mood swings from antidepressant... drs that dont listen
 

so they put me on an antidepressant (remeron) in addition to my seroquel (which is now a low dose), but i'm having crazy mood swings. especially manic. I've been cycling a few times a day and been having horrible anxiety & racing thoughts and annoying hyperness as well as very down thoughts. I know it's cause i'm bipolar; it's happened before with prozac & i'm not on enough seroquel to balance it out. (not that i want to be; that stuff sedates you) it was why i went off lexapro, another antidepressant. even though i was on lithium, seroquel, and lexapro (and klonopin PRN), it still gave me the mood swings or just horrible nothingness feelings... meaning i either shouldn't be on antidepressants or at least LOW doses! ugh...

but my doctors never look at my history and don't really listen when i explain my symptoms. they know i'm bipolar, but they don't even keep tabs on what meds i've been on. they also don't even try to see if there's more going on; my diagnosis has changed a lot. i tell them about psychotic stuff that is getting worse, and they blow it off because they probably think it's not new... it's so frustrating.

and if i switch drs. in the SAME clinic, they don't even have updated info on me! they didn't even know i was in the hospital and had changed meds... I don't get how they can have two charts on me??? and i have to remind them of everything going on each time i go in. they don't even remember my info. so they probably weren't paying attention to the fact i had a bad reaction prozac IF they even put that in my chart. so i've got an appt. but i just don't have any faith in them anymore. they took me off tegratol cold turkey one time, giving me psychotic symptoms worse than normal & every other mental health care professional said that was why. I'm afraid they're just going to change my meds around again and make it worse than it is. They get it stuck in their head that i need this or that med, and they don't listen to what i say. i have to adamantly refuse it to get anywhere.

one dr. recently tried to add depakote, but i told her i took it, it didn't work, plus it gave me horrible acne which makes me sooo self-conscious! she didn't care really, but i was insistent for once and i told her the acne was treated and didn't respond, and she still didn't seem to care. kept saying i could do something about it... i went on heavy antibiotics for it and it didn't help! depakote didn't work anyway!!! i had to flatly refuse the depakote. (not an antidepressant, but my point is they don't listen to me)

what can i do? i try to explain myself, which is hard cause i don't like drs. but i do, and it still does nothing. i can't trust them. but i don't know how to take myself off meds correctly so i have to keep doing what they say.:sad:

Is there any way you could see a doctor at a different clinic? They sound like total jerks (and thats a nice way of putting it). I'm not surprised, I think very lowly of most doctors. I'm not saying there aren't good ones out there....I'm just saying in general doctors are idiots and know-it alls. If you can go to a different clinic, I STRONGLY recommend that you do. If you can switch doctors at that clinic, that would be my second recommendation, you might have better luck with someone new to your case.

If those aren't options or you don't feel it will make a difference then I think you need to tell them that you feel they aren't listening to you. Let them know you feel you are being treated poorly and that you will not tolerate it. Tell them the facts straight out, they are not taking your history into account, they are not taking new and current symptoms into account. Tell them you feel the way they are practicing medicine is unethical. I'm not saying it will work, but it might be worth a shot. If it doesn't work I'd threaten to get a second opinion on their medical care of you.

It really does sound like they are being very unethical and possibly putting you in danger.

sounds like a pure nightmare
i know i was put on gamanil and i got the shakes big time form it my teeth were chattering in my head and i couldnt handle it i just stopped taking them.i really feel for you .your doctors arent listening and they should have all their charts up to date so they dont have to ask you anyhting or you dont have to tell them the slightest thing about ur meds .im on low seroquel for sleeping and its fine for that maybe you should up it nayway the docs should know better what do i know.
i hope things improve for you and you find someone that can sort out your meds properly .why dont you stop taking it if its that bad i mean if your really bad like its not worth it and the seroquel will help anyway .maybe thats not the best advice but if i take a med and i get mental i stop taking it straight away .anything is better than being offkilter

Perhaps you should write a letter to your doctor with similar things to what you wrote here.

yeah i've switched so much and it never seems to improve that i don't think switching will help... but i am going on friday. hopefully i can be a bit more assertive. a letter is a good idea. maybe i can make myself try that.

How did it go?

I'm on zoloft 50mg now instead... seems to be doing much better, at least initially... i forgot to take it today, but in general i'm having less mania, anxiety, and depression... thanks for asking. :)

I'm glad things are getting better for you.