Mid Week Check-in 09/16/09
 

Hi All!!!

I hope everyone is having a good day!!!

Since we haven't done a weekend check-in lately... I thought a mid-week check-in would be ok.

I went to the Pdoc on Tuesday. He now has me completely off of Cymbalta.

I am now on:
100mg Zoloft
25mg Amitriptyline for 10 days then completely off.
15mg Remeron
2mg Xanax
800mg Seroquel
50mcg Synthroid

I also take a couple of meds for RSD.
600mg Lyrica
40mg Baclofen

Fun Fun... I hate to have to need these meds!! :mad:

:hug:
Abbie

Hi Abbie,

I have a hangover today. Did you doc give you something to replace the Cymbata?

I have a rather long update so I'll post separately.

WOW... I was/am in a brain fog...

The Zoloft replaces the Cymbalta. I still don't feel any different...

Does anyone know how high of dosages I could go on the Zoloft... He's upped me from 25 to 50 to 75 and now 100mg each day. :(

I'm glad that I now know what my brain has been doing to me... I mean the diagnosis of Bipolar explains a lot...
I just HATE (:mad:) having to recognize the changes and being able to explain this to the doctors. I really want to SCREAM as loud as I can!!!! (I would do this but the guys in the white coats would probably come to find me.)

How do all of you deal with this??? I thought I was managing but now I just don't know.

:confused:
Abbie

I have never taken zoloft before, I get fuzzy if I don't get enough sleep.
ended up just puttering around until I had to go see my client.
will shower tonight.
I need to be really careful tonight...that is where I get into trouble staying up late on the computer....
self discipline
only I can prevent that from happening.

zoloft - Abbie
 

Glad you have "pulled off the switch" finally.

i have taken zoloft lots, and lots of it (up to 200) and also in small doses, been on, been off, increased and decreased with mood cycles. good med for me.

the initial titration (25 mg/wk) is good - reduced side effects. and in the case of mixed episodes, very prudent as it is an activating drug.

clinical changes observable 2 - 6 weeks from time you are on a therapeutic dose. depends on individual. doc may yet decide to increase dosage further during that time, per his judgement.

zoloft takes 1 week to reach steady state. even at regime, when you are seeing benefit from it, if an increase is clinically required, the overall effect of the increase will not be 100% observable before that 1 week period. to avoid excessive doses, and possibly dangerous side effects the dose should not be modified more frequently than 1 week at a time.

100 is good therapeutic dose for starters. can increase to 125/150 if nec.

max is about 200mg...

but if you are mixed still... your pdoc will surely be very judicious about giving you that much.

if increasing dosage, from now on, be vigilant for grinding/clenching of teeth, excessive (increased) muscle tension (or exacerbation of your pain sx), and headache, and if present report it to your doc right away for safety.

if there is flushing, hyperthermia, fever, excess sweating, myoclonus, headache or other questionable symptoms, go to an urgent care center. high doses can cause serotonin syndrome which can be fatal.

((( hugs )))

~ waves ~

managing - Abbie
 

you can scream - just do it into a very thick pillow.

(and i highly recommend it btw).

as for managing with the illness, keep in mind that the one thing that WILL CHANGE...

is your mood/state, so there WILL be better times. GUARANTEED.

there are lots of options out there medwise. right now, there are some time factors. but each day is finite. take it one at a time. do not think about whether the zoloft will work. just do the best you can on a moment to moment basis, to be with yourself... as you are. acknowledge and accept your mood/state... then,

try to find activities you can do - mental or gentle physical - to distract yourself, vent excess energy - by writing here, by visiting with people, by keeping a journal, by watching tv or reading (if you have the concentration for it). sometimes i can't concentrate to read a whole long book when very activated. but i can concentrate on a paragraph at a time. so just short things like magazine articles, short poems, or things that can be broken down.

also doing repetitive "mindless" activities sometimes helps soothe me... just let my mind wander and trundle on...

i am not so inspired tonight, perhaps someone else will come along with some good concrete thoughts that might help you.

Above all be kind to yourself and do not define yourself in terms of your illness. you HAVE this affliction, but YOU are MUCH MORE than the sum of these symptoms.

Show yourself compassion for your suffering, and know that you are special - in the best sense of the word. :)

((( more hugs )))

~ waves ~

Thank you Befuddled... I am sorry to hear about your stuggles. I want you to know that you impressed me greatly when you realized that it's you that can improve your self-esteem and not to count on others to provide for your self-esteem.

Thank you Bizi!!!
I'm sure the lack of regenerating sleep is really adding to put me into this fog... I don't think I have slept more than 2hours total and rarely all of this at one time... it's been months like this.


