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ratherbedigging's daughter: My daughter just out of hospital, what to look at next


ratherbedigging

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My college age daughter is now home with us after her first manic episode. We think she stopped sleeping due to Vyvanse, which is a stimulant she was prescribed for ADHD a few months ago. She swears it's the only thing that got her through school last semester, but that she'd told the dr the dose was too high.  

 

Anyway, even two weeks in the hospital didn't get her down from the mania, or even sleeping that well. They started with zyprexa, and just kept adding and adding things and discharged her. She's been adamant she doesn't want to take clonazepam, so have been cutting down that since she wasn't on it long.  She's been out of hospital not quite one month, and saw an outpatient dr 3 times who gave instructions on how to reduce that and not to change more than one medication at a time. Unfortunately that dr moved away at the end of Feb, and there is a three week gap till she can see the dr taking over her care. She wasn't even out of mania yet. 

 

She has been sleeping A TON for about a week and a half, like 14-16 hours a day, and seems to be falling into depression. Her coordination and alertness has improved since cutting down the clonazepam. She's going to the rock climbing gym and writing songs.

 

Anyway, I am wondering if there if more harm from leaving her on such a large dose of Zyprexa than there is dropping it down, since it's still early in the game and we don't seem to have any help. She's having hangry attacks every couple of hours, sometimes huge crying jags that only respond to food, and has always had huge blood sugar swings. I know being on three mood stabilizers makes it much much worse plus weight gain. I called the outpatient dr's nurse (who has never seen her), no answer back. I called the inpatient dr, they told me to call the outpatient.  When her Dr moved away, I asked the desk what to do if she has a problem since this is  critical stage, and they said go to the ER. Geez.

 

BTW I have my own history of two manic episodes and pretty stable on lithium, although her ordeal took a toll on me too. After visiting the hospital twice a day I hugged my lithium like it was my bff.

Young adult daughter Feb 2020 discharge w 1500mg Depakote, 1350 mg Lithium, 20 mg Zyprexa, 3mg clonazepam. A boatload. 

 

I'm currently on Lithium 900 mg for 5ish yrs after 2nd manic hospitalization. 

Sam-E in 2007 for a short period, then manic episode, dx bipolar 1

Zyprexa (brief then discontinued)

Ativan (brief then discontinued)

Depakote ER 1500mg plus Lamictal 150mg Dec 2007 to Jan 2012

Started tapering Depakote early 2012

Depakote ER at 750mg, plus Lamictal 150mg as of July 2012--about 3 months between steps down

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  • manymoretodays changed the title to Big boatload: just out of hospital, what to look at next
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi ratherbedigging,

And I did find your Introduction:  ratherbedigging: Sam-E started it all I think, Yrs. Later, to taper Depakote, or Lamictal 1st?

Do you wish to update there, around your unique case, and how you have been?

 

Do you think your daughter would like to participate here?  We do have other members that post on behalf of their loved ones.  If she is willing and would like to, that would be great.  And thank you, as I do see you added a bit of her stuff, to your signature.

  

34 minutes ago, ratherbedigging said:

he has been sleeping A TON for about a week and a half, like 14-16 hours a day, and seems to be falling into depression. Her coordination and alertness has improved since cutting down the clonazepam. She's going to the rock climbing gym and writing songs.

 

Is she still able to maintain at all at college?

 

 

34 minutes ago, ratherbedigging said:

My college age daughter is now home with us after her first manic episode. We think she stopped sleeping due to Vyvanse, which is a stimulant she was prescribed for ADHD a few months ago. She swears it's the only thing that got her through school last semester, but that she'd told the dr the dose was too high.  

 

Anyway, even two weeks in the hospital didn't get her down from the mania, or even sleeping that well. They started with zyprexa, and just kept adding and adding things and discharged her. She's been adamant she doesn't want to take clonazepam, so have been cutting down that since she wasn't on it long.  She's been out of hospital not quite one month, and saw an outpatient dr 3 times who gave instructions on how to reduce that and not to change more than one medication at a time. Unfortunately that dr moved away at the end of Feb, and there is a three week gap till she can see the dr taking over her care. She wasn't even out of mania yet. 

 

How long was she on the Vyvanse?  Date started?  Dose?

And yes, that could have caused her to go manicky.

Is she still on the Vyvanse?

 

When were the other drugs started?  Dates, dosages?

With the clonazepam, like all benzo's dependency can develop in just a 2 week- 4 week time period of usage.  How has she been doing the reductions so far?

 

Would you put all of your dear daughters medications in the interactions checker at Drugs.com,  I started one , here,  with the 5 drugs you mentioned in your post and in her signature.  You can just go back and do a new one, if that one is not correct.  Then, just post the results here, on your introduction page for your daughter.  Thank you.

 

When does she take each drug?

