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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Cydnie on January 13, 2011, at 12:48:41
My therapist told me today she thinks my side effects from my medications are all in my head and that if she read about every medication she was going to take, she would think "every ache and pain" was from her med. This was after she talked to my pdoc who told me I research everything (he never acted as though it was an insult, actually told me he never knew about a med until I told him about it, and now uses it with other patients). I went to the ER after a reaction to a medication where I was unable to walk, had an incredible amount of blood loss, was stuttering, had amnesia. The ER doc was looking to see if it was a brain aneurysm, and told my husband my eyes were dilated. I told my therapist I would have amazing body control if I could dilate my eyes, and fooled a team of ER docs. She told me she doesn't think she can do anything to help me anymore, and this is after losing my pdoc, and having suicidal thoughts over the holiday. I feel like I am losing everything every time I turn around. I can't seem to hang on to any helpful resource, like the universe is screaming, give up! I'm desperate, scared, and am losing everyone, and losing faith in everything, and am so alone. Why does it seem like when it can't get worse, we all know what happens then. I am revolving in a crisis, and I just want to get out. I hate where I am, I hate this. I feel nuts. I'm losing it. She acted like I was pathetic and had the tools to heal myself in my hands, just take the pristiq like he told you, stop acting like a victim! It made me go up and down like never before, but she thinks it's from reading too much? Now she won't treat me anymore, because I won't help myself? i thought I was trying to help myself by seeing a therapist, and a pdoc, and other things I sought out. But she gives up, like I'm a lost cause. I feel it.
Posted by europerep on January 13, 2011, at 13:51:01
In reply to Re: Has anyone been told 'you research too much'?, posted by benzobill on January 13, 2011, at 13:21:34
> TRUE, A lot of the time its not what you have, its what you think you have.
that's not a very helpful comment..
I kind of do know how you feel though.. both about being told to be researching too much and about the therapist. as for the researching too much, in my case it came from a university clinic specialist for treatment-resistant depression who had never even heard of buprenorphine being used in TRD (and I wasn't even asking for it, where it would have made sense on her part to say she doesn't know about it if she doesn't want to give it to me, but I was telling her how I tried it and it didn't work, and she was like "oh I never heard about that, are you sure you don't mean bupropion?").. I mean, of course it would be better to let them do the research, the point is just that if docs don't do their job (reading *their* journals), then I have to!
If I may suggest something: you suffer from post-partum depression if I recall correctly, no? I think there is a chance that a MAOI might help you. Researchers discovered how, shortly after birth, MAO levels rise sharply, you can read it here:
http://www.science20.com/news_articles/maoa_enzyme_implicated_postpartum_depression
Maybe in some women they do not go down the way they should afterwards... To me, it would really seem like an option worth trying. Technically, since MAO-A is implicated, one could use a selective MAOI like moclobemide, but if you are from the United States, it's not available where you are.. a "regular" MAOI like Parnate would then be the way to go. If your doc won't give it to you, try to find one that will prescribe it, instead of wasting more time on classes of antidepressants you have already tried.I know you must feel terrible, but please don't give up just yet!
Posted by Christ_empowered on January 13, 2011, at 14:38:10
In reply to Has anyone been told 'you research too much'?, posted by Cydnie on January 13, 2011, at 12:48:41
I don't know your situation, really--just what you told me, but to me it sounds like your therapist was pushing some utterly inane, self-serving psycho-babble "don't be such a victim/loser!" crap disguised as help/advice, and you had the audacity to stand up for yourself. Now, she can't help you.
I go to therapy. I take meds. However, my therapist challenges me and asks me questions. He doesn't shove half-baked nonsense about my problems with meds being "all in my head," or due to "reading too much on the internet."
Sounds to me like she think an ignorant patient=a happy patient, and she obviously can't handle you when you step out of the role she's placed you in. Look what happened? You spoke up and suddenly you're cut off. Was she really even trying to help you? If I had conflict with my therapist, we'd work through it. Not because he's the best in the world, or because I'm some super-unique human being who gets the best therapy in the world, but because he's genuinely interested in my well-being. See what I'm saying?
I've been bullied by therapists before. It sucks. It sometimes gets worse if you stand up for yourself. Maybe you're better off w/o this particular therapist. To me, just speaking from experience, people like that therapist aren't interested enough in your well-being to actually help you achieve wholeness or move on; they're more interested in themselves than they are in the therapeutic relationship.
From my reading, her problem with you isn't really that you read too much, its that you're not docile enough for her liking. I could be wrong, though.
Posted by Phillipa on January 13, 2011, at 19:33:38
In reply to Has anyone been told 'you research too much'?, posted by Cydnie on January 13, 2011, at 12:48:41
Cyndie being an informed consumer is part of your job in a way. Look at the pharmacies and the list of what a med is what it can or might do, common side effects, and down the list, even the chemical composition of the med. Why would it be include if not meant for you to be aware? I'm so sorry you are going through this. Phillipa
Posted by SLS on January 14, 2011, at 1:12:34
In reply to Has anyone been told 'you research too much'?, posted by Cydnie on January 13, 2011, at 12:48:41
Hi.
A little bit of knowledge can be worse than no knowledge at all if you act under the premise that you know enough to make sufficiently informed decisions. It isn't the acquisition of knowledge that is at issue, but, rather, how that knowledge is tempered. At some point, you know enough to know how much it is that you don't know.
