Rabe: how to taper and adjust Viibryd while on Clonazepam

[Rabe]

12/9 bout 6 hours sleep

earlier awaken and heart is pounding so...back to sleep

900 up and resting

1115 yoga

1140 9mg Viibryd with food

1230 anxious

200 increased anxiety, head hot and full, ears ringing so loud

330 walk

420 horrible anxiety

500 food

530 better

540 .2mg clonazepam with food

700 anxious

800 more anxious

830 food

855 .3mg premarin with food, anxiety, dizzy

950 more anxiety, feel hard to breath, ears ringing

1100 finally some better

1140 .7mg clonazepam with milk

100 to bed

 

 

[Rabe]

12/10

up at night...heart pounds

up once to br and up once so hot and sweaty

5 to 6 hours sleep

930 up

1115 yoga

1145 9mg Viibryd with food

1230 increased anxiety and heart fast

1245 walk was hard but nice to get out

100 talked on phone with good friend

120 food

315 short walk

540 .2mg Clonazepam with food

600 heart skips

650 chills, dizzy, head full, vision off, not feel well

830 very anxious,vheart skips, head hot, headache, off balance, ears ring loud, feel hard to breath, anxious, agitated

845 .3mg premarin with food

855 chills

1120 feeling better

1150 .7mg clonazepam with food

1220 headache, head hot  to bed

 

12/11

not sure how long slept

900 up, anxious, sad, bad headache

1115 yoga

1145 new 9mg Viibryd capsule with food

200 walk 

300 anxious

430 headache better, some better

330 food

400 headache and anxiety til bout 5

430 FT with daughter

515 short walk

530 little better

540 new .1mg clonazepam (2) with food

700 heart skipped, head hot, don't feel well, chills

800 horrible anxiety

8345 .3mg premarin with food

1000 heart skipped,anxiety

1120 better

1145  .1mg Clonazepam (7) with milk

100 heart skips ... to bed

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rabe]

Grateful today was a better day until later..I'll take it.  Love to all!💜

[Shep]

11 hours ago, Rabe said:

No re-compounding...no use if previous compounded doses...got 100 .2mg capsules of CLonazeapam and if goes ok will get rest of rx.

 

Rabe, I may be missing something, but just to clarify, did you get .2 mg capsules or .1 mg capsules? I noticed in your December 11 drug and symptoms journal you wrote .1 mg capsules but in this post, you mention getting .2 mg. 

[Rabe]

@Shep Hi Shep...I am very sorry...I reread my post and I typed it wrong.  It should be that I got 100 of the ,1mg capsules.  Thank you for catching 

that.   Im not  sure the capsules will matter really...and others are cheaper.  But I know brass says takes 4 days for steady state...mornings are a challenge...think the Clonazepam is very drying and I find it hard to stay hydrated after taking it, especially in the night when am not drinking.  Thank you again for catching that.  Again I apologize.  Hope you are doing ok.

[Rosetta]

Hugs, Rabe.  I'm sorry you missed seeing your daughter. -R

[Rabe]

Today I did go to see my daughter and grand daughter...but there was not as much stress because she had lunch plans so if I came or not did not matter so much.  We talked which was nice...just chatted.  I had a nice long snuggle with Evie when I got her up from her nap, I took my own car so as not to feel trapped...and I did go to lunch and sat at a booth and as hard as it was I am so grateful to have been able to do something I never gave a second thought to once.  Then we ran a couple errands that my daughter would never had been able to do without help with the wee one...Pier one, no strollers, and glass all over...ahhhhh.  And the Kohls line went on forever, so I put her in a stroller and she found all sorts of things to pile in the cart as we went by...then I left from there and got back at dark.  

