I stopped taking my medication cold turkey February 2nd and by yesterday was ready to take my own life. Nobody in my life understands the severity of my illness. They just laugh and say I'm crazy.
I used to be a fun loving, spontaneous individual, but now I have to plan days in advance to leave my house. It's frustrating for me and my husband, both.
My condition was better managed when I had Rexulti trial packs from my doctor, but he ran out after about a year. While taking that medication I was better able to function, but I can't afford it, so now I'm having trouble getting out of bed and accomplishing anything.
I'm going to talk to my doctor next week about alternatives to Rexulti that won't interfere with my other medications. Does anyone have any suggestions? I've been researching, but not finding anything except possibly Wellbutrin. Does anyone take Wellbutrin along with Effexor? I found conflicting information about taking them together.
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Typsy_gypsy
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Yes, I did contact them at the time the trial packs ran out. They were nice, but not terribly helpful. My husband and I fall into what I call the black hole. We are both disabled, but I managed to work at the local state university for 29 years and am able to draw my full pension. They feel we make too much money to get assistance, but we live month to month and don't have enough money for home repairs, etc.
I may reach out again now that a generic form of Rexulti has been approved. It's just not been marketed, yet. I have difficulty making phone calls, but this is pretty important.
Stopping your medication cold turkey will make you very ill. Go back on it and go see your Dr. and tell him what you have told us on here. You should not have to suffer like this. I hope things get sorted out for you very soon.
My husband and daughter helped me get my current medication sorted out yesterday morning and I started taking them again. I honestly didn't realize how much of a difference they make. I found the form to apply for Rexulti from the company and am going to try doing that first. Now that my daughter and her baby live with us it appears I may qualify for their assistance program. Their online application process is currently under maintenance so I'll have to print the forms and have Doc fill out his part when I see him Wednesday.
Thank you for the welcome. I'm unsure why Doc didn't give me a substitute, but I am planning to speak with him about it. I have an appointment next Wednesday. I may have to get out of my comfort zone and find a psychiatrist for the mental issues. Doc is a general practioner so may not be as knowledgeable as a psychiatrist.
I'm so sorry I'm not getting alerts. I apologize for the delay.
It's a good question to ask... why not give a medication in the same category. There might be one that's cheaper. It's not a guarantee it will give the exact same result. It's just sad to know you've done so well on something and the cost is keeping you from continuing. It's so frustrating
Seeing a specialist is something to think about. GP are GP for a reason and specialists are specialists for a reason.
Thank you and I will keep you updated after I see him next week. I know I probably should be seeing a specialist, but Doc seemed to get me on the right track. If he's unable to find a substitute or they deny my application for free Rexulti then I'll have to find a psych doctor. Hopefully things will work out, though. At least I'm back on my other meds and hope I level out relatively soon. Sleeping a lot is far better than feeling like I felt the past few days. Thanks again.
Yes, I should have, but as many people with mental health issues know it's easy to start feeling like you'll be alright without it. I was having trouble with sleeping all the time and my house was becoming a disaster. When I'm not on the meds I get up at a reasonable time and am able to accomplish daily tasks around the house, but I realize my mental state is not good without the medication. I become very erratic.
As for doctors I have a lot of trouble keeping appointments or even leaving my house to go to the doctor or even talking to someone on the phone to make an appointment. I felt safe in this group because it's anonymous.
Obviously I have mental issues which affect my decision making or I wouldn't be on here and to be honest I didn't expect criticism from anyone on this site. I have serious mental issues since my son died in a car accident 2 miles from my house. His best friend was driving so I had to go to court to give my support because they were like brothers, but during the court proceedings I had to listen to the coroner describe in vivid detail the injuries sustained by my son. The truck flipped over, Jake flew through the windshield and the truck smashed his skull as it rolled over him. That was my baby boy and I couldn't even see him before the cremation because the coroner said his body was unviewable. I have to drive past the spot where he died every time I leave my house.
Don't judge me. I'm screwed up enough in the head without complete strangers in a "support" group being judgmental.
Thank you for pointing out how stupid it was to go cold turkey. That's exactly the sort of thing I need to hear right now. If you read my profile you would see I started back on the meds today and have an appointment with my doctor next week to discuss alternatives to Rexulti which was extremely helpful with keeping me on track. I simply can't afford the medication.
The best part about this being a group of random strangers (and not medical professionals) is that you can ignore/dismiss the comments that aren't helpful. By that I mean, if a comment rubs you the wrong way, there's no consequence to telling yourself "That's just a rando who doesn't know my experience so I'm going to ignore it."
I don't think anyone commenting has ill intentions, but people can only speak to their own experiences, which might not be applicable to your situation.
Also, the balance between emotional stability & ability to function is such a difficult one to strike, so I definitely understand wanting to have some of those "regular life abilities" back, even if the mental side of it gets icky.
Thank you for not being one of those random people. Whomever made the post deleted it. If I had been in a better place in my head I would have ignored it, but obviously I'm not. I don't remember how long it takes to get leveled out, but I did take my meds yesterday and with the encouragement from others on here I have found the application for possibly getting free Rexulti. Our household has changed since the first time I applied, so it says I may now qualify for assistance. Now I have to get the forms printed and take them to Doc when I see him next week or talk to him about alternative meds. Thank you again for your kind words and encouragement.
So now you made me cry because my meds aren't leveled out. ☺️ Finally found people who understand that just making a phone call can seem like climbing a mountain.
