8/12/11 meds

[fluffy]

So this week wasn't very good for me, not only because of the ear infection but what happened from the antibiotic the doctor put me on. Last night I slept amazingly well, and 10 hours wasn't even enough. But at least I'm feeling much better and more calm and such now, and don't feel like the world is out to get me.

QOTD: Ever had a bad reaction to a medication?

[Manhattan Glutton]

Bad reaction? How about no reaction. When I was young, I had ear infections all the time. One time, my PCP was on vacation and I had to see a different doctor, who did not believe my mom when she said "that antibiotic does not work on my son". I ended up with a ruptured eardrum. Good times.

[fluffy]

Oh man when I was little and having lots of asthma problems my mom took me to a pediatrician who claimed I was just faking it and not to give me any attention. She switched to another doctor pretty quickly.

[JonPorobil]

I've never had a bad reaction, though last time I had to go to the E.R., I had to inform the doctor that he had failed to find the vein while placing my IV. He said "No, it's supposed to feel like that."

I said "No, I've had I.V.s before. They don't feel like this."

He still didn't believe me until he came back ten minutes later and there was a lump of fluid in my forearm.

The number of horrible-doctor stories I know of is appalling and depressing. Mine's the least offensive of the bunch, but come on.

[BBABM]

I took that quit smoking pill a while back... Come to find out it's basically the antidepressant welbutrin in a low dose... It made me have crazy bi-polar mood swings, and crying fits. Not much fun.

[JonPorobil]

I took that quit smoking pill a while back... Come to find out it's basically the antidepressant welbutrin in a low dose... It made me have crazy bi-polar mood swings, and crying fits. Not much fun.

You're the third person I know who started on that pill and then stopped because of the side effects.

What a crock.

[fluffy]

Yeah, a lot of those smoking pills are just low-dose antidepressants, with crazy insane side effects. Chantix is similar. Although apparently it helps people stop biting their nails too...

SSRIs are also pretty scary on their own, even when being used for their on-label purposes. I've heard of people going absolutely nuts when taking Paxil, and then going off the deep end when they stop taking it. Most hilariously misnamed drug EVER.

[Billy's Little Trip]

I never get sick nor have to go to a doctor. I hated it as a kid when some of my friends had those cool inhalers for asthma, or had to prick their finger for their diabetes and shoot up, take random pills etc. They had legit reasons to stay home from school sick. I had to fake it and my mom knew I was faking and made me go anyway, UGH! Damn her! What if I really was sick and died during Engrrlish crrass?! I'm pissed off now!

.....you know what? I'm gunna call my mom right now and bitch at her for not believing me when I faked being sick!

edit: Oh, and I had to fake my eye exam in 4th grade just to get a pair of glasses like my brother had. I think the eye doctor knew because they just had plain glass in them. But it was great when the teacher said, ok class, let's get out our history books and read chapters bla bla bla. I would pull my glasses case out of my desk, set it on my desk, open it noisily, put on my glasses, clear my throat real loud so people would see me in my cool glasses, and pretend to read.

The best part was taking them off every so often and pinching the bridge of my nose with my eyes closed. Then breathing on them and cleaning them with the cool little cloth thing in my glasses case. I made a production of it.

[Manhattan Glutton]

SSRIs are also pretty scary on their own, even when being used for their on-label purposes. I've heard of people going absolutely nuts when taking Paxil, and then going off the deep end when they stop taking it.

I've heard of this as well, with SSRIs/Paxil/Prozac. I had a friend who was hospitalized while taking Prozac.

However, Wellbutrin (Bupropion) is not an SSRI. It actually works on different receptors - it's in a completely different class. Whereas Paxil will give you limp dick and make you fat, Wellbutrin will typically do the opposite. It's much more of a stimulant and, as I've read, works vaguely similar to common asthma/sinus/allergy medications. It shouldn't be taken for anxiety like SSRIs can be. So I'd hate for anyone in the market for antidepressants to lump Wellbutrin with the others since it actually can be much more effective with less side-effects.

I find it quite a joke that it has to carry the same warnings as SSRIs.

On a related note: antidepressants will typically cause suicide early on - this is because you are giving a depressed person motivation while the other effects are yet to be realized.

/hobbyist pharmacist rant

[nyjm]

I had a terrible reaction to some allergy medication when I was about 12 or 13. Turns out that it was steroid, and that coupled with my sinus pressure (that it did eventually alleviate), coupled with previous days of poor sleeping, coupled with crashing on the couch, coupled with a slight overdose, coupled with the MTV F*N MUSIC AWARDS,
I had to the worst cast of hallucinations ever.

[Caravan Ray]

Whereas Paxil will give you limp dick and make you fat

Ahhh, that must be what we call "beer" in my country.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Whereas Paxil will give you limp dick and make you fat

Ahhh, that must be what we call "beer" in my country.

Odd, American beer gives me hard dick. But yeah on the fat part.
...it makes my dick fat.