I am not requesting feedback on this post; I'm using it to update my med and health situation.
I deeply regret that I haven't kept up with my thread. I do believe I would have saved myself a very frightening 6-8 weeks of severe illness.
Shortly after starting to take Luvox I had some uncomfortable indigestion. I knew it was the typical SSRI beginning side-effect. The indigestion turned into nausea. Mild, at first, then pretty bad. I felt between queasy and really sick all the time. In addition, I had what felt like a constant migraine. I still stuck with the Luvox.
Around that time I decided that I'd been on Gabapentin long enough, that it probably wasn't even doing much anymore. Furthermore, I thought it may be contributing to the nausea because the gel caps tend to upset my stomach. So I rather quickly, over about 10 days, titrated down on the Gabapentin. I went from 1800mg to 300mg. I was getting desperate because I felt so nauseated.
Finally, one night I became extremely nauseated and was vomiting intensely. Like a light went on, it hit me that the Luvox was causing the nausea. Also - I had been prescribed lithium, had been taking it for 6 days. I was very concerned when I became so ill, thinking that perhaps it was lithium toxicity.
I immediately stopped the lithium and I do not plan on going back on it.
Over 4 days I cut the Luvox down, a rapid stopping of a psych med, but I had to end the extreme nausea. The day after I stopped the Luvox I stopped being nauseated. But around the time I'd started vomiting I also began having diarrhea. It got worse and worse, to a point at which I couldn't eat.
I took a covid test, which was negative.
The diarrhea went on for weeks. I was able to drink water and sip Gatorade. I could more-or-less tolerate banana with high-probiotic yogurt. Pure coconut water was a blessing and probably kept me from serious dehydration. Plain rolled oats (oatmeal) with plain soy milk (no sugar, nothing else) and organic applesauce was tolerable. 2 slices of plain white toast and a glass of water was dinner during that time. An occasional Popsicle, just sugared ice & a flavor, was mostly okay. Plain white rice, a small amount. A 1/2 teaspoon of raw, local organic honey. That was it. Anything else I ate, my stomach would not tolerate.
And this went on for weeks. I was fatigued, shaky, and managing only basic chores and cat care, of course. Terrible body aches and muscle spasms. I had lost 6 lbs. in 3 weeks. My blood pressure was scarily low.
Finally, I saw a doctor, after talking with 2 advice nurses. The doctor ordered labs. My blood labs came back quickly and everything was normal, except slightly elevated liver enzymes. (AST 44 / ALT 100) My medication PA told me that the liver enzyme number just showed that my liver was stressed from having been so sick. I did stool samples, but haven't turned them in yet - and, God willing, I won't have to!
I was so terrified that I was researching madly online. Yesterday, I started putting things together and realized that it was the fast withdrawal from the Gabapentin that was causing the diarrhea.
Last night I took 600mg of Gabapentin. With my morning meds I took another 300mg of Gaba. Today my stomach has been calm and settled. No nausea, no diarrhea, no indigestion - for the first time in two months!
I feel blessed. Like I've been handed a miracle. Obviously, the fairly rapid withdrawal from the Gabapentin was too hard on my body AND apparently, the Gaba IS helpful for me, in that it soothes my forever IBS and myalgia. It also helps with anxiety.
I do believe that I am okay, now. It will take some patience to return to normal eating. I skated today, for the first time in a month, and it felt fabulous!
I will continue with the Gabapentin. It is helping me, truly.
MEDS
200mg Lamictal
1mg Klonopin, 2 times day
Metformin
Amlodipine
900mg Gabapentin (as of today)
25 to 50mg Seroquel for sleep