7 MEDS!

I realize we have tackled this thread several times, perhaps even some by me, but I am just curious if anyone else has a pdoc who seems to, for one reason or another, overprescribe. I take uppers and downers. Is this normal? When my husband's 90 days are up, we will have insurance and I will find a new doctor. Until then, here is what I am taking:

Clozapine (300 mg)

Abilify (10mg)

Haldol (prn up to 7.5 MG)

Lamictal (600 MG)

Klonapin (1MG--or up to 2.5 MG prn)

Vyvanse (70 MG--I don't have ADHD he just prescribes it to combat all the sedative drugs and also to aid in improving my depression)

Remeron (30 MG)

I was on six meds at one time, but they all seemed to work together to help. However, my doc is quick to prescribe the "latest and greatest" in the hopes it will help. Sometimes i feel like a guinea pig.
You can see what I am on in my signature. My dosages aren't too high.

That does seem like a lot. But then again, I think I take too many too! I know what each drug does for me and I have 3 which are prn and one that is a vitamin/mineral supplement so I don't feel like I am over medicated. I trust my pdoc and I have a lot of say in my medication regime (hence the 3 prn).

I put them into the medscape drug interaction checker , I got 20 interations 19 of them serious. You can tell your husband that there's a reason you can't function with this many meds and tell him to hold out until you get a new doctor....hopefully someone who understand that medication can help and still allow you to be able to function at the same time.

I'm on six but I'm finally stable

Three anti-psychotics seem a bit much, even if one of them is only a PRN. And the fact that you have to take Vyvanse just to counteract the effects of the other drugs is troubling. I'm on a lot of meds myself but with the exception of Lamictal I'm on modest doses. I think you may be overmedicated, but your regimen doesn't seem to be working as well as it should. I hope you can have your meds reviewed soon. Hang in there---maybe another doctor will have the answers you're looking for. (((HUGS)))

At one point I think I was on six. Right now I'm on three (one is a prn), but am weaning myself off of gabapentin, so I'll just be on lamictal and propranolol prn. I am feeling so much better not being on all those meds! I'm inbetween pdocs right now and am doing it on my own, which is probably bad, but I know what I need and don't need. I hope your new doctor will be able to help.

Are you having side effects? or is just the number of meds that worries you.
There is a girl here on eight.

Do they help? Do you feel you could do with less?

Have a talk with your pdoc. Ask him to review the meds you're on. What they're each targetting, etc.

I used to be on a lot of meds and it was really doing more harm than good. Now I'm on 3 main meds and 1 prn. Doing a lot better.

Good luck!

I take 7 and 1 is a PRN. I don't mind. I'm stable so I'm not going to go and mess with my meds. Just takes a lot to keep me stable.

I'm on 5, and I'm pretty sure my pdoc will be adding a 6th next week. It sucks, and I feel like I'm taking so much stuff, but without it, I wouldn't be at all okay, so I deal.

My pdoc has a very heavy hand. She prescribes something, ups the dose, then I have to fight with her to come down on the dose. I am not 'stable' but I am much better then I am without them. I hate all the side effects so now I am fighting with her to come down on the remeron by 25mg and the lamictal by 100mg. Her answer is always, "we will see next month". In fact I saw her today and her answer was "maybe in 2 months, we will see".

I'm on 5 myself, uppers and downers as well. I was actually just talking with some people today about how many meds I'm on and how depressing it is to me that I have to be on 5 different meds taken at 3 different times a day just to come close to being "stable". and in all honesty all they really do for me is make the symptoms less severe, and not by all that much. I'm close to asking my pdoc for more information on ECT, but that wont even be an option until I finish my degree due to the potential memory loss...

Right now I'm stable on 3 1200 mg trileptal, 120mg Latuda and 30 mg Busbar

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The question would be, are they working together well for you?

I take several meds, and together they work well. I don't like having several prescriptions, but over time it ends up that I need them. I don't think pdocs should be measured by the number of prescriptions they write but by whether they work.

I've made it up to five and still no relief.

I was once on an Valium and an afedamine and opioids. I weaned off all of em and had the worst episode of my life. 7 visits to hospital last year. Plus the dreaded brain fry extensive ECT. I'm still trying to overcome the horrible side effects of the ECT. Last treatment was Sept 2015. I'm a mental mess.

Thank you. Yes, I am usually exhausted just to get up and move around. I wish I could make him understand.

[QUOTE=Blue_Bird;4984602]Do they help? Do you feel you could do with less? They help with mania and to an extent psychosis. If the meds were working for me, I'd be less concerned. They do nothing for my now crippling depression and suicidal ideology . My pdocs practice (in my opinion) is to increase meds to the maximal dose and then add a new one without trying to wean me off of the other one. Sometimes I have no idea what side effects are from what med.

I have had the discussion on the medication and my fear of it numerous times. He just says this is what we need to do to until I am better. I seriously believe I am treatment resistant. I have discussed with him that I may not be the Sarah I am expected to be ever again.


I take several meds, and together they work well. I don't like having several prescriptions

Wow, I can imagine. Maybe some will be removed after treatment. Stay positive.

I've been trying to ween off of meds or cut them out if they're having bad effects. I'll stop them on my own if I can't get to see my pdoc. My pdoc wants me to take my risperdal daily but I refuse. But my list...

Trileptal 600mg bid
Risperdal 4-6mg PRN
Ativan 1-3 mgs PRN
Vynance 70mg PRN
Saphris or Seroquel at night

I just recently cut out buspar and wellbutrin so I'm working my way down. So what I do take regularly has drastically been cut down.

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I know this is from a UK website (I live in England) but the info is quite helpful
http://www.mind.org.uk/media/1952092...isers-2105.pdf