<p>Unfortunately, and after I experienced what I did with my son and myself, I agree that there should be more research and patients should be advised of the possible side effects. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against medication at all. My oldest is still on Vyvanse, my second son takes an anti-psychotic medication now, my husband takes antidepressant… I only suggest to keep the children under close supervision to avoid any possible side effects.</p>
<p>This last week has been really hard, still wishing this incident didn’t happen. Thank you for posting your personal stories.</p>
<p>I think before anyone takes any drug they, or a trusted adviser, should understand the pros and the cons, potential alternatives and the potential effects.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Agreed. I also think the same thing should happen before someone refuses to take a drug that a health professional wants to prescribe. </p>
<p>Taking drugs indiscriminately can cause problems, but so can failing to take drugs that you need.</p>
<p>Do I sound a little frustrated? If I do, it’s because that’s how I feel. I have a friend who refuses to take the prescribed medication for his Type 2 diabetes because he’s afraid of side effects. He doesn’t seem to understand that leaving his diabetes uncontrolled also is harmful – in fact, it’s almost certainly doing more harm than the drug would do.</p>
<p>Sometimes people don’t do a good job of balancing the risks and benefits of taking a drug against the risks and benefits of not taking that drug.</p>
<p>Psychiatric medications are evolving, but it is at a slow pace. It is two steps forward and one step back, and there is a long road ahead. For all the bad press Prozac has received, it was a revolutionary discovery. When it came onto the market in the late 1980s, it was the first time that internists and cardiologists felt comfortable prescribing medications for their medically ill patients; the prior antidepressants had even worse side effects. The same is true for the the newer generation of antipsychotics: it replaced a category of medicines known for permanent movement disorders and other harsh symptoms. There is so much more work to be done, and I feel as a rule, psychiatrists feel frustrated by the limitations and would love to be in a position of helping more. </p>
<p>There are no easy answers but we have to keep trying.</p>
<p>
Sorry, but that’s just too obvious. Have you ever worked with a psychiatrist? That’s exactly the reason why doctors need to spend their time acquiring a medical degree + residency + years to become a specialist. So that doctor, the person who prescribes the medicine, can help the patient understand the pros/cons and potential effects.</p>
<p>As far as I have read of the shooter, he had Asperger’s (which isn’t typically a violent condition), but there hasn’t been any mention of ADHD. He may have had a slew of other psychotic issues and was presumably under a doctor’s care. I read somewhere there were reports he was into lighting fires.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the shooter’s actions were very well prepared. It was not an impulsive act. He had a huge supply of ammunition, wore a bullet-proof vest, and had previously destroyed his computers which he knew could provide evidence. Whatever motivated him to so viciously behave, he had been working on this idea for a very long time. To me, it sounded as if his condition was worsening. It’s not likely a side-effect of a drug, but rather, that he needed to take something stronger.</p>
<p>The problem with SSRI drugs for depression is that they are prescribed like candy and then doctors do not monitor their use. These drugs are very powerful and they react differently to each person’s own individual brain chemistry. If someone tries to quit taking these drugs, they have to withdraw very carefully - literally shaving a small amount from a pill over several weeks.</p>
<p>No one is disputing that these drugs are a very necessary treatment for some people, and I am not opposed to them for treating depression or other issues and for these people, they are a tremendous help. My concern is the lack of monitoring of certain symptoms like suicide or violent tendencies, especially if someone decides to quit taking them cold turkey.</p>
<p>I am sure there is a subset of careless doctors out there and that is scary. But I do believe that most doctors want to help and take the responsibility on their shoulders. Psychiatrists are trained to understand the potential problems with antidepressants. There is a warning for the 18-24 yr age group for increased suicidal ideation at the beginning of treatment. There is also the possibility of increased suicidal intent in a person who has responded to treatment and now has more energy (less depression) to carry out a hidden agenda. Other people become too detached and apathetic. I could go on, but the idea is that any medication, psychiatric or otherwise, can result in a variety of side effects, including agitation, paranoia and confusion. And medicines can react with each other and cause all kinds of physical problems, including delirium. Medical (non-psychiatric) patients can become violent from illnesses and medicines.</p>
<p>Again, we have to keep trying.</p>
