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Default Jun 06, 2020 at 12:10 AM
  #21
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Originally Posted by Blue_Bird View Post
Lithium. My psych NP at the time put me on a ridiculously high dose for my weight, 1800 mg, and I ended up in the ICU for a week with lithium toxicity (had a lithium level of 4.3) kidney failure, and seizures. I'm not saying Lithium is bad, but I will never touch it again, it was just a horrific experience though I know it's very helpful to some people
I also had a lithium level of 4-something as I recall and i spent some time in the hospital too. I had this episode where I was shaking- my arms were shaking but very high and big. I couldn't talk. All I could do was shake and stare blankly at all the people in my little room.

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Default Jun 06, 2020 at 02:05 PM
  #22
Lithium. It gave me hypothyroidism and upset my
Stomach so bad that the dr had me taking the liquid kind (gross!!!). It also gave me horrible acne.

Never again!

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Default Jun 06, 2020 at 10:06 PM
  #23
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I also had a lithium level of 4-something as I recall and i spent some time in the hospital too. I had this episode where I was shaking- my arms were shaking but very high and big. I couldn't talk. All I could do was shake and stare blankly at all the people in my little room.
My God, Moose! How on earth could you end up with a level of 4?

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Default Jun 07, 2020 at 09:35 AM
  #24
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My God, Moose! How on earth could you end up with a level of 4?
By remembering wrong I guess!? I dont know how I could look it up as it was ages ago- if might not be on my portal.

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Default Jun 09, 2020 at 03:23 PM
  #25
Effexor XR. I was very trusting and naive. This was before my diagnosis change in 2015. I was on a dangerous dose, the hospital told me later. Anyway, SI. Hospital. They took me off everything cold turkey. Spent a long time in hospital.
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Default Jun 09, 2020 at 10:39 PM
  #26
It’s a toss up between Vraylar and Abilify for me.

Vraylar made me so restless and angry for no reason. I cursed at my wife for something so small and had to drive around the neighborhood listening to heavy rock music just to burn off some steam.

Abilify, ironically, gave me compulsive sexual urges and made me have food cravings like crazy. Also, couldn’t sleep well on it at all. Weird how sometimes the side effects of medications are the same as some of the symptoms you have during a manic episode lol.
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Default Jun 10, 2020 at 09:59 AM
  #27
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It’s a toss up between Vraylar and Abilify for me.

Vraylar made me so restless and angry for no reason. I cursed at my wife for something so small and had to drive around the neighborhood listening to heavy rock music just to burn off some steam.

Abilify, ironically, gave me compulsive sexual urges and made me have food cravings like crazy. Also, couldn’t sleep well on it at all. Weird how sometimes the side effects of medications are the same as some of the symptoms you have during a manic episode lol.
Yeah, Abilify can be good, but can also just be weird. It actually aggravated my psychosis.

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Default Jun 10, 2020 at 09:37 PM
  #28
Seroquel....It gave me diabetes.

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Default Jun 10, 2020 at 10:32 PM
  #29
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Seroquel....It gave me diabetes.
I am so sorry, Guiness.

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Default Jun 11, 2020 at 12:09 AM
  #30
Remeron. It lead to my first manic episode and made me gain tons of weight.
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Default Jun 16, 2020 at 10:06 PM
  #31
Zoloft had to be the worst. My pdoc thought it wouldn't make me manic, because I was on a mood stabilizer with it, but she ended up being wrong. In fact, it thew me into a mixed episode with paranoia. No more SSRI's for me.

Seroquel at a moderate dose isn't bad for me, but it was pretty terrible on a high dose. I had low BP, problems breathing at times, felt like I was going to pass out in the morning, twitching. Terrible. It's amazing what a difference the change in the dosage makes though for me.

