Suicide Warning
Replies
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If you read carefully the suicide warning for anti-depressants is usually for children under 18 and sometimes seniors over 60.
The Trazodone warning says:
http://www.webmd.com/drugs/mono-89-TRAZODONE+-+ORAL.aspx?drugid=11188&drugname=Trazodone+Oral&source=0These medications can help prevent suicidal thoughts/attempts and provide other important benefits. However, studies have shown that a small number of people (especially people younger than 25) who take antidepressants for any condition may experience worsening depression, other mental/mood symptoms, or suicidal thoughts/attempts. Therefore, it is very important to talk with the doctor about the risks and benefits of antidepressant medication (especially for people younger than 25), even if treatment is not for a mental/mood condition.
Also, you can read some reviews of people using it for insomnia here: http://www.drugs.com/comments/trazodone/for-insomnia.html
Per the number of reviews for uses, Depression 34, Anxiety 16, Sedation 31... Insomnia has 135 reviews. This leads me to believe this is more often prescribed now for the off label use of insomnia. Though waking up at night and then going back to sleep wouldn't necessarily be insomnia.
While I take over the counter meds, vitamins and supplements, I can understand why your doctor would regard them as "not safe". They are not evaluated by the FDA. So anyone could put pretty much anything in the medicine they want as fillers or what not. If you seriously want to try melatonin, search Amazon and find the best rated one and read the reviews. Also read the ingredients. If you seriously think it is your thyroid, go in and ask for a blood test and see where your levels are. There could be many things effecting your sleep, stress alone can do that.
For all of the things the doctor could have prescribed Trazodone is not that bad. Ambien or Lunesta would be way worse. They are habit forming and people sleep walk and do all kinds of crazy stuff on them. For a while I was taking a prescribed anti-histamine for my anxiety, which was an off label use. I also took Wellbutrin for depression which is an anti-convulsant and can also be used to help people quite smoking. I hate taking pills and read over all the warning labels and come online and read reviews before I take them. However, if you need it. You need it. See if you can try other natural remedies first, go get your blood labs done and explain to your doctor why. Tell him/her how you feel about taking the medicine and you want to make sure it isn't something else before you go popping pills. Most likely, they will respect you for it.0 -
How can you not realize the FDA has everyone in their back pockets? You don't think doctors prescribe certain drugs because they get a kick back from that corrupt organization? Get a clue! Why do you think they're so quick to medicate? The fact that they can pass drugs with all the horrific side effects ("fatal events may occur". "May cause cancer". Really?! ) goes to show where their morals are.
The FDA wants to make certain VITAMINS available only by prescription because they're not getting any money off the sale of them. If you don't think that's corrupt then you're living in a bubble.0 -
they do get benefits from drug companies for this type of thing.
Oh yeah? You sure about that?
The amount of ignorance and BS in this thread is horrifying. People seem to pretty much believe anything they want to believe.
Unfortunately many people seek out information that bolsters whatever fear they've decided to have, while avoiding information that would show that the fear is either completely invalid or disproportionate to the situation. Sigh.
Drug reps leave gifts, buy meals for Dr offices, and all kinds of things just so the doctor will prescribe their brand of pharmaceuticals. That's for all their products, not just the latest and greatest. Even if the product has gone generic, the company that created the formula gets a portion of the sales for all generics for up to 7 years after the generic has been authorized. This is a pretty common practice with the medical community and Big Pharma.
Thank you for illustrating my point. Free meal = doctors in thrall to a drug company. Yup. That's completely reasonable. :laugh:
Well if someone selling anything bought you lunch, wouldn't you be more inclined to recommend their product to your friends, family members, and co-workers. Same difference.
No. That is just silly. I can't imagine a rational person being so easily influenced. The only way that would work would be if the product in question was the food itself.
Okay... well not everyone in the world is just like you. It must be nice to see the world with rose-colored glasses, but the fact of the matter is that doctors are human. And humans develop biases even if they don't realize it. Sales reps go out of their way to build relationships with doctors so that doctors will be more inclined to prescribe their product over a competitors. That is how the industry works. Sure, it sounds a bit malignant, but that is how its always been.0 -
I think you need to call your doctor and ask why you were give them, I suffer with bouts of sleep deprivation I use herbal drops called valerian so far this has worked every time it's worth a try if you don't want to go down the road of meds hope ou get it sorted there's nothing worse just lying there waiting for sleep to come ????
