success ☼ Skyler, the benzo-Lyrica connection

[Skyler]

I don't do TID for Lamictal. Lamictal has a half-life of about 24 hours. Lyrica's is much shorter, about 5–6.5 hours. That's why you may be feeling it after 7 hours or so.

 

I will ask the pharmacist. He knows I'm tapering. My guess though is I'll end up staying BID as to move the way I'm thinking would leave the 10PM dose to cover 9 hrs. with 1/3 the total, and even if I take more at night it's still wanting, will see.

 

Thanks again

[Skyler]

Find a compounding pharmacy in your town, and buy some from them.

 

I've had Becton-Dickinson and Baxa oral syringes; the markings wear off only after many months of use.

 

I wash them by hand, just rinsing them out with a little soap and hot water, and let them air-dry.

 

Yes! I just called a compounding pharmacy not so far away, and they have 1,10 & 20 CC syringes, and larger amber bottles for mixing. Will be stopping by early next week.

[Skyler]

Ya right, compounding confounding. I just drove 30 miles to the pharmacy only to find out they want a prescription for the oral syringes and my doc is on vacation until next Monday. Grrr. The pharmacist could have told when I called on Saturday! So I went to the vet and got several more of the 10CC variety to use as a stop gap, problem being the black markings wear off in a day or two. Anyhow, on top of the previous waste of time, it took the vet assistant 30 mins to approve me.

 

Then I called my pharmacist to ask about switching from BID to TID dosing for Lyrica. He kept perseverating, my taper is not his business as I get my info online. He was so adamant it was hard to make myself heard. 3 hrs wasted on mishigas.

 

So I'm going to have to bite the bullet, and just switch. I'll just have to settle for the inconvenient hrs for TID 7/3/11.. all hands on for this war, including my grumpiness. Just not sure whether to do it now or try for a window of hopefully quieter symptoms in a week or two. Not a question here, just musing.

 

I'm also seriously considering just holding on diazepam.. OUCH. Otherwise it may/will be impossible to monitor how cuts in Lyrica affect tinnitus. Getting to this place has been molasses. Tinnitus takes top billing, and when it gets out of hand life is miserable.

 

Danged bells and whistles took a 16 hr. holiday, and came back with a vengence. They fell to a 2 yesterday, but then took off again last night, up to a 5. I was really tired when taking out the PM dose, so I'm not sure it was mixed well enough. So now I'm looking really carefully at the markings on the syringe, how far they go into the water and the tilt of the bottle while I withdraw the bevel. Just taking a guesstimate is no longer good enough, now it's measure the water level on the side of the syringe. Insane.

 

I FEEL SO !@#$%^ OBSESSIVE about this!!

[Altostrata]

You don't need a prescription for oral syringes. That pharmacist was in error.

[Skyler]

You don't need a prescription for oral syringes. That pharmacist was in error.

 

LOL, they may be in error, but they have the power. The tech said they would sell if I had a prescription with them.

 

The other pharmacist in the area refused as he said he was retail and could not sell because of this.

 

What a 3-ring circus getting the items needed is.

 

 

Alto, I know you are right. I don't need a script at CVS or Walgreen's. Will see if there is yet a 3rd compounding pharmacy in the area. Pain in the Tuchas.

[Skyler]

Talk about double jeopardy!

 

Hokay.. the latest debacle. This AM I diluted by half and then took whole.. Sheesh, this happened because I interrupted making up the solution because my eyes were blurry from a night of sleep plagued by flailing arms (RLS), probably withdrawal from the Lyrica cut 14 days ago (took 3 times the usual Requip). An acceptable level of withdrawal symptoms as this will only last for a day or two BUT the extra Requip meant I could not read the markings clearly on the syringe. I had to wait for my eyes to clear and lost track of the amount of water for diluent.

 

The result is, I just took 200 mgs of Lyrica instead of 125 for the AM dose. So I will take 125 mgs at 8PM, this way my system only gets 'assaulted' by the wrong dose once. Sigh.

 

There was very mild tinnitus from the benzo withdrawal before all this broke out, but I did not recognize the faint whistling for what it was. Anyhow, it will be interesting to track what happens today.. to see if the noise escalates or subsides.

[Skyler]

Hmm, I'm going to use the extra 75 mgs I just took as a step stone to TID. I'll switch todays' 8PM dose to 10PM, and make it the first dose for 83 mgs (or as close as I can get with a 1CC syringe), going to 6AM/4PM/10PM from there.

