a little help on med/psych

[debnevada]

I truly hate to out myself on this, esp. with all that's going on with the board right now (lots of anxiety and bad situations for folks) but I've always valued my mind and i need to know if this has happened to others as well.

Last week I had a sharp turn downward in my state of mind and some depressive symptoms, i.e., paranoia, self recrimination and etc.  I spoke with my doc and we went from 10 to 20 of Prozac on last Friday.  It's a late presentation, usually depressive symptoms start in first 12 weeks and i'm almost at week 24. I'm also hyperthyroid as of recent testing and I wonder if this adds to it.

This week it's going in the opposite direction, racing thoughts, too many for my taste, not necessarily negative, just kind of weird thinking.  

I'm also a psychotherapist so I quickly recognize the thoughts as not my usual pattern but can't seem to control them with the usual cognitive behavioral stuff I do when I need to.

I've read a lot about the effect of interferons/combo treatment on the psyche but i thought i could do better at handling this.  I don't have a history of psychiatric disorder, substance use, etc.

I don't know whether i should call my doc again regarding this.  Please tell me if anyone else has had these types of symptoms; it is so atypical for me that I don't know what to make of it. but it is somewhat scary.

Deb

[FullOfHope77]

Interferon/Ribaviran Post Traumatic Syndrome Stress Disorder (did I get it?)
:)
Too funny, but worth remembering as whatever it is we will survive and likely be the better for it...

[geterdone]

Aw…. Yes! In its rawest sense, it's the old INFRIBAPTSSD is the way I look at it at the present moment. Now, if you can figure that one out, your doing OK!
LOL, sorry...
jasper

[debnevada]

Hi Ladies and Gentleman:
Grandma, thanks for the advice; I've called the doc and talked with my liver nurse. We'll also take care of the thyroid again in that appt. I appreciate it.
Forsee:  Anything that helps I will try.

FullOHope: Same thing!  I had a pain in my back this morning and thought i was going to grow a hump when I looked!  I'm not practicing now, I was a forensic therapist years ago. Burnt out on it (capital crimes).

I'll keep everyone posted and thanks for your concern. If it was not so troublesome i wouldn't even mention it.

deb

[FullOfHope77]

Reminds me of when i first tx'ed in 96 and heard the heater downstairs 'click' to come on and started running thinking it was going to blow up???? Why I thought that I have no idea but this was Inf only tx in those days. I laughed at myself and had a couple other really odd experiences too but please know that 'this too shall pass' you will normalize again and be just fine. I feel the weirdness starting again for me now that I'm 3 mos in and know it will  increase with time. I do 5 mg of Lex and stay there religiously and take it the same time ea day and it really does help me balance. I refuse to take even a normal dose due to what I understand SSRI's actually do but know that benefit can be gained if done 'in stride'. Thanks for sharing so much as it makes all of us feel like we're going to be okay again someday. :) Keep telling your patients that too... (likely you're the only one that really knows that one...) thanks again!

[Forseegood]

all I know is I have been suffering from anxiety attacks (not so much anymore) for years. I can usually calm myself down cause I've developed enough tools in my arsenal, but if I ever really have a bad one, I'll take an ativan. The anxiety itself seems to make my thoughs go beyond the rational, to the irrational, even though I'm telling myself that I am okay, my subconscious mess takes over, and I end up thinking all kinds of crazy things. When I first would got  these years ago, I used to go around and put all the sharp edged things in drawers, like I might lose control or something. It sounds funny now, but it sure isn't when youre going through it. What I find helpful too, is to do some real practical things, to take my thinking into the more logical part of my brain. A grocery list, a cross word puzzle, watching the news on TV.

I've been suffering depression and anxiety for years, and hypnosis tapes really help too. There are good ones really cheap, like 7 dollars a piece, on hypnosisdownloads. dot com. Listening to  help with anxiety and obsessional thinking from there have really helped. Perhaps this doesn't apply to your case, but I thought I'd throw a few things out there, that have really helped me out, cause believe me, I can relate. Hope you feel better soon.

[GrandmaA]

When the thyroid is off it is really a BIG deal. Just before I started tx, my thyroid went from hypothyroid to hyperthyroid. I had switched to another medication that apparently was an overdose. It is most important to get that thyroid back to normal ASAP. It can cause many of the symptoms you are complaining about. I was bouncing off the walls and drove like a maniac all the way to San Francisco when I was hyperthyroid.  I got there 1 1/2 hours early.  I couldn't understand why everyone was so slow (it was because I was on FAST FORWARD).