pureshark: journey from naivete to skepticism

[pureshark]

Greetings, one and all!

 

I spent a lot of my life trusting what doctors told me (and taking what they prescribed). For the most part this was fine, because everything they put me on was short term and had no lasting side effects (at least, to the best of my knowledge)! Then about 20 years ago, everything started to change. One problem led to another, and each one came with its own medication. After a handful of really bad experiences with doctors and/or their advice, I have begun to do serious research into every medication that I'm on and what it could be doing to me. Most of the new doctors that I see now tell me that half of my symptoms could be caused by all of the drugs I'm taking.... BUT they don't offer to help me stop taking them. And now I'm wondering if I would have been disabled for the last 20 years without all of these drugs in my system.

 

I've stopped taking Cymbalta and Nexium so far... long processes, both! I'm still trying to make to without having to take another PPI, but all of my efforts haven't been good enough, so far. But unless I manage to stay off of the PPIs for 8 months (I forget where I read that time frame), I won't know for certain if I have Drug Induced Lupus or something else. I haven't taken Nexium in 4 months, or any regular PPI in 3 months. But I *have* had to take the occasional Aciphex when the GERD gets too bad.

 

I'm also trying to stop the pramipexole, but I feel like I've hit a brick wall there. So... we'll see.

[ChessieCat]

Hello and welcome to SA,

 

Thank you for completing your drug signature.

 

What drugs/supplements have you stopped AND started taking this year 2020?  How did you stop them?

 

What drugs/supplements did you stop AND start last year 2019?  How did you stop them?

 

There a couple of things which I think it would be best for you to do to start with.

 

Firstly, please use the drug interaction checker and add ALL CURRENT drugs and supplements (some will be in the database) and copy and paste the result or the link to the results in a post.  Drug.com Interactions Checker

 

The second thing that we would like you to do is to keep daily symptoms notes for the next 3 consecutive days.  Please post a 24 hour period in one got.  This post explains why we need these and what we require. 

 

Keep Notes on Paper

 

This is your own Introduction topic which is the best place to ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.  This way your history is in one place and you will not need to repeat yourself.  Also, the mods regularly check for new posts in the Introduction forum.  Because of how busy SA is and the large number of members if you post elsewhere the mods might not see the post.

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by ChessieCat
added AND started

[ChessieCat]

3 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

What drugs/supplements have you stopped AND started taking this year 2020?  How did you stop them?

 

What drugs/supplements did you stop AND start last year 2019?  How did you stop them?

 

Please note that I edited these questions to include drugs you started as well as stopped.

[ChessieCat]

5 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Firstly, please use the drug interaction checker and add ALL CURRENT drugs and supplements (some will be in the database) and copy and paste the result or the link to the results in a post.

 

Sorry I forgot to add the link:  Drug.com Interactions Checker

[ChessieCat]

It might also be helpful if you tell us the reason why you ORIGINALLY started a drug please.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by ChessieCat

[pureshark]

I'll take notes of symptoms and such tomorrow, but in the meantime...

I'm attaching a pdf of the Drug Interactions... it's a bit too lengthy to put in a post. As for the whys and wherefores of the meds I'm on (or was recently on), here we go! I put in italics  blue text (easier to read) the ones that haven't changed at all in quite some time.

---Nexium 40mg (x2) -- started in 2002 because of severe reflux. Tried a bunch of other PPIs as well, off and on. Reduced dose by half in 2012 because I had to pay out of pocket and it got expensive. Went back up 4/20 because of increased reflux problems, and had subsequent panic attacks. In July 2020, stopped taking it by switching to Prevacid and bead counting myself down from there. Then stopped cold turkey in 8/1/2020. Haven't had a panic attack since.

---Gabapentin 600mg (x4) -- started with 100mg in 2003 for neuropathy... the dose went up over the next couple of years.

---Pramipexole (Mirapex) .25mg -- started in 2003 for restless leg syndrome. Increased to 1mg by 2015. Dr said it might cause rebound RLS, so I tried to taper off of it... got back down to .25mg and couldn't sleep without it (because of my legs).

---Baclofen 20mg (x2) -- added in approx. 2007 to help the RLS, as the Mirapex and/or Requip made me so anxious when the dose was increased.

---Eletriptan 40mg -- guessing here... maybe started that in 2005 or so... but the headaches started a lot earlier. I don't have my records from that far back. Don't need it very often any more.

---Symbicort and Levalbuterol -- my asthma and allergies came back in 2012 when I moved to MA. The inhalers I tried first made my anxiety too severe. It's not too bad with these, plus they let me breathe. 🙂

---Iron, Magnesium, B12, D3 --- started taking around 2014 to compensate for deficiencies. Hoped they'd help the RLS, but they didn't.