 

Heh, Watson, this just might work. Its' a 2 hr. shift, but the AM tomorrow is earlier, and I don't see a really smooth way to cross over in any case.

 

Wow.. for now, the bells and whistles have subsided. Peace in my ears. What a relief! The extra 75 mgs seems a mercy... unlike the last time I overdid and had a raucous symphony of dissonant noises. Just hope it holds for a few hours, sure could deal with that.

[Barbarannamated]

S-

I thought of you last night when I was trying to fall asleep and husband's computer in next room was doing this high pitched screechy whirly noise that, of course, only I could hear. I tried to turn it off, unsuccessfully hittting buttons in the dark, and finally woke him. He didn't like that. Gave me a little appreciation for what you are experiencing (the tinnitus, not the husband). Truly maddening (the tinnitus and the husband).

Is your hearing good aside from tinnitus? Apparently, I have bionic hearing. I hear things that most people don't (until I point it out).

[Skyler]

S-

I thought of you last night when I was trying to fall asleep and husband's computer in next room was doing this high pitched screechy whirly noise that, of course, only I could hear. I tried to turn it off, unsuccessfully hittting buttons in the dark, and finally woke him. He didn't like that. Gave me a little appreciation for what you are experiencing (the tinnitus, not the husband). Truly maddening (the tinnitus and the husband).

Is your hearing good aside from tinnitus? Apparently, I have bionic hearing. I hear things that most people don't (until I point it out).

 

Hi Barb, thanks for commiserating. The noise is non stop.. the challenge to put it out of my mind. I do hear normally, though sometimes need to increase the volume of the TV. I hope you don't develop tinnitus with that hearing, or at all for that matter.. some people are blessed.. or is that cursed. A friend of mine was a conductor of the RI Symphony Orchestra for a time.. she had perfect pitch. Problem is our every day world is off key. While your world may not be out of tune, it is rarely silent.

[Barbarannamated]

S-

Have you noticed Requip effect on mood? I recall that you haven't dealt with depression, but just wondered. My x-psychiatrist mentioned it once as alternative to Vyvanse, which did help me significantly. I'm not clear on the different mechanisms, Vyvanse being a dopamine releasing agent and Requip a dopamine agonist. Assuming the releasing agent is more immediately effect and, therefore, higher abuse potential.

Will have to ask my endocrinologist about it. He mentioned possibility of Parkinson's although I don't have the characteristic movement problems at this point.

[Skyler]

S-

Have you noticed Requip effect on mood? I recall that you haven't dealt with depression, but just wondered. My x-psychiatrist mentioned it once as alternative to Vyvanse, which did help me significantly. I'm not clear on the different mechanisms, Vyvanse being a dopamine releasing agent and Requip a dopamine agonist. Assuming the releasing agent is more immediately effect and, therefore, higher abuse potential.

Hi Barb, I never noticed or looked for any influence on my mood. I am generally on a very low dose which may not bring about this result. The side effects from higher doses are unpleasant.. (like the unusual dose of yesterday night). Profuse sweating and hot flashes.

 

Will have to ask my endocrinologist about it. He mentioned possibility of Parkinson's although I don't have the characteristic movement problems at this point.

 

Is the endocrinologist basing his suggestion of Parkinson's on anything more than your depression? If I recall correctly, you mentioned the doc is a genius.. and he obviously knows you well, but I'm always cautious because it's all to easy for the medical profession to misattribute depression to an organic illness rather than 'psychological' causes.

[Barbarannamated]

He was speaking of 18 years of SS/NRI use causing Parkinson's among other things. His opinion is that if there is an underlying medical condition causing cognitive/emotional problems, there's little chance that therapy will be successful.

[Skyler]

He was speaking of 18 years of SS/NRI use causing Parkinson's among other things. His opinion is that if there is an underlying medical condition causing cognitive/emotional problems, there's little chance that therapy will be successful.

 

Therapy, do you mean medication therapy, or psychotherapy? 30 years ago my Dad's doc talked him into retiring because of depression which the doc thought was caused by Parkinson's. My Dad is now 89, has all his faculties, and no Parkinson's.

[Barbarannamated]

I meant psychotherapy. Nowadays, and with women especially, there is little or no screening for medical causes which, I think play a role in a majority of what is diagnosed as 'depression' or 'bipolar'. I didn't have a mood component when I was started on SSRIs in 1993. I was tired and low energy, unable to enjoy much. Now I realize that I had classic symptoms of HPA axis dysregulation and somewhere along the line autoimmunity entered the picture. But after diagnosed with depression, none of that was even considered despite wasting away and developing major depression. Losing ability to work was definitely the straw the broke the camel's back and worsened everything. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, absolutely. Chronic stress worsens physical disease and vice-versa. When one is weakened in any area, especially over many years, it's unlikely that function will be restored.

