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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Janelle on June 17, 2003, at 17:29:26
Currently I take:
10 mg Celexa
100 mcg Synthroid
30 mg Buspar
2mg Klonopin
450 mg Lithium
750 mg Depakote
100 mg Seroquel (for sleep only)I don't care what my new pdoc says, I am tapering off the Klonopin next month (I got a good schedule that I printed right from this board!)because after many years on it, I've become habituated to it, it does NOTHING for me, so that will be off the list. (I think she will go along with me)
Otherwise, I feel like someone on here had so aptly put it - "a walking drugstore" - and I worry what taking all these meds will do to me long-term, in the future.
I'm starting to freak out about them, but I don't know what I can stop taking, given my symptoms.
HELP! Thanks.
Posted by Capri on June 17, 2003, at 17:53:39
In reply to I think I'm on TOO MANY meds?!??, posted by Janelle on June 17, 2003, at 17:29:26
> Currently I take:
>
> 10 mg Celexa
> 100 mcg Synthroid
> 30 mg Buspar
> 2mg Klonopin
> 450 mg Lithium
> 750 mg Depakote
> 100 mg Seroquel (for sleep only)
>
> I don't care what my new pdoc says, I am tapering off the Klonopin next month (I got a good schedule that I printed right from this board!)because after many years on it, I've become habituated to it, it does NOTHING for me, so that will be off the list. (I think she will go along with me)
>
> Otherwise, I feel like someone on here had so aptly put it - "a walking drugstore" - and I worry what taking all these meds will do to me long-term, in the future.
>
> I'm starting to freak out about them, but I don't know what I can stop taking, given my symptoms.
>
> HELP! Thanks.Janelle,
I'm sure I would be comatose on all of those meds since I don't tolerate them well. I would definitely get another opinion. Have you been taking them a long time? How did the list get so long for ya?
Posted by Janelle on June 17, 2003, at 17:59:41
In reply to Re: I think I'm on TOO MANY meds?!??, posted by Capri on June 17, 2003, at 17:53:39
I will get another opinion when I see the newly assigned pdoc next month!
I've been taking them (or some combo of them) for about a year now.
The list got long because my diagnosis expanded! At first, I just had depression (started out with Paxil for many years before it pooped out) and anxiety (Klonopin for many years).
Then the BiPolar2 mood swings began, I could not tolerate more than 900 mg/day of Lithium so it was lowered and combined with Depakote, because the latter is supposed to be the drug of choice for my kind of rapid cycling. The synthroid was added because Lithium lowers thyroid. Wonderful, eh?
I began having problems falling asleep, upping the Klonopin did not work, hence the addition of Seroquel.
I think I've covered them all.
The first thing I will say to the new pdoc is this concern about so many meds, then that I am going off the Klonopin (with or without her consent, although I wouldn't say that to her face!)
Posted by ace on June 18, 2003, at 0:13:40
In reply to I think I'm on TOO MANY meds?!??, posted by Janelle on June 17, 2003, at 17:29:26
> Currently I take:
>
> 10 mg Celexa
> 100 mcg Synthroid
> 30 mg Buspar
> 2mg Klonopin
> 450 mg Lithium
> 750 mg Depakote
> 100 mg Seroquel (for sleep only)
>
> I don't care what my new pdoc says, I am tapering off the Klonopin next month (I got a good schedule that I printed right from this board!)because after many years on it, I've become habituated to it, it does NOTHING for me, so that will be off the list. (I think she will go along with me)
>
> Otherwise, I feel like someone on here had so aptly put it - "a walking drugstore" - and I worry what taking all these meds will do to me long-term, in the future.
>
> I'm starting to freak out about them, but I don't know what I can stop taking, given my symptoms.
>
> HELP! Thanks.