---Loratadine and Flonase --- started taking around 2015 for worsening allergies.

---Cymbalta 60mg --- started taking around 2014 for worsening depression and anxiety... and hoped for help with pain. No such luck. Felt like I didn't need it early in 2019, so asked my doctor about stopping it. She told me to do the every other day method, and that caused me major panic attacks. Nightmare proportions. Then I stumbled upon the tapering methods on this site, and it made sense. So from 4/2019 until 4/2020, I tapered down, 8% at a time. Finally off of it!

---Sucralfate (causes stomach pain) and Famotidine (makes dry eye worse) --- trying to make do with these (as of 7/2020) for reflux, in addition to a strict diet.

---Tried aloe vera juice, DGL, and apple cider vinegar for reflux (7/2020)--- Turns out all of these can lower your potassium level, and I had some resulting problems. Stopped all of these 2 months ago.

---Lorazepam --- prescribed in 2015 after my mother died. I was careful not to take it too often, so I don't think I developed a dependence. Haven't taken any in months.

---Ashwagandha and L-Theanine --- switched to these for anxiety in 2019.

---Dicyclomine -- I only need it every once in a great while, if I eat something accidentally that causes me extreme abdominal pain (like mushrooms, bananas, avocado, etc)

 

 

DrugInteractions.pdf

Edited November 1, 2020 by ChessieCat
blued italic font for easier reading

[ChessieCat]

I have done a drug interaction in Medscape Drug Interaction Checker and there 11 interactions.

 

The following are NOT included: 

Pataday (eye drops)

Vitamin B Complex

Probiotics

L-Theanine

Sarsaparilla Root

Serious - Use Alternative

• St John's Wort + eletriptan

  St John's Wort will decrease the level or effect of eletriptan by affecting hepatic/intestinal enzyme CYP3A4 metabolism. Avoid or Use Alternate Drug.

• St John's Wort + loratadine

  St John's Wort will decrease the level or effect of loratadine by affecting hepatic/intestinal enzyme CYP3A4 metabolism. Avoid or Use Alternate Drug.

Monitor Closely

• eletriptan + St John's Wort

  eletriptan and St John's Wort both increase serotonin levels. Modify Therapy/Monitor Closely.

• gabapentin + loratadine

  gabapentin, loratadine. Either increases effects of the other by pharmacodynamic synergism. Modify Therapy/Monitor Closely. Coadministration of CNS depressants can result in serious, life-threatening, and fatal respiratory depression. Use lowest dose possible and monitor for respiratory depression and sedation.

• St John's Wort + rabeprazole

  St John's Wort will decrease the level or effect of rabeprazole by affecting hepatic/intestinal enzyme CYP3A4 metabolism. Use Caution/Monitor.

• famotidine + ferrous sulfate

  famotidine will decrease the level or effect of ferrous sulfate by increasing gastric pH. Applies only to oral form of both agents. Use Caution/Monitor.

• rabeprazole + ferrous sulfate

  rabeprazole will decrease the level or effect of ferrous sulfate by increasing gastric pH. Applies only to oral form of both agents. Use Caution/Monitor.

• formoterol + levalbuterol

  formoterol and levalbuterol both decrease serum potassium. Use Caution/Monitor.

• formoterol + levalbuterol

  formoterol and levalbuterol both decrease sedation. Use Caution/Monitor.

• formoterol + levalbuterol

  formoterol and levalbuterol both increase sympathetic (adrenergic) effects, including increased blood pressure and heart rate. Use Caution/Monitor.

Minor

• St John's Wort + loratadine

  St John's Wort will decrease the level or effect of loratadine by P-glycoprotein (MDR1) efflux transporter. Minor/Significance Unknown.

[ChessieCat]

3 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

Firstly, please use the drug interaction checker and add ALL CURRENT drugs and supplements (some will be in the database) and copy and paste the result or the link to the results in a post.  Drug.com Interactions Checker

 

Please provide the link to the results as requested.  Thank you.

[pureshark]

My apologies... I'll move St John's Wort to the previously taken category, since I haven't taken it in so long... There are tons of other interactions without that one in the mix.

 

https://www.drugs.com/mn/n79md82
 

[ChessieCat]

This the one we need please.  https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

 

Example:  https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=2106-0,967-0

 

[ChessieCat]

59 minutes ago, pureshark said:

I'll take notes of symptoms and such tomorrow

 

Please ensure that you use the following format and provide the information required.  Please keep it simple.  If you wish to add in extra information please add it at the bottom, separate to the chronological list.  SA is a very busy site with lots of members needing assistance.  It helps us to help you if we get the information the way we need it.  Thank you.