Valerian and Melatonin are good, natural supplements for sleep aids.
Check out this article: http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/conditionsitoq/a/Insomnia.htm
^^^ This0 -
Many drugs have different uses. The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about your concerns surrounding the medicine and request that she try a Rx sleep aide instead.
But, as I said, many drugs are primarily used for one ailment but then have been found to remedy others as well. For example, I struggled with daily migraines for three months. Pain killers wouldn't help, migraine Rx's wouldn't help, a shot of Toridol in my *kitten* wasn't effective either.
I had an MRI done, a CT scan, a spinal tap: results were A OK.
Then, my neurologist prescribed me Topamax. It was an anti convulsant, primarily, but was found to be effective in treating chronic migraines.
A side story: that med DID work. My migraines were practically gone once I was at 50mg in the morning/100mg at night. But, at the highest dose, I was having terrible mood swings and dealing with an all-out hormonal imbalance (it had been progressing for some time, as the doses kept rising, so did the severity of it all). I was a wreck.
I also had constant bloodshoot eyes and a red line going horizontally across each eye. It wouldn't go away for the most part.
I ended up weaning off of those meds and am now mood swing free and, 75% of the time, also migraine free.
Despite my side effects, the medicine did help and, imo, seemed to have fixed something in my brain. Or else I'd again be having those daily migraines.
I have had severe bouts of migraines too, nothing helped. Laid in urgent care for hours with all the different migraine treatments given. Nasal Imitrex I found to be my best fix. I have used nothing but peppermint oil on my temples and taking a few deep breaths of it with my migraines for many years now. I suggest getting a bottle of peppermint essential oil and keeping it on hand if you get another migraine, works for headaches too.0 -
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First I agree and know that anti-depressants in small doses can have multiples uses. The Op is over reacting and should talk to her doctor directly.
I had a sleep disorder and was given Amitryptiline with a low dosage. Higher doses are used for severe depression.
Its actually very, very common that drugs prescribed for sleep disorders are also used (usually in higher doses) for depression or similar disorders.
Speak to your Doctor or continue to lose sleep or follow some of the natural remedies/over-the-counter drugs that have been suggested on this thread ... it's entirely up to you, but I would bet my last penny that the Dr prescribed it to you for sleep, not depression.0 -
they do get benefits from drug companies for this type of thing.
Oh yeah? You sure about that?
The amount of ignorance and BS in this thread is horrifying. People seem to pretty much believe anything they want to believe.
Unfortunately many people seek out information that bolsters whatever fear they've decided to have, while avoiding information that would show that the fear is either completely invalid or disproportionate to the situation. Sigh.
Drug reps leave gifts, buy meals for Dr offices, and all kinds of things just so the doctor will prescribe their brand of pharmaceuticals. That's for all their products, not just the latest and greatest. Even if the product has gone generic, the company that created the formula gets a portion of the sales for all generics for up to 7 years after the generic has been authorized. This is a pretty common practice with the medical community and Big Pharma.
Thank you for illustrating my point. Free meal = doctors in thrall to a drug company. Yup. That's completely reasonable. :laugh:
Well if someone selling anything bought you lunch, wouldn't you be more inclined to recommend their product to your friends, family members, and co-workers. Same difference.
No. That is just silly. I can't imagine a rational person being so easily influenced. The only way that would work would be if the product in question was the food itself.
Okay... well not everyone in the world is just like you. It must be nice to see the world with rose-colored glasses, but the fact of the matter is that doctors are human. And humans develop biases even if they don't realize it. Sales reps go out of their way to build relationships with doctors so that doctors will be more inclined to prescribe their product over a competitors. That is how the industry works. Sure, it sounds a bit malignant, but that is how its always been.
Don't bother ....these are the same people that probably think the government is "here to help".0 -
Not that I'm aware of.
