Mental Health doctor prescribed two interacting medications, kinda scared

[lalune]

Hello, just a little quick introduction, Im new here. But Ive been reading BL for four years, and wanted to join for some time and decided to now

Im an 18 year female who has been struggling with self harm and depression for Id say two years now. Unfortunately Im still in the same place i was when i first entered my first depressive episode. But now Im seeking outpatient treatment (but i havent been to therapy in over a month due to work schedule) and I guess Im now stuck in psychopharma hell...every med I have tried doesnt work. I was prescribed the usual SSRIs, and tricylics. Ever since i took this one drug a month ago called anafranil its given me anxiety :/ I had a full blown panic attack and missed work. Since then, I have woke up with fast heart rates, and out of nowhere I randomly feel anxious. I was thinking about stuff (i was thinking about cutting) and then randomly my heart starting racing and i couldnt breathe and i started crying, sobbing really, in the shower..and I got out of the shower and couldnt stop crying. my sisters saw me on the floor with only a towel on and they were like wtf. when they asked me what was wrong i couldnt answer them, i felt like i was in a different world, or like i wasnt experiencing real life IDK. it was weird. i then laid down and just tried to go into a different place. it didnt feel like the first panic attack i had, it felt more emotional than physical..the first panic attack i was incredibly nauseous while this felt more like super stress reaction.

but anyway sorry for the tl;dr. i went to the psych the other day and got new meds (i didnt want them but i guess since i cant get to therapy its the next choice)..i really dont want to take them. i got celexa and risperidone. i dont know why i got a neuroleptic..the pdoc said its to help with my anxiety but it seems a little hardcore imo since i dont have any symptoms neuroleptics are used to treat. unfortunately after some research on the meds (i tend to google the hell out of the meds i take, even reading med journals, not in self diagnose-y way but more in an educational way) i discovered theyre highly interacting..they both affect the heart and should not be used together because of it. i took a little nibble of one risperidone before going to bed (im supposed to take one .5 mg) and it made me sleepy and when i woke up, i did have increased heart rate..but i was not groggy so that was good.im just scared to take the celexa because i dont WANT more anxiety issues! ADs have all made me very fidgety, anxious and at one point paranoid and scared to leave my house. but my depression has become back to square zero bad and i want to cut but i know if i cut i wont benefit from it. i just dont know what to do. im tired of living my life this way. my mom doesnt care since shes never approved of me seeking mental health treatment. everyone thinks im better but the truth is i just learned to shut up about my problems because last time i cried for help, it ended very badly for me. i just need some guidance thank you to anyone who reads this essay.

 

[bloodshed344]

AD are poison for your brain in my experience. Maybe I'm biased? I'd advise you to never take another antidepressant. Remember your own mind is stronger than any medicine you can take. In regards to the other med, chunk that shit and tell your dr he don't know shit. Tell him it took you no time to look up and see that he prescribed you a dangerous combination. Remember psychiatrists are just the new version of preachers, and psychiatry is the new religion.

 

[missmeyet?]

Hey there..

It is good to be informed about meds and I always preach that you have to look out for yourself cause docs don't always do the exact right thing but sometimes too much researching and information can cause us to expect certain problems which then in turn cause us to have them. A tiny nibble off of risperdal shouldn't cause a n increase in heart rate like that, especially just one dose. I would suggest setting up another appt soon with doc and discuss all of this with them before you begin new meds. Sometimes if you do not respond to other treatments for depression they do prescribe non conventional meds so that is not that unusual. Also sometimes there are interactions listed with other meds that could cause problems but the benefits may outweigh the risks. I was prescribed tramadol and an anti depressant together for a long time and it was contraindicated to take them together. The doc and the pharmacist were both aware but said to go ahead with it. I did and had no problems and this is done very frequently. If you can't get in with doctor talk to a pharmacists that you feel comfortable with. I am sure that they might could help to allay some of your worries or give you information so that you can make a decision.

