Home Perscription Medication Question

[ams0124]

I''m not sure if this is the right place to post this...but I''ll give it a try.

I was recently perscribed a fairly potent medication, with some pretty scary side effects. I did some research on it on WebMD and the more I read, the more scared I got and the less I want to start taking theses pills. I''m fairly abrehensive about any medication in general, so this particular medication that requires me to take it twice a day for the forseeable future is really got me thinking.

My question is, when do the side effects out weigh the need to take the perscription in the first place?

I know that this is very general and it varies case by case, and that ultimitly it a personal decision that needs to be made...I guess I''m more wondering what the experiance of others in a similar situation are. Has anyone been torn about whether or not they should follow doctor''s orders and take a medication that the side effects are so prevalent. What did you do to handle it?

My BF is completely against me taking it. He feels that there has to be another method of treatment. Something more holistic
My mom just says..."whatever you feel is best". In that very motherly way, which really isn''t the answer that I want to hear...I would really like her honest opinion (which I feel I can get here)...I really just don''t know what to do....

Any help or advise would be great...Sorry for the long post.

 

[diane5006]

Hi Side Effects are tricky...the effects listed on the package info...and on-line...a based on the data from the clinical trial and also after data...include SE that may or may not be from the drug itself...and not necessaritly do all people get them


You are right to be cautious...

All drugs haves SE...and most when you look them up have a long list...ussually they are classified into catagories...eg severe, common...etc

You need to ask yourself (and your provider)...

Is it a newer drug/older drug...what are the providers experiences in using it in other patients...

What will this medication do for me...is the benefit greater or more 'wanted' than the most common SE

What other choices are there...there is rarely only one...why this one not others

How long will it take for me for see/feel the benefit...some medicines can take 4-6 weeks or more to reach their potential

What do I do if I experience SE...some may improve with continued use

All of this should have been reviewed with you when it was determined that you needed this medication...(I really dislike it when providers don't do this with their patients...it goes aloong way towards helping patients (and increases compliance too)

How comfirtable do you feel wiht the person who prescribed it...do you trust them...and their diagnostic skills

You need to make the choice...why does your BF not want you to take it...it is not his body

Best thing make another appt...and discuss with provider

Hope this is helpful

 

[diane5006]

Also it is not uncommon to have questions after you have already left the office...

and some medication may be needed long term...that is a hard concept to grasp for some meds...and one problem with people not taking...

 

[Pandora II]

I take prescription meds on a long-term basis.

Specifically Tramadol and Lamotrigine.

If you read the side-effects list it looks hideous - especially the Lamotrigine which can 'very rarely' give you Stevens Johnson syndrome which is fatal. But, that only seems to happen if you titrate up too fast and is 100% reversible as long as you stop as soon as you get any kind of rash.

Anyway, I have been taking Tramadol for 6 years and Lamotrigine for 18 months and I have zero side-effects. Yet I know a lot of other people who have had problems with both. For me they allow me to live a normal pain-free life with no adverse effects. I thank the manufacturers daily!

In the past I tried other meds and had a horrible time with side-effects. After much trial and error I found these two and can quite happily take them for the rest of my life.

Some meds I wasn't prepared to try at all - specifically Oxycontin and Lithium. Both have too high a risk of toxicity for me to want to try them while there are other options.

In the end the only questions you need to ask are:

- Is my life improved by taking this substance

- Can I live with the side-effects (you won't know if you have any till you take it)

 

[ams0124]

Date: 9/4/2008 12:24:52 PM
Author: diane5006
Hi Side Effects are tricky...the effects listed on the package info...and on-line...a based on the data from the clinical trial and also after data...include SE that may or may not be from the drug itself...and not necessaritly do all people get them


You are right to be cautious...

All drugs haves SE...and most when you look them up have a long list...ussually they are classified into catagories...eg severe, common...etc

You need to ask yourself (and your provider)...

Is it a newer drug/older drug...what are the providers experiences in using it in other patients...

What will this medication do for me...is the benefit greater or more ''wanted'' than the most common SE

What other choices are there...there is rarely only one...why this one not others

How long will it take for me for see/feel the benefit...some medicines can take 4-6 weeks or more to reach their potential

What do I do if I experience SE...some may improve with continued use

All of this should have been reviewed with you when it was determined that you needed this medication...(I really dislike it when providers don''t do this with their patients...it goes aloong way towards helping patients (and increases compliance too)

How comfirtable do you feel wiht the person who prescribed it...do you trust them...and their diagnostic skills

You need to make the choice...why does your BF not want you to take it...it is not his body

Best thing make another appt...and discuss with provider

Hope this is helpful

Thank you for all the wonderful questions to ask. I didn''t even think to ask some of these when I was at my last appointment. About my doctor; I''m very confident in his skills, he is one of the premire doctors in his field not only in the state but in the county, both my mom, and sister have been seeking treatment by him for years now. He only take patients through referal, so I''m lucky to have been seen by him at all. I know that for my diagnosis, this particular drug is the mildest of the one''s avaliable so I''m sure that the SE for the other drugs are much worse.

My BF doesn''t want me to take the medication, also b/c of the side effects. We read patient reviews together on WebMD which gave about a 50/50 overall satisfaction of the drug...everyone who submitted a review had side effects, about 50% of them no longer showed signs of their orginial diagnosis...He dosen''t like the 50/50 chance thought of this not helping...

Again thank you sooo much for your input...I think the next logicial step is to make another consultation appt with the doc.

 

[diane5006]

good points Pandora...

Bottom line...every body is different...


FYI...Stevens-Johnson can be treated...it is potentially fatal...if not treated...I have seen patients with it...

http://www.skinassn.org/

Best of luck

 

[dani13]

Hi Ams-

Sorry you are going through a tough time. When it comes to the meds, you have to weigh the risks vs. benefits. Are the risks worth taking b/c of the benefits you get from the drug? I am also taking a long term prescription med for a chronic condition. At this point, I can't not take it, so I really feel that I dont have a choice. I hate to say that b/c I hate taking medications, but its true. That's what you have to think about. I dont know which medication has been prescribed for you, and for what condition, so its hard to weigh in more on the decision. Good luck though.

 

[ams0124]

I just read that most patients taking this particular drug keep a journal...tracking thier symptoms and side effects.
I think I''m going to do that as well. That seems like the most proactive way to approach this...

I dont know why I didn''t think about this sooner...it seems like the most logical thing to do, and I consider myself very logical...I guess I was blinded by fear...

 

[diane5006]

AMS...glad you are comfortabe with your doctor...and I suspect he/she will beable to help you at your consultation...hopefully they will be able to give you there experience with the drug...eg i have used this in my patients for years and the only complaints are...

WebMD is a good resource but may not be a true reflection of how well this drug works/doesn't work...

Your doctors experienc will bee more telling since based on your description...he most likely has been appropriately selective in prescribing the meds so the patient responses he gets should be more accurate...hope that made sense...

 

[ams0124]

Date: 9/4/2008 1:05:43 PM
Author: Dani
Hi Ams-

Sorry you are going through a tough time. When it comes to the meds, you have to weigh the risks vs. benefits. Are the risks worth taking b/c of the benefits you get from the drug? I am also taking a long term prescription med for a chronic condition. At this point, I can''t not take it, so I really feel that I dont have a choice. I hate to say that b/c I hate taking medications, but its true. That''s what you have to think about. I dont know which medication has been prescribed for you, and for what condition, so its hard to weigh in more on the decision. Good luck though.

Dani,
thank you for your input...I was prescided Keppra for seziures. Not the type of seziures that first come to mind...convulsions and such...more I space out...go into a daydream of sorts. The best way I can describe it is that at night, when you fall asleep on your arm...and you wake up and you can''t move your arm...You tell your brain to move your arm and nothing happens. That''s how I feel when I go into one of these daydreams. I almost feel like I''m looking down on myself telling myself to move or blink or do something and nothing happens...It''s a very weird feeling, very annoying, and a hinderance when it comes to working and concentrating...but nothing life threating. Which is why I''m hesitatant to take this drug...

 

[diane5006]

Journalling is a good idea...but be careful that too close scrutiny...may overemphasize things...and...many things occur for other reasons

perhaps just mark on calendar if symptoms occur...

specifically ask what symptoms should you worry about...occasional light nausea might be doable...but severe might be a problem...etc

I am sure you will do well

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/4/2008 12:59:18 PM
Author: diane5006
good points Pandora...

Bottom line...every body is different...


FYI...Stevens-Johnson can be treated...it is potentially fatal...if not treated...I have seen patients with it...

http://www.skinassn.org/

Best of luck

I read all the US research papers I could find, started on 12.5mg and basically went up to 100mg by doubling every 4-6 weeks. This was about 10 times slower and half the dose increase than they tell you here in the UK. But... I have had no problems with it - my sister and mother both had to stop (they started on 25mg and doubled 3-4 days) because they were getting the rash.

 

[cara]

People that have problems are much more likely to post about them on a website. Its a sampling problem. Are the side effects likely to be permanent, even if you go off the medication? If they are reversible, you could begin treatment and then evaluate based on which side effects you actually experience.

Others give you lots of good advice on questions to ask your doctor regarding this particular medication and your condition.

As for something holistic, well, I don''t see how that improves the situation. Holistic does not mean safe, does not mean it is effective. How do you know it would do anything, and if it does something, how do you know you wouldn''t have side effects? Drives me bonkers when my mom stands on one foot and taps her head with a feather and says, "Oh but it worked for me! My cold is completely gone (a week later) and nothing you say is going to make me believe it wasn''t this wonderful alternative treatment that has been working for 1000s of years for the people of..."

Anyway, you see my bias. Many effective drugs and treatments have been found from non-Western medicine, but many, many treatments have also been found to be big sugar pills or worse, actually harmful. To determine if they are effective you need to conduct a Western-style scientific study, which would also allow you to evaluate side-effects. Without such studies, which are hard to get funded, you have no data on effectiveness or side effects, so its a gamble.

 

[dani13]

Date: 9/4/2008 1:14:12 PM
Author: ams0124

Date: 9/4/2008 1:05:43 PM

Author: Dani

Hi Ams-


Sorry you are going through a tough time. When it comes to the meds, you have to weigh the risks vs. benefits. Are the risks worth taking b/c of the benefits you get from the drug? I am also taking a long term prescription med for a chronic condition. At this point, I can't not take it, so I really feel that I dont have a choice. I hate to say that b/c I hate taking medications, but its true. That's what you have to think about. I dont know which medication has been prescribed for you, and for what condition, so its hard to weigh in more on the decision. Good luck though.

Dani,

thank you for your input...I was prescided Keppra for seziures. Not the type of seziures that first come to mind...convulsions and such...more I space out...go into a daydream of sorts. The best way I can describe it is that at night, when you fall asleep on your arm...and you wake up and you can't move your arm...You tell your brain to move your arm and nothing happens. That's how I feel when I go into one of these daydreams. I almost feel like I'm looking down on myself telling myself to move or blink or do something and nothing happens...It's a very weird feeling, very annoying, and a hinderance when it comes to working and concentrating...but nothing life threating. Which is why I'm hesitatant to take this drug...

Hi Ams-

Hmmm...that's hard, b/c you say your condition is not life threatening...But what if you were to have a seizure while driving, etc.? That would be terrible!!! Also if your condition is interfering with your activites of daily living and/or your quality of life, it may be worth it at the very least to just try the med for a couple of months. You can always discontinue it if you feel the side effects are too much to handle....

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Do you need to take the full amount your dr. has prescribed? I've had drs. prescribe far larger doses than have been necessary for me to see results. It often seems better to go by how your feel rather than a straight forward prescription quanitity (of course that depends upon the drug and why you're taking it - some people obviously need to go by dr. recommended amounts). Don't seizure meds often work at different levels for different people? My dr. gave me an RX for Klonopin (which is an anticonvulsant, but he prescribed it for calming down and sleep). He told me to take three a day! If I took that many, I'd never get out of bed since 1/2 of ONE puts me to sleep, so I've found listening to my own body has worked much more reliably.

Oh, and I'd NOT do a journal if I were you. That will turn you into a hypocondriac and you'll think everything is a side-effect.

 

[diane5006]

Hi Pandora...I did not click on the med you were taking...

The one you are taking (Lamictal)...needs to be tapered both up an down...and you are right...you need start at the lowest dose...and taper very gradually...it is a pretty good med...

Also even if you are stable on a dose...and go off for a bit...you need to re-taper...not start at the dose you were on...or you get SE

AMS...

Keppra I am not super familiar with it as I have not prescribed it routinely...I have however had patients who were on it (Rx''d by someone else)...for the most part they did not have complaints re that med...but they were all prescibed it for a variety of reasons....

 

[icekid]

Date: 9/4/2008 2:06:50 PM
Author: cara
People that have problems are much more likely to post about them on a website. Its a sampling problem. Are the side effects likely to be permanent, even if you go off the medication? If they are reversible, you could begin treatment and then evaluate based on which side effects you actually experience.

This is exactly what I was going to say! People don''t go looking for a website like that unless they''re having problems from the medication.

Re: Keppra- I''ve had quite a few of my patients on Keppra and it''s a great medication. The side effect profile is actually MUCH better than many traditional seizure medications and most people do not have serious problems, in my experience. I don''t know of any holistic medications for seizure treatment and honestly I would be quite hesitant to go that route. Why is your boyfriend seeminly so against treatment?

It sounds like you have absence seizures? If you''re not comfortable taking a medication, you should definitely discuss with your neurologist before making any decisions. He will be able to talk with you about other options and more in detail about side effects.

 

[moremoremore]

Ugh. Been there, done that. Hope many times have I been all excited about a new prescription to be up at midnight reading all these horror stories. It's a tough call.....It's very hard to answer that without knowing what type of drugs this is (not asking you to tell us)....For example, if it's an anti-depressant that's been on the market forever, no,. I wouldn't be afraid.....Whereas so of the ADD drugs out there scare the crap out of me, so I have opted not to take them and live with it....It's really your call....I would try it and go off of it if you don't like what you're seeing....

Edited- I just read what your condition is. I have to say that I would also be scared to be honest. But I also don't think your condition is anything to mess around with. If it were me, I'd probably feel like I wanted to take something for the condition....would you feel comfortable with any med?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 9/4/2008 12:47:43 PM
Author: Pandora II
I take prescription meds on a long-term basis.

Specifically Tramadol and Lamotrigine.

Lamotrigine is the generic form and only the brand name, Lamictal, is available in the states and unless you have very good insurance, it''s quite expensive!

 

[bee*]

I was put on roaccutane for my skin years ago and it also has some fairly harsh side effects. I was much younger though and really wanted clear skin so I didn''t think too much about the effects that it could have and luckily I didn''t have any side effects at all. If I was to go on something now, I would have to weigh up how much it is really going to help me and also how much monitoring is done, especially if the side effects can have some harm to me physically (as in liver/kidneys etc).

 

[nicolejrx]

Actually the generic is currently available in the US for Lamictal, it just came out about 2 months ago or so. It is still expensive but with most insurances they will charge you a generic copay.
Nicole

 

[Pandora II]

I'm in the UK and have a pre-pay Rx card which costs me $200 a year and covers any meds I need.

I tried the generic, but there IS a difference - or at least I felt that there was (I did a blind trial aka DH gave me the pills in the am without telling me which I was taking) so I get Lamictal.

I take it for my bipolar disorder and also to help with the chronic nerve pain in my legs. If I was epileptic it would be free as people with conditions like epilepsy, diabetes etc get free meds (all meds not just those ones). Otherwise, only birthcontrol is totally free in the UK.

Lamictal is my miracle. I tried a gazillion things before this and since I have been on it, I haven't had a single depressive episode (a few hypomanic episodes yes, but then I enjoy them

) and I am 99% pain-free.

I'm trying to cut it down while we TTC, I'm on 100mg and went down to 25mg, but my legs hurt and DH told me after a week (he didn't know that I had cut down) that he thought something was wrong as I was unstable, stressy, paranoid and talking ten to the dozen.

So I'm back up to 50mg and will stick at that.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 9/4/2008 6:22:10 PM
Author: nicolejrx
Actually the generic is currently available in the US for Lamictal, it just came out about 2 months ago or so. It is still expensive but with most insurances they will charge you a generic copay.
Nicole

oh, is it? Thanks so much for pointing this out!

 

[ams0124]

Wow...I was unable to log on to PS this weekend, and came back Monday morning with really great responses and suggestions..
Thank you so much everyone for your input...

Here''s an update: I began taking my meds Thursday evening. I felt incredible drowsy and had pretty bad bed spins when I would close my eyes. Friday was better, Saturday was better then Friday, and Sunday I hardly felt any side effects at all.

Today is going to be the real test...It''s my first day at work on meds...Hopefully the weekend was enough time for my body to get used to it. So far so good really.

