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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by CA 2 NJ on April 16, 2007, at 0:20:23
Hello everyone. I hope you all has a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead. :)
First I will mention My "Official" Diagnoses as this may help explain why I am taking these particular meds. I have the Following Disorders:- Bipolar I, Mixed with Ultra Rapid Cycling
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Panic Disorder with Mild Agoraphobia
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
- Antisocial Personality Disorder
- Dependant Personality Disorder
- Histrionic Personality Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (in addition to the OCD - there is a difference)Here are the Dosages of the Medications I am on:
- Geodon: 80mg (20mg/4x day)
- Seroquel: 50mg (50mg/1x day, at bedtime)
- Prozac: 20 mg (10mg/2x day)
- Xanax XR: 4mg (1mg/4x day)
- Lunesta: 3mg (3mg/1x day, at bedtime)I would really like ANY and ALL input ANYONE has on ANY or ALL of the medications I am currently taking. Only the Xanax XR and Lunesta are meds I've been on a while. Geodon, Seroquel and Prozac are new to me.
I would like to know of any personal experiences, side effects, dosage, what time of day you take/took it, anything that may be of help as I'm not yet sure this is the right combo for me.
I would be most appreciative if some of you out there would please find the time to tell me anything they can about my medications. Thanks all. Take good care!
Hugs,
CA 2 NJ
Posted by med_empowered on April 16, 2007, at 1:07:27
In reply to Input: Geodon, Seroquel, Prozac, Xanax XR, Lunesta, posted by CA 2 NJ on April 16, 2007, at 0:20:23
Because..ummm...you have a lot of diagnoses. "Co-morbidity" is popular with shrinks, but your situation strikes me as a little ridiculous. I'm **NOT** saying you don't have issues that need to be attended to, but I am saying that when you have multiple mental illness labels PLUS multiple "Axis II" disorders (the personality disorders), then I think you may need a more skilled clinician--someone who isn't keen on layering labels like crazy. I can't help but think that sort of heavy-handed diagnosing will adversely affect your treatment.
As for you meds, I just don't get why you're on Geodon AND seroquel, if you're also taking Lunesta. Low-dose seroquel like you're taking can help insomnia, but its kind of odd that you're taking it WITH a sleeping pill. If you still can't sleep, it would seem wise to either bump up the Lunesta or trade to another sleeping pill. The other option, I guess, would be to throw out the Lunesta and bump up the seroquel until you're able to sleep, but then the question becomes: why two antipsychotics? At low doses, seroquel is pretty much an antihistamine, so your doc could save $$$ and side effects by just RXing Vistaril or something similar (or, again, bumping up the lunesta or using ambien, sonata, whatever).
Geodon is good for some people. Watch out for akathisia, and be sure to ASK for an "AIMS test" every couple months. Your doc should have told you that Geodon and seroquel can both cause tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder that can be permanent and is sometimes crippling. If you don't know about this disorder, you should google it to learn more. The "AIMS test" helps uncover any early signs of tardive dyskinesia ("TD"); if you find the signs early, you may be able to reverse the problem by stopping any med(s) that could be causing it. If you don't catch it early, the disorder could be permanent, or could take years to resolve.
The Xanax seems like a good idea if you have a lot of anxiety...does it work well for you? The Prozac...sometimes helps. Antidepressants aren't so great for bipolar disorder or some anxiety disorders, but sometimes they help OCD.
Good luck.
Posted by CA 2 NJ on April 16, 2007, at 1:35:40
In reply to Have you considered a new shrink?, posted by med_empowered on April 16, 2007, at 1:07:27
Hey there! Actually the Psychiatrist who Disagnosed me (I took a lengthy test based on the DSM IV) is not who prescribed this. I am now on my third Psychiatrist. And I have only gone to see him twice as I had to go in early because of the intense anxiety I was feeling.
At that time I was taking 1/2 the Prozac, Geodon and Seroquel and 3mg of Xanax XR per day. So he upped everything to where it is now. He was going to discontinue the Seroquel but I told him how well it helps with sleep (although I'm up for the 2nd time tonight now) and he said we'd keep it for now.
I did try taking Seroquel during the day in like 12.5mg, even 6.25mg doses to help with the anxiety but all it did was make me tired and really didn't help with my anxiety. Just made me more agitated I think because I was so tired and anxious at the same time.
I have only been on these meds for 2 weeks now. I personally think he upped my Prozac and Geodon too quickly although I started at only 10mg of Prozac and 40mg of Geodon per day. But I was so anxious and he said it should help.
Also could this be "start up anxiety" since I have only been on the meds for such a short amount of time? I know that has happened to me before. And even my Psychiatrist said that ALL his patients with Anxiety are very sensitive to medication changes and many meds.
I am supposed to be taking 40mg of Geodon 2x/day but I can't tolerate more than 20mg at a time without it knocking me out. He said I could take it all at bedtime. Do you think that's a good idea? I know both Seroquel and Geodon have short half-lives.
Oh and the Xanax is and has been my life saver for a long time now. Thankfully this Psychiatrist will prescribe the XR version for more than once a day dosing. My last Psychiatrist would not so I took regular Xanax and constantly had breakthrough anxiety. Ughh...
