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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Zyprexa on August 29, 2014, at 8:55:05
The problem is they don't always work as good. One day to the next. Its as if the pills are all a different strength? Could this be poor quality control. Or just ups and downs in my mood or what not.
Or is the doctor prescribing different doses and telling some one in my house to put different dose pills in my day minder?
That sounds paranoid, doesn't it..
Posted by Phillipa on August 29, 2014, at 9:44:34
In reply to I have a problem. With my meds., posted by Zyprexa on August 29, 2014, at 8:55:05
Zyprexa you asked if paranoid so I don't feel it is. I feel that moods fluctuate daily. Is it so bad that you are unable to function? Are you working? Maybe call the doc seeing that the holiday weekend is coming up. Just to ask. Have your family noticed anything different? Any change in the doses? Think the experience you wrote on here yesterday about your history triggered a bad memory? Philllipa
Posted by ed_uk2010 on August 29, 2014, at 14:00:23
In reply to I have a problem. With my meds., posted by Zyprexa on August 29, 2014, at 8:55:05
>The problem is they don't always work as good. One day to the next. Its as if the pills are all a different strength? Could this be poor quality control. Or just ups and downs in my mood or what not.
The majority of people with mental health problems have some days which are better and some days that are worse. It's not due to the potency of your tablets, it's just life I'm afraid. Even people with no mental health problems have good days and bad days.
Posted by SLS on August 29, 2014, at 17:22:30
In reply to I have a problem. With my meds., posted by Zyprexa on August 29, 2014, at 8:55:05
> The problem is they don't always work as good. One day to the next. Its as if the pills are all a different strength? Could this be poor quality control.
I doubt it. I would think that, at worst, there might be differences between whole batches of the drug. So, it would be extremely unlikely that you would be getting different strength pills in the same bottle.
> Or just ups and downs in my mood or what not.
Even with a biological mental illness that is responsive to biological treatments, the psychosocial stresses of life can cause changeable moods and "medication breakthrough", whereby the illness reappears despite adherence to treatment. Sometimes, a temporary increase in the dosage of medication helps to recapture the antidepressant response.
I would definitely have your doctor review your treatment to evaluate the need for making dosage adjustments. Of course, the only information that he will have to work with will come from you. You must describe as best as you can what you are experiencing. Write out your description ahead of time and bring it with you. Also, make a list of questions that you would like to ask him.
> Or is the doctor prescribing different doses and telling some one in my house to put different dose pills in my day minder?
>
> That sounds paranoid, doesn't it..Yes, it does.
- Scott
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 29, 2014, at 18:55:51
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. » Zyprexa, posted by SLS on August 29, 2014, at 17:22:30
I hear ya. Some days, I feel like I'm taking placebo. But then the next day gets better......all I can think of is to add an anticonvulsant. I'm no doc or whatever, but I know Abilify, even Abilify plus PRN Risperdal, doesn't make it all better for me, but full dose Trileptal and low dose Lamictal with the Abilify and occasional Risperdal makes things much, much better.
Good luck to you!
Posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 5:22:53
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. » Zyprexa, posted by Phillipa on August 29, 2014, at 9:44:34
I've been having this problem for the last few years. Currently the meds are working well. Atleast for the past week. Yes I still have my job, non-stop now since May 2010. The reason I wrote all that about the hospital, is because my memory is starting to come back around that time. ECT erased all that for me, for years. I'm not going to call doc because I have been stable since last visit. Also I am afraid to tell her about it, because I'm afraid she will take me off zyprexa. That would be worse than having fluctuations. I just wish it would work great all the time, like it did before taking abilify. So maybe taking abilify had some effect on my brain that make z not work as well. It was realy bad imediatly after stoping abilify. Thats when I took 20-50mg z a day for a few months. Then I got on perphenazine, and 15mg z. And got better but not great for number of years. Then I was fairly stable and doc reduced my meds and I was unstable for a year or so. Also I switch to generic z at this time which had some effect too. So I started smoking pot again for a number of years. Finaly I got back on 15mg z and perphenazine increased, and after 3 months felt better again. So I quit pot. Then I had a month where I felt awfull, and was only sleeping 1-5 hours a night. Couldn't eat, so I was living off calories from alcohol and very small potions of any kind of food I could get down my throat, which ended upbeing unhealthy. Went to doc and my triglicerides had doubled in a few months. Then the meds started working better and better and off and on. This last 1-2 weeks they are realy working, I hope this lasts.
Posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 5:31:32
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. » Zyprexa, posted by SLS on August 29, 2014, at 17:22:30
I think I expained a little of this to doc a few months ago and said I should raise zyprexa to 20mg. But she didn't want to do that.. The next time I saw her she wanted me to try reduceing to 10mg, probably cause of triglicerides. Then I went back last week and she was like why did you decrease it? You should be taking 15mg.
Posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 5:35:05
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds., posted by Christ_empowered on August 29, 2014, at 18:55:51
I have extra pills of z, so, yes, I have taken more on some days. It did help. I just don't like doing it with out doc on board.
Posted by SLS on August 30, 2014, at 8:19:04
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. » Christ_empowered, posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 5:35:05
By the way, Saphris (asenapine) seems to be particularly effective to treat paranoia. It also has some antidepressant properties.
- Scott
Posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 10:16:06
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. » Zyprexa, posted by SLS on August 30, 2014, at 8:19:04
I don't want to stop zyprexa. Can't afford a brand name drug. Want to stick with what works best.
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 30, 2014, at 11:14:38
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. » SLS, posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 10:16:06
I think you can go up to 30 of Zyprexa or something like that. Can you add in more perphenazine? I seem to recall reading that the longer you're on a tranquilizer, the higher dose you'll need. You're not the only person this has happened to. Something about D2 receptors adjusting, I dunno.
If metabolic issues aren't a problem, maybe try Remeron? I read that helps with schizophrenia with mood issues. Plus, it calms you down.
Good luck!
Posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 12:04:26
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds., posted by Christ_empowered on August 30, 2014, at 11:14:38
Maybe thats what it is. I'm on a lower dose of perphenazine than before. Its one of the decreases that were not undone. I used to take 3x 12mg, now I'm at 2x. For some reason my doc thinks I'm taking too much AP. I will admit that at 3x I was a little too tired. I thought of 2x 16mg, but don't think she will go for it. Perphenazine is not that cheep either, and I'm in the donut hole right now. I have exatly enough of it to make it into Jan. They charge by the pill, so 2x 16mg pills are cheeper than 4.5x 12mg pills. Wish obamacare would kick in quicker.
I'll see how it goes, like I said they have been working better and better, and especialy well in the last 2 weeks. I'm just a little upset about them not working in the past all the time and wonder why.
Remeron gave me nightmares, eat and sleep way too much. Even more than everything I'm on now.
I'm hopeing I will be fine, and it seems likely. But if not I guess I can take extra z. I have lots of that. And I only needed to few times in the last month. Usualy when I drink. Because I get this urge to smoke pot. Yes I tend to self medicate with alcohol, when my meds are not up to par. And then I can't sleep because the meds are not working and I take and extra z. Because I don't smoke pot anymore. I get so reved up and think too much and think about everything that is wrong in my life, and think its not fair and want something for it.
Don't think I will need 30mg z.
Posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 12:51:49
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds., posted by ed_uk2010 on August 29, 2014, at 14:00:23
Hadn't thought of a reply yet.
The reason I think my meds are not working, is because of obvious things like sedation, or sleeping, or being able to eat. Wouldn't those things stay the same. Or is that part of biological fluctuations?
Posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2014, at 20:42:17
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. » Phillipa, posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 5:22:53
I understand now. Keep doing what you are doing. Phillipa
Posted by ed_uk2010 on August 31, 2014, at 10:16:11
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. Sorry ed.. » ed_uk2010, posted by Zyprexa on August 30, 2014, at 12:51:49
> Hadn't thought of a reply yet.
>
> The reason I think my meds are not working, is because of obvious things like sedation, or sleeping, or being able to eat. Wouldn't those things stay the same. Or is that part of biological fluctuations?Hi Zyprexa,
It's OK. It wasn't specific to you.
Generally, all the tablets in a batch will be virtually identical so if sleep/appetite varies you need to look for an alternative cause rather than the meds.
Posted by Zyprexa on August 31, 2014, at 11:30:07
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. Sorry ed.. » Zyprexa, posted by ed_uk2010 on August 31, 2014, at 10:16:11
What if the active ingredient does not mix evenly through the fillers they add?
Posted by ed_uk2010 on September 2, 2014, at 14:16:44
In reply to Re: I have a problem. With my meds. Sorry ed.. » ed_uk2010, posted by Zyprexa on August 31, 2014, at 11:30:07
> What if the active ingredient does not mix evenly through the fillers they add?
That shouldn't be a major problem because a sample of each batch is tested before it's released, and if the drug hadn't mixed evenly it would show up. To be honest though, mixing problems are only likely for drugs which are used at extremely low doses (eg. nanograms or micrograms), where the quantity of drug is very very low compared with the quantity of the fillers... mixing issues are not normally an issue for other products.
Hope this helps.
Posted by phidippus on September 5, 2014, at 1:01:00
In reply to I have a problem. With my meds., posted by Zyprexa on August 29, 2014, at 8:55:05
I imagine its a psychological issue. Some days are going to be better than others.
Eric
This is the end of the thread.
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