Good luck and hope you feel better.

 

[missmeyet?]

AD are poison for your brain in my experience. Maybe I'm biased? I'd advise you to never take another antidepressant. Remember your own mind is stronger than any medicine you can take. In regards to the other med, chunk that shit and tell your dr he don't know shit. Tell him it took you no time to look up and see that he prescribed you a dangerous combination. Remember psychiatrists are just the new version of preachers, and psychiatry is the new religion.

Ok..but that is what you feel has not worked for you...this does not always apply to everyone else. I hate to be on anti depressants also and feel that if there is other alternatives then those should be pursued first. But anti depressants have changed many, many lives for the better also. I don't think it is ever a good idea to just tell someone to quit taking all of their meds without supervision of a doctor. You don't know their medical history or the whole big picture. You would feel badly if your advice caused someone to harm themselves!

 

[lalune]

hi, i dont have any problems with anti psychiatry sentiments. i dont agree that its all a huge pig pharma religion type thing but i do agree not everyone benefits from these drugs, i just wish these drugs didnt have so many side fx i wouldnt be so scared to take them if they didnt. ive taken i think 5 different brands now. thought my depression was gonna be like one episode then i get an AD then im better but its the complete opposite. im about to start college soon and im so scared im going into in in this state. yeah thats what i was scared of, i dont want to be a hypochondriac. to be honest, i dont really think i am because for the most part i know better than to take everything on the internet as fact, but i was reading the extended drug information sheet online since the sheet i had gave me VERY little information while the AD sheet has LOTS of information...they always do though. also the fact i am under 100 lbs make me i guess more sensitive to lots of things so i guess i psyche myself out.

thanks for that information, i know people are prescribed interacting meds but im kinda obsessive when it comes to being physically healthy and anything that might affect tends to send me into fear as strange as that sounds. i want my heart to be healthy and im scared im damaging it with these meds. sometimes i get random heart palpitations, or i feel kinda faint even though im eating more (i used to starve myself) i did not know that about risperidone...i know its very sedating, which i felt the affects of. but since i literally nibbled it, it didnt send me into zombie mode.

i think i might schedule an earlier appointment..i have one two weeks from now but im worried, ive been lying a lot and not being totally honest. dishonesty has set me back yet its something i do like it feels right to do. i feel like i need more treatment not just drugs..i had the chance to get more treatment but my mom refused even though im 18 and can make my own choices. i just want to cut but making cuts do nothing so i feel lost and nothing could help me. usually when i cant cut i dont eat but i cant not eat since i want to be healthy...my self destructive habits i have realized dont help but i know no other way. when i go into my appts i dont say any of that, i get too scared

 

[silentcowboy]

IME, Anti depressants are poison, but sometimes they do help people in bad situations. The problem is that their handed out like candy, and side effects/withdrawal are not discussed/known by patiens and doctors. These drugs are pushed on doctors from major pharm. companies saying how great they are, and nothing about getting off of them, like they were designed to be hell to get off of. To me there are so many better alternatives that work much better. For me and my brain chemistry, kratom works better then anything ive ever been RX'ed, which has been 7+ AD's and a few anti anxiety drugs. These drugs have never impacted my mood in a positive way, and HAVE impacted my body in very negative ways (vomiting for a month strait from paxil WD, brain zaps, debilitating headaches that landed me in the ER ect..)taken as perscribed. Currently Im tapering from Celexa at 10% a month, as recomended by a very helpful site on SSRIs. (started at 20mg, 2 months of tapering and im at 16mg). when I drop I still feel weird but this is doable, last doctor told me it was ok to cold turkey Paxil and start Wellbutrin (what a dumbass). Even after tapering paxil i was in the worst WD of my life. Lesson is: research for yourself about what others have experienced, its much more valuble information.

