Symptoms of a Drug Prescription
Medication ♥ Nikki’s Story
Drug Prescription Journey
March 7, 2024 by Nikki and Anne Heart ♥ Nikki’s Story: Drug Prescription Journey
Although we wrote this post together, we have chosen to present the following journey through Nikki’s eyes.
Nikki’s Story:
Drug Prescription Journey
From the beginning, my depression treatment consisted mainly of a drug prescription plan with little counselling and very minimal blood testing.
Overall, my prescribed healthcare treatment followed a protocol drug program which included numerous SSRIs, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, atypical antipsychotics, SNRIs, sedatives, and controlled substances.
And with this type of healthcare plan, I rarely had any positive results. In fact, my mental and physical health continued to deteriorate.
So, after five years of a continuing unsuccessful prescription drug treatment plan, I once again switched to a new psychiatrist for my mental healthcare.
Under the care of my current psychiatrist for five months, I still had no positive results. His suggestion was to have my thyroid function tested with a simple blood test.
The blood test results showed my thyroid was in the normal range. However, I was informed that some people have a normal thyroid range, but in fact their symptoms may indicate otherwise. In my case, he felt I probably had hypothyroidism and recommended I take Liothyronine SOD, a medication to treat an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
Being eager to try anything to relieve the mental and physical pain I was in, I followed his instructions. He prescribed 5mg of Liothyronine SOD to be cut in half and taken once a day. Shortly after taking Liothyronine SOD, I started to have heart palpitations.
Henceforth, I was taken off of Liothyronine SOD in a short period of time.
Recognizing today the carelessness of my drug treatment plan by my prescriber and how serious this could have been, infuriates me.
First:
- I was never informed until years later by an endocrinologist that Lithium can mask the true thyroid function. Lithium was one of the first drugs prescribed to me.
- Routine blood testing is very important to monitor the level of Lithium in your body as well as possible side effects to your liver. Blood test weren’t prescribed as often as needed.
Second:
- A complete medical history was never fully checked by my healthcare prescribers.
- Years prior to being put on Liothyronine SOD, my dad was diagnosed with graves’ disease (hyperthyroidism) and had his thyroid ablated.
- Other blood relatives were also diagnosed with hyperthyroidism years prior to my experience.
- Shortly after withdrawing from prescription drugs, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.
Third:
- It was brought to my attention years later that thyroid disease can mimic mental illness.
- Unfortunately, as I was told by an endocrinologist, that the medical community frequently goes first to a mental illness drug prescription treatment plan before considering possible thyroid disease.
Most important to my journey:
- Recognizing the importance of adequate testing before taking a prescription drug.
- Realizing the need to learn self-help techniques.
- Acknowledging hidden triggers, such as chemical and food sensitivities.
- Awareness that self-care is important to your well-being.
- Understanding that living a healthier life-style may be a life-time commitment, but does not have to be life consuming.
Knowledge is key to wellness!
The goal is to live a happy and healthier lifestyle!
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
– Charles Darwin –
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Note: All information in “Nikki’s Story” are based on detail journals covering seven years of Nikki’s life on prescription drugs.
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