New to site - advice needed

[cathy2275]

Hello everyone. My name is Cathy & I am 35 years old, I have 3 children & a partner & live in South East England. I have just found your forum & wondered if any members may be able to help me?
Having suffered from Depression since age 18, I was finally given a Bi Polar diagnosis 2 years ago.
Since then I have been precsribed Venlafaxine at 225mg daily & Quetiapine at 300mg per evening. I have found this to work fine until recently. I have started to feel very agitated the past week or so, & I have started to experience panic like symptoms. The Venlafaxine dose was increased from 150mg to 225 mg in April.
I was wondering if some of the herbal medication I am taking is having any effect on my doses. I started taking Dandelion root capsules & fennel capsules a couple of weeks ago to help with symptoms of IBS (This is a recent thing, which started a few months ago) I spoke to the secretary of the psychiatrist I very breifly saw in April, who had increased my dosage. She said that he had advised me to stop the increased 75mg per day dose of Venlafaxine to help with these symptoms. He did not answer my question about the herbal drugs I take.
I am very worried about the side effects I may get in stopping the increased dose. Can anyone tell me their experiences of this? Would an increased dose cause the symptoms I am getting weeks into the increase? Also, is it possible to safely take the herbal pills along with my prescribed drugs? I am due to start a new PT job in a few weeks working for the NHS. I am worried that any relapse will jeopardise my job. I am just starting to get my life together, & I don't want anything to knock my confidence!
Thanks in advance for your help & support.
Cath xx

 

[suki1066]

hi cath wellcome
i dont have an answer excatly but i do know some alternative medicines do react to our medicines. I would like to say that i had been having symtoms of ibs, even had a colonoscopy and i was having bad symtoms. it was infact a symtom of depression, i get very irratable and agitated, it wasnt untill all the symtons added up that i twiged, lol. so maybe it is the same with you, just a thourght.
when my dd needs any other meds i ring the pharmasist at the docs and ask them if its ok with her other meds, try that .
or ring your gp surgery.
please dont worry yourself unnessecerily, you sound like your getting it together so welldone for that, just find out and you will know one way or another. if you want i will recerch it for you xx

 

[BORTU]

Hi Cath,

I was on Veniafaxine and my doc changed the dose around. The only side effect I got was the sweats when the dose was high. I often forgot to take them and suffered no ill effects. Doctors usually go all funny when you talk about herbal medication. I think it is that they cannot be seen to object to herbals as it is big money. But I would not risk mixing them.

Anyway all the best.