I've been having trouble sleeping lately and called inquiring about whether the dosage for my thyroid could be off, causing me to wake after a few hours of sleep. I spoke with the nurse, who in turn spoke with the doctor, and she thought a sleep aid might help. So I figured I'd try it or at least have it for weeks where I just can't sleep. I'm definitely not taking it now.
Are you on Synthroid or natural Armour thyroxine? You should visit the thyroid forum---there are some VERY knowledgeable ladies there who can give you guidance. A much more natural sleep aid is melatonin (it is a hormone that your body produces under the influence of low light and it prepares one for sleep). My husband takes it and sleeps like a baby now--in spite of chronic sciatic pain. But I'm not sure that hypothyroid folk can/should take it. Ask over on the thyroid forum---there's bound to be someone there who knows about it. Another thought is to lower the lights an hour before bedtime (and you should stay off the computer and television as well). The bright light into the eye, stimulates the pineal gland and diminishes your own natural supply of melatonin.
The reason why your doc prescribed an antidepressant is likely because, waking after a few hours of sleep and being unable to get back to sleep is a "symptom of depression". He's (and even female docs often believe this) been trained in medical school that most women are depressed most of the time. If what you have been prescribed is an SSRI, you should know that there are actual structural changes that occur in the brain after a few weeks (that is why it takes up to six weeks for them to begin "working"). I wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole. In the counseling I have done with people who are on them (both before and after they went on them), I have discovered that it affects thought processes. No one really talks about this "side-effect" but I'm convinced that it does something to disturb normal thinking. It isn't well-known (and it is hushed up in the corporate media) but most of the homicidal shooters have a long history of being on psychoactive drugs of some sort--but particularly SSRIs. The drug companies have known for a long time that about 5% of the people who are on them "long-term", will have a "psychotic break" at some point. Not everyone becomes homicidal when they have a psychotic break---I knew one lady who ended up in E.R. claiming she was the reincarnated Queen of Sheba.
What makes you think it's that the antidepressants caused their break? It seems more likely that they had an underlying mental illness that caused them to need antidepressants and to eventually have a psychotic break. Maybe I'm missing something?
There is no proof that the antidepressants "caused" their break, but in clinical trials, the drug companies themselves uncovered the link to psychotic breaks. It stands to reason that anything powerful enough to cause structural changes in the brain are strong enough to disturb normal cognition. Pretty much all of the homicidal mass shootings have occurred since the invention and widespread use of SSRIs in 1987. There are MANY now in the psychiatric profession who are growing very uncomfortable with the level of psychiatric drugs that are part of their profession. "Talk therapy" is a thing of the past. I'll post some links later to some websites where psychiatrists themselves are speaking out.
Since 1900
July 1914: Simone Pianetti took his rifle and shot and killed 7 people. Upon his attempt to be captured by the Carabinieri he ran off into the mountains and was never seen again and a body was never found.
May 18, 1927: The Bath School disaster is the name given to three bombings set off by Andrew Kehoe; in Bath Township, Michigan. A total of 38 students and 7 adults were killed; with at least 58 people were injured. The incident still stands as the deadliest mass murder in a school in U.S. history.
May.1938: In a rural village close to Tsuyama City in Okayama, Japan the Tsuyama Massacre took place. The massacre resulted in the deaths of 30 people and the serious injury of three. The event was conducted by a man known as Mutsuo Toi.
Sept. 1949: Howard Unruh left his house for a twelve minute walk around his Camden, New Jersey neighborhood, shooting people at random and killing 13.
Jan. 1958: Charlie Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate went on a gunning spree after killing Caril's parents and sister. The two of them traveled through Nebraska and were captured in Wyoming ultimately killing eleven people.
July 1966: Charles Whitman barricaded himself in the University of Texas clock tower and began shooting at students below. The shoot off lasted 90 minutes and ultimately killed 18 people and wounded 30 others.
Dec: 1972: Mark James Robert Essex hid down the street from a police station and target police with a .44 magnum killing 10 people and wounding 13 others in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mar. 1975: James Ruppert shot and killed his mother, brother, sister-in-law and eight nieces and nephews at an Easter Sunday dinner in Hamilton, Ohio. The 11 victims were shot a total of 35 times.
July 1976: Edward Charles opened fired with a .22 caliber rifle in the basement library of the California State University in Fullerton. He killed seven people and injured two.