 

Being put on disability is the greatest contributor to further disability, IMO. I wasn't given a choice. My doctor put me on medical leave and the company couldn't hold my position and forced me into early retirement when I was 40ish. In retrospect, it seems manipulative, but I was in extreme pain and distress and didn't question it at the time.

I dont know if that answered your question. I'm pretty foggy this morning.

[Skyler]

I meant psychotherapy. Nowadays, and with women especially, there is little or no screening for medical causes which, I think play a role in a majority of what is diagnosed as 'depression' or 'bipolar'. I didn't have a mood component when I was started on SSRIs in 1993. I was tired and low energy, unable to enjoy much. Now I realize that I had classic symptoms of HPA axis dysregulation and somewhere along the line autoimmunity entered the picture. But after diagnosed with depression, none of that was even considered despite wasting away and developing major depression. Losing ability to work was definitely the straw the broke the camel's back and worsened everything. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, absolutely. Chronic stress worsens physical disease and vice-versa. When one is weakened in any area, especially over many years, it's unlikely that function will be restored.

 

Being put on disability is the greatest contributor to further disability, IMO. I wasn't given a choice. My doctor put me on medical leave and the company couldn't hold my position and forced me into early retirement when I was 40ish. In retrospect, it seems manipulative, but I was in extreme pain and distress and didn't question it at the time.

I dont know if that answered your question. I'm pretty foggy this morning.

 

One big trap Barb, it does sound like you got railroaded into retirement. Guess it's hard to know where to start to unravel the picture. I'm sorry this is all happening. ~S

[Barbarannamated]

Guess it's hard to know where to start to unravel the picture. I'm sorry this is all happening. ~S

 

That's exactly what the last few psychologists have said. Probably why I have a 'FLEE this situation!' mentality.

[Altostrata]

With Schuyler's and Rhi's permission, I moved the benzo "tolerance withdrawal" to its own topic at http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2233-benzo-tolerance-withdrawal-does-it-exist/

[Skyler]

Hokay, this time I really did it.. I forgot to take the 1 mg of diazepam at HS for FOUR days, hopefully not more. I have a tendency to hyper focus, especially when I'm anxious, and getting the syringes for Lyrica, etc. made me anxious. I just did not think about taking the diazepam!!!! Well, not entirely, as the benzo is in the same drawer as Lyrica, and I was looking at the liquid suspension, having to move it out of the way when mixing up Lyrica, and grabbing an oral syringe.

 

Now my ears are going !@#$%, and will escalate further, as benzo withdrawal caused the tinnitus. I'm dumbfounded, my mind is boggled. I just can't wrap my head around doing this. My ears will be squealing at a greater volume for the next 3 days, then leveling off and taking I don't know how long to subside. The fact I was stabilizing on diazepam, and had not taken any reduction in almost 4 weeks will help, but who knows how much damage was just done.

 

The last few days, while missing the dose, I've been thinking about how much discipline was involved in holding.,. it's like the thoughts displaced the action of taking the diazpam. I knew there was some sort of psychological reaction at work when I found myself giving Alto such a hard time for advocating this (still makes me cringe). That was not me to obfuscate to that extent... well, not the my conscious mind at any rate. I tapered diazepam for two years, and missed taking the med, mayyyybe 3 times. Used pill minders, had things carefully sorted away. How did this happen?? I just do not know.

 

I'm going to take an extra 1 mg of diazepam, but only once.. There seems no point in doing anything else given diazepam's long half life. Woww.. Barb mentioned feeling surreal in response to a very different matter.. that word describes the way I feel about this. I actually had thoughts of what would happen IF I just stopped taking diazepam at the same time I was forgetting to take it.. that 1 mg was not much, easy to forget, even though I know doing so would have near catastrophic consequenses. SHEESH.

[Barbarannamated]

Schuyler,

I hope you've found some relief from the tinnitus by the time you read this. Anxiety sure does play terrible tricks on the mind - locks up one part while another goes full speed ahead, etc. Keep us posted.

B

[Shanti]

Hi Schuyler. I finally caught up with your intro here. I can so relate to the myclonic jerks. My doctor gave me Baclofen and it helps some. I had them bad, and still have it now and then. The weirdest being when my lungs jerk. Or my stomach. It's frustrating when you go through it several times trying to sleep. Tinnitus has been coming and going, and thankfully it's more gone now than not. Thank you for sharing your progress and helping me too.

