Psychiatric Medications Online Conference Transcript - Antidepressants, Anti-anxiety Medications and Mood Stabilizers

Written by Guest: Dr. Lorraine Roth

stef: I've suffered from major clinical depression since 1988, the birth of my last child, at which time I also had a tubal ligation. After many years of medication, I am going to try ECT (electroconvulsive therapy, electroshock therapy) and my first appointment is next week. What are your feelings on this type of treatment?

Dr. Roth: ECT is extremely safe and effective. If you have failed to get any benefits from a full trial of different meds, then ECT is a good option for you.

lprehn: My teenage daughter is on Prozac for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and experiences bizarre dreams and also naps often during the day and has difficulty being awakened. Is this common? Any suggestions?

Dr. Roth: If these bizarre dreams are in the daytime and sedation has occurred as a side-effect of the Prozac, then she has to be on a different medication. Those medication side-effects are unacceptable.

Chlo: Aside from Prozac, does any other medication seem effective for treating bulimia?

Dr. Roth: Yes. Probably any antidepressant could be helpful. It is worth trying different ones if the first one doesn't work. Make sure you give it a full trial though.

flitecrew: I have a girlfriend who is bipolar and recently has become alarmed about some articles about the dangers of psychiatric drugs. She would like to know if there is a possibility of ever getting off all of them?

Dr. Roth: If she's true bipolar with significant symptoms, she may require medication long-term. However, that can be challenged, but she should do so with her doctor's supervision.

David: There has been talk about some of the antidepressants like Paxil, Zoloft, causing suicidal ideations and other types of "out of the ordinary" behavior. For instance, the court case that just concluded where the man held up the bank (no history of prior criminal behavior) and was acquitted after the jury was told he was taking Prozac and this type of behavior is a side-effect. What's your opinion about that?

Dr. Roth: I question these kinds of anecdotal stories. Prozac has been prescribed to hundreds of millions of patients worldwide with rare instances of such dramatic side-effects. I question that medications are responsible for such side-effects.

chuk69: Is there any herbal medicine that helps for anxiety, panic disorder?

Dr. Roth: I don't study the herbal medications but there are books on herbal medicines which can found in the library, if someone's interested.

KcallmeK: I have bipolar disorder, ADD inattentive type with temporal lobe issues, and I might be premenopausal. Distractibility is getting out of hand. For instance, I left my car running for almost 2 hours, not knowing I had left it on. Any suggestions?

Dr. Roth: I would hope that you have had some trials of medications. You have mentioned several different disorders, each of which can be treated with difference medication. You should be in the care of a psychiatrist who can prescribe and combine meds properly to provide relief for you.

LauraE: How do you suggest starting a "medication holiday" if you are on a stimulant, and is it okay to not take them on weekends?

Dr. Roth: It depends on the medications and dosage. Medication holidays are not highly recommended anymore. Doctors used to recommend medication holidays but they are not considered to be helpful and can cause relapses.

derf: In regards to pregnancy and fetal health: what's worse? Being depressed (unmedicated) in pregnancy or being medicated (with new antidepressants) during pregnancy?

Dr. Roth: Depression is better left untreated in pregnancy unless the symptoms are so severe that the woman is in danger of suicide. If at all possible, it is much better to avoid medication during pregnancy. In severe cases, you should choose "electroshock therapy" as an option.

des: Do you know anything about DHEA?

Dr. Roth: I have read about it but I do not know if it has any medical place at this point in time.

Helen: Is long-term psychotropic medication considered necessary after just one manic episode?

Dr. Roth: No. One can't determine that medication is needed on a long-term basis unless the patient has relapsed after a proper withdrawal of the medication.

David: I know it's getting late. I want to thank Dr. Roth for being our guest tonight. I know we had tons of questions and hopefully we can get to them at a future conference. Dr. Roth's website is at http://www.deardrroth.com.

Dr. Roth: Thank you very much for inviting me. I have enjoyed the conference very much and look forward to working with you in the future.

David: So everyone knows, we keep transcripts of all our conferences. You can find the list of topics here.

For a more detailed look at the various psychiatric medications, their effects and side-effects, you can check our psychiatric medications pharmacology.

I want to thank everyone in the audience for coming and participating. Good night everyone.

back to: General Mental Health and Psychiatric Medications Conference Transcripts ~ Other Conferences Index ~ HealthyPlace.com Homepage