View Full Version : Please help us make a decision!!
As some of you may have read my b/f started Mirtazepine on March 1st, intially on 15mg for 3 days then up to 30mg. He also takes Diazepam and Olanzapine to cope with anxiety.
His anxiety went through the roof with the Mirt which was why the Diaz was introduced. We were assured that he wouldn't get addicted to having 5mg tablets 3 times a day. Anyway he is now addicted after 3 weeks of use.
He decided last Weds that he wanted to come off everything, the home care team said he could be off everything by end of this week! Mirt was lowered to 15mg 4 days ago and Diazepam has been lowered down to 10mg a day.
The Diazepam fast withdrawal is obviously not working, he is finding it too hard to cope with the rebound anxiety. So the team have agreed to reduce this over a longer period (possibly 3 weeks)
We can't decide what to do
Choice one - Go back up to 30mg of Mirt which will prob mean back up on Diaz and give the mirt a longer chance for the heightened anxiety to drop (if it ever does) and slowly come off Diaz? (He was having quite hard side effects on the Mirt, pacing around, irritable, rage towards me and mostly heightened anxiety, DOES THIS PASS THOUGH????)
(If the diaz withdrawal takes 3 weeks to come off then he could be 3 weeks further into taking the mirt which the anxiety could drop and mood lifted)
Choice two - Continue coming off everything and start a fresh, some sort of herbal tablets, so no side effects, feeling real, etc
Please note that my b/f has anxiety around taking medication.
Please help, he is driving himself crazy trying to make a decision.:ohmy: :shrug:
xxx
harasgenster
21-03-11, 20:01
That's quite a lot of diazepam! I don't know what's best but has he talked to the doctors thoroughly about it. Have they taken him through all the risks so he can make an educated decision? Jumping from one pill to another and messing with dosages could make him feel worse as you're then dealing with withdrawal effects and side effects all the time. Does he want to go pill free altogether or does he want to be medicated? If he really doesn't like the pills, has the doctor offered alternatives to medication? As your bf is in a bad way, I think you could get therapy quite quickly for him, as they do bump serious cases up the list, as far as I'm aware. What do the home care team think?
To be honest I think the homecare have made things worse, he is worse now than when we first went to see them.
He is feeling suicidal now and very very anxious, rolling around on the floor, we feel desparate because no-one wants to help us, they are all useless :(
i think he needs to go back up on his diaz and taper properly today he has only had 10mg today, just spoke to them again and she just says he is not experiencing withdrawal! i could scream!
scaredstiff695
21-03-11, 20:47
hi
don't take meds same as your boy friend fears around them the thought alone make me panic.
i was on the home care team in hull last year and i hated it they made me worse. would put thoughts etc in my head.
hope he is feeling better soon. i once took one diazapan and didn't like te spaced out feeling and when it wore off i was a mess my Hubbw was scared. different people react differently to them i can't even take paracetmmls. i actually believed i was going to harm my self i was angry and irritable.gr just went to bed and slept the feeling off. that was after one. i vowed i wouldn't take again it was too scary.
really hope he gets some peace from it all. your doing amazing job x
Oh bless you!
What a horrible situation! :hugs::hugs:
Coming off any of these type of drugs is difficult and needs to be done slowly and when you are ready.
In my experience anti depressants take at least 4 weeks to work. About 6 to peak. It might be worth persevering with them? Otherwise he might get given new ones and the whole cycle will start again. Another 4 weeks of getting used to them! First time I went on Anti depressants my life was hell for 4 weeks. But then almost over night it lifted! My doctor wanted to change them after 3 weeks but I decided to stick with them and Im so glad I did!!!!!
Hang in there. He will get better. It just takes time. And when you are feeling like he is every minute feels like forever!
:hugs::hugs::hugs: Big hugs to you. You are doing an amazing job!
He'll get there soon! And you'll wonder what all this was about!
Mabel xxxxxx
Thanks guys,
I think you are right, he will have to taper off the Diaz over the next few weeks because 1 week is just far too quick!
We have discussed that while he is tapering off the diaz he may as well stay on the mirt, then hopefully his mood will lift and the heightened anxiety will lower.
Things HAVE to get better soon, I am not sure he can cope much longer, we are all so confused!
xx
To be honest I think the homecare have made things worse, he is worse now than when we first went to see them.
He is feeling suicidal now and very very anxious, rolling around on the floor, we feel desparate because no-one wants to help us, they are all useless :(
i think he needs to go back up on his diaz and taper properly today he has only had 10mg today, just spoke to them again and she just says he is not experiencing withdrawal! i could scream!
Hi Loops .He is not only experiencing withdrawals from the Diaz but also from going down on his Miirtazapine he is having withdrawals from that too .Symptoms are headaches agitation and increased anxiety .He can either stay on the 15mg of mirt and wait untill it settles or increase again by half of a 15mg tab .This will not be so bad in terms of extra side effects as going back on 30 mg .Take into consideration he has REDUCED FOR 4 DAYS NOW AND HIS LEVELS HAVE CHANGED .Continue with the Diazapam until he stabilises and then reduce by 2.5mg a day .See how he is after a week or so and if stable for 4 days reduce by another 2.5 mg .It will take time what ever you decide to do ,This way will see him better than he is now ,and safer in terms of withdrawal/side effects ..Good luck I hope things improve for him soon ,and for you too .Luv Sue x:hugs:
Hi There
I have just read your post
Keep in there and he will get better
one week to to quick to come of Diazapam I agree with what you have said
Hope your b/f feels better soon
and also look after yourself
Joanxx
Ohhhhhh hi Sue, you will be sick of me! haha
He has now (i think) decided to go back on the 30mg of mirt because he was only on them 3 weeks and this may not have been long enough for them to have had an benefits.
I just think he needs to stick them out until he has give them long enough, I know this will initially raise the anxiety again but then I think he should increase the diaz back and taper much more slowly.
I have told him to make a decision tonight and stick to it because he is just confusing his body, he is just so desperate its such a shame, he breaks my heart when he looks at me with those sad eyes begging for my opinion and I just don't know. :(
xxx
Dont be daft hun ..Its a bad time your going through .He in my opinion would be better off just increasing for now just another 7&1/2mg (Half atab more of Mirt .Even for a week for his body to adjust .He cant cope with all this extra anxiety of messing about with these drugs .Every time I upped my dose of antidepressants I always did it this way .It lessens the side effects .Its up to him and you how you do, it but he must stick with what he decides or he will get bad again . No quick route to any of it ,but what I wrote previous would be the less distressing wayforward .Gd lk sue xx:hugs:
Hi Loops,
Again, I agree with Sue. He is NOT addicted to Diazepam on that dose in that space of time. They may not be having the same effect as his body will have built up a bit of a tolerance to them but this is not an addiction. However, no psychiatric drug should be stopped abruptly or you will suffer unpleasant side effects. I think you b/f should stay on all his meds just now until he is a bit more stable. Has he been diagnosed with psychosis, I just ask as Olanzapine is an anti-psychotic. Horrible words I know and I hate using them, they just create images of "mad, crazy" people who aren't clued up on mental health problems.
Best Wishes. :)
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