Pills?

Non-neopets general discussion.

Do you take pills routinely?

No, because I don't need to
16
22%
No, because I can't/don't want to
10
14%
Yes, I take non-prescription ones for allergies/headaches/etc
13
18%
Yes, I take pills for contraceptive purposes
8
11%
Yes, I take prescription medicine
21
29%
Yes, but not in the above categories.
4
6%
 
Total votes: 72

Ziggy
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Post by Ziggy »

Wingsrising wrote: I presume it is clear that I object strongly to some of the things Ziggy (and to a lesser extent, other posters on this thread) have said, I hope it is now clear what it is exactly I object to, I doubt my saying any more will have an effect.
Man, I go away for a while, thinking I will not bother replying to you any more as I feel I have to constantly repeat myself and be subject to false accusations from you based on what you ASSUME I meant, and you're STILL going on about me? To be honest, I knew SOMEONE would get their knickers in a twist over my post, due to misunderstandings, and I kinda even guessed it would be you *shrug*

So you misinterperetted what I said and decided to be offended by it, Im sorry for you. But your posts continuing to get on at me are simply showing me you really REALLY didn't get what I was trying to say, as you're repeatedly inadvertantly accusing me of implying things I never implied, simply because, it seems to me, you have a chip on your shoulder and are desperate to prove everyone is out to beat up on the 'depressed' people.
No one is doing that. You don't need to leap in to try and defend the 'underdog' as there is no underdog here. I think everyone here is very much in agreement that depression is serious and not something to fuck about with.
And since you've pushed me to it, YES, I've suffered from it. But hey, what the fuck do I know, right?

Im not going to repeat myself any more. I've said repeatedly that I don't view depressed people as weak, you've repeatedly stated you think I do (I'd be interested in hearing your reasons as to WHY you think I'd take that stance when my best friend of 10 years whom I love to death is clinically depressed. I guess I must think she's weak, right?)
It doesn't take a HUGE amount of common sense to realise that if someone has a best friend who suffers from something, they aren't going to think negatively of people also suffering from it.

Then you stated you 'weren't telepathic' so couldn't possibly know what I really meant, so take it from me, that ISN'T what I meant, ok? So can we please stop rabbiting on and on with these assumptions and pieces of blind guess work about what I MIGHT have meant and what it says about me as a person?

What trick said is correct. Since she actually knows me as a person, or at least better than you do, she is able to accept my stance and see what I was trying to say without blind guess work. And she got it a lot better than you did, which speaks volumes.


Reply away. Hell, I may even read it (nothing is worse than people who pull the whole 'Im leaving this thread!!!!' but you know they're sticking around to read really, so Im not gonna lie) but Im sure as hell not replying since this is one of the worst cases of brick wall I've come up against in a while, and I don't think any amount of replying will make you think anything other than what you seem to already think; that Im self righteous, don't 'get' the woes of the poor depressed people or am just flat out ignorant to what depression is (despite having suffered from it, fucking LOL)
Wingsrising
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Post by Wingsrising »

I'm sorry if you took anything I said as a personal attack, Ziggy. It wasn't meant that way. When I debate things I try very hard to attack only the opponents' viewpoint, not the opponents themselves, but I know I don't always succeed, especially when I've been having a bad day and am therefore cranky to start with.

I certainly don't think that you think that people who are actually clinically depressed are weak and I guess that wasn't totally clear from my posts.
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Kelly
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Post by Kelly »

Jazzy wrote:
And I'm a little beyond the bonjela stage, hee :)
Have you tried prevention, rather than cure? I get chronic mouth ulcers and I noticed I tend to get them worse when I haven't been eating well or I'm worn out, ect. I've read that things like eating really salty food can cause them too, which kind of contradicts the "salt water gargle" (one teaspoon of salt: half a cup of water, IIRC), but could still be true. Bonjela type gels never do more than numb them for half an hour or so, and they're really expensive, so I gave up on them. But if you can work out whats causing them (provided its not some exotic rare disease :P) you might be able to reduce how many/how often you can get them.

