For many people, medication management offers relief from mental health symptoms. Finding the right medication means release from persistent harmful impacts of depression or anxiety. Medication management can also balance your experience if you have bipolar disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When you start the right medication, your life improves for the better.
Medications can also cause side effects. In some cases, side effects from your medication may worsen your quality of life. If your medication’s side effects feel worse than the symptoms you sought treatment for in the first place, something needs to change. What can you do about antidepressant side effects or other side effects from mental health medications?
At Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, LLC, of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Dr. Ronald P. Winfield understands how difficult it can be to manage your mental health while trying different medications. He offers pharmacogenomic (PGX) testing, as well as comprehensive mental health evaluation, to support you in finding the right medication, without any harmful or intrusive side effects.
Mental health medications address processes and chemicals in your brain to alleviate symptoms and allow improved functioning. But, as you likely know, medications such as antidepressants, antianxiety drugs, and antipsychotics can produce unwanted side effects, as well. And, you need the right medication to effectively address your symptoms. The wrong medication or diagnosis can actually worsen your mental health.
In some cases, a medication that’s not right for you can leave you feeling numb, lethargic, or disconnected from yourself and others. Some medications can also produce an uptick in suicidal thoughts.
It may be necessary to adjust your dosage or change your medication management plan in order to find a solution that fully works for you. Some medication side effects, such as unwanted weight gain, may be worth addressing in other ways, if the medication helps your mental health.
Dr. Winfield supports his new and existing patients in finding accurate mental health diagnoses and effective medication management plans. If you’re concerned about medication side effects, consult with him about how you can minimize your risks.
In order to determine if a medication is right for you, we start by ensuring that your psychiatric diagnosis is accurate. Then, we perform a comprehensive assessment of your mental health symptoms and personal health history. We can include PGX testing to learn more about your unique genetics and predict how common medications are likely to affect you.
Once you start medication, we continue to document your mental health, symptoms, progress, and side effects. You stay connected with your provider as you discover how well your medication works for you. If you need to stop taking a medication, we also provide monitoring and support as you safely taper off. We partner with your primary care provider to ensure that your medications are always safely coordinated and won’t cause side effects when taken together.
Our team typically recommends medication in combination with nonpharmacological approaches to mental health care, such as psychotherapy, for patients with mental health conditions. Medication management can help with conditions including depression, anxiety, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and insomnia.
For support with medication management, contact Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, LLC, online or over the phone today and schedule your initial consultation appointment.
