[MujerTriste]

Hello everyone. Im here still desperate and depressed. So I went to my Pdoc to get off lithium. I was sure that once I listed my side effects she would taper me down. I was assertive at first but then it all fell apart and I crumbled. She said "just for a little while" bla bla. "we need to be careful" bla bla... and then she put me on two more medications. I can't take it anymore. I have medication fatigue. Not to mention I think I am going to bust my kidneys and end up on dialysis with this list of meds. I am going to post my list of meds. Can someone please help me figure out what to do. I am so deep into it now I don't feel like I can't climb out. I am lost and overwhelmed.
Thyroid:
Synthroid 175 mcg daily ADD 50 mcg on Sunday only

Mood:
Oxcarbazepine 600 mg BID
Lamotrigine 50 mg daily
Lithium 10 ml (600 mg) BID
Lexapro 1 mg daily
Risperidone 0.5 mg daily then 1 mg HS
Klonopin 0.75 mg daily

Sleep:
Lunesta 3 mg HS

Other:
Acyclovir 400 mg BID
Metformin 500 mg BID
Vitamin D 50,000 IU once per week
Allegra 180mg PRN

Supplements:
Fish oil
Tumeric
Caprylic Acid

[Justugh]

my answer is a harsh one

call your doctor up and tell her u want a copy of all your records take them and go to another doctor or go to the hospital and check self in

the doctor did not listen to what u told her and she is risking your health ( u feel this)
take your files to a 2nd doctor have them look at it tell them the same thing u told her ..........then u will know if u want to go back to that old doctor or file a complaint with the medical board

some doctors are good and trying to help with what u got .......other doctors have checked out and just load u up on pills to control yah ............i have had both

but your best bet to feel better quicker is to check yourself into the hospital they can do blood draws check lvls and alter what u are on to something more effective with less side effects

your in a legal state ..........ask about alternative meds .........it worked for me for many years when the pills made me a zombie or got to toxic lvls (i lost most of my hair from depakote)

[Little Lulu]

Can you find a new doc and get a second opinion? You do not have to accept what feels unacceptable to you.

Are you ramping up on lamictal? If so, that could be why she wants you to delay getting off lithium. That is what I'm doing, and it takes several weeks, but once I'm at the goal on lamictal, my pdoc said there is no need to taper off lithium--that it can just be stopped. The only risk is if there's no substitute mood stabilizer in place.

HOWEVER, if your pdoc does not have a plan in place to get you off lithium once your lamictal is at therapeutic level, then I agree with others to find another pdoc. That's already quite an extensive cocktail you're taking, and the bottom line is that you feel miserable. That is not acceptable. Period.

[Victoria'smom]

How are you doing with taking Oxcarbazepine, & Lithium 2x a day?

Which medications were just added?

Lexapro 1 mg daily
Risperidone 0.5 mg daily then 1 mg HS
Klonopin 0.75 mg daily
Lamotrigine 50 mg daily

Do you like and trust that dr?

[MujerTriste]

Thanks you guys. I am normally really good at standing my ground but since this depression I have become very vulnerable. I am at my 5th month of severe depression and I am close to loosing everything because of it. I do feel toxic. I have had my lithium level checked and it is 0.6 so I am ok in that respect. But nothing seems to be pulling me out of this depression. I don't even know how to find another pdoc. I have been with her for almost 14 years. I have such a long history with her I feel like she's the only one who understands me and knows what I have been through. But the medications are getting out of control and I feel like I am at the mercy of all these chemicals. I have always been very compliant. Never went off my meds or anything like that. But I am afraid of destabilizing if I go off anything at this point. She said my brain is a ticking time bomb and any slight change will make me worse. Ugh

[MujerTriste]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

How are you doing with taking Oxcarbazepine, & Lithium 2x a day?

Which medications were just added?

Lexapro 1 mg daily
Risperidone 0.5 mg daily then 1 mg HS
Klonopin 0.75 mg daily
Lamotrigine 50 mg daily

Do you like and trust that dr?

I like and trust her but I am starting to doubt everything. I just started lamotrigine and am going up on it. Lithium started 4.5 months ago and risperidone I started last week.

