Holding off on the Prozac… and getting an Endocrinologist

I talked to Dr. B2 today over the university’s health care messaging system. She thought it would be best if I didn’t start the Prozac, and that the neurologist (Dr. C) would be the best person to recommend an anti-depressant given all of my other conditions/symptoms. She also said that because I was on such a low dose of Zoloft, that she doesn’t think I’ll go through withdrawal.

I trust Dr. B2, so I’m going to follow her advice and hold off. The September 14th neuro appointment can’t get here soon enough!

In other news, I had a follow up DEXA scan on Tuesday, and it showed a 0.5% decrease in lumbar spine density since last year and a 1.8% decrease right hip, 1.4 % decrease left hip.  All are still in osteopenia range; lumbar spine is 89% age matched group and hips are 80%. Since I have osteopenia so young, Dr. B2 thinks I need to see an endocrinologist. So I’m adding more doctors to my already expansive collection.

No More Zoloft

I think I had an allergic reaction to it.

Last night about 15 minutes after taking it I thought I had heartburn in my lower throat so took some Tums and drank some water. But my throat was tight, and it felt like there was a lump in my throat, and there was no actual burning. Plus, I’d only had a BLT for dinner, which isn’t really a big heartburn food.

So I kept hoping it would ease up with the Tums, and instead it kept getting worse. To the point I was having a hard time breathing.

At 10:57 pm I finally decided it was time to use my inhaler. 2 puffs. And it helped, but not completely.

By this point I was think it was probably not heartburn and more likely an allergic reaction. I didn’t want to go to the ER, since I was having an easier time breathing, so I took 2 Benadryl,and went to bed.

Before going to sleep, I remembered that something similar had happened before, in the past week or so, but not as bad. That time, I wrote it off as heartburn and went to bed too.But there never really was any burning and it was the same lump in throat feeling.

This morning I called Dr. B’s office, (since she’s the one who prescribed it) and talked to her nurse. I’m to stop taking the Zoloft. I guess I’ll add that to my allergy list. And she’s going to call in a script of 10mg Prozac, daily, to Kroger to switch to.

But of course her office called me back AT 5, and I was just about to go to the bathroom, and my brain is all slow and doesn’t work right… so I realized AFTER the call that I don’t know if I should add the Prozac in before the Neurology appointment. I really want to stop adding variables… BUT I also don’t want to have bad Zoloft withdrawal if I don’t add in another antidepressant.

So now I’m torn on if I’m going to call her office back tomorrow and say I’ll to take the Prozac until after I see the neurologist, or if I’m just going to pick it up tomorrow and take it …because I really cant handle my depression coming back like it was and withdrawal and classes right now. And the Zoloft was helping my depression.

Zoloft

Met with Dr. B this morning. I didn’t give her the list of I keep of what’s been going on since my last doctors appointment; she hardly ever addresses my concerns anyway. I even mentioned I had a neurologist appointment in September, and she didn’t ask why or who was sending me there.

She did conclude that I have depression (which, we’d discussed before), and apparently an anxiety disorder (I’m unconvinced).

We were discussing the efficacy of amitriptilyne in treating my migraines. Which it isn’t anymore. And she wanted to change the drug, rather than the dose. She mentioned the other options were blood pressure medication, or topamax- but topamax can make you foggy. I told her that cognitive issues were currently my biggest complaint and I couldn’t handle being foggy anymore than I already am.

She concluded that I am too anxious to concentrate, because I’m already focusing on the next thing to worry about. …I’m not.

I think my level of anxiety is appropriate for what is going on in my life.

But, I do agree that my depression needs to be treated. It has gotten really bad lately. And while I think the depression is a result of my inability to concentrate or think clearly and get done what I need to, I think the depression feeds my cognitive issues. Hopefully treating it will help.

I’m also out of letrozole and norethindrone on Thursday, so we’ll see if coming out of chemical menopause helps my cognition any.

We did opt not to change my amitriptyline until after I see Dr. C, the neurologist. Since I was only ever given the ocular migraine diagnosis by opthomologists who couldn’t see any other retinal problems, I’m looking forward to getting a neurologist’s opinion.