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Crisis, overdose and meds


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So last week I overdosed because my anxiety got so severe and then the voice I hear told me to overdose and I lost my **** and took 19 40mg Propanalol tablets (I took a litre bottle of vodka and all my pills into the woods and was gonna take/drink it all) but I 'came round' from my episode and realised what I was doing and ran home and my housemate called 999 and I had to stay in hospital overnight because my heart rate and blood pressure dropped and I was at risk of cardiac arrest. So I saw my psychiatrist and said I dont want to be on fluoxetine because I feel like they contributed to this and turned me into someone else and I didnt feel well at all on them and so now I am back on 100mg sertraline and now 50mg quetiapine at night for anxiety and stabilising mood but feeling pretty up and down at the moment. I remember last week just thinking Id be better off dead, Im a burden and just so weird and I cant live with my OCD how it is, its torture. I couldnt find something and ransacked my entire room and still couldnt find it which stressed me out and I couldnt calm myself down and it lead to overdosing, which is not how a normal person would manage everyday life. I am now waiting to see a psychologist but just feel like Im too messed up to ever be okay completely. Has anyone else found quetiapeine 50mg useful at night, for anxiety? i just want things to be more normal and wondered if anyone else had similar experiences and any advice?

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I've not heard of those drugs but I've found diazapam good at getting over the evenings but I think you can only take them for a short period. It's harder to overdose on diazapam than on other drugs but it does not mix with alcohol, trust me I've tried and you'll wake up feeling terrible.

I know how it is and I've been there a number of times. Have you been given a number for a crisis team you can call, you might need a few nights in hospital just to try and get you on the level.

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Tori, SSRIs come with lots of warnings but one of the big ones is signs of depression/suicidal ideation in young people. That needs to be watched out for. It may well be what started this episode off for you. You need to watch out for this type of thing and go see one immediately if you suddenly start slipping again. Meds can be life changers but they can also cause huge problems.

Expect that you will be up and down some now that you have switched meds again. It takes a while for them to build up and smooth out. But do watch out for the warning signs, primarily feeling hopeless and suicidal. Remember that those feelings can be fixed with a med switch.

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Guest mks80

I've not heard of those drugs but I've found diazapam good at getting over the evenings but I think you can only take them for a short period. It's harder to overdose on diazapam than on other drugs but it does not mix with alcohol, trust me I've tried and you'll wake up feeling terrible.

I know how it is and I've been there a number of times. Have you been given a number for a crisis team you can call, you might need a few nights in hospital just to try and get you on the level.

This is wrong. Diazepam is very easy to overdose on and is very dangerous in doses over the clinically prescribed.

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This is wrong. Diazepam is very easy to overdose on and is very dangerous in doses over the clinically prescribed.

Correct. Diazepam overdose can be fatal.......but not to put too finer point on it. All drug overdoses can be fatal and it is never a solution to use drugs as a cry for help. If you're feeling suicidal, call emergency services and alert a friend or family member immediately.

SSRIs come with lots of warnings but one of the big ones is signs of depression/suicidal ideation in young people. That needs to be watched out for.

I have asked this question off a Professor of Psychiatry and World specialist and he informed me that the risks are the same whether you're 18 or 80. Physiologically there is no difference. It may be that a young person is not as well equipped to deal with the emotions that arise......but the risk remains the same whatever your age. If anyone experiences a change in thinking, depression, severe anxiety, mood, feelings of suicide......particularly when starting a drug, increasing/decreasing a dose or ceasing a drug....please seek immediate advice and support.

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Hey there Tori I'm really so sorry to hear what has happened with you&what has been happening hun,I do totally understand how it unfortunately feel but you're worth it trust me&all of us& always will be worth it.You aren't a burden on anyone at all I know how that feels as well but wanted to reassure you that you're so valuable.Also yes about the Quetiapine it has been amazing for me in helping change my life I take 200mg at night not only do I have great sleep but very importantly it's help control my anxiety,my thoughts,help keep me so calm& stable.

Also I take 50 mg in the morning and that has been excellent as well,well done for telling your Dr that you don't feel the fluoxetine anymore especially if you've been on lit long enough& it hasn't really benefitted you.I think very good to look at what else you can try there are so many medications also combinations to help you,I would certainly have a good look at the Quetiapine because that also combined with something else just like what has helped me could be just what you need.

You will come through this I know it,we all do trust me hun I know it's very tough now but you're a very strong girl please don't ever give up we're all here for you :original: .

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I would agree with you Caramoole. It's odd that I have seen advertisements for mood altering drugs that specifically mention adverse reactions in young people dealing with suicidal ideation.

Yes I tried stopping because I was fed up with taking pills every day, and a week later I ended up taking about 3 boxes in one night. I think there are dangers when starting and stopping these drugs. I didn't know diazapam was dangerous though, I was told it was one of the safer drugs to give to patients with anxiety for short periods.

I was told alcohol was one of the most dangerous self medicating drugs, it increases the toxicity of your medication and has its own toxic effects.

Sorry for the bad advice, feel dreadful.

