It has taken me many years to get to the point where I have realized that my neuro gave me terrible advice when he Rx'd an antidepressant in 2000
I was in the first year following my first MS event, my wife had been diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast cancer (she has survived 17 years since surgery) and when I mentioned my concerns to Dr. X he whipped out his Rx pad and sent me to the pharmacy.
As we MS'ers know all too well depression can add to the MS experience.
Trusting Dr. X I started taking Citalopram, some years later my new GP seeing it on my Rx list switched me to 150 mg of Effexor Rx.
I knew then that these meds had an impact on my personal and professional life, but busy with home, family and a very demanding job, didn't investigate.
This was a bad mistake!
Almost seven years ago I moved to San Francisco and needing a PCP asked my son for a suggestion. He sent me to One Medical (highly recommended though I suggest you carefully review the staff qualifications before choosing your primary). Sometime last year my One Medical physician expressed qualms about my daily use of Zolpidem. She said I should start seeing a psychiatrist, which I did.
During our first meeting Dr. Z expressed concerns about my anti-depressant use, suggested I cut down the Effexor XR dose, and, months later after I could not go from 37.5 mg/day to 0 Rx'd a very low dose (2 mg) of Citalopram.
I have finally stopped the med and happy I did, my thinking seems to be a bit clearer, but am watching to see what happens - it has been about a week since my last pill and it should be out of my system.
I firmly believe I was never depressed though I was definitely unhappy for good reasons, and should not have been given either of these meds.
This is single person, anecdotal, and should be taken with several large grains of salt!
I plan on sharing these thoughts with the MDs involved.
I plan to follow this thread (man plans, G-d laughs, I procrastinate and forget) and eventually update this post. Can't promise, but ...
G.
I was in the first year following my first MS event, my wife had been diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast cancer (she has survived 17 years since surgery) and when I mentioned my concerns to Dr. X he whipped out his Rx pad and sent me to the pharmacy.
As we MS'ers know all too well depression can add to the MS experience.
Trusting Dr. X I started taking Citalopram, some years later my new GP seeing it on my Rx list switched me to 150 mg of Effexor Rx.
I knew then that these meds had an impact on my personal and professional life, but busy with home, family and a very demanding job, didn't investigate.
This was a bad mistake!
Almost seven years ago I moved to San Francisco and needing a PCP asked my son for a suggestion. He sent me to One Medical (highly recommended though I suggest you carefully review the staff qualifications before choosing your primary). Sometime last year my One Medical physician expressed qualms about my daily use of Zolpidem. She said I should start seeing a psychiatrist, which I did.
During our first meeting Dr. Z expressed concerns about my anti-depressant use, suggested I cut down the Effexor XR dose, and, months later after I could not go from 37.5 mg/day to 0 Rx'd a very low dose (2 mg) of Citalopram.
I have finally stopped the med and happy I did, my thinking seems to be a bit clearer, but am watching to see what happens - it has been about a week since my last pill and it should be out of my system.
I firmly believe I was never depressed though I was definitely unhappy for good reasons, and should not have been given either of these meds.
This is single person, anecdotal, and should be taken with several large grains of salt!
I plan on sharing these thoughts with the MDs involved.
I plan to follow this thread (man plans, G-d laughs, I procrastinate and forget) and eventually update this post. Can't promise, but ...
G.
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