Thank you Waves!!!
This medicine really has me in a mental spin... I was on Cymbalta for about 5 years... and knew how my body reacted to it.

I can't tell if the Zoloft is working any differently... I don't feel any relief from the depression...yet.

I haven't increased it to the 100mg yet... still have a few days at 75mg before the increase.

My body metabolizes medicine wierd--usually it metabolizes too fast... so I normally have to go longer than a week or two before an increase...

The bad side effects have me a bit concerned as I have many of these side effects as normal everyday symptoms of RSD. I guess if they get worse I will know it's the Zoloft... I hope.

I'm just really frustrated with everything.... I still feel caught in a cyclone!

I do try not to judge myself or label myself... It's just hard to not get caught up in it as the mixed, rapid cycling, and all the rest is so scary to me.

Also... I have seen 5 Pdocs in just over a year. Since I go to an outpatient clinic away from the main mental health hospital they have a hard time keeping a Pdoc for more than 2 to 3 months at a time. So I have to remember what all has gone on or changed with me so that I can let the new doc know.

:hug: for all....
Abbie

Abbie, didn't mean to frighten you
 

Dear Abbie,

didn't mean to scare you about the "bad side effects" ... 100-150 mg are fairly common doses, so i would not worry. however, if you do go to 150 and especially above that... i did want you to be informed, for safety. Serotonin Syndrome is not really common.

I wish you could get some better sleep... even though Zoloft is activating, my former pdoc told me that taken in the morning it can actually promote sleep (by evening / night time).

you hang in there. i wish that darn clinic would have their darn docs KEEP CHARTS and LEAVE THEM BEHIND when they go, so clinic patients who are living a tumbleweed existence as you are right now would not have to be expected to like suddenly morph into palm pilots when they enter the office!!! argghh!! that makes me mad. :mad:

well, good job so far. I hope Zoloft works as well for you as it did for me (very well).

:hug:

~ waves ~

Oh... the new Pdocs have my file but so often when I go in they have NO IDEA of what is going on with me... I guess they don't take the time to read through the file. :confused:

It is pretty frustrating for me. On top of the mental health stuff... these doctors like so many others have NEVER heard of RSD and I have to explain this to them too.... :thud:

There have been a couple of them in the past that I would love to see come back!!! One of them I saw talking on CNN about some case. I liked her before---she knew about RSD and that really gave me confidence in her.

Abbie

Abbie

I sure hope you can start getting some sleep soon. I really wish we could help with that.

DOnna:grouphug:

italian oysters and raspberry beer!
now if only I had my sweetie to share it with.....
bizi

Dear Abbie,
I think you might not mind needing the meds if they were working better for you. I wish that you felt that the whole process was working for you.

I used to bring in one sheet of paper with five or eight bullet points for the pdoc (a copy for me and a copy for him). Basically I brought in a very short version of the chart (list of current meds, list of past meds, list of current side effects, list of current symptoms, list of scripts that needed to be written . . . .).
That helped communicate --- even when it was the same pdoc each visit --- I wanted to make sure that neither one of us had to rely on memory.
If he asked me a question, I could look at my sheet.
Also I used my sheet to take notes on during the session.

M.

Dmom...
Thank you!
I fell asleep about 2:00am this morning and woke up at 3:17am
In that time I had some freaky dreams...
Doc is in the process of switching me from Amitriptyline (which was given to me to help me sleep)
to Remeron. I haven't started to take it yet as I haven't made it to the pharmacy.
I am going to "try" to make it there today.


Mari...
Thank you!
You have given me a GREAT idea.

I'm going to give this a try with the next Pdoc..I just found out that the Pdoc I just saw has left...I have no idea when the next Pdoc will be there.

I go to the Tdoc on Monday... she will be able to tell me when the next Pdoc will be there... My Tdoc is the Clinic Director.


Bizi....
I've never tried oysters or Raspberry Beer...but they really sound GOOD!!!
If only we had a place around here that served these.


I hope everyone is having a beautiful day!!
:hug: <----for all!
Abbie

Dear Abbie,
Thanks.
I hope you had a good day.
M.

Abby

I really wonder if part of the problem is the amtrypillne. Because I know in my husband and son's cases that this particular drug is one that makes them want to sleep period. They have trouble staying awake in the mornings.
Or even wanting to get up. Not sure how long you have been on this medicine, but wondering if its been so long its quit working for one thing.

Donna

I've been on the Amitriptyline for about a year.... I don't know that it ever worked. At least it didn't work well.

