Hi I'm Erneebird. Tapering Effexor, Remeron, Ambien, Lamictal

[Erneebird]

I've been on too many meds to remember for 25 years, original Dx Bipolar II with Rx 50 mg. Zoloft. I immediately became hyper manic. At the time, I didn't know that. I just thought it was a very nice feeling Eventual Dx BP II. Different doctors tried many meds, deciding I had ADD too. Became addicted to 90 mg. Adderall daily for 8 years. It usually got me up and to work no matter how I felt.

 

So now I'm 55, and after a rough period last year, including a hospitalization that included massive doses of Latuda (even though I've never had Psychotic behavior), I started w/ a new Dr. who has me on the Rxs in my tag line. In between, my temporary Hospital Dr. tried Saphris, Seroquel, Topamax, Trazodone, Geodon, Neurontin, some I can't even remember. All this in a 6 month period. My current Dr. has me on the meds in my intro.

 

So anyhoo, after researching extensively, I want to taper off all meds slowly to find a baseline. I'm not even sure if I'm Bipolar. Maybe just a naturally bubbly person with normal reactions to the bad things that happened to me, starting at an early age, and continuing throughout my life, due, in part, to choosing partners that fit into my skewed psychological belief system.

Before I found this site, I had already tapered from 150mg EffexorXR and 30mg Remeron. My doctor disapproves of the taper. She is rigid and controlling and won't listen, stating that she is the expert, and she'll fire me if I cross her .

 

With the Effexor, I originally took one granule out every day for 20 days. I also broke my Remeron up and have been taking 22.5 mg, and broke my Ambien (not CR) into 7.5mg. I thought I might be dying. Awful headache and severe body pain, extreme nausea, constant dry mouth, and dry, bleeding nose, racing heart, feeling out of breath, profuse sweating, no energy. I now realize I shouldn't have done all that at the same time, and even individual drugs need to be tapered more gradually.

 

I correctly assumed the Effexor was the major culprit, so I added back 10 granules, and finally felt good after 4 days. I left the Remeron since I was feeling ok. But the Ambien was still causing sleep-walking, sleep-eating, and sleep-texting. So I asked my Dr. if I could go back on Klonapin. (I had always taken 1mg K to sleep, but when I added the Remeron, I started R carb binging, and my Dr. said the K added to that, and switched the K to A. She grudgingly agreed to Effexor taper, but will only do it in 37.5 increments. I think I can granule my way around that. She said I didn't need to taper A. She was wrong. Last night was hell.

 

My plan is to increase the Ambien to 5mg., hold for a week, then 3.3 mg, hold another week, then 2.5 mg. for a week, then quit. I can't do that any slower because my Dr. won't prescribe A and K at the same time. So I'll just start the Klonapin now. I think it will help w/ Effexor and A w/d. Simultaneously, I will remove 2-3 granules, hold til I feel steady for a few days, then continue. I figure it will take 14-20 months.

 

I'm not sure what to do about the Remeron. I really want it gone, because I think it was the main factor in my 40 pound weight gain. I think I can taper it instead of the Effexor for one week per month? Also, am I correct in leaving the Lamictal for last, and just getting really good with a pill cutter? I hope this isn't too scattered to read, but I would appreciate advice because I DO NOT want to go through that again. Thanks!

Effexor 130 mg
Remeron 22.5 mg
Ambien 5 mg
Klonapin 1 mg
Lamictal 150mg
Fish Oil combined AHA, BHA 4000mg

Edited December 4, 2014 by Petu
Added paragraphs for readability

[tgirl]

Hello E,

Welcome to SA.

Glad/sorry you are here.lol

Someone should be along soon to answer your questions.

I just wanted to say hello, as I am also a current remeron user trying to get off!

Good Luck

[mammaP]

That's a lot of drugs that you have had in a short space of time, plus trying to taper too there

is no wonder you have been feeling pretty rotten! I'm not sure I understand why you are switching to K from Ambien? 

Right now you need to hold everything for a good few months to allow your nervous system to stabilise. When you are

stable you can then start a slow taper off the meds. It will take a long time but will be worth it in the end. We recommend

tapering one drug at a time and starting with the anti depressant. Your effexor taper didn't seem to be very fast but cutting

the others  at the same time would have been too much for your body to handle. 

 

You are not alone with the bi-polar diagnosis after starting psych drugs, lots of us suddenly became manic after taking them

and were then labelled bi polar! 

 

I will post some links for you to topics that will help.  

 

Tapering multiple drugs http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2207-taking-multiple-psych-drugs-taper-the-antidepressant-first/

 

What is withdrawal syndrome? http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/

 

The 3 KIS http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6632-the-rule-of-3kis-keep-it-simple-keep-it-slow-keep-it-stable/

 

I am sorry that you have been treated so badly by the ones who were supposed to help you. Things will get better but for now it is

important to keep things steady and let your body recover. 

[alwayslookup]

I feel your situation a little bit. I was also on a similar combo although, thank God, just for a year. (Effexor, Rivotril, Ambien). Sadly I did not find this website soon enough so I had to listen to my stupid doc who made huge mistakes of telling me to quit cold-turkey all of them (Benzo first just to make things even worse.) Anyway I survived by some kind of miracle so you will too, ESPECIALLY if you listen to these guys.

 

So just do what they say and read those articles!!!

[Rhiannon]

Welcome to the forum.

 

I would add, read over all the materials in the Tapering section, the stuff pinned at the top and the links in those topics. Like mammaP said, right now you need to hold steady for a while and not try to cut anything (except maybe if you're having a lot of trouble with the Ambien as you describe, and if you do decide to reduce that, please do it very slowly). So this is a good time to just do the learning and get prepared, get supplies together, etc. so you can taper slowly and safely when the time comes.

 

As a rule, people who've been on multiple meds, who have been on them for a long period of time, and who are a little older in age, need to taper more slowly. This will be a multi-year project, but I guarantee, if you do it slowly enough to be safe, it will be worth it. 

 

I would be looking into finding a more supportive doc. Also, I have found that approaching health care people with "I would like to maintain on the lowest possible dose of the fewest possible meds, so let's reduce very cautiously and see how I do" works better than "I want to come off meds." They are aware of the long term health risks of taking more meds than necessary but they have all been trained to hear "I want to get off meds" as "I am crazy and you need to stop me now."

 

And on that last note, I highly recommend getting hold of a copy of Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker, which explains how psychiatry got this way.

 

Again, welcome. I'm glad you're here. I've had a multi-decade multi-med history too, and I started my tapering when I was 55, so I can relate. I'm doing great now, have gotten so much of my innate personality and zest back and starting to get my brain back too, just getting down to much lower doses, and so far every indication is that I will eventually be off all meds.

[Erneebird]

Thanks everyone. Have slowed down taper.

[Wildflower0214]

I suggest you look for another dr. The one you have sounds like a... Well, you fill in the blank.

 

Good luck on the taper