Mrs. Science Reports: A New Trend in Prescription Dosage

When I went to the neurologist back in January, he mentioned there might be a new clinical trial to assess efficacy of a 50% dose of my current medication. I asked, "Will it cost $2,000 instead of $4,000?" and the answer was no.

(I wondered why they would like to cut the dose in half, and I thought it was because the FDA is concerned about side effects and my health. It occurs to me just now that the makers might want to double the profit margin.)

So, not only might I be taking less MS medication, the psychiatrist thinks I might be able to get off my Celexa entirely. No brain drugs at all? I reminded him what I was like four years ago when I forgot my pills for two weeks. He thinks that might have been a reaction to dropping off the drugs too fast.

Then we had a very frank conversation about how no one knows how any of these SSRIs work. All the seratonin knowledge I swallowed whole has no real basis in fact. They say seratonin's the explanation, but tests don't back them up.

We already took me from 40 to 20 last year, so now I'm going to 10, then 5, then (CRAZY LAUGH HAHAHAHAHA) nothing. When I cut down on my meds last year Gary said he could see the change immediately. I had him promise to let me know if I seem to be sliding in to something worse.

I really don't know if this is going to work. Still, it seems to be all the rage to have doctors take you off drugs.

Comments

[Becs]

I'm going through the exact opposite. Every time I see my shrink, he ponders and says, "I think we need to triple the dosage on this one and double the dosage on that one."

It seems to be working.

[Hattie]

We enjoy good health in spite of being damn old. We went to the Dr. today to get information for our upcoming trip to Peru, and I'm still creeped out, although nothing untoward happened. Our whole medical system is screwed. It's like oh, do we have to do something for you? Wait, I have to stare into this computer monitor for ten minutes while I completely ignore you. Let me glance, also, at the forms you filled out I find them impossible to understand, too. Oh well. Then I, the specialist, will ask exactly the same questions your doctor asked you two weeks ago, which, since all this information is on the computer, I should be able to learn from that source which I just consulted at some length. Now I will cause my lovely assistant here to take your blood pressure (Why? No reason. Just checking.) Now why have you come to see me?
People who go to the dr. all the time are totally accustomed to this bullshit and have no idea of how bizarre this all seems to us infrequent patients. The medical people are so confused, because they don't know who they are supposed to answer to: the higher ups, the pharmaceutical companies, the patients...?
My Queen: I wouldn't let them give me the brushoff if I knew the meds I was taking worked for me, nor would I take drugs just because they think I should, either. For years docs kept trying to stuff me with hormones and corticsteriods, and I always said nein. These are meds that ordinary reasonably healthy people should never take, and yet they hand them out like candy!!!
And then the two hours it took for fifteen minutes with the dr. and picking up our presciptions. Oh well, it's not as if our time is worth anything.

[Mrs. Hall]

yeah, mental health prescribing (what i do every day) is unlike any other kind of prescribing. for example, when a regular doctor prescribes something for blood pressure theyhave REAL NUMBERS and KNOW THE REAL EFFECT.

for mental health, you can line 10 people up with depression and have them all talk about it differently. then, you factor in their lives (are they in crabby, abusive marriages? emeshed with dysfunctional crazy people? drinking daily) THEN

THEN!!

you factor in where they came from (crazy upbringing with abuse? neglect)

and

AND

you factor in who they are before the depression started (maybe they were just a gloomy gus in the first place)

and then you can see why one 20 mg dose of citalopram might not be the answer for everyone. in fact, it RARELY IS.

but, it can be part of things. therapy can be helpful too. because people are more then their biochemistry!!

ok

AND

i'm done!!

good luck and watch out for rebound depression as you trail off citalopram.

:)

[Tami]

All I can do is wish you luck. I'm damn glad that Gary's there to watch out for you.

[allison]

Ditto - as long as Gary is more on the ball than my husband was when I went on the low-estrogen birth control pill that had made me loony the first time I took it (after kid number one) and told him to watch out for looniness, but he somehow didn't think that me becoming convinced that Angus's preschool helper who volunteered to babysit was going to kidnap the kids qualified as looniness. Uh, I mean good luck. And take care.

[Thequeen]

Becs -whatever works. Yours seems to be working very well.
Hattie - guessing is an art? Maybe?
Mrs hall -the doctor and I decided there were many more brain cells in flux because of the MS so maybe that was the issue.
Tami - well we will see. He was out till nine with no explanation or phone call and I got worried. Not a good start.
Allison - yeah. I trust him with my life, but my sanity? Hm.