sudden allergic type reaction after switching back from Risperdal to Seroquel

I have been taking Seroquel for a long time. I was trying to switch over to Risperdal to get up to 6mg. so that I could receive the injectible form of it because I am too dissociative with so much stress in my life and suffering from severe depression for so long...I am bipolar type mixed...this is that I become manic and depressed at the same time, which is not something I can ever wrap my mind around. So, after experiencing bad symptoms the first two days on very low doses of Risperdal, I waited 24 hours and resumed the Seroquel. For the first time in a long time yesterday and the night before, I remembered to take a higher dose as has been wanted. I was taking it approx. every 3 hours with longer periods inbetween. In a 24 hour period, I took approx. 400-450mg. My doctors have wanted me to take between 600-800mg. to bring things under control and to stablize me. Well, after a long day out with my husband for the first time in a long time because it has gotten to the point where I don't want to leave my home or have any contact with anyone other than him and my cousin and my doctors. And I have become paranoid that my private psychiatrist who I receive therapy from and have for over 21 years, I have developed thoughts and my insiders..I have DID...have been telling me that he hates my guts too. I have heard from alot of people who are supposed to love you in life, but don't, that I was the reason my husband who is 51 years old had a heart attack in Jan. of this year and that I am going to put him "in his grave" because I have so many medical problems and mental illness that he worries, so it is my fault that he had his heart attack according to these "loving" people.  So, for survival mode, which I have been in for 2 years and it has gotten severe and I have been trying to help myself in all ways possible and to keep myself safe, I have now withdrawn from the outside world. But he and I spent Memorial Day looking at major appliances that we will need to purchase in the near future and saw what we wanted. We had breakfast, which made me feel ill because I have stomach issues also, and then as we were out shopping, I became sweaty and very fatigued and felt like passing out. I assume that this was because I have been experiencing unexplained anemia. We got home around 5:00pm, and I took another Seroquel and laid down. I slept until 7:30pm. When I woke up, my face, hands, and legs were numb and tingly and stiff, but in addition to that, I felt my throat constricting, which is something I have had in the past with other health issues and I have to take two max. doses of Benedryl and have an epi-pen in case those fail. I also felt as if my tongue was a foreign object in my mouth even though it was not swollen. Within an hour, almost all symptoms had reversed themselves and I was okay. This morning, I got only a couple of hours of sleep after 4:30am. I again woke with some slight numbness and tingling in my face, but with a bad headache, facial and muscle pain and a strange metalic taste in my mouth. It is gone now about 5 hours later. I am upset because I not only took Risperdal in the past with no problem and now it is a problem, but have been taking low doses of Seroquel for a long time with no problem, but have not taken a higher dose for at least a year and now find that I may be allergic to it also or have a complication to anti-psychotics that I don't yet know about. Finding help with those questions regarding the emergency situation that appeared to be allergic reaction on a weekend is impossible and my  private psychiatrist who has an urgent number to get ahold of him does not return my calls any longer.  That only helps my paranoid thoughts that he too hates me so much when he is probably setting boundaries with me, but in an emergency situation, I would have thought that he would have responded. I won't go to the ER. They have made my life hell for the past 2 years in ignoring health issues that got severe many times and at times were life threatening, and all they did was view my history in their computer system and labeled me a psych case and did not treat most of my emergencies, which included leg paralysis last summer. I have some good doctors who kept telling me that my symptoms could not possibly be caused by my mental health issues. I could not make my body do what it was doing. I knew that, but fighting a health system that has doctors who did not understand my complicated health history and have their own small comfort zone and could not figure out what exactly was wrong, just dismissed everything as psych related. I finally have gotten some answers for some of the medical issues going on after fighting tooth and nail for 2 years and they are not reversible at all. I have to adapt, and that is largely not being able to do much of anything but lie down most days and rest alot. The issues still undiagnosed...like the sudden onset of unexplained anemia starting in March....have not yet been figured out. This has worsened my depression and I now feel so hopeless because I have so many reactions to many different medications now that are probably a large part due to an immune difficency disease and other health problems, and now I feel as if there is no treatment available to help me with my depression and with my paranoia and dissociation issues, ect. I feel flat out hopeless. And so tired of fighting to get better in all ways. And not being able to speak to even my husband about my struggles. Yeah, yesterday I simply had to tell him if the Benedryl did not reverse the throat constriction and I stopped breathing, he was to use my epi-pen, which because of all of the drug allergies I have could make me worse, but when you stop breathing, gee, what could be worse?? But I am fortunate so far that two maximum dosages have been successful in reversing these type of allergic symptoms in the past and present. But I am out of ideas and out of hope and just feel done with trying....like my life was simply meant to be away from all people and I have questioned whether to even continue my medical treatments and care that keep me alive. I am 48 years old, and I have an identical twin sister who has many of the same illnesses and others as well. I have been on disability for 20 years now. And I am asking myself if it is simply time to give up on all care and let myself die and be out of everyone else's misery and my own. I am too tired to keep up this fight for any treatment that is marginally helpful and I still live a very sick life and a very depressed and panic ridden life with all kinds of other issues. Sorry this is so long. The story of my entire life is long. And I am done with fighting to try to get any better. It has not helped and I just am out of answers or options. The doors seem all slammed in my face. And they are not doors I can open again. How do others keep going with these odds and these lack of ability to receive treatments to help me?  Has anyone faced these same types of issues and what was the next step or are there any  more left? I keep praying to God and asking him to get me the right help and medication and support, but God must be saying no or not yet. At this point, I think I will donate my body to science after I die so that if there is someone else out there who has so many darn issues and failures, maybe something will be learned to help them. I don't feel there is any hope left for me now. graceinGod.

