I am officially crazy now!?! Just released from the hospital!

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1

Here is my story, please read, information, because it may be important to you someday.

I have had many stressors the last couple of months, from my health to my children to death in the family. I started seeing a behavioral therapist and taking Zoloft 3 weeks ago.

The moment I started taking Zoloft I was awake every 1 to 2 hours. 5 days later one of my girls was hospitalized for a few days, then I increased my dose of Zoloft last Monday and my agitation and stress level increased, with fleeting suicidal thoughts in the mornings after taking Zoloft. On Friday, the agitation and the thoughts were more persistent (looking back it was because I took Prilosec/Cimetadine the night before). Did you know that it increases the side effects of Zoloft?

I went to the ER on Friday, and was admitted and in behavioral health inpatient hospital for 5 days.

The physician I saw upped my dose of Zoloft on Saturday, and I took Ambien as well (and Prilosec, too). Even though I took Ambien I did not fully sleep, for 2 hours I couldn't move but heard everything, and my Restless Legs/Periodic Limb Movement Disorders in Sleep were terrible. I woke up fully and couldn't sleep, as my legs and arms were flinging out every 30 to 60 seconds, then my muscles were so sore from the activity.

On Sunday, I asked many people for help for my RLS/PLMS, they said sorry your Dr. is not in today. So another terrible night, in addition to my legs and arms jerking around, my neck repeated jerked around. I got up after an 1 1/2 of trying to sleep and asked for help, (they did nothing!) I was in so much excruciating pain, I have neck problems and been going to PT 2 times a week for neck pain. I saw my therapist today, and she said my muscles were much tighter in my neck and my neck was much less flexible then it was a month ago when I started therapy with her.

On Monday, I told the doctor, and he ordered and anti-anxiety medication (Klonopin). He said my dose of Zoloft was so small it couldn't have side effects like that. So I called my sleep physician, and he said that Zoloft and other antidepressants can cause increased RLS and PLMS, and said to let the attending Dr. know that he should increase my RLS medication or use another medication. Talked to my nurse, she said I am sorry he is gone for the day. I had another hellish night and hardly slept, kept trying to take naps, but couldn't as the symptoms were bad during the day, too (like a huge full body startle reflex).

Tuesday, I mentioned it again, he said I am sorry I do not know that much about RLS and he obviously did not know about the connection with Prilosec either. WTF! Doesn't depression and poor sleep and sleep disorders correlate???? Do you know how many people I asked for help? I couldn't even get a hot pack for my neck, much less any sleep.

I am home now, I am finally sleeping, I slept 6 hours in a row, and another 2 hours, plus naps today... without any or very little RLS. You ask why?

Because my sleep physician ordered Neurotin/Gabapentin!

And now I have the diagnoses of anxiety, suicidal ideation, depression and somatization disorder. I have had the label of hypochondriac before, because I am hyper aware of my symptoms (although I was have a big fibro flair at the time because I found out my RLS were not treated).

Interestingly, there was no mention of how 2 1/2 weeks of not sleeping might make my fibromyalgia and other symptoms worse.

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Oh Terri, what a terrible ordeal you went through in attempts to get better, suffering horrible adverse reactions to a med, only to constantly be told that the person in charge of your care and your meds is unavailable! It's frightening what can happen when you give up your personal freedoms in hopes of really being looked after, you're damned if you go and damned if you don't!!!!!

My Mom has been in the hospital, then a nursing home after falling and breaking a hip, so I have gotten a very close look at many aspects of being 'admitted' anywhere! The care has been good as those places go, (but my constant presence and interest are surely a factor) but she is lucky that she did not have any adverse reactions to any meds! Those precautions are EVERYWHERE. a Physician should know all of this by heart, and recognize it immediately as 'the med'! Those precautions were even publicized on the TV ads!

I am so very sorry that you have had to go through this, I am NOT impressed with the Physician in charge of your care there, and I have high hopes that you will soon find 'your Doctor'! They are out there, if you haven't found at least ONE of them, I can only encourage all of you to keep looking!

I am so very glad that you are back at home in your house, and back at home here on the site, hope that the Gaba does the trick! Get better girlfriend, you have been missed!

Sending lots of love,

SK

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Teri - I am so very sorry. Your whole experience sounds just horrible. I believe it is common to diagnose us with Somatization Disorder. I have had the same from a Neuro Pshcy test. It seems that the medical community has not gotten together and realized that our neurological issues cause or mimic mental problems and because of that fact the doctor's shut down and assume that everything we are saying is "mental"! I am so sorry about what you went through and I hope it won't take you too long to recover. The mental anguish caused in situations like this take some much time to get over and I will keep you close in thoughts and prayers. Be kind to yourself and know that you are not the diagnoses they gave you!! Big Hugs and Love!!

