Changing Medication

Hi All

Hope you are all doing ok today? I have been having a few changes to my medication which has been a bit of a nightmare as i'm sure you will be able to relate to. I have a chronic pain condition which seems to be getting worse and I was taking Co Codamol 30/500 for the pain but it was not helping and I also take Lyrica 300mg a day to help with anxiety but it can also help with pain.

I am attending a pain clinic and had my pain medication reviewed and it was decided that they were not being effective and I also felt that I was taking to many pills through the day and wanted to reduce the amount. The decision was made to stop the Co Codamol and replace it with Dihydrocodeine (DHC 118) extended release tablets 60mg x 2 daily which would reduce the amount but have a stronger pain relief. I also wanted to stop the Lyrica (Pregabalin) as I felt it was not working so was told to drop from 300mg a day to 200mg per day basically missing the afternoon dose for 2 weeks then drop to 100mg for 2 weeks then stop.

What I found over the following weeks was that the pain got a lot worse and I was also getting really bad headaches and body jolts. I put this down to withdrawal from the pregabalin and called the specialist nurse who said to go back upto 300mg and see if that helps and made me an appointment to go and see her on the 12th to discuss. The problem is the pain is making my anxiety worse and also feeling depressed as I can not do anywhere near the amount of activity I did a year ago.

I was also at my doctors this morning and we decided that maybe the Lexapro (Escitalopram) was not working as well as it used to and he has asked me to switch to Paroxetine tomorrow. He said to stop the Lexapro today and start the Paroxetine tomorrow at 10mg with the aim of increasing. Has any one done this switch? I was unsure about just stopping the Lexapro but will have to trust the doctor.

Hope that all makes sense as these changes can get complicated but hopefully it will work but worried about withdrawing from the Lexapro so abruptly.

Hibee

Awww Hibee,

I am so sorry to hear that your pain is getting worse.:( I know that this must be frustrating and dissapointing for you.

Add to that medication changes that also affect the anxeity...and it must be beyond tough.

I hope that you get some resolution to this soon. It seems as though you have a good medical team to work with, so that is good news.

I am sending positive thoughts your way, with the hope that it all works out well and that you get the results that you need very soon.

With much compassion and support my friend.:)

S.C.

Hibee,

Hello my dear friend and I am sorry to hear of the medication waltz starting up again.  You know how much I always dread this but I have done it many times. 

I will share with you what I am using for meds right now - 

Pain:  Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen = 5mg/325mg) - may take 1-2 tablets every 6 hours for pain.  My pain is usually bone pain or stomach pain.  I use 4-5 tablets in a 24 hours period.

Antidepressant : Effexor XR ( Venlafaxine extended release) 112.5 mg orally every morning.  ( I can increase that up to 225 mg daily if I feel I need to but I seem OK at the current dose which I have been back on since June.

Sleep: Trazadone HCL ( Desyrel) - 150 mg every night at bed time - works like a charm for sleep.

Gentle Hugs,

Kitt

Anxiety:  Buspar ( Busprione HCL ) 15 mg,  1 capsule in the AM and 1 capsule at bedtime.

This is just simply sharing my daily cocktail with you and along with that I have to work really hard at staying in the moment. 

I am glad to know you have faith in your Drs. so know my thoughts are with you and be well.

 

 

Sending hugs and healing thoughts your way. And some for you too Kitt. I pray for peace for all of us.