No-You-Cannot-Touch-My-Hair

hey, me too. omg antidepressant twins. didn't work for me either though. not to sound tom cruise-ish, but i think a lot of the time the benefits of depression meds, if any, are from the placebo effect. not all the time, but a lot.

shogun

I think I may have a different outlook as I am Canadian and we are not subjected to constant drug ads and we have to work a lot harder to get good drugs because our healthcare is free.

principessa_85

applesandbananas

LegalDrugDealerJR

LegalDrugDealerJR

Moe

It wasn't until I was in my later 20s that I got diagnosed, and put on Paxil, which was a real lifesaver. A few years ago I changed to Effexor 'cuz Paxil makes me too sleepy and I gained a good 20 lbs, and I have been working with cognitive behavioral therapy, which is damn good for depression. Now, the meds helped, though I still cut on Paxil, and the therapy really brought me to where I am now, which is injury-free for several years, and no suicidal thoughts at all. I still take the Effexor, 'cuz as I see it, depression is part messed up brain juice, part cognitive distortions. Meds help with the brain issues, and therapy helps with the cognitive issues. It's the combo of both that helps the most, and I think one should at least go for cognitive behavioral therapy at least if they're depressed.

Oh, and I have to say this: for those who are passionately against meds for psych needs, it's cool if you want to make that choice for yourself, but don't run down people like me. You're not morally superior, nor are you stronger than us; you're just lucky that you haven't endured something so bad you needed medication to survive.

snark_shark

Something about that just... grates. Sorry. I know you didn't mean it. For all we know, the restless leg sufferers in Africa might lay undiagnosed... pharmaceutical companies, take note!

sventurata

elizabethgrace

nardo218

sadly i have to keep buying this stuff for the rest of my life.

Rummy_McGin

@hortense: That's not your own unique brain, that's ADD. Prozac is a stimulant that calms ADD kids down.

@Nicorette: No. Not even close.

People, get a fucking degree before you start talking doctorspeek. Stop assuming that psychology is a soft science that any one can grasp because, ykno, everyone has feelings.

nardo218

nardo218

nardo218

I'll have it my way ordering two bottles of adderall and a bottle of Vicotin. Thanks!

Go Like Hell Machine

Lux Lisbon

What I need is something that corrects whatever the thing is that goes wrong in my brain which stops me getting out of bed in the morning. Give me a medication that does that, which holds the depression at bay just enough so that I can function, and I'll work on fixing the rest of my personality, or learn to love it.

gauloises

Seeräuber Jenny

RLS is real.


Black people have the same neurochemistry as everybody else. They get RLS.


Some antidepressant medications cause the side effect of "suicidal ideation." But many of the very same medications are the difference between life and death, functioning and not functioning, among the clinically depressed. Patients do have to be monitored, however.


Jeez!

Seeräuber Jenny

It's changed the way my husband practices medicine. about 60% of the people he sees each day are there for 'sniffles' on the sheet but are really asking for whatever magical cure they saw on TV that will make them happy with whatever sucks in life. The pharmaceutical reps are nice to me as a means of getting him to write their RX.

iamlesliegirl

graham_but_not_a_cracker

thatgirlinnewyork

chicklit

blackbirdfly

MegSpencer

MegSpencer

@TrixieBelden: It's weird that people respond so differently to different medications. So I guess I'm kinda glad for the pharmaceutical companies because they continue to look into "cures" for mental problems, but the suggestion that you can pop a pill for whatever ails you unsettles me.

alicetheowl

lovely nigerienne

I know it sounds funny, and it's really hard to comprehend. But it's a type of discomfort that people associate as being as bad as chronic pain. I don't have RLS, but I have motor tics that are accompanied by a feeling of needing to move a limb. I also have chronic pain. I'll take the severe pain over the motor tics any day.

Lymed

@lovely nigerienne: ADD meds help me too. TREMENDOUSLY.

blackbirdfly

The Ritalin helped too. If you're going to be depressed, it's great to have ADD too because the medications work so well together. Or maybe just a doctor who prescribes narcotics for off-label use regularly. Many of my friends have been on anti-depressants for ages now and none of them feel much better. It's still going through the motions which is better than being despondent.

lovely nigerienne

@alicetheowl: That's so funny! My experience was the exact opposite, Effexor made me a big old zombie, but Prozac did the trick and zero side effects.

TrixieBelden

blackbirdfly

There is a huge controversy over whether chronic Lyme exists and how to treat it. The "mainstream" phsyician groups put out guidelines saying you can always treat it with 4 weeks of antibiotics and then any remaining symptoms are "Post Lyme Syndrome" that you are stuck with for the rest of your life. So just go take lots and lots of pills, insteading of staying on antibiotics until you are cured.