Thanks so much for your response. I am so appreciative and would love to hear back from you if you read this. :) I have been coming here a long time and know that you are very knowledgable and I respect your insight. :)
Take good care. Have a great week! I hope to hear back from you shortly.
CA 2 NJ
> Because..ummm...you have a lot of diagnoses. "Co-morbidity" is popular with shrinks, but your situation strikes me as a little ridiculous. I'm **NOT** saying you don't have issues that need to be attended to, but I am saying that when you have multiple mental illness labels PLUS multiple "Axis II" disorders (the personality disorders), then I think you may need a more skilled clinician--someone who isn't keen on layering labels like crazy. I can't help but think that sort of heavy-handed diagnosing will adversely affect your treatment.
>
> As for you meds, I just don't get why you're on Geodon AND seroquel, if you're also taking Lunesta. Low-dose seroquel like you're taking can help insomnia, but its kind of odd that you're taking it WITH a sleeping pill. If you still can't sleep, it would seem wise to either bump up the Lunesta or trade to another sleeping pill. The other option, I guess, would be to throw out the Lunesta and bump up the seroquel until you're able to sleep, but then the question becomes: why two antipsychotics? At low doses, seroquel is pretty much an antihistamine, so your doc could save $$$ and side effects by just RXing Vistaril or something similar (or, again, bumping up the lunesta or using ambien, sonata, whatever).
>
> Geodon is good for some people. Watch out for akathisia, and be sure to ASK for an "AIMS test" every couple months. Your doc should have told you that Geodon and seroquel can both cause tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder that can be permanent and is sometimes crippling. If you don't know about this disorder, you should google it to learn more. The "AIMS test" helps uncover any early signs of tardive dyskinesia ("TD"); if you find the signs early, you may be able to reverse the problem by stopping any med(s) that could be causing it. If you don't catch it early, the disorder could be permanent, or could take years to resolve.
>
> The Xanax seems like a good idea if you have a lot of anxiety...does it work well for you? The Prozac...sometimes helps. Antidepressants aren't so great for bipolar disorder or some anxiety disorders, but sometimes they help OCD.
>
> Good luck.
Posted by Phillipa on April 16, 2007, at 10:26:54
In reply to Re: Have you considered a new shrink? » med_empowered, posted by CA 2 NJ on April 16, 2007, at 1:35:40
I guess I would ask if you think this med regime is helping and what your level of functioning is. I'm glad you did have to pdocs. But I do tend to agree with med about the antipsychtics. Seriously keep us posted Love Phillipa
Posted by CA 2 NJ on April 16, 2007, at 18:03:26
In reply to Input: Geodon, Seroquel, Prozac, Xanax XR, Lunesta, posted by CA 2 NJ on April 16, 2007, at 0:20:23
UPDATE:
Hi all. I just wanted to let you know that I spoke with my Psychiatrist today and we added Depakote to my Medication Regimine. We also lowered my Prozac and Geodon and upped my Seroquel for sleep. This was done at my request, as I haven't slept more than an hour here and there for the past couple of weeks and am feeling kinda manic.
So here is My Updated Medications/Dosages:- Depakote ER: 500mg (500mg/1x day, at bedtime)
- Geodon: 40mg (20mg/2x day)
- Seroquel: 100mg (100mg/1x day, at bedtime)
- Prozac: 10 mg (10mg/1x day)
- Xanax XR: 4mg (1mg/4x day)
- Lunesta: 3mg (3mg/1x day, at bedtime)
- Yaz (BCP): 1 Tablet (1 Tablet at bedtime - I forgot to add this before)
So I still would like to know of any personal experiences, side effects, dosages, what time of day you take/took these meds, anything that may be of help as I'm new to this combo and unsure of how some of these meds may "play" together.I would be most appreciative if some of you out there would please find the time to tell me anything they can about my medications. Thanks so much. Take good care! :)
CA 2 NJ-----------------------------------------------
> Hello everyone. I hope you all has a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead. :)
>
>
> First I will mention My "Official" Diagnoses as this may help explain why I am taking these particular meds. I have the Following Disorders:
>
> - Bipolar I, Mixed with Ultra Rapid Cycling
> - Borderline Personality Disorder
> - Panic Disorder with Mild Agoraphobia
> - Generalized Anxiety Disorder
> - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
> - Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
> - Antisocial Personality Disorder
> - Dependant Personality Disorder
> - Histrionic Personality Disorder
> - Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (in addition to the OCD - there is a difference)
>
> Here are the Dosages of the Medications I am on:
> - Geodon: 80mg (20mg/4x day)
> - Seroquel: 50mg (50mg/1x day, at bedtime)
> - Prozac: 20 mg (10mg/2x day)
> - Xanax XR: 4mg (1mg/4x day)
> - Lunesta: 3mg (3mg/1x day, at bedtime)
>
> I would really like ANY and ALL input ANYONE has on ANY or ALL of the medications I am currently taking. Only the Xanax XR and Lunesta are meds I've been on a while. Geodon, Seroquel and Prozac are new to me.
>
> I would like to know of any personal experiences, side effects, dosage, what time of day you take/took it, anything that may be of help as I'm not yet sure this is the right combo for me.
>
> I would be most appreciative if some of you out there would please find the time to tell me anything they can about my medications. Thanks all. Take good care!
>
>
> Hugs,
> CA 2 NJ
>
>
This is the end of the thread.
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