March 1978: Dalal Mughrabi and her Palestinian Fedayeen unit of eleven members captured a bus and after being chased by the local military shot, killed and ultimately blew up the bus killing an estimated thirty five civilians and six Palestinian guerillas and left seventy-one civilians wounded.
1982: Carl Brown shot and killed 8 people at a Miami machine shop where he just recently had his lawn mower worked on. He was then caught trying to escape and ran over by civilians chasing him.
April 1982: A police officer gathered weapons from the local armory and used his police status to enter homes and kill those who were there. He either shot them or killed them with grenades. The officer continued this for eight hours.
Sept 1982: George Banks went on a shooting spree and killed 13 people with an AR-15 high-powered rifle in Wilkes-Barre City and Jenkins Township.
July 1984: James Oliver Huberty dressed in camouflage and went to McDonalds in San Ysidro. At McDonalds he opened fire and killed 21 people before a sniper shot ended his life.
Aug. 1986: Pat Sherrill, a postal worker, killed 14 people and wounded six others with a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol in Edmond, Oklahoma post office.
Aug. 1987: Michael Ryan in Hungerford, England killed 16 people and wounded 14 others then shot himself.
You were very specific about mass shootings and not just mass murders. These are just a few I found in 30 seconds from 1900-1987. I'm pretty sure I could find quite a few more in just as little time. Then there is the list here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rampage_killers (and may god have mercy on my soul for citing wikipedia but you know, just for a quick reference). Anyway, nowhere near "pretty much all homicidal shootings" have been perpetrated since 1987.
Yeah--sorry, my mistake. I should have said in those having no prior history of psychosis or other mental illness before being placed on SSRIs. Here's a link to a website of a group that is questioning the widespread use of psychiatric drugs. Interesting reading. Knowledge is power. Learn about these drugs in order to protect yourself and your family. http://www.cchrint.org/0 -
i would be super pi$$ed..glad you read the paper first..my husband listens to enya to fall asleep sometimes..try some soothing music or something..good luck:flowerforyou:0
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@ OP - You were prescribed what you were because of what you reported as being the cause of the disruption of your sleep. If you told your doc that you can't sleep because you keep thinking about all the problems that you having in life, the doc is going to assume that its related to anxiety and depression and prescribe you a medicinal sleep aid.
If it really is that you don't go to sleep at a consistent bed time, then your sleep patterns just may be out of whack and came be adjusted with melatonin. It really depends on what your sleep disorder is. Do some research, call your doctor, and reevaluate the situation before you decide what to do.
Opinions from armchair internet "doctors" aren't going to be especially helpful.0 -
@ OP - You were prescribed what you were because of what you reported as being the cause of the disruption of your sleep. If you told your doc that you can't sleep because you keep thinking about all the problems that you having in life, the doc is going to assume that its related to anxiety and depression and prescribe you a medicinal sleep aid.
If it really is that you don't go to sleep at a consistent bed time, then your sleep patterns just may be out of whack and came be adjusted with melatonin. It really depends on what your sleep disorder is. Do some research, call your doctor, and reevaluate the situation before you decide what to do.
Opinions from armchair internet "doctors" aren't going to be especially helpful.
This is a good post.
The best advice for the OP is to ignore absolutely everyone in this thread, and ask the doctor why he prescribed that medication.0 -
I wouldn't sweat it too much. The prescribed level for treating other ailments than depression, ie sleep problems, is more than likely far lower than the dosage used to treat depression. I take a very low dose of an older antidepressant for a hearing problem. Weird huh? Alot of pharms are used to treat conditions other than the original intended use.
As far the "suicide warning"? Just another case of CYA from BIG PHARMA. The listed side effects on all meds are so long and diverse, that they are ridiculous. Another "cry wolf" scenario. Make your own decision, but don't dismiss the treatment out of hand based on the data sheets contained with the medicine or the fact that it is a low dosage anti-depressant. If you trust your doc, tell her about your concerns. If not, find a new doc.0 -
And to the OP: My doctor did the exact same thing. He never asked me why I couldn't sleep just pulled out his pad and wrote the prescription. I never got the RX filled and I started taking melatonin instead.
