Drug Roll

[[sp...]]

Hello.

 

I read somewhere here that polypharmacy led to a more difficult withdrawal.

 

I thought it would be interesting to list the medication I've been prescribed in the last two and a half years.

 

In no particular order:

 

metoclopramide

cyclizine

ondansetron

prochlorperazine

domperidone

mirtazapine

lorazepam

clonazepam

diazepam

midazolam

Fentanyl

co-codamol

trazodone

sertraline

olanzapine

mebeverine

lansoprazole

ranitidine

Peptac

bisacodyl

Movicol

multivitamins, oral and IV

Calogen

amitriptyline

mosapride

erythromycin

Botulinus toxin

zopiclone

and...eight General Anaesthetics with muscle relaxant for ECT.

 

I may have forgotten a few. Before this began I was on no medication at all.

 

spartacus

 

PS I also recently took paracetamol(acetaminophen)for a broken rib but I bought those OTC.

 

 

[Guest [...]]

Great idea for thread. Not sure I can compete though...

 

Lorazepam, Diazepam, Zopiclone, Propranolol, Phenegran, Pregabalin, Setraline, Fluoxetine, Citalopram, Escitalopram, Trazodone, Amitriptyline, Venlafaxine, Mirtazapine.

 

These are the ones I can remember so far.

[[pa...]]

i took xanax, restoril, seroquel, remeron, celexa, and clonazepam.

besides the clonazepam, took the other medications for short time period only.

clonazepam was the last one that i tapered off on 04/11/13.

 

[[sp...]]

Many thanks HM1.

 

I've just edited my post to include the zopiclone I took for nearly a year and then, stupidly, cold-turkeyed during the last bit of my taper.

 

I wouldn't have thought I would forget that.

 

You obviously tried much harder than me to find an antidepressant that worked

 

Take care not pills,

 

spartacus

[[Th...]]

Risperdal, Cogentin, and Klonopin.

 

I've read that taking antipsychotics can actually worsen benzo w/d sxs.

[[2t...]]

Sometimes I read a posting that puzzles me and I wonder what other drugs might have been involved, although I never ask.

 

One reason I take many postings with a grain of salt is that we never have the complete story. There can be a lot of factors - drugs included- that we know nothing about. Sometimes we don't even know a posters age or sex.

[[pa...]]

Risperdal, Cogentin, and Klonopin.

 

I've read that taking antipsychotics can actually worsen benzo w/d sxs.

 

in my case, it was anti-depressants that exploded the anxiety and panic attack at the beginning.(celexa.)

[[Ho...]]

Good thread, I have been on and off at least 16 different meds for 7 years, the longest being trazadone, seroquel, (still on), and clonazepam. Haven't really considered that making the recovery more difficult.

 

Is there any documentation that this is true or have any buddies felt this true for them?

 

2the doc, I agree, would like to know sex and age.

[Guest [...]]

Many thanks HM1.

 

I've just edited my post to include the zopiclone I took for nearly a year and then, stupidly, cold-turkeyed during the last bit of my taper.

 

I wouldn't have thought I would forget that.

 

You obviously tried much harder than me to find an antidepressant that worked

 

Take care not pills,

 

spartacus

 

Yep. Went through the antidepressants. I did have some success eventually. By far the worst was Mirtazipine.

 

You know, when I read your list of medication I assumed you were American for some reason!? I've always thought our Docs were at least a little better when it came to not poly-drugging or handing out benzos/z-drugs. Clearly I was wrong.

 

[[sp...]]

Hello City,

 

Taking atypical antipsychotics can pretty much make anything worse. Olanzapine is a killer.

 

Otherwise, like Pacific, it was an ill-advised antidepressant, mirtazapine, that marked my card. I developed mania and akathisia and needed to be rescued by lorazepam...the rest is somewhat garbled history.

 

spartacus

[[sp...]]

Hello HM,

 

British to the bone...but my psychiatrist was fresh out of Canada.

 

spartacus

[Guest [...]]

Hello HM,

 

British to the bone...but my psychiatrist was fresh out of Canada.

 

spartacus

 

Lol. It was a Canadian that started me on the Ativan and Zopiclone. I was living there at the time.

[[No...]]

Nothing but benzos for the past 4 years, but over the past 25 years:

 

Clomipramine (Anafranil); 3+ years

Fluoxetine (Prozac); ~6 months

Paroxetine (Paxil); ~6 months

Sertraline (Zoloft) ~10 years

Xanax, as needed, months

Ativan, as needed, for years (ct w/out a problem, but I was on Klonopin at the time, duh)

Aripipazole (Abilify) ~6 months ("sub-therapeutic" dosage)

Clonazepam (Klonopin) daily, ~13 years (oh, HELLO)

Trazodone, weeks

Bupropion (Wellbutrin) weeks

Temazepam (Restoril) once

Zolpidem (Ambien) once

Olanzepine (Zyprexa) once

Diazepam (Valium) currently on to taper

 

 

And I'm sure I'm forgetting a few....

