Spring Tuesday

MissKittyDanger

banana468 said:

We're in a similar zone depending on meds.  DH has anxiety and it was determined between panic attacks that he needs a daily Lexapro.    That said, Chiquita has been diagnosed as having it and given that it's been a month, we're sticking with therapy.  

I personally have heard that the younger kids are diagnosed with anxiety/adhd, the more effective therapy is to learn different things on how to handle situations.

Side note I'm glad Chiquita is finding it helpful  

Casadena

MissKittyDanger said:

short+sassy said:

MissKittyDanger said:

@Casadena if he's anti-pharma {i honestly don't understand this} but he needs something. I would push for therapist, a maybe that's help in right direction for him. Tbh you guys have been going through a lot, he needs something helping him.

@climbingsingle We both get overwhelmed with that kinda thing, so we've been trying to break it down best we can to stop.
Like for our spare room, I told M he needs to start sorting his books.
Start with computer books etc

Basement we might just set fire and leave it lmao {for legal purposes - this is a joke}
We've got reason to believe BIL & SIL are expecting, so selfishly we're hoping yes to get rid of baby stuff. lol

I strongly fall in the pro-pharma camp.  But I'm also coming from a POV where I had serious medical problems starting young.  I take many prescribed medications.  They all help me.  Either in how I feel or how my labwork is and sometimes both.  There is no reason not to take them.  Some medications aren't the right fit, so people should listen to their bodies and their doctors (to some extent).

Then there are the people who don't trust medicine, but are gung-ho on completely unproven holistic/natural approaches.  I'll sometimes look at natural ways to help my medical conditions, but only in conjunction with my medication.  

This is hitting a bit of a raw nerve because my friend and I were having a similar discussion recently and she started treading on thin ice with me.  And that's hardly the first ridiculous conversation I've had with someone that "natural ways are so often better than medication".

Oh yes.  Please tell me of the magical plant or flower that will restore my destroyed thyroid's function.  I'll wait.  And make sure it's cheaper than the simple, $10 medication I already take for that.

Bolded. Absolutely.

It's like if I have a headache or sinus issues.

Am I going to drink coffee, stretch, take hydra sense? Absolutely
Am I going to take meds if necessary? Also yes.

I've been off celexa. That's a 0 stars for everyone in a 5 mile radius.

M is ADHD - he's been off meds for 16 ish years and has discovered coping mechanisms for himself, but we've discussed him talking to a dr about a low dose drug because somethings he cannot personally manage and it's a lot for the household.

This is me 100%. H stops after the top line and will take a million mg's of vitamin C or equivalent and then complain when he has symptoms for a week. I dont get it, but try to be sensitive and not nag. 

banana468

MissKittyDanger said:

banana468 said:

We're in a similar zone depending on meds.  DH has anxiety and it was determined between panic attacks that he needs a daily Lexapro.    That said, Chiquita has been diagnosed as having it and given that it's been a month, we're sticking with therapy.  

I personally have heard that the younger kids are diagnosed with anxiety/adhd, the more effective therapy is to learn different things on how to handle situations.

Side note I'm glad Chiquita is finding it helpful  

Yup.  Her doctor referred to anxiety as a smoke detector.   In life, the smoke detector is designed to alert you to fire but it's often alerting to seared steak, or something on the stove.  Chiquita fans my smoke detector in the kitchen when it's going off as the result of my cooking. 

Her anxiety is a smoke detector going off and therapy is the kitchen towel.  She needs that to figure out how to cope and right now we absolutely need her to work on her reactivity.  That's something that you can't get in pill form and no amount of hearing it from mom and dad will help because we are parents of a 12 year old and obviously don't know anything.

MissKittyDanger

banana468 said:

MissKittyDanger said:

banana468 said:

We're in a similar zone depending on meds.  DH has anxiety and it was determined between panic attacks that he needs a daily Lexapro.    That said, Chiquita has been diagnosed as having it and given that it's been a month, we're sticking with therapy.  

I personally have heard that the younger kids are diagnosed with anxiety/adhd, the more effective therapy is to learn different things on how to handle situations.

Side note I'm glad Chiquita is finding it helpful  

Yup.  Her doctor referred to anxiety as a smoke detector.   In life, the smoke detector is designed to alert you to fire but it's often alerting to seared steak, or something on the stove.  Chiquita fans my smoke detector in the kitchen when it's going off as the result of my cooking. 

Her anxiety is a smoke detector going off and therapy is the kitchen towel.  She needs that to figure out how to cope and right now we absolutely need her to work on her reactivity.  That's something that you can't get in pill form and no amount of hearing it from mom and dad will help because we are parents of a 12 year old and obviously don't know anything.