Try that. It works wonders! They sell them in higher doses and time released capsules. You don't wake up groggy or out of it in the mornings. It's fabulous.0 -
@ OP - You were prescribed what you were because of what you reported as being the cause of the disruption of your sleep. If you told your doc that you can't sleep because you keep thinking about all the problems that you having in life, the doc is going to assume that its related to anxiety and depression and prescribe you a medicinal sleep aid.
If it really is that you don't go to sleep at a consistent bed time, then your sleep patterns just may be out of whack and came be adjusted with melatonin. It really depends on what your sleep disorder is. Do some research, call your doctor, and reevaluate the situation before you decide what to do.
Opinions from armchair internet "doctors" aren't going to be especially helpful.
This is a good post.
The best advice for the OP is to ignore absolutely everyone in this thread, and ask the doctor why he prescribed that medication.
Yeah, except for the grammar and typos. LOL! :blushing:0 -
The best advice for the OP is to ignore absolutely everyone in this thread, and ask the doctor why he prescribed that medication.
Yes, because no one in this thread recommended asking why the Doctor prescribed it prior to this post...0 -
Although using medication for "off label" purposes is common, you definitely have to watch it. I had a ear, nose and throat specialist put my 1 year old son on children's Claritin to help with ear infections. I questioned this and he explained to me that sinus congestion (which my son often gets) directly affects the eustachian tubes in the ears and can cause ear infections....so treating the sinus problems would prevent the ear infections. This made perfect sense to me so I began the treatment. One week later I'm bawling my eyes out because my usually sweet and playful baby was angry, mean, crying, screaming, hitting, kicking, biting etc. I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Then it dawned on me....the Claritin! It was the only thing I had changed in the last week. I started researching side effects and found out that depression, moodiness, rage, insomnia, and night terrors were all uncommon but possible side effects...ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN!!! Ugh, I was sooooo upset that I had been giving my poor baby this medicine that was doing this to him. I stopped immediately, and the very next day I had my sweet baby back. He ended up having to get tubes put in his ears to prevent the ear infections but what that medicine was doing to him was not worth it! Granted, they were rare side effects that he was experiencing and everyone is different, but just be careful.0
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After my evening workout . . . I enjoy a glass or two of wine. It helps me sleep great every single time.
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Many drugs have different uses. The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about your concerns surrounding the medicine and request that she try a Rx sleep aide instead.
But, as I said, many drugs are primarily used for one ailment but then have been found to remedy others as well. For example, I struggled with daily migraines for three months. Pain killers wouldn't help, migraine Rx's wouldn't help, a shot of Toridol in my *kitten* wasn't effective either.
I had an MRI done, a CT scan, a spinal tap: results were A OK.
Then, my neurologist prescribed me Topamax. It was an anti convulsant, primarily, but was found to be effective in treating chronic migraines.
A side story: that med DID work. My migraines were practically gone once I was at 50mg in the morning/100mg at night. But, at the highest dose, I was having terrible mood swings and dealing with an all-out hormonal imbalance (it had been progressing for some time, as the doses kept rising, so did the severity of it all). I was a wreck.
I also had constant bloodshoot eyes and a red line going horizontally across each eye. It wouldn't go away for the most part.
I ended up weaning off of those meds and am now mood swing free and, 75% of the time, also migraine free.
Despite my side effects, the medicine did help and, imo, seemed to have fixed something in my brain. Or else I'd again be having those daily migraines.
I have had severe bouts of migraines too, nothing helped. Laid in urgent care for hours with all the different migraine treatments given. Nasal Imitrex I found to be my best fix. I have used nothing but peppermint oil on my temples and taking a few deep breaths of it with my migraines for many years now. I suggest getting a bottle of peppermint essential oil and keeping it on hand if you get another migraine, works for headaches too.
Thank you for the advice ^-^ I'll keep that in mind about the peppermint oil.
At the moment, I'm trying a gluten free diet for the long run, hoping it'll clear up some problems, mainly the mysterious eczema-like rashes on my skin that haven't had any improvement since being prescribed steroid creams and cortizone creams by two different doctors.
