Wastinglife

I have been on one med or another since my late 20's (42 now). Also been drinking on them. I really don't know if they ever worked properly. The only way to know is to clear my system and start fresh with an evaluation. The meds were for ADHD and depression. Various different brands. Surprisingly, I have had very mild withdrawals so far. 2 weeks without the SSRI now and just getting those 'brain zaps', but okay otherwise.

August252015

Hopefully you are doing this under doctor's care.

Anna

I hope that your dr knows what you're doing. I'm glad you feel okay but be careful.

D122y

Wasting,

I agree w the others of course.

I will add, broken record, that i vote meds are often given out like free mentos to folks.

Dealing w the world pure is how we were designed.

I have never taken meds like SsRI etc, but i heard the withdrawals are another level of hell on earth that lasts much longer than just booze withdrawals.

I was reminded today that my close friend is dealing w exactly the same challenge.

Keep posting and if you need a pill, based on Dr's orders...do it. Taper down sir.

Thanks.

Dee74

what about those of us, no fault of our own, who weren't born 'pure'? What about diabetes or epilepsy for example? Chrons disease? clinical depression? Bipolar?

This is an area where the drugs is drugs kind of generalities really fall down IMO.

D

PhoenixJ

Meds are essential to my mental health- I know this after many years of trial, stress and trauma.

I strongly suggest you see a doc before stopping all meds. The post effects, long term can be dangerous.

D122y

Dee I agree if a person needs the meds...they need them.

Medicine can help folks live a better quality of life or take the quality down.

If not for SR I would likely be on anti depressants myself.

Sr saved me.

Dee74

Thanks for the gracious reply D122y

D

Wastinglife

I am withdrawing under a doctors' care.

nmd

Keep well WL, good to see you around and kicking

yinzer

Hope you have good results, WL!

Wastinglife

I was certainly in need of medication for depression. Still am. However, it is really impossible to say what particular brand or dose works unless I have the other stuff out of my system first. Booze and amphetamines will likely intereact in some way that distorsts the effectiveness

Wastinglife

About a month since I stopped all prescription meds. Still drinking beer. Mainly to make the med withdrawal symptoms less (Brain zaps, insomnia, anxiety). Drank 4 beers yesterday. None today. Have an appointment with my doctor on friday. I can feel myself changing (sobriety is my goal). I may have been on the wrong meds. Not even smoking cigarettes now. I will be having a full physical on Friday. Blood tests and such. Then I will be referred to a specialist about what medication or not I need.

Wastinglife

I think my recovery from alcoholism has been affected because I wasn't given the proper treatment 15 years ago for ADHD and depression. Time to get to the bottom of it.

Delilah1

I am getting close to three years sober, but still have medicine that I take for anxiety as needed. I also have some medication for heart rhythm which took forever to figure out the right one, two surgeries and four different mess later they found the right medication with no side effects.

August252015

WL....really sorry to hear you are still drinking.

I am on good meds under a great doctors care....which would not mean a darn thing if I was still drinking.

Wastinglife

No booze in the house now. Had coffee and a bagel. My favourite drug when sober. I just went through a month of hell. Meeting with a medical team on Friday. CAMH in Toronto (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health). They are one of the best in the world. I think I am completely clean of everything now

Wastinglife

Then I will be given a fresh course of treatment. I hate drinking booze to self-medicate myself. Finally got an expert to help me. A kid who had ADHD his whole life and didn't know. I have struggled so long. ADHD is not just a scam so pharma can sell drugs. Just because your child is not focusing on his/her schoolwork doesn't mean they are"ADD"

ADHD can be really devastating to a person when it goes undiagnosed through out their life.

I lost everything. Not because of addiction. I became addicted to alcohol to cope with my hidden disability. I was meant to feel "lazy" or "********".

I had a good job. A nice car, a pretty girlfriend. A condo. Lost it all by age 28 because people just thought I was a drunk.

I literally have nothing now. No assests. No possessions. But my parents are wealthy, they pay my rent and food. You can be as rich as you want. When you spend 6 Christmas holidays alone, knowing your family is all there and you are not allowed to come.....that is poor

Dee74

best wishes for Friday WL

D

Meraviglioso

Hi there, I am glad to hear of your appointment tomorrow. I hope you are able to get some good information.

I agree with August, meds are unlikely to work if you are drinking. So it is best to get the alcohol out of the picture in order to give it a real go on new meds. That said, sometimes there are underlying problems that have to be addressed in order to stay quit. It is difficult to navigate this as to get out of the cycle you need meds that are working but you can't have meds that are working if you are drinking. This is where other forms of support can come into play.

With the usual disclaimer of not intending to provide medical advice and that I am not a professional in any way, I can tell you my own recent experience. It may be worth asking about this medication if you are interested in finding out more about if it might work for you.

I recently switched to a new psychiatrist who wiped out my old medications and prescribed me a fairly new drug for depression called Brintellix (called Trintellix in the US, possibly Canada). Not being a doctor this is hard to explain, but from what I understand, a classic SSRI works on all receptors in your brain. This medication works on some and leaves others untouched. In this way, for the majority of people, many common side effects are a non-issue. For example, my biggest complaint on my old meds is that I felt completely lethargic, I couldn't concentrate, my memory was affected greatly, I have no desire to do anything. I wasn't depressed, but I wasn't out living a life that could potentially make me happy either. On this medication I have none of those issues. I am energetic and want to get out and do things. This leads me to my alcoholism. I am someone who requires an extensive amount of physical activity to feel good. Heavy exercise is a huge part of my recovery. I exercise every day of the week with positive results for my general well-being. On the meds I was on before I had a hard time accomplishing this on a daily basis and this often led to my laying around doing nothing and getting into a state where I felt drinking was a possible solution to my unease. On this medication I am never just sitting around as I have the energy and desire to get up and do things.

In any case, only your doctor knows what is best. But I am a big proponent of advocating for yourself and going in with your own information and questions to guide the appointment.