Medication problems...too much, too many, possible long term effects??

Over the last 3-4 years, I have been on Xanax, Paxil, Cymbalta, Buspirone, Clomipramine (had to go to E.R. on this stuff after one dose), Clonazepan, Mirtazipine, Zoloft, Zyprexa, Seroquel, Prozac and Welbutrin.  I currently take 20 mg of Lexapro and 10 mg of Ambien for sleep.  Today I was prescribed 1 mg of Risperdal.  I haven't taken the Risperdal, but I feel I am getting no better with the Lexapro.  I have had every test done except seeing a ENT and Neurologist.  My problem is that my eyes feel really strange all the time.  Like everyone is staring at me, some problems with dizziness, depth perception, lighting and such.  The pdoc told me for being 27 and having these symptoms it is almost comical....I had a hard time finding the humor in it.

The pdoc told me it's something I'm just going to have to live with as they didn't find anything, but that is something else I have a hard time dealing with.  I don't sleep well, find myself grinding my teeth, feeling like my body is going a million miles a minute....cold to start the night, sweating when I wake up and for the rest of the day, irratability, fear of going crazy....you name it.

My questions are....could the Lexapro be causing this even though I have been on it for like 2 months?  Could I just not need medicine....maybe the medicine causes this???  Thanks for the input.  Any body else experience a problem with their eyes??  This has been my chief complaint over the years and I feel I wouldn't have the anxiety or depression if I new what was wrong.

I believe you've already posted this exact question before. Again, go to a new psychiatrist and tell him you want to start over from the ground up. That should be your first step. If your eyes are feeling strange you could see an ophthalmologist while you're at it.

Again, that's why you need a fresh perspective. A second opinion. Maybe a tear down and rebuild of your pharmacological regimen. We can offer support and some advice, but when it comes down to it this is a doctor/patient problem that you need to address.

Totally agree with JD and Debaser on this

I wish you all the best please do seek out professional help as posted and keep us in the loop
Thoughts and prayers are with you

Hi Blue,

I have chronic anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. In my case, these things are related to my childhood which was highly dysfunctional and traumatic, but there is also a physiological factor. In my own search to feel better I've done a candida cleanse and noticed that after cleansing, the anxiety I have was much less. I also noticed a connection with overall 'toxicity' and panic attacks. So I highly recommend looking into some natural solutions to help support the process of lessening one's tendency towards these things. That said...

I could be way off base, but just from my own experience, (and seven years of reading on this stuff), I'm just going to share what I perceive in your case. A lot of your symptoms sound like they could be caused by either candida or particularly parasites. If you look up the symptoms for these things on google, it might give you a context to see if it's something you'd like to investigate further. Most conventional practitioners don't take either of these things too seriously, if at all. But you could look into finding a naturaopathic dr. if you're open to that. Or you could simply find a good parasite cleanse at your local health store, and give it a go. May as well try it and see. However, make sure you check with your doctor first about the herbs in the cleanse as you don't want to do anything that will interact poorly with your meds.

Candida, parasites, heavy metal toxicity and toxicity in general can cause panic attacks and heightened anxiety. Food intolerances could also be behind some of what you are experiencing.

I pray you find what you need. Answers can take awhile to find, but sometimes it just takes perseverance, some good cries, and time and then they come. Hang in there! - manyembers

manyembers;

I wish I had that, but I have had every test known to mankind done.  about 3 years ago, my doc's physician's assistant stated he thought it was a parasite, but that's where it ended.  Any ideas on what to do or what tests to ask for?

harry4;

 

