Beth's Keeping Track Post

Lamictal 150mg.
Klonopin 1mg./twice day
Pristiq 50mg.
Wellbutrin 350mg.
Cognetin 1mg.
perphenazine 12mg. (working to get off of it because of severe tremor)
Metformin and Amlodipine

So far, so good. Curiously, I returned to my full Klonopin dose (1mg. twice/day) and have found my anxiety to be lower. I still believe that K-pin is an excellent med, as far as effectiveness. I may never be able to get off it. The amount I had reduced it to was .5, and that was only 3 nights per week. But even that tiny amount affected me.

Med stuff seems to be working well. Reducing the perphenazine hasn't caused any issues. Adding cogentin has definitely helped the tremor, especially my jaw and upper body. Having less of a tremor feels like a miracle to me. Also, the Wellbutrine may have kicked in, as I feel less isolated and discouraged.

Glad things are going well with the meds

btw, If I get a psychiatrist who rags on me about Klonopin, and if I can't convince that pdoc of the value of K-pin, I'll find another pdoc. I don't need any more shite from psychiatrists. They either work with me, coming from decades of experience with psych meds, or get fired.

going from 2mg a day to .5 mg 3 times a week is too too fast I am glad that you have resume your prior dose. I need my klonipin to sleep I only take it at night.last pdoc pulled it off and switched me to melatonin. It did not work and I was not sleeping then my other med geodon quick working and I needed a med changeI was admitted to a pysch ward and was there for 30 days then IOP for 5 weeks. finally got switched to haldol and cogentin and lamictal. I have been very stable on these few meds. fewest that I have ever been on.
I am glad that your pdoc agreed to give you the klonipin and not have to taper off of it. yeah!my new pdopc agreed to give me the klonipin...so far so good.
bizi

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizi going from 2mg a day to .5 mg 3 times a week is too too fast I am glad that you have resume your prior dose. I need my klonipin to sleep I only take it at night.last pdoc pulled it off and switched me to melatonin. It did not work and I was not sleeping then my other med geodon quick working and I needed a med changeI was admitted to a pysch ward and was there for 30 days then IOP for 5 weeks. finally got switched to haldol and cogentin and lamictal. I have been very stable on these few meds. fewest that I have ever been on. I am glad that your pdoc agreed to give you the klonipin and not have to taper off of it. yeah!my new pdopc agreed to give me the klonipin...so far so good. bizi

That's great, bizi!

Actually, I did the Klonopin taper slowly. I started off with only one .5 at bedtime and kept the usual morning and evening doses at 1mg. Over 6 months I tapered the K-pin down to .5 three times/night. Even that tiny amount, done so slowly, failed. I'm waving a white flag at this point and accepted that going off Klonopin just isn't happening.

I'm glad you went back up on Klonipin.. I think medical providers that automatically want to drag people of a Benzo are just horrid human beings.

Yeah, I was taken off lorazepam very slowly and I ended up having 4-6 long panic attacks. I'm serious. I would have rapid heartrate, sweating, feeling like I'm going to die, shaking uncontrollably, intense fear. Many different symptoms. I had several panic attacks in the bath so I was only bathing like once a month and I was terrified when I did take them. I was scared driving, I couldn't cook bc I was anxious I was just completely frightened. My family who is very good to me blew it off. Even coming here for support I barely got any support. It was the worst experience I went through and it lasted 9 months. I've had a pretty hard life and that was the absolute worst thing i've ever been through.

I'm off it now but I'm on massive sedating meds. I think I would be better off being back on lorazepam. I think what all I'm on isnt healthy. I never, ever took more than my dose, never.

I didn't want to be taken off them to begin with. Nor did I want to be put on them. It was when I first started taking meds after my incredibly horrid psychotic break. I was having akathisia from latuda and the nurse I was seeing said it was anxiety bc I didn't want to be on antipsychotics bc they scared me. She said if I didn't go on them she would quit seeing me. I didn't realize I could get someone new. I was brand new at seeing psych ppl.

I got a new psych nurse and she wants to just keep me on the meds I'm on. I still struggle with anxiety. But I'm bathing, driving and cooking again. I'm much more able to cope.

My advice to anyone struggling if they should take them I say run as fast as you can from benzos!

