bp meds???

[jimgreg]

i been on 2 bp meds  in the last 3 yrs..had troubles with both of them..the serquil was on for 2 yrs was a good med all around till it made my heart rate rocket..then was on lithiem 300 mgs twice aday  then went to 900 mgs cuz the 600 mgs wasent getting me down..then in 1 month my serum levels went toxic it  was 3..toxic level has everyone knows is 1.2..was in icu  for 3 days..i had a very bad experience on it!!!!!!!!!!   belive me...so this is making me very afaid  of trying anything else!!!!!!!!  but im going to have to take something  for this sooner or later....most of the meds that i see that are online or were ever..they have so many bad side affects  to them,,thats enough to make me think  about whats already happend to me......THANKS JAMES....

[irishwriter]

hi james, did i read on another post that you have difficulty where you live even seeing a doc? lamictal seems to be a good alternative to lithium, have just started it because lithium (along with all the other millions of drugs i've been through over the last thirty years!) was of no help at all. have had no side effects yet and am up to 75mg (starting dose is 25 for one to two weeks and then 50 and so on) pdoc tells me 400 is what he thinks i need. so i hope it works for me. i hope you manage to either get a pdoc or advice from one. and please don't feel isolated. we are all here to help in whatever way we can. i know it is disheartening when meds don't work out but if we keep trying maybe we'll find the right ones that work for us.

[jimgreg]

thanks all of you    james

[aadel]

You've had some very nasty experiences,and I don't blame you for being gunshy.  Here is one thought you might consider:

If one med doesn't agree with you at the required dosage, one can lower the dosage and then augment this med with another.  Example: reduce Lithium to 300 or 600 and augment with Lamictal.  Or, as jst4shanell suggests, substitute Lamictal for Lihium.  (If this is what your doc recommends, you should probably remain on a lowered lithium dose until the Lamictal kicks in.  (Lamictal needs to be ramped up very very slowly, and you do need some protection against mood swings while that is happening.)

At any rate, I don't want to play doctor here;  just to show that there are many possible combos.

All the best




  



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[jst4shanell]

I very recently got out of the hospital for a 4 toxicity.  We just upped the dose from 900mg to 1200mg.  That's all she wrote.  It sucked.  I couldn't walk or see or anything.  

Don't be afraid to try meds out.  I know it ***** but you have to.  You can also get back on Lithium believe it or not, just not at those high doses.  I am trying a variety of meds right now.  It really ***** but you have to do what you have to do.  I have an excellent Pdoc that works with me to get my meds figured out.  There are a lot of medications out there that do not have major side effects and are safe.  Lamictal is a great option.  I never had a single side effect with it.  Been on it for a long time.  For me it's not 100% effective so I have to be on others as well.  If you want to talk about the Lithium thing, let me know.  It was only a few weeks ago for me and it's still very fresh in my mind.  I told my pdoc it has thrown me for a loop.  I'm afraid.  We have to work through that and trust our doctors.  It doesn't even sound like you have a pdoc right now.  Don't let it go and get yourself into trouble.  We all know what that's like.  Good luck.  Keep talkin.

[Boise Idaho]

The number one important thing . . .
Do you like your doctor/psychiatrist?  Have you been with the same one since the beginning?
Ask yourself how you are feeling and if you have been making progress in managing your illness . . . are you seeing a GP or a psychiatrist?  
I have been on a lot of meds . . . and I am with a 3rd doctor.
The first two were very nice, but I was on so many meds and so many ups and downs.
Finally, I was able to get into a great doctor.   I am feeling so much better - the best I have felt in three long years & it is still a struggle.
You sure have had some very serious reactions to your meds, wow.
Keep track of every med you have been on and the reactions.
You need to trust who ever you are working with!
Good luck with your meds!