Feel my psychiatrist is incompetent?

Yup, I've also been on a rainbow of medications as well for various issues, and many of them interact with each other in addition to other problems such as dependence. Due to the medications, I have to take more medications in order to combat some of the side effects that very well may be the root problem of my day time fatigue (which can't be pinpointed cause I can't take a sleep study medication free in order to rule out narcolepsy).

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These were all problems that I personally was aware of even though my doctor didn't inform me of many of the problems that may arise. I found that with research, that almost always the benefits outweighed the risks, and many times, the risks were lessened by interactions upon interactions. For example, Tramadol, a very weak painkiller in conjunction with another SNRI increases the probability of seizures, however, when you throw Klonopin, a benzodiazepine that also acts as an anti-seizure drug, it severely lowers the risk of any sort of problems. Another example would be taking multiple SSRI's and or SNRI's. Obviously the combinations can cause serotonin syndrome, however, if the dosages are right, it is a very common practice to combine multiple medications in order to achieve a more customized result.

Now, I don't know if your doctor is an idiot unaware of the potential problems, or is weighing out the benefit vs. the harm scenarios. Your best be would be to simply make an appointment with your doctor and bring up your concerns and worries. Some of the interactions are so rare, that the probability of side effects just don't justify not taking the med... especially if it works, for example Abilify, a medication that totally freaked me out due to the risk of T.D. (involuntary muscle movements that is often not reversible). After doing my research, I found that one out of something like 2 or 3 hundred people are effected with this side effect. For me, the benefit was just to great to not take the med. I have since gone off the med thinking that I no longer need it, and now find myself in a very deep depression.

Now with that said, I have also found that less is more, instead of taking three or four pain killers to treat one problem, one or two should be the max, as there's really no excuse for multiples ( and of course there's always exceptions), especially when there's one med is working especially well in comparison to the others. For a while, my doctor didn't want to increase the dosage of Methadone for my fibromyalgia, the only real med that worked for me, instead, he had me on Lyrica, Tramadol, Cymbalta, and Methadone (just for one of my conditions). While the Lyrica, Tramadol, and Cymbalta barely made any difference for me, the realistic result was that I was basically taking three meds for no good reason (although the Cymbalta also helped with the types of depression that I suffer from and the others did help a wee bit). This combo added to the already problematic daytime fatigue, bad enough where I've fallen asleep with my head in a bowl of cereal before (I'm now prescribed a stimulant for the daytime). I wrote the doctor a letter explaining my problems with the multiple medication regiment, and demanded an increase in the Methadone. I also had gotten a second opinion, one that I knew wasn't the best, but nonetheless an alternative option that would have also worked, Oxycontin. Oxycontin wouldn't make the nerve pain go away like the Methadone, but at least it would make things more bearable vs. what I was suffering from at the time. After reading the letter during our appointment, he gladly upped the dosage and we slowly discontinued the other medications excluding the Cymbalta. I do however have to admit that recently the pain has once again increased, and I've gone back on the Tramadol as well as a muscle relaxer. I've done this due to the fact that I don't want to continuously up the dosage of Methadone (I agreed with the doctor that after a certain point, there's got to be a limit to the dosage taken. There was some truth to his original concern in the increase).

I know that your experiences and problems are most likely very very different, but nonetheless, before simply leaving the doctor, I'd make an appointment to discuss the current course of action (medications), and if it's really in your best interest or not. What the doctor has to say should spell it all out for you, if you need a new doc or not.

Sorry about the novel, but I do hope that this is of some help,
Sincerely,

Jeff K.

ccandib,

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I am so sorry for you going through such a difficult time within your life, I was in my younger years when I experienced living in a rural area and one week shy of getting the Polio virus vaccine, of course I can't say that was the cause, it probably didn't help but I suffered Polio and in the time gone by have suffered long term effects in the right leg and foot, my experience is not through that of a psychiatrist we moved to a larger area 2 years after the inital experience, upon our move I encountered a physician whom I had about that length of time to experience things about him that just made me not feel trust or confidence in him, I know these things happen in different ways in different areas by different doctors, he was not totally honest and ended up in serious trouble, by that time I was past my teens and it was something that came out in the local papers no way of keeping it from family, he was suppose to be a good doctor and seemed to be experienced and made some good decisions but got involved in a bad situation that ended up effecting innocent patients, it's difficult no matter what the doctor the best thing is to tell him how you feel, if you don't feel a sense of trust and have proof that you have reasons to wonder then you can't stay with him and get the kind of care you need in order to be better. this is a very difficult situation, you'd most likely just wish this would go away and you didn't have to deal with this but like I have felt in times past you have to deal with it in order for you to move on, You or Insurance pays him, you deserve not to have to deal with this behavior. it sounds like you need to have an open talk with him I think then you might be able to move on find a good doctor you can feel trust with, I wish you only the very best, please feel free It would be good if you were to let me know how this goes my site name is caringsonbj my first name is , I am going to friend you and you can feel free to send a personal message between us and only talk as much or little as you feel comfortable with. I will click on your name then it will take me to where I will add you as a friend if you choose you may do the same then we can talk about these and keep me updated. please feel free to do so. Caringsonbj
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