Wednesday, May 12, 2004
I finally got to have my appointment with the psychiatrist on Monday and things went really well. I was nervous at first, social anxiety does that, but he was very nice and easy to talk to and it didn't take me long to relax. It really helped that he suffers from hypothyroidism, too. I felt like he really understood what I was talking about when I told him how I felt a lot of the time, both physically and emotionally. My case worker and my counselor both try to be understanding, but neither of them is overweight so it's hard for me to grasp that they really understand what I mean. I'm just never totally sure. Dr. Stevenson does understand and that really put me at ease and made it possible to connect with him.
He was also very understanding about my fears when it comes to taking anti-depressants. My body is very sensitive to medications and I tend to develop just about every side effect listed for whatever medication I try to take. He explained everything to me in detail and told me exactly what to expect and we made a plan together on how to manage my meds and keep side effects to a minimum. I felt like he made me part of the process. Most of the time, I just feel like doctors are telling me what to do without listening or caring to what I think or feel about what's going on. I didn't feel that way with Dr. Stevenson.
Anyway, in addition to taking Synthroid for my hypothyroidism, I am now taking Lexapro for my anxiety. As with any new med, it will take a few weeks for my body to adjust to it before I start seeing any improvements in my condition and there's always the possibility that some tinkering with my dosage may be necessary before we find the best level of meds for me. This isn't the only anti-depressant available to me either, so if this one doesn't work or makes me uncomfortable, we will try another one and keep doing that until we find one that controls my anxiety without making me sick.
One other piece of good news... So far, no hair loss from the Synthroid!
(0)
Comments •
