I have always been paranoid about taking medication; I think it’s hurting me. Right now I’m on 4 medications. Risperdal for SZ, Cymbalta for anxiety, Trazadone for insomnia, and Wellbutrin for the side effects of the Risperdal.
It seems like a lot of medications to me. Is that too many?
I have nothing to compare it to, so I’m wondering what the rest of you take.
I take monthly shots of Invega Sustenna (Xeplion here), Diazepam for anxiety and I just finished my Inderal treatment for the shakes.
I don’t think it’s too many, I’ve read worse. Still a lot of meds though.
I also don’t think they hurt you.
I’ve worked with kids who take eight or more meds. Four isn’t all that many, really. What doses are you on? For lots of people, being on low doses of multiple medications is more effective than being on a a higher dose of just one. How long have you been taking them?
1 mg Risperdal, 60 mg Cymbalta, 100 mg Trazadone, and I don’t know on the Wellbutrin because I flushed the pills down the toilet last night because it bothered me that I was taking so many medications. So I guess technically I’m on three. My psychiatrist will probably not be happy.
So the Cymbalta and Trazadone I think are probably normal doses. The Risperdal is new, so the doctor said she would ramp me up very slowly.
You should call your doctor and tell her what you did. Wellbutrin is usually prescribed just to counter the sexual side effects of other medications from what I remember, so you should be on the lookout for more side effects if you choose to stop taking it.
Well, it would have been best if you didn’t flush them down the toilet- you may have withdrawals now. You might want to call and tell the pdoc that you were panicking and threw the Wellbutrin away.
Personally, no, that’s not too much medication for someone with what we have. It’s evident that you have depression or severe anxiety as well as schizophrenia. I have three psych meds. Geodon, Xanax and Propranolol. I just took all three. Woke up at 7 from my alarm and took Xanax and Propranolol then snoozed and then woke up at 8 and had a coffee and cig and then breakfast and Geodon. Yes with multiple meds there are side effects, but often one of the meds is to counter side effects of another med. That’s my case.
It’s the antipsychotic you want to not be on too much of. 1mg risperdal is not a big deal given that you have scz.
So no, not too many meds. Probably just the right combo. I call this strategy the “cocktail of meds” and well, it is the best for many of us.
Why did you toss the Wellbutrin of all the meds?
If taking all those meds positively improve your life, why shouldn’t you take them? I’ve known people with multiple health problems that must take handfulls of pills multiple times a day.
Obviously, the less meds you’re on, the better it is for your liver and kidneys, but if the meds are improving your life, then I would stay on them.
Also, if you do ever have to dispose of pills in the future, bring them to a pharmacy to surrender them, and they will dispose of them safely. Flushing them down the toilet pollutes our water, and it is illegal in some states and countries. Sure, your meds alone aren’t going to do much, but if everyone flushes their meds, the effects will be stronger and more dangerous.
I don’t know why I flushed the Wellbutrin. Maybe because I felt I didn’t need it or because it was the last medication prescribed. I just don’t know. I flushed them because I knew that I couldn’t go back on them.
It feels like I’m sabotaging myself again. I wonder if this type of behavior is normal for SZ’s?
Never thought of that. Thanks for letting me know.
I agree, but the paranoia just takes over and I make bad decisions. Since I just changed from Abilify to Risperdal, she has to slowly take me up on the medication, I think I’m pretty vulnerable right now. Now after listening to the comments here, I know I made a bad decision. Thanks for your input.
I definitely wouldn’t make any abrupt changes to your meds without talking it over with your pdoc first. Sometimes meds can influence you in ways that you’re not entirely conscious of. When I’m overly emotional, I’ve made some very bad decisions.
Don’t beat yourself up. We have all been there at some point. Just call your doctor and explain what you did and why. Maybe she can explain why you are taking that specific combination of meds in a way that comforts you. Maybe she can work on phasing out one of your meds if you strongly feel you can’t take four at once. But trust me, you will not be her first patient to freak out and flush their pills. You might be the first to immediately call for help afterwards though. I bet she will be grateful you at least called.
It’s so normal for us to not want to take yet another pill every day. That’s normal.
Well, the Wellbutrin was probably to decrease your anxiety, as it is a solid drug for that problem. It’s a little ironic that you flushed it of all the meds. Not funny, more like a serious issue, but still- that is a little ironic.
What side effects were you feeling? I assume you are having them or else you would be less uncomfortable with more meds, yes?
Also, if you’re concerned you’re taking too many meds, you might want to consider getting a 2nd opinion. There was a bipolar guy that I used to work with that changed to a pdoc that dramatically reduced the meds that he was on and he seems to have gotten much better on the change. He was on 7 different meds and the new pdoc changed him to 2. Anyways, the point is you should have professional oversight when making a drastic change to your medication.
But your concern is real. Some pdocs want to prescribe way too much imho.
I’m not feeling any side-effects at all. I just got it in my mind that 4 was too many medications and felt it was doing damage to me in some way; physically. This is par for the course with me. I do this nonsense all the time and I don’t realize till after what I’ve done. I think that’s why I flushed them down the toilet, as there is no going back to the medication.
Well, no side effects is good, but in all honesty, no side effects means the meds may not be working.
“If it’s strong enough to work, it’s strong enough to have side effects.” -some Doctor I can’t remember
If this is a pattern for you, maybe an injection would be better. That way, you can’t dispose of anything.
Yes, it’s a pattern for me. The strange thing is that I’m not a teenager, I’m in my early 40’s and I’ve done this my entire life. I’m aware of what I’m doing, but there is just this overwhelming force that makes me do these things; I think they call it paranoia. Maybe an injection would be better.
The doctor told me that paranoia is one of the most difficult symptoms to manage; it can take a long time. Since I got my diagnosis in June of this year, I haven’t been on a medication long enough for the medication to combat the paranoia. My focus has been to try and stay on the Risperdal and hopefully get to the next increase in dosage so my paranoia subsides.
There is no shame in having paranoia. It is extremely difficult to combat, even when you can rationalize. Either way, you should tell your doctor what happened, so you guys can brainstorm ways for you to be more successful with your medications.