Wonderful.Cheese Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 So, just how bad for our bodies are these medications that we take? I saw my sleep dr and she has me very paranoid. She said that ritalin can ruin your heart and since I "may be on it for the rest of my life" I would need constant EKG's (? the heart tests). And to possibly see a cardiologist. She was all gung-ho about getting me on a stimulant and now she is acting pissy towards me. She kind of scolded me like I was a bad child. I guess I'm not supposed to contact them if I have a problem or get frustrated at starting with a baby dose of 5 mg a day at the beginning. She was pretty damn rude to me. Dr's I tell ya! They all have the god-complex. She kept saying, "remember, we are on your side!" Well I'm sorry but I don't buy it. I've never had a dr "on my side" before and I don't expect it to happen. It's made me very crabby. I was in such a good mood! So wtf am I supposed to do? Constant EKG's? Last one was over $200 with insurance. We can't afford constant $200 bills. Plus seeing a cardiologist too? That's another bill. She "appreciates that that is just another bill." Whatever. Like a rich dr cares about a poor patient's bills. I've got conflicting advice from my sleep dr and my pdoc. I'm not sure what to do. Is sleeping 18 hours a day worse for my health than taking ritalin for years to come? I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surreal Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Well... it's true that stimulants can cause problems with your heart. Not always, but it IS a possibility. An increase in your heart rate, high blood pressure, arrythmias, etc... If you plan on being on them the rest of your life like your sleep doc said, you'll definately want to have the EKG's done regularly. They want to make sure you don't develop a deadly heart arrythmia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Lousy choices, cheese. I wish there was an alternative that would allow you to stay awake that didn't need such close monitoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianthus Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 (edited) Regular EKGs probably means once or twice a year. It's for your safety that you get them. I know the bills suck but it's smart to have the EKGs as you get older. All meds have risks. You have to evaluate whether those risks are worth it for you. Edited May 4, 2015 by dianthus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 My heart rate is fine, blood pressure is spot on, etc. So I guess I just don't know who to trust. Regular EKGs probably means once or twice a year. It's for your safety that you get them. I know the bills suck but it's smart to have the EKGs as you get older. All meds have risks. You have to evaluate whether those risks are worth it for you. That's just it. I don't know if the risks are worth it vs. a quality of life kind of thing. Maybe I should just be off all meds? I don't know! I'm very confused now and feeling not trusty of anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianthus Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 You're very unstable right now. I wouldn't make any decisions and rely on your care team as much as you can right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilemma Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 It sounds like the doctor is trying to scare you. I googled "Ritalin and Heart Problems" and it looks like they recommend you get a baseline EKG and then in the future if you start having symptoms like heart palpatations you should get another. I was on Geodon for a long time and it can cause heart problems, that's what I did. I haven't figured out what kind of training a sleep doctor gives. I have had one that was a neurologist and another couple that were pulmonologist, so I don't know how much experience a sleep doctor would have with having patients on Ritalin. I would talk to the doctor that prescribes your Ritalin as to what he/she thinks as a second opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Should I take the ritalin like I'm supposed to and see if we can afford the EKG's? If not I will have to give up the ritalin. Go back to sleeping all day, etc. Also, do I trust my bad pdoc and shitty care team or my decent sleep dr (who maybe just had an off day today)? Should I push for another pdoc like I've asked many times before? He literally is taking me off of effexor which I've been on for close to a decade. Very confused right now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 It sounds like the doctor is trying to scare you. I googled "Ritalin and Heart Problems" and it looks like they recommend you get a baseline EKG and then in the future if you start having symptoms like heart palpatations you should get another. I was on Geodon for a long time and it can cause heart problems, that's what I did. I haven't figured out what kind of training a sleep doctor gives. I have had one that was a neurologist and another couple that were pulmonologist, so I don't know how much experience a sleep doctor would have with having patients on Ritalin. I would talk to the doctor that prescribes your Ritalin as to what he/she thinks as a second opinion. Very interesting! Thank you! My sleep dr is a or was a pulmonologist and also the one who prescribes the ritalin for narcolepsy/hypersomnia. Pdoc is the one who is saying to not take the ritalin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surreal Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Did your sleep doc say how regularly you would need the EKG's done? If it's a couple times a year or something like that, would that be affordable? Hopefully she didn't mean like at every appt or every month. But the others are right, all meds have side effects, you just have to weigh the risks. But I totally understand where you are coming from! I really do! I am absolutely terrified of some of the side effects of these meds we take. But I'm going to discuss it with my pdoc soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 She did not say how often I Need them done surreal. so I'm not sure. Also, I never had to do an EKG with provigil. Should I just give that med another go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 If you ask me, it seems that your doctors want you off the Ritalin. That may be due to your recent instability which Ritalin can fuel in some people. I would take this into consideration if I were you. You might lose your AD because you want to hold on to the Ritalin. I take Ritalin, but I don't get EKGs. Maybe that is due to negligence or laziness on the part of my doctors ... I don't know. But I was led to believe that Ritalin is a very safe stimulant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 When I was on Ritalin awhile ago, I don't remember every having to get an EKG. But with geodon, like dilemma, I had heart issues and had to go off of it. I did have EKGs with that med. I'm on provigil now, and pdoc has me have an EKG every once in awhile ... but I'm not sure if that is for the provigil or just because of the amount of meds I am on that might all as a whole mess with my heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Septimus_001 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I am absolutely terrified of some of the side effects of these meds we take. ^^So am I... In my experience, doctors tend to emphasize certain side-effects and avoid mentioning others depending on the situation. My sleep dr is a or was a pulmonologist and also the one who prescribes the ritalin for narcolepsy/hypersomnia. Pdoc is the one who is saying to not take the ritalin. If you’re manic you probably shouldn’t be on a stimulant. It has already been suggested in another thread, but for what it worth, I’d take your pdoc’s advice. Even if he is an asshole, which seems like it often comes with the territory. Sorry I can’t think of a better way to ask this... Does your sleep doctor know that your pdoc doesn’t want you on ritalin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I've never been told to get EKG's on Ritalin. I do get an EKG on my yearly physical and it's been fine since I started Ritalin 2 years (so 2 physicals) ago. I do have sinus tachycardia (a pulse over 100) but I've always had that. It's actually lowered from being around 120 to 105 or so. I've had all the tests done (EKG, echo, holter monitor) and nothing comes up, so my docs just put that as my baseline and don't worry. I can see it causing tachycardia, but not really anything else. Some antipsychotics cause long QT and they don't have you having "constant" EKG's. So I think that it's a bit ridiculous about the Ritalin. But it is better safe than sorry, but it's something I've never been told. I'm glad you're off the Ritalin. I hope the mania fades away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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