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Sorry for the bad advice, feel dreadful.

No need to feel dreadful. You only know what you know and it has provided an opportunity to correct the information.....that in itself is a good thing, you've learned something and hopefully others will too, so in the end it's a positive outcome :)

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Polar bear said: I would agree with you Caramoole. It's odd that I have seen advertisements for mood altering drugs that specifically mention adverse reactions in young people dealing with suicidal ideation.

Hi Caramoole and Polarbear,

I think the warnings for under 25s are because the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until at least 25 years old and the frontal lobes are involved in controlling impulsive behaviour. It could happen to anyone at any age but may be slightly more likely in young people because the controls aren't quite complete yet!

Edited by BelAnna
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Hey there Tori I'm really so sorry to hear what has happened with you&what has been happening hun,I do totally understand how it unfortunately feel but you're worth it trust me&all of us& always will be worth it.You aren't a burden on anyone at all I know how that feels as well but wanted to reassure you that you're so valuable.Also yes about the Quetiapine it has been amazing for me in helping change my life I take 200mg at night not only do I have great sleep but very importantly it's help control my anxiety,my thoughts,help keep me so calm& stable.

Also I take 50 mg in the morning and that has been excellent as well,well done for telling your Dr that you don't feel the fluoxetine anymore especially if you've been on lit long enough& it hasn't really benefitted you.I think very good to look at what else you can try there are so many medications also combinations to help you,I would certainly have a good look at the Quetiapine because that also combined with something else just like what has helped me could be just what you need.

You will come through this I know it,we all do trust me hun I know it's very tough now but you're a very strong girl please don't ever give up we're all here for you :original: .

thanks so much ACE and everyone else. I used to take my dads diazepam which did help but i shouldnt have done as it wasnt prescribed for me but he started giving me it age 12 when i was anxious and it does become addicitve. i am back on 100mg sertraline and going to ask if i can go up to 150mg as apparently SSRIs are better in higher doses for anxiety and OCD and my doc wanted me on 60mg the max of prozac/fluoxetine so i dont know why im not on a higher dose like 150 or even 200mg of sertraline. the quetiapine i am told are better for taking at night and my girlfriend is on them for impulsiveness and mood stabilizing and she takes 1 25mg tablet at night and it knocks her out, i started on 25mg but it didnt make me feel any different and nor does 50mg really, maybe because my brain is always so anxious and crowded. i might ask my doc if it would be better to take 25mg in the morning and 25mg in the evening and if that would calm me during the day, what do you guys think? thanks again for the encouraging words, i will get through it, im feeling more calmer today but lower in mood, i know its a bad patch and THIS TOO SHALL PASS :)

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Hey there Tori how are you doing hun? I'm really glad you're feeling a bit better great news :original: ,in regards to the quetiapine we know of course doses affect all of us differently but yes 25 or 50 mg isn't that strong really& I would say maybe a little bit more at night may be a good idea& surely can help I'd have a good talk to your Dr about this.I take I think I mentioned 50mg in the morning just perfect for the anxiety& doesn't really sedate me during the day at all where at night the 200mg is perfect helping me to have a proper sleep& having the continuous affect the next day surely also :original: .

Also in regards to your other meds I would speak to your Dr for sure maybe in increasing them as maybe that's what may help also hopefully :original: .

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey everyone and hey ACE. I'm doing ok. I told my care coordinator that 50mg at night wasnt doing a lot and didnt make me sleepy and said could i increase the sertraline to 150mg daily as on fluoxetine they wanted me on 60mg the max dose whereas sertraline only on 100mg and 200mg is max dose. She said last time I was on a higher dose I got serotonin syndrome which was true so suggested instead to increase quetiapine so to take 50mg in morning and 50mg in evening so a total of 100mg daily. I did try this for two days. The first day, a Thursday I took 2 in the morning (2 25mg tabs so 50mg) and started to feel so tired like i had to go to bed which i couldnt as i was visiting a friend, it did wear off but was hard fuctioning and i felt like i was a bit spaced out and looked like i was on weed or something! the next day friday i took 50mg in morning and also felt the same, pretty much sedated but not like relaxed sedated like with diazepam but just knackered. so i am now taking 25mg in morning and 25mg in the evening. even the 25mg now in the morning does make me a bit sleepy but i think it does calm me down and it wears off....the sleepiness. i know quetiapien is an anti psychotic but in lower doses its for mood stabilizing and anxiety and then the higher doses for psychosis, schizophrenia and bipolar. apparently 25mg-300mg is used for anxiety dosage. i think my psychiatrist wanted me on 100mg but yeah even that was too much so i think 50mg is a good dose for me. with 100mg sertraline also. also, because i am under early intervention in psychosis (EIS) service they did have a psychologist who i was seeing for CBT and counselling but she left and they no longer have one and because I have to stay with EIS until June or September (the summer) because that will be 2 years (since summer 2013 I first saw them) and they were going to discharge me completely from mental health services and perhaps to a charity counselling service or GP service but because of my recent relapse they are now going to discharge me from EIS to ATS (assessment treatment service or recovery service) which is basically the community adult mental health team who i have never seen as I was moved from CAMHS to EIS. I am nervous about being discharged but also currently annoyed that because EIS has no psychologist and Im not with adult mental health team i cant see a psychologist til about september time. i feel this is quite late but theres not a lot i can do i guess. i was also told i would be able to see a physiotherapist for managing anxiety strategies but she doesnt work with EIS patients either. I was thinking about applying to my uni counselling service but there would be a waiting list i assume and then given the season time now it wouldnt be til sept either as uni counsellors dont work during summer hols. maybe i should ask my GP or care coordinator or psychiatrist at EIS that i would like to be referred to Time To Talk the NHS talking therapy service? Has anyone found them useful? I am still struggling, as you can see im writing **** and rambling and not getting to the point. one minute my mood is ok the next its low as ever. the anxiety and OCD is still bad. i am also trying to do my essays for uni that are due in a month which is stressful, but may be having extensions for these due to my relapse. also managing my job as a cleaner at a leisure centre which doesnt help my OCD but does help my social anxiety as working in customer service was very hard because of my shyness. anyway enough about me, hope youre all well. not sure what the point of this post is. but......anyone else feeling the same or dealing with similar stuff, any advice for anything ive mentioned? :) x

