Jams: I hope to survive Remeron!

[LinLina]

Jams, as far as I know, Cannabis does interfere with Remerone. It can increase the bloodlevel of several drugs. I'd try to keep everything as stable as possible. If you wean of the vapouring I'd hold the Remerone during that time.

[Jams]

I haven't posted here in a while...had some family drama, then hip surgery, so no progress on my taper.  Physical therapy causes extreme aching that keeps me awake at night, so I resorted to taking Ibuprofen...as little as possible, but 800 mg is necessary at night to relieve pain.  But after a few days, I'm experiencing even more insomnia with anxiety, so I'm concerned the Ibuprofen is interfering with Mirtazapine although I couldn't find any online evidence.  What can I do???  Try Aleve?  A more natural approach would be the topical use of Pentrex, but it contains MSM and DMSO, both of which are detoxifiers I believe.  Thank you for any insight you can give me.  .  

[ChessieCat]

16 minutes ago, Jams said:

I'm concerned the Ibuprofen is interfering with Mirtazapine

 

I just did a check here and no interaction found for ibuprofen + mirt or Aleve + mirt:  https://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker

 

Did a google search and found this info:

Is naproxen and ibuprofen the same thing?

Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen are all part of the same class of medications, known as NSAIDs, so they should never be combined. It is possible to take acetaminophen (aka paracetamol) with these three, without worrying about side effects.

 

25 minutes ago, Jams said:

Physical therapy causes extreme aching that keeps me awake at night, so I resorted to taking Ibuprofen...as little as possible, but 800 mg is necessary at night to relieve pain.  But after a few days, I'm experiencing even more insomnia with anxiety

 

It may be the physical therapy being stimulating to your nervous system which is causing the insomnia and anxiety.

 

You could also still be recovering from the anesthetics and post op pain killers.

[Jams]

Thanks, Chessie.  Looks like you're almost done with your taper...good for you!

 

I think you're right about PT stimulating my nervous system = insomnia/anxiety.  Guess I have no choice but to bite the bullet.  I have six more sessions, but then I'll have to continue the therapy at home.  

 

[ChessieCat]

You're welcome.  Sometimes another set of eyes can see things that we can't see for ourselves.

 

And having hip surgery is a major thing in and of itself.

 

I've still got about 2 more years to go, but I'd rather go slowly and not upset things than to try to go too quickly.  Although I've been tempted in the last couple of weeks to just jump off at 5mg and see what happens.  However, I've only just got my next batch of capsules made up which cost me $75 and they will see me through until mid August 2019 (will get me to 2.5mg) so I might as well just keep carrying on.

[Jams]

You're a wise woman, Chessie.  Stay the course right up to the end. 

 

I have one more question.  I'm having even more anxiety tonight...I wondered if staying at the same dose (4.1) Mirt since August (actually July) could cause tolerance w/d.

 

Thanks again.  

[ChessieCat]

Other members have been feeling an increase in their symptoms due to the stress of the Christmas holidays.

 

Apart from the lead up to Christmas, this can be from eating too much or eating fatty/sugary food.  Drinking more coffee and/or caffeine drinks that usual.  Alcohol?  Staying up later.  Doing more things.  Getting overstimulated.

 

Yes, some members have found if they stay on a dose for too long that they feel that it is time to reduce their dose.  If you are concerned about how reducing might affect you I suggest that you make a small decrease to test to see if you are heading in the right direction.  You could try a 1%, 2% or 2.5% reduction.  Keep daily symptom notes so you can see how the reduction is affecting your symptoms.  If things don't worsen then you know that it's okay.  If they only worsen a tiny bit then you would need to hold on that dose until you stabilise.  And you would know that you need to make small reductions.

[Jams]

Thanks again, Chessie.  It's interesting that some people can stay on the same dose for years, and others need to vary the dose.  We're all so different. I think my problem is less to do with the dose than the pain as that's when the anxiety/insomnia flared. 

 

I can only do small reductions of 1.5%...DNA testing red-flagged antidepressants as incompatible, which explains, in part, my difficulty getting off Remeron.

 

I did better last night after icing my hip and taking some L-Theanine to eliminate the anxiety and one Aleve for the pain...worked much better than Ibuprofen.  So much more relaxed so I could sleep!  Now if I can just make it through 6 more sessions of painful PT.

 

I purchased Christmas gifts ahead of time, so no stress there, and I don't have any dietary issues...eat organic/healthy.   But it's always a lonely holiday without family nearby, and like many these days, we're on opposite ends of the political spectrum which causes some angst, too.