[doctora]

Hi;

Strange I came across your posting. I had been considering getting off Seroquel and take Risperol, which as I understand is Meletonin. I take 600mg of Seroquel per day, and with taking the Seroquel, along with the list of other medications I gained over 40lbs. I was trying to find something that I could take without the weight gain, and of course side effects are always different, I even get side effects from medication that I have been on for a while.
I have been diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder, Bi polar I, PTSD, and many more, check out my bio, its to long to type out. I am 47 yrs old, and I too am having family issues. My husband who I have been married to for 26yrs, and living together 30yrs knows of my illness as well as having severe osteoporosis, I know he is in bad health, and its because like you, I dont go out unless I am going to the Dr's and when I do go out I have to take medication so I dont freak out, I also suffer from extreme anxiety.
I am also on disability, actually I was on and most my life because of my denial, but now I am just trying to get through a day. I too am getting friction from relatives who dont understand, I have also had side effects such as having a grand mal seizure, and dying, until my husband found me, and punched my back and chest until I took a breath, but with that came the discovery of the osteoporosis, and 5 broken vertibrae, which the hospital didnt notice when I was admitted and I had to function for a month with a broken back until they took xrays, MRI's.
Ask me any questions you may have, I truly think I can relate to you. I sometimes cant get on line but be sure I will respond.
One big thing I would say is dont take ANY over the counter meds, or holistic meds, because they do not mix with any psyc meds.
I am trying to keep this short - but like you I could write a novel, I just dont have the patience.....and also like you, I wonder is this the future for me?
Look forward to hearing from you.

Chenoa

[doctora]

BTW - I checked out the drug information with the Risperol, and it does not mix with many other medications, so I think this idea of me switching to Risperol is out of the question.
Check under drugs for the Risperol and Im sure you will find that it could be very possible there is a conflict...I would suggest to do the same for Seroquel, some of the symptoms you had, like metal taste would go away with the use, but even to this day, I have balance and speach problems from the Seroquel.
I have even been accused of being impaired by my family, but I know and my Dr knows so I have gotten to the point of constantly debating if I should continue on my meds.
I dont know if you smoke, but if you do, do not take Champix, I had a severe reaction with the mix.

