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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Penny on August 18, 2003, at 15:25:40
My pdoc and I have decided to wean me off the meds (I take Lamictal, Zoloft, Geodon and Wellbutrin SR) and to start fresh after I'm off of them. Have been on so many and I told him that I'm just not sure I even know what the core issues are anymore, so I'm not sure if we're treating my problems (depression, etc.) or if we're treating side effects of the meds. I do know that I have mild hypomanic episodes on occasion, though they almost always (or maybe always) seem spurred by med changes. Have had sleep problems and fatigue since before the meds, have had daily headaches since before the meds, was depressed before the meds but not suicidal but since then (been on meds for almost 5 years) have been hospitalized and in an outpatient program. Have tried Lamictal, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, Buspar, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Seroquel, Geodon, Trazodone, Atarax, Ambien, Sonata, Provigil and Adderall in various combinations for various problems (anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia). Also recently had a sleep study done, of which I don't know the results, and my pdoc is sending me soon for an MRI because of the headaches. Supposed to go to a headache clinic in October as well.
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with 'starting over' with meds - getting off of everything and then starting again to try to figure out the right combo (assuming you need to start them again). Any thoughts?
P
Posted by Tiger on August 19, 2003, at 0:13:04
In reply to Weaning off meds - experience?, posted by Penny on August 18, 2003, at 15:25:40
www.breggin.com
Posted by Dinah on August 19, 2003, at 0:56:43
In reply to Weaning off meds - experience?, posted by Penny on August 18, 2003, at 15:25:40
I did it. Don't do it the way I did!!! I went off too quickly and in retrospect, had some clear temporal lobe problems for a couple of months because of it.
I went back on two of the three drugs I was taking before I went off them all. I dropped the Luvox, and kept the Depakote (at a lower dose) and the Klonopin (at the same dose). But it hadn't been all that long since I had quit the roller coaster ride of multiple meds trials and a pdoc who upped the Luvox dose to maximum and wanted to up it again. I felt like I needed to find out who I was without the meds. And I'm glad I did.
Just be careful, have someone help you monitor yourself, and go slowly.
Posted by allisonf on August 19, 2003, at 4:29:21
In reply to Re: Weaning off meds - experience?, posted by Dinah on August 19, 2003, at 0:56:43
Oops--I just started a similar thread below without seeing yours first. I am considering doing the same thing with the meds. It seems to be the general practice to add more to the mix without taking anything away, so that you just end up on so many things. I could totally identify with that list of meds you provided. It's unbelievably frustrating (and if it weren't so frustrating I guess it would be almost interesting) that combinations of drugs & dosages are so person specific.
I don't have much more to add than what everyone else said. I did go off Neurontin too quickly once, and I had one of the worst depressive episodes of my life. I would reiterate what everyone else said and go slowly. Good luck.
Posted by fallsfall on August 19, 2003, at 7:28:43
In reply to Re: Weaning off meds - experience?, posted by allisonf on August 19, 2003, at 4:29:21
Penny,
Let us know how it goes. I'm supposed to experiment with dropping med starting in a couple of weeks. In the above posts I heard the word "slow"...
Posted by Penny on August 19, 2003, at 9:22:59
In reply to Re: Weaning off meds - experience?, posted by fallsfall on August 19, 2003, at 7:28:43
Yeah, I'm weaning off them one at a time, and so far so good. 'Course, I'm only working on weaning off the Zoloft right now. Doc said we may have to lower one to a pretty low dose, then switch to lowering another for a while, then a third, then back to the first and so on. But for right now we're doing one at a time. If my mood starts dipping (hasn't so far), maybe that will be a signal that that particular medication was working better than I thought.
I just REALLY want to be able to think clearly again!!! I feel brain-dead!!!
This is the end of the thread.
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