Meds

[BBB]

Might be a taboo topic to some but do any of you take medication to cope? Right now I am alprazolam .5mg I don't feel like it calms me much. I am going to talk to the doctor about it but just wondering if others take meds

 

[darren1234]

i was wondering the same thing going to the doctor today . 5 days and its getting worse

[foreverhis]

Yes.  I take an anti-depressant.  It's a medication I've been taking at 1/2 dose for years for my auto-immune conditions.  When my husband died, my doctor increased that to the lowest clinical dose for depression.  I think it helps and has virtually no side effects for me.  I also take alprazolam, 0.25 mg, as needed, for anxiety/stress.  My doctor tried me on temazapam, a sleeping pill, at night, but it gave me a terrible "hangover," making my days even worse and he doesn't like to prescribe it long-term anyway.  So he has me take alprazolam, 0.5 mg at night.  It helps me get a good 5-7 hours total without a nasty hangover.  I don't want to take more, even though I desperately need at least 10-12 hours of sleep for my medical conditions, because then I do feel groggy for several hours during the day.  I'm already fatigued enough, I don't need to make that worse.  Maybe some day I'll find a balance again.  For now, I'll settle for more than the 4-5 restless hours I was getting.  I know darn well that not sleeping enough is making my own health worse, so I know I have figure it out as I go along.

I used to fight against any medications.  My doctor is not a "pill pusher" and has reminded me more than once that if he prescribes something, it's for a good reason.  He has never said it, but I think he kind of feels like, "Take the darn medication!  How will we know if it helps, if you don't take it!"  But that isn't new to me because I've had to deal with non-life-threatening medical conditions for several years, so I've already been down the (perhaps childish) "but I don't want to take pills" road.

Also, it is my opinion that subjects like this should not be taboo.  Several of us have discussed medications previously and no one seemed upset by that.  These are the practical parts of grief that we need to share with other members.  Anything that helps us just get through the days and nights is important.  Who else can really understand, except maybe a therapist for those who see one.

[KayC]

I'm on Buspirone.  I researched it myself and told my doctor that's what I want, I'm on the lowest dose.  I was diagnosed with GAD years ago anyway, I had it even as a child so always should have had something.  I have medicines I'm working hard to get off of (Lipitor, Losartan, Labetalol, Triamterene/HCTZ, Metformin) but my anti-anxiety and sleep meds are not one of them.  I want to make life easier for myself, not harder.  I need my Buspirone and Trazodone (50 mg for sleeping) to cope.

 

[Jd2019]

Thanks all who responded. BBB I am on fluoxetine 20mg. So I do ask all of of you who are too afraid to tell , to help bbb out. 

[Guest Sue4]

Valerian helps me with the anxiety and sleeping.

[Yoli]

Sleeping pills for me. Try to keep it half a pill during the week so I can function at work. Still a broken sleep but more than I was getting. A whole pill on the weekend because I don't have to get up with the alarm.

[jwahlquist]

I take 100mg of Zoloft and 50mg of Trazadone. It took me weeks of trying increasing doses of Zoloft before I found a dose that worked for me. It makes me very sleepy and kind of foggy feeling for several hours after taking it.  My therapist suggested that I try taking it at night & that has been working for me and I can function during the day.  I was taking Ambien or Lunesta to help with sleep but they gave me awful night sweats.   Now my doctor has me on Trazadone to help me sleep.  So far the combination is allowing me to be mostly stable and functional.  
 

I had never been one for therapy or taking medication but losing my husband has rocked my world.   I really wanted to just die along with my husband.  Living without him is hell.  At least the medication makes life doable.  I miss him every single day and cry nearly every day.  

[LTB]

I just started 1/2 pill of Lorazepam .5mg, (aka Ativan), taken at night time.  I took it two hours ago and I'm still wide awake at midnight.  I am scheduled for follow-up with PCP in two weeks.