Medication Change - ANXIOUS
 

Hi

A few weeks ago I switched from Zyprexa to Resperidone and I am a nervous wreck. I feel like my house is closing in on me and I can't breathe! If I have any congestion at all I panic. Last night I had to take a valium to settle down enough to get into bed. I also went off of Lithium due to shaking a few weeks back. I don't know which is causing it but I'm miserable!!

I see my doctor in a week. Until then I am just holding on.

Pam

What about calling the Drs office and leaving a message about how you are feeling?
Or do they have email access at the drs office?

I don't think the Dr would want you feeling that way for a week.:grouphug:

Thanks
 

Hi

He's out of town. The doctor on call isn't helpful at all.

Pam

Resperidone
 

Hi,
This is from about.com
http://bipolar.about.com/cs/sfx/a/sfx_risperdal.htm




Since the pdoc is not available, you have to make do for a while. I suggest calling a pharmacist. Ask the pharmacist what happens if you stop taking the Resperidone and if a person needs to taper.

M.

Hi Pam

i agree with Mari:

also ask if these effects might be transitory, and if they might wear off after a few days... how long has it been since you started on the risperidone?

i hope you feel better soon!

~ waves ~

Pam can you call to get in faster?
You sound miserable...I hate to hear this.
Have you ever tried geodon? I take this at night and don't have any side effects. I also take klonipin to sleep at night and lamictal as my mood stabilizer. what other meds are you taking?
bizi

Thanks
 

Hi

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the input. I defintely liked zyprexa better than risperidone but it costs so much!

I went down from 2mg to 1 mg and it helped me some. I also take trazadone.

I was taking lithium along with the zyprexa but it gave me the shakes. I've wondered if I might be having withdrawal from it.

Pam

zyprexa can cause diabetes and weight gain....geodon is weight nuetral...I don't know if that is a concern for you.
just a heads up.
bizi

Anxiety Continues
 

Hi

I see my doctor on Wednesday thank you God!

There are things going on in my life that could cause anxiety for sure but I still think most of it is the medication changes.

I get a bipolar newsletter from Julie Fast a fellow sufferer. She talks about anxiety being a part of having bipolar. She also mentions that longer days cause mania so I onder if that has anything to do ith my mess.

My doc is a pain doc as well as a head doc. I'm not too impressed but I plan to hang in with him for a while and give him a chance.

I sure hope the end is in sight for my nervousness. It's really been tough!

Pam

I am glad that you see your doctor on wednesday!
bizi

i hope your doc can tweak your meds so you can feel much better quickly Pam. :hug:

~ waves ~

Dear Pam,
 

Dear Pam, :hug: :hug: :hug:
How did the doc visit go on Wednesday?
I hope that you are feeling better since we last heard from you.
M.

Doctor's Visit
 

Hi

I got to see Mr No Personality on Wednesday. He gave me .5 mg of Klonopin to take every evening. Also if I start cycling again I'm supposed to take Lithium again.

He said the risperdal caused the anxiety.

So far I have taken two and I am calmer but I do notice that I'm irritable since I started.

I'm supoosed to see him again in two months.

Anyone have experience with these meds?

Thanks for the input. I really appreciate all the help!

Pam

Dear Pam
 

stopping the risperdal may have caused the irritability - the risperdal, and before it the zyprexa - would treat irritability. the klonopin might help with that too, but it will take several days for your level to build up.

do you already have lithium on hand or do you have to go through calling him etc etc if you start cycling?

i had to laugh at your calling your pdoc Mr. No Personality! :D some pdocs can be such stoics! ;) :hug:

~ waves ~

Meds
 

Hi

I am still taking the risperidone along with the klonopin. Had another anxious night last night, Ugh!

Pam

Dear Pam,
Anxiety is a bear. Sorry.
I hope you get a break and have a better night tonight.
M.

Dear Pam

ok. then, if you can clearly relate the anxiety to the Klonopin (i.e. it appeared as soon as you started the Klonopin), you should call your doctor and report it. Especially if the anxiety is worsening.

Benzodiazepines (like Klonopin) treat anxiety, but occasionally there can be paradoxical reactions. it is very unusual, but not impossible.

if, on the other hand, you feel you were already starting to get anxious before then the Klonopin may help more once the level builds up. 10 days from the time you started the Klonopin is ample time to see an improvement, if this is the case. if you have not by then, still call your pdoc.

:hug: wishing you well

~ waves ~

Thanks for all the information
 

Hi

My anxiety is less now but I'm feeling worthless and depressed. Klonopin maybe? I just hate being bipolar and dealing with all of this crap!!!!!!

Pam

Hi Pam :)

unlikely the worthless feeling is Klonopin-related... you'd probably feel sedated, fatigued, lethargic etc, before experiencing qualitative mood changes. Also .5 is a small dose.

i'd say it's much more likely you're cycling.

in any case, i have to suggest calling your pdoc. :o

:hug:

~ waves ~

Thanks
 

Hi

He's gone this week but I'll get in touch with him soon. He takes a lot of time off. He also deals with chronic pain (I have RSD and Fibromyalgia) so I feel he's the right doc to deal with all my problems.

I am back on Lithium so I wonder why I'm cycling. It's all so very complicated!

