New Meds... Please help!

[bipolarbear]

Long story short, in late September I learned that my new insurance would not cover Klonapen (I know that is not spelled correctly, sorry.) So, feeling good, adn knowing some new ways to help with Anxiety, I told my Beloved I was going to stop taking it... After all, I felt fine, right??? Well, after three weeks, I went down hill fast, doign things I had never ever done befor, lashibng out at my Beloved, adn i was loosing the line between the wars in my head and reality... My Beloved stayed right by my side. When we got home from a family trip to another state, I called my doctor at the advice of my Beloved and was told to take half of it and made an apt to see my family doc. So the thing is, I also have a new P doc. I don't trust her,a dn i don't really like her. However, she is almost litreally my only option of Pdocs with my insurance. She told me last week to go back to my full dosage of the med. I have, adn I am having really bad memory issues, the shaknig has almost stopped though. She prescribed Adivan to replace my med, and said she wanted to see me twice a week for the next two weeks. She wanted to moniter the transition. Then she told me realisticly, I was goign to see her in 8 Weeks, adn I pretty much had to do this on my own... Seriously! She can't fit the needed visits into her schedule... (taking a moment to be irritated all over again...) I am so tired when it is time to get up. it is so hard to wake up since I went back to my full dosage. I ahve Not switched out the two meds yet, and I am very unsure about that! Any Advice? Anyone been on either of these two meds? Preferably the new one? Sorry for all teh poor spelling... At least I am asking for help! I don't know... There is a lot going on, and I don't want to get into all taht right now. I just would like to have an idea of what to expect. I am currently taking two 0.5 mg tabs twice daily, am & pm. Then I will be switched to four of the new stuff that is not supposed to last as long, (and dosen't equal the sam ammount per tab as the old stuff. So why trade out four tabs for a diffrent med of 4 tabs when the dosages are diffrent per tab between teh two meds???) adn my Doc told me to "Play with" the times of day I would neeed to take it, then she prescribed another two (total of 6) if I need to work those in as well???? HELP!!!!!!! I have a crazy lady for a Pdoc!!!! AAAHHHHHH!!! sigh, I don't feel better, oh well.... thanks for listening...

 

[FragileWinter]

I'm sorry for what you're going through. I don't have any advice. I think this is one of those situations where it's better to listen, give support, and pray so I'm praying for you.

 

[bipolarbear]

I'm sorry for what you're going through. I don't have any advice. I think this is one of those situations where it's better to listen, give support, and pray so I'm praying for you.

Thank you! I am sure I could use prayer right now.

 

[FragileWinter]

Thank you! I am sure I could use prayer right now.

You're welcome. Anytime. How are you feeling now?

 

[bipolarbear]

You're welcome. Anytime. How are you feeling now?

It's kinda hard to explain... I just took my meds a bit ago, and my feelings are kinda upsidedown right now... I just cannot put my finger on it. I was crying earlier, I guess I needed to... I feel like I acomplished things today, however I keep feeling negativly about it, like I cleand up one area, but made a mess in another... anyway, I am going to scoot. thanks so much for asking!

 

[FragileWinter]

It's kinda hard to explain... I just took my meds a bit ago, and my feelings are kinda upsidedown right now... I just cannot put my finger on it. I was crying earlier, I guess I needed to... I feel like I acomplished things today, however I keep feeling negativly about it, like I cleand up one area, but made a mess in another... anyway, I am going to scoot. thanks so much for asking!

You're welcome and it's good to hear things are going a little better. I pray tomorrow brings you a better day.

 

[madison1101]

I hear a lot of fear and distrust in your post. It makes sense if you had not been on your med for a while. This is where I advise people to stick with what they KNOW to be TRUTH. Being as I used to always act on my feelings, I have to stick with TRUTH at times like this.

Your doctor may not be the best person, in your opinion, but she must be qualified to practice psychiatry, or she would not be licensed, or covered by your insurance. Therefore, personality issues aside, you more than likely can trust her concerning your medication management.

If she suggested you play with the times you take it, she must know that the medication in question is going to have side effects that may have to be worked around, and therefore, YOU are the best person to decide when it is best to take it, given your personal schedule. My pdoc gives me wiggle room with the times, and even the dosage to a point on one of my meds.