At the moment, though, I've realized, I never was lactose intolerant. So, that's one benefit of starting to eliminate gluten completely from my diet.
I wasn't comfortable with the idea of using a steroid cream every day, longterm, anyway. >< 0 -
I'm feeling super left out that melatonin seems to be some kind of miracle supplement for 90% of the people in this thread.
It's pretty good stuff. It seems to work well for people who have mild sleep issues. The thing is that oral melatonin doesn't actually make you sleepy; it really just helps bring about the earlier onset of your natural rhythm. There are a large number of reasons for not recommending or prescribing melatonin to someone, especially when they're already on hormone-affecting medications.
Certainly, there are enough valid reasons in the world not to give the OP melatonin that automatically assuming the physician is a moron or criminal is galactically stupid and, frankly dangerous. Instead of making this poor woman terrified that her doctor is a criminal idiot who is giving her dangerous medication because he's either stupid or corrupt, when she's already irrationally afraid of the meds because she read about one of its other uses, is a horrible thing to do.
Most of the people in this thread should be ashamed of themselves for ignorantly and dangerously scaring the OP off her physician and his medical opinion just because he didn't give her the pill they like best.
Maybe that's why it doesn't work for me-- I wouldn't call my sleep issues mild and I'm not sure I have a natural rhythm anymore. :laugh:
I was resistant to the idea of taking antidepressants at first, mostly because I wrongly thought that accepting them was the same as being diagnosed with depression, which I knew I didn't have. *shrug* Live and learn.
There's nothing wrong with discussing concerns with a doctor (I'd encourage it in fact), but a fitness forum isn't a good place for medical advice, imo. I've seen some pretty terrible medical advice dispensed here. Hopefully the OP will talk to her doctor.0 -
they do get benefits from drug companies for this type of thing.
Oh yeah? You sure about that?
The amount of ignorance and BS in this thread is horrifying. People seem to pretty much believe anything they want to believe.
Unfortunately many people seek out information that bolsters whatever fear they've decided to have, while avoiding information that would show that the fear is either completely invalid or disproportionate to the situation. Sigh.
Drug reps leave gifts, buy meals for Dr offices, and all kinds of things just so the doctor will prescribe their brand of pharmaceuticals. That's for all their products, not just the latest and greatest. Even if the product has gone generic, the company that created the formula gets a portion of the sales for all generics for up to 7 years after the generic has been authorized. This is a pretty common practice with the medical community and Big Pharma.
Thank you for illustrating my point. Free meal = doctors in thrall to a drug company. Yup. That's completely reasonable. :laugh:
Well if someone selling anything bought you lunch, wouldn't you be more inclined to recommend their product to your friends, family members, and co-workers. Same difference.
No. That is just silly. I can't imagine a rational person being so easily influenced. The only way that would work would be if the product in question was the food itself.
Okay... well not everyone in the world is just like you. It must be nice to see the world with rose-colored glasses, but the fact of the matter is that doctors are human. And humans develop biases even if they don't realize it. Sales reps go out of their way to build relationships with doctors so that doctors will be more inclined to prescribe their product over a competitors. That is how the industry works. Sure, it sounds a bit malignant, but that is how its always been.
Rationality and logic are the polar opposite of rose-colored glasses. The use of meals and gifts of cake or the like is meant to get the drug rep's foot in the door. The value of these gifts is severely limited, specifically to limit undue influence. The drug rep gets the prescriber's ear long enough to pitch the new drug. The doc gets free samples to hand out to patients. The doc then will usually try them out on a patient who has failed to get sufficient relief from other established drugs for the condition. If that patient reports back that the new drug worked the doc will prescribe it for that patient, as well as keeping it in mind for future patients. That is how it works. If the drug cannot stand on its own merits the doc is NOT going to prescribe it just because they got a free meal.0 -
The best advice for the OP is to ignore absolutely everyone in this thread, and ask the doctor why he prescribed that medication.
Yes, because no one in this thread recommended asking why the Doctor prescribed it prior to this post...
Ikr, lol. Some people
But, to be fair, OP should have done that already on her own. Why come online to ask the aforementioned questions? Those questions are, for the most part, best directed at the doctor that prescribed the darn meds And even then, OP is free to seek a second opinion: with another doctor.
