Keeping your eye on the ball

It is so easy to get distracted.

I have so many goals for myself. This blog is certainly one of them, but it is only the tip of the iceberg that you see. And this goal started to be a goal several years ago. I have had some of my goals for years and . . . → Read More: Keeping your eye on the ball

Zoloft . . .by any other name would . . .

My apologies to Shakespeare.

Whenever one of the antidepressants goes generic, there is a small percentage of people that have a return of symptoms of anxiety or depression that had previously been in good control. When the medicine gets switched back to the brand name only, the symptoms become under control again. This, of course, . . . → Read More: Zoloft . . .by any other name would . . .

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

When well meaning advocates for kids with mental health issues speak of “labeling” a kid . . . one of the “labels” that they talk about is Oppositional Defiant Disorder, aka ODD. This is an issue that goes way back to when the disorder was first characterized and diagnostic criteria were formalized. The criteria for . . . → Read More: Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Minimal Bipolarism–how cautious do you have to be?

Very.

OK, I guess you want more than that for an explanation, right? This is an issue that comes up frequently. Since many of the medications that we use to treat other issues can potentially aggravate an underlying Bipolar Disorder, psychiatrists have been increasingly conservative in their prescribing and more aggressive in probing for latent . . . → Read More: Minimal Bipolarism–how cautious do you have to be?

Tapering antidepressants . . . more art than science

I get numerous inquiries about how to stop antidepressants. I get the impression that most people want to stop on their own, and not in collaboration with their psychiatrist. As always, I recommend that you change medicine only after consultation with your doctor. If you don’t feel like your doctor will listen to you, then . . . → Read More: Tapering antidepressants . . . more art than science

Doped Up On Too Many Medications???

I put the following comments in back to back for a reason. Read on . . .

K writes in to say . . . I find being on so many medications made everything worse- not all- but most. The side effects where at times unbearable. But when I was on so many…it made . . . → Read More: Doped Up On Too Many Medications???

Vyvanse–new way to deliver an old drug (this one is ok!!!)

I know I recently gave a rant and a rave about the inventive ways that pharmaceutical companies make an old drug “new” by making it sustained release or orally dissolvable, but I wanted to call a new medicine to your attention. Vyvanse is a recently approved medicine for ADHD. It is good old dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), . . . → Read More: Vyvanse–new way to deliver an old drug (this one is ok!!!)

Seroquel . . .XR . . . SR . . .CR . . .whatever . . .

All right, here I am, first day back from vacation . . . and one of the first messages handed to me by my secretary is . . . “a drug rep wants to set up a lunch to discuss Fizzilrexcrap XR . . . a new version of Fizzilrexcrap”. . . OK, OK it . . . → Read More: Seroquel . . .XR . . . SR . . .CR . . .whatever . . .

Seasonal Depression . . . "tis the season . . . "

Can anyone else feel the earth moving? I don’t know if it is just getting back to work after time off or getting up earlier to get my kid to school, but I am dragging this week. You don’t have to suffer from seasonal depression to appreciate how dark it is in the morning and . . . → Read More: Seasonal Depression . . . "tis the season . . . "

Klonopin withdrawal or re-emergence of anxiety???

Erin writes in with a very common question:

I am coming off Klonopin. I am currently at .25mg. and have been for three nights. Does the withdrawal symptoms have a peak and then they get better? I really want to stick it out but I am feeling pretty crappy.

There are a number of . . . → Read More: Klonopin withdrawal or re-emergence of anxiety???