POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: PeteNYNJ on August 30, 2007, 08:54:55 am
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Last night I accidentally took double the dose of my lexapro within an hour of each other. I usually take 20 mg at bedtime and I mistakenly took 2 pills - 40 mg.
I was sitting in the dark watching TV when I noticed it seemed very light out - I went to the window to investigate and saw no obvious reason for the extra light from the street. I turned on my kitchen light and had to close my eyes. It was like a spotlight. I realized that I was photosensitive and my power of deduction led me to the realization that I double dosed.
The next 8 hours were hell - EXTREME anxiety, insomnia, itchy, restless, sweats. It totally sucked. I got about an hour of sleep and I am now zombie like at my desk at work.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Pete (who is investing in a pill box today).
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Pete,
Damn that sucks and really sorry about that - can you gop home early today?
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Not early enough, ugh.
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OMG...that is awful! Go get a pillbox asap!!! Glad you are ok!
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I had something similiar happen to me when I first started Norvir with my Wellbutrin XL - Norvir boosted it too! It was hellish and I thought I was having a reaction to the Epzicom which I had also just begun. I called my doctor all panicked and we figured it out together while sweat dripped down my arms and onto the phone. Fun fun fun. Pillbox organizer is essential because you never have to remember if you have taken something or not..if it ain't in the box...you took it.
J
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WOW, Pete. Scary!!!!
Hope you're back to yourself soon and armed with a new pillbox. Good plan.
I'm going to move this over to LIVING WITH because I think others there ought to know about this.
Cheers,
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I was on lexapro..and it did nothing for me so i got off..
Sorry you overtook your meds without realizing it..
I have a pill box and u can set it at whatever time u want to take your meds.
I believe everyone should get one..There sold in Walgreens..Hope that helps..
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hey Pete.....I have a pill box and have had it for years now but I still worry about doing the same thing. Being OCD makes me check and recheck then doubt myself thinking I might have just refilled the pills.....vicious circle!!
Sorry you had to experience that episode, it sounds scary....dont know what i would have done!!
Pillbox....do it!!
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Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
It was very scary because I felt like I wasn't in control. I have a history of panic attacks that landed me in the hospital a number of times. All they do is monitor you, make sure you aren't having a heart attack, and maybe give you some valium. It is a big waste of time/money. I recognize the signs now and can usually calm myself down but last night was something else all together.
I just want to crawl into bed tonight and get a good nights sleep. I feel a bit like a 'crackhead' today :(
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Pete-
A pillbox has been a must for me for a number of years because with all the pills I take, I don't want to have to mess with bottles four x a day. And I also have one for exactly the reason you're talking about-mistakingly taking a double dose.
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Pete, sorry you had to go through that. My pillbox has been a lifesaver cause I always know if I took my meds. I accidentally took a ambien,first thing in the morning, not too long ago and while not on the same level as your experience, it still sucked. hoping for better days for you. Cristy
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I have to get a new shrink-last one wrote me off when my husband came in talking legal shit like if I get in an accident on all the meds. Taking lithium, seroquel, vistaril, and cymbalta as well as trizivir and viread. I cut myself back on seraquel to half and only one lithium and try to rarely take vistaril. My aids doc is keeping me on cymbalta. I wish I could come off the rest. But I'm scared. I flip out too easily. I just hate playing the guinea pig game. I have got a terrible head cold and last night took extra to insure some good sleep. (plus I took nyquil.) It back fired and I was up near all night. I slept thjis morning and just got out of bed a little while ago. Took meds, fed animals and here I am. Ineed to get dressed and do something around here before my kid and hubby get home. People on forums refer to smoking-I assume pot. My drug of choice is crack. Not alot-who can afford it? Maybe 1 time every 4-8 weeks. It is my vacation high. I know I shouldn't and I don't want to but I feel good for about a week after and get alot done around here (like extra cleaning and pprojects.) I smke pot to come off the other-it just sedates me so much. I hope I am allowed to write about this stuff. Forgive me if I'm not! I can definitely understand the freaky feelings the way I tend to self medicate. I feel guilty spending our money on so many co-pays and the gas and time. Plus the break in time of new drugs. That ias why I say screw it all and get a street high. Anyone having these dilemmas? Advice needed..............