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Hi Tori,

Regarding your uni I would contact the counselling service and see if they can see you soon - if you make them aware that you took an overdose recently they should hopefully prioritise you. Personally I didn't find uni counselling services especially helpful for OCD, but it is worth a try - different counsellors will offer different things. I'd also ask your department for extensions on your essays - the unis I have been at have been good with respect to this.

I feel angry on your behalf as well - you should be able to see a psychologist asap. Perhaps you could ask your GP which services you could be referred to? Make sure they know about your recent overdose and they should refer you relatively quickly.

Are you sure it was serotonin syndrome that you had? As far as I'm aware that is very rare, especially on a dose that is within the guidelines. Not questioning your experience I'm just wondering(!)

The other night I was reading my diary from when I was 18/19, and it was clear just from the words how desperate I was at the time. I'm coping a lot better now (I'm 26) - in fact I had forgotten quite how hard things were when I was younger. So you will be able to get through this.

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HI LizzyHoy - yeah I think I will do and also should be getting extensions, I am waiting for my psychiatrist to write a letter explaining why I need extensions for my essays. I am a bit angry too, I definitely feel I need to see a psychologist asap. Yes I probably will ask my GP - I am seeing my doctor (not psychiatrist) soon regarding my hayfever and need for tablets again as the hayfever season begins so I might ask then. As for the serotonin syndrome, it may not have been actual SS or full blown SS but I think when I took 200mg (I was meant to be taking 150mg but took 200mg for a bit to see if that helped at all) my eyes were really wide and I felt spaced out and kept jerking my arms and legs without meaning to which sounds like SS but maybe it wasnt, but it was definitely too much (200mg) but 150mg was okay.

I used to write a diary but my OCD turned it into a nightmare, ritualistic tortuous mess so I gave up when I was eighteen but yeah thanks I guess I will do it is just hard at the time to think that but I'm feeling a lot better than a few weeks ago when I was in the midst of whatever it was (severe anxiety, wrong medication, relapse, voice hearing) etc. Thanks :) x

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Glad you're going to see the doctor again soon, hopefully they can refer you to a service quickly.

I understand the OCD diary thing - I can see in my diary places where I have stopped writing words partway through because my OCD said it wasn't safe. I used to have a lot of trouble with what I could/couldn't write. Like all of OCD it's very frustrating!

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Hey there Tori how are you doing hun? I'm really glad you're ok, yeah as we know medications & for e.g such as Quetiapine affect us all differently.I'm glad you've been able to hopefully see what may help you& what doesn't which is good.For e.g I could recall years back I was on about 300mg of Quetiapine at night & it would knock me out well into the next day, these days the 200mg seems to work just fine :original: .I've known of people for e.g who were on say about over 2000mg of Quetiapine a day whether or not that really helped them I guess is a different story :D .

Edited by ACE
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Im ok thanks ACE. Yesterday and today I took the 2 25mg quetiapine in the evening not the morning so I wouldnt be tired for writing my essay. I might stick to this or try and get past the tiredness and take 25mg in morning. Its annoying because taking 25mg in morning does calm me down but also makes me tired and just feel like I need to sleep but I guess I dont sleep and it doesnt completely sedate me like it does some people so maybe I should try and get past the drowsiness as if I dont take it in the morning I dont feel tired but Im also more manic and on edge and anxious. Its a tough one!

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Hey there Tori I'm glad you're ok great news hun :original: , yeah I would monitor the quetiapine also maybe see if it will be beneficial taking it slightly earlier in the morning if that is possible if that will make a difference also?.Yeah I think it is probably better taking it in the morning that's my opinion but I guess it's all different for all of us.The reason I say although there is some sedation if it's not too bad it will be better I do think than being quite manic& anxious I do feel that's for sure :original: .

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