Symptoms of a Drug Prescription
Medication ♥ Nikki’s Story
Journey through Latuda
December 28, 2023 by Nikki and Anne Heart ♥ Nikki’s Story: Journey through Latuda
This week we continue our journey through the drug roulette time of Nikki’s healthcare treatment discussing the prescription drug, Latuda. Even though this journey lasted a very short time, the knowledge we provide you is significant to your wellness journey.
Although we wrote this post together, we have chosen to present the following journey through Nikki’s eyes.
Nikki’s Story:
Journey through Latuda
By 2014 I still continued to feel both physically and mentally unwell, so my healthcare provider added Latuda to the three drugs I was currently on.
Latuda, atypical antipsychotic, was in the same class of drugs I unsuccessfully tried before.
This time I was given 20 mg sample packets of Latuda to try before I was to fill a prescription.
At this point in my life, I have very little recollection of each of the many drugs prescribed to me to recall one negative effect from another.
According to my mom’s medication journal, Latuda made me sick from the beginning. It had the same negative effect as Zyprexa had on me.
After a few dosages, I was told by my healthcare provider to stop taking Latuda.
Again, I was prescribed a new drug, Topamax.
My life at this time was like participating in a game of drug roulette– adding a new drug, then taking it away.
By this time in my life, comprehension for me was pretty much non-existent due to the side effects from the drugs I was currently taking.
Because of this, I became easily persuaded that a new drug would work.
Even though the drugs I was on for years never made any positive progress in my health, I was convinced by my healthcare providers that these were my base medications and not to change them.
I trusted my healthcare provider, that what I was told was for the best. That the drugs I was put on time and time again, would work once the right “cocktail” was found.
Longing for relief from the pain I was constantly in, I grabbed onto any false hope I was given. And blindly trusted those giving it.
After years of misdiagnosis and treatment, I have a newfound awareness and understanding of the following:
- The term “cocktail” was lightly used by my healthcare providers to describe the combination of drugs being prescribed to me.
- The fact I would have significant withdrawals from my so called base medications, probably was the deterient why no healthcare provider tried to eliminate them from my treatment plan.
Tips for Awareness
Number 1:
- Before beginning a prescription drug treatment plan, be aware of your symptoms.
- Learn different treatment options.
- Have all appropriate blood testing done, such as thyroid levels, vitamin deficiencies, etc.
- Weight all pros and cons.
- Realize there are no quick fixes.
Number 2:
- Try to recognize any changes in your symptoms after taking a prescribed drug both positive and negative.
- Realize you may not see all the changes.
- Do you feel better or worse mentally or physically after taking the drug?
- Are you experiencing more positive or negative results from the prescribed drug?
- Should you continue on this medication or stop?
- Should you switch a prescribed drug with a new one?
- Should you add a new prescription drug to an existing one?
- If you are having negative effects, can you have hidden sensitivities that have not been looked at.
- Can your diagnosis be wrong?
Number 3:
When withdrawing off a medication, it may be difficult to recognize if it is a withdrawal.
- Withdrawals may last longer than your healthcare provider informs.
- Someimes when a medication is stopped abruptly, you can experience severe symptoms.
- Even when a medication is stopped as per guidelines, negative effects can occur.
Number 4:
Remember, we are all different.
If your healthcare provider doesn’t look at you as an individual, maybe you should question it.
Knowledge is key to wellness!
The goal is to live a happy and healthier lifestyle!
“Don’t listen to the person who has the answers, listen to the person who has the questions”
– Albert Einstein –
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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.
Medical Disclaimer:
We share informational resources that are intended to help you with your self-care plan. We are not professionals. We write based on personal experience and personal research.
Nothing on this Website is intended to be taken as medical advice. The information provided on the Website is intended to encourage, not replace, direct patient-health professional relationships. Always consult with your doctor before altering your medications. Adding nutritional supplements may alter the effect of medication. Any medication changes should be done only after proper evaluation and under medical supervision.
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