med change

[mle-sober]

I'm Bipolar I - 39 yrs old and 157 pounds. I'm currently taking:

Lithuim 300 at night and 300 in morning
Seroquel 600 at night
Depakote 500 at night
Ativan 1mg at night, another if needed during the day for anxiety

A month ago, I was having some mania and that's when the Depakote got added. And just a few days ago, I was having some depressive symptoms and that's when they put the Seroquel from 300 to 600.

I feel so overmedicated. I'm afraid of the side effects. I don't have good balance, my hands shake and I have a feeling of sort of like a full head, I don't know how to describe it. It's a Depakote feeling for me.

I guess my question is does this med cocktail seem like too much or have others had similar cocktails? Thanks.

[historyteach]

MileSober;

You should really talk to your doctor about this.
No one can give that type of information over the internet. No one here can - or should - override your doctor.

Generalized information and shared experience is shared here. But, no one can tell you if your med regieme is "too much."

That's between you and your doctor.
Please do talk to him/her.

But, you're welcome to share your own ESH -- experience, strength and hope.
We'd love to get to know you.

Shalom!

[mle-sober]

"I guess my question is does this med cocktail seem like too much or have others had similar cocktails? Thanks."

That's too specific? I'm obviously not asking anyone to override my doctor. I'm asking for generalized information about taking multiple drugs at the same time and feeling overmedicated and afraid of side affects.

Of course I've talked to my doctor.

[historyteach]

Did your doc prescribe this cocktail?
Then, if you ask ""I guess my question is does this med cocktail seem like too much..."
then, you're asking someone to second guess your doc over the net.

And that's not possible.
I'm sorry.

You say you've talked to your doc. What has been the response, and are you satisfied with it?
If not, what's your plan of action?

Of course, generalized information about any drugs are welcomed. Mixing them, though, requires pharmacology information. That is beyond the scope of this forum, for the most part. Your pharmacist can be helpful there, though, even more than the doc, (believe it or not!)

If you feel overmedicated, you should talk to your doc, and let him/her know. JMHO.

Shalom!

[mle-sober]

Hmmm.. I guess I was hoping for something different from this forum. Oh well.

[historyteach]

I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, mle-sober.
But we share our experience, strength and hope, (ESH), here.
We are not doctors, or pharmacists.
And it would be inappropriate to give medical information over the net.

Please don't accept medical information over the net either.
No one here knows your medical background, or your present medical state. Nor does anyone here have the medical knowledge to give any type of knowledgeable answer to your questions.

ESH. That's what we share. I hope you will share some with us.

Shalom!

[mle-sober]

Ummm... just for the record, I totally get it that it would be inappropriate to give medical advice. You keep misunderstanding what I was hoping for. What I was hoping for was some "ESH" regarding the feelings of being overmedicated while taking a heavy cocktail of serious psych drugs. Never, for a sec, did I ask for or expect medical advice. I think it's just the way I worded it and the way you read it we got our signals crossed and now I really don't have the patience to try to communicate with you about it any longer. So, thanks anyway.

By way of maybe helping for next time - next time, you might ask the poster what they are looking for instead of just coming in so heavy with the statement about no medical advice and ask your dr. I'm a fairly new poster and maybe I shared too much info and so it triggered your reaction. I think there would've been a way to do that without essentially shutting me down and then adding hearts and flowers.

[historyteach]

I'm sorry if you think I "shut you down." That is never my intent.

I can personally relate to being over medicated. Many years ago, I was stoned out of my gourd. I literally couldn't put three sentences together in a coherent manner. I was told I was permenantly disabled and to go on disablility!

I took their meds, along with their advice, and threw them away. Actually, I bagged the meds up and gave them to my family doc and told him to kept them, that I didn't want them, with the exception of the antidepressant. I knew I was depressed. Only then did I begin to get my life back.

So, yes, I can completely relate to being overmedicated. And I'm very sorry if our wires crossed. I hope this share helps.

Shalom!

[TiredMama]

I think it depends on how you are feeling about it. You say you feel overmedicated so I would talk to the doc about it and make him/her listen to you.

Also, not trying to add flowers and hearts or whatever, but some people have given out some hard core medical advice (I have seen it) and that person followed through with everything they said, like it was set in stone.

It's hard to express feelings over typing and things come out wrong on the 'net.

