new meds

[peace]

Hi. My psychiatrist has added a mood stabilizer to my antidepressant medication today. I am frightened to take them. The low moods have got too much for me to handle and he wants to see if it will help as the many different antidepressants I have used do not really do much but the one I am taking now does help a little with the disableing anxiety.<br>I am scared and just wondering if anyone can help me.

[Baboo]

Hello Peace,

Having to go through the journey of trying out a new medication to "see" if it works would be horrible. I only wish that doctors could give you some sort of easy test- like a skin test or some thing to know what medications work for who.

I would say, be brave- try it out. It might not be the correct medication for you- but it might be the exact thing for you aswell- i guess you dont know yet? Might be a good idea to tell your psychiatrist how your feeling too.

Baboo

[kristin]

Hey @peace 

I am no help whatsoever here I'm afraid (except in understanding why you might be feeling such trepidation at taking a new med, that can be scary) as I don't take meds - they just don't work for me, period.

I wonder if others like @Alessandra1992,  @Uggbootdiva & @chemonro might be able to give you a bit of support on this one?

Your honesty and courage in reaching out for help is great Peace, and you are generous in your kindness to others too. Keep up the good work!

I really hope the new meds work. Do you know that you can also Google the possible side-effects, etc of each med (use the active ingredient, not the brand name).

Kindest regards,

Kristin

[peace]

@Baboo and @kristin thank you both very much.

[Rick]

Hi ya Peace

I'm rick.

I've been trying new meds most of my life.

Only in the last 3 months have we found one that works on one aspect of the condition. So that one down god knows how many to go.

The trick is to be patient not with the drug but with yourself.

IN an ideal world we would'nt be sampling new meds at home on our own. But in this BRave New World 

we do.

if you have side affects tell your quack immediately. Don't feel you need too suffer when you try a med. 

That's the opposite of the point. Some meds pick us up straight away but then we crash after a couple of days. This is normal. It does actually take several weeks for the body to metabolisre a new med.

I think hope is  very important. no matter how often we get let down.

It's always good to hope  fpr the best outcome from a new med. 

There are so many different kinds and some many different parts of the brain that are affected by the illness. It's not easy to match two up.

Psychiatry has grown as science enormously over the last sixty years. But the practice of it is still an partly an art. 

Content/trigger warning

I believe in the sooner or later school of hope.you'll get there. Fear is natural but you'll get there

Hope endures

Rick

[babbling]

Hi Peace,

I'm going through the medication roundabout but basically if you can't deal with the symptoms the only way left is meds.  I just had a bad reaction to a new med but another med was a life saver.  So try the new med if you can't handle where you are and see. You never know if it is the answer unless you try.  It is better than having to be admitted to hospital, I just spent another week in there myself!

[kenny66]

I am taking 2 dfferent mood  stabilisers with my antipsychotics and they really have kept me out of the acute care ward so often.

I am having a really bad time at the moment, really bad, and if it wasnt fo my MStabilisers I dont know where i would be. Of course its your choice but i have not had bad effects from them with me at all except with one i have to watch salts . 

Of all the medication i take i find the MS the least side effects with biggest positive effect. Another big positive is that they help my epilepsy.

Kenny

Kenny

[kristin]

Hi @babbling 

Welcome to the forums!

Sorry to hear about your stint in hospital, not such a positive experience from the sounds of it. I'm glad you've had some very helpful meds, the bad reactions are quite awful. Finding one that works well is like gold.

I'm not sure what your symptoms or diagnosis are but sometimes there are things other than meds that can help. For example using ACT/midfulness can help with managing intense feelings, in my experience. 

Hope you are in a better space now that you are out of hospital. Please keep in touch.

Kind regards,

Kristin

[kato]

Hey @peace
I take a mood stabilizer in the mornings, it doesn't seem to affect me too much but with all meds they will need to slowly increase the dosage to a therapeutic level.
with the med I take I was on a certain dose for a month, then a blood test to check the level in my body which was more then half of what it should be so they have increased by a small amount and in a week another blood test been 3weeks on the increased dose check level again.... mood stabilizers need to get to a therapeutic level in your body.
the aim is to balance out the lows and highs to a "normal" balance in my case it's to bring me to a level where I don't cycle down and up,
as others have mentioned if you know the name of it google and read up about side effects etc
my one is commonly used to treat epilepsy
but actually works as a mood stabilizer (hope that doesn't break the forum guidelines)
it seems to be rather a slow worker in getting to optimum level.
always with meds keep an eye on any side effects and if your not sure don't be afraid to talk openly with your drs regarding anything your concerned about
hope this helps

[peace]

Thanks for the replies and honesty @babbling @kenny66 and @kato. It is very helpful and supporting to hear what others have to say of their experience. I'm still a little (no alot) anxious.But I do feel reassured. And you are right @babbling, if I am bad enough I would try it at lest. Just too much fear right now I can hardly move.