Linnie

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Hi Teri, I worked in an inpatient psychiatric facility as a nurse before being diagnosed with FM. The nurse should have called the on call doctor for you!!! to help get you some medication. What poor medical care you received!!! You did not get the help you should have and the stress from being there is hard enough without having no one understand what is going on with you. You should file a complaint with the hospital liaison because that is the only way that you can prevent this from happening to other people. Sounds like the attending needs to go back for more education and training. I hate it when people get labeled by physicians who don't know what the hell they are doing. I was labeled by my pain management doctor as crazy. Well maybe if these guys had to walk in our shoes for a few days they would understand. No one can know how bad you hurt-except you. To say you had somatization disorder is ridiculous to say the least. I am sorry this happed to you!!! Hold your head up high and know that you were right and the doctor is just ignorant. I would also let people know not to go to that facility for treatment.

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I'm so sorry you had to go through that! Hate those places!! Went when I was a teenager. They treated us like we were a bunch of stupid kids that just needed to grow and stop being so childish. Ugh! I went through some major trauma, but it was dismissed and when the buried emotional/psychological whatever came out...well they didn't like how poorly I wasn't handling it. Anyway, I actually wanted to say that I can't take ANY of the psychotropic drugs - anti-anxiety, anti-depression, you named Gabapentin, that one totally messes with my head. They kept changing my meds. making them stronger and my thoughts and depression always got worse. They'd notice that and put me on the next thing...over and over again. Got out of my parents home (married my hubby) and went off the meds and I actually stabilized - that was ten years ago. The doc put me on Gabapentin for a sleep aid a little over two months ago (maybe three). After only 3 weeks my mood was unstable, my personality changed, I struggled with thoughts (which I recognize now as a need for emotional release of some kind), and had a flashback that was so intense I was screaming at the top of my lungs at 4am. Freaked my husband out! I've went off it and about a month later I'm feeling back to myself. Still can't sleep, but I'll take no sleep over intensified depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts!!

Thanks for sharing...the interactions and dosage of all the pharmaceuticals can be frustrating enough. Let alone the lack of help or knowledge. My mom was in there two years ago, turned out she had sleep apnea and the lack of oxygen with a very low vitamin D was making her emotional mood tip off the deep end.

I'm glad you're sleeping and hope things go better for you!!

Hugs,

Butterflydragon

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Zoloft makes me speedy aggitated. I took it for a year and a half anyways, trying to get rid of headaches. It didn't work, but I've always wondered if it had a permanent effect. I have general anxiety, as well as social anxiety. I always wonded if the general anxiety had something to do with the zoloft making me speedy aggitated.

I was seeing a psychiatrist and I got up to 1200 mg of Gabapenatin a day. It made me suicidle. I told the psychiatrist in two different appointments. Then I started having low blood sugar problems, as I was also taking 60 mg of propanlol. BTW a sign of low blood sugar is being angry for no reason. So I fired him, and weened myself off of the meds.

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i was on loses dose of wellbutrin and felt like something was very wrong with my brain, eventually tunnel vision, pain in my head plus just over all feeling that something was very wrong in my brain both psychologically and physiologically.

Very long week of symptoms just increasing, i did even go to ER but they just did not have clue. My counselor who has known me over 15 years, took one look at me and said something is very wrong. Got me in to the hospital and insisted they figure out what was wrong with me....it was the wellbutrin.

Some people are allergic or have very negative reactions to antidepressants just like any med. You possibly might also be one of the very few as i was. I had most all the symptoms you describe in your 2nd to last paragraph.

You might just try tampering down the Zoloft yourself if you doctor will not listen to you.

I am very sorry that you are going through this....i can remember very well how you really feel you are going crazy or something is just very wrong in your brain...plus all other symptoms. It is very upsetting...extremely to feel in such a way. I am surprised as impatient that no one removed you off it. I was very lucky to have my counselor step in as advocate for me! Bring a friend if to speak up for you if you feel unable too. I was not able to communicate well at all due to all the symptoms plus felt like my brain was short circuiting.

here is webmd link about side effects of zoloft ...sounds all or most are on this list. GOOD LUCK!

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/mono-8095-SERTRALINE+-+ORAL.aspx?drugid=35&drugname=zoloft+oral&pagenumber=6

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Oh my! I am so very sorry that you had to go through all of that. There should always be an attending physician at a facility like that around the clock. Shame on them. *big hugs*

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Hi Teri, you aren’t crazy, you’re unwell! I have had a mental illness for years and now also have lymphedema and fibromyalgia. I had an abusive childhood and was attacked aged 14 and raped and stabbed. I ended up with PTSD and now diagnosed with BPD, I spent three months in a psych hospital a few years ago which put lots of strain on my husband and children. I an now quite physically unwell and still struggle with my depression. I’ve survived 2 suicide attempts and thank God I did because I love my husband and children so much. I know the road ahead isn’t going to be easy for me and probably for you too and we can only do our best to cope with it but we aren’t crazy! Good luck for the future!
april x

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Hi Teri, I totally agree with D on this one…they should have called your doc or the one on call. You never should go though this. Another option would have been to leave on your own, but I know that can be dificult.

