So I have trouble taking drugs...

[Deja Q]

You know, legal prescription ones for ADD, anxiety, et al. They always do the opposite effect, nothing, or the side-effects screw me up in rather unwanted ways.

I've decided, on my next trip to the shrink, if it'll be okay to sue her if the next drug she wants to put me on does something wacked. You know, like tripling my pulse rate, putting me unconscious, distorting my ability to drive, and/or other inconsequential stuff like that. :eyes:

Doctor should be held accountable too, and I'm doing my damnedest to remain a functional member of society; I didn't need drugs before... and I'm glad I'm reasonably cogent despite all the combined failures over the years. :D

[NightWatcher]

1. All I know is that you should stay away from Benzodiazapines

Namely Xanax, Clonopin, and Lorazepam. I was on those for a couple of years and it was hell coming off of those. The withdrawls were a bitch.

[Deja Q]

2. I've been on two of them (not at once; to do so would be risky as they're the same class)...

Fairly worthless for my brain chemistry, not pleasant, withdrawl was a real nasty time...

Given the state of my short term memory, it's possible something has affected me over time. I know it was never good, but to not remember what you did in even remote detail 5 minutes ago yet not even being 35, that's disturbing.

[BarenakedLady]

3. I was on clonopin

Had the opposite effect it was supposed to. My anxiety was almost unbearable. I weaned myself off it with no withdrawls, thank goodness. Once it was out of my system, I felt 100% better.

[Left Is Write]

4. I don't want to be argumentative, but you should probably stay away from

giving blanket medical advice.

[Deja Q]

5. Agreed, but his own experience is not unprecedented.

ANYONE with questions should ask their doctor point blank; there are cases when mixing drugs may be beneficial. But to what I know, and it can be verified, two drugs within the same class amplify each other from the similar ingredients, with differences between the two variants potentially causing really nasty problems. It is a possibility, but again it is up to the doc to decide what a person should use AND put some thought into it. That's why they get paid a lot.

[Left Is Write]

6. My point was, he should not be telling people to "stay away" from certain prescription drugs

based on his own experiences.

Whether to use a prescription treatment and which drugs might be useful in any given situation is best left between patient and medical professional.

[WindRavenX]

7. ...

:thumbsup:

The GD anti-depression flame wars infuriate me. My fiance might not be here today without them. Yes, some people do not respond well, but if it works for you, it might save a life.

[hunter]

8. I try to look at these things as a grand adventure.

Some adventures turn out to be not so fun, but they do leave you with stories to tell and scars to show off, and that's a whole lot better than being empty and boring or dead.

:woohoo:

I've had some suprising opposite-than-expected reactions to drugs, stimulants that make me sleepy, depressents that keep me awake all night.

I hate opiates, they make me feel so icky and pukey and miserable and sleepless that if the pain I was taking them for wasn't bad enough, I'd really rather not. It's hard to for me to imagine anyone taking opiates for fun, I'd rather beat my head against the wall until I was unconscious.

[GenDem]

9. Me, too. I always have severe side effects

The best drug I took for my ADD was plain old Ritalin -- in a child's dose. The drawback was the triplicate prescription, and my doctor's office being 20 miles away. It meant a trip to see him every month. I'm too busy to do that.

Then they put me on the new one -- Stratterra. They claimed no side effects -- yeah right. My skin crawled and I felt rushes on my head. It also made me quiet and reserved. I teach art for God's sake. Art is very hands on. I need to be able to speak to my students. I lost my appetite and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, but the bottom line was the side effects were way too much to continue.

I also tried loads of anti depressant drugs over the years that gave me more anxiety because of all the weird side effects. And that doesn't include the sexual side effects, the sensitivity to sunlight, and all the rest of the sides that I always seem to have two folded.

Clonopin -- forget it. I took one once and it knocked the shit out of me.

At this juncture I'm using my own coping mechanisms, so I have made a personal choice to be drug free. I know I have limitations and that my disability hinders me in many ways, but in my chosen profession my quirkiness tends to be accepted.

If I need anything now -- it is a half a Xanax, once in a blue moon, when I am so worked up over something that I absolutely can't sleep.

:pals: