The appt went well Laura... thanks for asking. We are still juggling things around a bit trying to get the right mix at the right dosages. I really like the nurse practitioner who is managing my medications. She's very kind and takes a lot of time with me.
Good to hear your meds are good for now. Everyone says you will feel better when you quit smoking, but not everyone actually does feel better. Some of us dream about smoking and crave it like always. I guess I shouldn't say that... not very positive is it?
I quit in 2009 and miss it ... not always... but often enough. When I do give in to the urge I use an e-cig. It's cheaper in the long run, gives you the nicotine hit and throat burn, but it doesn't have all the carcinogens and other garbage that is found in regular cigarettes. I "smoke" the equivalent of maybe 2 cigarettes and then I'm done... until next time I get stressed out about something or have a smoking dream. I think it's a good alternative. The e-cigs are perfectly legal in the US... Are they sold in Canada?
Just offering for thought something that helped me quit. I hope all is well with you.
How was your appt? I did get to my dr. and we feel that my meds are working well for me, as they always have until I try to quit smoking. So when I'm ready we are just going to up the dose and see what happens. The hard part for me is going to be making up my mind again to try.....it's like I'm doing ok now, and I feel like if I quit again, I'll be a mess.....so why even try.
on the other hand I want to know how good it would feel to be a non-smoker. Everyone says that you feel so much better, have more energy and feel (and are) healthier, and I want that. I've never been able to quit for long enough to reap the benefits, quitting to me is always the time when I feel the worst, both physically and especially emotionally.
So, who knows when I'll get the courage to try again? but at least I have a better plan for when I feel courageous and I'm on the path here, so it can only be better, right?
Med check today. I had high hopes for the new technology... it helps but isn't a cure all... there is still a lot of trial and error. I am disappointed that the new meds didn't "fix me" immediately. Dumb to think it would. It's never been quick and easy. I don't know what to expect from today's appointment. Just have to wait and see... and try not to give into the discouragement.
Absolutely worth a try Laura! I'm just blown away by this new technology. I had never even heard of it before. So, thank you for the impetus to make the appointment to get my meds checked. It's one of those things I've been meaning to do for a while and kept putting off. I was remembering the trial-and-error-lasting-for-eternity brand of med management with pdocs. I love having a nurse practitioner to consult with on these matters. Good luck with getting the test done without cost to yourself!
YES! We are dropping the Prozac which I don't metabolize at all... (yikes... all that money wasted!) and adding an anti-anxiety, antidepressant that I supposedly do metabolize well. This is so fascinating to me... feel like I've been stuck in the dark ages. I am fortunate that my insurance pays for the test... I sure hope other ppl can take advantage of this new technology. Proof! Actual DNA proof that weird stuff is going on within us. We aren't just crazy. We are chemically crazy! JK
Last week I met with a psychiatric nurse practitioner to go over my medications because they just didn't seem to be working anymore. It's been about 10 years since I had anyone to review the meds I've been on.
I was surprised to learn of new drugs and new methods for finding what works for depression and anxiety. At this recent meeting, swabs were taken of cells in my mouth and sent to the lab to do enzyme testing to see how my body metabolizes a variety of drugs. Turns out I've been taking one that I metabolize well and one that I don't metabolize at all.
What a blessing this has turned out to be. I dreaded going in for a med check because, in the past, it has been a whole lot of trial and error and months and months of adjustments. Sometimes things do change for the better in psychiatry
I just find this new testing fascinating... has anyone else had this done or even heard about it before?
