NagaQueen - paroxetine, mirtazapine, risperidone and much more

[ndmaar]

I'm starting this topic on behalf of my friend. I've already pasted her story in my thread, so just copying.

 

A tragic story. She has heavy OCD. She's uneducated in psychiatry and was relying on doctors. She was taking different psych meds on and off for like 10 years. This year she had a course of ECT. After that she was taking mirtazapine 45mg, paroxetine 20mg and risperidone 1mg for approximately 1,5 months. But she can't remember what meds she was taking prior to that, maybe partly to ECT, partly to other reasons. She stopped all of her tablets and attempted suicide on November 28th by strangling herself, it was unsuccessfull, severe nosebleed started and she was forced to stop. She went to psych ward herself. There they were giving her only paroxetine, after a week she went home and didn't take any meds. Interestingly, after a suicide attempt she felt a relief of her OCD symptoms and was feeling much better for nearly two weeks. Today she had a major breakdown, was feeling awful, worse than before suicide attempt. I believe that it is a WD. Is there something that can be done? Does she have to reinstate all the 3 meds she was taking earlier or only antidepressants or ...?

A problem is - she is very suicidal again. It will be hard to convince her to wait for some time to stabilise, not to mention starting taper and so on.

 

Thank you for any advice and input. I'm sorry to bring on such a sad topic.

 

[mammaP]

The poor girl! Please tell her that this WILL pass. I was EXTREMELY suicidal on paroxetine,

for me it was the worst thing ever. I made several attempts so can understand exactly how she is feeling.

I also had ECT and many other drugs too, but I am here now and doing well. I can only tell you how 

things were for me, and what I feel would have helped me at the time.  I needed TLC and was given drugs.

I needed to grieve for my husband and was given ECT. My head is telling me to advise you to take her to

hospital, my heart is screaming 'don't go there'. 

She is in pain, if she can cry, let her cry, it is healing. Hold her hand. Could she talk to a counsellor?

The samaritans? Talking to someone on the phone helped me sometimes, and would give you a break.

 

You need to take care of yourself too. 

 

Alto or one of the others with more knowledge of the drugs in question will be along to advse what to do with

the meds. I wish I could make it all better, I can feel her pain and yours seeing her like this.

[mammaP]

Hi Nagaqueen, how are things today? I hope she is a little more settled.  

I am so glad she has you, you remind me of my very very dear friend who held my hand when 

I was where your friend is right now. This morning she sent a txt inviting me to lunch and I am 

going to find  something beautiful to take for her. 

 

Someone else will be along, the staff are from different parts  of the world so some will be sleeping

now. 

 

Hugs from MammaP

[Sweetcreature]

So sorry you are going through this ndmaar,

 

MammaP is right, you must also look after yourself, you are a very good friend to even take the time to go on a forum to get advice.  Are you in the UK?  MammaP, just wanted to mention that I agree with you about the head versus heart thing about the hospital...a few days ago I too was suicidal and was asking my own mother to take me to hospital and am so so so glad she did not....instead she reassured me over and over and over...and told me 'Sweetcreature, this is a wave...' maybe that is what your friend needs ndmaar?

 

Just my thoughts too on the Samaritans, if you are indeed UK based ndmaar - I am not so sure about how helpful they really are...(not meaning to disagree with you MammaP!)  I myself have been on the phone to them twice in that last six weeks when feeling hopelessly suicidal and frightened out of my wits, they were very good at the listening part but seem to have NO knowledge on the effects of psychiatric drugs on some individuals..I found that I got a very 'blanket' response each time, and was told that depression was a brain disease (despite the ladies being very kind and lovely that is..)

 

I reckon they are fed the same lines by their training providers as the rest of us have been about 'mental health' and as well meaning as they are they are they will likely point your friend towards hospital...but, then maybe that is the right place for her...

 

I also called the Samaritans once PRIOR to SSRI's and one of the questions I was asked was 'have you been to your doctor?'  (Something that at the age of 24 I had not considered...my usual way of dealing with low moods was to go jogging, shopping and eat chocolate which I had stopped doing, interestingly...)