Thank you. I realize now that going cold turkey was obviously not the way to go. I think the medication I've been taking the past 4 years has probably saved my life but I do need to talk to Doc about the constant sleeping and feeling lethargic all the time. I'm not a lazy person, but I can't seem to motivate enough to get things done. It's like I get up every day with good intentions but I can't focus well enough to get anything accomplished. The Rexulti seemed to take care of that problem. Thank you again.
You are not alone tipsy, I was put on some meds also,but I was reading the 2 together can cause real problems w serotonin uptake,and I felt awful,shakes,severe anxiety,which I suffer w that n bipolar disorder,since childhood,will your Dr not help you? Or a guidance counselor type person,it's all about gettin the right people involved,I know it's hard I'm 60 yrs old and seems helpless to get better,I have social anxiety bad,and struggle daily when I lv my apartment, I pray to you to get help or some leads to help you..least u know that medicine helped...wish you the best...pita....
Thank you, Pita. And, yes, I'm lucky to know which combination of medicine was working. Next week I'll talk to my doctor about either a substitute for the Rexulti or have him fill out the paperwork to see if I can get the Rexulti free. I understand about issues leaving the house. It's a huge struggle for me, too, even on my medicine. At least I can now leave my bedroom. When I was first diagnosed I had trouble even doing that. So I've come a long way but very slowly. I truly hope you find something that helps your social anxiety, too. It's definitely a daily struggle. Thank you again for your encouragement.
I am currently taking the generic version of Wellbutrin and Effexor, and I've been on them for... 2 years? maybe? I haven't really noticed any side effects, but I think I tolerate most medications pretty well. Wellbutrin can make me a little fidgety/restless. I am maxed out on dosages for both of them, and I've been fairly stable-ish for about a year, but my brain has gotten much worse recently, so the plan is to taper off the Effexor and add in something different. This is just my personal experience, but I've been okay taking them together. No weight fluctuations, no change in appetite, no extreme lethargy/energy, no physical symptoms.
Thank you for the information. While looking for alternatives to the Rexulti I kept coming across Wellbutrin. I tolerate most meds very well, too, so we'll see what Doc thinks next week. He's the first doctor who found me a good combination that works, so I'm pretty sure he will work with me on another option. This whole time I haven't told him about being so lethargic without Rexulti because I didn't know there may be an alternative. Thank you for sharing your experience. I truly appreciate it.
You might check into getting your meds online from a Canadian Pharmacy, they are usually much cheaper and yes it is legal. I belong to a glaucoma support group and a number of them get their eyedrops from Canada. A site that was recommended is: canshipmeds.com
Designguy, thanks for that information! I didn't know it was legal so that's a good thing to know. If I don't get anything accomplished next week with my doctor or with the Rexulti manufacturers that might be my next option other than going to a psychiatrist. Thank you so much!
One other thing to consider is getting a psychopharmacological test done, which uses your dna to determine which meds are best suited for you genetically. It doesn't work for everyone apparently but it did me. My test was from genesight and was paid for by my insurance/medicare.
I've seen those tests. It's nice to know they're effective for some people. I have been on a multitude of different antidepressants over the years which didn't work. Doc was the first one to try an antipsychotic which has been really effective. It would have been nice to have known years ago instead of feeling like a guinea pig. 😊
Yes, it can help take the guess work out of it. My test showed that none of the half-dozen meds that I had previously tried were right for me so I started on one it recommended (Pristiq) which was a different type of med and it has worked well, i'm glad i did it.
I am very concerned about you. Please do not be upset about my opinion. Since you mention cost of medications perhaps you may be eligible for Medicaid which would help cover cost of medications. I am not sure if it is a state or federal subsidiary. Try to google for contact info. Or ask your doctors office for direction. You are not crazy. You are special and loved. God bless you always. There is help to your situation. I have been where you are. Mary
Thank you for your concern and kind words. I did start taking my prescriptions again yesterday so soon I won't be as off balance. The only medication I'm having trouble affording is the Rexulti, but I'm going to talk to my doctor Wednesday about alternatives and if they don't work I'm going to apply to the company for assistance. Since my daughter and granddaughter moved in I may be eligible. Unfortunately we are not eligible for Medicaid. With my pension it throws us into a weird spot financially. We make too much to get help, but live month to month just getting by. The cost of Rexulti is way out of our budget, but I am going to continue to work any avenue I haven't already. Just have to keep the faith.
Hi, I looked it up and I don't know if you're familiar with Vraylar or Abilify but it says they are of the same class of drugs. I do not know if either are cheaper or anything else about them. Just trying to be helpful as I understand what you are going through. As some one mentioned earlier Good RX is really helpful, my husband and I have used them before and it cuts the cost a great deal. I really hope the best for you with your doctor and you future. Prayers
Many thanks for the information. I did see those two listed while I was researching. I think one might have a generic form, but for some reason I quit looking at them. I don't remember now, so maybe I need to revisit them. All prayers are welcome. Thank you.
I hope today is a better day for you. I once stopped meds cold turkey which obviously isn’t a good idea but I wasn’t on them very long. The second time I did come off them with my doctors advice so tapered them and I found that incredibly hard. Also I’m fortunate enough that we have the NHS so don’t have to pay for my meds unlike yourself, honestly I’d be at my wits end having to worry about affording my meds that are needed badly. Lots of love to you.
Much love for the understanding. In the past I've gone off meds cold turkey and haven't had issues, but they were antidepressants which never really helped. I've been on Effexor and Valium for about 4 years and I see now that they are working well other than making me lethargic. Just going to talk to Doc Wednesday and see if we can figure out something.
I'm so jelly that you have paid medical. When I was in high school I was an exchange student to Denmark 🇩🇰. After I had been in the country 30 days I was automatically covered by their health insurance. I loved it there.
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