On a side note: god, it feels like a monday.0 -
After my evening workout . . . I enjoy a glass or two of wine. It helps me sleep great every single time.
Or, for me, a bottle.
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The best advice for the OP is to ignore absolutely everyone in this thread, and ask the doctor why he prescribed that medication.
Yes, because no one in this thread recommended asking why the Doctor prescribed it prior to this post...
Ikr, lol. Some people
But, to be fair, OP should have done that already on her own. Why come online to ask the aforementioned questions? Those questions are, for the most part, best directed at the doctor that prescribed the darn meds And even then, OP is free to seek a second opinion: with another doctor.
On a side note: god, it feels like a monday.
I agree, a question OP should have asked her doctor. However, some people want testaments to the drug they were prescribed before they call up the doctor freaking out. I can see both sides of it. I've been prescribed multiple different anti-depressants. Some were ok, some did nothing, and some gave me the WORST mood swings.0 -
they do get benefits from drug companies for this type of thing.
Oh yeah? You sure about that?
The amount of ignorance and BS in this thread is horrifying. People seem to pretty much believe anything they want to believe.
Unfortunately many people seek out information that bolsters whatever fear they've decided to have, while avoiding information that would show that the fear is either completely invalid or disproportionate to the situation. Sigh.
Drug reps leave gifts, buy meals for Dr offices, and all kinds of things just so the doctor will prescribe their brand of pharmaceuticals. That's for all their products, not just the latest and greatest. Even if the product has gone generic, the company that created the formula gets a portion of the sales for all generics for up to 7 years after the generic has been authorized. This is a pretty common practice with the medical community and Big Pharma.
Thank you for illustrating my point. Free meal = doctors in thrall to a drug company. Yup. That's completely reasonable. :laugh:
Well if someone selling anything bought you lunch, wouldn't you be more inclined to recommend their product to your friends, family members, and co-workers. Same difference.
No. That is just silly. I can't imagine a rational person being so easily influenced. The only way that would work would be if the product in question was the food itself.
Okay... well not everyone in the world is just like you. It must be nice to see the world with rose-colored glasses, but the fact of the matter is that doctors are human. And humans develop biases even if they don't realize it. Sales reps go out of their way to build relationships with doctors so that doctors will be more inclined to prescribe their product over a competitors. That is how the industry works. Sure, it sounds a bit malignant, but that is how its always been.
Rationality and logic are the polar opposite of rose-colored glasses. The use of meals and gifts of cake or the like is meant to get the drug rep's foot in the door. The value of these gifts is severely limited, specifically to limit undue influence. The drug rep gets the prescriber's ear long enough to pitch the new drug. The doc gets free samples to hand out to patients. The doc then will usually try them out on a patient who has failed to get sufficient relief from other established drugs for the condition. If that patient reports back that the new drug worked the doc will prescribe it for that patient, as well as keeping it in mind for future patients. That is how it works. If the drug cannot stand on its own merits the doc is NOT going to prescribe it just because they got a free meal.
Okay... but doctors build relationships with the sales reps over the course of years. Most drugs that are presented by the sales rep have already been thoroughly vetted to prove their merits. Sure, the doc is going to take feedback from his patients, but if all things are equal, then the doc is going to prescribe the drugs of the sales rep he likes best first. Then, if his patients don't like it, he will offer them the other guy's drug.
Bias is usually not a concious decision. You know that, right?0 -
There's nothing wrong with discussing concerns with a doctor (I'd encourage it in fact), but a fitness forum isn't a good place for medical advice, imo. I've seen some pretty terrible medical advice dispensed here. Hopefully the OP will talk to her doctor.
The simple fact that every possible opinion between "your doctor is literally a criminal" to "shut up and take the meds he gave you" has been given in this single thread is proof enough that this is an absolutely awful place to get advice.0 -
they do get benefits from drug companies for this type of thing.
Oh yeah? You sure about that?
The amount of ignorance and BS in this thread is horrifying. People seem to pretty much believe anything they want to believe.
Unfortunately many people seek out information that bolsters whatever fear they've decided to have, while avoiding information that would show that the fear is either completely invalid or disproportionate to the situation. Sigh.
