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Anyone on Meds???

gailt915

gailt915

Well-Known Member
I've been diagnosed with so many different mental illnesses and been put on dozens of different meds for various reasons: depression, mood swings, anxiety. I am currently on Lamictal (which is actually helping a bit, am able to work a very part time job now), a very low dose of Effexor, and Xanax. Seems like many Aspies are not on any meds and are going to therapists instead. I'm looking for one in my area, but that's about as successful as dumpster diving!
Some of the meds I'm taking I've been on for quite a few years (Effexor and Xanax). Now I can't get off the Effexor due to the severe withdrawls. I absolutely have no tolerance for how horrible I feel physically while trying to stop this med. It never really helped me much, but was the only one to at least help me a little. Then I discovered Lamictal......tried it and discovered it actually helped me be able to leave the house and gain a job. I'm stuck on the Xanax, too. My new psychiatrist (I don't like her, she doesn't like me, happy happy!!) is trying me on Klonapin to see if that is more effective with the anxiety.
Would really like to hear from those who are on meds. What are they? Do they work at all?
I have this really weird feeling that I am betraying Aspies everywhere by being on meds.............hey, is that an Aspie thing or is it just me??!!
Though for the last 16 years I thought I'd been Bipolar II all my life.........
 
have you tried www.psychologytoday.com ? i love their magazine and had great success finding therapists through them. maybe you can find a good therapist with the site too.

i have been on a lot of anti depressants since high school. right now i am on wellbutrin and risperidone. they seem to be helping very well with my depression. oddly enough i dont have anxiety medication even though i have it, i dont know if i ever have been on anxiety medication.

i dont think its wrong of you or betraying aspies to be on medication. whatever helps you live a happier more productive life is great, i dont see whats wrong with that.

i like my psychiatrist thankfully, shes a nice woman. :) best of luck with you and your meds and therapy search. hope i can help you find one :)
 
I'm not on anything Aspergers related. I take more meds than I'd care to though. I'm on four different things for my back issues. :(
 
Luvox 200 mg for OCD
Trazodone 50 mg for insomnia and depression
Klonopin 1mg for anxiety and OCD
Lamictal for recently diagnosed bipolar and hypomania (I think the Lamictal is helping me too)

Just stopped taking Abilify for depression(weight gain outweighed the benefits)
 
"I have this really weird feeling that I am betraying Aspies everywhere by being on meds." -GailT

You aren't betraying anyone whomsoever by taking care of your health needs. If anything, the fact that you've gone to see the Dr & are working with him or her to maximize your wellness is a great thing. For many Aspies suffering from mental illnesses, it shows that they CAN take action & there IS hope on the horizon for them too.

I'm not taking anything for Aspie stuff either bit I inject Simponi 1x/month for my Ankylosing Spondylitis, I have Celebrex as well as cortisone. Those last 2 I try to keep to a rock bottom minimum.
 
gailt915 said:
I've been diagnosed with so many different mental illnesses and been put on dozens of different meds for various reasons: depression, mood swings, anxiety. I am currently on Lamictal (which is actually helping a bit, am able to work a very part time job now), a very low dose of Effexor, and Xanax. Seems like many Aspies are not on any meds and are going to therapists instead. I'm looking for one in my area, but that's about as successful as dumpster diving!
Some of the meds I'm taking I've been on for quite a few years (Effexor and Xanax). Now I can't get off the Effexor due to the severe withdrawls. I absolutely have no tolerance for how horrible I feel physically while trying to stop this med. It never really helped me much, but was the only one to at least help me a little. Then I discovered Lamictal......tried it and discovered it actually helped me be able to leave the house and gain a job. I'm stuck on the Xanax, too. My new psychiatrist (I don't like her, she doesn't like me, happy happy!!) is trying me on Klonapin to see if that is more effective with the anxiety.
Would really like to hear from those who are on meds. What are they? Do they work at all?
I have this really weird feeling that I am betraying Aspies everywhere by being on meds.............hey, is that an Aspie thing or is it just me??!!
Though for the last 16 years I thought I'd been Bipolar II all my life.........
Click to expand...

I am on:
-Effexor (For Depression)
-Haldol (For Mood disorder)
-Klonipin (For anxiety)

I am currently attempting to wean off of Klonipin; I've been on it over a year and I think I've become dependent on it. It can be bad stuff, addictive. Coming off is no easy process either. Be careful.

Also, I need to switch from the Effexor-- It is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. I'm going to try to get on something else soon.
 
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I have been on meds since 2001 but with my self respect, I prefer not to say the name of the drug. I would be worst if it wasnt for the meds
 
Seroquel XR, and a lot of it.

It keeps me flat most of the time. The regular Seroquel actually works better, but I can't handle the side effects, especially the congestion. The only side effect I get from XR is an occasional mild dizzy spell.
 
NeverEnder said:
I am on:
-Effexor (For Depression)
-Haldol (For Mood disorder)
-Klonipin (For anxiety)

I am currently attempting to wean off of Klonipin; I've been on it over a year and I think I've become dependent on it. It can be bad stuff, addictive. Coming off is no easy process either. Be careful.