[Rhiannon]

Hokay, this time I really did it.. I forgot to take the 1 mg of diazepam at HS for FOUR days, hopefully not more. I have a tendency to hyper focus, especially when I'm anxious, and getting the syringes for Lyrica, etc. made me anxious. I just did not think about taking the diazepam!!!! Well, not entirely, as the benzo is in the same drawer as Lyrica, and I was looking at the liquid suspension, having to move it out of the way when mixing up Lyrica, and grabbing an oral syringe.

 

Now my ears are going !@#$%, and will escalate further, as benzo withdrawal caused the tinnitus. I'm dumbfounded, my mind is boggled. I just can't wrap my head around doing this. My ears will be squealing at a greater volume for the next 3 days, then leveling off and taking I don't know how long to subside. The fact I was stabilizing on diazepam, and had not taken any reduction in almost 4 weeks will help, but who knows how much damage was just done.

 

The last few days, while missing the dose, I've been thinking about how much discipline was involved in holding.,. it's like the thoughts displaced the action of taking the diazpam. I knew there was some sort of psychological reaction at work when I found myself giving Alto such a hard time for advocating this (still makes me cringe). That was not me to obfuscate to that extent... well, not the my conscious mind at any rate. I tapered diazepam for two years, and missed taking the med, mayyyybe 3 times. Used pill minders, had things carefully sorted away. How did this happen?? I just do not know.

 

I'm going to take an extra 1 mg of diazepam, but only once.. There seems no point in doing anything else given diazepam's long half life. Woww.. Barb mentioned feeling surreal in response to a very different matter.. that word describes the way I feel about this. I actually had thoughts of what would happen IF I just stopped taking diazepam at the same time I was forgetting to take it.. that 1 mg was not much, easy to forget, even though I know doing so would have near catastrophic consequenses. SHEESH.

 

Hey, be nice to yourself. I'm sure you hate that damn diazepam as much as I hate all my drugs. The occasional subconscious Freudian slip kind of thing is human. I've done the same thing. Usually I catch it pretty fast because with the meds I'm on the consequences hit pretty fast.

 

This isn't just a small thing, for me. I hate these drugs so much, and every time I take a dose I am reminded how much I hate them. It feels like they own me. I think I've said elsewhere, this is a not-insignificant part of why I'm doing a multi-drug taper. I hate them all equally and there's not one of them that I'm willing to just hold and keep taking at the same dose. I'm well aware of this dynamic and I think it's a good thing. Every time I reduce my dose even by a tiny tiny bit, I remind myself who's in charge. For me, perhaps because of my history of being abused and "owned" and at the mercy of sadists as a child, it matters.

 

Anyway, it's just a bobble, it's not the end of the world. I think your thinking is good, about taking just the one time extra dose and then just hanging with it. If you find yourself hit with extra withdrawal symptoms in a week or two you can take a couple of small (like 0.25 mg) extra doses for a couple of days (no longer) to help ride through it.

[Skyler]

Hi Alto.. I have been meaning to ask you.. is it okay to leave the lyrica solution out of the refrigerator for a few hours, in this case 7 hrs. It's 75 degrees in here.. I absentmindedly put it back in the drawer with the syringes instead of the fridge.. there are 4 doses. So, will the solution be okay if I just use it for the doses thru tomorrow? I know you have said it will keep for several days in the fridge.

 

I have been wanting to ask as for now I'm taking 3 doses divided every 8 hrs, which means that I'm pretty sleep taking one, and I've been wondering if it's okay to just leave it next to the bed.. obviously not this batch however.

 

Thanks

[Skyler]

Schuyler,

I hope you've found some relief from the tinnitus by the time you read this. Anxiety sure does play terrible tricks on the mind - locks up one part while another goes full speed ahead, etc. Keep us posted.

B

 

Sure does play tricks, hmm, this whole odyssey is an exceedingly bad joke.

 

 

I can so relate to the myclonic jerks. My doctor gave me Baclofen and it helps some. I had them bad, and still have it now and then. The weirdest being when my lungs jerk. Or my stomach. It's frustrating when you go through it several times trying to sleep. Tinnitus has been coming and going, and thankfully it's more gone now than not. Thank you for sharing your progress and helping me too.

