Dodger: advice needed

[Dodger]

Hello Everyone

 

I am a new member here and need some advice. I have been on hydroxyzine and lamictal for 10 years now. 

100 mg of hydroxyzine pamomate capsules and 50 mg of lamictal. I would not take the hydroxyzine every night but would do 50 mg 2 nights in a row and then 100 mg on the third night and repeat it only because it would  make me too tired if I took it nightly, the 100 mg. 

 

I have been wanting to taper off this for while but have not gotten the courage or time as I know I have been on it for a long time and it's bad to be on so long. 

 

Skipping forward to last month: 

Dr wrote me a prescription for the 25 mg hydroxyzine pamomate which was different than the 50 mg capsules I had been taking, but I figured it would be fine. 

 

Around middle of June I started taking four 25 mg capsules every night. I didn't just stick to the 50 mg every 2 nights and 100 mg on the third night because It was not making me as sleepy as the 50 mg capsules of my original prescription. 

 

Now looking back, how stupid was I. I realize these weren't that strong or maybe too strong? I was more moody, couldn't sleep as well as original prescription, so my Dr called me in my original prescription of the hydroxyzine pamomate 50 mg capsules. I started taking those again the 24th. All last week i was tired until this past Saturday I woke up with severe nausea, shaky hands and electricity running through my veins.  That would of been exactly a week back on the drug. 

 

I had alot of anxiety as well and it was awful. 

Never have had nausea on hydroxyzine. 

Have remained on original prescription since last Saturday. There is def a rhythm to this. Once I take the dose, within a half hour I am more revved, shaky and naseous. Can't sleep. It lasts all the next day until about 8 at night I feel some relief but by that time it's time to take the dose again. 

 

It has been awful and so scary. I had withdrawal from lexapro before with a failed reinstatement afterwards that was unbelievablely long and cruel with the worst symptoms imaginable. 

 

To say I am terrified would be an understatement but I am trying to remain calm even though I am under so much stress and chemical anxiety, trying to figure out what to do next. 

 

Last night I took just 50 mg. I slept better the nausea hasn't been as extreme and the electricity has not been as extreme either, but still there. 

My question is: what would you recommend to do going forward?

I'm not sure if the other prescription even though same med, was too strong, not strong enough, I reacted to the different additives and it riled up my cns? I am still incredibly sensitive from the lex withdrawal 10 years ago. Although the hudroxyzine has always helped calm my system down. 

I do think the 100 mg was too strong,  but obviously I can't just stay at 50 because then I will be in withdrawal? I can't go through this again. Or maybe I should do the 2 nights of 50 and third night of 100 like I was before the last month. I definitely know my system is rattled. That dose is now too high and my system is turning against it. This is alot like my failed reinstatement with lexapro. I know how this goes if I stay on the full dose as that's what I did with the lexapro and got worse and worse by the minute. 

 

My stomach is in knots all day long, I'm a wreck with no resolution or not knowing what to do. I'm an anxious mess and while I can handle this for now, i am terrified to continue the 100 mg for terror of it to keep building and me getting worse and worse unless this is the worst it gets, and I can start a slow taper from the 100 and possibly start feeling better. Or maybe I should try 75 or 70 mg and see how I feel? I just hate to keep rattling my system. 

Any thoughts are appreciated. 

Thank you all 

 

[Dodger]

Just an update this morn as I have been taking notes. Last 2 nights I have dropped the 100 mg to 50 mg of hydroxyzine. I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night, was very alert and awake but at the same time almost a calmer feeling? If that makes sense. 

 

Also even though it was still hard, from about 6 pm to 9 pm had a bit of a "window" where I didn't feel the intense fear and extreme nausea and electricity I had been feeling the 4 days prior. 

 

Less nausea this morn as well, not as much electricity either, less panic but have some anxiety, better mood though. 

I'm seriously so confused. 

I'm worried as well. 

 

It seems dropping the dose definitely has helped in one way but I'm afraid that I will go into severe withdrawals any second now because usually after about 2 nights of just 50 mg by the third day I would get really sick with nausea and hot flashes. 

 

Although that's how I felt with the start up symptoms this time around. Geez Louise is this confusing me. Do I rock the boat more and just settle for 50 from now on and go into severe withdrawal? Do I maybe try to play with the dose and stay there for a good while and taper, maybe a medium ground of like 75 mg? So it's not 50 which is low but not 100 so not too high which I believe was causing some sort of seratonin toxicity. I had all the classic signs and Am still not right although mentally today so far I'm in a better place. 

 

I think my system got rattled from switching from one brand to another for a month, switching back and it was too much. Whether the last hydroxyzine was too high or low and this was too high or low, I'm not sure. 

 

Maybe just do 75 mg tonight so I'm not totally depleting myself but not going overboard either, I just don't want to screw myself any further than I have to, because I've been there after having an adverse reaction to lexapro and believe me when I say the withdrawal compared to the reinstatement was a walk in the park.

 

I most definitely had seratonin toxicity that time upon reinstatement and flew out of bed with akathesia the 3rd day,  this has mimicked alot of that, not as severe but there is flavors of it. 

 

Ok I'm shutting up now, I appreciate any advice.  I know how this works, I know you guys can't tell me exactly what to do but just having someone throw a couple ideas out there or hear me out means the world. 

Thanks. 

[Dodger]

I didn't know how this works and if someone replies soon or it has to be approved? 

 

Last 2 nights slept. 

 

Stay on this dose for a little (50 mg)

Then start a slow taper?  Any feedback would be so appreciated. 

 

Please let me know if there's any further info you need. I sincerely appreciate it. ❣️

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @Dodger

 

Have you discussed your drug reactions with your prescriber?

 

As I understand it, you are asking about tapering hydroxyzine? It is possible you got withdrawal symptoms from abrupt changes in your hydroxyzine dosage. It looks like you were on 50mg-100mg for a long while, then you went to 25mg in July?

 

On 8/4/2022 at 3:01 PM, Dodger said:

Once I take the dose, within a half hour I am more revved, shaky and naseous.

 

This would be a 50mg dose? This appears to be a paradoxical reaction to 50mg -- it's too much for you. When you decreased in July, you decreased your tolerance for the drug. How long have you been taking 50mg this time around?

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please summarize your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

[Dodger]

I used JimH spreadsheet calculator to taper off hydroxyzine because it is in powder form in a capsule. I went to click on the link and it said "account suspended". Does anyone know why or how I can get a taper plan as close to his? His was perfect and looked like this. Now I don't know what to do.  

[Erimus]

Please fill in your drug signature, and provide us with more information about your taper. I cannot decipher what is going on from the picture with no information on your current dose, and reduction size.

[Erimus]

So you're taking a split dose. The black number is the medication dose, and the blue number is the weight on the scales. Is that correct?

[Dodger]

Erimus,

Just one dose and yes that is correct about the black and blue numbers. 

I will do my signature now. 

Thank you!

[Erimus]

Have a look at How to calculate dosages and dilutions? Spreadsheets and calculators

 

There's probably an alternative spreadsheet there that does a smiliar calculation.

 

It just looks like you're reducing 0.001mg every 7 days.