Hospital forced me to take Risperdal

 

Hi, I’m new here and just looking for support.  I am in an impossible situation and am barely hanging on.  This all started when I was trying to taper Cymbalta and ended up in the mental hospital 3 times.  They ended up taking me off Cymbalta cold turkey a year ago and put me on Valium so I could sleep.  I took Valium for six months and tried to taper three times unsuccessfully.  My husband then talked me into going cold turkey.  Big mistake.  I have been suffering ever since with no windows.  It’s been over five months.  In the hospital they also forced me to take Respirdal, an anti psychotic.  I didn’t feel good on it and didn’t want to take it but they made me go to court and forced me to take it.  I did a genesite genetic test recently that showed I am a slow metabolizer for the respirdal and therefore it is just building up to toxic levels and causing side effects.  I have felt like I am getting worse every day.  I am trying to very slowly taper it now but having a horrible time with increasing anxiety and headaches.  This is why I feel like I’m in an impossible situation.  On the drug I was steadily worsening with no windows at all.  Tapering is even worse.I am so sad and depressed I can hardly stand it.  I just want my life back.

Oh dear. I am SO sorry this happened to you. NO ONE should be forced to take a drug they don't want to take - unless that person is possibly considering suicide or hurting someone else. Only then is this even a potential option.

 

I am not clear on which drug you are tapering off of. Valium or Respiradol? (excuse my bad spelling!)

 

I can tell you that you will heal from this, but right now you might not believe that. I felt exactly the same way, 7 years ago when I got off benzos and ADS - all cold turkey.

 

Just do not give up, Mojo. This does get better but it does take time and effort.

east

Please pardon my ignorance, I don't know what your exact situations is, but how can they "force" you to take a drug? Are you at home, or in hospital? Not being judgmental, just very curious and nosy. I don't have a clue as to what "Respirdal" is, but it sounds horrible.

 

Last time I went to the ER, they just started pumping shit into me without even a so much as "by your leave", or even telling me what it was. As I was coherent enough to ask, I was pissed off to find out it was an NSAID, which I am quite intolerant to. That's when I decided to stay out of ER's, unless I had some kind of real physical trauma, like a car accident.

Hi,  Thanks for your replies.  The drug I am trying to taper off is Risperdal, an anti psychotic.  I am five months out from going cold turkey on Valium.  I was in the hospital when they forced me to take Risperdal.  They said if I didn’t take it they would force me to do the shot version of it.  When I got out of the hospital I was also on Valium and I wanted off so I immediately started trying to taper off that and kept taking the Risperdal.  Now I want off the Risperdal but my sensitized nervous system is not cooperating.  But I worry that if I try to wait til I stabilize to taper it, then I will never stabilize because I’m on it.  I know the Ashton Manual says anti psychotics complicate recovery.  I’m just in such a mess.

They can’t force you  regardless of what they claim

Yeah, but if you're messed up and freaking out, they'll just claim you weren't in your right mind to make decisions for your own care.

I hope you find support here.  I think you freaked the docs out and they thumped you with an antipsychotic——same with me, though I agreed to try it.

Forced medication in the uk needs an independent social worker and two psychs to agree it needs enforcing..and the nearest relative must agree. Then on appeal it can go to court, but judges are not medical so it’s pretty futile.

Sounds like a bumpy ride, hope you settle on a gentle 10% reduction every two weeks and I think your physician should be Supporting you

Dick 

Hi,  Thanks for your replies.  The drug I am trying to taper off is Risperdal, an anti psychotic.  I am five months out from going cold turkey on Valium.  I was in the hospital when they forced me to take Risperdal.  They said if I didn’t take it they would force me to do the shot version of it.  When I got out of the hospital I was also on Valium and I wanted off so I immediately started trying to taper off that and kept taking the Risperdal.  Now I want off the Risperdal but my sensitized nervous system is not cooperating.  But I worry that if I try to wait til I stabilize to taper it, then I will never stabilize because I’m on it.  I know the Ashton Manual says anti psychotics complicate recovery.  I’m just in such a mess.

 

First of all, I agree with Dickie. He does know what he is talking about. I don't know where you live, but in the US the only time doctors can force you to take a drug is if you are at high risk to harm yourself or others. That is even true on acute psych wards here.

 

How was your benzo wd? Bad or bearable? Maybe you don't know this, but benzo wd can cause symptoms for many months. Could you tell us what your current symptoms are? Are you sleeping? Eating? How anxious are you now? BB has some pretty sharp people who will try to give you the support you need.

east

Hi Mojo

 

How is the respiridone reduction? It is a first generation antipsychotic and not usually given long term.

I hope you are calm now after your horrid experience. Trust that you psych working with you on this.

Are you coming off it now?

Do try and fill in the signature part of the profile.

 

Hope you are ok. Dick

 

.

I was definitely forced to take the respirdal.  Had to go to court and everything.  I was in the hospital for being suicidal so maybe that’s why they forced me.  They even had me open my mouth to make sure I swallowed it.  This withdrawal on top of withdrawal is bringing me to my knees, even going slowly.  My brain is so sensitized right now that any change has huge effects.  I’m thinking about throwing in the towel and reinstating.  But then I worry I will never get better since tests show it is a bad med for me.  I have mostly mental symptoms.  Really bad anxiety and depression and tachycardia.  I have been having a hard time functioning and now it is getting even harder.  My husband is not understanding about the drugs at all.  He thinks I’m choosing this misery, not that it was drug created.  I just don’t know what to do.  Feels like I can’t win either way.