 

[paranoid android]

The citalopram or Clomipramine would be fine to take with the risperidone as anti-deprsssants are commonly given along side of risperidone to treat bipolar disorder and also in trsting major depressive disorder as adding a anti-psychotic may boost the anti-depressant effect. Though drugs like seroquel or abilify are most often used in this case instead of risperidone.

Prescribing citalopram a SSRI with clomipramine a very potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor with some norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor properties as well makes no sense and is probably dangerous. Clomipramine is usually prescribed for treating OCD not depression as other tricyclics such as amitriptyline or imipramine are usually used for that but it still is used for depression by some doctors.

I have been on risperidone before as i have bipolar disorder and it can be a very unpleasant drug for some people depending on what you are taking it for and what dose you are on. Less then 2mg's of risperdal a day won't give you much at all in the way of side effects usually but going above 2mg's starts to bring out the zombie effect real quick. However i have been manic and have taken 4mg's of risperidone a day without getting the zombie effect but that's probably due to the fucked up brain chemistry due to mania.

If you are just taking it as a add on drug to boost the effects of anti-depressants you might get better results with seroquel, zyprexa or abilify as these anti-psychotics are used alot more often for that purpose. I find that both seroquel and zyprexa have anti-depressant effects of their own.

 

[bloodshed344]

Ok..but that is what you feel has not worked for you...this does not always apply to everyone else. I hate to be on anti depressants also and feel that if there is other alternatives then those should be pursued first. But anti depressants have changed many, many lives for the better also. I don't think it is ever a good idea to just tell someone to quit taking all of their meds without supervision of a doctor. You don't know their medical history or the whole big picture. You would feel badly if your advice caused someone to harm themselves!

Hmm. Doesn't sound like her doctor's supervision is useful at all.

 

[exists]

Hi lalune,

Welcome to Bluelight!

You remind me very much of my ex-fiancé. Her past experiences were causing her much grief, and terrifying memories would relentlessly break through her defenses. She was nearly my height (over 6' tall) but was often under or around 100 lbs in weight due to self-starvation. She was a cutter, too, and her mother was a controlling influence in her life as well.

Back when I was with her, I would tell her to screw what her mother thought, that she was old enough to make her own decisions and to think for herself. You see, in her younger years my ex-fiancé had a wild streak in her, and she didn't care about what other people thought. She was reckless, but tough-skinned. I did not know her when she was that way, only how she was later, but I wanted to bring out a little of that wild willfulness in her so that she could stand up to her mother somewhat.

These days if I saw her again, I would encourage her to respect her mother's wishes, but only so far. A certain level of defiance is needed. This becomes trickier if religion is involved, as one must weigh the honor for one's parents with the decision to do what is right. In this case, what's right is for you is to get help for yourself with or without your mother's consent.

Speaking of which.... be truthful to your doctors! There is a difference between telling half-truths and outright lying; if you do not wish to divulge everything to your doctor, don't, but try not to lie either. Your doctors need to have as much info as possible so as to prescribe the right medications for you.

I wish you all the best, and I'm here to talk if you need some support or more insight (assuming my post helps at all),

~exists

 

[lalune]

The citalopram or Clomipramine would be fine to take with the risperidone as anti-deprsssants are commonly given along side of risperidone to treat bipolar disorder and also in trsting major depressive disorder as adding a anti-psychotic may boost the anti-depressant effect. Though drugs like seroquel or abilify are most often used in this case instead of risperidone.

Prescribing citalopram a SSRI with clomipramine a very potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor with some norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor properties as well makes no sense and is probably dangerous. Clomipramine is usually prescribed for treating OCD not depression as other tricyclics such as amitriptyline or imipramine are usually used for that but it still is used for depression by some doctors.

I have been on risperidone before as i have bipolar disorder and it can be a very unpleasant drug for some people depending on what you are taking it for and what dose you are on. Less then 2mg's of risperdal a day won't give you much at all in the way of side effects usually but going above 2mg's starts to bring out the zombie effect real quick. However i have been manic and have taken 4mg's of risperidone a day without getting the zombie effect but that's probably due to the fucked up brain chemistry due to mania.