Also, I need to switch from the Effexor-- It is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. I'm going to try to get on something else soon.
Click to expand...

Be very careful going off the Effexor. Go slowly, very very slowly. The withdrawls are gruesome, especially for an Aspie. You get dizzy spells and what I call "shock head" (brain zaps). Nausea, panic attacks. I read somewhere that some people use Prozac to go off effexor, because it stays in your system longer and goes out of it at a much slower rate. I tried Prozac once and my anger went thru the roof.
I am getting some really good results with the Lamictal. It is kind of expensive too, but it has done so much for me to make me feel better. Effexor never did anything, really. So the p-docs would just keep adding other meds to it....

Also, thanks to everyone who replied....I really appreciate your imput. :D
 
I was on a bunch, I quit them cold turkey a few months ago, I was lucky and didn't really seem to have any side effects. I was on diagnosed in the past as bipolar and OCD and they even had me on anti-psychotics for awhile. It got to where I wasn't even sure what med was for what anymore, I couldn't focus on anything, and I wasn't really sure that I was feeling better.

medicare doesn't cover therapy so I googled income based therapy, and I found here that has interns doing therapy under a supervisor that they report to. The two interns I had at this place were wonderful, better than the actual ones with the full liscese that I had. In my experience they seem to listen better. because they are still learning, they know they don't know everything, and that they can learn alot from you, that's why they are there.
 
@ Pella: Sliding fee scales are a great idea & they render therapy accessible to many who would otherwise be excluded from it. I agree about interns as well: they don't have a know it all attitude & they haven't become jaded & indifferent to the experiences of their patients.
 
Also some of these interns have already done all the schooling they need for the liscense, they just need a certain number of hours doing therapy to get it. My old therapist intern, she did get a job that she couldn't turn down, but since it was through the same place, she knew the other interns at the same location, so she was able to pass everything along, and she knew their personalities, and my personality so she chose the one she thought would be best for me, with my sensitivity to tone and such.
 
Pella said:
Also some of these interns have already done all the schooling they need for the liscense, they just need a certain number of hours doing therapy to get it. My old therapist intern, she did get a job that she couldn't turn down, but since it was through the same place, she knew the other interns at the same location, so she was able to pass everything along, and she knew their personalities, and my personality so she chose the one she thought would be best for me, with my sensitivity to tone and such.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Pella......what a great idea. I'll have to look into that in my area. Sometimes "teaching" hospitals have that. My first psychiatrist was an intern at UW Madison where I lived for a time, 10 years ago. Saw several different ones, as they changed about every 4 to 6 months, but they were all great and very compassionate. Now, I live in a very poverty stricken area and some of the ones with sliding scale fees are barely competant to tie thier shoes. But I know I need to see someone, so I will keep looking.
 
Pella said:
I was on a bunch, I quit them cold turkey a few months ago, I was lucky and didn't really seem to have any side effects. I was on diagnosed in the past as bipolar and OCD and they even had me on anti-psychotics for awhile. It got to where I wasn't even sure what med was for what anymore, I couldn't focus on anything, and I wasn't really sure that I was feeling better.

medicare doesn't cover therapy so I googled income based therapy, and I found here that has interns doing therapy under a supervisor that they report to. The two interns I had at this place were wonderful, better than the actual ones with the full liscese that I had. In my experience they seem to listen better. because they are still learning, they know they don't know everything, and that they can learn alot from you, that's why they are there.
Click to expand...

i been seeing a intern therapist for 4 years now and just recently ended out time together due to financial issues on my end, but she helped me grow as a person so much.
You dont know how much she means to me and how much she has helped me understand people and problems i have come across.
i am going to miss her. im seeing a new therapist intern and hope i have the same kind of helpful advice from her as well. :( ill miss my old therapist though. she was special.
maybe ill go back to seeing her, she said i could if things dont work out with my new one. :)

gailt915 said:
Thank you, Pella......what a great idea. I'll have to look into that in my area. Sometimes "teaching" hospitals have that. My first psychiatrist was an intern at UW Madison where I lived for a time, 10 years ago. Saw several different ones, as they changed about every 4 to 6 months, but they were all great and very compassionate. Now, I live in a very poverty stricken area and some of the ones with sliding scale fees are barely competant to tie thier shoes. But I know I need to see someone, so I will keep looking.
Click to expand...

best of luck with your search, im sorry about your area not being good with therapy...
it's hard finding a good therapist that you feel comfortable with and ok sharing personal stories with.

i hope we can help in anyway. take care.
 
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I have been on meds for various issues since 2008 long before I was diagnosed with Aspergers. My current med list includes Seroquel for Bipolar mood swings, Ativan for anxiety, Prozac for depression and Concerta (not sure why). I don't take anything for Aspergers other than a glass or two of wine every night.
 
I only take one med Lithium and I love it! If I go without it for even a day or so I feel miserable.
I would never want to go back to the way it was before even if it means taking it for the rest of my life.
 
Nolan1971 said:
I only take one med Lithium and I love it! If I go without it for even a day or so I feel miserable.
I would never want to go back to the way it was before even if it means taking it for the rest of my life.
Click to expand...

Hi. I used to take Lithium and it helped quite a bit =)
 
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