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- Repost from the Depression Forum, I wanted to share with my Chronic Pain Family too...So Sad!

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Posted 2/22/2011 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
I’m a little dumb-founded right now (for lack of better words). I have shared on this forum how I’m trying to hold on, but I know that depression is rearing its ugly head inside of me.   I’ve been going thru so much emotion these last few weeks. I kept telling myself that I have an appointment soon with my psychiatrist and that hopefully he can help me. Fast forward to a about an hour ago. I went in to see my psychiatrist, and sat down and told him that things have changed, I have been really feeling depressed .   (It feels hard for me to even be able to say it to him, but I am determined to get my feeling out because in order to get help, I need to tell my doctor what is going on). So he asked me a few questions about my life, and stress, any additional stress at work? Yes…struggling to do my job and how my weekends are not   used for fun, but to recoup from the previous work week, how people are getting laid off…..with me..yes…I have been feeling worse and it is making me feel alienated from my family because I spend so much time being sick…and my oldest son 20 still doesn’t have a job yet..yadda yadda…so I get it all out and then he starts: I keep talking, and I notice that he is not looking at me but looking at my file and then he interrupts me and starts asking me questions about my medication…(I still did not see where this was going so I figured…ok…) so I told him what I was currently taking as of my last visit with my pain management doctor ·          Duragesic Patch .75 ·          Oxy IR 15 mg for break thru pain ·          Nuvigil 250 ·          Ativan up to 2 mgs (which he prescribes) at night for sleep ·          Prisitiq 50 gm He then precedes to tell me that he feels I am taking so much medicine that perhaps if I could think about coming off of some pain medication, he would consider either an increase in anti-depression medication or a change, but that I am taking so much medication, I could end up having a stroke!!! He said the nuvigil and prisitiq both acted as ant depression medication, without seeing on of his therapist (he has been after me for a while to see one of his “therapists” I went to see one a few times, it was a waste of time for me and I was not going to pay $100.00 a month to see someone who was not helping me. So I told him, something has to be done, I can’t keep calling my husband all day and crying. So then he said that either my primary doctor or my rheumatologist should call him to see what to do, I told him my primary doctor referred me to a pain management doctor because she could not manage my pain (in her own words…Fibromyalgia is complicated and every changing medication is available, but we don’t have time to research the latest information for it. I’m just so upset, I feel like a freak now for taking so much medication, and I feel helpless
Posted 2/23/2011 1:45 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Hopegirl, hey don't be so hard on yourself, this is not something you have done. Your psychiatrist may be onto something too with the medications. You know sometimes these meds just do not mix well together and when that happens boy does it ever cause the patient a ton of grief. I went to drugs.com and looked up the prisitq and the nuvigil and saw that the prisitiq can have an interaction with the nuvigil. There was several antidepressants listed that does not mix well with it sometimes. I wonder if that is what has happened with you. I think I would get a hold of the dr that is rxing these meds and get an appt and go in and see the dr about this. I have a real weird system that does not tolerate medications of any kind very well and its real difficult finding the right mix for me.

So, try to baby yourself somewhat to get all of this straightened out. By the way, you are not a freak of any kind. I take 17 different medications for various medical problems ok, I do not feel like a freak. All I try to do is have a half way decent day. Yes, I have had drs actually suck their breath in when I hand them my typed list of medications and when one is bold enough to say you are on too many medications, I simply agree with that dr and then ask, ok which of these medications would you do without for this problem or that problem. If you can find something on there I should not be on, by all means tell me so I can stop taking it now. That shuts them up every time and I never hear from them again about what I take lol.

So, please don't beat yourself up over this it surely is not your fault. Take care.
Posted 2/23/2011 3:31 AM (GMT 0)
Sometimes we have to look at the meds we are taking look them up
and see if they can react with any others, that would be my first thing to do.
Doctors don't always take the time to see if these medications can interact with
each other. Geezee I put down I'm allergic to erythromycin and yet the doctor proceed
to write me a script for it, so I always have to be careful with all the meds I get.
My reaction to erythromycin is tremors, itching chest tightness ect...most think I just
get a stomache from it...I don't think your on too much medicine but it could be
a medicine reaction or a medicine interaction. Call your pcp and talk this over with him or her.
Hope this helps...keep us posted will be thinking of you.
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Hopegirl))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
well wishes and healing hugz
Posted 2/23/2011 5:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hopegirl

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I have clinical depression and chronic pain too. You might want to do as advised and talk to your pcp about it. The meds could be interacting in such a way that is not good. I wish you well. Take care.