I thanked God over and over and over again today for the bit I did today.  Grateful for talking with my daughter face to face, grateful to help her clean a bit, grateful to hold Evie, sing her our song, and have her not let go for about 5 minutes, grateful for lunch with others, grateful for a drive that was not panic filled, grateful the police did not stop me 😳, grateful got back before the rush hour traffic was too bad, grateful, grateful I was able to go to 2 stores with my daughter during Christmas...something we used to do running around the malls, grateful for one day of relief...grateful for the hope for more.  Love to all! 💜

[Rabe]

I did spill a good amount of water on the shift of my car and it seeped down in before i could pull over and wipe it up.  Anyone have any knowledge of cars and shifts and water WD?  🙄

[Rabe]

12/12

6 hours sleep broken

1030 mild anxiey

1115 yoga...better

1140 9mg Viibryd new capsules with food

100 groceries

200 therapist

245 dizzy, anxious, feel nervous in arms

330 some better but still not feel well 

345 food

415 FT with daughter and grand daughter

555 .2mg new Clonazepam (2 of .1mg) capsules with food

700 chilled, to bathroom

845 anxious, little depressed

845 .3mg premarin with food

1040 increased anxiety, dizzy

1145 .7mg Clonazepam new capsules (7 of .1mg) with milk

1200 chill, feel hard to get air, to BR

100 better...to bed

 

 

 

[Rosetta]

I'm so happy to read this!! Wonderful!! Very special, and memories galore.

[neroli]

Hello Rabe

 

Thank you for popping over to my thread and sending your kind words.  I came over here to see how you are doing and I know you are struggling with multiple symptoms and feeling pretty grotty most of the time - so I'm amazed that you managed to visit your daughter (did I see you say it was 40 mins or 2 1/2 hours away?). whichever, that is quite a drive and you did really well to do the return trip in a day, plus go out to eat, plus do things with your daughter and granddaughter.  That's a massive day.  So, give yourself some well-deserved rest.  I do hope you are ok and getting those blimmin' meds sorted!  

 

Thoughts are with you

 

Neroli 💜

[Rabe]

@Rosetta Thank you Rosetta...I was just determined today to at least try not to sit here another day...I thought I will try...I can always turn around.  But as we have talked about...the pressure of my going was much less and I do believe that makes some difference though on the really massive wave days it doesnt matter at all.  I am simply grateful for today.  I hope you day was ok...💜

[Rabe]

@neroli You made me laugh out loud with this Neroli!  Loving that word blimmin!...wonderful..dont know exactly what it means but I get the jist.  

I am getting there.   I am realizing how much I had to go back to the .1 Cl capsules...I was becoming SO obsessed with the others...weighing each dose..and sometimes having to weigh all to find the 'right' dose....and reweighing as the doses would change weight on the scale.  I don't even know if the weight actually directly corresponds to the med dose...maybe the capsule or filler is more on some...IDK.  But it was consuming my mind and my time...my fear was taking hold and the need to control.  With the .1s Im not going to be weighing 7 capsules.....well not yet anyway. 🙄 The capsule weighing ritual had to stop...it was affecting my whole blimmin' life and driving me blimmin' crazy!  So for now anyway I think a good direction...but today was also a very cherished window with a beautiful view!  Bless you for thinking of me and back at you Neroli!!💜

[Rabe]

12/13  

5-6 hours broken sleep

cant remember times..will try

Woke hot and sweaty and twice to br

800 bad HA and thisty-milk with water

1100 packed up and started to daughters

1145 there.  9mg Viibryd with food

200 brunch and errands...bit anxious but not bad

140  increased anxiety 

240 and dizzy

300 some better

400 increased anxiety

415 drove back..ok drive

500 stopped at store...anxious and dizzy

540 .2mg Clonazepam with food

740 increased anxiety, head warm, chills, to br

845 increased anxiety, head hot,  dizzy

.3mg Premarin with food

1015 better

1145 .7mg Clonazepam with milk

needlepointed to 1230

1230 bath and then to bed bout 130

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wantrelief]

Hi Rabe - Thank you for your sweet message on my thread.  I am so glad you were able to get out yesterday....that makes me happy.  Thinking about you - WR.

[neroli]

22 hours ago, Rabe said:

The capsule weighing ritual had to stop...it was affecting my whole blimmin' life and driving me blimmin' crazy!  

Hello Rabe

 

It would drive me blimmin' crazy, too.  And you have definitely got the gist of what blimmin' means.  It's a kind of colloquial English-isation (I'm English, ex-patriat) of blooming (as in blooming crazy) - starting from reducing it to bloomin', then to blimmin'.

 

I can't get my head around all the meds. you've been trying to sort out but it sounds like you are getting there.  Be good when you've got a pattern in place and can get used to that and just follow it.