Drug reps leave gifts, buy meals for Dr offices, and all kinds of things just so the doctor will prescribe their brand of pharmaceuticals. That's for all their products, not just the latest and greatest. Even if the product has gone generic, the company that created the formula gets a portion of the sales for all generics for up to 7 years after the generic has been authorized. This is a pretty common practice with the medical community and Big Pharma.
Thank you for illustrating my point. Free meal = doctors in thrall to a drug company. Yup. That's completely reasonable. :laugh:
Well if someone selling anything bought you lunch, wouldn't you be more inclined to recommend their product to your friends, family members, and co-workers. Same difference.
No. That is just silly. I can't imagine a rational person being so easily influenced. The only way that would work would be if the product in question was the food itself.
Okay... well not everyone in the world is just like you. It must be nice to see the world with rose-colored glasses, but the fact of the matter is that doctors are human. And humans develop biases even if they don't realize it. Sales reps go out of their way to build relationships with doctors so that doctors will be more inclined to prescribe their product over a competitors. That is how the industry works. Sure, it sounds a bit malignant, but that is how its always been.
Rationality and logic are the polar opposite of rose-colored glasses. The use of meals and gifts of cake or the like is meant to get the drug rep's foot in the door. The value of these gifts is severely limited, specifically to limit undue influence. The drug rep gets the prescriber's ear long enough to pitch the new drug. The doc gets free samples to hand out to patients. The doc then will usually try them out on a patient who has failed to get sufficient relief from other established drugs for the condition. If that patient reports back that the new drug worked the doc will prescribe it for that patient, as well as keeping it in mind for future patients. That is how it works. If the drug cannot stand on its own merits the doc is NOT going to prescribe it just because they got a free meal.
Okay... but doctors build relationships with the sales reps over the course of years. Most drugs that are presented by the sales rep have already been thoroughly vetted to prove their merits. Sure, the doc is going to take feedback from his patients, but if all things are equal, then the doc is going to prescribe the drugs of the sales rep he likes best first. Then, if his patients don't like it, he will offer them the other guy's drug.
Bias is usually not a concious decision. You know that, right?
I see you ascribing bias an undue amount of influence in the process.0 -
So today I picked up a prescription for a sleep aid the doctor called in for me at the pharmacy and stapled to it was a suicide warning note. Ok weird...
I proceed to read more about the medication (still unsure about whether I'm going to take it) and I find out the doc has called in an anti depressant /anxiety med to help me with sleep. Totally confused at this point. I read further and apparently this drug helps with the treatment of insomnia is one of the "other" uses.
The doctor must have lost her mind if she thinks I'm taking this medication with no history/signs of depression/anxiety. I think I'll just be content with my lack of sleep. Thankfully I have good insurance and didn't pay much for it but it makes me wonder what kind of kick back she's getting from the drug manufacturer. :ohwell:
Dosage.
It's actually a pretty common perscription for insomnia.
^^^ This. Trazadone, when used as a sleep aid, is 25 – 50 mg. Higher (usually 100+) than that and you're starting to look at what gets prescribed for depression. It's also a low enough dose of this particular drug that it wouldn't affect your day-to-day mood anyhow.
EVERY drug that is designed/can be used to treat depression has the potential side effects of exacerbating depression.
The average person who only has sporadic sleep issues can do really well on something like Valerian root or melatonin. For persistent issues that's when a bit of pharmaceuticals comes in handy. Depends on 1) why you can't sleep 2) how big the problem is and 3) what you feel comfortable taking.
There's a lot of posters on this thread that have called out the above. When push comes to shove, if you don't want to take it ... don't, but it's not great if you lose your trust in your GP. Still worth a chat with him/her. Regardless of those people who do bow down to drug company 'offerings', they all take the hippocratic oath!0 -
I see you ascribing bias an undue amount of influence in the process.
Like I said, doctors aren't infallible. They are human. And humans are influenced by personal bias.0 -
There are lots of medications that treat other symptoms/diseases than what they were originally were made for. A lot of time the dosing is different though. For example I took a VERY low dose of a high blood pressure medication for my acne (200mg if perscribed for thos with high blood pressure I took 50mg)0
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