A Collaborative Approach to Well-Tolerated Treatment and Ensuring Medication Fits Your Life:
“It’s important that your medication works for you and your goals. If a medicine is helpful and doesn’t have any side-effects, we know it’s a good medicine. When there are issues with a medication, we can often fine tune things so that it agrees with you.”
-Dr. Dmitriy Geckman
When it comes to taking medications for mental health or any other health condition, how a medication fits into your daily life is just as important as its intended benefits.
Medications are meant to improve your quality of life, not diminish it by introducing challenging side effects.
Why Tolerability Matters
It’s one thing for a medication to be effective on paper; it’s another for it to genuinely improve your life. Effective treatment requires medications that work for your symptoms without causing unacceptable side effects. Your treatment plan should reflect a partnership with your healthcare provider, one that centers your experiences, needs, and lifestyle.
Navigating Side Effects Together
Even the most promising treatments can come with unexpected hurdles. Fortunately, there are many strategies to address side effects and improve tolerability:
Adjusting Dosage: Sometimes a simple change in the dosage can balance efficacy and side effects.
Timing of Medication: Taking medications at different times of the day can minimize unwanted reactions.
Lifestyle and Dietary Adjustments: Nutritional changes, hydration, and other lifestyle tweaks may lessen certain side effects.
Switching Medications: There are numerous alternatives if one medication isn’t working. Finding the right fit can take time, but it’s worth it.
Combination Therapies: Occasionally, adding a second medication can offset the side effects of the primary one.
Building a Trusting Relationship with Your Provider
One of the best predictors of treatment success is the strength of your relationship with your healthcare provider. Collaboration and sensitivity are key. Open conversations about how medications make you feel, what’s working, and what isn’t, help ensure that your treatment is adaptable and responsive to your life. This relationship should make you feel heard, understood, and confident in the plan you’re following.
Medications are tools meant to support your well-being. At New York Integrative Psychiatry your provider will partner with you to find the most effective and tolerable medication treatment plan. Schedule a session with us to start the conversation.