I'm currently on 60mg of Cymbalta and 400mg of Tegretol as a mood stabiliser. I saw my GP last week and told him that I feel so unwell that I am having thoughts of self harming and taking an OD and he said that he can't increase either med up higher than they are already. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me if they are on more than 400mg of Tegretol and if I should mention that to him. Or should I ask for another mood stabiliser to be added to the mix?
Last edited by random.swirls : 13-06-2011 at 12:57 PM.
Sorry to hear that you aren't feeling the greatest at the moment.
While people can offer their personal experiences, whether someone else is taking a higher dose of tegretol doesn't mean that its the right answer for yourself, and I think that it is safe to say that your doctor who is treating you is the expert at determining what is the most appropriate medication regime for yourself.
I am also wondering if you are seeking any therapeutic support; as it could assist you with learning how to handle some of the ovewhelming thoughts and feelings that you are presently experiencing. Medication is not the sole answer to your thoughts and wants of self harming going away it comes with a lot of work and your want to change your behaviour.
I know that this isn't the answer that you probably wanted but I did want to share. If you feel it necessary have a chat with your GP about his concerns of not increasing your meds he may be able to give you a solid rationale around his thinking.
take good care of you.
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Can I check - was it your GP who prescribed your meds, and was it your GP who put you on the doses you are on?
It is often the case that a GP either can not prescribe a med, or can only prescribe up to a certain amount before a Psych needs to be consulted. If you feel you do need to review your doses, it is worth asking again, and seeing if a referral to Psych is needed.
Roiben x
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It was a psychiatrist who started me on it when I was in hospital last year and my GP is continuing me on it. But you're right, maybe I do need to see a psychiatrist.
I'm on carbamazipine too at the same dose, it does absolutely nothing for my depression, it just cuts my highs a bit. It might be worth discussing with your psych either lithium or lambogritine, apparently there good mood stabilizers that tackle the lows as well as the highs. Well that's what I'm gonna ask my psych anyway. Talk to your psych, hope everything goes well for you.
I was on 800mg tegretol for a year but for epilepsy, it was a year of hell, I could barely function, trying to do anything was like trying to walk through treacle. Anyway, it was a while back that I was on them, but I'm sure they come with a warning about having thoughts of self harm and suicide, so you do need to see your GP ASAP so they can urgently refer you back to your psych who will most likely change you to something else, increasing the dose is likely to make matters worse if it the meds that are making you feel this way.
I had the same problem with thoughts of self harm on lamotrigine (and I'm pretty sure I'm getting it on keppra (levetiracetam) too). When I saw my GP he got me an urgent referral with my neuro who got me off the lamotrigine very quickly (much quicker than they usually titrate these sort of meds) because although it is rare, it is a serious side effect of anti convulsants that are also used as mood stabilisers.
Good luck, I hope you get your meds sorted.
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it is possible to have higher doasages... for example when I was on cymbalta I was on 120mg a day... to be able to take a higher than usual dosage though (for cymbalta its meant to be 60mg) a psychiartrist has to do it so yes its probably best to see your pdoc again...
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I'm on 400 of carbamazepine too. I take along with 375 of venlafaxine. My gp can't take them any higher.
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How are you feeling unwell? What I mean is, are the thoughts caused by depression or something else? I have been on the same meds and a pharmacy error with the Duloxetine dosage caused me to get extremely self-destructive quite quickly. My psych told me that the effects are the Dul. are far stronger than the effects of Tegretol, so it might be that your antidepressants are what really need looking at.
I'm on 400mg's in the morning then another 400mg's at night time and out of all my medication its the one i need the most. I know with taking tegretol you have to get your bloods taken every so often to check its at a safe level (somewhere between 4 & 11) but I'm not overly sure of what exactly they look for.
I hope you feel better soon. Thinking of you.x
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