Chenoa

[graceinGod]

Hi, I did not read you bio yet...have a horrendous headache and bad abdominal pain plus just feel like hell.  I read your comments and thought maybe you were more of a twin than the twin sister I have, although she has many illness much the same as mine too. I too have been told I have schizoaffective disorder, biploar mixed, PTSD with dissociation, panic, and DID, OCD, and a whole host of other things. And I only am taking Benedryl with back to the Risperdal...doctors suggests 1/2mg. for God know how long along with 25mg. of Benedryl until I adjust to my allergic reactions...yeah, I am REALLY holding out hope at this point...hahaha. I feel done with medical care, with psych care, with life in general. No, I won't end my life. I will continue to pray that I just simply die..it won't be in my sleep because I don't sleep a whole lot any longer..actually, can't say I ever have unless I am drugged out for a test or in the ER for horrible pain and some really nice doctor..rare...decideds to drug the heck out me with a ton of Morphine...coulda kissed the last one for that...still had the pain, but was too loopy to care. My husband actually thought I was manic...I told him no, just flying high. He got pissed and went to the truck to sleep...yeah, right.  But even though I know that his own health is hard on him now...and that I do try to enourage him and support him in his own depression..gee, he hasn't ever had lifetime severe episode of depression like I have...but I try, but I get anger from him. And yeah, I am tired of the only people I see being all doctors who some seem to be getting as hopeless as I am...well, they lasted longer than I did. And yeah, I know about Chantix. I did take it twice and it actually was really effective, but yes, I did lose my sanity with it both times...in fact, the lady at 1-800-no-butts had a fit talking to me about being a psych case on Chantix. She told me that my doctors should have NEVER put a psych case on that drug.  Figured that out on my own actually. And Risperdal is not Metolonin...??...natural sleeping med, right? No, it is an atypical anti-psychotic just as Seroquel is. By the way, if you do have restless leg syndrome with Seroquel or Risperdal, I take Mirapex in the generic form that makes like livable with restless legs. But I do take many other medications to treat many health issues....not a choice, although I may make it one to stop all medical treatment....and I used to take Risperdal and Seroquel with no added side effect...I tolerated them pretty well.  Not anymore. Same story..different day. I become allergic to another med each and every year also it seems.  I wish you well. I know all too well how it is to feel so sick and also feel so depressed and to not feel better with medical or psych intervention at all. And to wonder why I keep trying it. Like I said, I am not holding out hope any longer....it just sets me up to freak out and get even more upset. If it works, gee, it would be a first. If it doesn't, I won't be disappointed yet again. I am going to accept your friend request..hey we don't even have to leave the house for that. Thanks so much for your support and also just knowing exactly where I am at. I'm sorry though that you too have to experience this. graceinGod

[graceinGod]

I apologize for not responding to replies...I have been very ill with multiple issues and fever and depression adding the the whole nightmare. I am simply not well enough to be up long enough. So, when I can post or reply further, I will. At this point, don't know when that will be. am dealing with too many uncertain types of illnesses right now, and just trying to rest. Thanks. graceinGod

[nichabua]

Hi,
I just now read your post. I found it by typing in on my search engine Bing
" What is a maximum safe dosage of Risperdone?" . I read your post and I am hoping you are doing okay. Just be careful with those medicines. Some of them do contribute to suicides. If you start having any thoughts of suicide then please contact your doctor immediately. He probably needs to switch your meds. Also if you feel like the doctor you have isn't very concerned about your health. Then ask for your medical records and take your business somewhere else. I hope my advise helps.
May God Bless You.

[Anneinside]

As I read two of your entries I was concerned by the disjointed thoughts and content of some of your writing. I believe you need to print out what you have written and take it to your psychiatrist. You probably do need a med adjustment.