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Went To See Psychiatrist And Can't Believe What He Suggested...


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#61 FiveNotions

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 06:50 PM

Why were you taking both omeprazole/Prilosec and Ranitidine/Zantac?

I haven't researched these, but if I recall they have different modes of action ... omeprazole is usually taken in the morning, on an empty stomach ... I think Zantac is usually taken in the evening, as you are doing, after dinner ...

Is your acid reflux (GERD) that serious? Why not one or the other, rather than both?

#62 fishinghat

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 06:51 PM

Well I must admit I blew this one. I did not know it had withdrawal. I guess for a change I got lucky because I was on 1200 mg daily.

thank you for setting me straight FN. As usual, good work.

 

Research articles on gabapentin withdrawal;

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/11479399

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/24028370

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/21652784

 

Withdrawal info from US National Library of Medicine;

http://www.nlm.nih.g...ds/a694007.html


#63 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 06:52 PM

I decided hours ago not to fill the gabapentin Rx. I had looked it up and saw that with its short half life, many people were having withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation.
It was prescribed to me in a very low dose of 100mg/ day for 3 days then 200mg/day for 3 days to 300mg/ day as a trial dose. This is 1/3 the recommended starting dose up to the typical starting single dose. I don't want any part of it at any dose.

I can't find the post or know who posted that brain zaps were due to seizure activity in your brain, but I read it here somewhere on this forum or maybe on the Cymbalta Hurts Worse Fb group. I just googled the topic and came up empty so I don't know where that person got the idea.
Just goes to show that I need to confirm the facts before I believe them as facts for myself.

I appreciate how most of you post links that support your statements on this forum.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

#64 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:03 PM

I was on both because my reflux was that bad!
I never have an appetite and when I make myself eat due to lack of energy I always get nauseous. At least that is how it was on the higher dose of cymbalta. Now that I'm not taking much cymbalta anymore, my reflux has improved. I still have the content of my stomach come up when I bend over, but with the acid reducers, it doesn't burn my throat.
I had an upper Gi scope done that didn't show any acid damage and no structural abnormalities down to my duodenum but I would need a barium drink with ex-rays to see how the food is going down (or up) and I can't afford to be exposed to any more radiation. Luckily for me this problem seems to be resolving itself. It least the burning reflux part. I still only have an appetite for ice cream and still get nauseous when I eat.

#65 FiveNotions

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:03 PM

Amazing, FH ... you got a "freebie" on the gabapentin withdrawals ... but hell, you sure deserved it... you haven't had it easy with the other meds!

#66 thismoment

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:09 PM

fishinghat

 

I think ReneeRJ could just go straight back up to 20 mg. What do you think?


#67 FiveNotions

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:09 PM

Acid reflux is a reported, but "uncommon," side effect of Cymbalta ... mine was horrible while I was on the crap ... within a month of getting off the poison, the acid reflux faded to manageable ... I still have it a bit, but it's manageable with the "Summer's Eve" :P (ACV) and an occasional few days on omeprazole ...

 

My bet is that the lack of appetite and nausea when you eat is connected with the mish-mash of drugs you're on, the zig-zag Cymbalta tapering approach, etc ... once you get the key parts of the puzzle sorted and connected properly, the smaller pieces will either fall into place or fall away completely ...


#68 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:11 PM

Will do TM. Now just how many beads is that lol? I will figure it out. The one thing I'm still good at is math ;)

#69 thismoment

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:13 PM

Renee

 

How many beads in your 60 mg capsule?


#70 fishinghat

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:20 PM

fishinghat

 

I think ReneeRJ could just go straight back up to 20 mg. What do you think?

 

You know TM I really don't know. As slow as she had been dropping she may only need to stay at her current dose to stabilize but that is definitely a guess.


#71 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:20 PM

Ha ha FN. I didn't think I was zig zagging it. My approach was mathematically based. I just cheated a little. I have been reducing by 10% of my previous dose each week but rather than drop 10% and stay at that dose for a week, I would decrease an even amount each of the days for that week to give me a 10% drop over the course of a week.
Then I get cocky and dropped 20mg at once to get things going quicker.... My bad :(
After my big drop I went back to 10% drop over the course of each week. I was my own guinea pig in finding a quicker way to get off the stuff. ...my experiment has failed. I guess I'm not going to win the Nobel peace prize this year either :/

#72 fishinghat

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:22 PM

"an occasional few days on omeprazole ..."

 

No No No omeprazole FN only Zantac.


#73 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:23 PM

Glad I'm not the only one in trouble :P

#74 fishinghat

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:24 PM

Renee don't feel bad about rushing the drop. I think every one of us has gotten impatient and tried to hurry things. I sure know I did!!


#75 thismoment

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:25 PM

Renee

 

FH is probably right. If you think you can hold on at your present dosage until you stabilize that would be better than going back up. However if the symptoms are unbearable you ought to consider dosing up a few percent.


#76 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:29 PM

Thanks Fishinghat. Now I am paying the price for my impatience.
I will make this right but I'm going to try to go to 15mg/day and stay at that for a week with no dropping. Just 15mg a day for a whole week! And I won't let myself take it as a step back. Just a way to be more gentle with myself. I hope it helps.

#77 thismoment

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:33 PM

General note:

 

You can choose the amount of suffering you desire by adjusting the timeline of your weaning.


#78 TryinginFL

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 07:40 PM

Excuse me for butting in here, but I've been going crazy here trying to get caught up with all of this since I got home from church, tried to eat and am watching the Cubs!  What's up w/the Omeprazole?  I have some that I take occasionally....    bad?


#79 FiveNotions

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 08:07 PM

FH, why no to the omeprazole, and yes to the zantac? For example, the last time I used it was probably a month ago ... I took it in the a.m., for a week ... did I screw up? Get screwed?


#80 fishinghat

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 08:11 PM

On page 2 I posted the FDA warning....

 

 
"Serious - Use Alternative - Possible serious or life-threatening interaction. Monitor closely. Use alternatives if available.
duloxetine oral will decrease the level or effect of omeprazole oral by affecting hepatic enzyme CYP1A2 metabolism."
 
What this means is it is very damaging to kidneys when used with ssri or snri.
The normal replacement is Zantac

#81 TryinginFL

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 08:15 PM

FH...

 

Interesting...

 

Can't believe original PCP had me on Crapalta, Lyrica, Trazodone and Omeprazole.  I was switched to Duloxetine and Gabapentin but kept the other 2.  Went off both the D and G cold turkey and very fast wean off of Trazodone about 4 months later.

 

Wow - that's scary :o :blink: 


#82 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 08:22 PM

TFL we are glad you are still with us. I guess you are one lucky lady. You must be a tough cookie to ditch all that garbage cold turkey. The withdrawal must have been hell.

#83 TryinginFL

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 08:31 PM

Thanks, Renee!  

 

I didn't realize the danger I was in at that time - Dr. never mentioned any interactions and the cold turkey was my own stupid idea :wacko: :o

 

I am really happy to still be here too! :) :)

 

And yes, IT WAS HELL !!! :angry:


#84 FiveNotions

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 08:38 PM

But I'm off the Cymbalta now, FH ... are you saying still no omeprazole for me/others post-Cymbalta ...

sorry, my crapalta brain must be kicking in big-time tonight :blink:


#85 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 08:58 PM

Ok my positive affirmation did not work. When I calculated that I would need to go back up to 80 beads to get back up to 15mg, I just got instantly depressed. I'm not going to do that. An arbitrary 50 beads it is. All set up for the next 6 days. If I still have hellacious side effects with that, then so be it.
I'm sick of this BS... Yes I recognize my mood swing!

This whole thing is guess work. What works for 1 person is too fast for another. I took my first dose of 30 mg of cymbalta on 12/15/06 to treat fibromyalgia and depression. The 30mg initial dose that was increased to 60mg the following week. In 2008 I needed to increase my dose to 80mg because I was still experiencing too much physical pain. I went from 80mg to 60mg in 2010 because I couldn't bring myself to pay 2 separate $60 copayments. Insurance wouldn't cover 4X 20mg/ day so I deeded a 60mg Rx and a 20mg Rx at $60 each. I have been on 60mg since then. When it came out in generic form my copayments went down to $50. I was not happy. We switched insurance companies in May this year. My prescriber had to jump through hoops to got this and another Rx, modafinil, pre authorized again. It was denied and she had to file an appeal. During that time, I was forced off my meds for several days. I called the insurance company myself to see how long the appeal would take. The person that answered the phone said that they received the appeal and it would take 3 weeks for them to review the appeal. I demanded that I speak with the manager and explained that I couldn't function at all without these prescriptions. The appeal went through that afternoon.
While I was forced into cold turkey withdrawal, I realized just how poisonous this stuff must me to my body. And decided then that I would get off this stuff. It has been 4 months. I realize that tis is not very long for most of you but for me it feels like forever.
I know my mental health has improved since I started to taper off this poison. I take showers at least 2 or 3 times a week as opposed to once every 2 to 3 weeks.(gross!) I occasionally know what day of the week it is! And I have more feelings (I'm bitchier now that I care about things lol. For example I say no to things that I would have said "I don't care" to)

