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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 pksboots on December 31, 2004, at 12:58:03
I have been taking a lot of medication. Effexor, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Vistaril, Geodon and Gabritrol. Does anyone think this is too much to take? I asked my nurse practitioner who prescribed it and she answered it was a cocktail I needed and I am drug resistant. Well because of financial situation, I need to come off of all of it because I don't qualify right now for free meds from the drug companies. I tried cold turkey and I haven't slept for 2 nights and I am sick. So I guess I'll take all of them and go gradually. I don't know how long a person can go without sleep without health problems. It's pretty scary. I don't get much cooperation from the clinic I go to. They usually act like it's not that big of a problem to get off these drugs, but I've tried before and never been successful. Does anyone have any advice?
Posted by Sebastian on December 31, 2004, at 13:40:51
In reply to Too much medication?, posted by pksboots on December 31, 2004, at 12:58:03
Buy large doses and cut them in half. Then start taking smaller doses, as low as you can go, with out lose of sleep. If you can try coming off one med at a time, keep the ones that are most inportant, ie, you can't sleep off them. Large dose meds often cost as much as a small dose of the same med. Get the largest dose posible, ask pharmacy for prices. Find the cheepest pharmacy, they all charge different prices. Often a mail order in 3 month supply is the cheepest pharmacy.
Posted by Dan Perkins on December 31, 2004, at 14:31:31
In reply to Too much medication?, posted by pksboots on December 31, 2004, at 12:58:03
Sounds like too much to me, especially given all the negative reports about Effexor on this message board. This cocktail may have given you some temporary relief, but it is hard to imagine that a six-drug cocktail of very powerful drugs is any kind of a long-term solution to your problems.
> I have been taking a lot of medication. Effexor, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Vistaril, Geodon and Gabritrol. Does anyone think this is too much to take?
Posted by Maxime on January 2, 2005, at 0:39:56
In reply to Re: Too much medication?, posted by Dan Perkins on December 31, 2004, at 14:31:31
It is hard to answer that question. Do you feel good on that cocktail? If the answer is yes, then it's not too much. But you could still feel good on less.
But DO NOT stop anything cold turkey or else you will get so sick. Sick to the point where you wish you were dead - dizziness and vomitting etc.
Since you med resistent, have you ever tried an MAOI like Parnate?
Maxime
Posted by HappyGirl on January 2, 2005, at 0:50:33
In reply to Too much medication?, posted by pksboots on December 31, 2004, at 12:58:03
Hi:
I wonder what sort of mental illness you have?
As seeing the drug coctail, it seems that you have Bipolar II or major depression?'Too much meds.' ... it's VERY hard to say, because if you're med.-resistant, then those 'six' drugs working one another to compensate/counteract, ... in other words, for purpose to eliminate/alleviate side-effects coming from primary drugs. However, I have no good idea whether the nurse practitionar is comptenet enough to rx those 'six' meds. Normally, most of psychiatrists avoid to rx 'too' many meds in fears of 'overloading' in your system, particularly anti-psycho.-med. 'Geodon' unless most of traditional psycho. meds. fail to alleviate the symptoms, or your symptom not capable to respond those 'ordinary' psycho.meds.
Concering the financial reason, .... there is 'samples' in most of psychiatrists' office, particularly you're fairly new to those 'psycho' med. Also, you could speak to pdoc. whether he/she is able to help you out temporarly 'med.' assistance through drug companies, because most of papers are needed dr's signature.
First, talk to your dr. before quitting med., because 'abrupt' discontination might bring more 'problems' on your 'fragile' mental state.
H.G.
Posted by bethesdabob on January 3, 2005, at 12:54:33
In reply to Re: Too much medication?, posted by HappyGirl on January 2, 2005, at 0:50:33
Sounds like way too many meds to me.
I have posted a lot around here about my wife and her death from a seizure disorder a year ago, at the time of her death she was taking more than 12 different meds for bipolar and epilepsy.
I have been told by a number of people that "polypharmacy" kills. Everyone has a different metabolism, medicines that you take are broken down in your system differently, think of your body as one big test tube - you might take one medicine and have it break down differently in your system than something else, or it might combine with something else and produce something completely unexpected in your system.
I tend to think that less is better, I would ask your doc to cut back on some of the stuff.
Just me writing, am no pharmacist or person of medical training.
Wish you the best.
This is the end of the thread.
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