 

Been hot here today, 24 degrees, which has meant that I've been inside with the fan on, if I go out in it I end up like a piece of shaky wet lettuce and it takes a while to get some energy back.  Managed to do my groceries early this morning before it was too hot and crowded, so I can relax and not worry about that for another week.  The rest of the time I've been knitting, reading, doing an Autogenic relaxation (which means I doze) and listening to the radio.

 

3.00pm I have a cup of tea and bread and butter - the best part of the day.

 

Hope you've been doing ok - no big rebound from your big day the other day.

 

Thinking of you

 

Neroli 💜

[Rabe]

@wantrelief Thank you so much want relief...it was an answer to prayer to get there.  Today am tired but not too bad...we will see what tomorrow brings...hoping for us all that it brings some good moments.  How are you doing with your meds? Blessings WR!!!💜

[Rabe]

24 minutes ago, neroli said:

Been hot here today, 24 degrees,

 

@neroli Seriously..that is hot? Sounds freezing, no?  

I have not done well in the heat at all since the tapering....had occasional issues in past but nothing that derailed me like it has with all this....grateful to be pretty stable right now.  The shakiness and weakness etc is how I am when my electrolytes are off....plus many other possible symptoms.  I often wonder if others here have shifting electrolytes as a result of the meds and the tapering because they affect the ion channels....can also have blood sugar issues...they kind of go hand in hand.  For what its worth...my doctor gave me a great tip, as I was tending to just drink alot of water...other things with elytes too, but the water separately.  She said to add electrolytes to the water...so milk or coconut water or pedialyte or something sort of benign that will just help rehydrate....cause just the water goes right through you and takes sodium and/or potassium with it depending.  If one or other is drawn out too fast one can get a cellular shift which happens really quickly and thats when I would feel suddenly SO weak and anxious and pale and sick....and my muscles were affected...just no strength what so ever and wasting.  Since I have been drinking my water with the other things I think things are better...but could be just a coincidence.  Ill keep you posted. 🙂  

You sound good Neroli!  I have been working on some needle point ad find it relaxing...usually...some of these recent days nothing was relaxing...but I did it anyway.  It does help. What kind of tea do you drink?  Sounds so good...tea and bread and butter.  I was thinking of trying some home made banana bread or something ... that sounds good with tea!  Take care Neroli!!!  Thank you for stopping!💜

 

[Rabe]

On 12/12/2018 at 7:55 PM, Rabe said:

  @manymoretodays  I apologize...forgot to tag this...I do that often...as well as forgetting to send things after written! 🙄 And sorry that I said 100 of teh .2...should be .1s!!! 🙄

 

 

No re-compounding...no use of previous compounded doses...got 100 .2mg (this should be .1 not .2) capsules of CLonazeapam and if goes ok will get rest of rx.  I weighed them and in general weights are better...are few high (.271) and low (.232) but very few...so better.  No, no added doses of the Clonazepam.  I can post logs.  

 

I already started the new Viibryd capsules and weighed those as well...  .237 to .260...but only one or 2 of the high and lows...rest are in a good range I think. Did you want me to post 7 weights for you MMT or was that just for my practice and all?   Perhaps alerting them has made a difference.  I hope so.  I don't know about opening them?  I haven't really tried that with these...I will take an old capsule that I am not going to use and try that before doing one that I am going to use perhaps?

 

Thank you for links to scale as I do find I can weigh some capsules and then if weigh again they differ. Not sure how much matters...but up to .005 on the scale...not sure if it is me, environment, or scale or just way is.

 

So it is good to get all three of the capsules and start them at the same time?  I thought maybe it would be better to start one at one time and the other a month later or something so that aren't changing everything at once d/t new compounded doses?   As it is the Viibryd comes monthly and the CLonazepam is close to being started at the same time.  

 

My daughter and baby and I  Face timed again today so that was nice.  She is 18 months so not an infant anymore.  Im sure she will grow out of her being so hyper alert.  No my daughter takes no meds and does not drink except occasionally.  My daughter has brought her here rarely..think it is easier for her there and she doesnt want to make the trip...and I think she is just accepting that I am not going to be there much....yes...at least 40 minutes by car.  

 

No alcohol use. 

 

Saw therapist today and actually was good/productive...so that is nice.