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Default Jun 16, 2020 at 10:54 PM
  #32
Klonopin. Tried that instead of Xanax, i think? But not for long? It was like fireworks going off in my head! Really strange! I was like wth is this shyte?! Really i only took it a couple of days, i was afraid i was going to have a stroke.
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Trig Jun 17, 2020 at 01:51 AM
  #33
Prozac it was the weirdest feeling. EVERYONE kept telling me how much better I was doing and this huge difference they saw and inside I was dying. I have never ever been as suicidal in my life BUT it was like I lost the ability to speak about anything negative too. When asked how I was all I could do was smile and say "Fine!" About a month and half in I went to take a dose and I remember thinking "What's the worst that could happen if I swallow them all?" And then I had a moment of self preservation and dumped them all in the toilet and never took that crap again.

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Default Jun 17, 2020 at 08:38 AM
  #34
It was lithium for me. It made my hair fall out and had some other very unpleasant side effects. I will never take that crap again.

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Default Jun 19, 2020 at 04:40 PM
  #35
Zoloft made me psychotic, mixed episode, paranoid, a host of horrible things. Worst experiences of my life.

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Default Jun 20, 2020 at 11:17 AM
  #36
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Zoloft made me psychotic, mixed episode, paranoid, a host of horrible things. Worst experiences of my life.
Ugh--that's awful, unicornlady. Glad that is over!

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Default Jun 20, 2020 at 03:09 PM
  #37
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What was it? Like many of us, I have been on a bunch. Probably the worst for me, though, overall, has been Naltrexone--an opiate antagonist I had to take a million years ago. Had the worst psychosis of my entire life--and that is saying something. Just hideous. I know it is a life saver, but not good for me.
Hi bpcyclist - I'm so sorry to hear about your experience with Naltrexone. I just started taking it about 5 days ago. What did you take it for? I started it because I had two major addictions:
* Alcohol
* Sugar

At 5pm every day it was like a Pavlovian signal: I would crave a gin and tonic or 10. Then after dinner, I would finish off with about 4 or 5 cookies or half a pint of Ben & Jerry's.

Every session my therapist would suggest Naltrexone to help control my cravings. It was like that movie Groundhog Day. Each week I would come in with the same complaint: I've been trying to keep my intake of sugar and alcohol under control, but having no luck. I kept resisting adding another medication to the mix, insisting that I wanted to try to it "naturally," whatever the hell that meant. I finally came to my breaking point after a weekend spent in total disorientation and fog. I could barely move. Weekdays were actually more enjoyable b/c I had many routine tasks to keep me occupied.

I think we both got fed up after a year and a half of the same routine. I finally relented. So far I love it: night time comes and I just don't have the cravings I used to. Previously, they'd get super intense on Friday nights and I'd polish off a bottle of wine followed by a full pint of Ben and Jerry's.

I'm also taking Lamictal, Wellbutrin, Atorvostatin, and Benadryl at night to help me sleep. Let's see what happens. I'll tell you that I'm willing to try anything after suffering through 3 years of hellish addiction. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for sharing.

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Default Jun 20, 2020 at 04:23 PM
  #38
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Hi bpcyclist - I'm so sorry to hear about your experience with Naltrexone. I just started taking it about 5 days ago. What did you take it for? I started it because I had two major addictions:
* Alcohol
* Sugar

At 5pm every day it was like a Pavlovian signal: I would crave a gin and tonic or 10. Then after dinner, I would finish off with about 4 or 5 cookies or half a pint of Ben & Jerry's.

Every session my therapist would suggest Naltrexone to help control my cravings. It was like that movie Groundhog Day. Each week I would come in with the same complaint: I've been trying to keep my intake of sugar and alcohol under control, but having no luck. I kept resisting adding another medication to the mix, insisting that I wanted to try to it "naturally," whatever the hell that meant. I finally came to my breaking point after a weekend spent in total disorientation and fog. I could barely move. Weekdays were actually more enjoyable b/c I had many routine tasks to keep me occupied.

I think we both got fed up after a year and a half of the same routine. I finally relented. So far I love it: night time comes and I just don't have the cravings I used to. Previously, they'd get super intense on Friday nights and I'd polish off a bottle of wine followed by a full pint of Ben and Jerry's.