I don't know why I needed to write this in a post other than to let you know that I'm old (48) and have been on this for a long time. It is to be expected that I will have a difficult time discontinuing this drug. I need to be patient.

#86 TryinginFL

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 09:09 PM

Renee...

 

Thanks for sharing - but 48 old???  I would love to be 48 again! :D :D


#87 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 09:16 PM

TFL lol I'm an old 48 year old. I walk with a limp I have no strength in my right arm and hand. I have pain in most of my joints. The average 70 year old could beat me in a 50 yard race. I guess 48 is not old, I just make it look old lol.
I have faith that there is a doctor out there somewhere that will be able to figure out why I went from a person that could and did work in my yard building stone walls and digging holes to a person that can't lift a water bottle with my dominant hand in the course of 6 years.
I want my old life back

#88 fishinghat

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 07:24 AM

But I'm off the Cymbalta now, FH ... are you saying still no omeprazole for me/others post-Cymbalta ...

sorry, my crapalta brain must be kicking in big-time tonight :blink:

 

If you are off the ssri/snri then there is no problem. This is a serious drug interaction only. Sorry about the confusion, As my dad use to say. 'Don;t listen to what I say, just listen to what I mean."  lol

 

I tried to give one of your posts a "like". It turned around and said I was out of 'positive votes''!!

 

That would have been my first 'like!1  I am soooo confused. What the heck is a 'positive vote'?

 

I am going back to bed and getting up again....


#89 FiveNotions

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 11:10 AM

"When I calculated that I would need to go back up to 80 beads to get back up to 15mg, I just got instantly depressed. I'm not going to do that. An arbitrary 50 beads it is. All set up for the next 6 days. If I still have hellacious side effects with that, then so be it."

Well, dear one, I've got to say here that I disagree with this decision. Just the fact that you say "an arbitrary 50 beads" is enuf to get me worried.

I think that you are guaranteeing yourself continued "hellacious side-effects." And, you are increasing the risk of permanent damage from your "arbitrary" actions... this is just a modified version of "PRNing" your meds. It is imprudent and risky. You have so many other health issues and meds, you're continuing your history of adding to your issues, not reducing them.

This is completely your choice, your responsibility. You're ignoring the excellent dosing / bead counting advice from the experts here... who've been through the hell, and have spent a lot of time working out the bead counting process and how to use it.

Please, just remember, you can stop what you're doing/how you're doing it at any point and change to what has been suggested to you as safe and prudent.

You have me very, very worried at this point.

#90 DoneWithCrap

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 12:11 PM

FN, with all due respect, if you read what has benn suggested in the past day, 50 beads is as arbitrary as any other suggestion.
First suggestion was to go back to the last level that I was stable at. With all my variables of meds and medical conditions, I have not been "stable" in the past. This is why I decided to discontinue in the first place.
Next suggestion was 20mg. I have been taking less than 20mg for 2 weeks.

I just looked for the list of how many beads I have been taking each day during my taper. I can't find it! I hate this house. Everyone screws with my things. I'm disorganized enough without having people sabbatoge my efforts at getting organized!

I had filled my weekly dispenser with 50 beads/day for the next 6 days. Now that I can't find my taper history, I have taken your advise and added 32 beads for today and 31 to the next 3 days and 30 to the following 2 days. This equals 82 beads today which is slightly more than 15mg

Beads/ Mg
320 / 60
240 / 45
160 / 30
80 / 15
32 / 6

Thank you for you help. I realize that you are investing a lot of yor time helping me sort this thing out and I really do appreciate it.
I just can't help feeling like I'm taking two steps back. Then I remind myself that I took 3 steps forward when I needed to take 1 step at a time.
Thanks for the perspective.



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