Transitioning from one medication to another is stressful, as the side effects can be strange and take time to adjust to. If you find the new medication is not working out, or that the side effects are too difficult to take, then call her and ask over the phone for help. I do that with my doc when I can't handle my meds, and he helps me then and there, or figures out how to get me in his schedule.

Those are some of the truths I use on myself, as well as the patients I work with at a psychiatric hospital in group therapy sessions I conduct.

I also use and teach coping skills like deep breathing exercises, meditations and even visualizations. When my body cooperates, I use physical exercise as well.

When the stuff gets really challenging, I meditate on scriptures, like Philippians 4, think on pure things passage. I also will read and reread Psalm 139.

Hang in there.

Trish

 

[DoubtingThomas29]

Hang in there Bipolar Bear and work with your psychiatrist to get level!

 

[Alive again]

bp bear, feel free to pm or email me. I have been on both meds, use ativan a lot for my pts right now. Anyways, just don't want to post all of it in open forum. Both meds are related (from the same class of meds).

 

[Soulwings]

I've been on both. Klonopin worked for me a lot better than Ativan (I'm on Klonopin now, again, after being switched to Ativan for a few months), but if you have that much extra to "play around with" then that is a wise idea. It works for about 3 hours, all told, and I would advise you to take it at scheduled times throughout the day (scheduled by you) because there can be "rebound anxiety," where the anxiety comes back worse than before - so if you wait until you are extremely anxious and take it, you'll feel better but will have to take another 3 hours later to combat the rebound. It really sucks that your insurance doesn't cover Klonopin, but Ativan can work just as well, provided you can figure out your "anxiety rhythms" or whatever you want to call them. But don't use all six unless you absolutely have to, because it is more addictive than Klonopin is. They are both in the same family, as Laurie said - benzodiazepines - so don't fret too much about them. I hope what I said doesn't cause more anxiety. :-S

In any case, best of luck, and are you on any other meds for anxiety? I'm also on Neurontin (gabapentin) which is also generic, and it tempers the anxiety between the times I take my Klonopin. I would ask about that one, or other backup ones that you know your insurance will cover.

I'm here if you need to talk.

EDIT - oh, and Ativan works faster than Klonopin, so it is also good in emergency situations. Just thought I'd put that out there.

 

[bipolarbear]

Thank you everyone for your responses! Just to clarify, I did not go completely off all my meds, just the one, because of teh insurance issue. (Unfortunately is didn't help that I was "feeling Better" because it mede the choice seem more logical.) I am not the kind of person who would say, ok, I am just not going to take my meds anymore. I would be lying if I said I have not thought about it though, who hasen't? I think I am going to make the transition next week after the kiddies go back to school, so I will have three days at home, then the weekend for my Beloved to help me. My Pdoc told me I had to wait 6 hours min before taking another dosage, but that I could take more than one at a time. madison1101, I agree, looking at truth is best rather than emotions. Wow, that one will be hard to train myself to do. I have been working on Philippians 4:8 lately ,so it was so neat that you suggested that area of the Bible! The first line is "finally brothers what ever is true,..." I feel a bit better, thanks to my Beloved's and your support! Sometimes just talking and sharing really helps... I have my regular Tdoc apt this morning. I will have to take my son "Elmo" with as his preschool is out for the holiday. I have the Nintendo DS charging. Wrong, I know, But he will only play for a short while, adn I know he will still interupt anyway, so I just have to deal with it! It is still very hard to get up in the morning since I went back to a full dosage of my med. I tried really hard this morning, adn I think I did much better than yesterday. I have been very productive this morning, working on my paperwork, adn getting the post ready for teh post man. Alive, I will PM you. I am not sure if it will be this week or next week, because of the holiday and teh kiddies being home. Thank you for the offer. Well, I still have lots to get done, though I am taking it one small step at a time! Everyone thank you again for your advice, encouragment, thoughtfullness, and most importantly, prayer! God Bless!

 

[EbonNelumbo]

I'm here if you want to chat. I am so sorry for your medication musical chair, I know the feeling.

 

[madison1101]

I am so glad you are able to make the transition go as well as you are. I also am glad that you understand what I was talking about concerning Truth. Believe me, I did not learn it overnight, but I do know that it helped to have my friend remind me on a regular basis.