Hi Janelle,
Yeah, I agree, you are on a lot of meds. It's interesting, I was reading a couple of days ago about a chap who was on a med for OCD, a med for anxiety, a med for depression....blah, blah, blah. Anyhow, he said once he got THE right med ( it was Risperidone) it did more than all of the others put together - actually it gave him 100% relief from his symptoms. Maybe this is what you need- really try and find a great drug- just one- and then maybe augment with one other. I do think it's possible that there is a killer med for you out there. And I hope you find it soon.Good luck,
Ace.
Posted by Jackster on June 18, 2003, at 5:13:33
In reply to I think I'm on TOO MANY meds?!??, posted by Janelle on June 17, 2003, at 17:29:26
> Currently I take:
>
> 10 mg Celexa
> 100 mcg Synthroid
> 30 mg Buspar
> 2mg Klonopin
> 450 mg Lithium
> 750 mg Depakote
> 100 mg Seroquel (for sleep only)
>
> I don't care what my new pdoc says, I am tapering off the Klonopin next month (I got a good schedule that I printed right from this board!)because after many years on it, I've become habituated to it, it does NOTHING for me, so that will be off the list. (I think she will go along with me)
>
> Otherwise, I feel like someone on here had so aptly put it - "a walking drugstore" - and I worry what taking all these meds will do to me long-term, in the future.
>
> I'm starting to freak out about them, but I don't know what I can stop taking, given my symptoms.
>
> HELP! Thanks.It does sound like a lot of meds. If you come off any of them - do it SLOWLY and ONE at a time. That way it should minimise withdrawal effects - and if anything major should happen - you know which drug change caused it.
Just a thought (as a lay person and esp since i don't know your med history) - could you possibly take a sedating AD at night (like amitriptyline) instead of taking both Celexa and Seroquel for AD and insomnia?
Jackie
Posted by Maxime on June 18, 2003, at 9:48:12
In reply to Re: I think I'm on TOO MANY meds?!??, posted by Jackster on June 18, 2003, at 5:13:33
I think Jackie's suggestion is right on.
I was wondering why you need the seroquel for sleep when you are depakote ... I found depakote to be really sedating.Also, I have noticed that when people are on several medications at one time that if they switch to an MAOI it really helps out. For instance you could try Nardil for your anxiety and depression and then add a mood stabiliser for your bipolar disease. Ask your PDOC about it.
Take care, Max
> > Currently I take:
> >
> > 10 mg Celexa
> > 100 mcg Synthroid
> > 30 mg Buspar
> > 2mg Klonopin
> > 450 mg Lithium
> > 750 mg Depakote
> > 100 mg Seroquel (for sleep only)
> >
> > I don't care what my new pdoc says, I am tapering off the Klonopin next month (I got a good schedule that I printed right from this board!)because after many years on it, I've become habituated to it, it does NOTHING for me, so that will be off the list. (I think she will go along with me)
> >
> > Otherwise, I feel like someone on here had so aptly put it - "a walking drugstore" - and I worry what taking all these meds will do to me long-term, in the future.
> >
> > I'm starting to freak out about them, but I don't know what I can stop taking, given my symptoms.
> >
> > HELP! Thanks.
>
> It does sound like a lot of meds. If you come off any of them - do it SLOWLY and ONE at a time. That way it should minimise withdrawal effects - and if anything major should happen - you know which drug change caused it.
>
> Just a thought (as a lay person and esp since i don't know your med history) - could you possibly take a sedating AD at night (like amitriptyline) instead of taking both Celexa and Seroquel for AD and insomnia?
>
> Jackie
Posted by stjames on June 18, 2003, at 12:46:29
In reply to I think I'm on TOO MANY meds?!??, posted by Janelle on June 17, 2003, at 17:29:26
To me "Am I on too many meds" is the wrong question. Better questions are "Are they working" & "does each serve a specific purpose not covered by the others" & "Am I getting cross reactions, or containdications".
Otherwise I think it is bad advice to say "Whoa, you are on 5 meds, that is too much" without asking the some questions. There is no magic number of too much or just enough, taken out of context (ie, not considering other factors)
This is the end of the thread.
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