History Teach is quite right, working with your doctor in a partnership for your health is the best possible way to find what is right for you. Every med reacts slightly differently in each person. What might be right for me may be very wrong for you to take. An example is I have taken Lamictal for several years now and it has worked well for me without side effects.
Yes, sometimes I feel like a walking drug store. Here is an example of what I take each day. OTC means over the counter---not doctor prescribed
AM
Simvastin for high cholesterol
A Blood pressure med
Omega 3 and 6 fish oils (OTCto help with depressionand mood swings)
Baby aspirin (I treated my body so bad for so many years that at the age of 43 my doctor called me a walking heart attack and started me on this)
Calcium (OTC to promote bone health being an older woman this is a preventative measure)
Lysine (OTC because any cholesterol lowering drug causes fever blisters if I don't take lysine to off set the problem)
Garlic (OTC to aid in cholesterol)
Vitamin B 12 (OTC aids in cognition/memory)
PM
120 mg Cymbalta (Bi polar depression)
100 mg Lamictal (bi polar)
Vitamin E (OTC promotes cell health)
Vitamin B1 (aids in memory)
Vitamin C (OTC to help the Lysine work)
Magnesium (OTC promotes cell health)
AS NEEDED
Klonopin (for anxiety)
Oxycodone (for back pain---bad discs from car wreck)
Flexeril (for back pain)
Tylenol (Works synergistically with oxycodone causing both to work better)
So you are not alone. Do I feel over medicated? Sometimes yes, but I make a point to know what each of the meds I take does, what meds it reacts with, side effects, etc.... I also make sure my doctor is fully aware of all the OTC meds I take and concurs that they are of benefit. Do I feel better when I take my meds? Yes. I can tell when I have missed a dose.
Some people will say that I am crazy for taking so many meds but I can tell the difference as each one provides something my body is in need of. For example, my depression and mood swings from the bi polar were helped immensely with the addition of the fish oils. I no longer have the rapid and wide mood swings I was having prior to starting the fish oil and that is the only thing that has been changed or added so I feel it is what has helped. Before it I was all over the board with my mood swings.....suicidal one minute and hyper the next. It was frightening and my psych doc wanted to just add Prozac to the mix and change my mood stabilizer.....