 

My home town is 2 1/2 hours from here.  My daughter would never have me with her...especially now.  She is too busy with the baby to help me in any way...I dont ask anymore...the baby is her priority, as it should be.  Her support would be nice but not there. I am looking at how and where to go home...if it is possible.  I have friends there, church, AA groups, and familiarity with health, dentist, car etc etc.  Think it would be best, especially at this point as I am not much good here...if dont see her here then I feel go to a place that perhaps would be better for me and where I could maybe heal better...but that may not be so as well.  On the days I feel so horrible Im not sure it would matter where I was...but do miss home...and my old home.  

 

Thank you again MMT. Hope things are good in your corner of the world.  Take care.

 

 

[neroli]

22 minutes ago, Rabe said:

Seriously..that is hot? Sounds freezing, no?  

should have said 24 degrees celsius. that's way hot enough for me.  interesting thought on the electrolytes - may check it out.  I drink ordinary black tea with milk (English - cuppa etc.  soothes every ailment).  Now I know some find ordinary tea a bit wiring but I , thankfully, seem to be ok on it and it's one of the few treats I have.  the first cup of the day is great, then I have the one at 3.  It's a bit regimented but it helps to have those little pleasure-stops.  I've had to cut down on the butter as I wa putting on weight and not being able to exercise means I can't get it off easily.  It's a bit of a test when I get the "hollow/hungry" feeling most of the time.  Pumpkin seeds seem to quell it a bit but don't want to overdo those either.

 

Today has been good - I've managed to relax.  Will see how tomorrow goes

 

💜💜

[Rabe]

@neroli I figured it couldnt be that cold...thank you...I wondered if that was it.

The tea sounds so lovely!  I dont do well with caffeine so cant...but sometimes drink ginger tea...or anything warm..warm milk.  

I wish I could put on some weight.  I find the oils and butter..the fats dont agree with my stomach...makes it hard to gain weight!😒  But I try...

Im so happy you had an ok day, Neroli!!  YAY!!  Hope tomorrow is as well!💜

[Rabe]

I wake up in the morning and am so so stiff and sore...my muscles are, especially my back...and if I exercise it is worse.  Wondering if anyone has any tips....thanks so much!!!💜

[Rosetta]

Hi, Rabe.  Epsom salt bath might help.  Thinking of you.

[Rabe]

Hi Rosetta...thank you!  I am wondering if I can do those if I am allergic to sulphate and sulphates or whatever is in some antibiotic ointments.  I would love to try but so leery of much.  Take care of you!💜

[Rabe]

12/14

up bout every 2 hours, once hot and sweaty

900 feel pretty good

1030 anxious..passed

1115 yoga

1140 9mg Viibryd with food

140 heart skips, anxiety

230 shopping

240 more anxious

330 food

400 walk

500 bit of food

545 .2mg Clonazepam with milk, stomach so hot today

740 more anxious

840 .3mg Premarin with food

1000 more anxious 

1115 better

1140 .7mg Clonazepam with milk

1230 bath

1245 needlepoint

130 to bed

 

 

[Rabe]

On 12/12/2018 at 5:00 AM, manymoretodays said:

Weigh 7 of them with the contents inside of them.  Just to get some practice again. 

When you see the doctor in 2 weeks, get more tablets then.......to send to the compounder, of your Viibryd. 

I'm interested to see if they controlled for the filler more and if they all weigh really close to each other now.  You said here in your introduction, awhile back that something was weighing more consistently.

 

Hi MMT...I weighed some again and got .242, .264, .256, .252, .240, .258, .244, and there was a .272 that I'm ignoring. I see the doctor this week and without a plan he will come up with his own.  He's best if I just print something  off and hand it to him.  DO you have thoughts on this?

I will get more tablets...he always gives me more samples if he has them and if not I stop back when they do. I still have the 21? that are in a separate bottle...I did not crush them yet.

I just looked on the .1mg Clonazepam capsules and there are 4 refills before June...I will go ahead and get the rest of this rx as they seem to be going ok thus far.  Only thing I have noticed is I get really drowsy at night which is kind of new.  Other than that think ok so far.

So I will have another 100 or so coming and then will get refill after they are gone.  Because the Viibyd is monthly and the other every 3 months they wont match up exactly but should be fairly close...I can let you know for sure next time I get the Viibryd...I can count the CLonazepam and see what is left is you want.

I just get concerned about the scale...it does not weigh the same.  I have a capsule I have  kept out and I weigh that each day and it will be different by .005 sometimes...is that ok?  