If you are just taking it as a add on drug to boost the effects of anti-depressants you might get better results with seroquel, zyprexa or abilify as these anti-psychotics are used alot more often for that purpose. I find that both seroquel and zyprexa have anti-depressant effects of their own.

oh WOW thank you for this new information, i did not know this, I dont know much about antipsychotics, because well thats another ball park of medications for me as I do not suffer from the schizophrenia or any psychosis. I suspect I may have bipolar, due to bouts of hypomania I get, and all the times Ive taking one AD and my behavior completely changes, I became textbook manic (or hypomanic idk) but usually i stop the medication before i become too bad because Ive never been on any AD longer than a month. I was on anafranil and i only took it ONCE just once and im never ever ever touching that stuff again it made me so sick.

I do fear my doctor might have a made a mistake in prescribing this..i just got a call from the center saying i have a doctors appt tomorrrow, they probably want to switch my meds im not sure. thank you silent cowboy, i have experienced bad wd from stoping zoloft at once (12 hour half life yay) and it was absolutely awful..the reason was cause i coudlnt refill my med. .

 

[lalune]

Hi lalune,

Welcome to Bluelight!

You remind me very much of my ex-fiancé. Her past experiences were causing her much grief, and terrifying memories would relentlessly break through her defenses. She was nearly my height (over 6' tall) but was often under or around 100 lbs in weight due to self-starvation. She was a cutter, too, and her mother was a controlling influence in her life as well.

Back when I was with her, I would tell her to screw what her mother thought, that she was old enough to make her own decisions and to think for herself. You see, in her younger years my ex-fiancé had a wild streak in her, and she didn't care about what other people thought. She was reckless, but tough-skinned. I did not know her when she was that way, only how she was later, but I wanted to bring out a little of that wild willfulness in her so that she could stand up to her mother somewhat.

These days if I saw her again, I would encourage her to respect her mother's wishes, but only so far. A certain level of defiance is needed. This becomes trickier if religion is involved, as one must weigh the honor for one's parents with the decision to do what is right. In this case, what's right is for you is to get help for yourself with or without your mother's consent.

Speaking of which.... be truthful to your doctors! There is a difference between telling half-truths and outright lying; if you do not wish to divulge everything to your doctor, don't, but try not to lie either. Your doctors need to have as much info as possible so as to prescribe the right medications for you.

I wish you all the best, and I'm here to talk if you need some support or more insight (assuming my post helps at all),

~exists

thank you reading your description of your ex fiance feels like im reading about myself! yes, unfortunately my mom has controlled most of my ability to seek help. she lied to me about saying she was going to be supportive. she scares me. two weeks after i was discharged from a behavioral facility she told me to kill myself. i remember it beign exactly two weeks, i was just asking her about going to the doctor and she freaked out at me. just 2 months ago i had to tell someone i wasnt feeling right and she again, tried to stuff chemicals down my throat and of course hurt me, shes given me a cut deeper than any i have made on myself. I havent cut as much as I used to, I only cut once this past month which is a milestone for me. I will be totally honest tomorrow. I think i have an appt as I recieved a voicemail saying i have one tomorrow. I will call before to make sure. thank you so much for everyones responses

 

[exists]

lalune, I am so sorry for you The pain you have gone through must be too much to bear sometimes. Please find a place within yourself where you can feel the universal love that exists. Sorry if I'm coming off all sappy, but believe me when I say that true peace is available to you. There are elements in this world that will undermine our sense of well-being, but we can rise above them if we keep seeking out the answers.

You may have to quarantine your food to feel safe. Your predicament may be real, and you need to take logical steps to protect yourself. Part of becoming well is identifying the real threats which surround us.

~exists

P.S. Should a loved one leave you, please do not allow yourself to break completely, because sometimes we are forced to leave out of matters of conscience, and may not give the true reasons for our departure. This might not make sense to you in your current situation, but it may someday.

