some bad habits

[robin]

Beemer...I found my family physician who best knew my medical history to go to for advice and medications while on treatment. It was he, not my hepatologist who prescribed something for anxiety and also the discomforts you have while on treatment. Your primary doctor will be aware that you are not drug seeking and to be honest, your hepatologist should not be judging you because of medication side effects. He should have heard the same complaints over and over. Take care of yourself and ask for what you need, not because you want it, but as other's have stated you NEED something. It is justified to ask and is not a drug seeking behavior. Keep your spirits high...robin   

[MissyMouse]

I have to agree with Robin.  My PCP is the one who helps treat my sides.   He knows me very well and is the one that prescribes my Ambien and my Aranesp.  He also monitors my thyroid and adjusts my synthroid as needed.   And I've needed 4 synthroid increases between my 2 rounds of treatment.

Mouse

[nialla]

beemer;
i never liked alcohol so drinking was never an issue for me
but while on treatment, i started smoking cigarettes again
after ten years (i've stopped since oct.)
popping pills like there was no tomorrow:  mostly painkillers and tranquilizers
it was the only way i was gonna get through it
the treatment makes you nuts and you just want to feel better
maybe you can get some sort of anxiety med, that would be
much better than alcohol ... it's just so toxic, there's gotta be
a better way for you to cope .... good luck!

*nialla

[negative1]

Beember,

Do not be afraid to ask the doc for help and some meds. I should have done it long before I did. I was also put on effexor but it wasn't until my POST tx problems. I would have probably done better had I been on it during tx.

I used the pot so that I could eat but then found that it worked well for the anxiety problems. I would wake in the night panicky as hell and run outside and just rock back and  forth. I started to then take a couple hits off the pipe and it would calm me down and let me go back to sleep. ( after eating cases of Reese's PB Cups )

I hadn't smoked for over 20 years but at my doc's suggestion stared while on tx. It might not work for everyone but it helped me immensely!

I stopped smoking about 6 months post tx.

Good luck. This tx can really make you go insane and put you on a quest to find something that will make you feel normal .....or make you try to forget how bad you feel. You sure aren't alone here!

Earl

[beember]

So i went to me dr.  and to l told him how i was feeling.. He gave amitripyline.   Well i've only taken for 4 days and i don't think it's working.  He gave it to me to try to help ease my pain and depression and  help me sleep.  Well i already know anti-d takes a couple of weeks to actually have the full effect.  Well he goes and tells me that it takes 4 weeks for it to work.  I'm gonna be off treatment in 7 weeks!!!!!  Well i feel as i need something to work for me now , and that's the only thing he will offer me.  So now i'm stumped.  If i go to my pcp  and talk to him, both my dr.s have the same sever or software , i don't know what it's called.  But they can look at each  others notes and see what exactly happened at that appointment.  So i don't know if that'll help going to see him.  maybe for the time being i'll keep taking the new srcipt.

[robin]

beember...I would not care if my hepatologist knew I went to my family doctor. I can't believe he didn't give you something to help you immediately while the antidepressant takes effect. That just totally irritates me. Call the hepatologist and insist he give you something for the immediate problem and if he doesn't contact your family doctor. So what if the hepatologist finds out...what is he going to do? You are almost finished with treatment and you need whatever support is available for the side effects. I say good for you to have made it this far. On about week 8, I was ready to fight anyone who came near me. Even my cats avoided being in the same room with me. Please, call his office and ask for something to help you for the present until the anti-depressant kicks in. The best to you in this hard fight you are in. Keep your spirits high...robin 

[nialla]

i totally agree with robin;
tell him you need something immediately
like klonopin or xanax to cut the edge
and help you sleep and you don't have time
to mess around waiting for your body to get
adjusted and accumulate enough for it to work
you need instant help!
thank god i had doctors who just wrote the scrips
and didn't lecture me, i don't think i would have
been able to do tx without it.

*nialla

[negative1]

I'm with Robin and Nialla....

You need something now!
Another 4 weeks til the stuff he gave you works is just not going to cut it.

My PCP was great and would give me anything I asked for. Xanax is really tops when it comes to immediate relief, although some docs think it is too addictive.

I couldn't imagine waiting that long to see if what he gave you works.

EArl

[Kira]

I agree too, ask your PCP to help you, since he/she knows you the best.
My hepatologist wasn't too concerned with how I felt, but my PCP would help me get through tx with some meds.
You need to have someone who's on your side, and trying to make it easier for you.
Whatever they give you, it's temporary, so they shouldn't be too worried about long term use. 

Cris

[negative1]

My PCP was also the one that got me my meds, anti d's etc...not my hep doc.

Earl

[RedRodeo]

I got some from the hep doc, like antid's and sleeping meds,  got the pain pills from my primary. The whole thing made me feel like a dope fiend. Then I went to the same pharmacy and really felt like a doper. As many drugs I took I am surprised I didn't get more strung out.
     Chris