I had posted before in hopes you would reply.  As you can see from my posts, I have tried many medications with no help.  I was hospitalized in a inpatient facility in hopes they would clean me off of everything and start from scratch, but that didn't happen.  I had convinced myself about 3 years ago, based on my symptoms that I had schizophrenia, but that has been ruled out by everyone I have seen.  I really think the medicines are worse for me than everything.  I have been on the Lexapro for almost 3 months and I feel the last 2 weeks the symptoms have gotten worse.  My social anxiety, lack of sleep, jitters and involuntary movements have gotten worse, as well as my headaches.  I feel exhausted yet when I try to sleep, I find my body feels like it's going to get up and run, my jaw (teeth) are clenched, I'm cold when I go to bed, but wake up sweating unbelievably, irratible, moody, no motivation and I have pain in my left ear and my right ear sometimes feels like a blown speaker.  When I sleep with my right ear down, I wake up shaking and trembling.  My doc's have told me if it was schizophrenia more than likely I wouldn't be researching what was wrong with me and it would be full blown by now.

Any suggestions or ideas?  Based on your opinion, do you think the medicines could be making me worse?  I have never went more than 2 months in the last 3-4 years without being on one of the medicines I have listed.  Is it possible that although I haven't been on them at the same time or for a long time they could have increased my serotonin level too much?  I had to go the ER on Clomipramine (very bad ordeal) after taking one dose.  My parents said all of my siblings including myself don't tolerate medications very well and I was wondering if it's possible for me to see bad side effects after almost 3 months of use (it states usually up to 6 weeks before side effects are gone)?  I also take Prilosec everyday for GERD. 

My family has also said that if I took 2-3 days and did nothing but sleep I would be better, as I just quit my stressful (burnout) of a job and maybe the rest is what I need.  As you can see from my prior posts https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=796347 I have had like a physchotic break or whatever it's called, but it's only ever been following a night of drinking.  I think the worst case scenario the following day and let my mind run (OCD) until it becomes almost debilitating.  Once I've worried it off, I don't even think about it anymore (a couple of weeks or something like that).  I've always been a high energy, worrying type of person, but it got better when I started Zoloft, went out and drank (got worse), started Xanax (had a bad episode) with it and it went downhill from there.  Thanks for your help, as I feel like I'm running out of options.  I really appreciate it.

I am currently taking 20 mg of Lexapro (for almost 12 weeks) and 10 mg of Ambien to sleep, along with 1 20 mg of Prilosec daily.  I stopped taking the Clonezapan maybe three weeks ago, but I was never really on it to begin with.  I took it every now and then, but never the full 2 mg daily.  I completely understand nobody on here is an MD, but getting the advice of so many people with a vast knowledge of this stuff will never hurt.  Thanks for the help.

Thanks debaser!

I am only taking Prilosec 20 mg, Lexapro 20 mg and Ambien 10 mg to sleep.  I really don't know what to think, as I cannot sleep even with the Ambien and my entire day I feel like my body is just going to run away!  I can barely even go in public anymore, as my eyes feel like they are popping out of my head and moving constantly when I talk to someone, well actually even when I'm at home alone.  The confusion over what to do or what to think is becoming a real burden.  I love going to the doctor and having them say "you have a really big chart for only being 27".  Love that.

I've heard everything from thyroid, parasite, inner ear problems, neurological problems, but yet no answers.  I have never seen an ENT or a neurologist, but I just feel like I'm grasping at slippery straws by doing that.  My head hurst a lot, my ears a lot, I look really tired (and hear it all the time), but nothing seems to help.  I realize it's more than likely anxiety and depression, but it has gotten astronomically worse in the last 2-3 weeks, to the point I don't even want to leave my house.  I just feel the Lexapro has become a problem for me.  Sorry for venting, but I really do appreciate it.  I have two kids 5 and under and I feel like my life is over....no relationship, I don't want them to be embarrased of me and such.  My eyes and my body feel like they are going non stop.  I am going to try and sleep for like the next two days, as I quit my very stressful, dead end, burnout job a week ago and I think sleep will help me relax my mind.  Thanks Again!!

