[BamaSurvivor]

My doctor is constantly changing my medications... Upping the dosages of medications, decreases the dosages, changing them completely to something else, etc, etc... My doc. increased my seroquel to 100mg, my lithium to 300mg one capsule three times a day, and my Gabitril to 4mg two tabs. 3 times a day... She increased all these medications at once. Here's the thing:

The first week went by fine, but after that my mind started getting kinda distorded and I was having on-again off-again tremors and 'tics'. Was getting really dizzy and often times couldn't remember how to drive properly so my mom wouldn't let me drive anywhere. I took off the two Lithiums and am now just taking one 300mg cap a day because I thought it might be lithium toxicity. But I'm still having irritability, confusion, 'tics', dizziness, etc, etc... This is really starting to scare me. I can't even drive anymore without worrying I may have a spell and forget what I'm doing or where I'm going and run off the road. When I get into these spells, I can't even speak right because the confusion is so intense and I just forget everything I was saying. Any advice on this? PLEASE? Is it the medications combined or one of the medications? I'm so lost and confused. I feel I'm losing the only sane part I have left of me...

[Genevieve]

I hate to say it, but talk to your doctor about what's going on. Playing doctor with your own meds is not the best idea, since you really can't know what's really happening.

That said, your doctor is doing something that makes me grind my teeth! Any good scientist knows that you don't change multiple variables at one time. That's just not good science.

As for lithium, has anyone discussed your dietary salt intake with you? Too much salt will play havoc with your lithium levels, and that will cause a fair few problems. Can you get in to see the doctor again and discuss this?

And if your doctor won't discuss your concerns, I'll add her onto my list of doctors who should be made to be patients for a month, just so that she can see what it's like on the other side of the desk...

[BamaSurvivor]

My doctor said she wouldn't be able to fit me in for another 2 weeks so for me to go ahead and take off the two lithiums and just take one. Also, she's never talked to me about my salt intake... Everything I've found out about lithium was from the internet. She usually tells me about the meds before I take them, but she didn't with lithium and from what I understand, lithium can be very dangerous.

I have an appointment with my regular therapist this coming Tuesday, so maybe I can talk to her and she'll get me an earlier appointment somehow with my doctor.

I like my doctor as far as personality goes, but my mom believes she's using me as a geniua (sp?) pig because of how often she changes my medications. I dunno what to do. I'm still the same as yesterday with the on-again off-again tremors and tics. The confusion is a little bit better, but it's still there.