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Need help with recent and immediate med change

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Posted 7/5/2010 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everybody. A week ago today my therapist (who also is a prescribing APRN) had me make an immediate switch off of Cymbalta, which I have been on for several years now at a final dose of 120 mg.; to Prozac at 20 mg. I also recently started taking a very low dose of Seroquel and I have also been taking Trazadone at 125 mg. a night too for quite some time now.

Initially, I felt fairly okay with the change. The hardest part for me was the wild and bizarre dreams at night and not being able to wake up (even sleeping through an alarm clock in the morning.) Because I absolutely need to get up on time at 6:30 each morning, on Wednesday I cut down to one pill of Trazadone at 50 mg. I went from having a slight headache each day to now feeling like I have a drill going through my head.

I am trying to rationalize this. Did I make a foolish mistake of cutting the Trazadone down? Could this just be a common withdrawal effect of Cymbalta since I wasn't allowed to taper down? Any advice would be welcomed because I am in a lot of pain right now.

Thanks,
Cass
Posted 7/5/2010 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
Why did she change you from the Cymbalta in the first place? Was it no longer working? Otherwise, if it ain't broke, why fix it?
When I was being taken off of Zoloft, my doc gave me approx. the same amount of paxil as the amout he was withdrawing me off of. In other words, I was on 200 mg of zoloft, so he slowly reduced the zoloft as he added on the paxil.
about the other questions, it seems like it could be both possibilities you mentioned. You should call her and explain what's up.
Take care and post again!
jl
Posted 7/5/2010 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
the headaches could be your body getting used to the prozac? I am going onto prozac and i've had that side effect, but its easing off (i hope) about a week in.
Posted 7/5/2010 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cass,
Wondering why the Seroquel ? This med and Trazodone are often used for their side effect of causing drowsiness. If the Trazodone was working adding Seroquel may explain why you can't wake up in the morning. I use Trazodone at 150mg at bedtime and wake up fine.

Also wondering as Janetlee was, why the sudden change from Cymbalta to Prozac ?

Please do ask your prescribing Advanced Practice Registered Nurse to help you sort out what is causing what and keep us posted.

Kindly,

Kitt
Posted 7/5/2010 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
I totally agree with above n jl
with seroquel n traz you are getting lots of meds for sleep
and yes i would be asking the APRN about these meds n changes made if it were i
tk care
lyn
Posted 7/6/2010 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
I too agree the trazodone and seroquel taken together is very sedating. I was switched to seroquel from trazodone and the first week or so it was very hard to get up and going. I have been on 300 seroquel for about 5 weeks or so and it's not nearly as bad any more. Oh, be very careful of were you are when you take the seroquel if you are not used to it. I found it very hard to get around the first few days. I had about 20 minutes before I had to be sure I was were I was planning on sleeping.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 7/6/2010 5:14 AM (GMT 0)
Wow! Thank you everybody for so many replies. Since a lot of your questions were fairly similar here are my responses.

1) I was switched off of Cymbalta because my therapist and I felt that it was no longer working for me. For the past year and a half I have been under an extraordinary amount of stress and the majority of the issues will need to be addressed starting tomorrow through the coming weeks. I have been having multiple panic attacks and it felt like I was going to crawl right out of my skin. Depression reached an all time low as well. Second, I cannot afford Cymbalta and my therapist has been having trouble getting her hand on samples. The generic of Prozac on the other hand is quite cheap.

2) For the past several weeks I have been having a hard time staying asleep at night despite the Seroquel and the Trazadone. I have been pacing floors and my entire body has been out of wack. The Seroquel was meant to help calm my panic and some not so good thoughts I've been having as well as sedate me a little more so I could get a handle on things.

3) Before switching to Prozac and before Cymbalta stopped working so well, the combination was truly helping me. It's now that I switched that I'm having issues.

Hopefully I answered your questions. I do see my therapist (i.e. prescribing APRN) on Thursday. I'll let her know how I've been feeling.

Thank you all for your assistance!
Cass
Posted 7/6/2010 3:37 PM (GMT 0)
keep us posted plz and let us know what is done k
hugs
lyn
Posted 7/6/2010 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Lyn. I definitely will.

Cass
Posted 7/11/2010 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Lyn. I am checking back in now as I said I would. It sure has felt like a long past week and-a-half. I had my appointment this week with my A.P.R.N./Therapist (and I had also left a message for her beforehand). She had first left me a return message saying that I was going through an "adjustment" period. She advised that I drink an abundance of water and take maximum dose of Tylenol. When I saw her 2 days later, I mentioned that I had already been drinking a lot of water, and was taking maximum doses of Tylenol and Motrin combined. She recommended that I take the Prozac every other day. However, I am stalling on that as I also ended up having my period this week. Although my headaches have never been this bad, I usually get them at this time. .........I still have my headache though; slightly less intense. I guess I'll wait and see how I feel on Wednesday when I go back for another therapy session.

Thanks for sticking with me. My headache has been long and severe, however I have not felt the panic for a week and have been able to keep a handle on my depression. I'm hoping that the headache will go away soon.

Cass
Posted 7/16/2010 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
Cass
Just wanted to send ((((((BIG HUGS))))) your way!
Miss you!
Posted 7/16/2010 4:37 AM (GMT 0)
 Hi Cass! No info to help about your post but I have been trying to hook up with you to see how things are. i have been thinking about you. Take care and take a deep breath! xoxox 
Posted 7/16/2010 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cass,i hope you are feeling better by now. I can offer you a little advice on the prozac.I've been on it for a year or more.When i first started it,i had severe headaches too. I knew it wasn't coming from any of my other meds because i had been on them for many years. The other meds i take is Atarax for sleep and xanax for severe breakthrough panic attacks. I have been on cymbalta as well which made me feel like crap,changed my whole personality and i was sick constantly. I remember when i was weening off the cymbalta i had some headaches,not severe but enough to notice. So i would say either it's the prozac causing your headaches,if that's the case it shouldn't last long. Mine's didn't! Or it is the process of the cymbalta leaving your system. I've been on on trazadone for a short period of time and serequel,both of those made me too drowsy. Like the others said i couldn't imagine taking both together! No wonder you sleep through the alarm clock! (smile) These meds can be tricky with the side effects and combining certain ones together. Hopefully something i siad will help you sweetheart. I hope you feel better soon!
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