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Are you being medicated for all of these things by the same doctor? If not, do all your doctors know what the other doctors are prescribing, and what each of them is supposed to be treating?
If I was taking two different types of antidepressants (Cymbalta and Abilify), plus sleeping pills (Ambien), plus an anticonvulsant often prescribed in some countries to treat anxiety (Lyrica), I'd be wondering if I was WAYYYY overmedicated. I'd also probably be either a zombie, or a total basket case.
You might be getting exactly what you should be getting but honestly, you need to have a talk with your doctor(s). And your pharmacist. In fact, you might want to go to your pharmacist first, and have a consultation to discuss the combination of meds you're taking, the dosages, and the order in which you take them (with/without food, morning/evening, at the same time as x y or z med, or NEVER at the same time, etc).
Excellent advice. I'd add full blood tests, especially liver function should be run at least once a year. And a good physical. And just because as side effect/unintended concequence is not common and not considered each of us has a unique metabolism and especially in combination drugs do not always act as expected.
And a diary of when you take each meds, when and what you eat and normal activities and how you feel will give a much clearer picture of how and when problems occur.
I was taking serequel for stress and started having these times I'd just nearly pass out, but couldn't get out of bed for hours. Lots of tests and no answers later, I was taking it less often and the problem was less. But I corrilated the pill with the passing out and never took anymore. No more problems. It was when I researched the meds that I discovered that in some patients it can trigger a fast fall in blood pressure. If I'd done a diary I might have found the answer much much sooner.
Excellent advice. I'd add full blood tests, especially liver function should be run at least once a year. And a good physical. And just because as side effect/unintended concequence is not common and not considered each of us has a unique metabolism and especially in combination drugs do not always act as expected.
And a diary of when you take each meds, when and what you eat and normal activities and how you feel will give a much clearer picture of how and when problems occur.
I was taking serequel for stress and started having these times I'd just nearly pass out, but couldn't get out of bed for hours. Lots of tests and no answers later, I was taking it less often and the problem was less. But I corrilated the pill with the passing out and never took anymore. No more problems. It was when I researched the meds that I discovered that in some patients it can trigger a fast fall in blood pressure. If I'd done a diary I might have found the answer much much sooner.
This is really good to know, thanks! The PA at the doctor's office came up with this ridiculous idea that she should recommend Seroquel for me, and for me to stop taking Ambien. Her reasoning: Ambien is an addictive narcotic drug. Of course - it isn't addictive, and it isn't a narcotic. But that was her explanation when I asked why she'd need me to switch at all. I didn't switch - I'm still taking the Ambien.
Good thing I knew her advice was horsepucky - I have low blood pressure. If Seroquel caused sudden drops in blood pressure, I could be dead.
This is really good to know, thanks! The PA at the doctor's office came up with this ridiculous idea that she should recommend Seroquel for me, and for me to stop taking Ambien. Her reasoning: Ambien is an addictive narcotic drug. Of course - it isn't addictive, and it isn't a narcotic. But that was her explanation when I asked why she'd need me to switch at all. I didn't switch - I'm still taking the Ambien.
Good thing I knew her advice was horsepucky - I have low blood pressure. If Seroquel caused sudden drops in blood pressure, I could be dead.
I've used both. Neither worked well enough but serequel made me feel like I'd taken a large overdose of an anti histamine. I sort of floated through the day. Ambien made things foggy too, but I didn't feel like if I got up too fast I'd pass out. Admitedly I am very sensitive to meds generally, but the feeling faint was not the usual. It wasn't hard to look up with an internet connection and since I look up ALL side effects. My experience is that most over rushed pdocs don't really think of that and don't appreciate that you do.
I'm glad you stood up for yourself. One pdoc decided that I should change meds for no other reason that I'd taken the other for a while, not because it wasn't working. I looked it up and discovered it caused low salt levels. Now, I already have that problem due to severe colitus, dealt with too late. I told him about that and he still wanted me to change. When I came the next month and said I wouldn't take it he got upset, and I can only think he really didn't know the side effects since it wasn't important to him. He said he couldn't treat me. Fine with me. Next pdoc had no problem listening.
I understand that some don't like to discuss side effect since they think it will make the reluctant unwilling to try, but especially when there are real *health* considerations it is something that both should consider before a drug is considered. Always look out for yourself and if they don't care, see someone else.
Side effects.. Falling asleep with glasses on
Getting on the computer, and telling people what you REALLY think, and then do not remember it the next day!
Curling up on the floor, instead of the bed!
Waking up with wrappers beside you, and not remember eating anything.
My s/o had a prescription for it one time. He took one and I told him he needed to go ahead and go to bed, but no, he just had to stay up a "few more minutes". Next thing I knew he went missing. I looked everywhere for him and finally found him outside in his underwear raking leaves at midnight.
That's too funny. My DH takes it and tells weird stories sometimes but never has done anything like that.
I build up tolerance to any meds quick. When I first went back on 10 mg Ambien the next day I had deja vu hallucination. I watched a group walk by the reversed and repeated forward? during the daytime, kinda scary, kinda cool.
I liked Lunesta (I had samples), but my Dr told me insurance companies won't pay for it unless you try Ambien first (because Lunesta doesn't have a generic). I tried 10mg, and fell asleep okay, but was awake again a few hours later. Do you guys sleep through the night on Ambien? If so, how much do you take? I tried it a few times with the same results. I don't know if it's coincidence, but it also seems like it gave me diarrhea the next day. For the record, falling asleep isn't usually a problem, it's that I wake up every few hours (beginnings of menopause, but no hot flashes, just waking up).
Well, once I was on business travel, took an Ambien, then went online and bought a Chanel handbag. I totally forgot I had done that until the next day and I saw the conformation email. Lol
I liked Lunesta (I had samples), but my Dr told me insurance companies won't pay for it unless you try Ambien first (because Lunesta doesn't have a generic). I tried 10mg, and fell asleep okay, but was awake again a few hours later. Do you guys sleep through the night on Ambien? If so, how much do you take? I tried it a few times with the same results. I don't know if it's coincidence, but it also seems like it gave me diarrhea the next day. For the record, falling asleep isn't usually a problem, it's that I wake up every few hours (beginnings of menopause, but no hot flashes, just waking up).
Ambien CR would probably be a better fit for you, the CR is for those that wake up. I can't fall asleep without sedatives so regular Ambien works ok for me. Your Pdoc may add ativan like mine did to ambien. Consider adding melatonin too.
My experience with it was brief, but memorable. The first pill was timed release. I don't absorb time release pills so it made me sleepy, but I slept for a little while, woke up and was in a zoned out fog for twenty four hours. I also over react. Then we tried the non-timed release. One knocked me out cold and I was in a worse fog the next twenty four hours. Cutting it in half didn't hit me as hard, but I couldn't remember anything about the day.
That was it. I didn't buy online then and didn't have a car so I guess I was lucky. But all the meds I took were doing was pushing me up toward manic, and that's why I wasn't sleeping. Removing the manic and the non drug action of getting away from triggers and learning to manage moods without them works for me. But I sleep when sleepy now, and a full night waking up after eight to ten hours. Getting good sleep has made some of the other things possible.
If you are on other meds, and have sleep problems, FIRST look into the effects of those meds rather than adding more. Piling pills on pills to fix the bad after effects of the other pills is a bad experiment in chemistry.
Last edited by nightbird47; 03-21-2014 at 03:49 PM..
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