Anyone taking meds?

Helps me a lot.

Drugging yourself to "make it through" is a recipe for disaster as your own health will go down hill.

my health is suffering w/o the meds though..,..dr also thinks my stress levels are currently putting me at risk for other things (a type of cancer specifically), and the stress wont be going away anytime soon, it could worsen due to family issues, etc

Yes I take an anti-depressant and xanax. For me drugging myself was the only option - or I was going to have a heart attack or end up on the third floor somewhere. Do not be ashamed to take them. They help alot of people and just like ice cream you can have to much too.

I take Zoloft ,Valium and ice cream. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Try it. If you don't like the results you get then your Dr. can either prescribe something different or take you off of them. I am on an anti-depressent and high BP meds (both prior to Mom's accident) a few weeks in to caring for Mom my blood pressure went sky high again. My Dr. (who is in a different state) had me double up on the dose and it came back down. As Mom seems to be going in to the active stage of dying we are requesting tranquilizers for us.

I'm private care giver and lived in for 4 days a week for over 2 years. My client (91/F ). She has been on this med 75mg for depression that she take with breakfast. I have been aware of each time she take this med, she does blinking her eyes and acting like she would sleep in chair... It is some side affect cause by Zoloft.... Family's called PCP then cut 25mg to 50mg, my opinion is Why she needs? MOST OF THE DAY SHE STILL SLEEPY???

There is a difference in 'drugging yourself' and taking medications for all that comes with the job we do..... I was on anti's long before I started caregiving....when we are under constant stress and sleep deprived our brain chemistry changes.....many medications today simply replace the things that our brain needs to function..... and cause rare side effects..... when I read how many on here are fighting with alcohol addiction... well, pick your 'drug' carefully.... not one thing wrong with taking something in my opinion..... do what you have to do..... take care of yourself....

STP, makybe they could have her take the med at bedtime instead. Most people are "energized" by Zoloft but you just never know. And if not depressed any more, it may make sense to stop it after tapering it down like that. You can have sort of a mild serotonin syndrome with it if you have been on too much for too long.

I think the two keys are to realize that anybody can get any side effect on anything, but many people have none or nothing serious, or they couldn't get approved to even SELL the drug, unless it is for a condition far worse than any side effect; and that you have to weigh the risks and downsides of taking a drug against the risks and downsides of NOT taking the drug. If you are depressed and anxious, that can be totally disabling, miserable, and even fatal; leaving it untreated is pretty risky too.

Drugs that make you loopy or have some other bad effect can have doses adjusted, times adjusted, or be switched to something else. Side effects that don't go away when a drug is stopped are exceedingly rare....unless you drive when too loaded up with Xanax or Valium or something else sedating and have a major wreck. I've experienced some side effects of various things, some of which mean I will never take that medication or class or medication again, and some of which I would put up with again if needed.

You know, the better question might be, is anyone NOT taking meds...:-)

I have a PRN script for Ativan.. and I have only had to take it 2x since the folks moved in 8 months ago, But I am glad I have it. I feel better just knowing I have it..LOL you gotta do what you gotta do!

Just remember the antidepressants take a few weeks to kick in and level out. Take them at bedtime at first. And do not drink alcohol, it will block the medication's effect. Even two aspirin can block a medication. Avoid caffeine. Eat dark Chocolate, it is very calming. I always said if mom won't take her Xanax, I would.

Very true Pam. I don't take the Valium often, but I feel better knowing it's there if I need it.

Boni, maybe it;s the placebo effect, but it does work!

vstefans, when I started working my client, she seems to me taken so much meds. Her family was never had have the questions for her PCP... When my client was with Dr, her daughter give me permission to ask questions...since then Dr did cut off so many RX. Good thing is she's having good appetites and very alart! Some family member are starting to worry about she might out live them....I guess when I'm 91, I would be in bedroom resting or just do whatever I like without so many meds...Sue

Taking zoloft is not "drugging yourself." It is being responsible and smart. If you had the flu you would take medicines. Taking anti-depressants is a good idea if you have stress and have not gone through thereapy to learn ways of coping. And even if you have gone to therapy but new stressors are now in your life. Zoloft is an especially safe anti-depressant.

As pam mentions, they can take a while to have an effect on you and sometimes you may need to adjust dosage to find what works for you. I took anit-depressants for many years (before my current caregiving experience) and they are nothing to be scared of or ashamed of. You will be very glad you took them.

I have a neurological condition called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, I have been on Zoloft for years to combat it. I got off back when I had breast cancer but recently started back because the stress has started the symptoms back again. Most people outgrow it, I didn't apparently! It's a scary situation, I can't allow myself to fall apart here! LOL!

I take zoloft 200mg and it helps me alot. I have been on antidepressants for 20 years. They just make me feel normal.

When I saw the question my response was Well Yah, of course, who isn't? I don't ever understand why people don't use the legal tools that can help them through these tough times. For crying out loud, take the help (medical it otherwise) when it's offered.