One of the things that helps me remember is to write on a journal each day, near the end of the day, and just "Check in" with God. Kind of like a Daily Self-Assessment. It helps me check on how I am behaving with respect to my symptomology and medication. It also helps me because I can discuss things in therapy more clearly, and get a lot more work done.

I forgot to mention in my first post that I had been on Klonopin once. It was a brief time, right after I was hospitalized years ago. I don't take it because it is not recommended that alcholics or addicts be prescribed it due to its addictive nature. It comes from a class of drugs that are forbidden by rehabs. I have been in AA for nineteen years, and have a terrific pdoc who understands the alcoholics' restrictions concerning medications.

Take care.
Trish

 

[Leonard]

Dear one: May the Lord touch and heal you. +

 

[lemonflavor]

I get my Klonopin through rxoutreach.com. Ativan is available through them also. You can buy through them in the USA (I'm not sure if that's where you are) and your income is below a certain level.

I've used both and they both work the same except Ativan has a shorter half life. In my experience it needs to be taken three times a day.

Ask your doctor, but 1mg Ativan is about like .5mg Klonopin. You can get 2mg Ativan tabs and divide them. Doctors always think you can get .5mg tabs and take however many you need each day when they're not sensitive to cost issues some of us have. I've gotten skilled at dividing tabs into quarters when necessary.

Also, the benzodiazepenes (sp?) or benzos (Klonopin, Ativan etc.) are some of the most difficult to come off of. I would never go off these without a very gradual taper. For me it needs to be much much more gradual than a doctor would ever advise otherwise I have bad withdrawal.

I hope I didn't say too much without being a doctor. Always ask them about this stuff. ! This is why Alive again only speaks privately about these things.

 

[bipolarbear]

I get my Klonopin through rxoutreach.com. Ativan is available through them also. You can buy through them in the USA (I'm not sure if that's where you are) and your income is below a certain level.

I've used both and they both work the same except Ativan has a shorter half life. In my experience it needs to be taken three times a day.

Ask your doctor, but 1mg Ativan is about like .5mg Klonopin. You can get 2mg Ativan tabs and divide them. Doctors always think you can get .5mg tabs and take however many you need each day when they're not sensitive to cost issues some of us have. I've gotten skilled at dividing tabs into quarters when necessary.

Also, the benzodiazepenes (sp?) or benzos (Klonopin, Ativan etc.) are some of the most difficult to come off of. I would never go off these without a very gradual taper. For me it needs to be much much more gradual than a doctor would ever advise otherwise I have bad withdrawal.

I hope I didn't say too much without being a doctor. Always ask them about this stuff. ! This is why Alive again only speaks privately about these things.

Thanks so very much for posting! I really apprecieate the ingormation! I did learn teh hard way about how addictive Klonopin is... I literally just stopped taking it , and each day got worse! Of corse, i didn't know what was going on, but my Beloved helped me with that! I plan on switching them out, starting with one am, adn i pm, adn see if I need to ad a third one in teh afternoon. If that is not enough, then i will go with half tabs extra at am and or Pm, until I get it figured out! Sigh... I just have to do it and get it over with! I do have a question, on the klonopin, I have memory loss, and shaking. have you experienced this before? thanks again so very much!

 

[lemonflavor]

I don't seem to have experienced memory loss on Klonopin or Ativan. I've been taking benzos for quite a few years. I know that many claim it does cause memory loss.

I have a pretty good gauge for this because of memorizing Scripture and reviewing what I've already memorized to retain it. There is one other drug I take that knocked my memory down a couple notches. Always a trade off.

 

[bipolarbear]

It's day # 2 of my new meds. Yesterday was well, we won't go there, sigh... I feel odd, like off a bit. I think this seems to be working a bit better than the Klonopin except when it wears off! I am going to take the afternoon dosage today. I didn't yesterday. oopse.... I wantd to see if I could go with out it. Oh well. anyway, I really don't feel like typing and I am ever so very lonely... I will check in another time...

Bipolarbear

 

[Alive again]

Hugs and prayers!!!

 

[bipolarbear]

Hello again, it's me Bipolarbear...

Just checking in. I have found what seems to work for me two tabs, three times per day. (Total 6 tabs) I think I like this med better! My shaking has mostly stopped. Unfortunately, my memeory issues are not getting better, rather a bit worse. Oh well, maybe teh Lord willl take away teh bad memories first! Anyway, still around... Have a blessed day!