That's a really good analogy!

I wish my anxiety was like that, but since it's genetic and set off by c-ptsd - coping skills may not work {I've tried some}

levioosa

charlotte989875 said:

I’m in the camp of: science is real, medicine is a tool to feel better, and I understand the very real stigma of mental health meds particularly in this country. I also think for folks who have not had chronic health issues the idea of having to take something, potentially for the rest of your life, even if it will help you feel better, is a lot. 

I guess you can take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt since I’m in the field, but I’m pro-medicine. 

I absolutely would love if my patients would make the lifestyle changes needed to help their health. I am a firm believer that lifestyle changes are a cornerstone to health. The reality is most of my patients don’t. For example, most of my diabetic patients don’t exercise and they don’t watch what they’re eating. Then they don’t want to take their medicine on top of it and then they come back to me shocked that they are having huge problems like kidney failure and painful neuropathy. “What can i do? I’ll do anything!” It’s too late now. The damage is done. My dad was one of these and he earned a heart attack and a stroke from his non-compliance. And then he had the gall to act like his doctors never told him. They did. I did. My mom did. 

And I’m not talking about patients who have socioeconomic factors which make med compliance or lifestyle changes nearly impossible. That’s a different issue. I think there are ways to help manage in those situations, but then you also have to have the knowledge which is hard to acquire when healthcare and medicine and everything is basically a foreign language. 

charlotte989875

levioosa said:

charlotte989875 said:

I’m in the camp of: science is real, medicine is a tool to feel better, and I understand the very real stigma of mental health meds particularly in this country. I also think for folks who have not had chronic health issues the idea of having to take something, potentially for the rest of your life, even if it will help you feel better, is a lot. 

I guess you can take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt since I’m in the field, but I’m pro-medicine. 

I absolutely would love if my patients would make the lifestyle changes needed to help their health. I am a firm believer that lifestyle changes are a cornerstone to health. The reality is most of my patients don’t. For example, most of my diabetic patients don’t exercise and they don’t watch what they’re eating. Then they don’t want to take their medicine on top of it and then they come back to me shocked that they are having huge problems like kidney failure and painful neuropathy. “What can i do? I’ll do anything!” It’s too late now. The damage is done. My dad was one of these and he earned a heart attack and a stroke from his non-compliance. And then he had the gall to act like his doctors never told him. They did. I did. My mom did. 

And I’m not talking about patients who have socioeconomic factors which make med compliance or lifestyle changes nearly impossible. That’s a different issue. I think there are ways to help manage in those situations, but then you also have to have the knowledge which is hard to acquire when healthcare and medicine and everything is basically a foreign language. 

Oh I’m pro- medicine too, I just think especially when we’re talking about medicine for mental health there’s huge stigma that is very real that keeps people from taking it. 

CharmedPam

I whole hartedly agree @levioosa and I do take your medical advise close to heart because of all people, you’d know!
back in ‘08 when I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was put on metformin and with that and diet changes my numbers dropped.  My endo was impressed! Well, it’s 15 years later, and diet and exercise isn’t cutting it anymore.  For the most part, I live a healthy lifestyle.  Docs put me on the semiglutide and now Tirzepatide, and I’m noticing help with those meds along with my healthy lifestyle.  Well, we all know what’s happening with that medication now… but we won’t go into that here.
Same as my high blood pressure. I’m not sure what more I could do to lower it, lifestyle wise, and my doc put me on meds for those as well. The last few BP checks have been good.  Not great, but way lower where they were before.  I don’t think I could have done that without them.
And then the trusty old birth control pill.  Baby free 43 years and counting! Lol

levioosa

charlotte989875 said:

levioosa said:

charlotte989875 said:

I’m in the camp of: science is real, medicine is a tool to feel better, and I understand the very real stigma of mental health meds particularly in this country. I also think for folks who have not had chronic health issues the idea of having to take something, potentially for the rest of your life, even if it will help you feel better, is a lot. 

I guess you can take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt since I’m in the field, but I’m pro-medicine. 

I absolutely would love if my patients would make the lifestyle changes needed to help their health. I am a firm believer that lifestyle changes are a cornerstone to health. The reality is most of my patients don’t. For example, most of my diabetic patients don’t exercise and they don’t watch what they’re eating. Then they don’t want to take their medicine on top of it and then they come back to me shocked that they are having huge problems like kidney failure and painful neuropathy. “What can i do? I’ll do anything!” It’s too late now. The damage is done. My dad was one of these and he earned a heart attack and a stroke from his non-compliance. And then he had the gall to act like his doctors never told him. They did. I did. My mom did. 

