I went to a psychiatrist yesterday for the first time and i feel like i couldnt explain my problems properly and he only saw me for 10-15 mns..i suffer from mood swings which can last for weeks and sometimes i can get really hyper ,i also have anxiety though i believe anxiety is caused when i am going through a depressed mood.....so the doc gave me xanax,escitalopram and clonazepam.....i m guessing they are all just anxiety medication and not for bipolar/bpd so i ve decided to not take them...i m wondering am i right about this being just anxiety medication or is this common for bi-polar disorder as well?
EmbraceOfTheVoid
Part Time NEET - Full Time Suicidal
- Mar 29, 2020
- 689
I recognize two of those because you can get highly addicted to them. That sounds like the worst kind of psychiatrist, the type that just throws around pills like candy.
It might be wise to ask them to give you more time so you can express your concerns, and if they can't or won't find a psych that will. It seems wrong to throw meds at you without even giving you a real amount of time and attention.
newave3
I want out
- Nov 21, 2020
- 2,778
Xanax is a quick acting and highly addictive tranquilizer for anxiety. Klonopin or clonazapam is also a short acting tranquilizer but stays in the body longer than Xanax.They are both benzodiazepines. Both are used for panic disorders however Klonopin has an anti seizure effect.
Lexapro or Escitalopram is an anti depressant in the Ssri class. It is used to combat general anxiety disorder and bi polar disorder.
Try not to stay on any of these medications for too long but especially the benzodiazepines as you can develop a life long addiction like I have.
Hope this helps.
Lexapro or Escitalopram is an anti depressant in the Ssri class. It is used to combat general anxiety disorder and bi polar disorder.
Try not to stay on any of these medications for too long but especially the benzodiazepines as you can develop a life long addiction like I have.
Hope this helps.
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yeah i m gonna find one that actually listens,they are suppose to be professionals yet how carelessely they throw around this meds,getting qddicted to thiseds can ruin somones life
he prescribed the benzos for two weeks,but i m not gonna take them anyway
Chupacabra 44
If boredom were a CTB method, I would be long gone
- Sep 13, 2020
- 710
Personally, I've find the best approach is to research the medication(s) I want and then to guide the psychiatrist into prescribing my selection(s).
Only once did I encounter any level of resistance and that was when I was seeking to try lithium. However, I was well equipped with knowledge, illustrated that I understood the pros and cons, and referenced clinical studies, etc. Thus, I successfully advocated for myself, and went on lithium.
If one has the time and is so inclined to research and advocate for oneself, it's a much better approach than to passively be at the whim of any psychiatrist.
I would never blindly trust any physician to put me on any medication, and this extends beyond just the field of psychiatry.
Only once did I encounter any level of resistance and that was when I was seeking to try lithium. However, I was well equipped with knowledge, illustrated that I understood the pros and cons, and referenced clinical studies, etc. Thus, I successfully advocated for myself, and went on lithium.
If one has the time and is so inclined to research and advocate for oneself, it's a much better approach than to passively be at the whim of any psychiatrist.
I would never blindly trust any physician to put me on any medication, and this extends beyond just the field of psychiatry.
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Chupacabra 44
If boredom were a CTB method, I would be long gone
- Sep 13, 2020
- 710
Unfortunately, I had to come off lithium, at the direction of my psychiatrist, after only a month or two, because my blood work was showing decreased kidney function. Thus, I'm unsure exactly how I would have responded had lithium been given more time. Decreased kidney function can be a common side effect - no doubt more so in older patients, like myself, as I'm late middle aged.
I requested that we try a reduction in dosage to see if my kidney function would improve, but my psychiatrist said that a reduction in dosage would not offer therapeutic benefit. Main stream psychiatry practices a narrow range with lithium for efficacy vs toxicity confirmed through on going lab work.
This was four years ago, and I recently Googled a bit about microdosing lithium. (I couldn't find anything on Google about microdosing lithium four years ago).
My biggest issue is with mania, and my recent, limited research seemed to indicate that a few aggressive, think outside the box psychiatrists we're having success with microdosing lithium on the depressive side, but not on the manic side.
Also, general research (not microdosing research) concludes that in most patients lithium works best with mania while options like Lamictal work best for depression. This is why some psychiatrists like to prescribe both Lamictal and lithium for bipolar patients (l and l treatment). The Lamictal is to target the depression while the lithium is to target the mania.
If time is on your side, meaning one is not close to acting on suicidal thoughts, then the medication selection should be a process whereby you start from the safest, and possibly less effective, and, if needed, move on to more risky, and possibly more effective.
The objective should be to always find the safestest remedy that offers benefit at the lowest possible cost. However, not all psychiatrists practice this common sense approach, as some prefer to start patients immediately on antipsychotics. SMH.
Unless one is an inch from suicide, I would recommend starting with a less aggressive approach, i. e., Lamictal, Gabapentin, Wellbutrin, Prozac, etc. If one potentially is close to suicide, then heavy duty medication options are the way to go. One can always look for safer, and less risky options, once they get stable.
However, I personally think that lithium comes before antipsychotics. But, the patient on lithium needs to be 100% complient, and this includes includes extensive lab work to monitor kidney function and lithium levels in the blood.
Keep in mind that there are multiple decades of lithium utilization, so long term side effects are well understood. This is not the case with atypical antipsychotics, in particular.
However, those with bipolar disorder used to have a decrease of life expectancy of ten years. Today, the life expectancy with bipolar is reduced by twenty-five years. Suicidal issues were accounted for in these studies. Researchers are speculating that the reduction of life is due to the utilization of antipsychotics. Thus, if one is somewhat patient, and doesn't mind potentially suffering from metabolic syndrome, then CTB through ten or twenty years of antipsychotic utilization might be a good option to consider.
I look at it as the proof is in the pudding. The mere fact that I'm here, you're here, and anyone else reading this is here, shows something is not working. So, in my case, and possibly in your case, it shows my medication strategy is not working.
Frankly, I would love to see a study whereby everyone on this forum be put on a microdose of lithium. I imagine the majority would improve and leave this site. Of course, tragically, there are plenty of people on this forum where medication won't resolve their particular issue(s).
Something to consider for anyone reading and looking to recover.
Please DO NOT take escitalopram that is the very drug that ruined my life.. It is the reason I will CTB.. Its an antidepressant (SSRI) they also use it for anxiety. Xanax is just for anxiety be careful with them.. They are good for a one of extreme panic attack.. But don't take them long term the withdrawal is worse than heroin.
Just looking out for you.. I have permanent sexual disfunction and Brain damage from citalopram.
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