BabyRachel
28-04-10, 01:25
I don't want to scare anyone. I have had a rough few weeks with medication and I've learnt some valuable lessons I feel the need to share with anyone who wants to read this.
So I was previously taking lexapro 20mg and seroquel 25 mg. I had been taking lexapro for about 7 months and started seroquel three weeks ago. I also take maxalon an anti nausea drug.
I developed some serious side effects from either the seroquel or maxalon. My muscles were twitching and I had a fit. I went to A&E after speaking to a nurse who told me to do so. There I waited for hours and the doctor was very unhelpful to the point of condasending me and disregarding my anxiety. He told me to stop the maxalon and seroquel, and take benztropine IF it got worse.
Lesson 1: If you go to A&E for a problem, take someone with you who can act as your advocate. You will probably be anxious and distressed therefore it is beneficial to have someone with you who can talk to the doctors.
This doctor would not allow me to see a psychiatrist so I left and went home. The next day I went and saw a GP, who consulted with a psychiatrist. They told me to stop taking maxalon and seroquel and start a 10 day course of benztropine. They told me benztropine would help reverse the twitching.
Lesson 2: If you have a reaction to a medication and need to be taken off it immediatly, therefore not tapering it like you should - make sure you get something to help with the withdrawal. Insist upon it. This could be valium, xanax, etc.
So this GP did NOT give me anything to help. I suffered headaches, nausea, blurred vision, anxiety and low moods. They also told me to make an emegency psych appointment with my psychiatrist. The receptionists told me I could not do that, he was fully booked out. So I spoke to him over the phone and he called my regular GP with instructions.
I then couldnt see my regular GP, so I saw another one. He told me to keep taking seroquel. Even after three doctors had told me not to. Needless to say, I did not continue it.
Lesson 3: Stick with the same doctors to avoid getting contradicting information.
So I'd finished up my 10 day course of benztropine. Without making the connection, as soon as I stopped taking it I was having very bad anxiety and depression. I was honestly at my wits end. Could not handle it. Then something dawned on me, so I googled benztropine.
Turns out, benztropine also acts as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. The same action as some antipsychotics and antidepressants. Here I was, having been taking off my seroquel, then given something that helps anxiety, then been taking off that too. My doctor failed to mention that it is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. And that coming off it is like coming off an ssri. I was obviously furious. Insane with rage.
Lesson 4: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ask your doctor to explain EVERYTHING about the medication you are taking. Don't let them leave you in the dark like they did me.
So here I am. I've started taking benztropine again, to help with my anxiety til I can see my psychiatrist next week. I am sorry this is so long, I just wanted to share with everyone what has happened and share some wisdom. :)
So I was previously taking lexapro 20mg and seroquel 25 mg. I had been taking lexapro for about 7 months and started seroquel three weeks ago. I also take maxalon an anti nausea drug.
I developed some serious side effects from either the seroquel or maxalon. My muscles were twitching and I had a fit. I went to A&E after speaking to a nurse who told me to do so. There I waited for hours and the doctor was very unhelpful to the point of condasending me and disregarding my anxiety. He told me to stop the maxalon and seroquel, and take benztropine IF it got worse.
Lesson 1: If you go to A&E for a problem, take someone with you who can act as your advocate. You will probably be anxious and distressed therefore it is beneficial to have someone with you who can talk to the doctors.
This doctor would not allow me to see a psychiatrist so I left and went home. The next day I went and saw a GP, who consulted with a psychiatrist. They told me to stop taking maxalon and seroquel and start a 10 day course of benztropine. They told me benztropine would help reverse the twitching.
Lesson 2: If you have a reaction to a medication and need to be taken off it immediatly, therefore not tapering it like you should - make sure you get something to help with the withdrawal. Insist upon it. This could be valium, xanax, etc.
So this GP did NOT give me anything to help. I suffered headaches, nausea, blurred vision, anxiety and low moods. They also told me to make an emegency psych appointment with my psychiatrist. The receptionists told me I could not do that, he was fully booked out. So I spoke to him over the phone and he called my regular GP with instructions.
I then couldnt see my regular GP, so I saw another one. He told me to keep taking seroquel. Even after three doctors had told me not to. Needless to say, I did not continue it.
Lesson 3: Stick with the same doctors to avoid getting contradicting information.
So I'd finished up my 10 day course of benztropine. Without making the connection, as soon as I stopped taking it I was having very bad anxiety and depression. I was honestly at my wits end. Could not handle it. Then something dawned on me, so I googled benztropine.
Turns out, benztropine also acts as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. The same action as some antipsychotics and antidepressants. Here I was, having been taking off my seroquel, then given something that helps anxiety, then been taking off that too. My doctor failed to mention that it is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. And that coming off it is like coming off an ssri. I was obviously furious. Insane with rage.
Lesson 4: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ask your doctor to explain EVERYTHING about the medication you are taking. Don't let them leave you in the dark like they did me.
So here I am. I've started taking benztropine again, to help with my anxiety til I can see my psychiatrist next week. I am sorry this is so long, I just wanted to share with everyone what has happened and share some wisdom. :)