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Medication sensitivity

Posted , 6 users are following.

tracey16557
tracey16557

Hi, is anyone else here sensitive to medications. I struggle with anxiety and depression as well as ME but find it impossible to tolerate anti depressants. I sometimes take diazepam to help the anxiety and find that just 1 mg is enough to help me sleep and keeps me calm throughout the following day. Is this low tolerance of meds a symptom of ME?

Thanks

Tracey

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • elaine62759
    elaine62759 tracey16557

    Posted

    I have ME and am also hopeless with most medicines I've had from the doctor. I seem to get odd side effects with a lot of things that other people don't get. I normally try and avoid medicines if I can and see if there is a natural alternative. You could maybe try CBT/counselling to help with the anxiety and depression. Or you could try herbal remedies, changing your diet or relaxation techniques. Gentle yoga can also be helpful for both.

    • tracey16557
      tracey16557 elaine62759

      Posted

      It's nice to know it's not just me! The doctor is fed up with me, she says she's handing me a lifeline that I'm refusing to grab!! I've recently had a work capability assessment and they treat me as though I'm lying about my condition because I take as few meds as possible. I don't want a life of popping pills every day and only take them when I'm absolutely desperate.

    • elaine62759
      elaine62759 tracey16557

      Posted

      It might be worth trying to see a different doctor who is more supportive. I had a few really unhelpful doctors until I found one who was brilliant. He took the time to read through all my history, actually believed I was ill and really listened to me. Unfortunately he's due to retire soon so will have to try and find someone else that understands my illness.

      ?I would really recommend trying counselling of some sort for the anxiety and depression. I had both when I first had ME then lost my job through it and the doctor at the time tried to fob me off with a load of pills. I then found the better doctor who arranged CBT for me and told me about a free local counselling service. When you have ME it's common to be anxious and depressed as you suddenly have all these weird symptoms, no-one understands how you feel and you have worries about job security, money, relationships, etc. It can really help to talk to someone and get to the root of your fears rather than just masking your feeling with pills which give you side effects which will make you feel even worse!  

      ?You could also try writing down a list of your problems and see if you come up with any solutions you could work towards in small steps.

  • littleme1969
    littleme1969 tracey16557

    Posted

    Hi Tracey.. I have ME and POTS.. and yes general allergies and sensitivity to many things.. Its caused by a mast cell issue that most ME sufferers seem to have, also common with POTS and EDS.   I was like you for many years , refused to take anything, then as the years whizzed by and my health did not improve i decided to give meds a go. Haven’t looked back since.

    For low mood you can try St John’s Wort ..its really good and generally has little yo need issues with reactions etc.  You just have to make sure you take it with food and not the same time as any other meds.

    For sleep i was given a 10mg dose of ametriptyline .. works great also helps with low mood and anxiety. Only side effect i have ever had is it gives you a bit of an appetite.. Which for me was great as id had such issues with not being able to eat and nausea etc.

    For anxiety i recommend Propanolol 10mg .. once or twice a day its a beta blocker and really helps with fast heart rate and panic attacks as well as general anxiety. Again no reactions other than you get a bit of a dry mouth when you first start talking it but that soon goes.  Both meds are tiny doses but make a huge difference to the quality of life.

  • artistmike
    artistmike tracey16557

    Posted

    I have a lot of sensitivities to various drugs, in fact even the same drug, produced by a different manufacturer can cause me problems so my pharmacy know to be careful with my prescriptions when they are seeking cheaper generics.

    This type of sensitivity to drugs is a well known feature of ME/CFS and any doctor that knows about the condition should be well aware of the problem. If your doctor isn't, it's time to change your doctor to find one a little more aware of what's wrong with you, it's pure laziness on their part not to acquaint themselves fully with the condition that they are supposed to be treating.

  • KPD
    KPD tracey16557

    Posted

    I have the same problem, Tracey. Since I was diagnosed with CFS/ME 25 years ago, I've been sensitive to all anti-depressants and many other mideications. I can only tolerate a very low dosage of Doxepin-an older trycyclic anti-depressant that helps with sleep. I think this is a common problem. KPD

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