My horrible pdoc didn't get around to refilling my Lamictal prescription, so I had none for last night, none for tonight. So far I feel okay. Lamictal causes me to feel flat and robotic. If I stay okay without the Lamictal I will go off of it altogether. I'm so tired of feeling so dull that I can't hold a conversation.

BethRags

Couldn't get that dork pdoc to refill my Lamictal, so I ended up going 3 days with no Lamictal. I have not felt any withdrawal, at all. I do feel less flat and with more energy (mentally and physically). I hope a mistake was made into a flower and I'm no longer on Lamictal.

he would not refill your lamictal??????
I don't think it is wize to go cold turkey off lamictal. risk of seizures even if you are not epileptic.
bizi

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizi he would not refill your lamictal?????? I don't think it is wize to go cold turkey off lamictal. risk of seizures even if you are not epileptic. bizi

Exactly. No refill, leaving me with no choice except to go cold turkey. She's a really oddball person, and extremely difficult to communicate with. I'm really having problems with her.

On a positive note, I'm really lucky because I haven't had any withdrawal symptoms at all.

I didn't experience any obvious withdrawals from stopping the Lamictal. The depression was awful yesterday, though. I don't know if it's a result of stopping the Lamictal, but I'm going to take the Lamictal again to notice whether or not it has any effect on the depression. Coping with that inept pdoc is a huge challenge - as if being on so many meds isn't challenging enough, I'm stuck with her.

Be careful going back on Lamictal after being off of it for a few days. It can be dangerous and the official recommendation is to build it up again slowly to avoid the risk of Stevens Johnson and all those other skin conditions you can get. It's extremely negligent of your Pdoc to not refill your Lamictal on time and then on top of that to not bother paying any attention to the cold turkey withdrawal or the build-up back to your old dosage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FluffyDinosaur Be careful going back on Lamictal after being off of it for a few days. It can be dangerous and the official recommendation is to build it up again slowly to avoid the risk of Stevens Johnson and all those other skin conditions you can get. It's extremely negligent of your Pdoc to not refill your Lamictal on time and then on top of that to not bother paying any attention to the cold turkey withdrawal or the build-up back to your old dosage.

Thank you, FluffyD. You're correct...I should titrate the dose up, which I haven't done. I'm hoping it will all be okay. I'm just exhausted from dealing with meds, pdocs, the whole thing. I know you understand, all too well.

Decided to be (hopefully) wise and return to my Lamictal dose. It's not very high, anyway.

Horrible, relentless panic waves. I see that pdoc today. Please, please let her prescribe something that works.

Drive buy hug

I hope she at least listens tonight. Sending positive vibes for a good outcome.

Thank you, Nammu. I really appreciate it.

I could tell pdoc was trying REALLY hard to be less stern and odd, and I was trying really hard to be pleasant and respectful, too. She prescribed Zyprexa prn for this severe anxiety. There's not much more to do med-wise, so I have my fingers crossed.

The first dose of Zyprexa yesterday hit me pretty hard. Like, I wouldn't drive in that state. This morning, after I awoke, the anxiety was right there waiting to attack me. I have to drive today, so I got the idea to start a bit more slowly on the Zyprexa. I took 1/4 of a pill. That's working pretty decently. I'll do a few 1/4 doses, then go to the 1/2 dose.

That sounds wise. Here’s hoping it works.

Hi beth,
if a quarter of a pill works just keep taking that dose.
Is it a 5 or 10 mg pill?
I hope your anxiety gets under control.
I take it at night if I can't sleep.

It is sublingual and 10mg.
But I take that rarely...like once every month.
I don't have anxiety like you describe,

sorry that you are having to deal with anxiety.
I take klonipin to sleep at night and usually works well.
take care beth
bizi

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizi Hi beth, if a quarter of a pill works just keep taking that dose. Is it a 5 or 10 mg pill? I hope your anxiety gets under control. I take it at night if I can't sleep. It is sublingual and 10mg. But I take that rarely...like once every month. I don't have anxiety like you describe, sorry that you are having to deal with anxiety. I take klonipin to sleep at night and usually works well. take care beth bizi

Thank you, bizi. I can't exactly recall, but I think the Zyprexa is 10mg.