As a self help group we can’t advise or comment on the case of someone under a court order of course.

But we do sympathise and as you rise out of this traumatic time BB is here.

PLEASE. Fill in your signature in profile! 

Keep posting, let us know how you are doing.

 

Sorry they went down the legal route.

I had to Section (uk term for compulsory treatment) over 300 patients a year and I know how traumatic it can be, and we did it in the patients best interests I promise you.

Best wishes

Dick

"had to section"

 

Cuz like yeah

 

Drugs are the answer to our fucked up society and all emotional distress.  Add a little trauma into the mix, eh??

 

Much sympathy to you, Mojo.  You are in a dangerous place, but you will find the strength to overcome, I know it.

 

Hi, I’m new here and just looking for support.  I am in an impossible situation and am barely hanging on.  This all started when I was trying to taper Cymbalta and ended up in the mental hospital 3 times.  They ended up taking me off Cymbalta cold turkey a year ago and put me on Valium so I could sleep.  I took Valium for six months and tried to taper three times unsuccessfully.  My husband then talked me into going cold turkey.  Big mistake.  I have been suffering ever since with no windows.  It’s been over five months.  In the hospital they also forced me to take Respirdal, an anti psychotic.  I didn’t feel good on it and didn’t want to take it but they made me go to court and forced me to take it.  I did a genesite genetic test recently that showed I am a slow metabolizer for the respirdal and therefore it is just building up to toxic levels and causing side effects.  I have felt like I am getting worse every day.  I am trying to very slowly taper it now but having a horrible time with increasing anxiety and headaches.  This is why I feel like I’m in an impossible situation.  On the drug I was steadily worsening with no windows at all.  Tapering is even worse.I am so sad and depressed I can hardly stand it.  I just want my life back.

 

The good news is you realized what was going on somewhat early..I wasn't so lucky. Back in 2002 I ended up in the hospital after jumping on an off various SSRI drugs etc over the course of a year! Ofcourse they gave me a bunch of diagnoses during this time and I was thouraly convinced I was "Defective". I went on to identify and tie my identity to these diagnoses for years never thinking perhaps the RX drugs were my problem? I lost 17 years of my life to this insanity. You might want to watch "Laura Delano", on YouTube...I wish you well.

So I have continued my taper of the respirdal.  I am just doing so bad.  Severe depression and anxiety.  I know it shouldn’t be this bad but it’s cuz I never got over the Benzo withdrawal, and maybe the Cymbalta withdrawal a year ago.  I just feel like I am the one person who is not going to heal from this.  It’s so complicated with all the drugs involved.  I just don’t know how to have hope when I feel worse everyday.How do I get through this?

One day at a time, mojo...and sometimes just getting thru the next 5 minutes is all you can do.

 

Eat as well as you can (fresh, not processed) have a routine for bedtime...and try a little yoga, a little walking.  It helps.  Find someone to talk to...don't isolate yourself if you can handle it.

 

The road is daunting, but if you just eat one bite of the elephant at a time, I think you might be surprised at what you can endure.

 

Best wishes.

  Thanks for your reply.  I am feeling so desperate and alone.  I am married but my husband is not very understanding or sympathetic so I have to try to hide how bad I am feeling from him.  I have had a hard time eating because I have absolutely no appetite.  I do forcefeed though.  Bedtime is hard because I haven’t had a restful nights sleep since this all began 6 months ago.  That is a huge part of my problem.  My brain just won’t let me relax.Even just getting out for a walk with my dogs feels like a big chore lately.  I fear losing my mind from this.

Mojo,

I do hope you get some rest and some empathy.

Well done for walking the dogs.  My ageing Labrador will need to get her walk in early as I think we might hit 28 degrees over here and that effects my meds.

Thinking of you in AP withdrawal— have been there and know a little of how you are feeling.

Warm wishes from here

Dick aka Forty

Mojo,

 

Sorry about your husband's lack of understanding and morale support.  I too had an xhusband that refused to try to understand and was totally intolarant about me taking meds or my mental health.  Well is'nt mental distress in your head?  Go figure!!!  It was all in my head.  He flushed my meds down the toilet multiple times.  One's that helped me.  A loving supportive enviroment from family and a compasionate and compentatent doctor is an luxury many of us need but is usually hard to find.

 

I too was given Risperdal in the hospital and as soon I was discharged stopped taking it.  My sister was so kind to do research while I was in the hospital on Risperdal.  I did not discuss the med nor tell my husband I was on it so there was no conflict or discourse about taking or not taking when I got home.  I don't know what country you reside but in US we have a law that protects us against the medical community to discuss our medical records with anyone without our permission.  I refused to sign it.  My xhusband didn't understand why he could not get info from the doctor and was frustrated but I don't think he understood why he couldn't.

 

Given you were suicidal I understand why the court ordered you to take meds against your will. Impossible and frustrating this must be for you.

 

MissBella