[mle-sober]

Ok - thanks. I have talked to my doctor and she's adament that I need this particular cocktail at this time. I think it's because there are so many things going on in my life right now (surrendering to the fact that I'm an and alcoholic and being in recovery - my husband very seriously contemplating divorcing me because I was lying to him about my alcohol) and when I have mania, I have very severe mania.

I get the feeling she's just wanting to keep me very well controlled and maybe that's a good thing for now. But it's scarey to take all these drugs and it sucks to have all these side effects. Hopefully, a year from now I'll be in a better place and be able to back down off of some of them. That's what I'm hoping for.

Thanks for responding. Sorry I was a bit of a witch last night. I'm feeling really emotional and lost over it all. I'll be okay though. Thanks.

[nandm]

I can completely understand your doctors concern. Many people find that they have mental health problems in early sobriety. For some people those things go away with time but for many they do not. Many people often even exhibit symptoms of bi-polar in early sobriety. This is due to the many changes the brain and body are going through as we withdraw from the alcohol. A good website for information on the effects of withdrawl on the brain is this
Post Acute Withdrawl - Relapse Prevention Specialists - TLC The Living Center

Take care. Don't stress too much about the medications right now, work on the sobriety as that will help in the most in the long run. The meds can be adjusted later when your brain chemistry has stabilized.

Please do not mistake my experience for medical advice. This is just my opinion and experience. Always listen to your doctor first and formost.

[Done_With_It]

I'm not sure if it was said yet. I had a similar experience.
I felt over medicated, and it kept getting worse, my doc
insisted I needed everything I was on.
I went and got a 2nd opinion and a full medical check up.

My 'gut' instinct was right to go get a 2nd opinion.

Like Tired Mama said, make whoever it is listen to you.

{{Hugs}}
I can relate to the frustration of meds..... I'm sorry your going
through this. Keep fighting for yourself no matter how hard it is.

:ghug

[TiredMama]

Originally Posted by mle-sober

Ok - thanks. I have talked to my doctor and she's adament that I need this particular cocktail at this time. I think it's because there are so many things going on in my life right now (surrendering to the fact that I'm an and alcoholic and being in recovery - my husband very seriously contemplating divorcing me because I was lying to him about my alcohol) and when I have mania, I have very severe mania.

I get the feeling she's just wanting to keep me very well controlled and maybe that's a good thing for now. But it's scarey to take all these drugs and it sucks to have all these side effects. Hopefully, a year from now I'll be in a better place and be able to back down off of some of them. That's what I'm hoping for.

Thanks for responding. Sorry I was a bit of a witch last night. I'm feeling really emotional and lost over it all. I'll be okay though. Thanks.

Dude don't apologize for that!! We all have our moments.

I really hope your doc can help you out with this. I know it's frustrating. About the mania, I can relate too. The meds seem like too much but yet not enough etc. etc. The emotions are just mixed and it is wild.

Hang in there

[unbroken]

Lamictal seems to have the most patient satisfaction and least side effects, I would ask her about it on the next appointment, JMHO.

[nandm]

It has worked well for me. The biggest side effect is the dry mouth for me but that goes away within hours of taking it.

[knittinggal]

I'm finally happy with the cocktail of meds I am on. I actually found a new p-doc not too long ago. I was left to my own devices when I got pregnant with my little one to come off of my meds, it was horrible.

This new cocktail consists of lexapro, lamictal and seroquel. I finally don't feel drugged and it works for me.

I would definitely recommend getting a 2nd opinion, finding a new p-doc. Like others, I'm so glad I did.

[unbroken]

I will 2nd knittinggal on the Lexapro, it's the best antidepressant I've ever been on. "L"'s must be Lucky or something LOL! Lexapro and Lamictal, high patient satisfaction with those two : )

[mle-sober]

Thanks everyone. That was all so helpful. I feel empowered to try getting some levels done by my primary doc, at least. If the levels are ok, then I think I'll wait to see if the sideeffects lessen over time - sometimes they do. If they don't, then I'll go back to the doc who prescribed and try to be a little more assertive about the side effects.

This morning, I couldn't drive my kids to school because I was so heavily medicated still. I was stumbling and couldn't barely use my hands. So, obviously, that's not acceptable.

I have tried Lamictal but I got a strange rash that I'd never seen before. Even though it probably wasn't the big Lamictal rash that can kill you, they took me off immediately. I will ask about Lexapro.

Again, thank you. Hope you all had good days! It was snowy here and pretty. And I was feeling calmer so.... I trudge on.