I''m not keeping a journal, after input from MC (thank you) and my mom...It was decided that with my personality I would stress myself out if I did that. I did do more reseach on other seziure meds and the more I read about others the more I liked mine.

So anyway...that''s where I''m at. Right now I''m at 250mg twice a day...I''m supposed to up it to 500mg twice a day by the end of the week (I''m sure I''ll have a minor freak out when that happens) I''ll probably do the increase this weekend so if any side effects come back I''ll have the weekend to recover from them...All and all I''m feeling pretty good about my decision and my doctor''s decision.

Thank you everyone for your comments. They were all very helpful, and they definitely eased my mind about taking this drug. You all are wonderful ***HUGS***

On a separate note:
Pandora: I read this and wanted to make a remark:
"I tried the generic, but there IS a difference - or at least I felt that there was (I did a blind trial aka DH gave me the pills in the am without telling me which I was taking) so I get Lamictal."

My sister has been taking Lamictal for grand mal epilectic seziures for years now which is the only drug that really controls her seziures...she was really excited when the generic version came out since it was going to be cheaper...She took the generic version for about a month and the whole time kept saying that she didn''t feel like it was working...she had her first grand mal seziure in 10 years 2 weeks ago! She''s now back to taking Lamictal and feeling much better...I think your not the only one who thinks there''s a difference with name brand and generic.

 

[divergrrl]

Generic is not always the same.

My stepmom tried what she thought was a generic for Lipitor only to find out its "similar" but not exact. Her cholesterol went up (its hereditary) despite her excellent diet & exercise habits.

I am on Lexapro & my insurance actually CALLED me & tried to convince me to go on a "generic" version. I''m all for generics if they are EXACT. I asked them if their generic was the exact drug as Lexapro (it really helps me) and they said no. As far as anti-depressants/anti-anxiety drugs go, I''m not willing to mess around. I''ll pay extra thankyouverymuch.

I hope you feel better AMS.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 9/8/2008 10:38:03 AM
Author: ams0124
Wow...I was unable to log on to PS this weekend, and came back Monday morning with really great responses and suggestions..
Thank you so much everyone for your input...

Here''s an update: I began taking my meds Thursday evening. I felt incredible drowsy and had pretty bad bed spins when I would close my eyes. Friday was better, Saturday was better then Friday, and Sunday I hardly felt any side effects at all.

Glad to hear your side effects are easing up. Be sure to take it easy for a few weeks as your body adjusts.

As far as generic, I do think it depends upon the drug. Anti-seizure meds are a lot more critical than meds like Xanax (for when one has one of those days)! lol I take Lamictal too (as a mild antidepressant) and do not think I want to try the generic at this time *just in case*. I''m on a high dosage so that is probably why I pay so much even with my insurance covering half the cost, yet I''m still unsure about how well the generic will work and I don''t want to chance it at this point in time.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/9/2008 12:16:03 PM
Author: MC

Date: 9/8/2008 10:38:03 AM
Author: ams0124
Wow...I was unable to log on to PS this weekend, and came back Monday morning with really great responses and suggestions..
Thank you so much everyone for your input...

Here''s an update: I began taking my meds Thursday evening. I felt incredible drowsy and had pretty bad bed spins when I would close my eyes. Friday was better, Saturday was better then Friday, and Sunday I hardly felt any side effects at all.

Glad to hear your side effects are easing up. Be sure to take it easy for a few weeks as your body adjusts.

As far as generic, I do think it depends upon the drug. Anti-seizure meds are a lot more critical than meds like Xanax (for when one has one of those days)! lol I take Lamictal too (as a mild antidepressant) and do not think I want to try the generic at this time *just in case*. I''m on a high dosage so that is probably why I pay so much even with my insurance covering half the cost, yet I''m still unsure about how well the generic will work and I don''t want to chance it at this point in time.

I take Lamictal mainly for my bipolar - just happens to work very well on my nerve pain too.

The generic definitely made me feel not quite right mood-wise. The pharmacist in Boots (HUGE UK chemist chain) said he''d heard the same from people, although my psychiatrist didn''t thing there would be a difference (but Lamictal isn''t used that much over here yet as a psych med).

I was on 100mg a day which was great for me, but I''ve cut down to 50mg as I''m preggo.

Just in case you didn''t know, Lamictal is an anti-folate and you should be taking 5mg of folic acid a day as a matter of course on it. Low folate can make depression a lot worse.