anti depressants

chris7

I know many of you have struggled with depression and am not sure what to do here.
I have been taking anti depressants on and off for years, though my doctor keeps changing them. Why? I am currently on mirtazapine for the last couple of months, she keeps putting the dose up. I have tried to ring the surgery Thurs and Friday morning as I needed another prescription only to get a recording saying the surgery is closed and to ring back Mon to Fri between 8 and 6. :? I stupidly had got down to my last two tablets. I know the surgery is moving to a new building soon but can't believe they would close for two days in the week without leaving cover! They do give an emergency number but wanting a prescription is hardly an emergency.
I am worried though as I know you are not supposed to stop taking tablets suddenly and I won't be able to get there until next Thursday when I am not at work. It has been a bad week for me generally with all sorts of problems, including being without the internet and still waiting to hear about physio appointments I am desperate for. I don't know what to do?
any advice appreciated.
Chris

frogmorton

Chris
I think you rpobably have to ring that number and just grovel! I agree with you and am almost certain you shouoldn't stop taking them like that.
Toni x

dorcas

Hi Chris,
i agree that you should phone the emergency number and get your meds.....although you think it's not an emergency. you really should not be without your anti depressants as they need to be taken continuously.

I have a son with bi polar disorder and when the same thing happened to him I phoned nhs 24 as the surgery was shut... when you phone you can select the option that you 'have run out of prescribed medication'. They arrange for you to pick up an emergency supply from a local pharmacy.

Honestly it's simple & no big deal to them.. best not to wait. iris x

angel1

Ring the number right now Chris. It IS an emergency! You can`t just go cold turkey with those meds.

See you in the cafe later. I`ll be checking up on you!!!!......Ange.

skezier

Hi Chris,

Right beside Ange here and will be checking you have rung them later as well Its better to just check and not leave it till monday. Luv Cris x

Starburst

Echoing the others, this is definitley an emergency. Pick up the phone, it will make your weekend much more bearable. I've been cold turkey on anti-depressants before and it's horrible, don't put yourself through that.

I hope you do decide to phone.

chris7

Thanks for your replies, very kind of you all

Am still not sure about the emergency number which will drag some on call doctor to somehow get a prescription to me.
Iris they did leave the NHS direct number on the recording as well, if you log on again is this the one you used for an emergency prescription for your son? I would feel much happier to do that. There is a local pharmacy where I live which opens tomorrow morning, perhaps they somehow phone it through? I do get my arther repeat prescriptions there, but the doc won't put the anti depressants on repeat at the moment. Don't think she trusts me!
I just feel so silly for assuming there would be someone at the surgery on one of the 2 days I phoned as there are 5 doctors there. I never imagined they would ever close.
Thanks again
Chris

trisher

Chris

I hope that you can get sorted Chris. Don't worry about calling a doctor, you need them.

Let us know how you get on.

love trish xx

chris7

Hi Trish and Jan

Thanks Jan that sounds like a solution, if I take my box they will know it's my prescription. At least they know me there so should be willing to do that. Will sort something first thing tomorrow.
thanks again all, didn't fancy going cold turkey.
Chris

dorcas

Hi again Chris,
Just logged back on for a mo...the number for nhs is 08454 24 24 24. Give at a go so you can hear the choices for yourself; one of the options is ' if you have run out of prescription drug' etc etc... so you will not be dragging a doctor out as it's all done on the phone!

..As Jan says, community pharmacy will give you some meds if the anti depressants are on a repeat but not sure if they will when it's not (if you follow what I mean) So nhs 24 might be your best option.

Anyway really glad that you are going to do something before Monday! Let us know. Irisx

chris7

Thanks Iris

I've noted the number, will get definately pull my head out of the sand and get something sorted tomorrow one way or the other. Think you might be right about them not being on repeat, even though it is a small local pharmacy who know me.
bless you
take care all
Chris

woodbon

Hi I hope that you will get some tablets as everyone said, you can't stop takeing them suddenly without side effects. I once went on holiday for a week without mine, I'd be fine, I thought, and in a way I was I wasn't ill and I didn't get suddenly depressed, but I had strange sensations lasting a few seconds. At first I thought it was just nothing very much, but by the time I got home I felt very odd. When I got in we rang the doctor, and he said I should have gone to a local doctor and the effects I had were minor, compaired with how they could have been. Its like suddenly turning off a switch in the brain, instead of slowly turning it off. I got a new prescription, I'd let myself run out, and within hours, I was feeling fine. I don't want to frighten anyone, but it means what it says on the label! Don't stop suddenly.

