When do you know it’s time to change meds

[Chloe90]

Hi Fam,

How do you genuinely know if you need to change your medication or if you’re just having a ‘setback’. I’m on medication and have been for several years. 
 

Like how does one measure if there medication is working or if it’s stopped.

Drs I’ve spoken to just resort straight to new medication but it would be hell changing at this stage, I have a government job and I’m scared I’m going to lose it. I haven’t been able to go to work this week due to anxiety.

Honestly it feels  like I’ve pulled a muscle in my chest from how bad the anxiety is. I’m in a constant state of fight or flight, not flushes, nausea. I don’t even understand what is happening. 
Has anyone bitten the bullet and changed meds and it’s worked OR have you changed meds and still end up in the same situation. 
 

I’ve tried to rebook my dr and can’t get in for 2 weeks which is just great 😩 

Any advice or success stories would be so appreciated to help me get through this. 
 

love and light ❤️

[L0uise]

I changed medications recently and it was the best thing i did! i was scared because i thought it would cause issues but if anything i noticed it working more effectively. with a situation that i normally would spiral down on my previous medication i found it helped me. it stopped it from going to downhill and calmed me instead of increasing my anxiety. I was having terrible nausea and i was having the worst stomach issues and headaches etc. that has all subsided now - it still comes and goes but no where near the same! 

Hope that helps 

xx

[Chloe90]

Oh really, I’m on a pretty high dose so would be scared to come off it and start something new while trying to keep my job. I just wish I had a crystal ball to tell me the right thing to do :(. 

im glad the medication change helped you! 

[Whatsinaname]

I don't have much to add other than I am in a similar situation at the moment. Not sure of your GP is planning the same for you but I think the idea is to take both for some time then slowly reduce the old one rather than a dramatic change.

That process seemed to make sense to me as it would mean if it was getting worse you could stop or slow down or something.

[Fiatlux]

Hi Chloe,

I have in the past tried different meds for various reasons and it was a lot of trial and error to find the best one for me. I am always concerned about dependency especially with anti depressants and sleeping aids. I currently take a anti anxiety medication which helps me sleep better as I take a dose late in the evening and doesn’t make me feel drowsy during the day.

Although this brand is not supposed to be addictive, I still find that I don’t sleep if I skip a dose at night. Also it’s available in lower and higher doses. I started on the lowest dose but found it became less affective and need slightly higher dose now. I am still not on the highest dosage and don’t want to be dependent on this forever.

I went cold turkey a few years back, coming off anti depressants. It was hell and I found myself turning to cigarettes which I hadn’t smoked in decades. I started back on low doses of the antidepressants and slowly weened off cigarettes. I still miss cigarettes but I have the will power to resist and I hate the thought of addiction. They are just far too dangerous to my overall health.

I am now free from antidepressants but take hormone replacement therapy for menopause and a small dose of anti anxiety as a sleeping aid which keeps me calm during the day. 

Before the HRT I was manic and suicidal and since starting HRT last November I have taken control of my body and what it needs to get me through this rather depressing time of life.

Speak to your GP about trialling a new medication while still having the option of resorting back to your current medication if it doesn’t work for you. They are always improving medications and improving formulas so it’s worth trying something new. Just be careful with side effects.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you feel. Fiatlux 🙏🏼

[therising]

Hi Chloe

Wondering whether an interview from whoever is managing the medication might help you get to the bottom of what's going on, when it comes to why the meds don't seem to be working. I think it pays to have a GP or specialist who wonders in a variety of ways, as opposed to simply wondering whether to up the medication or change it.

Perhaps some things worth wondering about

• Has my body grown used to the meds and they're no longer effective?
• Has my internal chemistry changed in some way which has led the chemistry in the meds to no longer work (due to chemical deficiency, hormonal changes etc)?
• Will the meds be more effective with new skill sets? For example, new breathing techniques, new techniques for managing inner dialogue etc
• Are my current anxiety inducing challenges too much for anyone to handle? Am I trying to manage the impossible?
• This one's a little outside the square but I'll suggest it anyway. If you're an empath type, is it more so about the people around you? What I mean is are you surrounded by a lot of seriously stressed people whose stress you can feel? In other words, it's not your stress or anxiety you're feeling but other people's
• Could it be time for a new assessment? Do I have a few more obvious symptoms that now make a diagnosis of ADHD (for example) a little clearer? Was GAD right to begin with?
• Do I have a lot of stressful past stuff starting to come to the surface? Is there a need for counseling along with the meds?

Personally, I've just returned to work after having taken a year or so off, due to a number of challenges outside of work that were demanding a lot of my time. My husband became the sole income earner for the family. Before taking the time off, I developed horrible anxiety. The best advice I received before taking the time off was from my boss, who was incredibly supportive due to her own challenges with anxiety. She said to me 'If there's one thing I've learned from anxiety it's this...anxiety is telling you something's gotta change. The challenge is to not ignore the need for change'. Knowing what that change needs to be becomes the ultimate challenge. The question is 'Is it the meds or something else that needs to change?'. I hope the path ahead becomes much clearer for you as you seek a much needed and deserved sense of relief. ❤️