Pam

Dear Pam,

when did you start the lithium again?

lithium prevents cycling but acts primarily above baseline, i.e. it treats and prevents mania. if one does get manic or hypo, depression often follows. if you were already in an upswing the lithium may have treated it but at that point depression could still follow, and lithium would not do much for that. you may find that it is transient, or you may need a little extra medical help with it, if it persists. take it one day at a time for now, and do call your doc next week if you still feel bad.

i recommend you keep a mood chart and write your meds in it too, since things are changing on both fronts. it will help you get a better longitudinal picture, and it will help your doc help you. in the long run, it will help you keep tabs on your response to different meds, difficult to remember when there are many meds and changing needs.

:hug:

~ waves ~

Pain Level
 

Hi

I see my doctor next Tuesday. I think I am going to ask to go back on Zyprexa again. My pain level is through the roof and I was able to walk 6 miles a day on Zyprexa. There is a lot I don't like about Zyprexa but it sure made a difference in my pain. So sick of it all!

Pam

Hi Pam,

well Zyprexa will DEFINITELY help with the cycling!

i am glad the Zyprexa helps you with pain. learned something new here... i didn't know it could do that! :cool:

maybe if the side effects are a problem or if you are at a risk for metabolic disturbances, you can work out a plan with your doc to can take it part of the time but suspend it periodically. especially if you have other meds that work for a while but poop tend to poop out or require dose increases - you could alternate those with Zyprexa maybe.

just an idea.

~ waves ~

Feeling Better
 

Hi

Zyprexa taking hold so my pain is letting up. A little up and down mood wise. Yesterday I was depressed. I cycle many times a day. ugh! Thanks so much for your support!

Pam

i am surprised it is not helping with the cycling! how much do you take?

i am glad that it is helping with the pain so you feel better though! :hug: thanks for checking in! :)

~ waves ~

:)I am glad that you checked in thanks!
bizi

Zyprexa
 

Hi

I take 5mg of Zyprexa a day. Pam

oh ok. that is a pretty low dose. if you continue to cycle ask your pdoc about increasing it even just to 10, just for a short term...

i am familiar with its side effects (first-hand :() so i don't know if that would be acceptable (or safe) for you. i'd read that the side-effects are not dose related but... it kinda seemed to me that the more i took the hungrier i got... for starters.

wishing you well!

~ waves ~

Dear Pam,
I don't have any med help with this one, but I do want to wish you well.
M.

Side Effects
 

Hi

I'll ask about the dosage. I think it would help me to get a little job of some sort.
I know what you mean by appetite problems on Zyprexa. I have food fantasies all the time.

Pam

how are you doing coach?
HOw do you deal with the food fantasies?
bizi

Food Fantasies
 

Hi

I don't know of a good way to deal with the food obsession. I go to overeaters anonymous and that helps some. Also I don't eat sugar cause when I do I pig out on it.

Anyone else taking Zyprexa and having problems with weight gain?

Pam

Dear Pam

i'm not on it right now but i gained about 40lbs on Zyprexa. i was taken off it because i was gaining too fast. i can take it only on a short term or occasional basis.

you do well to avoid sugar. try to limit all ready carbs (bread, potatoes etc). if you eat them, do not eat them alone - combine with other foods - esp proteins or fats - basically a hypoglycemic diet.

my GP at the time i took Zyprexa happened to be a diabetologist. she told me that Zyprexa causes the appetite increase by increasing the insulin response. it can especially result in carb cravings, but eating carbs stimulates insulin secretion thereby aggravating the problem.

she said (i asked) there was nothing she could give me to contrast the effect completely but picking foods carefully can help reduce the impact overall and avoid the craving-gain cycle.

you should have your blood sugar monitored periodically, for safety. this is especially important and possibly should be done more frequently (? ask your doctor) if you are prone to hyperglycemia/diabetes, or have family members who are.

~ waves ~

coach and waves.
I wonder if the time of day that you take the zyprexa matters at all?
I wonder if you take it with a lot of protein if that would help to ward off an insulin response????
bizi

dear bizi,

i was hungry 24/7 when i was on zyprexa. the only time i didn't want to eat is if i had just stuffed myself and my stomach couldn't stretch that far.

eating something (anything) with it i don't think would help. the diabetologist told me it agonizes the insulin receptors. she said it has a direct effect. ready carbs make things worse because they also stimulate the insulin response.

~ waves ~

that sounds awful waves....24/7 hunger...yikes! I could not do that...I would have to change meds....bizi

well Bizi, i did get to subtract, from the 24/7, all of the hours during which Zyprexa knocked me unconscious, which fortunately was quite a few! :rolleyes:;) but yeah, i was hungry during all my waking hours. i did switch meds.... but when it's the only thing that does what you need it for, you choose the least of the two evils... sigh.

Pam, are there others at overeaters anonymous who deal with med-induced appetite? :hug::hug::hug:

~ waves ~

Overeaters
 

Hi,

No one has said they are dealing with medication related weight gain at my group. Saw the shrink this week and switched from trazodone to Oleptro (extended release trazodone) and I felt better immediately:)

Pam

Dear Pam,
That's good news about your new Oleptro.
M.

Mom passed away
 

Yesterday my little 90 year old mother passed away at our house with the help of hospice. Right now I am numb. Happy she's out of her misery but sad for me.

Pam