I'm also taking Lamictal, Wellbutrin, Atorvostatin, and Benadryl at night to help me sleep. Let's see what happens. I'll tell you that I'm willing to try anything after suffering through 3 years of hellish addiction. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for sharing.
Hey, dsmith--I am so glad it is working out for you!! That is totally awesome! I was on it for an addcition to this bizarre, craaaazy drug called Ultram, now referred to be its generic, tramadol. Super powerful antidepressant, which is why I loved it. They put me on it because Ultram is also a weak Mu agonist. I guess it helped with that. If I knew if worked for en & Jerry's, I would put myself on it now!!!

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Default Jun 22, 2020 at 06:53 PM
  #39
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Hi bpcyclist - I'm so sorry to hear about your experience with Naltrexone. I just started taking it about 5 days ago. What did you take it for? I started it because I had two major addictions:
* Alcohol
* Sugar

At 5pm every day it was like a Pavlovian signal: I would crave a gin and tonic or 10. Then after dinner, I would finish off with about 4 or 5 cookies or half a pint of Ben & Jerry's.

Every session my therapist would suggest Naltrexone to help control my cravings. It was like that movie Groundhog Day. Each week I would come in with the same complaint: I've been trying to keep my intake of sugar and alcohol under control, but having no luck. I kept resisting adding another medication to the mix, insisting that I wanted to try to it "naturally," whatever the hell that meant. I finally came to my breaking point after a weekend spent in total disorientation and fog. I could barely move. Weekdays were actually more enjoyable b/c I had many routine tasks to keep me occupied.

I think we both got fed up after a year and a half of the same routine. I finally relented. So far I love it: night time comes and I just don't have the cravings I used to. Previously, they'd get super intense on Friday nights and I'd polish off a bottle of wine followed by a full pint of Ben and Jerry's.

I'm also taking Lamictal, Wellbutrin, Atorvostatin, and Benadryl at night to help me sleep. Let's see what happens. I'll tell you that I'm willing to try anything after suffering through 3 years of hellish addiction. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for sharing.
I do hope the Naltrexone works out great for you, @dsmith! I assume you take the medication orally? I've heard there is now an injectable form.

Naltrexone wasn't the right medication to curb my alcohol cravings, but I know it is for many. Instead, I did very well taking the medication acamprosate (brand Campral). Big difference for me! I'm just mentioning this in case the naltrexone doesn't work out in the end. I assume acamprosate is now available in generic form. When I took it, it wasn't, but that was...Umm...13 years ago. I don't know if acamprosate would help at all with sugar cravings, though. That was not a particular issue I recall having, though I can't say I don't like my sugar. The only complaint I remember was that I needed several pills to reach the right dose. Maybe 6 pills per day? But that's nothing now. I take 6 pills of Tegretol XR per day, and have for several years.

Over time, I stopped needing the acamprosate.

Last edited by Anonymous46341; Jun 22, 2020 at 07:16 PM..
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Default Jun 23, 2020 at 12:13 AM
  #40
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I do hope the Naltrexone works out great for you, @dsmith! I assume you take the medication orally? I've heard there is now an injectable form.

Naltrexone wasn't the right medication to curb my alcohol cravings, but I know it is for many. Instead, I did very well taking the medication acamprosate (brand Campral). Big difference for me! I'm just mentioning this in case the naltrexone doesn't work out in the end. I assume acamprosate is now available in generic form. When I took it, it wasn't, but that was...Umm...13 years ago. I don't know if acamprosate would help at all with sugar cravings, though. That was not a particular issue I recall having, though I can't say I don't like my sugar. The only complaint I remember was that I needed several pills to reach the right dose. Maybe 6 pills per day? But that's nothing now. I take 6 pills of Tegretol XR per day, and have for several years.

Over time, I stopped needing the acamprosate.
Acamprosate did quite well for some friends of mine, too.

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