HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

question-icon

Is It Advisable To Take Marijuana For Manic Behaviour When Suffering From Depression?

default
Posted on Wed, 22 Jan 2014
Question: Hi- My boyfriend is apparantly taking quetiapine, fluoxetine, trazodone and d-amphetamine. He was diagnosed w/ depression a few years ago before I met him. He says it was b/c he got really stressed out at work and actually had to take a leave of absence for 2 month. Anyways since I met him 8 months ago he has been acting fine and I wouldn't have known he was on medication until a few times he took them after a break (skipped taking them) and he acted very strangely. Well he is acting strange again lately.. mostly later at night but it is starting to affect our relationship. He becomes disoriented, his eyes can't focus, he can't focus his thoughts, he loses his balance. He just becomes weird. It seems to have gotten worse lately b/c he doesn't eat all day and then takes his meds. I told him to see his doctor b/c his med should make him better... I feel like he is more bipolar on this stuff b/c he becomes a person who can't function at all. What should I do? Should he be taking all these different meds together? Does Marajuna make the affects worse?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Srikanth Reddy (6 hours later)
Brief Answer: Marijauna seems to be interacting with the meds Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query. I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through. Taking marijuana, even for medical reasons, is not advisable for patients with psychiatric illness as there is always a chance of abuse. Also there is a risk of intercation with other drugs. the combination of drugs that your boyfriend is on currently is accpetable and they are not too much, but yes it is likely that he is not tolerating them well. Also there is a possibility that marijuana may be interacting with the meds. Its advisable to discontinue the marijauna after discussing with your prescriber and then look if the symptoms are persisting. if they are then the drugs need to be reduced and the diagnosis reconfirmed. a person of depression will never behave in this way unless he has some psychosis as well. Your suspicion cannot be ruled out completely and yes it is possible that the story that your boyfriend is narrating may not be complete. Hope I am able to answer your concerns. If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you. If not, you may close the discussion and if possible you may rate the answer for me, so that I get a good feedback. In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link: bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy Wish you good health, Kind regards Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Srikanth Reddy

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2007

Answered : 2770 Questions

premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
Is It Advisable To Take Marijuana For Manic Behaviour When Suffering From Depression?

Brief Answer: Marijauna seems to be interacting with the meds Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query. I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through. Taking marijuana, even for medical reasons, is not advisable for patients with psychiatric illness as there is always a chance of abuse. Also there is a risk of intercation with other drugs. the combination of drugs that your boyfriend is on currently is accpetable and they are not too much, but yes it is likely that he is not tolerating them well. Also there is a possibility that marijuana may be interacting with the meds. Its advisable to discontinue the marijauna after discussing with your prescriber and then look if the symptoms are persisting. if they are then the drugs need to be reduced and the diagnosis reconfirmed. a person of depression will never behave in this way unless he has some psychosis as well. Your suspicion cannot be ruled out completely and yes it is possible that the story that your boyfriend is narrating may not be complete. Hope I am able to answer your concerns. If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you. If not, you may close the discussion and if possible you may rate the answer for me, so that I get a good feedback. In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link: bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy Wish you good health, Kind regards Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.