Being put on side effect medication?

[Skylona]

Hi all

I went to see my pdoc today and I got put on a side effect medication for long term use of my meds I take seroquel, trileptal. I guess I have some side effects from taking my medication for a long time. I have never heard of this have you?

[high maintenence]

All of us have side effects at most points, but no, I've never heard of a med to treat side effects. If it's out though, I'm sure they'll add another one to my list.LOL.

[Phyllis]

I've heard of people being placed on side affect medication. There is a line of a song from Panic! At the Disco -
"prescribe pills, to offset the shakes, to offset the pills you know you should take it a day at a time"

What side affect(s) are you being treated for? Tremors? That is the most common treatment that I know of.

[Skylona]

I'm being esp? Pse?


I'm taking : Benztropine mesylate: cogentin


I don't know what this is ? 

[Phyllis]

If I remember correctly I think Clayton was on or is on that... I know someone here is... I just can't remember who.

[k]

cogentin i an anti parkinsonian agent it's suppose to help with tremor and shakes.  my pdoc just said it will help with that stuff but that it causes severe dry mouth so he had me up my atenenol which is a beta blocker and which is often uses to help with panic attacks. it's also used to lower blood pressure and pulse. 

[clayton]

That's right, benztropine--its supposed to stop the shakes, but I find that I shake a lot less without it than on it--really, this idea of taking a drug to counter the symptoms of another drug that counters the symptoms of etc. etc. is pretty ridiculous I think--good for the drug companies, not for the patient---

[Skylona]

Yeah I already have dry mouth from my other meds.

So already I can feel the dry mouth of that med.


I keep drinking and drinking and the dry mouth comes back it's awful.

I don't like it. It's too dry. Too handle.

[high maintenence]

Exactly for the reason that Clayton just stated, is why most of the BP's don't take meds, even if they took them before. It makes you want to come off of them if you are on them and then if you aren't already on them, you don't want to be because you see what the rest of us go through.

[Skylona]

I usually make up my own mind about what meds I take simply because each med affects each person differently.


I think as bp's we all know that are bp's vary in different was such as symptoms, moods and other diagnosed areas.


So I always take the pills to see how my body can handle it. Just good advice cause you don't want to judge too soon.


Where all mice in a laboratory checking are reactions to drugs and side effects.  Conduct you own scientific experiment!  :P


Thanks for all the info though.........:

[clayton]

I just remembered something a medical friend of mine told me about cogentin--its an
anti-cholergenic; that means, anything in the body which squirts, it slows down. I don't know if anybody here is taking lithium, but I want to repeat my warning about lithium from Ramji's thread: lithium can cause instability (balance problems) and difficulty walking-especially if you become dehydrated (two cups of high test can do it); this is very scary if you don't know what it is, and medical professionals not trained in psych can get all excited; actually, all you need is plenty of hydration and rest; you don't have an IV at home, but you have water. I have experienced this twice.