Who benefits from this? Can't help but wonder what role the pharmaceutical companies play. Since so many Lyme patients end up on drugs like Lyrica, Neurontin, all the anti-depressants, thyroid medications, pain killers, sleep medications...

Lymed

But I'm no doctor, I just play one on the internet.

TrixieBelden

Lymed

TruculentandUnreliable

I was also getting therapy at the time.

After I was on it for two months, they weaned me down to a half a dose, then, with supervision, took me off it.

I've been, more or less, fine since then. I'd probably be better if I could bitch to a therapist once in a while, but I'm coping, and haven't regressed back to, um, the reason why I was on the pills in the first place.

alicetheowl

Lymed

sparklytoesfairydustbutt

And yes, ineffableme (sorry, I haven't figured out how to quote two people),I agree -- if a side-effect of the drug is the very worst-case scenario the drug is supposed to prevent, wtf is the reason to keep it on the market?

Nicorette

I had to go on anti-anxiety meds lately (Xanax and Lexapro) and I can't tell you the difference they have made. The Xanax isn't even a daily med and I'm on a miniscule amount of Lexapro and I feel so much more in control of my life. Not my usual thing to take these sorts of meds (I'm usually more into hypnotherapy and NLP) but after years of therapy, and yet another severe panic attack, I gave up and went for it and am so much better for it.

Tulipsaki

sumac

Sorry, I'm southern by birth -- I use y'all to mean 1, 2, many, lots. ;)

Bitter Poor

petuniacat

I think everyone understood, but conversation naturally evolves into personal experience on the whole.

Archetype

sumac

Legistlation is either in the works or has been passed already (can't remember which) that will require ALL the study results to be published.

NPR had a thorough, interesting segment on this this morning.

Bitter Poor

DiffidentDolly

ericablue

X on the MTA

TruculentandUnreliable

petuniacat

jejune - the giraffe hugger

onthecornerofparkerandwoolf

gfunkg

I also felt crazier than before I started meds for about a month after I went off of it.

Bad stuff.

The only good thing was that my libido came back about a week after stopping it. The bad part was that stopping it left me without the social skills to do anything about my libido (strangely many women don't want to sleep with dudes who are worried about giant spiders eating them.)

drunkexpatwriter

zahava

laos

Whoever created and/or marketed Effexor is such a liar that I think his pants may actually be on fire right at this moment. The first time I've ever seen this drug spoken about positively was in these comments. I am completely serious.

jejune - the giraffe hugger

sumac

amandahugnkiss

ListedMIA

67impala

Yeah - I think the idea that a drug will take you from being completely anxious or depressed to being happy-go-lucky 24/7 is very misleading. As I mentioned above, I'm on Lexapro and find that while it eases the constant (and at times crippling) anxiety I used to have, I still have anxiety. Just not as severe, and the bad times aren't as bad. I also know I'm quite lucky because my aunt (who's also basically Mom to me) is a psychiatrist at a teaching hospital, and is quite knowledgable about both me and meds. She's the one who initially thought Lexapro would be the best match for the symptoms, and lo and behold, she was right on. Before turning to my aunt for help, I'd gone through the incredibly crappy student health systems at two universities and had my go at being prescribed meds various meds that helped in the short-term, but were disasterous in the long-term.

petuniacat

67impala

@amandahugnkiss: it is sooo not silly. i definitely understand. my company's insurance rep said to have my doctor write the prescription "DAW" (dispense as written) and they would charge me for the brand name as if it were still on their formulary (so a slightly higher co-pay, rather than full-price). if you have insurance, see if that works.

yamish

Nigromancer

@petuniacat: I kind of agree with you there. I've only gone through page one of comments, and yes, the med industry needs better regulation. But maybe it's just I've generally had good doctors. One told me that if am naturally predisposed to anxiety, no medication will ever be able to make me completely calm and mellow all the time. It can help, but it can't fix everything. Some people have nervous dispositions. I am one of those people.

Used to be on Paxil and Risperdal (which, if you stay on too long, can really fuck you up). Moved, had a hard tough job that I was often overwhelmed by, and was on teh same meds. After wanting to just die and sleeping all the time and finally pulling over on the side of the road one day to cry, I realized I was slipping away and found a doctor. But yes, it sucks because there were only about three psych doctors in my area, and none of em would take me until my mom called and basically begged one guy to. He's a cool guy, and told me exercise would help my depression a lot. Which I need to do, by the way. And I take Xanax sometimes, but I'm on the lowest dosage possible, basically. And he said based on my personality, he wasn't worried about addiction. Although it's hard as hell to get in to see him-my last scheduled appointment, I get there and the doors are locked. No idea there. I need to call and reschedule.