 

Does she have an interest in tapering and perhaps being drug free one day?  We are a site for tapering and support of WD and WDsyndrome.

And oh my, ratherbedigging, this all must be very distressing for you now.  ((((rbd))))  I'm so sorry.

 

And okay, all from me for now.  I didn't want your post to get lost in the shuffle here, as it went through unapproved, as you had already been approved back in 2012.

 

Best,

L, P, H, and G,

moderator manymoretodays(mmt)

Edited by manymoretodays
5 drugs, interaction checker

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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Hi Manys,

Thanks for your response.

I do have her permission to post here on her behalf. She's not really doing much online yet, hard to focus much on reading etc. She had to withdraw from college for the semester.  I'll have to answer the rest of your questions later because have to head out of the house. Really this topic is about her, but if you want to place it on my other thread that's just fine.

 

I did finally get a call from the outpatient dr office and they'll schedule her with either a temporary doc who just arrived, or her new dr if a cancellation opens up. So I guess I was convincing enough she should't just be left hanging on this much medication and she's totally naive to it.

Young adult daughter Feb 2020 discharge w 1500mg Depakote, 1350 mg Lithium, 20 mg Zyprexa, 3mg clonazepam. A boatload. 

 

I'm currently on Lithium 900 mg for 5ish yrs after 2nd manic hospitalization. 

Sam-E in 2007 for a short period, then manic episode, dx bipolar 1

Zyprexa (brief then discontinued)

Ativan (brief then discontinued)

Depakote ER 1500mg plus Lamictal 150mg Dec 2007 to Jan 2012

Started tapering Depakote early 2012

Depakote ER at 750mg, plus Lamictal 150mg as of July 2012--about 3 months between steps down

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  • Moderator Emeritus

No, let's keep the 2 Introductions seperate.

And good on finding a new doc.  Also good, too, that she's fairly naive to these medications.

 

I'll leave this link here now too, for you to look at:

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which one to taper first?

 

2 hours ago, ratherbedigging said:

Anyway, I am wondering if there if more harm from leaving her on such a large dose of Zyprexa than there is dropping it down, since it's still early in the game and we don't seem to have any help. She's having hangry attacks every couple of hours, sometimes huge crying jags that only respond to food, and has always had huge blood sugar swings. I know being on three mood stabilizers makes it much much worse plus weight gain. I called the outpatient dr's nurse (who has never seen her), no answer back. I called the inpatient dr, they told me to call the outpatient.  When her Dr moved away, I asked the desk what to do if she has a problem since this is  critical stage, and they said go to the ER. Geez.

 

......and I'm no fan of Zyprexa. 

And we'll await your answers to ?'s, and some further information.

 

I'm glad you came back on her behalf. 

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
12 hours ago, ratherbedigging said:

We think she stopped sleeping due to Vyvanse, which is a stimulant she was prescribed for ADHD a few months ago. She swears it's the only thing that got her through school last semester, but that she'd told the dr the dose was too high.  

 

On 5/18/2012 at 1:27 PM, ratherbedigging said:

I had one manic episode 4 1/2 yrs ago after taking SAM-E and none since.

 

Ratherbedigging, it sounds like both you and your daughter have sensitivities to drugs and, in the case of SAM-E, supplements that can send someone into a manic state. 

 

This is not uncommon and unfortunately, has sent millions of people into having psychiatric diag-nonsense like bipolar disorder and many spend years on these types of drug cocktails. If you haven't already read this, you may find it explains a lot of what's going on:

 

Anatomy of an Epidemic

 

Here's a video book trailer by the author, Robert Whitaker:

 

Robert Whitaker, author Anatomy of an Epidemic video (11 minutes)

 

As you provide more information, we'll be able to help you set up a game plan for your daughter. Thank you for being an advocate for your daughter. I do hope she'll feel up to joining us here. It's always best to work directly with the person tapering. 

 

 

 

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  • Altostrata changed the title to ratherbedigging's daughter My daughter just out of hospital, what to look at next
  • Administrator

Hello, ratherbedigging.

 

It's difficult for us to counsel people via a third party, could your daughter join this site? We'd have to ask a lot of questions about how she's feeling, etc.

 

As she may have had an adverse reaction to Vyvanse, her "manic episode" may not be a psychiatric disorder at all, and her subsequent drug cocktail might be masking the nervous system instability brought on by the adverse reaction -- which she very well might recover from in some months without a drug cocktail.

 

Your "manic" condition might have followed a similar path of events, resulting in misdiagnosis and long-term drugs that might have been unnecessary.

 

Misdiagnosis of adverse drug reactions is very, very common in psychiatry, just about every one of the 13,000 members of this site has experienced this, it's why this site exists. At any rate, even if you had "true" mania, your daughter's might be drug-induced and not subject to life-long treatment.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to ratherbedigging's daughter: My daughter just out of hospital, what to look at next

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