. I even went on meds that we not for PTSD in an effort to find SOMETHING that helped. I ended up just going free of meds. It has bad days but I feel better for it. Granted, I have had PTSD for over 20 years, I have had intense therapy for the past 4-5 years. I am in a very different place that a lot of sufferers. I just wanted to let you know that you may face a rocky road but there is hope if you work hard to figure it out.

Certainly am not saying I am fixed either. I am just as f*cked up as the next person. I just learned some coping skills and try hard to use them.

Your in a worse situation with your PTSD I think. Smaller group of vets, even smaller group with PTSD. Topped off with a population that has no desire to hear about it. (my impression) Its gotta be rough.

This forum allows spicy language. And there is no one who will correct your misspelled words. Its pretty relaxed. I hope you feel welcome and I look forward to your views. There are a few other girl vets on here like Jenny and Raven... and maybe a few others as well. Some have not posted in a while but that's ok... everyone drifts with the PTSD so that to be expected I guess.

 

[dutchiedelta]

Thanks for your word Reddevil111.
Managed without meds for years but not functioning 100% either.
More stuff happened and suddenly balance was gone.

My situation is complicated. a minority within a minority within another minority.
I very much would like to talk about it and wrote elsewhere about that need.
History taught me that it usually ends in political drama and frankly, normally I walk away. Now I'm more leaning towards wtf who cares, there's the exit and it's time for me to check out.

 

[reddevil1111]

We are not at all like that in here. The only thing that gets us fired up is posers and those that don't belong. I think this site is GREAT! Very little fighting. I think we all understand how it is. We all isolate, feel rejected and alone. Even in a room filled with friends we are alone.

Anger, rage, frustration, panic attacks, triggers, stress. Its pretty much the focus on what we talk about in here.

I think 99% of us leave judgment at the door. If we don't agree with something most of the time we just don't bother to post anything rather than fight. Look around, read our posts. Its all there as what each of us has done in the past.

This is not a perfect place but I do think its the best on the interweb. Lots of good people. A ton of good info.

Some of us even rant or vent on here. Its part of our therapy. Especially for those who are not in therapy.

 

[Spock]

Welcome to the family Dutchie. Check out the media section. Stay safe, stay strong. (y)

 

[Sarg]

Yeah, but look out for those "can ban" dudes (and dudettes), bunch of nasties.

Sarg