So we'll see. The healthcare system is damn near broken, yes. I could probably benefit from talk therapy, if I could get in anywhere. But I'm tired of feeling guilty for being depressed and anxious and taking meds for it. I'm not saying anyone here was calling me weak, but there is that belief in a lot of places. 'Specially down here, where one person told me to just pray away my depression, basically.

It's not perfect. And I have gained weight at least in part due to the meds. But Risperdal and Paxil were two of the worst offenders there, so we'll see.

lalaland13

kaylinda

amandahugnkiss

alcibiades

oliveyou

oliveyou

alcibiades

my personal experience definitely supports that study. i went from doing OK on the name brand wellbutrin xr to a deep dark depression when switched to the generic.

yamish

petuniacat

BeachLover

petuniacat

Admittedly I didn't find any of them worked no matter what the box said, but I also never heard them referred commonly by brand name by a doctor here, so I guess when you don't pay for healthcare you just get what you're given?

gherkinfiend

sumac

If it's an expensive drug, I can see that there might be problems with counterfeit drugs, but antidepressants aren't really worth it.

TruculentandUnreliable

@gherkinfiend: Well, the drugs devoted toward RLS affect your dopamine levels, as do a lot of antidepressants, so that makes sense. I know for sure it's a side effect of Effexor.

@amandahugnkiss: That's odd. Well, I may like to play Russian Roulette with my mental health, but if I were you, I'd try it keeping in mind that you may have some problems, and maybe have your doc keep track of you. I didn't have problems with the generic Wellbutrin (aside from the fact that it didn't work).

TruculentandUnreliable

I remember reading, as a budding young feministlet, about a woman who protested: "I don't need a prescription pad. I need a WRITING pad!"

nellicat

alcibiades

TruculentandUnreliable

amandahugnkiss

blackbirdfly

angelina jolie-laide

ShanaElmsford

angelina jolie-laide

I am very suspicious of that statement. Generic drugs undergo an abbreviated approval process compared to big name drugs. The only justification that is permitted for the abbreviation is that the generic manufacturer MUST prove that their drug is exactly the same as the name brand counterpart. The only way I see the difference is possible is if the "generic" is a not a true generic, but just a similar drug that went through a complete approval process, in which case it should be expensive as hell because the full approval process is extremely, extremely expensive.

alcibiades

drunkexpatwriter

petuniacat

stacyinbean

petuniacat

amandahugnkiss

I'm now off to translate the American names of these drugs to British ones if I can and see if I was taking any of these...which considering how ineffectual they were I'm guessing I was...

gherkinfiend

alcibiades

blackbirdfly

longgoodbye

BiscuitDoughJones

TruculentandUnreliable

blackbirdfly

mallie

angelina jolie-laide

I think you'll be more successful in making your anti-big-pharma argument if you stop attacking consumers of the product. It's easy to generalize and say, "SSRIs are not as beneficial as you think" or "The pharmaceutical culture is dangerous." But for individual people, a drug like Paxil can be the difference between being able to get up in the morning and go to work versus existing in a state of virtual catatonia. Individuals who have been unable to sleep restfully will take Mirapex and be able to wake up feeling refreshed instead of like they've been hit by a truck in their sleep.

My belief is that if a pharmaceutical improves an individual's quality of life to the extent that the benefits are not outweighed by negative effects, she should take the drug. All medications are toxic to the human body on some level, but so is the air we breathe and much of the food we eat due to pest- and herbicide use.

You asked why the industry doesn't make pills that can be taken once and have a curative effect. Like MrsEricSchneider said, the body doesn't work that way. But it's true that non-profitable treatments have fallen by the wayside.

Take for example intramuscular vitamin B shots. In the early part of the 20th century, vitamin B shots were a regularly dispensed part of a doctor's arsenal. The shots would boost the immune system, improve pain symptoms and more. They're safe and easy to administer. But nowadays, doctors don't really use them much -- not because they're less effective than they were in 1920, but because the pharmaceutical companies don't push them because they can't charge what they can for newfangled conconctions.

hannelore

On the up side, it did stop my depression, absolutely.

On the down side, I gained about 20 pounds (rarely a mood-enhancer) and I couldn't reach orgasm. Oh yeah and it was really hard to pee (some sort of lady parts numbness? Got me).

Anyway here I am three years later, no need for meds, and it's all good.