Stopping when I no longer needed them was just a gentle lowering of the dose and no problems. I hope all goes well for you, love Sue

chris7

Thank you Sue
Yes I knew I shouldn't stop suddenly which is why I was in a bit of a spin. Did that once before to my cost!
Just to say thanks again to you all, I saw the pharmacist at my local chemist this morning and after a phone call she was able to give me enough tablets to last until I can get an appointment with the doc. on Thursday. (I have kept the NHS number handy thanks Iris.) She was very sympathetic and understood I had been caught out with the surgery closure. She checked and they were closing for just those two days. Still feel a bit cross as they had only put this on their web site which I, and am sure alot of other people didn't see. I had no connection then. I will have to find the new building next week! Sounds like fun as 4 practices are all moving in the same building each with their own staff. :?
Thanks again for the support.
Chris xx

annie_mial

Just caught up with this, Chris, glad you are sorted - I'd hate to stop mine suddenly..........

Annie

joyful164

I was so glad when I decided to let the chemist do all my prescriptions for me. When I am getting low, I ring them, they go to the surgery for me, they collect them signed and hey presto, two days later, I just collect them. There has been the odd time when I have forgotten, so I have rung the chemist and they give me a few to help me until the prescription is renewed in the normal way.
If, in the future, I am unable to go to the chemist because I am ill, they will deliver the drugs to me door.
I think there comes a time, when you are on several drugs a day, like me, you need to keep some sort of drug caddy - where you can make up your doses for two weeks at a time. You can buy them from most chemists and, if you are dependent on them, your usual chemist will make them up for you. Can be costly, but sometimes the NHS will pay for this service for you if you are on benefits etc.

Joy

dorcas

chris7 wrote:

I saw the pharmacist at my local chemist this morning and after a phone call she was able to give me enough tablets to last until I can get an appointment with the doc. on Thursday.
Chris xx

Great news!!! Iris x ':D'

joyful164

That's great Chris. It's amazing just how much your pharmacist can do for you these days. You can almost make an appointment with them for most problems and they can give so much help and advice, plus numerous tests for diabetes, cholelstrol.

Do hope you can sort out about coming off anti depressants soon through your gp. It's great when you do not have to depend on them anymore. When I went to the Pain Clinic earlier this year because of bad nerve pains, all they wanted to do was put me on anti-depressants, which, thinking they would help me, just made me so ill. Despite keeping on them for a couple of weeks, I had to stop them. They do not suit everyone. In this case, the pain clinic got it wrong and didn't help me at all.
Joy

woodbon

Hi, Chemists are good at that sort of thing if you know them really well. All sorted then! Love Sue

chris7

Thanks Annie, Joy Iris and Sue
Just wanted to acknowledge your responses. You are right Joy the my local chemist is very helpful and I do get my arther meds on repeat so easily now. Unfortunately I don't think I will be coming off the anti depressants just yet. Have seen two counsellors, when the second one left too it kinda threw me and couldn't face the three month waiting list again!. You might say "to lose one counsellor is unfortunate, to lose two seems like carelessness!"
To be serious here though, I have found that finding this site and all the friendly, welcoming people I met on the forums has honestly made me feel so much better than any pills could do. I sincerely hope others who have health problems much greater than mine find something of the same comfort when they need it.
thanks again for all the responses. Today has been a good day.
Chris

Wonkylegs

HI Chris,

just catching up on this thread as been away.

Noticed that the number Iris gave you is the one for NHS 24 which is for Scotland (She is in Scotland) but I think you would need to ring NHS Direct which is for England 0845 46 47

glad you got sorted though! good luck with the new surgery!

I have been taking antidepressants for years now - and I certainly know if I miss one by mistake :shock: not a good idea to run out!

My hubby carries a single dose of his antidepressants with him to work now, as two years ago he was caught out when the floods round here meant that he couldn't get home & was left without meds :shock: :shock: which did not go down well.

chris7

Bless you Wonky

Am doing my late night lurk as usual and was just wondering how you were and hoping your weekend away went well. Will make a note of that number in case I need it in future but am sorted for the moment and seeing the doc Thurs.
Many thanks
Chris

dorcas

OOoops!! sorry Chris ':oops:'

Forgot that not everyone lives in Bonnie Scotland......must have been the Heeland air affecting my brain!!!!

some friend I turned out to be, giving you the wrong info.':roll:'

thanks wonky for the rescue':)'

so glad you are feeling better though Chris.

iris x

Wonkylegs

don't mention it Iris - I hope you didn't mind me saying .... they just like to confuse us, and it certainly doesn't take much to confuse me some days

It is sad that we all need to know the numbers off by heart eh? :roll: mind you they don't like me ringing NHS direct as they always panic when I give them a list of my meds :oops: :oops: