RonBurgundy Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Basically, I was on Zyprexa and Celexa for about 12 years... had to go off Zyprexa which was working because of massive weight gain. 2 and a half Years ago I went on Saphris which made me suicidal and manic after taking it (kicking my legs, etc.) I still could sleep on it so I continued to take it... basically it was a nightmare... a year or two ago I got off Celexa and a few months ago I got off Saphris after a few years... Then took Seroquel for a week or two and got akathesia BAD for a week or two plus heart palpitations. I was prescribed Klonopin and Proponolol. I barely used Proponolol because it made me nauseous. I was taking about 1mg a day of Klonopin for a few weeks, then down to 0.75, then 0.5, then like 0.375, now I am taking 0.25 a day (0.125MG twice a day) It is very hard to tell if I have interdose withdrawal... I don't know if I want to increase or lower the dosage... I have now been taking Klonopin for about 2 months and feel I might be addicted.... Basically the last 3 days I have felt very suicidal... out of the blue, before that, I felt pretty ok on and off for about a month... I am sleeping like 5 hours a night, nauseous, achy, backache, depressed, anxious, paranoid, don't want to leave the house... I am thinking of going back on Saphris even though it made me suicidal/manic because I am in just as bad shape now without it. I would really prefer not to go back on Saphris but I tried 5 or 6 other medications and had horrible reactions to all of them. Zyprexa was the only one I reacted well to... since I stopped taking it, nothing else has worked. I don't know if I should taper down from Klonopin? (I got a teva brand I think which now my freaking pharmacy decides not to carry anymore-thanks a lot!!!!!) I tried the other generic brand they gave me which I had a horrible reaction to. I may not be able to find the right generic Klonopin brand anyway after my supply runs out in about 5 months... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooster Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 It's very unlikely that you have an addiction. Addiction is when you need to use the drug for psychological purposes that are not related to the reason it was prescribed to you. You might be thinking of physical tolerance, where your body gets used to the medication. That's not addiction. You don't specify how long your tapers have been and whether or not you're doing the taper on the advice of the person who prescribed the medication. Is it possible that the symptoms you are having are because your MI is not being adequately treated right now, and less about the klonipin? Or because you aren't taking as much klonipin as you need to prevent the symptoms it was prescribed for? Your questions sound pretty specifically detailed, and unfortunately we can't give medical advice here. It sounds like talking to your doc would be the best bet to see what's going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonBurgundy Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 Right, probably physical tolerance is the real term... No, not with the advice of my phychiatrist... he wanted to me continue on the Seroquel, which I reacted horribly to, (although I know it helps some people) at a high dose, and also wanted me on Klonopin 1mg 2x a day... As far as tapering, I basically took 0.5mg twice a day for around a week, then realizing this was too high a dose. For the next probably week or so, I took Klonopin 0.25mg a day 3 times a day. I then went down to 0.5 a day... then 0.375 a day over the course of about another couple weeks... I am not on 0.125MG twice a day. The problem is that I am using Teva generic version which I reacted better to than the other B.S. generic they gave me that I had a horrible reaction to. I am using 1.0 MG pills and cutting them into eighths is extremely difficult and I am not always accurate. Basically, I kinda feel doped up from the Klonopin at times even at this low a dose... at the same time, my anxiety is very high. I am also off anti-depressants and anti-phychotics completely for only the last couple of months after over 15 years of continual use. I have nothing to replace the Saphris with, but that was making me suicidal/manic until it wore off the next day... I am getting increasingly paranoid, but I chose to deal with those thoughts rather than suicidal ideation from the Saphris (Saphris may work for some people, in my case it didn't) I am afraid to introduce a new medication to my system which is already somewhat in shock...I have had bad side effects from almost new one's all I tried through the years (95% or more). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooster Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Because we are a pro-treatment site, it seems appropriate to encourage you to work with your care team to find solutions instead of doing things on your own. There's a reason prescription meds require a medical doctor to get access. We can unknowingly and unwittingly do things to mess ourselves up when we try to do it alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonBurgundy Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 OK thanks, I just think my psych wanted me on more prescriptions and higher doses and didn't take me seriously when I explained side effects of suicidal ideation, mania, depression... he would say, "there is no reason you should be feeling this way" and then would say, maybe you should take a HIGHER dose... when the higher doses were what was effectively making me worse... My point is that finding the right medication is not enough, you have to find the correct dose for you, because it can effect you way differently on higher doses than lower... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 If I had a pdoc who discounted what I told him/her, such as feeling certain side effects and them saying "there is no way you should be feeling this way," I would find another pdoc (personally). It doesn't sound like your pdoc is really listening to you and taking you seriously, IMO. People experience all kinds of side effects, even if not listed on the Patient information sheet (or whatever), and for a pdoc to only go by what is written isn't right. But that is my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonBurgundy Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 OK thank you, I basically want more Klonopin now, I am taking 0.375mg a day more or less (I am cutting 1mg pills so hard to tell exactly) so 1.25MG 3 times a day... Still not sure about trying to go back on Zyprexa, I gained 100 pounds on it... then lost 50 pounds after going off it, I felt so stable on it though... Getting off Zyprexa tapering down took 9 months to a year, it was torture, if I start it again, may eventually have to go through all the withdrawal symptoms again. I may as well stay with that psych, the problem is the secretary is a pain in the a*s and the office is all ghetto patients plus I have to wait an hour every time I go. Another problem is the Clonozipam I want is 1MG Teva generic brand, my damn pharmacy no longer carries it so I guess I have to go to another pharmacy. They have another generic brand of Clonozipam now which I reacted horribly to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I may as well stay with that psych, the problem is the secretary is a pain in the a*s and the office is all ghetto patients plus I have to wait an hour every time I go. What are "ghetto patients?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonBurgundy Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 I may as well stay with that psych, the problem is the secretary is a pain in the a*s and the office is all ghetto patients plus I have to wait an hour every time I go. What are "ghetto patients?" My point in making this topic was not to get into a political debate.... but to answer your question, "ghetto patients" are generally poor and inner city, which I am sympathetic towards, and really have no problems with...at the same time I don't want to deal with hostility from these patients who are sitting next to me when I wait, as well as give me dirty looks and bad vibes every time I go in... the office is also very cramped and I have to wait about an hour in the waiting room every appointment... and he only sees me for about 5 minutes tops......compared to when I saw someone privately years ago, this whole office experience has just become a nightmare... To get back on topic, I am now taking Klonopin for the last 2 weeks about 0.25 a day (0.125 two or sometimes three times a day) some days, I feel great, other days, I do the same exact thing and either have panic attacks and anxiety attacks... one thing I am noticing lately is I have been walking very unsteady over the past month or two... never been this bad.... Somehow, the last 2 or 3 days overall I have felt pretty stable... Should I try going back on Zyprexa? I was taking 15MG once a day and the last year or so I gained I think 50 pounds... if I take 2.5MG would I possibly not gain weight? I know Zyprexa helped me in the past... I could also stay on just Klonopin but I don't know if it makes sense long-term, even at 0.25MG a day... My appointment is in an hour, any advice? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 If you know the zyprexa helped you in the past, my advice would be to give the lower dose a try. If you find you can't tolerate it you can always not take it again. But I would work with your pdoc when going on and off meds (ie if they don't work and you decide to go off them). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonBurgundy Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 Ok thanks, unbelievably, my anxiety has been so much less the last 3 or 4 days, I actually took a nap during the day which I honestly had not done in probably mor than 10 years really... Still scared to go back on even a small dose of Zyprexa because of weight gain and also how addictive Zyprexa is, the last time I went off tapering down was hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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