NoStyleHere

Well I totally agree with that. It was definitely a big factor when I worked in pharma in deciding where to work. It just bums me out when people have this kneejerk reaction that if you work in pharma you must be an evil harpy shilling drugs to people who don't need it.

alcibiades

TriedandTrue

amandahugnkiss

The biggest problem with the healthcare industry as how it exists in the US is that it's all based on business. Sorry, but health care shouldn't be that way.

TruculentandUnreliable

notbetty

Of all the nasty meds I've taken (Serzone-Sleepy, Klonapin-Dopey, Celexa-Speedy, Xanax-Yummy, Ativan-Chilly, Wellbutrin-Iffy) the winner is Zoloft, only because it made me feel so weird I couldn't eat and I lost 15 lbs.

It all came back when I went off, natch, and I spent a good 6 months in a black depression AFTER going off meds for good. Haven't been back. Never will. Fuck that shit.

Get a dog, do some yoga...

pettyhooker

blackbirdfly

TruculentandUnreliable

blackbirdfly

I was put on Zoloft first. I threw up every morning and couldn't eat until after lunch. I asked to be taken off.

@treecut:
If I skip a few days I get dizzy and lightheaded.

Twilly

I have never claimed that the industry is benevolent. Obviously, until the day the government just takes over and manufactures all drugs, drug companies are there to make money. I just said they are not all EVIL. And my point about bring up heparin and saline solutions is precisely that alot of the industry is devoted to making plain old generics, and it's not all about selling overhyped big-name drugs in pretty colors. And your point about companies being beholden to shareholders is legitimate. But it's really not about just the pharmaceutical industry. It's about the fact that corporations, in their current form today, should not exist, period. The way corporations are structured puts too much emphasis on growth at all costs, and has a way of shedding everyone involved (shareholders, the board, the company) from moral responsibility.

alcibiades

angelina jolie-laide

The only other drug that I didn't have a problem with withdrawal was Wellbutrin, but it didn't do ANYTHING for me.

Maybe you could try switching to Wellbutrin and phasing out of it? I know it's supposed to have very few side effects.

TruculentandUnreliable

amandahugnkiss

I was essentially a screaming banshee.

drunkexpatwriter

I will say that I know people on meds, that don't honestly need to be. They could benefit from cognitive therapy. I spent about 10 years dealing with my issues only with therapy. It got out of control, and I started taking the meds for daily anxiety. I'm still a worried, anxious person just not nearly as crazed as I used to be.

And I can sleep! I never used to sleep.

Twilly

treecut...Grim Reaper of the forest

I do have a serious problem with drug reps, though. I think the idea of pushing drugs on doctors is fucked up.

TruculentandUnreliable

ineffable.me

summerwheatley

I have never self-injured, but have had the compulsion to when I was at my worst. It's scary. The only thing that stopped me was that there was no way to hide it from my husband.

TruculentandUnreliable

Well, feel free to ask me. I've worked in the pharmaceutical industry, and I work in the medical device industry now. You know how I feel? I feel proud. I've thought about what I want to do with my life, and I prefer that my daily work produces a product that saves a person's life, than say, contribute to consumerism. That being said, I have never worked at a single company that manufactures antidepressants. I know from experience with friends that some people just plain need them, but I am not comfortable about how aggressively they are marketed. I've worked at a place that manufactured hormones, and another one that made blood products (used in blood replacement in surgeries when blood is not available) and antibodies (for people who are born with a deficiency in them), and another place that's working on a drug to treat severe ezcema (like covering 75% of the body severe). I don't think any of those products are "evil". I had my issues with the management at some of those places, but the problem was with how some of them are managed, not with the inherently "evilness" of what they are selling. Right now I work at a medical device company that makes devices that directly save people's lives. We have patients whose lives were saved by those devices visit our company and personally meet the people who made the devices and thank them. So much for working for the devil. The company I work for credits its extremely low turnover rate amongst the manufacturing people to the fact that people are really moved by the fact they can help others through their job. Like I said, not every company are like the ones I worked for, but don't be so quick to call names and slander an entire industry.

alcibiades

It took me 6 months for it to really hit me, and I nearly checked myself into a psych ward three days before Christmas because EVERY office I called had a two month waiting list. I'm back on and happy as a loon, and not even self-loathing about it anymore. So, lesson learned. Meds forever.

Annechovie

Pinkosaurus

RE: Ambien - I had a bad experience with Ambien, myself. I would get up and stumble around my apartment, knocking things over, etc. Then when I woke up, I would look around and be shocked because there was seriously all this stuff on the floor that I had knocked over while sleepwalking, I guess. Scared the shit out of me. I sort of feel like people should be warned.

blackbirdfly

Lazy Line Painter Jane

longgoodbye

hortense