Also, to shorten their life, try jamming some (dry) cotton wool onto them and leaving it there for an hour or two, with pressure on the ulcer. It hurts, but seems to work. And, of course, extra good dental hygiene. Brush after each meal, floss and mouthwash morning and night. Even gargling water after snacking/smoking/drinking anything that isn't water may help.
Fjorab_Teke
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Post by Fjorab_Teke »

I'm not sure if I have clinical depression or even manic depression or not, but I suspect I have at least a mild form of MD. It's usually partly situational (something major or very minor or just thinking about things too much can set me spiraling), but I have a massive tendency to view myself as a worthless burden on everyone, and that's pretty constant especially the past 5 years and a major history of worthless feelings in my youth. I've never taken medication for it and hope never to do that if I can help it. Brain meds make me leery.

I was once precribed Xanax for my really bad panic attacks between 2000-2002. My doctor said that I could take them as needed, if needed. There were a few times that I brought out that little bottle and told myself I could take one if I simply couldn't handle any more. Thankfully I endured the attacks, but having that crutch there just in case was helpful. Reducing stress, cutting out ALL caffeine, and just realizing what the attacks are has helped the most in keeping them at bay.

My doctor is a general practitioner with a few specialties (pediatrics and gynecology) and a long good history with my family and me. She's open-minded and understanding yet cynical of procedures she either doesn't know enough about or has had run-ins with people who have been misdiagnosed and/or overmedicated. She tries to find the least "dramatic" but effective drugs for her patients to use and insists on them letting her know if the medications are helping. She also encourages second opinions and refers patients to other doctors if she doesn't know enough about a particular problem.

I think a fear of doctors and medications is quite understandable. I also know some people who were so determined that drugs were the answer that they were on severalmedications they probably didn't need (and may have been making issues worse). But I also feel that well-informed prescriptions can help immensely, and I'm not going to say someone is "weak" because they need (or think they need) drugs to help cope with something. Most people who read my journal know I've got several issues that are so uncommon (or unrecognized) that there's no way to treat or diagnose them...let alone people who know me and still have problems understanding what sets me off or why (heck I don't even know the "why").

A lot of my issues (anxiety, depression, sensory defensiveness) have been helped just by finding out I'm not the only one, not just me imagining the whole thing.

Now if I could completely recover from that stupid extended flu I had in January along with stress and nastiness from the job I had at the time and the cold-ish-thing I have now, I'd feel a whole lot better. :P
Silver Link
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Post by Silver Link »

I take Feosol for my mild anemia but it's stored in the side of my backpack so I can go for weeks without taking it and not realize it

...and of course Motrin for the cramps
gomababe
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Post by gomababe »

I take antihistamines from about february til around October {'cause being allergic to Scots Pine and grass pollen is fun}. Other than that its the usual contraceptives and occasional paracetemol or ibuprofen when the period cramps and headaches come along {and co-codamol is a person's best friend when they get tonsilitis yet again}.

I vaguely remember something about nearly getting prescribed Ritalin when I was younger because of my non-sleepiness between 2 and 6 in the morning,. Thankfully that never came to fruition, 'cause it wouldn't have worked anyway {something to do with not having enough cortex in the brain to control the limbic system, which is what Ritalin does in childrenwih ADHD}.
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EofS
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Post by EofS »

I generally try not to medicate myself whenever possible. I lived with headaches for a lot of my early life so even though they're a lot rarer these days, it doesn't even occur to me to take painkillers for them. And although I get excrutiating cramps which can steal a full day from me, I only take painkillers to take the edge off them if they're going to be particularly inconvenient that day. I have no doubt that once I am working full time they will be inconvenient more often. My mother did suggest earlier this summer that I use BC to regulate my period (it was due at an unfortunate time) but that's not something I want to do at all right now.

As for prescriptions... the last time I had a prescription was ten and a half years ago, for Osgood-Schlatter Disease. This was also when I had to learn to take pills, which is still not a nice experience for me. I can't take them with water. Should I be presented with capsules one day, I think I would have quite a problem.

The option of medication was raised to help me cope with depression, but I'm adamantly against it right now - I do not feel that it is appropriate for me at this moment in time in my particular situation, given my personality. And I stand by that decision. I would go into more detail, but one of the problems for me right now is that I'm completely incapable of handling (or witnessing) arguments. So unless someone is specifically interested... yeah.