I am doing terrible but I have been terrible for months. its just a matter of degrees of terrible

[jack123]

At my worst and I get bad I have never been on that many meds at once. I understand not wanting a new Dr but I would still get another opinion

[MujerTriste]

Originally Posted by Justugh

my answer is a harsh one

call your doctor up and tell her u want a copy of all your records take them and go to another doctor or go to the hospital and check self in

the doctor did not listen to what u told her and she is risking your health ( u feel this)
take your files to a 2nd doctor have them look at it tell them the same thing u told her ..........then u will know if u want to go back to that old doctor or file a complaint with the medical board

some doctors are good and trying to help with what u got .......other doctors have checked out and just load u up on pills to control yah ............i have had both

but your best bet to feel better quicker is to check yourself into the hospital they can do blood draws check lvls and alter what u are on to something more effective with less side effects

your in a legal state ..........ask about alternative meds .........it worked for me for many years when the pills made me a zombie or got to toxic lvls (i lost most of my hair from depakote)

I might end up in the hospital soon. Unfortunately where I live you have to be really really bad to get admitted. There are thousands of people in my city that belong in the hospital roaming the streets. They would never take me like this

[Justugh]

it is time to get a new doctor
1 no doctor should ever say that to a person it just stresses them out more
2 the amount she has u on seems to be more drug u up then treatment and learning skills
3 that amount of time on the amount of drugs ........sorry ****** doctor point is to get as normal as u can

San Francisco Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists: Psychotherapists in San Francisco, CA, California

i used your san fran as the start point there are 55 listed .......that was one google search

but the doctor does not sound right to me ...........i been under a doctor or something since i was 12 i understand depression but doctors i have seen the longest 5 years they are all about keeping u lvl and they go down one set path of teaching u cooping methods they use

it does not sit right 14 years this cocktail of drugs and your reactions and what u said she said

[Justugh]

to see a doctor in the hospital is easy

u go in and tell the check in person u are have a mental health crisis............they will take blood pressures and back ground normal stuff ......they get u to turn in all your stuff and go down to underwear get the hospital clothes they take your blood for test (butter fly needle normally) and u will sit there and wait for hour or so so they can watch u the doctor comes in u guys talk

u need to bring a list of all your pills your dose and the doctors ......empty bottles ok
u need insurance card or letter

tell the doctor how u are feeling what u are on and u are feeling worst/like crap ..........they will reorder blood work and want a sample of urine ...........they will tweak what u are taking and give u something or take u off things

this is not my first time going in for being on a massive amount of meds and the reactions in self turned worst ..............u will not be in trouble .......they will not yell .......they are happy u did this it shows u are normal and making logical choice there for they allow u out once they finish the work ............unless they need to keep u for a week to monitor reactions

i am only telling yah because feeling like crap for to long becomes normal ............it made u post in here so go get it fixed before it becomes normal

[MujerTriste]

Originally Posted by Justugh

it is time to get a new doctor
1 no doctor should ever say that to a person it just stresses them out more
2 the amount she has u on seems to be more drug u up then treatment and learning skills
3 that amount of time on the amount of drugs ........sorry ****** doctor point is to get as normal as u can

San Francisco Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists: Psychotherapists in San Francisco, CA, California

i used your san fran as the start point there are 55 listed .......that was one google search

but the doctor does not sound right to me ...........i been under a doctor or something since i was 12 i understand depression but doctors i have seen the longest 5 years they are all about keeping u lvl and they go down one set path of teaching u cooping methods they use

it does not sit right 14 years this cocktail of drugs and your reactions and what u said she said

Thank you for your help. I am going to reevaluate things and get serious about owning my health

[Justugh]

Originally Posted by MujerTriste

Thank you for your help. I am going to reevaluate things and get serious about owning my health

my trick is slow burn anger ............when i am feeling like crap no energy no motivation to do anything other then sleep .......i force myself to get pissed and start fighting back at it (trick is not to be manic and go over board on the fight)........figure out what is wrong and work to change it there by changing u and how u feel ........just rem to be polite and respectful to ppl that are trying to help ......the others blocking the way use your willpower vs theirs and make them move out the way

welcomes ......hope it helps

[~Christina]

Good grief

You are a walking pharmacy. I am so sorry that you are in this situation. Sadly your not the first person that I have seen on so many medications... Sometimes psych meds in particular tend to get layered on one after another and even tho all the info is there in front of a Pdoc things can and do get over looked.

I'm sure you are just plain wore out and it would cause you to crumble under all the stress. Do you have someone that can go with you ? Someone that can speak up if you start to fade or the pdoc just isn't "hearing" whats being said?

My opinion is your over medicated psych and medical, and all the possible med interactions that could be an issue also.

Coming off a ton of meds at one time would probably just make matters worse in the short term, But a slow steady game plan of weaning off some if not all meds eventually, and kinda Reboot your treatment plan would be beneficial. One that you and your pdoc agree on. If your Pdoc isn't on board for a complete overhaul and deep deep review of your treatment, find a new Pdoc ASAP !

Be your own best advocate and don't let anything stand in your way to feeling better

[HALLIEBETH87]

I myself take several meds but I don't think Id ever let a Dr put me on that much meds. If something is not working, did the Dr just add another drug or something?

Sweet child...please see another Dr and get off some of these. Theres has to be another way. See a dr!

[inflammable]

You can get admitted to the hospital. Just not SF General. There are other hospitals in San Francisco. They will take you in.