Kellz: Want to taper off Pregabalin, Quetiapine & Citalopram

[Kellz]

Hi all, 

 

I would like to come off of all the drugs I am on. I have an appointment with a Psychiatrist in November as I have asked for a re-assement (to consider a diagnosis of CPTSD rather than Borderline Personality Disorder) and I plan to begin my taper once under their supervision. 

 

I have been on Citalopram (now 40 mgs) for approx. 18 years. 

 

I was put on Quetiapine (now 200 mgs) approximately 5 years ago when I experienced a total breakdown after the birth of a baby. At the time I suffered from extreme insomnia (zero sleep for 5 nights), which led to relentless anxiety (non stop panic) and eventual psychosis.  

 

The Quetiapine wasn't relieving all my symptoms. I ended up admitted to hospital where I was put on Pregabalin (now 300 mgs). 

 

I would like to know the best way to approach this. I'd like to go to the Psychiatrist with a plan to propose. My GP wanted me to drop 25 mgs each med each week and I'm guessing that's too much at once? 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Kellz and welcome to SA,

 

To get you started please create your drug signature.  We need it nice and simple so we can see your drug history at a glance.  No diagnoses or symptoms.  Please remember to update it whenever you make a change so that it remains current.  Thank you.

 

For the last 2 years we need details - dates, ALL drugs, doses

For older than 2 years we need summary - just years and ALL drugs

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

SA recommends tapering only one drug at a time.  The reason for this is that if you taper more than one and you run into trouble it can be difficult to know what is causing the problem.

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

taking-multiple-psych-drugs-which-drug-to-taper-first

 

Tips for tapering off Celexa (citalopram)

Tips for tapering off Seroquel (quetiapine)

Tips for tapering off Lyrica (pregabalin)

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?
What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

 

Brain Remodelling
Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

This is your own Intro topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress.

 

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Kellz.

 

You are wise to seek a second opinion. However, if I were you, I'd be wary of any diagnosis based on post-partum symptoms 5 years ago. Sleeplessness is a fairly common consequence of having a baby, and some people are very sensitive to lack of sleep.

 

What times of day do you take your drugs? Do you have any side effects or other symptoms?  How's your sleep? Please keep daily notes on paper about your symptoms, when you take your drugs, and their dosages. Use a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom, drug and dosage) on the right.

[Kellz]

Hi, 

 

I was diagnosed Borderline PD around 16 years ago, but I don't believe this is correct. I believe all of my so called 'symptoms' have always related to trauma throughout childhood and early adulthood. In terms of the post natal problems- I've got 4 kids- aged 22, 20, 5 and 1. I only had the 'mental breakdown' after the 5 year old. I won't go into detail, but what I went through was pretty extreme. The hallucinations were terrifying. Before the hallucinations was insomnia, before that was anxiety and before that was 'mania'. The baby actually slept through the night after a few weeks, so I didn't actually have sleep deprivation until the anxiety hit. Anyhow, that's how I ended up on Quetiapine and Pregabalin (on top of the Citalopram).

 

I take all my drugs sometime between 7pm and 10pm each night. Later on a weekend. After an hour or so I can barely stay awake. Sometimes it's like I'm drunk. And mega hungry. I sleep really really well. Solid for 8 to 10 hours. I struggle to wake up in the morning, and struggle with the morning routine. I struggle with feeling drowsy at work in the mornings. 

 

I rarely get anxious. And when I do I use various techniques to help me manage. The only time I suffer from awful anxiety is if I have gone a night without my medication. 

[Altostrata]

Yes, some people are very sensitive to sleep deprivation, and hormonally-related sleeplessness is common after pregnancy.

 

When you were taking citalopram alone, did you take it at night? Did it make you sleepy?

 

How often do you forget to take your drugs? This could cause a lot of problems.

 

Please give your exact drug schedule with your daily symptom pattern. It's best to take the drugs at the same times each day, so we can get a baseline symptom pattern. Some of your symptoms are caused by the drugs.

 

 

[Kellz]

Prior to my breakdown I used to frequently 'pull all nighters', when I had work to get done, like reports to get written, or if I went out night clubbing, or sometimes I just had insomnia. It never bothered me really. Sometimes I would go nights with zero sleep or days and days with barely any sleep, doing fine with 3 or 4 hours a night. Other times I'd sleep for hours and hours. It was never an issue. Then when I had the breakdown I linked it to insomnia and so I became TERRIFIED of not being able to fall asleep. That made me have anxiety about sleeping, so I couldn't sleep, then my anxiety would be through the roof and it was an awful spiral of hell. 

 

Over the years I took Citalopram at various times if the day or evening. Never thought it made me sleepy. 

 

I should also say that at various time I stopped taking Citalopram cold turkey. I never knew back then that it could cause any problems to do so. The last time I came off if it was when I got pregnant with the now 5 year old. I went back on it when I was going through the breakdown (I think?)

 

I stayed on all the drugs throughout my last pregnancy.

 

I have gonna night without the drugs on only a few occasions over the past 5 years, mainly because of a screw up with prescriptions. 

 

I will start taking them at the same time each night. 

 

Where do I track my symptoms? I don't even know what are my symptoms from drugs or just who I am!

[ChessieCat]

This gives an example of what is needed:  Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

Just post them here in your Intro topic as a regular post.

[Kellz]

Ok so last night I took my regular doses at around 8 pm. I went to bed at 10pm but did not feel tired and struggled to fall asleep. I was stressing a bit about today (Monday) at work. I last checked the time at 12 midnight. 

 

This morning my husband tried in vain to wake me up. I recall him getting frustrated because I was incoherent. I was babbling words that made no sense. In my head I knew what I was trying to say but the words came out as babble. 

 

I stayed asleep another 1.5 hours and have now woken up late for work. This is typical. 

 

I have a major headache and my neck feel so tight. 

 

I've eaten too much but felt intense hunger on waking. 

 

As I write this, my head is in a fog and my hands keep twitching.