NOT a medical post, important honesty with your doctor
 

Another post that I read prompted this one. My apologies if this info is already somewhere on the board.

I have no experience with antidepressants, or any other prescribed medications.

This is not a fact, just my thinking. If you're on an antidepressant or any other drug, that when you get sober, the levels of those drugs may need to be reassessed.

I'm only saying this because my husband had cancer (10 years cancer free thank God) and is on a lifetime med because the radiation treatments killed his thyroid. He has to have his blood levels checked once a year for possible medication level adjustments. However, the doctor made it clear that if he was doing anything that would present major changes to weight, activity, etc that he should call because fluctuations in the body can make it necessary for an immediate dosage and mg adjustment.

It would make sense that if you're on antidepressants or other prescribed meds and get sober this may be the same.

Again, I am not sure of this but it's just a thought. Never hurts to call the doctor.

Possibly. My psychiatrist has been very involved in helping me get help and she didn't change any of my pre-sober prescriptions. Better safe than sorry though.

This is definitely true. My psych monitors my doses of two major meds carefully- which is easier now that I am HONEST with her about not drinking. We have not changed any dosage of those yet, but it will always be important to know they are the right dose, which means I need to communicate how I am feeling and doing, and trust her to be the expert. We have discontinued one med (antabuse) and are tapering another (lorazepam); again, for the latter, this is her directive based on how I am doing.

I get my thyroid tested regularly, every 3-4 months or so. We have adjusted the dose a few times since I have been taking it (3,4 years) and I have been both hypo and hyper. I will be particularly careful to have this checked during this first year of sobriety.

Being present (seeing) and being honest with our doctors about whatever is going on is the best way we can help them give us the best care.

This is a good reminder...my DH is on half his former dose of hypertension meds having greatly reduced his alcohol consumption and I needed my thyroid meds increased after three or so months sober.

I'm seeing a new psych tomorrow and plan on being totally up front with him about my drinking history. I lied through my teeth for 10 years to my old shrink, told her I was drinking moderately - "a beer or two and maybe a glass of wine for dinner" - when in reality I was having that before work on some occasions. No wonder I never saw any real improvement! Honesty really is best, especially because I'm only hurting myself when I obfuscate things.

On a similar note, I posted something about possibly raising my Zoloft dose but now that I think back it seems that now that I'm not drinking the medication has kicked in even more, thus giving me the anxiety that typically occurs whenever someone first starts out on the drug or raises their dosage. I'll be curious to see what the new doc days.

If you are clinically depressed, you need to quit drinking to feel better.

My anti D medications didn't do a damn thing for me. Until I quit drinking. Drinking while taking them was a complete waste of time and money. When I quit however, I think they really got me unstuck, and made it possible for me to make the changes in my life I needed.

Excellent thread - thanks