hugs
Loretta
Posted 2/23/2011 7:48 AM (GMT 0)
hopegirl

 

You have been given some excellent advice, but please do not be so hard on yourself, after all you are only doing what your Doctors have prescribed for you.!  I kind of take exception, to the fact that if he thinks you are on to many medications, then I think HE should be the one to contact your other Doctors and find out from them why they put you on those medications, and let him talk to them about what needs to be done about it!  It sounds like he expects you to talk to your other doctors and have them contact him??  And he should definitely not make you feel guilty or bad about the medications that you are on. I am not at all sure (I admit  I have not looked those medications up )  how they could make you have a stroke.   Anyway if you are taking two meds that literally do the same thing and are not compatable and can interact with each other  then that definitely needs to be addressed.  I will say though that there are allot of Doctors that do not agrees with patients taking pain meds of any kind.  I personally think that pain meds do have their place. I think to many Doctors do not understand pain, and treat it to lightly or that it is a mental thing and I do not agree with that either! Anyway that is just my two cents worth!

 

I do wish you well! Good Luck to You hopegirl!

 

White Beard

Posted 2/23/2011 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
Thank You all so much for you posting. So much stress right now from yesterday, I'm trying to let it just roll off my shoulder, but I can't stop thinking about it. Of course that led to a bad nights sleep, and pain, I had so much pain in my hands and body last night from stress it was terrible. Today I felt better first thing but right now, my knees are burning. I happen to think that doctor is obviously not over knowledgeable with chronic pain and depression. He is a doctor, and I"m not...so I am not trying to challange, but I just realized at that point, my work with him was done. My son actually had a 1st appt with him scheduled for today. Nope, if you are not able to meet my needs, I can find another doctor for my son and his ADD issues as well.

 

Fast forward my PM doctor recommended me to see a chronic pain psy but, he is far away, the receptionist it going to check with the doctor and see if she can recommend someone around where I live. He is in Philly once a month, so if all fails, I guess I could take a half day and see him there. I tell you I'm so upset about this that my site where I use to have my port for the IV antibiotics with lyme is hurting. It usually doesn't bother me one bit!!!

I know eventually this will get straight, until then, I just have to keep on dealing and coming on these boards is helping me too so very much. So I'm sure you will see me on here often for a while

 

Thanks

Monica

Posted 2/24/2011 2:50 PM (GMT 0)

   

Dear Monica,

    Good morning *hugg* I hope you are doing a bit better today. You ve been though a lot lately. I hope you are remembering to take it easy when you can. 

     You know it is pretty common that various "complimentary" doctors do not understand Chronic Pain. Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Psychologists.... the same "myths" about chronic pain patients and their medications apply not just to society but also to various other "doctors". It is hard, to have to fight against society. It seems unfair we have to fight against various medical personnel too. My only suggestion would be to explain why you are on the medications. If they still do not understand, then you know you at least tried.

     I have long since believed that mental health professionals that specialize in chronic and terminal illness are the best for us. They have extensive knowledge with regards to all aspects of chronic pain. They are a valuable resource to the chronic pain community. If there is anyway that you can see one, it would be worth it. Also, please do not be hard on yourself. Chronic pain is hard for even the strongest of people. It is okay for us to be down and to feel angry at times. The difference is that you are being proactive about it and doing the best you can to fight it. Please, take it easy. Rest when you are able.

    Know you are in our hearts here!
*hugg*
   dani   

Posted 2/25/2011 1:50 PM (GMT 0)
Totally relate. Depression/sadness/fatigue is normal to CI and CPers, why wouldn't it be: all aspects of your life is compromised, struggling daily is draining, the why me can be unbearable and so on. If your in a capitalist country you are bombarded with messages of getting out there and seizing the day, make every moment count, be all you can be work hard and play hard, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas--it's all sooooooo exhausting. Oh, and being "happy" is a right, if it's not working for you, take a pill all the commercials instruct. What I'm saying is, maybe, just maybe, sadness over our situation is the "normal" and some way to live with that fact, acceptance may I say, needs to be explored. I hope this makes sense I've been up all night, in the hospital, sick yet again, but whatta ya gonna do? Me, I've decided to attempt to relax and enjoy the IV drip.
Posted 2/25/2011 7:02 PM (GMT 0)
Monica not sure if you saw it in my post but Prisitiq and Nuvigil have been known to interact with each other. Talk to your dr about taking the two together.
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