 

[RobotRipping]

i wouldn't be afraid of damaging your heart with those meds. If celexa sends you into a manic state then it's likely you are bipolar, not 100% but diagnosing people is messed up in the first place. In the past i've had hypomanic, manic, depressive, all out psychotic episodes; i could write a huge list of what diagnoses i fit under. Doctors really have no idea what is going on (except for labeling me a junkie, they got that one right). i stick with the diagnosis of ADD ATM because i prefer the meds prescribed over those for anxiety/panic disorder or bipolar/other mental illnesses. But i could go to a different psych and get a different diagnosis from each one if i wanted, that's how fucked up the whole thing is. You are who you are, why we have to label everything and treat everything with drugs, i don't know but it's not necessary in every case.

TBH therapy was probably the most beneficial, it sucks but going through it helps. And i say this as a pharm junkie supported by Drs and even though i'm not in therapy anymore, i know i need to go back.

I'd definitely get the fuck out of your house and away from your mother, that's a solid first step, leave and don't ever go back, to live anyway. College will open you up and change your perspective on things and give you time to get counseling and deal with the underlying issues that trouble you. You'll also encounter the world on your own terms and not your mother's which may actually solve the large majority of your issues.

Antidepressants and antipsychotics may help some people who are depressed but APs especially make me suicidal and depressed and most ADs either send me into mania or suicidal ideation. I'm not sure how many people they actually help versus how many people they don't help, studies seem to indicate that it's about even (tiny bit better than placebo). It's the emotional blunting that i can't handle with either type of medication. I'd rather have huge ups and downs then just feel nothing all the time but that's just me.

It definitely sounds like you are having serious anxiety, which is common when starting on an SSRI. I was taking citalopram for a while and it gave me terrible anxiety while Drs, pharmacists were telling me how it was a great anxiolytic... any supporting evidence for that claim? nope. Even after the first few weeks i was still anxious and actually became depressed (wasn't depressed before taking it, scripted for anxiety only) and truly suicidal and would constantly harm myself as much as possible to the point where my whole body was full of bruises (i prefer blunt trauma to cutting). Since quitting SSRIs in general, i haven't had any real self harm issues.

Basically my advice is to hold out until you are away from your mother, avoid self-destructive tendencies and indeed be cautious of what you are prescribed, if you don't like it, tell your Dr., if your Dr. doesn't like that, get a new one. I've been put through so many god damn medications it's not funny and none of them have helped me except for my ADD script and the self medicating i do on the side. Therapy helped but you have to put the work in and make real changes and despite knowing that i still get myself stuck in ruts but at least i am more functional and have real insight into my issues. I'm by no means all better after all these years but i'm definitely better off than i was at 18 or 19.

The best decision i ever made was to get the fuck out of my dad's house and live on my own.

i keep my problems to myself as well, family doesn't understand or doesn't want to, can't talk to anyone else about it, girlfriend doesn't really understand, random people on the internet understand better than anyone i've encountered in my life. My therapist was very understanding though, but sometimes you have to go through a few to find the right one. Don't let it all build up inside though, learn coping mechanisms, even if you just learn them on your own.

 

[TooOldForThis]

I have been on both of those medications, but I don't remember if I have ever been on both at the same time. Risperidone can be very sedating. If you decide to give it a try, don't throw in the towel after one day. I clearly remember the first day I took it. I was a zombie, and I called my psychiatrist and said I could hardly work I was so out of it. He told me the side effects were like throwing a pebble into a lake. At first there is a large ripple, then it smooths out. I know that is not true for all side effects, but it was true for me in terms of the sedating effect of the risperidone.
I hope you find help, whether it is through medication or therapy or both.