Yes, Lexapro is an SSRI, but wow, I can really tell the difference in a negative way.  My body is out of control on this stuff.  Lately I feel sick to my stomach, kind of like the flu, panic attacks (never before), cannot sleep even with 10 mg of Ambien (and if I do, it's for a short period of time and very bad, vivid dreams), I find myself trying to focus on things to the point that it makes my neck twitch, involuntary twitching of the legs and sometimes arms, head feels like a can of soup...the other problem I noticed within the last week, is now when I take the Ambien, I can barely walk and stumble into things (only last about 10-15 minutes).

Does anyone know if you can take Simply Sleep (by Tylenol) over the counter with 20 mg of Lexapro (taken in the morning)?  The active ingredient is Diphenhydramine HCI and it's 25 mg.

debaser....thanks for the help.  I would search for this info....but I don't know how.  Thanks Again!

manyembers;

Thanks for your help.  Not too much information at all, actually everything is very helpful in this quest.  I really think I need to discontinue this Lexapro ASAP!  I know they say side effects usually wear off within 4 weeks, but my family members have always had a low or intolerance to many medications.  I can tell within the last 2 weeks that this stuff has really kicked in.  I feel I could run a marathon, although I am tired.  My body is in that constant fight or flight mode and it has actually started causing me to have panic attacks, which I really have never had before.

What kind of symptoms did you have?  I know they won't be the same or anything like that, but everything and anything could help me at this point.  I not only think I don't respond well to SSRI's, but I don't think I respond well to any of these meds.  Like I said, my problems usually stemmed from a night of drinking and a little OCD tendencies.  My family said "if we would have known this was going to happen, we would have never suggested any of it."  By biggest problem (in my opinion) is the fact that they never gave me time in between medications to wien off or anything to see if that was a problem.  It was always (Thursday for instance) stop this one and start this one on the same day.  My pdoc just told me a couple weeks ago, if the Clonazepan wasn't working to stop it.  It was never wien yourself off or anything like that.  Crazy stuff, but I'm convinced this stuff is making me worse than ever.  Thanks for the insight into this.  Hope all is well.

 

Hi Blue,

YOU WROTE: I don't sleep well, find myself grinding my teeth, feeling like my body is going a million miles a minute....cold to start the night, sweating when I wake up and for the rest of the day, irratability, fear of going crazy....you name it.

MY REPLY: Okay, I've read a lot of different sources that list symptoms of parasites, and most list "Grinding teeth at night." Not sleeping well can be related to many things, but can also be attributed to parasites/candida/toxicity. Feeling like your body is going a million miles a minute - I get this too. In my case, as embarrassing as it is to write, it is often much better after a good bowel movement - which is why I think there is a toxicity/parasite element involved. When these things die they give off toxic substances which are then swept out by the eliminative organs. Night sweats can be parasite related. I tend to get these off and on. But this can also be hormonal or other things. Irritability and fear of going crazy also parasite/candida/toxicity related. The fear of going crazy is something I tend to get again when I am too toxic or symptoms of candida are resurfacing. OCD symptoms - had these coming back as well before I went on a cleansing regimine again a few months ago.

With parasites etc., like I mentioned, they give off toxic substances when they die, and likely just in general (waste products). These things can mess with the central nervous system as well as affecting thinking (brain fog). I think that the chronic anxiety plays off these things and vice versa. I have not had a stable enough life or finances to do a complete cleanse, but can say from the amount I did several years ago, it made a real difference in anxiety levels and I'm making my way back to taking care of things more thoroughly this time round.

You mentioned alcohol - this is again just throwing something out there as a possibility, but candida feed on alcohol, so if you notice when you have alcohol, or sugar (which they also feed on) that your symptoms of anxiety and OCD are worse, there MAY be a connection.

I encourage you, if you think any of these things might be a possibility, to just do a search on google and read up on the symptoms and e-mail your questions to some of the sites you find. Don't trust everyone who replies as there are some kooks out there and people who just want money, but if you do your investigating, over time you may find there is common ground in what you read or in replies you get which may help to pinpoint some things. It could be that parasite(s) are present, but are only part of the problem. But solving part of the problem is better than nothing! Step by step.

take care, mb