 

  

On 9/28/2016 at 4:49 AM, Altostrata said:

What we need to see for every single day over several days is what symptoms you get before and after you take your drugs. If you're not taking any drugs and have withdrawal symptoms, we still need to see your symptom pattern throughout the day:

 

The time of day, dosage, and severity of symptoms are essential information. Include

 

- Time and dosage for all drugs taken throughout the day, psychiatric and non-psychiatric.

- Following each dose, note any symptoms. If you are having a reaction to the drug, it may take hours for a symptom to show up -- that's why we ask you to keep notes all day long.

- If you're not taking any drugs, your symptoms throughout the day.

- Your sleep pattern. Since so many drugs disturb sleep, if you find you're waking in the middle of the night, it could be from a drug you took earlier in the evening. If you're not taking any drugs, there may be ways you can improve your sleep.

And so forth. A diary, in chronological order, looking something like this:
 

Example:

DATE:

 

6 a.m. Woke with anxiety
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

 

[ChessieCat]

Please answer this question:

 

3 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

It might also be helpful if you tell us the reason why you ORIGINALLY started a drug please.

 

 

[pureshark]

9 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

It might also be helpful if you tell us the reason why you ORIGINALLY started a drug please.

 

 

The reasons I took those drugs originally are the same reasons I take them now. If you want a simpler list, I can do that.

 

13 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

This the one we need please.  https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

 

 

I don't know why your link looks different from mine. It may be because I have a login and password from before (I already use that drug interactions checker and update it as my medications change.

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, pureshark said:

The reasons I took those drugs originally are the same reasons I take them now.

 

So what is the reason? 

 

Please don't waste the mods' time.  We are volunteers (unrostered) who give freely of our time, some of us also work, some are retired, we are going through our own withdrawal/tapering or post-tapering issues, and of course we also have a life away from SA.  We give of our time FREE to help other people because of what we have experienced, and the site is free too.  So that we can assist as many members as possible we appreciate it when members can provide answers to the questions we ask/provide the information in the way we prefer it and not have to waste time searching back through and read lengthy posts to find the information.

 

Thank you.

 

1 hour ago, pureshark said:

I don't know why your link looks different from mine. It may be because I have a login and password from before (I already use that drug interactions checker and update it as my medications change.

 

Please do an interaction check without logging in and provide the link to the report.

[brassmonkey]

 

On 11/1/2020 at 7:31 AM, pureshark said:

Thankfully I had just come to the end of my Cymbalta taper when I got COVID in April... Any change in symptoms I have now is strictly medication related! I can only speak for myself. 🙂

 

Hi pureshark-- in a post on another thread you mentioned being diagnosed with COVID 19 back in April. It would be very helpful if you could provide some details on the diagnosis, treatment you received, medications and the course of your recovery. The interactions of the COVID 19 virus and it's treatment with ADWD is new territory for us and we would appreciate all the information we can get on the subject so we can better handle it.

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by ChessieCat
added quote

[pureshark]

6 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

Please don't waste the mods' time.  We are volunteers (unrostered) who give freely of our time, some of us also work, some are retired, we are going through our own withdrawal/tapering or post-tapering issues, and of course we also have a life away from SA.  We give of our time FREE to help other people because of what we have experienced, and the site is free too.  So that we can assist as many members as possible we appreciate it when members can provide answers to the questions we ask/provide the information in the way we prefer it and not have to waste time searching back through and read lengthy posts to find the information.

 

Thank you.

 

I am not trying to waste anyone's time, and I didn't know it was going to require all of this before I could participate in anything. Typing is very painful for me, and I've done the best I could. All I wanted to know was how people had gotten off of Requip and/or Mirapex. I guess I'll look elsewhere. SO never mind, and I won't waste your time any more.

 

Before I go, I'll tell you that COVID-19 was not much different from other viruses, and it just exacerbated my asthma a bit more than usual. That's why the doctor sent me to be tested. All I needed to do was use my inhalers more often for a week or two. And yes, those do tend to make one more anxious. So in that sense, they'll interact with psych meds. 

[ChessieCat]

SA takes getting off psychiatric drugs very seriously because the drugs are very powerful and if incorrect information is provided it can cause a members a lot of harm.  Because of this we need to find out as much as we can about a member's drug history and their current situation.  We are not medical professionals.  Because of the large quantity and variety of drugs that you are currently taking, as well as your drug background, it would be remiss of us if we did not take everything into consideration before offering suggestions.

 

We do not have any specific tapering information for Requip or Mirapex.  I will give you some general SA tapering guidelines:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

If you do a search of the site using a search engine and add site:survivingantidepressants.org to the search term and search for the brand and generic names of your drugs you might find other members who have taken these drugs.