Question:
I went to see my Dr. (psychiatrist) today. Even though my old
medication regimen didn't seem to be working, he wanted me to double the
dosage levels. My new medication regimen's as follows: Risperdal (2
mg/night), Celexa (40 mg daily), and Klonopin (1-1.5 mg/night). He
added Remeron (7.5 mg/night) to help me sleep. Does this seem right?
Shouldn't he have changed medications? Why didn't he? When I
complained about insomnia, he said upping the dosage of Risperdal would
calm me down and help me sleep. This doesn't sound right. Risperdal's
not a hypnotic (sleeping pill). I don't think it's a tranquilizer
either. What's his reason for making me take more Risperdal? Might it
help me stop thinking my food's contaminated? What about Remeron? Will
it help with sleep? I need something powerful to sedate me because I'm
so upset about things, especially my illness. I'm ashamed I can't make
myself better thinking different. What about insomnia? I can't wait
and see what happens when my depression's cured to get a night's restful
sleep. I'm obsessed about sleeping sometimes. I can't stand being
awake when I know everyone else isn't. What can I do to cure or lessen
insomnia? Will Risperdal really help? If not, what will?
Answer:
I'm not going to comment on your doctor's med prescription.
Did you talk with him about going to the hospital? What did he say about it?
I have been following your agonizing journey for several weeks now. It
grieves me to no end to see you suffering so.
Doesn't your pdoc see that you are wasting away to nothing because you fear
your food is poisoned??? Hasn't he tried to help you at all with that
problem??? It seems to me, if you don't get some MUCH NEEDED food in your
body, you're not going to have to worry about meds to get some sleep. You
hear what I'm telling you, don't you?
Also, is there NO ONE in your life that sees what is happening to you???
Family??? Friends??? Surely there has got to be SOMEbody that will help you
get to a hospital. I am absolutely sure that once you get to a hospital,
you'll wonder what it was that you were so afraid of. I know you had a
horrible experience the last time you were in the hospital. But that WILL
NOT happen this time.
Life is a wonderful, precious gift, Dom. Sure, there are times when the
going gets alittle rough. I get alittle tired myself of the stuggle
sometimes. But the rewards FAR out weigh any difficulties encountered along
the way. Can't you just picture yourself healthy again? What would be the
first thing you would do? Go for a walk in the park? Take a drive in the
country? Or perhaps go to a concert and hear your favorite music? The whole
world is waiting out there for you, Dom. But you have got to get yourself
together to experience it.
My personal experience with the combination of risperdal (0.5 mg /day)
and zoloft was that I had increased anxiety, and also risperdal
tended to keep me awake when I tried increasing the dose of it. I think
the celexa might be similar to zoloft, but I suspect this is a very individual
reaction and your problems sound a good bit different than mine.
I think the best advice (as others have said) is to get a good second opinion
from another psychiatrist. I think remeron would probably help you sleep
but I think you need to get a better explanation of what the medicines are
supposed to be doing.