I'm anxious to see how the Remeron works but I haven't made it to the pharmacy yet... I've had a couple of short naps and am not in any shape to try to drive. --- Maybe tomorrow.

My insurance agent called me today and we talked about switching around my auto insurance a little...to get it lowered. (It went up due to my 2 accidents in just over a year)
Agent told me it looks like It can be lowered by at least $100. maybe more. I'm going to go talk with her next Wednesday.

I am having a better day today...
:hug:<---for all.
Abbie

I'm so glad you are feeling better today.

I slept all day it seems. I just couldnt get going. But I will be up and going tomorrow. I have to go to the doctor tomorrow. And then to my massage therapist. I have some time in between these two things. Have to figure out what to do to feel them in.

I have to figure out how to find a ride to Indianapolis on Oct 5th. Which is not fun. I hate having to ask friends or others to take the day off.
So I;m going to hope my husband wont throw a fit when I ask him to take it off.

Then I have to make arrangements for Derrick. I am not sure how long the procedure will take. Because then for Derrick at night.

Donna

Hubby got this first book published! came in the mail today and is available at amazon.com
guitar smart
by jeffrey l george
I am so proud of him...it looks great!
bizi
edited to say that his disertation was a book then he contributed to a book a few years ago (conexiones)but this is his first real solo book.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA240_.jpg

Congrats to him! http://bestsmileys.com/hyper/2.gif
And to you for dealing with this while he was working on it.

M.

I had a rough day. First the nurse practioner just wasn't in a mood for me it seemed. She didn't seem to want to talk about the things I needed to talk about. Not that she wouldn't, but she seemed in a hurry. Like I was in the way, and why are you here. Then when they had specifically requested that I get bloodwork done. I'd fasted, and was ready.

I don't like to go to the hospital for this, because you have to register. And it can take 5 minutes or 40 it just depends on when you get there and how many people are before you. Well the lady decides I can go to the hospital to get the work done. Because her usual girl isn't there. And the other one is going to be a few minutes. I'm not one to be going looking for a parking place at another place. And then waiting.

I'd already fasted to 12 hours. And when I am on the road, I can't go longer without eating. SO I knew this was bad. I got to the hospital and it was packed. I didn't stay, just couldn't handle the wait. Eating lots later wasn't going to work.

Second bad day, and then I had a massage later. And it was not good my legs are bad. And it seems the fitness center isn't going to put the tent type thing back on yet. Its supposed to be back up by now. But when I went by the other day it wasn't. i am needing the water, and its to cold otherwise.

Ugh, it was bad and I have one hip that is really swollen because of the massage. It was just that bad to start. I am pretty sure I need someone for arthritis now, not the test that is being done. Because its inflamation,
not in the stomach. But who am I to know.

Donna

THought I would say I will get my bloodwork another day. just couldn't handle it today. I am really getting down because of all this again.

I'm looking forward to the day with my grandson tomorrow. Hope he is too.

Donna:grouphug:

I am sorry that you ar getting down with all of this.
hope you have a great day tomorrow!
bizi:hug:

Dear Beth,
How are your plans for yourself?
How are you doing on your own right now?
Sending good thoughts.
M.

Will there ever be a day that I feel rested....

I went to bed a little after 7am and woke up at 8:38am... I am SOOO tired.

My train of thought keeps jumping track...

I have to take my nieces to work and pick them up today.... one goes at 1pm to 7pm... the other works 6pm to 10pm. I may try to sneak in a nap between 1 and 6.

:(
Abbie

hi
I hope that you are napping abby!
I jsut got back from purchasing my water color class supplies list and had a question about some of the paint brushes so called the instructor and am awaiting a return call some time before class.
Mari,
I have been doing fair since my hubby left. I really was a sbad girl wednesday night, my oyster and raspberry beer ordeal was not very safe coming home....thursday night on the computer too much and then last night I went to bed earlier because I wanted to go to a memorial service for an icon of an instructor at the university here.

Bizi...
Water color paintings are so beautiful!! Hope your skills come back quickly and you have loads of fun!!


No nap for me... my brain keeps jumping from thing to thing... number of things accomplished for me today... 1 so far... youngest niece is home.

I have probably logged into my computer about 30 times today... still can't recall what I was looking for... As soon as it started up I'd shut it down. :confused:

I'm still so tired... can't recall what meds I have or haven't taken today....:eek: so frustrating lately as this seems to be happening more and more.

Off to relax a bit before going to pick up oldest niece to take her home.

:hug:
Abbie

Abbie

You need to relax and slow down. But I know that is hard. Did you
get the remeron yet. If not can you get it tomorrow.

I wil be doing some driving around our bigger town tomorrow, igh.

Donna