Hi.. first post, CPTSD and medication switchup.

Hi everybody

I don't really know where to begin. I lurked here a bit and am going through a hard time with med changes, so decided to post.

I was on escitalopram for a long time for anxiety and it was really helpful. Then this past year I was diagnosed with CPTSD and have been doing EMDR therapy, which has been so hard on me. It's been helpful but wow, unearthing a lot. The escit. just hasn't been cutting it, have been really depressed, have had lots of nightmares, and anxiety got worse again. I have been on leave from work for 6 weeks.

I started seeing a psych. APRN. First we tried prazosin for nightmares/sleep. It lowered my BP too much and I fainted and threw up for an hour after getting up in the morning. Pass. Then we changed to 0.1 mg clonidine at night. I started that but only took half a pill and it's been okay for the first two days but I am really tired during the day even with taking them at bedtime.

I still feel really depressed. APRN told me to up the escit to 30 mg which was a little weird to me. I thought 20 mg was the most. I tried it, it didn't help anyway and I was super irritable. I told my PCP who also thought it was strange.

Now APRN prescribed wellbutrin extended release to supplement the depression while coming back to 20 mg on escit. I am REALLY nervous because apparently it lowers the seizure threshold and I had 3-4 fever seizures as a kid. APRN was not concerned about that but I have it in my head that this is not safe for me. I am picturing the worst (seizure while driving with my daughter in the car, etc). I have the bottle but am too scared to take it. I have messaged her a few times asking if we could try a different thing but she has not responded.

I am so tired of this process. Has anybody taken wellbutrin/bupropion before? I just want something to work that also won't scare me or increase my risk of seizures. I have to go back to work in 2 1/2 weeks and I just want to get this right before that. I hate feeling this depressed. Anxiety was always my issue for so long and the escit helped so much until this year. This CPTSD has wrecked havoc on my life, my mood, my relationship. I am just fed up ....

I met with my therapist last night and we weighed the pros and cons.. is the anxiety the med will cause going to outweigh the benefit when there are lots of options out there.. I might just tell the APRN I’m not comfortable when we meet next.

It seems like the PTSD subforum is pretty quiet. That's okay. Maybe this info will be useful to somebody else at some point.

I was supposed to be meeting with the APRN last week to talk about the wellbutrin more but she canceled last minute. We are meeting tomorrow. I haven't taken it and am just going to ask for something without the seizure risk. I also don't want something that is going to make me more anxious possibly.

I upped to 0.1 mg of clonidine at bedtime and that seems to help me sleep. I notice I wake up feeling less physically tense. Normally I wake up with a tense neck, jaw, shoulder pain but that seems to be a little better. So I'll just keep doing that until I talk to her about something I feel comfortable with. I do feel depressed still and down. Next week I go back to work but only 3 days a week to start. I hope that makes it a little easier... I am pretty stressed to go back.

Feeling overwhelmed by med changes for CPTSD-related depression and anxiety. Scared of Wellbutrin due to history of seizures, but current meds aren't working. Frustrated by lack of response from provider and desperate for relief before returning to work. Seeking reassurance and advice on alternative options.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Miu medical billing

Feeling overwhelmed by med changes for CPTSD-related depression and anxiety. Scared of Wellbutrin due to history of seizures, but current meds aren't working. Frustrated by lack of response from provider and desperate for relief before returning to work. Seeking reassurance and advice on alternative options.

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Is this summary of my thread? I’m confused, sorry!

Tomorrow I start a cross taper off Lexapro and into Luvox. A little nervous but I need to feel better. I’m tired and irritable.

I am still tired and irritable, working on my cross-taper, but also have not been sleeping well. I returned to work today and I have been stressed about that so it's probably not even anything to do with the medication. I am down to 10 mg lexapro and 50 mg luvox, seeing APRN tomorrow.

I am working 3 days a week to start for the next 6 weeks to ease back into it and not be full time right away. I am so overwhelmed already and it's just been one day, but I have to just take it one day at a time. I want to get through at least March at this job for financial purposes and it makes the most sense to my spouse and I.