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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Rowan on January 10, 2003, at 11:30:18
My husband has been on Depakote,baclofin,escitalopram and naltrexone and now the MD has prescribed Trazodone on top of these other meds that are already knocking him out, does this sound right to anyone?
Posted by linkadge on January 10, 2003, at 11:38:51
In reply to Anyone know?, posted by Rowan on January 10, 2003, at 11:30:18
I would definately seek a second opinion,
often meds are just piled on to deal with
side effects of others. Some doctors are
like "here ya want pills, this is what they'll
do for ya". Get a second opinion, and re-asess
the need for so many meds.Good Luck
Linkadge
Posted by BrittPark on January 10, 2003, at 19:03:14
In reply to Anyone know?, posted by Rowan on January 10, 2003, at 11:30:18
What is your husbands diagnosis? It seems like a fairly complex drug regime, but it may be what's needed. (My drug regime is even more complex.) As someone else mentioned second opinions are often good ideas. Is your husband being treated by a psychiatrist or a GP? If he isn't I strongly suggest that he see a psychiatrist.
Good Health to your husband,
Britt
Posted by jay on January 11, 2003, at 2:39:13
In reply to Anyone know?, posted by Rowan on January 10, 2003, at 11:30:18
> My husband has been on Depakote,baclofin,escitalopram and naltrexone and now the MD has prescribed Trazodone on top of these other meds that are already knocking him out, does this sound right to anyone?
Well..it's hard to tell since we aren't his doctor...but Trazodone is uaually nowadays prescribed for insomnia. Does your husband suffer from that?
Has there been any progress in his condition? Sometimes it takes the meds many, many months to start working. His doctor should be needy to how he is feeling right now, though. What are his main symptoms?
Jay
Posted by Rowan on January 11, 2003, at 7:51:36
In reply to Re: Anyone know? » Rowan, posted by jay on January 11, 2003, at 2:39:13
These are the meds precribed to him for BPD and he is also a recovering heroin addict. His family doctor is precribing these. I believe he told him the Trazadone was for insomnia only because he told him to take 1-3 at night as needed, they are 50 mg each. He started the Trazadone 2 nights ago and so far dosnt remember much of anything. He really seemed to be adjusting to the other meds fine. I didnt know Trazadone was precribed on an as needed basis???????
Posted by BrittPark on January 11, 2003, at 11:04:55
In reply to Re: Anyone know? » jay, posted by Rowan on January 11, 2003, at 7:51:36
Let me reiterate my suggestion. Find a psychiatrist for your husband. GPs just don't have the expertise to handle mental illness, especially something as tricky as BP.
Good luck,
Britt
Posted by River1924 on January 11, 2003, at 17:28:53
In reply to Re: Anyone know? » Rowan, posted by BrittPark on January 11, 2003, at 11:04:55
Words from experience: 1)A good GP won't give you psychiatric meds usually unless it is very temporary. They know their limitations. 2)Some insurance plans discourage doctors from recommending a specialist. 3)Read everything you can. It is up to you and your husband (when he is stable) to know more than your psychiatrist. Never go in uninformed. It takes time and experience to build up knowledge but a lot of what goes on in a psychiatrist's office is up to the patient. 4) If possible, go to a large university for treatment at first. Those doctors tend to be up on the research and very smart.
Posted by viridis on January 12, 2003, at 0:10:14
In reply to Re: Anyone know? » jay, posted by Rowan on January 11, 2003, at 7:51:36
I'll just back up what others here have said -- see a psychiatrist. It's unrealistic to expect proper psychopharmacological treatment from a general practitioner, and in my experience, they're often reluctant to recommend a psychiatrist for reasons that I don't fully understand. So, finding a good psychiatrist falls on you, but it's worth it when you find the right one.
Re: trazadone: this really is a "knockout" drug in my experience, and isn't likely to help with much except severe insomnia. It also has to be used carefully, especially in males, for whom it has a slight risk of causing priapism (prolonged erection, which may require uncomfortable medical treatment). A psychiatrist should be able to provide much better treatment.
This is the end of the thread.
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