Med and disorder questions

oceanfisher58

Regular Member

Joined : Aug 2017

Posts : 399

Posted 1/6/2020 5:50 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to ask a few questions and hopefully get a better understanding of what conditions I have so that when I meet with my councilor I can be treated properly. I believe there are many kind people here who can help me get started.

Lately I will do something which I enjoy like fishing or reading and I can only stay focused on what I am doing for a very short time. I will drive all the way to the beach to fish which takes me an hour but after thirty minutes I am ready to leave. I never used to be this way. I used to be able to enjoy myself with my hobbies but no longer. Would that be considered attention deficit or anxiety issues?

When I start reading about my cancer treatments and what others go through I fall into a panic attack. I almost shut down. It is as if I am paralyzed with fear.

The meds I have tried in the past and still have at home are amitriptyline and Cymbalta. I am currently taking the amitriptyline but wonder if the Cymbalta may be a better choice. My primary care dr gave me the Cymbalta but because of my stomach issues which my GI dr said were giving me IBS he switched me to amitriptyline. I am interested in what anyone here thinks about my issues and what meds I should take. I realize there are no drs here but any help would be greatly appreciated. I need to understand what exactly is going on with me. I know I have a lot happening at once. Maybe I should let the councilor help me but she will not be a MD. The amitriptyline does help me but not nearly enough. Maybe I should be seeing a psychiatrist?????

I started a new thread so everyone would not have to wade through my last extremely long thread.
Thank you so much
dmo

Post Edited (oceanfisher58) : 1/6/2020 12:11:27 PM (GMT-7)

medved

Veteran Member

Joined : Nov 2009

Posts : 1341

Posted 1/6/2020 6:21 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Ocean. I think you came upon the right idea at the end of your post: see a psychiatrist. Nobody on this forum will be able to diagnose your condition or give you well-informed advice about what medication(s) you should take. But a psychiatrist can do that. (Honestly, the diagnosis is probably much less important than the treatment -- mental health diagnoses are done for insurance company purposes as much as anything else; and you probably care a lot less about your DSM-V diagnosis and a lot more about feeling better). A psychiatrist is the right move here.

Also don't be too hard on yourself. I think most people who were facing your combination of pain, plus a challenging situation at home, plus a cancer diagnosis, would be facing some level of anxiety or depression or stress, etc., and would need to help sorting it out.

Your counselor should be able to recommend a psychiatrist. Or your internal medicine (GP) can probably do so.
For what it's worth, I see both a psychologist for counseling and a psychiatrist for medication advice. I would prefer not to need any of this. But it is what it is.

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