Posted by CamW on March 9, 2013, at 13:39:10
In reply to Re: Short and Sweet, posted by brklyn233342 on March 9, 2013, at 12:42:54
brklyn:
I don't think that you offended anyone. I just read your original post and it got me thinking. My reply was just me thinking out loud which I do a lot. Much of the time I do it without thinking my reply through.
I do know your frustration in finding a medication combination that works for you. I remember working for mental health services as a consultant pharmacist and being asked to find medication regimens for treatment resistant cases. I remember my frustration in trying and failing to find a regimen that worked for an individual case. Waiting the weeks or months to see if a change worked occasionally tore me apart mentally.
I remember feeling ecstatic with occasional surprising success. My most surprising success, which was written up in a major medical journal (even though the psychiatrist did not think of adding my name to the article, after suggesting the medication and being the guy who convinced the person from giving up on the therapy).
It was a gentleman who developed severe tardive dyskinesia from years of taking traditional antipsychotics. It was so bad that he couldn't even keep a hat on his head. I suggested giving Clozaril (clozapine) which was a new medication at the time. The drug did not seem to be doing anything for the TD after a month, but it did, more or less, control psychotic symptoms. After about 8 (yes, eight) months the TD symptoms seemed to miraculously disappear. The gentleman was riding his bike within a month and is living a much better life the last that I heard.
I had almost given up on him. I kept on him to keep taking the medication, but in my heart I thought I had another failure on my hands. No one was more surprised at the success than me (but I have never told anyone that).
I guess what I am saying is never give up hope. Give medications a reasonable chance to work & work with the doctor to try to find a way to live as "normal" as possible life within the restraints of the condition.
I hope that you don't mind me adding my 2¢.
Sincerely - Cam
poster:CamW
thread:1039909
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130308/msgs/1039935.html