Psychiatry update!
China Medical University Hospital (branches in Taichung and Beigang) has done an admirable job in taking care of my anxiety and depression. I cannot get Vistaril, but they are giving me Xanax like the end of the world is nigh, which is good or bad depending on your viewpoint.
One experience worth recounting is that I ran out of Celexa and went abruptly onto Lexapro, which given the chemical similarity of the two medications, you’d think wouldn’t be a big deal. It was a big deal. A very big deal. I felt like shit-death for two weeks. Don’t do what I did. Ease off one to the other, even if you doctor doesn’t instruct you to do so.
Train to misery town. Mind the gap.
They are free and easy with the ambien. I take ambien more to ease evening anxiety than to sleep. My doctor kindly prescribed me Neurontin, which my old doctor cross-prescribed because it takes a bite out of the anxiety. I also got an Abilify kick, which is very helpful.
All in all, my experiences managing my anxiety and depression from the pharmaceutical stand point have been reassuring. My visits to the doctor plus medicine cost about $33 U.S. We really need socialized health care in the States.
Yet another expat's blog about Taiwan 