Forum: workplace.stackexchange.com
Tags: <human-resources><mental-health><personal-problems>
Title: Should I tell my boss that I'm stopping a medication that affects my mood?
Question: I've been taking sertraline for about 3 years, and this year I, with the supervision of my psychiatrist, decided to stop taking it by reducing the dosage slowly. Some of the common symptoms of sertraline withdrawal are ( taken from here ):   anger  irritability  confusion  dizziness  sleepiness  depression   I don't know how I specifically will be affected, or if my productivity will be affected. Should I tell my boss or HR about it?

Answers:
sents: text: I had TERRIBLE withdrawal from sertraline.
text: SO.... Don't just quit without the supervision of your doctor TELL NOBODY ON THE JOB.
text: It's not their business
text: Be prepared to take a sick day or two if you're not feeling right.
text: Even with your Psychiatrist dropping you down slowly, you can still get withdrawal, be very aware of the side effects and if you feel them coming on, address them.
text: The bathroom is always a good choice, or go home if they get too bad Discuss all of this with your psychiatrist If HR or your boss takes notice of any of this, get a note from your psychiatrist and bring that to HR. Do not say anything other than the fact that you are under a doctor's care, and "here's the note"
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/46894/Old_Lamplighter
score: 38
sents: text: If the side effects are going to be intense (they sound pretty serious), then maybe you should consider going on medical leave while you sort yourself out (discuss this with your psychiatrist).
text: If however, you're going to keep going in to the office, then you may indeed wish to inform your boss and/or HR that you're transitioning off some medication (with the blessing of your medical professional), and may experience some side effects which they should know about.
text: This situation is tricky because you would be voluntarily disclosing medical information.
text: However, if you suddenly snap and yell at someone in the office it might not hurt for your boss to be aware that you don't "mean it", and might need some time alone to compose yourself, or to head home for the remainder of the day.
text: Either way, I would strongly suggest taking a few days off and monitoring your reaction to the withdrawal.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/43772/AndreiROM
score: 22
sents: text: Never tell anyone except your closest family about changes in your medication.
text: If you tell our boss or co-workers that you are going off sertraline, they are going to look up the drug to find out what to expect.
text: Having read all about its indications and effects, they will naturally assume you will now exhibit anger, irritability, confusion, dizziness, sleepiness, or depression.
text: Confirmation bias will set in and at least some of them will believe you are presenting these symptoms, even as you actually become more forgiving, calm, focused, alert, awake, and motivated.
text: (Of course, on the positive side, they will also see you as less thirsty, more trim and fit, better rested, and more potent -- assuming they have read up on the side effects.)
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/12925/A. I. Breveleri
score: 9
sents: text: A lot will depend upon your relationship with the boss and the size of the company and its HR department.
text: It may be helpful to tell those with whom you have a lot of interaction (including your boss) that you are going to be changing some medications and that you don't expect any problems, but there's a possibility of adverse reactions that might require using a different treatment.
text: Don't go into specifics about what is being changed; there's no particular reason your boss or coworkers should need to know or care.
text: What is important is that they understand that if they notice adverse changes in your mood or other such problems and they let you know, you will be able to pass that information along to your doctor so he can try something else.
text: If stopping the medication does adversely affect your work performance, you will need to talk to your doctor to figure out how to address the problem, but that would be a medical issue more than a workplace one.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/25540/supercat
score: 3
sents: text: You don't say where you are based, but if it's somewhere with disability discrimination legislation then by not disclosing your mental health issues you have no protection under the law.
text: I would recommend always letting HR know about health issues, and usually warn my boss and colleagues about medication changes if it might affect my behaviour at work.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/36907/Ian Turton
score: 1
sents: text: Let's assume next week you act angry, irritable, or confused.
text: All not things that are particularly liked in the workplace.
text: Ask your doctor whether you would know if that happens (and if it is safe to restore the original dose if that happens).
text: If your doctor tells you that you might behave in a way that is not appropriate for the workplace, without realising it, then it might be safer if someone who works with you and who you can trust knows what's going on and saves you from getting into trouble.
text: HR or your boss if he doesn't work with you directly might not be the right person.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/16101/gnasher729
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Many people recommend informing your boss and colleagues that you might experience some side-effects that could affect your work. However, it does depend on your relationship with your boss and colleagues. Other people argue that you should never tell people at work about medication you are on.
The answer to this question will largely depend on your relationship with your boss and the overall culture of the company, but even still, the answer will be subjective. Some people wouldn't advise mentioned health issues to people in a work setting. Other people feel that it would be best to mention any personal issues that might affect your work to either your boss, HR or both.