And I’m not talking about patients who have socioeconomic factors which make med compliance or lifestyle changes nearly impossible. That’s a different issue. I think there are ways to help manage in those situations, but then you also have to have the knowledge which is hard to acquire when healthcare and medicine and everything is basically a foreign language. 

Oh I’m pro- medicine too, I just think especially when we’re talking about medicine for mental health there’s huge stigma that is very real that keeps people from taking it. 

Oh definitely. And sorry, I was using your post as a jump off. 

My patients are always so hesitant to take medication. Your PHQ-9 score is 21, you need therapy and meds. The analogy I use is “if you came in with a broken leg and in pain we wouldn’t send you home without meds and a cast. Just because you can’t see this physically doesn’t mean it isn’t a real issue that can use medicine. It’s valid and real and there are ways to help.” 

short+sassy

banana468 said:

We're in a similar zone depending on meds.  DH has anxiety and it was determined between panic attacks that he needs a daily Lexapro.    That said, Chiquita has been diagnosed as having it and given that it's been a month, we're sticking with therapy.  

For Chiquita I am also seriously concerned about any med prescriptions right now while we're about ready to ride the hormonal roller coaster that will be starting to menstruate.  

And on the other front for me I had a high cholesterol reading in November and I am working to get that down with a diet higher in white meat, fish (salmon), lower carbs, and fiber plus exercise at least 5 days a week.  If I can avoid a statin now in my 40s I would really like to especially when I've seen the side effects.  

I think statins are a good example of some of what we are all talking about.

Lowering high cholesterol is helped with a healthy, lower fat diet.  For some people, they can control it that way.  Some people may not be able to or choose not to make those dietary changes and there is no shame in that either.  Some people can have a really horrible diet and have great cholesterol numbers.  And some people will struggle with high cholesterol no matter how healthy they eat.  

My father was like that.  He was a healthy weight, though initially didn't eat the best, and was diagnosed with high cholesterol pretty young.  I think in his early or mid 30s.  He totally changed his diet and cut out a lot of the higher fat foods he ate.  That helped.  But it wasn't enough.  His doctor told him he had a predilection for high cholesterol and would probably always need to take a statin.  He passed away at 49 (

For me, my endocrinologists have always told me I need to take a statin for my diabetes.  Even when I was younger and it was in normal ranges.  Unfortunately, diabetes puts people at a much higher risk for heart disease so I was told I should always take it as a preventative measure.

banana468

short+sassy said:

banana468 said:

We're in a similar zone depending on meds.  DH has anxiety and it was determined between panic attacks that he needs a daily Lexapro.    That said, Chiquita has been diagnosed as having it and given that it's been a month, we're sticking with therapy.  

For Chiquita I am also seriously concerned about any med prescriptions right now while we're about ready to ride the hormonal roller coaster that will be starting to menstruate.  

And on the other front for me I had a high cholesterol reading in November and I am working to get that down with a diet higher in white meat, fish (salmon), lower carbs, and fiber plus exercise at least 5 days a week.  If I can avoid a statin now in my 40s I would really like to especially when I've seen the side effects.  

I think statins are a good example of some of what we are all talking about.

Lowering high cholesterol is helped with a healthy, lower fat diet.  For some people, they can control it that way.  Some people may not be able to or choose not to make those dietary changes and there is no shame in that either.  Some people can have a really horrible diet and have great cholesterol numbers.  And some people will struggle with high cholesterol no matter how healthy they eat.  

My father was like that.  He was a healthy weight, though initially didn't eat the best, and was diagnosed with high cholesterol pretty young.  I think in his early or mid 30s.  He totally changed his diet and cut out a lot of the higher fat foods he ate.  That helped.  But it wasn't enough.  His doctor told him he had a predilection for high cholesterol and would probably always need to take a statin.  He passed away at 49 (

For me, my endocrinologists have always told me I need to take a statin for my diabetes.  Even when I was younger and it was in normal ranges.  Unfortunately, diabetes puts people at a much higher risk for heart disease so I was told I should always take it as a preventative measure.

And for me I just turned 43 (like - today) and I'm hoping that the high cholesterol was the result of a bad diet for a few weeks vs. I'm turning into my father.  That said, I intend to continue to have a better diet because should I find myself needing a statin then I do not want to have that statin and a poor diet.  

short+sassy

@banana468, happy birthday!

levioosa

Happy birthday! @banana468

MNNEBride

Happy Birthday @banana468!

ILoveBeachMusic

Happy Birthday @banana468!