<p>limabeans, sure it’s obvious but it’s surprising how many people take medications without understanding much about the medication. There are often variations of medication that can result in the desired outcome but have very different reactions in the body. The doctor will pick the one that he/she thinks is “best” but the patient also needs to be aware because the doctor isn’t seeing that patient every day. Compliance is also a huge component and patients simply aren’t always compliant and might not understand that impact (of not being compliant.) People take off the shelf stuff these days that they might not think it’s important to tell their doctor…all kinds of stuff that relates to the OPs question.</p>
<p>This article is a little off topic, but it speaks to the conflict of interest in psychiatry and pharmaceuticals.</p>
<p>[Antidepressants</a> to treat grief? Psychiatry panelists with ties to drug industry say yes - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/antidepressants-to-treat-grief-psychiatry-panelists-with-ties-to-drug-industry-say-yes/2012/12/26/ca09cde6-3d60-11e2-ae43-cf491b837f7b_story.html]Antidepressants”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/antidepressants-to-treat-grief-psychiatry-panelists-with-ties-to-drug-industry-say-yes/2012/12/26/ca09cde6-3d60-11e2-ae43-cf491b837f7b_story.html)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I found this statistic to be alarming. How equipped are general practitioners in monitoring the needs of a psychiatric patient?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^^^^^
In general, family/general practitioners don’t know a lot about mental illness. However, they can encourage their patients to do things that will improve their physical health, which often has positive effect on mental health.</p>
<p>Psychiatrists on the other hand can seem mainly interested in medication management, and are caught up in prescribing meds for new symptoms rather than suggesting cognitive therapy or accepting that the patient is stable on their psych meds and they don’t need to see a psych for medication management every month.</p>
<p>All Drs., not just psychiatrists have been influenced by the pharma industry, it is up to the patient to take charge of their own medical care and find a medical professional that will work with them.
[Patient</a> Care: Survive Your Doctor | Women’s Health Magazine](<a href=“Patient Care: Survive Your Doctor”>Patient Care: Survive Your Doctor)</p>
<p>I agree that treating the whole patient (physical, emotional, spiritual, etc.) is key in managing mental health. And all patients need to research and advocate for themselves. The 80% number jumped out at me because these drugs should be closely monitored by professionals familiar with the potential side effects. Our experience has been that psychiatrists are only a phone call away should a patient Face a crisis. I’m not sure that a general practioner would be so available.</p>
<p>Psychiatrists don’t even share a practice or have receptionists in my area, regular docs seem easier to get a hold of after hours.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My bias is that H works for a major pharmaceutical (not in sales and marketing). That being said, I really think it’s the insurance companies who are controlling the health care market. So much of what they do, and don’t do is absolutely unethical. This will be the first year we’ve ever been able to use the medical expenses deduction on our income taxes because we’ve paid out-of-pocket for so many expenses - expenses that our insurance company would not authorize, but my physicians and I felt I needed. At least with my own treatment team (all of my physicians, many of which are new in the past year after a huge problem with lack of communication with my previous physicians and specialists), I don’t feel they recommend or don’t recommend meds based on what some pharma rep told did or didn’t tell them. It took me a long time to find these doctors, but I really do have faith that they haven’t fallen in that trap. Of course, I also went with a concierge physician as my primary physician, and a few of my specialists require full payment up front, then expect me to file claims for reimbursement. Not everyone can do this, but this is what I decided was best for me.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have both my internist’s and psychiatrist’s personal cell phone numbers. Yea, I know, very uncommon.</p>
<p>It took me a long time to find these doctors, but I really do have faith that they haven’t fallen in …</p>
<p>Thats great, but Drs as you know are just as susceptible as anyone else to advertising & free samples.
You do have to select a dr who takes more time to personalize treatment.</p>
<p>I put this on another thread but I’m going to say it here also. There is a website called “Crazy Meds” (get over the name already) which is really great. It has the most UNBIASED information (and accurate) that I’ve seen in a long time as a professional. It has not only the drug discussions (studies both positive and negative) but also forums which deal with the side effects of the meds from personal view points which is invaluable for so many.
The site pretty well covers all classes of psyche meds, doesn’t pretend to know everything (although they try) ,and has lots of links to send you in the right direction if you don’t find the answer you need on their site.</p>