RubyTuesday Introduction

[RubyTuesday]

That's why I reinstated Rem at former frequency of every 24 hours; because I thought I was short on Lamictal. As it turns out, I am not short on L.
The link I looked at from this site about Omega 3 said to start w 1 gram. The EDA & DHA are in the same capsules, I did not see any other kind at the store. The links I looked at from this forum said to be sure there was at least 60% of EDA in the fish oil. The one I got is as follows: every 2 caps has Fish oil concentrate 2400 mg; Total Omega 3 Fatty Acids 720 mg with EPA 360 mg; DHA 240 mg; other Omega-3 120 mg. Oops,I did not see the "other" while I was at the store, which means the EDA is only 50% of the whole.
But I don't see how it would be harmful. I could certainly take less caps than 6. I took 6 because that was the recomendation in the link I read. Also I thought it said the sooner you started the fish oil in the tapering off process, the better. So I started. Certainly felt good afterwards.

[RubyTuesday]

so the only changes are that I switched my Rem from night to morning with 1 gap of 12 hours; and I started fish oil.

[Luc]

Really good thing you started taking fish oil, Ruby.

As for the big picture, what Sheila said - taking small steps is definitely the way to go. It takes time, but the improvement will be there.

[Sheila]

We people in psych med w/d often cannot tolerate the recommendations on supplement bottles or from well-meaning health practitioners. We need to make any changes very slowly and smally because our autonomic nervous system is hyper-sensitive.

Your fish oil pills have in one pill – 300 mg EPA + DHA. The ratios are fine. I would only go up by two pills every two weeks.

Also, you live in California, and the best price I’ve found is Trader Joe’s, which has 600 mg EPA + DHA in one pill.

[RubyTuesday]

5/9/13: started on IAWP forum. Was at 3.75 m. Remiron the "identified problem drug" since 4/1
5/18: cut 3.75 to 1.875 due to increasing panic attacks & unbearable anxiety consistent w pattern
5/19 thru 5/22: felt great, awesome, my old self again, as per every drop in Remiron over past year
(45 to 30 to 15 to ---late or mid June 2012--- 7.5)
5/23 & 5/24: anxiety, ataxia, panic attacks, crying spells set in again, consistent with pattern.
5/24: evening. learn high school best friend has just died of bone cancer w/o telling any of us
5/25: see ex boyfriend to collect cash for yoga teacher training deadline approaching; spend day
5/25: skip Remiron as per prior plan, w/o re-thinking. (Seroquel & Lamictal have been stable for several months; no change.)
5/26: morning. intense physical paralysis makes me scared I can't make 4:30 pm commitment; take 1.875 at 9:30 am. Day is okay, shaky, some dizziness.
5/26 evening: phone to refill Lamictal, am told can't refill, skip evening 12.5 dose
5/27: morning, wait nervously till 9am, call pharmacy, am told it is refilled. take morning dose. 50mg.
5/27: cancel plans for ballet class & attend AA meeting, feeling weepy. take over 1 gram fish oil. work out w son & weights and feel great.
5/27 evening: forget Lamictal due to all the confusion
5/28: LATE into city for outpatient treatment due to terrible depression. Make it in: acupuncture; yoga class, feel better but still bursts of crying all day. phone ex boyfriend. come home & take 2 Fish oils instead of yesterday's 6 as per comments from Luc & Sheila
5/28 remember to take evening dose Lamictal 12.5
5/29 is still being written as this goes to press

[RubyTuesday]

the guy I saw for Prozac maintenance from around 2004 to 2009( approximate) actively ENCOURAGED me to pop my dose up when pre-menstrual, and down when post-menstrual, so I routinely fluctuated between 30 & 40 milligrams every 2 weeks. or 20 & 30; and more. I was also on birth control so my periods were regular for the only time in my life.

How I found this guy:
The guy that started me on Prozac was the best I ever had. Sadly, I lost him due to the following:
I was enrolled with "welfare to work" in 2002 after an abortion (same ex-bf).
I took my son out of school in March 2003 due to his mental health issues and the school systems total idiocy on such matters. I then homeschooled for 2 years that time. (there were others later)
I withdrew from "welfare to work" because, having worked with them before, I knew their total intolerance of any work from home reasonable plan,and I needed to stay home & mind my son, and could NOT work outside my home that time (there were others later.) What this means is that I chose to live on even less income than prior in order to homeschool my son to keep him out of the juvenile justice system(p.s. this same son has been in community college for 3 years now with a 4.0, does not do drugs, has not knocked anyone up, has not planned any school shootings, has not had a drink, and has never been arrested.)
I spent several weeks discussing this with "w to w" and signing various forms.
THE DAY BEFORE my appointment with my shrink to refill meds: I got a call from his receptionist informing me that due to the fact that I had withdrawn from "w to w" I COULD NOT SEE HIM ANYMORE & MY APPOINTMENT WAS CANCELLED. FUNNY THAT "W TO W" HAD NEVER MENTIONED THAT FACT.
I scrambled big time and ended up at another low income clinic, where I was never completely happy.
to be continued
under a thread to be titled:
PSYCHOPHARMS & THE "MEDICALLY INDIGENT" (99%)

[RubyTuesday]

5/29 9:30 am
took my 1.875 Remiron.
Emotionally so much clearer without it (considering going to 36 hour frequency) and calmer,
but moving into my day noticed the physical shakes, and have too much to do today, will have to wait.
Really don't like the panic that sets in about 5 hours after the dose.
Trying to clear my schedule for a couple of weeks to stop. Still working on it.
Still paying bills & maintaining a household for my 19 year old boy genius who has his heart set on UC Berkeley School of Engineering to follow in his paternal grandpa's footsteps who designed most of I95 & built the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. signed: --medically indigent Gulag Clone #5672987378

[m&m]

Engineering... good choice. Wishing him success.

God bless the children.

[Sheila]

5/29 is still being written as this goes to press

Lol.

OMG – that is so bad what that doc told you to do going up and down monthly on an AD! And that’s terrible how he abandoned you!

Dear 99% in the Gulag – look, one way or another, you’re going to be off the Remeron soon. I know it’s extremely hard, but this is not an exact science, and we can’t control it by either taking the low dose *or* quiting. Either way, there will be some rockiness. Follow your intuition, but don’t expect perfect correlation between what you do and how you feel.

Congratulations on your son’s strengths. He is doing so very well!

[RubyTuesday]

5/29 Wednesday ended up being a good day, rough start
5/30 Thursday same thing, rough start, but turned into a good day once I got moving

an awesome book fell into my hands, written by someone I went to psych grad school with:

The Spiritual Gift of Madness; The Failure of Psychiatry and the Rise of the Mad Pride Movement
by Seth Farber, intro by Kate Millet