Do you feel that you demonstrate the type of temper that will allow you to continue researching your condition while not acting impulsively or capriciously? I spent quite a few years thinking that I knew more than did the doctors who were treating me. I think this can be an illusion. It is impossible to truly know what lies in the mind of a doctor after his years of formal training. I think many of us, including myself, have had to start near the top of the knowledge pyramid in order to seek what we think is the most relevant and specialized information to help ourselves find a cure. In contrast, a doctor's training begins at the base of the pyramid, where he learns the fundamentals that will support the rest of the pyramid. He becomes more specialized as he works his way up. On the other hand, we sometimes don't fully appreciate the importance of fundamentals that are taught to support the weight of the rest of the pyramid.
You have not been treated with the respect you deserve for having educated yourself. As much as you don't know how much your doctor knows, he is equally unknowing of what you know. I think mutual respect is where the doctor-patient relationship ought to begin.
Do you feel emotionally stable enough right now in order to make sober decisions? It is very difficult when you feel overwhelmed by every aspect of your existence. However, this excruciating state is bound to pass, and you will feel more capable of asserting yourself to medical personnel.
All is not lost. Things will be better soon.
Hang in there.
- Scott
Posted by bleauberry on January 14, 2011, at 5:07:43
In reply to Has anyone been told 'you research too much'?, posted by Cydnie on January 13, 2011, at 12:48:41
If a professional tells you "it's all in your head", they are advertising their own incompetence and absent wisdom. Run, don't walk, to someone else who may actually prove to be competent.
When a professional tells you that you research too much, they are probably threatened by your wealth of knowledge. I think they would prefer that we be like ostriches with our heads buried in the sand and just operate our lives like dumb robots however they tell us.
You could always challenge the person to prove with their own research how yours is wrong? That would probably piss them off even more actually.
Posted by Shes_InItForTheMoney on January 15, 2011, at 17:23:26
In reply to Has anyone been told 'you research too much'?, posted by Cydnie on January 13, 2011, at 12:48:41
Posted by Conundrum on January 17, 2011, at 16:28:50
In reply to Has anyone been told 'you research too much'?, posted by Cydnie on January 13, 2011, at 12:48:41
> My therapist told me today she thinks my side effects from my medications are all in my head and that if she read about every medication she was going to take, she would think "every ache and pain" was from her med. This was after she talked to my pdoc who told me I research everything (he never acted as though it was an insult, actually told me he never knew about a med until I told him about it, and now uses it with other patients). I went to the ER after a reaction to a medication where I was unable to walk, had an incredible amount of blood loss, was stuttering, had amnesia. The ER doc was looking to see if it was a brain aneurysm, and told my husband my eyes were dilated. I told my therapist I would have amazing body control if I could dilate my eyes, and fooled a team of ER docs. She told me she doesn't think she can do anything to help me anymore, and this is after losing my pdoc, and having suicidal thoughts over the holiday. I feel like I am losing everything every time I turn around. I can't seem to hang on to any helpful resource, like the universe is screaming, give up! I'm desperate, scared, and am losing everyone, and losing faith in everything, and am so alone. Why does it seem like when it can't get worse, we all know what happens then. I am revolving in a crisis, and I just want to get out. I hate where I am, I hate this. I feel nuts. I'm losing it. She acted like I was pathetic and had the tools to heal myself in my hands, just take the pristiq like he told you, stop acting like a victim! It made me go up and down like never before, but she thinks it's from reading too much? Now she won't treat me anymore, because I won't help myself? i thought I was trying to help myself by seeing a therapist, and a pdoc, and other things I sought out. But she gives up, like I'm a lost cause. I feel it.
Don't feel bad. My pdoc just gave up, well she just felt like she didn't know what to do since nothing had helped so she referred me to a treatment resistant depression clinic.
I also research a lot. I think the research has been somewhat helpful. It helped me find that low dose prozac that had helped for awhile. (actually hoping it will kick in again soon).
Also, I think it is important to be your own advocate. My research has helped me understand what kind of tweaks my brain responds to. For instance my brain seems to like 5 HT2C antagonism, but not SRI action so much. It seems to like the two of them together even more. However it doens't seem to like ritalin, adderall, or provigil. So it wouldn't make sense to try dextroamphetamine as my next med.Sometimes you have to ditch the research though. I never thought I would have responded well to pristiq, but I did like the drug in the beginning before it stopped working, but I also make a note of what chemicals that drug works on, and try to find something stronger or more balanced for the future.
Posted by creepy on January 19, 2011, at 15:38:16
In reply to Has anyone been told 'you research too much'?, posted by Cydnie on January 13, 2011, at 12:48:41
personally Ive gone through a few doctors like this. =(
It feeds into trust and control issues. Your pdoc may develop what amounts to a counter transference with you, which makes treatment much more difficult.
How to resolve this? Well.. theres a couple ways. depending on how good your doc is.
You can admit to it, tell them you research stuff, and then work out limits and trust issues together. This sort of doc probably has some experience with the therapy side of things too.
If your doc isnt like that, it may be best not to admit to knowing anything, and saying a relative did well or badly on XYZ medication. Or someone in med school told you X raises the levels of Y medication and youre concerned. Lots of ways to raise the right questions without admitting to knowing any of this stuff and having control issues.
If you have a therapist also, this is the perfect thing to bounce off of them. tell them why you are worried about med suggestions from your doc, and reality test it. Figure out what part of the difficulty is yours and how much belongs to your doc.
This is the end of the thread.
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