Trigger mental health related regarding medication

[Bouncingbackphoenix]

Hi ive name changed as its personal.

I had a gp review drs upped me to citalopram 40mg last month which has helped a bit with depression.
Ive been struggling with sleep so today the dr added amitriptyline 10mg to take 1-2 at night to see if it will help.

Gp said to dh for me not to have the medication myself. I thought dh would ignore as he knows i would not over dose (tried 10 years ago would never take an overdose again)

We got home dh hid the pills. I then found them and have taken them.
I believe i should be entilted to have access to my own medication i am not going to take more than the recommneded dose at all and feel its very child like the way its all been handled. I am safe enough to look after 2 children most of the week surely i can deal with my own medication.

Dh is panicing he says if i did take them after the dr said that to him hed never get over the guilt of it. I am not suicidal but have been in the past.

Who is being unreasonable in these circumstances do you think.

Are you in the UK?
Seems a bit of an odd situation, one I’ve certainly never heard off. Have you ever been sectioned or tried to commit suicide? Is there a reason for him suggesting DP looks after your medication? But odd.

Amitriptyline 10mg is a v v v low dose. It’s used for nerve pain now at that low a dosage and a huge side effect of it is that it will make you sleepy.
Remember to take it early enough ie around 9pm as if you take it late at night you can feel groggy in the morning. Might take a couple of days to get used to.

I think there's no reason to suspect you would OD unless you'd mentioned anything to the GP about feeling like you might? (I'm presuming you didn't from what you've said).

Having said that, it obviously worried your DH and really it's lovely that he cares so much.

I am in the uk. I have never been sectioned. Not under a crisis team either (have in the past)

Waiting on cbt based therapy with mental health team was told to day it will take a year due to waiting lists.

I have tried 10 years ago. A few months ago i got a massive urge to go and went to but called samaritans and have had thoughts for a few months on and off but now i do not want to thoughts started fading last month. I want to live but i do struggle with feeling low alot and tired all the time.
Its strange as i was happily giving my own precriptions for years for different doses, different medicines including sleeping pills etc even when under the crisis team. Ive not attempted to ever take any more since my overdose when i was a teenager 10 years ago.

Was it a new GP? You will find that some take things like this a lot more seriously than others.
And ultimately they just want to keep you safe.

If you're happy that you aren't going to take too many and DH is able to believe you then all well and good right?

Gp looks in his 50s i think hes been at the practice since i moved there 5 years ago at least.

Dh isnt happy he does want to control the medication whilst i feel that means he does not trust me and treating me like one of our children. Hes been amazing and i really do understand his thoughts which is why we are sort of at a stand off with each other with what to do.

If I remember correctly amitriptyline can actually potentially make you suicidal when you first start taking them. Perhaps with that in mind and the increased medication at your last review, your GP was just being over cautious in a not very thought out way

Sorry I meant new to you, rather than newly qualified. Didn't word it very well!

OK OP this is a middle ground suggestion for you and your DP.

what size packet did your GP give you? 14 days? 30days?

Could you agree that enough for a couple of days will be left out and he will put the rest away safely for the short term?

Just until you see how the meds are working for you inc any adverse reactions and such.

then you can review the stance with your DP how to progress so you are both happy and feel comfortable.

Put it to your husband that you could walk to each pharmacist, supermarket and shop in your high street buy two packs of paracetamol in each then sit happily taking your plunder until you were no more and he would be none the wiser!!!! If you were suicidal even the best laid plans of your partner and go would not stop you.

Your gp was wrong to place that responsibility on your husband. You are an adult and with all due respect your medical records are private had you gone to the drs by yourself and he had prescribed you your meds’ what would your go have done then?? You are not obliged to discuss the medicine you take with anyone.

How is that going to make the partner of a depressed person who has recently been experiencing suicidal thoughts and who has actually attempted suicide feel??

I would say the DP that you are very lucky to have him and to know that he cares. You are fine but you understand what the GP said and it is no hardship to you to have him look after the medication. Once you feel better, as I hope you will, this will be a non-problem. Concentrate on that.

Amitriptaline has much worse effects than citalopram if you overdose, can induce cardiac arrest. Hence your doctor is concerned about your past history.

It's understandable your dh feels the weight of responsibility, it's only because he cares.

Maybe speak to your gp about your dh giving you a week at a time (which would still be too low a dose to worry about overdose I imagine) so you're not having to ask for one every day?

I hope start to feel better soon x

Gp gave me 2 boxes each with 28 10mg doses. Will give dh one box as a compromise so im not always asking him. He works in the evenings so i would need to have some to take 2 hours before going to bed.

Amitriptyline used to be prescribed as an anti depressant, but it needs in excess of 150mg doses to have that effect. Lower concentrations are good for nerve pain, and insomnia.
So it would be quite hard for you to overdose on the tablets you have available to you, which is why I'm not sure of the hesitation by the GP.

However it looks like you've come to a good compromise that will at least give your husband a feeling of reassurance.
Hope you're getting on with it ok, and that it is helping