Posted by mellow on April 27, 2010, at 15:21:27
In reply to Opinion on medication change, posted by tonyz on April 27, 2010, at 14:11:43
Maybe an objective perspective will help. I would try and adjust to your new cocktail for a few weeks may 4-6 before you start a full on clonzepam taper. That is a very potent drug and even if you are addicted that's a whole separate bowl of worms that you might not want to mess with right now.
You were taking 6 medications so maybe that was what was making you fuzzy. Getting down to just the Amitriptyline + Lithium + the Clonazepam and Restoril as needed could be a great step toward getting rid of some of the side effects of such a huge cocktail. You'd be cutting out 2 drugs. I'd focus on the seroquel taper (which may be hell for a few days) and push through to start your new cocktail as prescribed. Don't worry about the clonazepam. I you are stable 6 months from now then worry about it.
There have been a couple of times i freaked out and took matters into my own hands when i probably should have stayed on course and just pushed through to some clarity. In most cases its worth it to put up with a few bad days to see if a combo will work. You will never know if you don't do what the doc suggest. That's what you are paying him for after all. Just an opinion.
I bet you will do great with less med. Being on 6 meds just seems like too much! That Amitriptyline will help with sleep for sure.
Best of luck!
mellow
> I was taking various amounts of seroquel, nortriptyline, fluvoxamine (just recently), lithium, remeron, restoril, and clonazepam since mid January and have been having a tough time.
>
> Current meds are fluvoxamine (50mg), nortriptyline 50mg, Lithium 600mg, seroquel 50mg, restoril and clonazepam as needed which seems to work out to 30mg of restoril and 1-1.5mg of clonazepam. I've had some pretty severe insomnia.
>
> Doc gave me a choice of cymbalta and possibly remeron and benzos for sleep
>
> or
>
> Amitriptyline and clonazepam and restoril as needed.
>
> He wants me to stop the seroquel and fluvoxamine and continue with the Lithium for now. Seroquel had been at 50mg for past 5 days on a taper
>
> I opted for the amitriptyline. It should help with sleep and has worked for me before. The side effects are difficult to deal with, but I don't see it as a permanent solution.
>
> Cymbalta could have been a good choice except for the fact that 11% of the people have problems with insomnia and that is a drug that I have not taken before.
>
> He said just to take the clonazepam and restoril as needed. I'm going to try and cut back on these as the Amitriptyline level builds up. I think the clonazepam is making me fuzzy.
>
> I've been on the clonazepam since February so I know I have somewhat of an addiction now. Doctors always seem to trivialize how easy it is to get off of these drugs.
>
> So I guess my questions are
> 1) ok to stop the seroquel?
> 2) Given the length of time on the clonazepam since February - think it's ok to try and taper by 1/8 mg every 3-4 days.
>
>
poster:mellow
thread:945286
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100425/msgs/945292.html