 

Now I'm not blaming that person - I of course need to take responsibility for my own choices, but just saying...in a way it could have been ONE of the seeds that was sown into my already fragile mind at that time, and reinforced the idea that the good doc would know what to do.....sorry to ramble.

 

Oh Mdmaar, I feel for you and wish you and your friend well,

 

SC x

[mammaP]

The samaritans are volunteers who know would not be trained to advise on meds and TBH if it were me BEFORE I learned the hard way.

I would suggest the doctor too!  

You are right SC, they usually won't have a clue about meds or withdrawal. I  think though, that in a crisis it can be helpful. Being so far down in the pit and alone

with a bottle of pills in your hand, just a human voice on the phone can be the difference between swallowing the lot or putting them back in the cupboard! 

 

I hope you are both ok,  

 

Other options in the UK. http://www.breathingspacescotland.co.uk/bspace/CCC_FirstPage.jsp  Freephone numbers

 

http://llttf.com/ Has a panic button you can click for online help. 

[ndmaar]

She's been a bit better today, but not much, but yesterday she said she nearly went crazy how bad it was.

mammaP, she's thanking you for warm words, understanding and concern. Your message really seemed to help her. It's sweet that you are going to meet your dear friend again.

We're totally not in UK, but rather than in Ukraine. So, it seems samaritans are not an option, and I doubt they could have helped her. The same goes for hospital. It's not like only a wave, she's been suicidal for a long time already, and now she's taking drastic measures. But I believe there is hope. She felt much better for the last two weeks, so it proves that she can recover.

[mammaP]

I am glad she is feeling a little better. I totally understand her not wanting to go to hospital,

she's been through such a lot. If she can just hold on, each day, or even each hour, this will

pass. She is obviously very sensitive to medication and it is only because of my own experience

with paroxetine that I don't advise to reinstate, I know that it was that drug which made me suicidal

but we are all different. Alto may disagree with me, she is the expert and I would trust her knowledge 

over mine! 

 

Many of us just cannot tolerate psychotropic drugs yet they are given to us one after another.  

Nagaqueen has had all those, plus withdrawals plus ECT so there is no wonder she is in crisis.

I would not go to hospital or take anyone I love there unless it was a real life or death situation,

and I couldn't physically keep them safe! 

 

IT  WILL GET BETTER.  

 

I had a lovely lunch with my friend and I bought her some very special hand made chocolates to

say thank you for being YOU 20 years ago, she held my hand and loved me like you are with 

your friend. I'm sure in 20 years time she will be thanking you too. 

[Altostrata]

ndmaar, you are a true friend trying to get help for your friend.It's very difficult to answer your questions. My guess is your friend has a history of going on and off psych drugs, probably with inadequate tapering on the advice of her doctors. So all of her recent history might be complicated by adverse reactions to drugs and withdrawal syndrome. She isn't here to give us the details. 

There they were giving her only paroxetine, after a week she went home and didn't take any meds. Interestingly, after a suicide attempt she felt a relief of her OCD symptoms and was feeling much better for nearly two weeks. Today she had a major breakdown, was feeling awful, worse than before suicide attempt. I believe that it is a WD.

 

Did she feel better when she was taking paroxetine? It sounds like she might have withdrawal symptoms after quitting it.

[ndmaar]

My guess is your friend has a history of going on and off psych drugs, probably with inadequate tapering on the advice of her doctors. So all of her recent history might be complicated by adverse reactions to drugs and withdrawal syndrome. She isn't here to give us the details.

 

 

Altostrata, yes it's exactly like that. And unfortunately, she can't give me much more details as well. And she is worse again today and taking alcohol.

 

Did she feel better when she was taking paroxetine? It sounds like she might have withdrawal symptoms after quitting it.

 

 

She got better the day after suicide attempt and felt like that throught the next week in the psych ward. Then on the December 6 she got out and it was the last day she took paroxetine in the morning. Two days later she already started to feel a bit worse, and on the December 11 it became totally bad. So it really could be paroxetine. I think as a first measure will try to get her back on paroxetine today.

[Altostrata]

Drinking alcohol complicates symptoms immensely.

 

If she goes back on paroxetine, you might suggest half a dose. A lot of times, this is enough to stop withdrawal symptoms.