If you know anything about these drugs, please help?!
Question: My mom is acting strange. She is bi-polar and has been hospitalized in the past. She is currently having a difficult time with menopause, but seems to be sneaking prescriptions.
She takes Prozac, Lexapro, and Tranzene. Those we know about. But my brother found Depakote and Olanzapine (sp?) hidden and prescribed by a different doctor in a neighboring town.
Most in my family have our own mental issues, but really feel we may need to step in to help her.
Does anyone know if this combo is helpful for anything, or if she's just taking whatever she can get her hands on?
Thanks for any help.
Answers: My mom is acting strange. She is bi-polar and has been hospitalized in the past. She is currently having a difficult time with menopause, but seems to be sneaking prescriptions.
She takes Prozac, Lexapro, and Tranzene. Those we know about. But my brother found Depakote and Olanzapine (sp?) hidden and prescribed by a different doctor in a neighboring town.
Most in my family have our own mental issues, but really feel we may need to step in to help her.
Does anyone know if this combo is helpful for anything, or if she's just taking whatever she can get her hands on?
Thanks for any help.
Clorazepate(tranxene) and Olanzapine can be a VERY dangerous mix. It's no wonder why a one dr didn't perscribe both. Because both these medications cause sedation, they can have a major effect on the CNS(central nervous system).
The other combinations also cause problems with the CNS, but clorazepate and olanzapine cause the most problems.
Also, divalproex sodium (depakote) and other medications can increase the valporic acid in the body so careful monitoring should be maintained (via blood tests).
You need to step in and inform her primary psychiatrist, not the one in the town over. She could be doing damage to herself depending on the dosages she's taking.
You need to call her primary care Dr. and tell him about the other two meds. These can really whack her out depending on the amount and she is really doing a drug cocktail. For her own sake she needs to be stopped and someone give her the meds at a certain time each day. For her own sake.
depakote is used to treat biplar disorder
http://www.depakoteer.com/depakoteer/
olanxzpine is also used for bipolar disorder. its a generic for xyprexa i was on that one for a while.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olanzapine
depakote treats seizure disorders...don't think its a drug to be concerned about...im assuming you are looking for drugs that she may be abusing. olanzapine is a anti-psychotic that treats bipolar disorder so her taking that is good. lexapro treats depression, which i take myself, definately not an absued drug, prozac treats anxiety which may possible be abused but usually relaxes a person, and tranzene i've never heard of. good luck
The first 3 drugs I can't believe was prescribed by 1 doctor alone. All 3 of them to me are not a good mix together.
The other 2 drugs along with the other 3, I don't know how she's walking and talking.
You really have to do some talking to her or another family member that she will listen to and go and see an altogether doctor. Don't go to any of the doctors who prescribed any of those drugs. You have to go inside the doctors office WITH HER and let the new doctor know ALL the drugs she is on.
The doctor that prescribed the last two might not know about the first 3, and should because all medicines interact with each other. Call a doctor (a psychiatrist) and ask about this combination.
YOur brother needs to call her psychiatrist and inform him/her of the situation. Your mom's doc can't tell your brother any info, but there is no reason your brother can't tell the doc important things.
Perhaps your mom is eligible for help from a social worker. If you are in the US, you would contact county social services, and ask for the folks with mental health. Some states are better than others for this. In a large county (major city) you may need to be persistent. A person who is irritable will be less likely to chew out a social worker than a family member. a social worker can help get a person into support groups (for free) so it can be pitched as a good deal in that way, so maybe mom will take the bait there.
AND those drugs may be old ones from a previous doc, and she isn't taking them anymore. I often keep my old bipolar pills in case I go back on them, because they are expensive. I think all those pills are typical bipolar pills. None of them have abuse potential so far as I know. A person with bipolar disorder that is unstable is forever juggling pills - the type of pill and the dosage.
All the best to your family