 

[lalune]

thank you so much for your support exists...it has been a rough hell of a two years. when i was younger i never thought my life would be like this...filled with this sort of pain and every day finding reasons to bear it all. i used to be bubbly and all sorts of positive things now im just..i dont even know. I really like what you said. Ive been looking for ways to discover myself anew, for the most part I dont know how well Im going about that. Usually its the same thought in my head when i wake up. i think what i hate the most is have nowhere to let it out, i think thats why i let it out against myself idk.

robotripping, i havent tried celexa yet, it was all the other ads that i have used (zoloft, prozac, and anafranil, remeron made me too sleepy) Im really sorry you had to deal with all that I asked me old psych is they would give me mood swings and he said no, but then when i told him it amped me up he just put me off it. But i have new doc now. I used to do therapy but I havent in two months now because of work, I have no time to fit it in unfortunately. Therapy i think helped me but its hard to tell since I havent made much progress (ive been in it for 5 months i think before i stopped)

I wish I could get out, I want to move out, but i dont have the financial means to. She was a lot worse in the past. the only reason everyting is okay because i dont utter a word about how i feel. if i did itd be the same old story all over again. Im going to community college for two years than transferring, so its when that time comes i will be able to start anew. I agree with you so much, being able to figure out the world for myself and not what my mother tells me to do. i dont agree with much of what she says but it still constricts me too much.

oh wow that sounds like horrible self harm i used to cut everyday so i feel sorta of like a different person now that i rarely do it. thats really scary that it sent you into a state you were in before, thats what im pissed off about i never had anxiety until i took anafranil! its horrible. i only took it once too, just once. thank you so much for your sound advice, im in a much better mind frame where i can actually take it and see what its the right path to take, rather than indulge in what will just send me back in a horrible place (though its tempting since i know it so well i know it will do absolutely nothing positive). i hope i can get out of here soon, im comfortable and patient to wait i just wish it didnt require me waiting so long..

and thank you toooldforthis, i think its true for the most part the ripple effect, im just too scared to deal with the scary splash as of yet. thanks everyone for your advice and responses, it means a lot.

 

[cashmunny]

Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic (AAP) and Celexa is an ntidepressant (SSRI) . I'm not familiar with an adverse interaction of those two specifically but I've personally taken an AAP with an SSRI and not had any issues. It's a fairly common strategy for people presenting with symptoms that have a bipolar flavor. Self harm and depression smells more like borderline personality disorder but many theorists would say that bipolar and borderline are the same thing. In any case the meds used to treat the two are usually very similar.

Something to keep in mind with AAPs is that the effect very with dosage. At low doses they can be merely sedatives, at medium dosages they can have antidepressant effects, and at high doses they are antipsychotics. It has to do with the fact that they have diferential binding affinities for various receptor sites and the high binding affinity sites "fill up" first. So it really depends on the dose you are taking. Also keep in mind that the side effects you experience will be the shittiest when you first start out on a medication and will subside in a week or two IF they are going to subside at all.

Anyway what your doctor prescribed isn't really completely off the rails.

 

[cashmunny]

I might add that if indeed you do have a little bit of bipolar disorder going on then it's advisable to be very careful with antidepressants like Celexa or any other SSRI or tricyclic. There is a growing consensus that antidpressants destabilize people with bipolar disorder. It's controversial but the people who think so are some of the worlds foremost authorities on bipolar disorder, like Dr Ghaemi out of Harvard for example.

 

[paranoid android]

I might add that if indeed you do have a little bit of bipolar disorder going on then it's advisable to be very careful with antidepressants like Celexa or any other SSRI or tricyclic. There is a growing consensus that antidpressants destabilize people with bipolar disorder. It's controversial but the people who think so are some of the worlds foremost authorities on bipolar disorder, like Dr Ghaemi out of Harvard for example.

It's hardly controversial at all that most anti-depressants destabilize people with bipolar disorder and do very little or nothing at all for the depression side of it. Most doctors I've known are reluctant to try anything other then bupropion in treating bipolar depression and even that is very risky if you aren't on a mood stabilizer. SNRI's are the worst offenders in causing mania but any anti-depressant can cause it.