 

Thanks for taking the time to converse.  You always reassure me with your wise advice and friendly manner.  🐵

 

  

[Jams]

I'm returning after a few years. Lotta tragedy/trauma since then...husband died, had a botched surgery, suffer from PN, etc. I'm completely alone now. Haven't been able to taper, and my CNS is so sensitive, I can barely sleep. Anxiety starts to boil at the smallest upset.

 

I'm currently taking Gabapentin 200 mg, Trazodone 50+ mg, and Remeron 3.2 mg (tapered from 7.5). I also use the following supplements: Phenibut 650 mg, cannabis edible 10 mg, Theanine 150 mg as needed, and Valium 1.25-5 mg too often (scares me the most!). BTW, my DNA test red-flags A/D's for me!

 

I think I'm getting too much serotonin. I really want to taper off the Phenibut and Gabapentin, but I'm afraid to do anything. I've been sitting on the same doses for a decade. And I need to find some way to avoid Valium, although it's very often the only med that actually allows a few hours sleep. I awaken around 3:30 every night and cannot fall back asleep unless I take more Valium. It's AWFUL!

 

I hope someone can help me figure out what to do. Thank you!!!   

 

[lucidity]

Some have noted success using agmatine to reduce tolerance and get off of phenibut.  It might be worth looking into.  I take dayvigo to get back to sleep after waking up too early.   It's not a benzo.  It's supposed to have no rebound insomnia and a lack of dependence formation, but I have some doubts since this has not panned out with almost every other substance touted as being "addiction free." 

[brassmonkey]

"Is DAYVIGO addictive? In clinical trials, DAYVIGO did not lead to signs or symptoms of withdrawal after discontinuation, suggesting that it does not produce physical dependence in those taking it. DAYVIGO is a federally controlled substance because it can be abused or cause dependence."

https://www.dayvigo.com/faq

 

This is from the manufacturers. Your gut feeling was right. If at all possible I would stay away from this medication. I expect it will cause dependence and will have to be very carefully tapered, similar to a Z drug. It appears to have some pretty nasty side effects and interactions.

[Altostrata]

@Jams I merged your new posts with your existing topic.

 

Phenibut is a benzo-type drug. It requires tapering like a benzo.

 

What is your current daily drug schedule, with time of day and dosage for each dose?

 

When did you start taking Valium? Please shorten and update your signature with your current drugs.

[Jams]

Thank you for your reply.
 

I’ve forgotten how to change my signature. Please remind me. Thanks.

 

I currently take Phenibut 650 mg, Remeron 3.2 mg, Trazodone 50 mg, and Gabapentin 200 mg at night for sleep. I take them 15-20 minutes apart. 
 

I’ve been taking Valium (1.25-2.5 mg, rarely 5 mg) off and on at night or sometimes after an early awakening the past 4 months since a botched surgery and increased pain and anxiety. 

[92sharks]

@JamsScroll up to your name in the upper right hand corner at the top of the page. There is a pull down arrow. Under "Settings" scroll down to "account settings". When that page appears, there is a box on the left side of the page and you will see "signature" as a choice. I hope this works for you. 

[Jams]

Thanks 92sharks! 
 

It worked! 
 

I hope someone can advise me. I need a plan … also ideas for early wake ups instead of Valium. I really want to move forward. Long overdue.

[Jams]

8 hours ago, lucidity said:

Some have noted success using agmatine to reduce tolerance and get off of phenibut.  It might be worth looking into.  I take dayvigo to get back to sleep after waking up too early.   It's not a benzo.  It's supposed to have no rebound insomnia and a lack of dependence formation, but I have some doubts since this has not panned out with almost every other substance touted as being "addiction free." 

Thanks Lucidity! I’ll look into agmatine. I wonder if dayvigo is less addictive than Valium. Wish there were some easy answers. 

[lucidity]

5 hours ago, brassmonkey said:

"Is DAYVIGO addictive? In clinical trials, DAYVIGO did not lead to signs or symptoms of withdrawal after discontinuation, suggesting that it does not produce physical dependence in those taking it. DAYVIGO is a federally controlled substance because it can be abused or cause dependence."

https://www.dayvigo.com/faq

 

This is from the manufacturers. Your gut feeling was right. If at all possible I would stay away from this medication. I expect it will cause dependence and will have to be very carefully tapered, similar to a Z drug. It appears to have some pretty nasty side effects and interactions.

I know, I've read all about it. The last sentence seems to contradict the second one, unless it's only scheduled because it can be abused.

 

It is not possible at this point for me to go without it. When I don't get back to sleep, I end up suicidal because of day long constant panic attacks, depression, and chest pain which culminates in having to take antipsychotics in order to sleep, which have known horrific withdrawal syndromes. I have no side effects from dayvigo or interactions