 

[manymoretodays]

So you got your .2 mg dose successfully switched over to using 2 of the .1 mg compounded capsules.

Were you going to do the same with your .7 mg dose?

I'd do that first if you have not yet.

 

I'm pretty sure your plan is that you do not want to taper Viibryd right now.  Nor do you wish to taper clonazepam right now.

I'm in agreement with that.

 

I'd like to help get you crossed over to Viibryd tablets, sometime in the New Year.

 

Hope that helps Rabe. 

 

 

 

 

[Rabe]

@manymoretodays Yes I am using the .1mg capsules for both the doses. 

 

Sounds good MMT...I will take that with me.  And will get more samples and be sure the .1mg rx is stable.  Yes it does help.  Thank you for that! 

 

 

[manymoretodays]

Rabe,

Your compounded capsules of clonazepam are certainly stable.  If the weights vary, it's probably due to the filler is all.

Try and give up the obsession on variances of weights, as related to milligrams of active ingredient.  Just trust the pharmacy.  And yourself.  This is a minimal change.

 

You've had one good day.

Just time things as to how much you can handle for now.  Nap time is a great time to visit a toddler, and your daughter.  So nice that they made time for you.  And that then you could help too, with their shopping.

Maybe something like that with your son?  A lunch date.

 

L, P, H, and G,

mmt

 

 

 

[Rabe]

@manymoretodays  Thank you for all that MMT.  

 

What you said about the capsules is reassuring and I'm grateful!  Yes I am working very hard on the trusting.

 

I did have one good day and am still grateful.  Ate too much ice cream yesterday and I had the worst ... IDK what.  Stomach was awful and felt awful....so giving the stomach a rest today.

Going to see the GI person which is long overdue.  

 

So I did not go over today which means will probably not go over this week cause she has plans, but thats ok.  I have to work on accepting as well.

 

My son and his wife will be coming right after Christmas for couple days and am SO hoping to be able to make it over there for that.  He is the one whose wedding I missed last year being in the hospital tapering...still makes me so sad...but he is much better at accepting than my daughter...AA is helpful with that!

 

Thank you again MMT.  Take care!

 

[bubbles]

Rabe, maybe consider checing how long the expiry date is before you fill the prescription. My compounded meds are only good for six months, so I try to stagger when I get them. Then again, if you do get them all in one batch they'd likely be pretty consistent.

 

What did the pharmacy say about the weight/active ingredient/filler issue?

[Rabe]

Hi bubbles...They didnt say anything except that the pills were all within their 10% range...hmmm...when one is half full I dont think so but its ok.  MMT said not to worry about it so Im working on that.

 

The next ones seem to be better so I am grateful.  Yes I do think that is true...getting them in one batch helps.  But staggering is good too I think because if there is a problem you know which one it probably is.  

 

Take care bubbles!💜

[Rosetta]

Hi.  I hope you are having a good day. Mine is going ok.  You sound a little better.

[Rabe]

@manymoretodays

Hi MMT...I am wondering if you could help me?  I am going to go in to GI Wed as I have really been having bad stomach(?) pain.  I know they have been wanting to do some studies and I have put it off because things were better...but this was really not right.  I was wondering if there is something on the site that addresses what to use or not use for these procedures as I sure dont want to rock that boat.  I did look at what i could find here and seems propofol is a choice?  I also was wondering if it is possible to take the CLonazepam a little earlier at night so that I am not going to bed with food and drink close to bedtime....even half hour maybe...so take the .2 and .7 half hour earlier?  Would that be a huge issue or no?  If it is I wont do it but the pain I had Monday was awful and I have not been able to eat much though is some better today. 

Only reason to do it is to try to help the reflux and the digestive issues.  

[Rabe]

@RosettaHi Rosetta....Monday was not good with the stomach issues, yesterday I felt bit better but really didnt eat all day to give it a rest and I rested.  Today has been better gratefully...least got out for short walk and ate some so thats good.  

I's so happy today has been better for you!  I felt so bad yesterday reading all you were feeling...just so grateful that has passed for now.  Think of you daily...thanks for stopping over.  💜

[Carmie]

Hi Rabe, 

 

Sorry to hear about your stomach problems. Just thought I’d pop around and give you some hugs🤗🤗