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Topic: Weaning Off Meds - When and How? (Read 339 times) |
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Sylvan
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Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« on: Mar 25th, 2005, 1:40pm » |
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I was wondering if *maybe* it's time to try weaning off the meds. I'm currently using Lithium 300 mg SID and Verapamil ER 240 mg SID plus 6 mg Melatonin SID. Dose has been pretty stable for about 3 months now.
Neuro rx'd 300 Lithium BID and 240 Verapamil BID - but i discovered (mostly by being forgetful) that if i only took them at night - the results were the same and i was a little less spacey.
As for HA's - they have been relatively minor since about mid January. Occassional hits (kip 4-5) not lasting very long and mostly when driving at night or from sudden intense light. I am still getting shadows almost every day - but nothing too severe. (meaning i can generally keep working through them) Average duration 20-40 minutes.
I'm wondering if it's wise to start weaning off the meds. I did skip the lithium last night - just to see what happened. I slept through the night. Today i've had 1 moderate shadow so far - a couple of hours earlier than usual.
If i do wean off - do i wean off one med at a time? I was thinking the lithium first - maybe every other day for a week or so then every 3rd day etc.
I would just love to stop taking all these pills, but i certainly don't want the headbangers to start again. It's now been over 5 months since this *cycle* started.
I appreciate any input or thoughts on this.
Anne
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E-Double
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Re: Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« Reply #1 on: Mar 25th, 2005, 2:35pm » |
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Not being a doctor.......I can only tell you my experience.
Late October into early November I really started getting some PF time for about 2 weeks...just low level shadows if anything...I started to taper off Verap & indo...
I was getting married in mid November so was a bit hesitant to taper off completely but I did get down to 120 mg of verap & 25 of indo.......
PF time continued through honeymoon until half way through then I got hit @ dinner. It was enough to tweak me out and make me pace for a few.....
Had my meds with me and just increased.....
That's the option if tapering slowly as you should you can just increase again.
I wish I had an answewr for ya.
I'm sick of the meds and I keep researching and following the two different "alternatives" yet I can not figure anytime in my schedule to get the balls to start detoxing....For now my decision....I've been teetering for a while and definitely will try at some point but .....
Well who knows.
Your body will tell you when it's time.
Good Luck Anne!
Eric
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I can't believe that I have to bang my
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But the blows they have just a little more
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Sylvan
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Re: Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« Reply #2 on: Mar 26th, 2005, 1:25pm » |
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Thanks Eric 
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Jonny
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Re: Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« Reply #3 on: Mar 26th, 2005, 1:32pm » |
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on Mar 25th, 2005, 2:35pm, E-Double wrote:| tapering slowly as you should you can just increase again. |
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BINGO!!! E2 
Just as a back up you should run it by your Doc also, Sylvan
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It is up to YOU to educate yourself and then help your doctor plan your treatment. If you just sit down in front of your doctor and say "make me better" you are setting yourself up for a great deal of pain.
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PCMCCK
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Re: Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« Reply #4 on: Mar 26th, 2005, 11:42pm » |
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I agree with Jonny, discuss it with your doctor. I've known people who have stopped taking meds for various ailments, CH and non-CH, on their own because they felt better only to have catastrophic consequences in some cases. It could be that the meds are what are making you feel better and while reducing one or so once in awhile might not have any adverse effect, taking yourself off all of them, or totally off any one of them, may cause your CH to become worse, so, again, talk it over with your doc and good luck. I wish to hell that I could stop taking goddamn pills every day.
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Sylvan
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Re: Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« Reply #5 on: Apr 2nd, 2005, 12:18pm » |
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Thanks for the input
So far - so good. I've reduced the lithium to every other day for a week now. No change in the *shadows* - and no wake up calls. I even skipped the verap one night too. Fell asleep on the couch and didn't take any meds.
I am still taking the melatonin though.
I did speak to the doc - and he was cautiously optimistic. He did say that if the shadows got worse or i had a wakeup that wasn't a true headbanger - to go back to the once a day dosing on both meds. He said the biggest problem with stopping meds on CH was that you never know if or when the HAs will return.
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E-Double
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Re: Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« Reply #6 on: Apr 2nd, 2005, 12:35pm » |
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Happy for ya!! & sounds like a decent doc.
Best,
Eric
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I can't believe that I have to bang my
Head against this wall again
But the blows they have just a little more
Space in-between them
Gonna take a breath and try again.
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lionsound
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Re: Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« Reply #7 on: Apr 3rd, 2005, 1:12pm » |
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Anne,
I recently had cause to taper off my meds and all my docs said slowly, slowly, slowly .....
If you taper one at a time then you may figure out which one works or not. of course thats pure theory as I've done it and have never been able to figure much of anything out about that.
I do know that the verap must be tapered slowly ..I've been warned about that by a friend on this sight who saw bad things happen when done too quickly. (sometimes I forget it is a BP med even though we may not use it for that.)
Sounds like it's going well so far yay!
Be well and PF,
-lionsound
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TonyG1
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Re: Weaning Off Meds - When and How?
« Reply #8 on: Apr 3rd, 2005, 1:23pm » |
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on Apr 2nd, 2005, 12:18pm, Sylvan wrote:Thanks for the input
So far - so good. I've reduced the lithium to every other day for a week now. No change in the *shadows* - and no wake up calls. I even skipped the verap one night too. Fell asleep on the couch and didn't take any meds.
I am still taking the melatonin though.
I did speak to the doc - and he was cautiously optimistic. He did say that if the shadows got worse or i had a wakeup that wasn't a true headbanger - to go back to the once a day dosing on both meds. He said the biggest problem with stopping meds on CH was that you never know if or when the HAs will return.
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Sylvan -- I too am dosing down on my verap (only med I take for prevention) so far, so good as well - I expect to be med free in about two weeks (YEAH !!!!) My doc said that too ... worst case scenario the CH could return.
Good luck to you !!
Tony
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