Author:
We often have blogs about depression or suicidal thoughts.
Several years ago, I was having suicidal thoughts. I’m a person who believes everyone is responsible for their attitudes. I couldn’t believe I was actually giving suicide consideration.
I’ve been through some very bleak days in my life. Yet – suicide hadn’t entered into my thoughts as a way to fix my situations. It didn’t seem right that I was suddenly going there.
I was watching TV and noted the warnings at the end of the ad for a certain medicine. It occurred to me that my new, strange depression and suicidal thoughts might be an adverse reaction to one of several drugs I take for my heart condition.
I read through all the material for the drugs I took.
Sure enough, nearly every drug I was ingesting -- on a daily basis -- listed depression or suicidal thoughts as a possible side effect.
I’m not suggesting that everyone’s depression is due to a drug they’re taking . . . but you might give it some thought . . . and talk to your doctor.
I’ve changed several drugs to avoid problems.
Jill
Comments
Read the contradictions in the warning labels
Finesteride the hair restoration drug may cause memory loss.
Spirolactone the male hormone blocker will block breast development in MtF
Too strong of a male hormone blocker will cause weakness and tiredness
There are no drugs approved for TG. NONE Every drug given to TG must be done off label.
Hugs Angela
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
WARNING: This Drug Will Make You Better But It Won't
A drug's warning label shouldn't have any contradictions in it.
I think you might be going to the wrong pharmacy, Honey.
~hugs, Veronica
.
(Yes I know you meant contraindications; I just couldn't resist, tee hee!)
What borders on stupidity?
Canada and Mexico.
.
I have never seen a drug label without contradiction
Do not take this drug if...
If you experience any of these symptoms immediately call
Do not take this if you operate equipment
If you are taking (X drug) do not take this drug
This drug may cause drowsiness
There are literally millions of crontradictions on what one might experience when taking any drug either off the shelf or doctor prescribed.
Hugs Veronica
Barb
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Good points, wrong word
Contradiction is what I'm doing now, saying
"No they do not mean the same thing!"
From the Latin "to speak against".
It's also a situation that can be
defined or described in two opposite ways;
the word's other main meaning....
But contraindication is the drug label warning,
exceptions to what might otherwise be an indicated usage;
as in: "Do not take this blood thinner with huge doses of aspirin
or you'll bleed like a hemophiliac stuck pig if you get a cut."
But you're right, contraindications should be heeded.
Contradictions aren't usually nearly as critical;
and are often just the stuff of healthy debate;
Although side effects may include (but are
not limited to): raised voices, slammed doors,
online flame wars and petulant sulks...
For further information consult your pharmacist, or a dictionary.
~hugs again, Veronica
What borders on stupidity?
Canada and Mexico.
.
Wasn't there an antidepressant
or anxiolytic as they term them, which was okay for adults but caused all sorts of problems in adolescents including suicidal ideation? I think in the end they withdrew it.
Angharad
All of the antidepressants I had read...
... an instruction for... Had listed suicide as one of the major side efects... :-(
Especially when you want to discontinue them.
My opinion? Couple of beers in a good company, or just in the pub with a good barman - will replace half of the year of therapy or a year on antidepressants.
Regarding adolescents... they are much more susceptible to suicidal thoughts. It is quite normal, as crazy as it sounds. When you try to replace love and care with drugs... Quite obvious you will get increase in suicide rate.
Good music helps also. But don't listen to the "Dead Can Dance" if you are depressed (Love them, but their music is quite dark). Switch on "Take on me" by A-ha instead. (mileage can vary, but that song had saved me couple of times...)
Sorry, internet lags..
...
Better living thrrough chemestry
Don't get me wrong. Modern medicine is amazing and pharmacological treatments can work wonders. Still it's not a perfect science and not all involved in it are bias free. No treatments are side effect free. And people with the best of intentions often get things very wrong.
My daughter went through a very scary week when after a change to her prescriptions she had friends call the cops because they were worried for her. She ended up locked up for a week for observation after answering questions about thoughts and methods. Change the drug and there was no recurrence. Of course her doctor was not allowed to see her when she was locked up.
Experiences like that lead to training as well. If you get locked up for answering a question a particular way you soon learn not to answer questions that way. When a someone says, "And I want you to be totally honest.", it's hard not to hear that as a setup.
Your friend
Crash
It's how the question is asked
"Do you or have you thought of suicide?" Is the question I'm asked by every physician and of course the VA
"Almost everyday." Is my answer as I shake my head in amusement. At their look knowing they believe they have a chance to run the psychology tests on a basket case. I quickly add. "It's part of my profession. The question you should be asking those like me is not do you think of suicide but have you contemplated suicide. It's a big difference."
Thus I try and counsel the counselors on the right way to ask TG questions.
Crash, I agree one hundred percent. The best answer to give police is not say anything. They of course will threaten more jail time, harsher treatment, hoping to coerce answers before the person has a chance to think or get an attorney. In the U.S> everyone has a right to NOT say anything without an attorney no matter what the police say. I wish it was taught in grade school through high school.
Hugs Crash
Barb
Life is a gift, don't waste it.
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Calling cops... Very bad idea...
"she had friends call the cops"
Very. Very bad idea. There are hundreds of cases where police just came and killed suicidal person, so they just can go home to watch football and relax after a hard day...
You've All Seen Me Moan About it.
My Doctor put me on a mild antidepressant when 25 years later it seems clear that I just needed a Divorce. Later I was on a cocktail of Wellbutrin, Celexa and Trazodone, and they really made me depressed. Most of these drugs are experimental and they don't really know what will happen.
Depression and drugs
Medication is only part of proper depression treatment. It is the only part an allopath or osteopath can provide. It has two roles. Temporary symptom relief is one. The other is neurotransmitter re-regulation in patients whose chronic depression is caused by that.
The second part is therapy with a trained counselor whom the patient has good rapport with. This gets the zombies dug up and properly laid to rest.
The last part is a clear headed review of the patient situation. Changes and eliminating stressors can fix a lot. (That divorce mentioned above….)
All of this takes time, money, and expert help. Data suggests more than 10% of Americans are clinically depressed at any given time, yet less than 10% of those people receive any help - let alone competent and comprehensive help.
After all it’s all in your mind….
BAK 0.25tspgirl
Maybe Mental Health Is Infrastructure
Ex-Prince Harry has it right. We need to eliminate the stigma and fund the treatment.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Many flavors of depression.
It now appears that there are many kinds of depression, or at least many origins, and whether a medication helps with it seems to depend upon what caused the depression.
My own experience with depression and "suicidal ideation" definitely stems from the trauma of a (to me, at least) hellish growing up. For me, anti-depressants don't make the depression go away, they just anesthetize me enough that I can do the basic stuff I need to do. Because my personality and sense of self and the world were warped by those childhood experiences, there's no "healthy self" to go back to, just techniques for getting through the moment. From what I'm reading, my experience is pretty common in the C-PTSD community.
Anecdote, sorry...
"Haloperidol does not cure you! It just closes the chakras that connect you to the Universe!"