 

I have two types of jerks that have been labeled myoclonic. The one during the day, the 'classic' form, pre dated taking antidepressants and started when I was in my late teens. For years I controlled them with dilantin. Once a day, my entire body would jerk. Also, my diaphragm contracted, and I'd emit a loud high pitched wailing sound.. which startled co workers, hence the medication. I often had them when drriving, but curiously, my hands would stay still on the steering wheel. If I was carrying anything, it was never dropped, I did not lose my grip or focus. Clonopin also medicated these, and after going on I was able to stop dilantin. I've been expecting the jerks to return given the benzo dose is now so low, but Lyrica is now probably now medicating them. If they do return, I'll need to consider an anticonvulsant to medicate.. at this point ARGH!~!

 

I had another type of jerk that was labeled myoclonus, but the pattern, manifestation and onset were different. They happened when I went from stage one to stage two sleep and my legs strongly would spasm, every time I started to go to sleep, I'd wake up because of them. These were caused by imipramine which I d/c after several months, though not soon enough as these jerks lasted for years. These were the reason I was put on clonopin. HUGE mistake.

 

The occasional subconscious Freudian slip kind of thing is human. I've done the same thing. Usually I catch it pretty fast because with the meds I'm on the consequences hit pretty fast.

 

I hate these drugs so much, and every time I take a dose I am reminded how much I hate themEvery time I reduce my dose even by a tiny tiny bit, I remind myself who's in charge.

 

Anyway, it's just a bobble, it's not the end of the world.

 

Forgetting the doses sure was Freudian, and I may need to keep a small cut per month as it appears forgetting the dose was triggered by the decision to stop the taper all together. Forgetting was an unconscious protest.

 

The glitch is just a 'bobble' but the tinnitus had abated enough for me to think of resuming the Lyrica taper in a week or two. Now I need to stabilize yet again ACH! Both ears are still ringing, too LOUD, but improving.

[Altostrata]

I don't think leaving it at room temperature for 7 hours once would hurt a Lyrica solution, as long as you don't do this all the time.

[Skyler]

I don't think leaving it at room temperature for 7 hours once would hurt a Lyrica solution, as long as you don't do this all the time.

 

Thanks Alto, if there is no further comment I will assume it's not wise to leave the 5AM dose sitting by my bedside in the ready, from 9PM on...... sigh. It was nice to think I'd wake up with the alarm, grab the oral syringe sitting by the bedside, then roll over and go back to sleep without getting up and going to the fridge.. ? However, I'd rather do it this way because staying up longer to take the 2nd PM dose contributes to insomnia.

 

For some reason I thought that 4 days after the 4 day diazepam hiatus (it could have been longer.. I'm really not sure!! ), withdrawal symptoms would start to let up. But I was forgetting the long half life for the inactive metabolites. Yesterday, as my ears were ramping up again for the second time this go round, I was listening to the car radio on NPR. A piece of innovative rock came on that had a lot of 'squealy' high frequency notes. I could not differentiate the music from tinnitus. Surround sound tinnitus Loverly ~S

[Altostrata]

I didn't know you meant that. I'd try it -- have the 5 a.m. dose waiting and ready.

[Skyler]

I didn't know you meant that. I'd try it -- have the 5 a.m. dose waiting and ready.

 

Awrighttt, Thank ye!

[Skyler]

Hi Alto.. well, my tinnitus window of yesterday has closed. Back with the incessant nerve shattering din. I can't help but think that the window may have been caused by the small up dose of diazepam I took for a couple of days to offset the 4 to 6 days when I did not take it at all. It was 9 days before the window, but I'm wondering. Do you think that I should try an up dose from the 1 mg I'm not taking, back to 1.25 mgs to see if that would help. Not my favorite step, but this is awful. I'd go up to 2 mgs if I thought it would stop the ringing. Also want to run this by Rhi and will PM her, but would like your opinion here.. this is a big concession on my side. HUGE

 

I'm dosing TID with diazepam now, so Lryica and diazepam are on the same schedule, so won't screw up on that again, huh, as if I would. I'm just afraid the damage is done.

 

Wow.. this is something I never thought I'd hear myself considering. Thanks ~S

[Altostrata]

Your guess is as good as mine, S.

 

What I do is list my options -- up, down, sideways, etc. Then I look at each one and try to choose the most likely to succeed. Often this is based on nothing but a feeling.

[Skyler]

Your guess is as good as mine, S.

 

What I do is list my options -- up, down, sideways, etc. Then I look at each one and try to choose the most likely to succeed. Often this is based on nothing but a feeling.