Kudos to everyone who does manage to take their meds every day though - I can barely remember to drink in a day (or even keep myself fed at times - this summer I was very strict with myself to make sure I was eating one meal a day, which I otherwise might sometimes not have managed) so I can't even imagine having to keep up a routine with medications.
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Wingsrising
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Post by Wingsrising »

I always think it's interesting how many people have problems taking pills. I never have problems taking pills unless I have to do it without water and even then it's not that I can't do it, just that I prefer not to. And when I take my pills and vitamins in the morning I take them all in one gulp (3 normal size pills, 1 small pill, and two large pills) with no problem. But frequently people who see me do something like that think it's wild that I do that.

I wonder what causes difficulty in pill-taking in some people but not others?

Have any of you guys with problems taking pills ever tried a pill-taking cup? Do they still make those? I had one when I was a little kid and was learning to take pills, it's a cup with a little ledge inside that you put the pill on. The pill goes down automatically when you drink it so you don't have to put it in your mouth first,

Dunno if that would be helpful or not.

(Oh, ok. I was thinking of something like this.)
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EofS
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Post by EofS »

Wingsrising wrote:I wonder what causes difficulty in pill-taking in some people but not others?
In my case I think I don't swallow properly. So if I try to take pills normally they just stay in my mouth. The solution when I was 11 was to put it right on the back of my tongue and choke myself. Now I sort of put it really near the back/lob it down my throat and it somehow works. But obviously with this method including water is out of the question.
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Trick
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Post by Trick »

I don't take my pills all in one go, I take them one at a time by placing them as far back as I can and taking a huge swig of water. It usually works fine though occasionally it hits the back of my throat which is ouchy.

The pill is small enough for me to take without water but I rarely do. I definitely couldn't take more than one in one go.
Figment
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Post by Figment »

Pariah wrote:The only people I know who've been on doctor-prescribed pills, and weren't helped at all, but descended deeper into depression or self-destructive behaviors, are the ones who've abused them, either by taking too many, continuing to be unable to deal with their problems, or by drinking with them.
I find this statement incredibly offensive and ignorant. I can tell you from personal experience that it is so not true, and if you did even a little bit of research beyond your own anecdotal experience, you'd know this. I really resent the implication that my years-long struggles with medication are simply because I abused them! I do not think I need to parade my multiple experiences of drugs making things worse to the whole forum, but I assure you, they can and have fucked things up more.

We know relatively little about why these drugs work. People are very different; everyone reacts differently to medications. I see it as working on a spectrum: some pills are a dream for some people while, at the other end of the spectrum, they can induce mania, psychosis, or suicidal depression in others. Add into that the likelihood of getting a bad doctor and medications can, quite honestly, kill you. These are extreme cases, and medications alone probably don't do the wide-spread damage that some people have suggested, but it does happen, and probably more frequently than you might suppose.

Crazy Meds is an interesting, and, I think, reliable read. The personal stories of the site maintainers are especially interesting cases of medications going wrong, though I can't find those particular pages at the moment.
Last edited by Figment on 01 Nov 2006 08:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Zap
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Post by Zap »

This is somewhat on-topic: I'm a little wary of sleep aids. I've always had a lot of trouble with sleeping though, and I'm still dealing with that on my own.

I thought I was an insomniac or something when I was little, because of the commercials they had on about it, but I started reading about different sleep disorders last year, and it seems like I have delayed sleep-phase syndrome. It's very much like a bad case of jet lag at its worst, so I have to do all kinds of crazy stuff (similar to chronotherapy) to correct it and make sure I'll be awake when I need to be.

edit: Sorry. I shouldn't have said that here, because it really does apply only to the handful of people I'm thinking of (you know me, in my far-reaching, all-knowing anecdotal experience, heh), but you're not one of those. I didn't mean for anyone to take what I said for any kind of blanket statement. That would be stupid and ignorant of me. :/
Huggles
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Post by Huggles »

Interesting. That sounds exactly like the problems I've been having. I think it started as insomnia at first, then just progressed and settled into late sleep schedule. I've tried the resetting thing on my own quite a few times before, but since I don't have a rigid work schedule I don't really have anything that forces me to try to keep up with it. It only sucks when I have to be at work at 11am instead of 4 or 5, or if I want to go to the bank or non-grocery shopping.