vstefans has explained pretty much everything we need to know about the use of this class of drugs
I have taken Zoloft for many years and finds it just smooths things out and does away with the highs and lows and allows me to face situations calmly. Started at 50mg and went up to 100mg. Offered more but felt adequately managed. I also have Valium available but only take that very ocassionally.
A word of caution though. As we get older it is more difficult for our tired old kidneys and liver to process many of these drugs and they have a culmative effect. Therefoer things like valium are not recommended for those over 70. My prescription is for 2 mg three times daily which is a relatively low dose but if I actually took that much I would be completly loopy and unsafe to drive. The only times I take it is when hubby with bipolar is especially bad or if I haven't slept well for several nights then I will only take one on one night. Get to know your body and research side effects and have good open communication with your Dr or psychiatrst. Read those inserts that come with your prescriptions Unless the side effects are really severe they will usually lessen as your body gets used to the drug. Also be aware of interactions if you take a lot of medicines and any food avoidence advice.
I also need a whole pharmacy of medications to keep my cardiovscular problems under control and many of those do have a strong sedative effect especially when they are started but in that case the results out weigh the risks. Drugs in the betablocker group used to control heart rate are particularily bad and also cause lethargy and weakness but I would prefer not to have a stroke or surgical intervention. My cardiologist keeps them to the minimum but I do tend to fall asleep mid morning especially at the computer. Many also kill the appetite which of course for many can be a good thing. Avoiding alcohol, calffiene and chocolate in excess is also good advice. An ocassional sin is not too bad.
Even if you are young and healthy this is good to be aware of in the loved one you are caring for, especially at the begining of care where there are many drs involved. Sad to say the elderly Medicare patient is not very profitable, can be especially time consuming and often not a reliable reporter or medication adherent..
As the move is more towards the employment of more nurse practitions in general care and less experienced Dr " specialists" it is especially necessary to educate ones self and question things that do not make sense. I especially question the need for a test if nothing is going to be done with the result. Also the need for complicated tests when there is a simple alternative or hands on examination. Just my opinion of course and something I don't press on others if they want to make sure about something. I always try and explain the options and risks and let the patient or caregiver make the choice given the stage of the patient's condition. Questions like when to stop chemotherapy or dialysis are always difficult to answer. Never frighten someone into doing something that will cause unecessary distress and no long term benefit. if some one is desperate to reach a very special milestone like a wedding anniversary or birth of a baby or for even a few days while a son or daughter can get home that is a different matter. One patient married his long time companion so she could recieve his suvivors benefits and willed himself to live the necessary number of months so she could qualify. but again I am off subject so will shut up.I believe and second "you gotta do what you gotta do"

These are all such good answers because you all shared your experiences. Several years ago when I went to a dental check up the dentist asked me what I was doing? I had no idea what he was talking about, apparently I was grinding down my teeth and I have to wear a night guard now. I was told to take 5mg of Valium at bedtime. I still never sleep thru the night but at least I get to sleep. My Mom can take lorazepam, a very small amount so I give it at bedtime. The point is we have to care for ourselves. Take care everyone! Be good to yourself and follow your gut.

I thank you all so much for all the responses, i need to take care of my twin infants mainly, i'm on no other meds, wonder if 25 mg will even do anything at all....

I apologise if anyone took offense to my post. I`m not a holistic medicine nut but I do try to stay away from chemicals if I can for both me and my animals. Here in Canada for a long time there was a tv advert for pills for a heartburn problem. It clearly said the side effects may be incontinence and fainting. Okey dokey, I take this stuff and I pee my pants and fall down ... excuse me, wth!

Personally I think the main problem with society today is fast food - junk joints on every corner - and few cook any more. For the past forever years my mother lived in processed packaged heat and eat meals, far too lazy to cook. She`s now in a NH with Parkinsons, stroke and dementia while neighbours of mine (she 84, he 81) have grown a lot of their own food and kept poultry for years and they`re fitter than I am. You figure it out..

UsaPositive. Only one way to find out try it. Give it at least two weeks to have an effect. You mentioned twin infants. Do you have post partum depression? if you are breast feeding check that it is a good idea to take this.

Zoloft is not "drugging yourself". Zoloft is a systemic antidepressant that regulates your brain chemistry. Ta
king short term benxodiazapams is something else altogether.

ba8alou do a search on the word `Zoloft` (Google is your friend). Everywhere it`s classed as a drug by professionals.

Ash. Yes, Zoloft is a drug. So is Insulin.

With the SSRIs (Zoloft is one) a lot of us, especially us ladies, will repsond well to small doses. We find low doses work well in PTSD situations for our rehab patients and rarely have to escalate doses the way you might in primary depression. Like Ashlynn, I hope that better diet, plus lots of exercise translates into less risk of dementia from any cause; those are two of the things we can control, whatever genetics we may have.

I guess my thought is that, as a society, we've become nations of pill poppers, many of which we don't need but they make the manufacturers incredibly rich and doctors are encouraged to prescribe.

My grandmothers lived to be 85 and 90 and never took a pill in their lives. They never had a pap smear or a mammogram (and I refuse to because if there's "something" bashing it around may cause it to go crazy and kill you - just my humble opinion) but they cooked from scratch and my one grandfather grew all the veggies, salad and had chickens and rabbits for the table - the old way, no chemicals involved..

I believe the chemicals in our food are making us ill as we get older, after years of ingesting them. Although there's masses of perspective on that idea on line which you re free to research, I personally believe it's what we eat that counts to a large degree.

I now live in the country and buy free range eggs locally. The store bought ones have always given me dreadful diarrhea - maybe from the drugs battery chickens are fed? Where I buy my eggs, she is 84, he is 81 and they're fitter than I've ever been. They are of the old school, eat, freeze and can their own produce and poultry. Tells you something maybe? With the way today's society lives on junk food, well ...

Just my humble opinion. Eat junk food, pop pills to keep your sanity or rid yourself of the stress so you might live, it's your choice.

Ashlynne I absolutely agree with you. It is the best way to live. It would be wonderful if that was possible for all of us. I grew up like that during WW11 and it remains a dream.
Again agree that the drug companies get incredibly rich on the drugs that they produce but i also know that the medical advances have allowed many people to live better lives. Today was the Boston Marathon. Do you think the people who lost limbs last year should be sitting in wheelchairs or hobbling around on wooden legs. rather than running and dancing on their modern day equivalent

Lexapro for anxiety attacks when dealing with issues around caring for Mom. A miracle drug -I am a new person with a better outlook. No regrets.