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Yes that was what I was looking for my fog has been really bad the last few days. So much so that when I went for a walk yesterday in the complex where I have lived for 2.5 years and stayed on the main road I got turned around 3 times had to call my husband to come get me.

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Somatization Disorder! That's what my previous Dr. put all over my records. Kinda makes it hard to get another Dr. to take you seriously. I Did get another Dr. thank God. She pretty much tossed that whole idea once she got all my information. Wellbutrin has always messed me up...I am so glad you are out of the hospital safe and sound. I take Requip for my RLS and have for a decade or more...very effective for me. Neurotin works well for me as well. Dr. put me on Cymbalta 6 months ago after taking me off prozac and effexor (my previous had me on both to many's amazement) Works well for many of my ailments. I hope you continue to get better. I'll keep you in my prayers! PeacenLove Always~Laurel

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Thank you all for your support, I am thinking about filing a complaint. In addition to the above, I also had issues with:

* The last two days at the hospital, I was really off-balance and lightheaded, and felt like the bed was moving, too. The call buttons in the bathroom and the room were not working. I asked for a call button, they gave me a little bell. I asked for a bed with rails, the one I had didn't have any rails and was high off the floor, but didn't get it.

* I use a CPAP for sleep apnea, and many times I had to sleep without it, because they needed a staff to watch me (because of the cords and safety). One night I was so tired I was trying to sleep from 9pm on, they said I couldn't get my CPAP until 10, I finally got up at 11:30pm when no one came in with my CPAP and went to the main room and 4 staff were sitting there chatting.

Whether I truly have anxiety or depression, or if it is a side effect of medications does not matter. They needed to take care of the whole me, and not ignore my other health conditions thinking it was all mental.

Thank you for sharing all of your stories, it helps to know I am not alone, and that medications can cause crazy side effects.

Thank you so much for your support.

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teri, I am so sorry you were treated in that fashion. There is no excuse. I thought Prilosec was a stomach med. just asking. Yes, Neurontin help me. Glad you are getting things works out. I’ve never taken Zoloft or Ambien.

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Yes, Prilosec is a stomach medication.

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I think you should file formal complaints, it sounds like a scary movie to me! Your voice may actually save a life, as it seems they need some help in this area!

In other words, "sick em!!!"

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Wow, what a horrible ordeal! My goodness! I would not go back to that hospital, that’s for sure! They sound under-educated & very uncaring. I hope you have another option as far as providers of emergent care go…so sorry to hear this happened to you…glad you’re home, safe & more comfortable. Hugs.

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My muscle fatigue and fatigue has been getting worse since half way through my hospital stay. It was so bad yesterday, I pretty much slept until 4pm, and when I was up I couldn't walk, and ending up crawling. Even crawling I was falling, I was spilling food and dropping things. So I did some research on my med's.......

1a) Prilosec (cimetidine) can cause low magnesium, which causes other symptoms such as fast/slow heartbeat, persistent muscle spasms and siezures.

1b)Prilosec can increase the effects and side effects of Zoloft and antidepressants

2) Melatonin can cause headache, short-term depression, daytime sleepiness, dizziness, can make depression worse and increase risk of having a seizure

3)Mirapex and Zoloft can be a CNS or respiratory depressant (affecting mental & motor coordination) or can cause an excessive or prolonged CNS effect (RLS/PLMS/ muscle spasms etc)

4) Zoloft and Ambien (same as Mirapex and Zoloft)

5) The following combinations increase drowsiness and dizziness and prolonged sedation and confusion: Mirapex and Ambien, Mirapex and Klonopin, and Ambien and Zoloft

THESE ONES ARE THE WORST AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN TOGETHER!!!!!! (On DrugDigest it says this interaction is well-documented and is considered major in severity).

6) Melatonin and Ambien: causes excessive drowsiness, too much sleepiness, slowed breathing, loss of muscle control, and possible coma

7) Melatonin and Klonopin: same as above

Needless to say I am being my own doctor right now, trying to see what works for PLMS, without making me so tired and lose my muscle control, as I do not trust physicians right now.

The attending physician should have know about Prilosec and Zoloft, and he should have never perscribed Ambien and Klonopin knowing I was taking Melatonin.