This past week I've been trying again. I stayed up for around 36 hours to go to bed at a semi-normal 12:30-1 am, and woke up about 10am. Then I stayed up again until about 7 and barely made it in to work at 11am. I got home, went to sleep at 6, woke up at 1am, and now I'm even worse of than I was when I started. The longest I can recall staying up was around 44-50 hours a couple months ago. It was entirely not fun.
Wingsrising
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Post by Wingsrising »

I read Crazy Meds before I started taking antidepressants and it was an interesting read and very useful. I should point out, though, that the maintainers themselves say flat out that they have a personal prejudice against antidepressants and that those sections might therefore be biased. (And that section of the site doesn't seem to be totally up to date, at least they mention drugs that are currently out as being in testing.)

Still very useful and a definate must-read before starting one of these medications, just something to keep in mind.

(Though I didn't really read it when I started taking Wellbutrin. Bad me. I seem to be taking a rather high dose of Wellbutrin. I'll have to bring that one up with my doctor next time I see her. Hasn't been causing me any problems except some sleeping issues, though. :knock on wood:)

I've also found Wikipedia to be a decent source of info about medication, of all things, presumably because the wiki thing filters out some of the more extreme viewpoints.

I think both extremes are what needs to be avoided. Some people seem to think antidepressants are as harmless as popping candy and that's obviously not true: anything that messes with your brain chemestry has the potential to cause serious problems. (This is what really bothers me about St. John's Wort, actually. People are all like, "It's a plant, so it's harmless!" but if it really messes with your brain chemestry it's as dangerous as any other antidepressant and really shouldn't be self medicated.)

On the other hand, when I was looking for information about various medications online I came across a lot of blogs/posts/websites/etc. to the effect of: "I took this drug and it cause me this problem, so don't take it because it's worse than the symptoms and will fuck up your life." Obviously that was true for the poster in question and that sucks, but advising other people not to take it on those grounds is probably not warrented: The FDA approval process isn't 100% perfect, but it generally doesn't approve drugs that make more than a small percentage of the people who take them worse off, not for fairly mild conditions like depression.

Now, the stronger stuff they use against more severe problems than moderate clinical depression I don't know much about. But, I think it's definitely true that the more severe the problem, the more severe the drug that's usually used to treat it, the more it can screw you up and the more common screwing you up becomes.

To use a less emotionally loaded example, when I was considering taking Ambien I read a lot about people sleepwalking, sleep-eating, occasionally sleep-driving, and at least once sleep-buying-something-off-QVC when on Ambien. It's a real and rather freaky side effect and obviously a big problem for the people for whom it occurs, but it's also uncommon. So someone advising me not take Ambien because "it will make you eat in your sleep" would be unwarranted, since it most likely wouldn't. However, the fact that this CAN happen (albeit not often) is important to know for anyone considering taking it.

I hope I haven't ruffled any more feathers with this post: that's not my intention. I guess what I'm trying to say is:
-be suspicious of extreme claims one way or the other
-read up on any medication you're planning on taking so that you have some idea what kind of effects it's likely to have, what sort of side effects it can cause, what sort of interactions it has, etc.
-but keep in mind that when something says, "uncommon side effect" it's just that: uncommon. It can happen to you and you need to keep that in mind, but it most likely won't. Pretty much every medication, even Advil, has very freaky rare side effects.

How did people do any of this stuff before the Internet?

As an aside, I've found Ambien pretty effective except for the Prozac-induced insomnia that I was taking it for. I had to stop taking the Prozac and try something else. Other than that I've been pleased with the Ambien and have had no problems whatsoever except that if I've been taking it a number of days in a row, I tend to sleep more restlessly than usual the first night I stop. No sleep-eating, though I bet the cats wish it would induce sleep cat-feeding...
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DamionDarkheart
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Post by DamionDarkheart »

Pariah wrote: I thought I was an insomniac or something when I was little, because of the commercials they had on about it, but I started reading about different sleep disorders last year, and it seems like I have delayed sleep-phase syndrome. It's very much like a bad case of jet lag at its worst, so I have to do all kinds of crazy stuff (similar to chronotherapy) to correct it and make sure I'll be awake when I need to be.
Zap + Jay = same person

I've tried what Huggles has with slightly more success, although I've been finding myself waking up later and later in spite of going to sleep at about the same time.

I've also tried tranquilizers but those didn't really work. Like, they wouldn't make me tired or drowsy or...anything really.
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