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pointers to over come meds anxiety?


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me again.. I am wondering if any of you have any pointer to over coming or coping better with anxiety or FEAR i should say.. that is more acurate.. concerning starting or taking new medications??

I'm having "issues" with needing to start a new med(S).. and I have some fear attached.. b/c I have severe allergic reaction to several meds..(<being anaphalatic reactions) and regualr allergic reactions to meds as well..(not as severe as ananphlactic reactions). to just about all meds I have tried.. and the meds that I have tried the side effects are more then I can bare..

I know I'm not being a looney bird on this. and I feel that I have goot reason to be "nervous" about taking mew meds..I know tha alot of you here have difficulties with meds sensitivity/allergic reactions as well. and I am looking for some suggestion about this.. I cant get ahold of any doc to talk to them about my "nervousness" and I am not all together sure that I even want o bring up tis topic b/c I dont want any thing that has to do with anxiety or anxiety related to be in my medical file.. so I say nothing.. but yet feel lik e moron.. b/c i dont try something new.. and mabye that something wil help me.. or throw me in to an other sever allergic reaction.. whci I dont want to have to go thru that ever again!

I am really tempted to say forget the meds.wel most of them anywasy. only take my BB's.. and go from there.. I dont know..

sorry to vent and ramble..

dizz

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First of all, I would NOT be concerned with expressing to a physician that you have had severe, or anaphylactic reactions to medicines. I would NOT think this would be labelled as "anxiety" in the usual sense. You are justified in your fear. And the physician would want to know.

I would tell the physician and then suggest that the first pill be taken in his/her presence because of your history. If they refuse, ask the physician for another suggestion for having someone present who could administer first aid. Do you have a "ask a nurse" or "hotline" with your medical insurance that you could ask?

Whenever I get an allergy injection, it is taken in the presence of a physician for the same reasons.

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I second that! I've never had an actual allergic reaction to a med. I'm just the type to end up with all the lovely side effects. I would say having a severe allergic reaction to a med would give you very good reason to be nervous to try more meds. I agree that you should probably take the first pill in the presence of your doctor, so if you need medical care immediatly, you will not be alone.

Wishing you better days,

Jen

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I had a severe reaction to Relafen--one of the newer NSAID'S--that landed me in the hospital for a day a year before developing POTS and since POTS have been unable to tolerate even Advil. Do you have an epi-pen for true anaphylaxis or are you just very reactive? I have both issues with different meds. Martha

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Hi, Linda,

I'm nervous about taking new meds, too. You aren't crazy! Many people have this problem. Lots of times I fill prescriptions and never have the nerve to take them! I'm also an anaphylactic and have had reactions to medications before. In fact, the first time I had a run of resting tachy was after taking a brand new antibiotic. I had POTS symptoms before that, but that was the beginning of it becoming "full blown."

But, we have to face it, our quality of life can be compromised, and if there are drugs out there that can make life better, we really have to try! Here are a few things I do with a new medication.

1) I never take more than one new med at a time.

2) I never take a new medication alone. Somebody has to be with me and for several hours after.

3) I make sure I have liquid Benadryl (I think there are dissolve tabs available now that are even faster acting than the liquid) on hand as well as my Epi-pen handy.

4) I won't start a new med if I fill risk factor-y. By that, I mean if I have been exposed to any other things that bother my allergies. For example, I have an issue with high humidity. I will not take a new drug if the humidity is very high and I feel a little asthmatic.

5) I try to keep myself occupied after taking the first few doses. Otherwise, I am sitting around thinking, "Is my throat closing? I am I feeling itchy? etc...."

Hope this helps!

Carolyn

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If I could do this without medications, I would! When I get a new medication I always do a background check so that I know what to expect, the half-life, and side effects. It's always good to know what your about to put your body through, even though many of us experience such adverse side effects. I guess we are special. :D Like Carolyn mentioned, I choose a day where someone will be home with me. Just in case. It's always good to have someone around, helps ease your nerves. Keeping yourself busy is always a plus. Sitting around waiting for side effects to come about can be miserable. Of course, this is all easier said than done. I too have had bad reactions to medications (beta-blockers), which makes me nervous to take anything and I think we are all justified in being scared. Best of luck with new meds! :D

Nicole

PS~My mom basically has to shove it down my throat, I'm that scared/stubborn :)

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Linda,

You've gotten really good advice so far, so I don't really have anything else to suggest. I just wanted to say that I know your fear (in fact, I didn't try any new meds until going to Vandy for that exact reason). And I hope the best for you...that the med will work and you won't have any reactions to it.

((((((HUGS))))))

Lauren

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Dizz,

I cannot believe that with your history the doctors aren't more concerned about reactions, too! I have had so many tears in doctors' offices around medications and the promises of "no side effects"!

Have a list always available of all the drugs (and foods, pollens, etc.) to which you react and what the reactions are. Doctors forget and show them with each new prescription.

There is technology available to understand better idiosynchratic responses to drugs. GSDL (Great Smokies Diag. Lab) and maybe other labs do detoxification profiles which help you see how your body handles chemicals of many kinds. The liver detoxifies drugs like a coin sorter, to be simplistic, and sometimes one or more of the pathways doesn't work, or maybe overworks. The stuff is technical, but I have a feeling most of you have much more technical knowledge on these topics than your doctors. If you can get the test, you may learn how to support your system to minimize reactions.

Good luck,

LL

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hey thanks folks for the pointers!!

I do keep busy when I take new meds.. last time I tok one before dinner..(my boyfriend was home that night) and during eating dinner I started to jave an allergic reaction.. and my boyfriend was there.. kinda scary b/c my throat and chest were tightening.. and I was getting tachy and amjorly flushed and itchie!

thanks again!

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DG-

your anxiety is justified! i too have a history of awful side effects to most meds. the list i'm allergic to is way longer than the list i take (which as you can see is pretty long) i actually had a sensitive (NOT!) ER doc ask me once "Why are you allergic to so many meds?" I felt like asking him why he had brown hair.....argh! Because I just am, darn it! Another not-so-sensitive doc asked "Why do you have so many things wrong with you?" Can you believe that? I wanted to hit her. Seriously. & i'm a pacifist. My reply (now that i've had time to come up with a good one, should have been "Well, at least I don't have the problem of being an insensitive idiot with dumb questions!" or something equally snotty.....

everyone here has given you good advice. i would second all of it. what has *literally* saved my life is my nursing drug guide. i had an overdose of clonidine when i first started taking it and almost died. i was able to look up the symptoms and know what to expect. just be prepared and hope for the best. like i said, i've got more meds that don't work than do work, but you have to keep hoping for the best.

i'm so glad you have someone with you to help you thru those scary times.

Blessings and ((hugs)) of courage being sent your way :lol:

Lulu

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lol.. gotta love the mdical community!! the insienstive ones are the greatest arent they!! NOT!!!

i have a "few" docs who are fantastic!! but ddint find them right awayy..my PCP is a godsent I tell ya!! I'm going to miss her when she moves!! I have/had cardiodocs who are great too.. and then Dr. grubb/Bev couldnt ask to 2 greater people to add to the mix of treating docs!! so there I am lucky.. but totally can realte to my share of dingy docs..

i had anurse give me a scowl recently when I was asked my allergies.. and I handed her a sheet of meds a mile long that I cant take!!..

I know I have some good med books from school.. and had I been able to go into my pharmogoly classes I problem would know more about meds!! one day I will finish my schooling...

Kudos to you on going to nursing school!! that is great!!

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