Increased medication- what do you think?

[LaceyTiel]

Yesterday my doctor increased my medication which I thought may happen. Since my most recent major depressive episode has been trying different things.

I personally don't know anyone taking medications other than me. Although I am sure there must be also other people I see everyday at work or whatnot and just don't know they are on medications or not.

I would like to have an idea on where on the mental illness spectrum I fit in. I am on a combination of three Prescription medications a day so I must be fairly sick.

My doctor just increase that new medication to 25mg of Elavil. And then I am on 300mg of Wellbutrin and 1mg of Lorzapam. Does that seem like a lot of prescription medication to you? My doctor says I need it and I tried to be medication free a while ago with the end result meaning he definitely is right. He said he may increase the Elavil again in a month if I see don't improve.

I have PTSD, former? Anorexic, Clinical Depression and General anxiety disorder & ulcerative colitis in remission.

My current problem is I am sleeping too much. And he says the Elavil will help me get more engery. I noticed I have only very recently became a bit paranoid about taking this much medication. I think it is a side effect of the Elavil.

Tonight I take my first 25mg pill and part of me feels scared I won't wake up. But there is no logic in that at all because the doctor and pharmacist checked everything and said everything is fine. When I first started Wellbutrin 4 years ago I had a lot of weird things in the beginning that went away. I wish I could understand what all these medications really are. I watched so many documentaries on these drugs. Seems the medical community has different points of views on them. For me I know my life has been greatly improved by medications. I just feel bad for the 'stigma' of mental illness sometimes.

[secondhandrose2]

Hi,

I hadn't heard of the three meds you mention so googled them and notice two of them are their US names, so maybe you are based in the US? If so it will be difficult to offer you much advice as I imagine things are different there in terms of procedures and prescribing. I did discover that the first two meds are both antidepressants and the third one is a med to reduce anxiety.

I would also be concerned if I was on several different meds, especially if I was not clear what each of them was for. I am wondering whether you might go back to your specialist and and for a meds review? It sounds as though you are feeling anxious right now which might mean that you need a change of anti-anxiety meds.

My own thoughts would be that I would personally not want to be on a lot of meds long term but would hope to find an alternative treatment and I am wondering whether you have been offered any other kinds of therapy, especially for your depression? I don't know anything about your life circumstances and sometimes depression is a difficult but normal response to life events and I am wondering whether that is true in your situation, whether you have any idea what triggered your depression. Perhaps if you tell us more about your history we can help you to think about your depression and that may help to reduce your anxiety as understanding why we feel as we do is the first step towards being more in control.

Suex

[LaceyTiel in reply to secondhandrose2]

Thank-you so much for your reply. It really shows you are kind to look up my medications.

The Elavil one that my doctor is increasing to help give me more engery. I am very tired and just feel I have no steam. It is a Amitriptyline medication also called Endept and Levate. It is supposed to be as what one sight described as an old school medication.

I read it also is good for people with eating disorders and ulcerative colitis. And I think there has been improvements for me since the Elavil. And that was even before I knew Elavil could be used for that.

Lozapam is given to me for anxiety and I take it as needed. I had for 4 years and never had the problems that others talked about such as addiction. My last 30 pills lasted me 5 months. I have an addictive personality too so I am very lucky on this one.

The Wellbutrin is also called Zyban and it is given to some people to quit smoking. I never smoked though. It is my staple antidepressant. I was on Effexor with it for a while and then the Elavil replaced the Effexor. I have been on Paxil and Zoloft. But they didn't work for me. Paxil was a very bad experience for me. My mother took it and she had no problems.

My background is of strong family history of mental health problems. Alcohol addictions is very bad in my family. I don't drink mostly because of growing around it. Eating disorder would be my most damaging mental illness. My doctor thinks my PTSD is significant but I don't feel it is. I don't feel like a victim or angry anymore. And my boyfriend I currently have enjoy affection. In previous relationships I would have flash backs and would cringe at being close and things. Whether I just came to terms about it on my own or my medication and talking to doctors helped - I am not sure. But I don't think about it hardly at all anymore. The thing that I have not told my current doctor which I should is that I was married to someone who was a child sex abuser. My ex husband asked me to go with him to his doctors appointment and told me infront of his doctor what he had done. I divorced him straightaway, legally changed my name and moved a timezone away to start my new life almost 10 years ago. Find if out the person I married was a sex offender changed my perspective on dealing with my own past as a young person. I have very little contact with my family. Maybe a couple of phone calls a month to my mother. I a have not seen any of my family on about 10 years. And that is a good thing because they really are negative people who have a way of draining me emotionally within hours of their company. I don't even have the desire to introduce my family to my partner of 3 years.

i am very lucky because I have a doctor that I like now. He spent 45 minutes with me just asking questions to find out how to adjust my medications. And my pharmacist also is very nice and throughal. So they are two blessings I have not everyone navigating their mental health problems get to enjoy! My last doctor just kept on giving me more and more medications. And since I went to my new doctor I feel like I am in much better care.

Thank-you for your kindness and replying to my post.

[Hidden]

Hello

Generally it is not worth being paranoid on the taking of medications, the one problem you have like everyone else is the actual affect the chemical mixture is having on your body bits

I now take one antidepressant for depression and another one on reduced dose for nerve damage caused by my Chronic disability. I also take various medications for my blood pressure and another drug for associated problems, that the over sixties take as a matter of course. Also I take a synthetic Opiate that reduces my pain.

With me it is not the number of drugs as such it is the chronic contraindications they all have on my body. As I need to take changing doses when my condition becomes worse.

If you are worried about the soup you are taking ask for an appointment with the chemist or Doctors Surgery. Your medications should be checked about once a year to make sure there are no bad affects or contraindications associated to the mix you are taking.

Generally your GP should be watching your medications and you also have an obligation to discuss your script if you find you are having problems.

Remember it is not the number of medications you are taking it is generally the problems you may have with them.

Regards peoples feelings regard your condition, it is not your problem it is their problem and as long as you are not climbing the walls or attacking any one they should accept your illness. Personally I would in my case not tell anyone m condition. If you have to make light, be positive and change the subject. Remember when you are an adult it all becomes hypothetical as people should not be asking you

BOB

[LaceyTiel]

Thank-you Bob for your reply. You are so write about the cross actions of medications. My pharmacist was telling me not to take the Elavil at the same time with the Wellburtin because they could contradict each other unless spaced apart. And also be careful taking the Elavil with the Lorzapam because they both have properties to make me sleep.

When I started then Welbutrin 4 years ago I started up with some weird behaviour but it worked its self out in the end.

[KNOW_OCD_MOR_THAN_ME]

Hi Lacey, I'm very sorry to hear that you're suffering with all this. Have you ever tried therapy?

I too have suffered with eating disorders in the past...anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder. I attended group CBT, and I've never had a better relationship with food before than i do now.

[KNOW_OCD_MOR_THAN_ME]

Also, I'm not really familiar with those meds, so i cant really have an opinion. All i would say is medication works best when therapy is used along side it.

[StressBuster]

It's fine to try different medications—I went through the same process of trial and error—and discovered—I don't like a lot of psychotropic drugs. Too many side effects. Just don't ever suddenly stop psych meds once you're on them. They can throw you in a tizzie. If you don't want to take them anymore wean yourself off very slowly (ask your doctor for a slow taper—even tho they don't like to do that). This is especially true with anti-anxiety meds like Xanax, Klonopin or Lorazepam (the benzos). I took Klonopin for a couple of years and when I discovered it was making me a basket case (poor memory and just stupid), I did a three month very slow taper. It worked and I feel much much better. Also—try and be consistent with your meds once you're on. If you forget to take them one day—or decide to skip, the withdrawal effects can appear a day or two later. You will think it's you when in fact, it's the meds. Hope this helps; hang in there.

[LaceyTiel]

Thank-you for your kind and caring reply! A had a major depressive episode a while back and quit all my medications at once! Oh my goodness I would not wish that on anyone it was so,awful! I could see why it would be dangerous. I am back on my medications now. I always have double vision with lozapam. And I had a few hallucinations but only nice ones. Like cute animals. Since I started the Elavil I think I saw a couple of hallucinations. They were a bit unnerving. Did you ever have hallucinations with the medications you tried?