 

All of this for OCD (internally disruptive, but inconspicuous enough that no one ever knew about it unless I told them) and insomnia. 

 

 

 

[[Fi...]]

I've been a guinea pig but the drugs I've been on over the years:

 

Paxil

Prozac

Celexa

Effexor

Cymbalta

Luvox

 

Vyvanse

Concerta

Adderall

 

Valium

Ativan

Xanax

Klonopin

 

Abilify

Trileptal

Topamax

Lithium

Inderal

 

Several years ago they had me on a five drug cocktail. I could barely think. I am currently taking Nortriptyline & successfully weaned off Klonopin. I've come a LONG way!!

[[Me...]]

I can't believe the amount of drugs doctors put us on.  No one wonder we feel so messed up, especially since we are so drug sensitive in the first place.

 

5 anti-depressants, 3 anti-psychotics, 2 sleeping pills, 3 benzos, 3 mood stabilizers,  2 sleep aids

[[pa...]]

this is so crazy. i am out of words.

[[Ho...]]

I was on a benzo, 3 antipsychotics, and an AD and they expected me to be bright and bushytailed at 9 AM for out patient. I don't know how I got there everyday, I should be dead!

 

[[Gu...]]

I've avoided psych medications while in benzo tolerance and wd but have taken some form of opiate almost daily. Usually only a small dose of tramadol or codeine. Not addicted though as I can go without. I thought this would be better than psych medications for depression and now I'm down to .5mg of valium and will jump soon.

 

I feel worse than ever physically and mentally however. This may be purely as a result of the wd. Does anyone know whether taking a small dose of opiates as an adjunct to wd could worsen it?

[[Is...]]

Me too as far as a lot of meds.  The best one I have heard lately from the moron dr was that the Valium masked my current sxs.  Never dawned on the dr it was the detox cocktail killing me... OMG

 

Today is day 18 without any perscription meds at all for me..Things are better now I am off the cocktail

[[sp...]]

Hello Gussy,

 

Tramadol is a colourful drug...all the fun of opiates with enough properties similar to SSRIs to tick most side-effect boxes.

 

Withdrawal happens between 12-20 hours, people are routinely advised to take their dose at regular times to avoid this.

 

Tramadol withdrawal is remarkably similar to that of antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

 

You might want to look it up.

 

Take care,

 

spartacus

[[Gu...]]

Hi Spartacus,

                    I hear you about the tramadol. I usually stick to codeine these days when I need some relief as it doesn't have the sx's you mentioned. Tramadol is also too stimulating for those in benzo wd. Is there any downside to taking codeine, tylenol 3 or its Aussie equivilant, during wd if you avoid addiction by not taking it everyday?

 

Its interesting the way that opiates get far worse press than psych meds but the latter seems to be far worse in terms of toxitity and long term damage to both the body and mind. Also psych meds are just as addictive as opiates although their wd syndrome is called, rather euphemistically, a discontinuation syndrome.

 

Why is this?

[[ih...]]

I found about tramadol the hard way.

 

I had to resort to codeine for the extreme stomach pain I got from salmonella & have just tapered off after about one month's use. (Avoid salmonella poisoning, if at all possible  ). Opioids do block glutamate & I did have a glutamate flare up which lasted about a week after the codeine. Hopefully intermittent opioid use would not be a problem.

 

Otherwise I agree that when used responsibly, opioids are much more benign than benzos.

[[Gu...]]

I agree ihope. 1 or 2 panadeine fortes (tylenol 3) every couple of days is the only relief I've been able to find in a bleak year. I'm down to .5mg of valium now and in a dark place. I refuse to try the anti depressants being thrust at me by Dr's despite my deep depression.

 

I can't even take solace in a glass of wine as that makes me worse. Codeine is all I can tolerate. Many people, however, find even responsible use of opiates during wd as morally repugnant yet seem to have no problem with those using even more toxic drugs to mitigate benzo wd like olanzapine, etc. Also opiates get vilified far more in general than benzo's yet we all know that even a raging heroin addiction is a walk in the park compared to benzo wd.

 

I don't understand the double standard.

[Guest [Be...]]

Here's mine with the complements of my GP supposed to have a specialism in psychiatric drugs......

 

 

Nitrazepam

Temazepam

Zopiclone

Diazepam

Lyrica

Cymbalta

Nortriptyline

Ativan

Librium

Buspirone

Melatonin (still take tiny amount of this)

Propranolol

Phenergan

 

and for the pain, Ibuprofen

 

Others I can't remember from long ago but these are since my tolerance withdrawal which started over two years ago.

 

No wonder I'm a f******* mess! 

 

 

Oops I forgot the Lithium his final blow but never taken!

 

 

[[ih...]]

He certainly got the prescribing part down pat, Beth. I hope you get some relief soon.