"Getting One's Priorities Straight"
I receive quite a number of postings for the message board in the run of a week and the ones that make me stop and think are those that deal with medications.
Take this one for example..."I'm on a new med but I've gained several pounds in the past month so I'm going to stop taking the med despite the fact that I have felt a lot better since taking it."
I see it this way:: So you look nice and svelte but who's going to see you? Without your med, chances are you'll be afraid to go outside again. That was the reason why you took the med in the first place, wasn't it?
"Ive been on a new med for a week now and I still feel bad. I'm still afraid and I have a lot of symptoms. I'll give this one up and try another."
I see it this way:: Didn't your doctor tell you that most new meds take from 3 to 4 weeks before they kick in? Or in my case, 3 months...
"I've been on a med for a day and I feel dizzy and nauseous. I'm not taking another one of them."
I see it this way: Didn't your doctor explain to you that side-effects don't last forever?
"I will never take meds. I prefer to suffer through the symptoms because I don't want to become addicted and besides, it's shameful."
I see it this way:: It's up to you if you want to be a martyr and not help yourself. If popping a pill or two a day makes me feel better able to cope, I'll not give it a second thought and if I have to remain on them for the rest of my life, I'll do so.
"I'm feeling great on this new med. I'm like a new person. Seeing that I'm feeling so great there's no need to take any more of them".
"Hey...I heard there's a new med on the market. Although I'm feeling good on my present med, I think I'll try the new one. It may make me feel even better."
I see it this way:: Meds aren't to be messed with! They shouldn't be changed as frequently as you change your underwear. Sometimes it takes time for you and your doctor to find the right med as well as the right dosage. You should inquire about the side-effects and if the meds are addictive. When I went on Paxil my doctor told me that I may experience headaches and gastro problems but I experienced neither.
Give meds time to work. I know how difficult it can be to wait to feel good once again. If the med works for you, don't discard it. What sense does that make? It never ceases to amaze me how one can stop taking a med just like that! I was always under the impression that one should be weaned off them with a doctor's approval.
I hope you will all find the med that will make you feel better...that none of you will gain weight...that those of you who refuse to take meds will do very well without...and that all meds will kick in in less than a week! Good luck to you all!
April 15th, 2000