 

Yeahh.. my options are, updose or hold. I'm not going back up on Lyrica.. and when I did to fix the initial onslaught, it made it worse. So, I'll hold where I am for one more week, and then see how some finagling of the benzo dose, as in UP, would do.

 

Thanks.. figured it was a 'Your guess is as good as mine scenario, but thought to check.

[Brandy]

 

I don't think leaving it at room temperature for 7 hours once would hurt a Lyrica solution, as long as you don't do this all the time.

 

Thanks Alto, if there is no further comment I will assume it's not wise to leave the 5AM dose sitting by my bedside in the ready, from 9PM on...... sigh. It was nice to think I'd wake up with the alarm, grab the oral syringe sitting by the bedside, then roll over and go back to sleep without getting up and going to the fridge.. ? However, I'd rather do it this way because staying up longer to take the 2nd PM dose contributes to insomnia.

 

I'm reading the threads about benzo tapering with great interest, and have no real knowledge of Lyrica, but it occurred to me that if the solution is supposed to be kept refrigerated, maybe an insulin "cooling wallet" that diabetics use could hold your dose at bedside and keep it cold without you having to get out of bed at 5 am.

 

Or maybe you could devise one using a small (like kid's size) insulated zippered lunch "box" with one or more frozen cold packs in it, though you'd have to remember to freeze the cold packs every day when you get up.

[Skyler]

I'm reading the threads about benzo tapering with great interest, and have no real knowledge of Lyrica, but it occurred to me that if the solution is supposed to be kept refrigerated, maybe an insulin "cooling wallet" that diabetics use could hold your dose at bedside and keep it cold without you having to get out of bed at 5 am.

 

Or maybe you could devise one using a small (like kid's size) insulated zippered lunch "box" with one or more frozen cold packs in it, though you'd have to remember to freeze the cold packs every day when you get up.

 

Thanks Brandy, I'll look into it. Good ideas. For traveling during the day also.

[Barbarannamated]

Hey Schuyler,

Do you have any experience with/ thoughts on the role of the Certified Peer Support? http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1517-certified-peer-specialist-programs/page__pid__15082#entry15082

I believe Boston University is highly involved, possibly part of their Psych Rehab program. I've written to numerous people about this in CA, but get no response or told that California doesn't use even though people in other states say California DOES.

The CPS I know in PA is at U of Penn now doing additional courses to work with geriatrics (as CPS).

[Skyler]

Hey Schuyler,

Do you have any experience with/ thoughts on the role of the Certified Peer Support? http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1517-certified-peer-specialist-programs/page__pid__15082#entry15082

I believe Boston University is highly involved, possibly part of their Psych Rehab program. I've written to numerous people about this in CA, but get no response or told that California doesn't use even though people in other states say California DOES.

The CPS I know in PA is at U of Penn now doing additional courses to work with geriatrics (as CPS).

 

Barb, I'm a little unclear and I never heard of CPS before, but mostly I'm not sure what service you would be looking for them to provide. From the little I can gather, they would offer supportive services, something like case management? What does the CPS you know in PA say. I can see the fit with geriatrics.. sounds like a good background for this.

[Altostrata]

About refrigerating Lyrica -- you refrigerate it to keep it from getting moldy over a period of days. Otherwise, it's fine at room temperature.

[Barbarannamated]

Barb, I'm a little unclear and I never heard of CPS before, but mostly I'm not sure what service you would be looking for them to provide. From the little I can gather, they would offer supportive services, something like case management? What does the CPS you know in PA say. I can see the fit with geriatrics.. sounds like a good background for this.

 

Sorry to be unclear-looking at this as potential job, not service for myself. I see an opportunity to integrate psychopharm knowledge/experience into CPS position to rationally and safely minimize meds. I suspect it's already being done after talking to several at ISEPP conference. I worked (unofficially) with CPS and clients/consumers to minimize meds or reduce dosage. Neither current doc nor patient knew why some meds being used that were started by other docs and never DCd. The docs were not opposed to tapering except for paranoid schizophrenic (murdered somebody and is generally doing ok, employed, age 55-60). This is state/community MH system - people in 30s and 40s are on 6-11 psych meds (or meds to counter side effects) at one time. I know of several people who have died in 40s and 50s of 'natural causes': heart attacks, strokes. Last week, about 5 people from 45-50 (not suicides). Exactly what Gia was discussing the other day. And im desperate to feel purposeful again - in a good way.

As I said to Jemima, I'm baffled that MH providers are not even aware of this group of providers, especially in states where they are being utilized as part of inpatient treatment team. It must be a disconnect between Medicaid system and private system.