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    i need help with medications

    hi guys and gals , i'm going through a problem and maybe you guys can help. I'm going to keep it short and sweet so there is no confusion.

    ok

    last year October i slipped into a phase a depression , i am still going through this and it's been about 190 days and i'm sick of it. I have a Psychiatrist and we are working on it but i want to speed things up by coming to this forum. I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia about 20 years ago but my current psychiatrist says i am bipolar amongst other illnesses. With the depression i can't do most things like playing a video game , soldering , watching a movie , anything fun really or requires problem solving or is stressful.

    my psychiatrist put me on Lithium and that has no effect (even doubling my first dose) , i've been on Olanzapine (20mg) for 20 years and Lexapro (20mg) for 12 years.

    i made a discovery about 3 months ago where i had a few drinks , i took one Olanzapine at the start and stupidly took one before going to bed. The next day i felt pretty damn good ,
    i'll list how i felt below.


    - felt like watching movies
    - baked mum a cake
    - sat up in bed , shoulder tension release
    - soldering project
    - i'm in control 80/20
    - ocd thoughts.....up to 10% and wasnt bring me down and eating me away
    - pad and pen organizing what to do
    - eyes open , alert and attentive



    anyways i felt better for 4 days and then day 5 and 6 back to hell. I have read that for some people Olanzapine stops working i don't know , i would really like some recommendations on medications so i can try them or any other guidance.



    chat soon
    Last edited by s8n; April 1, 2021, 04:16 PM.

    #2
    Hi s8n and welcome to the forum. Finding the right balance when it comes to medication can be a challenge. Compound that with not feeling well while sorting it out makes it even harder.

    There are so many factors that come in to play and it is hard to give any specific advice that would be appropriate for you specifically.

    Sometimes it’s a matter of adjusting doses. Sometimes it can mean changing a drug or drug combination. Sometimes there are other health issues that complicate things.

    I would recommend talking about your medication with you psychiatrist and your pharmacist. If you have a family doctor make sure he or she is also in the loop
    If you have a social worker or other support, it doesn’t hurt to let them know that you’re in the process of adjusting medication.

    Hang in there s8n. It can take some time to get things sorted out, but it is so worth the effort when you start to feel better.



    AJ

    Humans punish themselves endlessly
    for not being what they believe they should be.
    -Don Miguel Ruiz-

    Comment


      #3
      hi AJ thank you for welcoming me and your info , it is quite valuable to me and my situation. I have done some more research and i believe i see my Psychiatrist this Tuesday , i'm curious where to from here.


      keep rockin AJ

      DEAN

      Comment


        #4
        Hi s8n (Dean). Good for you for doing some research. You might find it helpful to take a pen and paper with you for your appointment. You might already have some notes from your research to take in.

        Keep us posted on how things go.

        AJ

        Humans punish themselves endlessly
        for not being what they believe they should be.
        -Don Miguel Ruiz-

        Comment


          #5
          roger that will do , yes i have a Microsoft Word Document ready to be printed out to take with me.


          DEAN

          Comment


            #6
            That's great Dean.
            AJ

            Humans punish themselves endlessly
            for not being what they believe they should be.
            -Don Miguel Ruiz-

            Comment


              #7
              hi AJ and any watchers , i'm a bit late but i have some news. I saw my Psychiatrist about 3 weeks ago and i managed to get him to confirm i have Bipolar Depression. I did get him to read my 3 page Word Document and he was nodding and saying yes multiple times. One medication i was intent on trying was Lamotrigine , i had to push a bit a couple of times and he wrote a script.

              At this point i am starting Lamotrigine in 2 days as the amount he wrote doesn't cover 7 weeks , only 4 so i've had to delay taking it. Next visit i will be on it for 4 weeks and i hope to get more , from google searching Lamotrigine takes around 6 weeks to become effective.

              i hope my journey has helped anyone reading............


              DEAN

              Comment


                #8
                Hi Dean. Thanks for the update. It sounds like your document was helpful with your appointment. If I don't write things down, I invariably forget something.

                You've probably been started on a lower dose of lamotrigine and increases in the dosage will be done as needed.
                AJ

                Humans punish themselves endlessly
                for not being what they believe they should be.
                -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                Comment


                  #9
                  yes it helped both of us greatly. Your right i am prescribed 25mg x2 a day , and yes i hope to go higher the next time i see him in about 4 weeks. Thank you AJ for chatting with me since i joined this forum , much appreciated.


                  DEAN

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Hi Dean. It has been nice to chat with you. Anytime feel free to post here or PM me.
                    AJ

                    Humans punish themselves endlessly
                    for not being what they believe they should be.
                    -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by s8n View Post
                      hi guys and gals , i'm going through a problem and maybe you guys can help. I'm going to keep it short and sweet so there is no confusion.

                      ok

                      last year October i slipped into a phase a depression , i am still going through this and it's been about 190 days and i'm sick of it. I have a Psychiatrist and we are working on it but i want to speed things up by coming to this forum. I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia about 20 years ago but my current psychiatrist says i am bipolar amongst other illnesses. With the depression i can't do most things like playing a video game , soldering , watching a movie , anything fun really or requires problem solving or is stressful.

                      my psychiatrist put me on Lithium and that has no effect (even doubling my first dose) , i've been on Olanzapine (20mg) for 20 years and Lexapro (20mg) for 12 years.

                      i made a discovery about 3 months ago where i had a few drinks , i took one Olanzapine at the start and stupidly took one before going to bed. The next day i felt pretty damn good ,
                      i'll list how i felt below.


                      - felt like watching movies
                      - baked mum a cake
                      - sat up in bed , shoulder tension release
                      - soldering project
                      - i'm in control 80/20
                      - ocd thoughts.....up to 10% and wasnt bring me down and eating me away
                      - pad and pen organizing what to do
                      - eyes open , alert and attentive



                      anyways i felt better for 4 days and then day 5 and 6 back to hell. I have read that for some people Olanzapine stops working i don't know , i would really like some recommendations on medications so i can try them or any other guidance.



                      chat soon
                      I'm in a group that meets regularly online about bipolar concerns and some of the BP members have said that their Lithium and other medications have stopped working and been replaced. My medications (antidepressants and antipsychotics) have been replaced several times over 30-plus years. I have major depressive disorder as opposed to a bipolar illness. I'm not sure if I've had psychotic features with it, but some people apparently do become psychotic with MDD. I'm never manic.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        hi Complex thanks for chiming in , excellent info you gave. It's unfortunate that meds sometimes stop working after time passes. At least i now know i may go up and down in the future so i am prepared for it with your info.

                        thank you

                        DEAN

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Hi s8n,

                          I've just read your message, sorry for the late reply..... I'm so sorry for your condition. Let me, first of all, tell you, please believe in your Psychiatrist and follow every step and medicine given to you. If you do not get any relief even after, you can consult any other Psychiatrist if you wish. Also, you can opt for medication review services to know about the meds you are taking.

                          Keep posting your updates we all from this community are with you.

                          Wish you find a solution as soon as possible.

                          Warm Regards,
                          Joseph Ham!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Welcome to the forum Joseph.
                            AJ

                            Humans punish themselves endlessly
                            for not being what they believe they should be.
                            -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Thank you, Joseph. This is excellent advice and being so supportive of others. We are glad you could join us here on the forum.

                              Comment

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