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I had something similiar happen to me when I first started Norvir with my Wellbutrin XL - Norvir boosted it too! It was hellish and I thought I was having a reaction to the Epzicom which I had also just begun. I called my doctor all panicked and we figured it out together while sweat dripped down my arms and onto the phone. Fun fun fun. Pillbox organizer is essential because you never have to remember if you have taken something or not..if it ain't in the box...you took it.
J
Ha! Me, too! I was basically up for 10 days while adjusting to the Wellbutrin. I was like an aerobics instructor on crack.
Speaking of...
My drug of choice is crack.
Noah....welcome to the forums.
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Wow that sucks. You just popped two pills and didn't even notice?
Ugh I just threw away my celexa...was on 10mg for 5 days. Hell hell hell. Made my heart palpitate and I was on edge.
Doc put me on 5mg and I was still tweaking!
She wants me on Effexor and I said NO! Hopefully therapy helps me. It mild-moderate depression.
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Last night I accidentally took double the dose of my lexapro within an hour of each other. I usually take 20 mg at bedtime and I mistakenly took 2 pills - 40 mg.
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The next 8 hours were hell - EXTREME anxiety, insomnia, itchy, restless, sweats. It totally sucked. I got about an hour of sleep and I am now zombie like at my desk at work.
Pete,
This is exactly why I have a pill box, and a watch with an alarm. Sometimes, I'm so busy (or forgetful), that I can't even remember if I took my meds just a few minutes after I've taken then.
This sounds like a nightmare for you. I've been taking Lexapro for the past 2 months -- but only 5 mg daily (down from my original 10 mg). And even 5mg, the effects of Lexapro were very much like a stimulant for me. So I can only imagine how 40 mg affected you.
I'm off of Lexapro now, because (1) I was fed up with being unable to sleep, and (2) I haven't had an erection in 2 months since I started taking it -- talk about frustrating. >:(
Regards,
Henry
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Hi Pete
I have been away for a few days and just caught up with your thread, sorry to hear you had such a bad night..that must have been pretty scary stuff to go through...I hope things are better now and managed to catch up on a good night sleep and now have a pill box in your possesion.. ;)
Hugs
Jan :-*
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Glad to hear you made it through and things are better!
I was pill-box resistant at first, but they really do help a lot with keeping your schedule.
Mike :)
(who was just cleaning bits of sand out of his pill-box from an awesome beach-soaked labor day weekend)
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Pete, I'm sorry to hear that... I've been taking lexapro... so I tried the double dose to see if anything would happen with me... the result was the same... I guess it just works differently on people... I did not get to experience the effect you did... oh well... I hope it does not happen to you again... no effect on me though... john
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[/Wow that sucks. You just popped two pills and didn't even notice? quote]
No, I took two seperately but within an hour of each other
I am aces now....I rule :)
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Pete,
the pill box is a lifesaver for me. I couldn't operate without it.
I've filled a pill box (or boxes) every week for over 18 years now....let's see,
that's 18 yrs X 52 weeks = 936 times to load and unload the pill boxes....
between 20 and 35 pills per week, that's between 18,720 and 32,760 pills consumed
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What we've done for Louie is not only a pill box, he also writes down the times he's taken meds. He's on so many right now, not just HIV meds. Between his oxy every 4 hours as well as his Phenergan IV Push and the Zofran IV push, even I was having a hard time keeping track of things.
Between the pill box and writing times down has helped tremendously. When he takes out his pills or does an IV push we immediately write the time down before taking the meds. It's saved a lot of headaches. Louie overdosed a few times as well, once when I was home, and another time when I was at work. We understand your anxiety about double dosing.
Hopefully things will get better for you.
Good luck with the anxiety/panic attacks, I personally know they can be a pain.