Admitted in psych hospital for taking 60 xanex

Please read, im bearing my soul

start by mentioning im bi-polar. ( i take geodon for it) last sunday and monday i was in a manic mode. the chaos of easter just set me off. monday my manager said some stressfull things and i started having a panic attack. Im prescribed .5mg xanex 4x daily. i took my xanex and called my dr never got a call back so around 6 pm i took a 12.5mg ambian around 8 pm i was hyperventilating to the pint my muscles were charlie horsing from not getting enout oxygen so i was desperate and took a second ambian. i really just needed to sleep and shut my racing thoughts off. after the econd ambian i blacked out. next thing i knew it was 9 pm tuesday night. all my ambian and xanex were gone. so to recap in about 24  hours i took 23 ambian  and about 60 xanex.

I was not trying to hurt myself i wasnt even aware of what i was doing after ther second ambian. wednsday morning i called psychiatrist  left another message for her to call me. in the mean time i called walgreens and cancelled the 4 months of refillsi had on file for my ambian. called my primary & left a message. about 4 they both called at the same tima and both said to go to the emergency room cause withdrawals could stop my heart and cause seasures. my dr went as far as calling my husband at work to emphisize how important it was that i was seen right away.

Got to the ER (H-E-B)  around 9 pm last wednsday night. they treated me like crap.i explained i had called pharmacy and cancelled my refillsand informed my psych and primary drs. even though it had  been over 24 hours since i took anything they put me on suicide watch took all my personal belongings and had someone stand at my door. went as far as telling me i couldnt lock the door when i used the bathroom. i started hyperventilating & crying a nurse looked me in the eye and told me i was seekiing drugs and to cut it out cause they werent giving me anything. she also told me that when a parrent comes in abusing drugs they have the right to notify CPS they did an ekg and made me drink a nasty charcoal drink then sent me home

thursday my dr called me and told me to go to springwood a local psych hospital for an eval.i couldnt go thursday cause  i was still throwing up and had diariah from the charcoal from the nightt before
 
Friday i had a 10am apt but left at 2 after not being seen. I went back monday and it took 5 hours to be seen but they admitted me. after talking to a million different drs they decided i dont have a drug problem and im not a harm to myself or other. they did decide that i had to be observerd for three days to assess my bi-polar and anxiety attacks. i had three attacks the first two days and they were treating me with ativan they got ahold of my long time psycholigist and they agreed to go back to xanex only now they went from .5mg to 1mg and insted of 4 times they uped it to 6 times. blows my mind that i took too many pills and imstead of stoping the drug they practically doulble it. everyone agrees no more ambian since it causes me to do wierd things. after i went two days with no manic/panic episodes they let me go home friday. so my 3 day observation ended up 5 days. the hardest part was being without my kids. my youngest is just a year old.

the final diagnosis is bi-polar and depresion. they said i was in a manic episode. Its the depression theyre more concerned about. ive been taking geodon for my manic episodes but nothing for my depression. they said that when people score as high as i did on the depression chart that they are considered suicidal. i dissagree my mom killed herself about a year ago and i would never do that to my husband and three kids. they put me on depression meds and enroled me in an outpatient program monday wedsnday and fridays for 4 weeks.

Just hope my job is understanding about a leave of absence.

thanks for listening to me rant

Elsa I'm sorry this happened, please take care of yourself and attend the treatments they recommend.  It's always good to talk to others that understand and have skills to help you cope.

Good luck.

As a nurse, i wanna appologize for the mistreatment you recieved from another nurse...

I dont totally understand the mental disorders in medicine, i mainly work with the elderly...

I do wish you well, and im glad you contacted your md and psych md, follow there recommendations...im just glad you are ok and the meds didnt cause you any damage.

Hopefully you job will be patient with you....

Prayers for your recovery Elsa.  Please stay with a dr. you are comfortable with and follow their advice and treatment.  I hope it gets better for you.

Karla

{{{Hugs}}}

Laura

Elsa
You really are having quite a bad time of it. I've always heard that Ambien can cause adverse rxns in pt who are bipolar.  It's horrible that you had to go so long to find appropriate care for your issues. Sometimes the medical professionals in ER are more of a hindrance than a help, esp in cases like yours.  I hope that you can get the appropriate kind of help you need, it seems like you are really trying to pull it together. 

Sending you hugs and will keep you in my prayers......Depression (much less being bipolar) is an ugly beast to battle! 

Hugs, Mari

 Elisa....I am SO sorry that you went through this.    i have several great neices and nephews who are bi-polar and also some that are ADHD.   I am so sorry that HEB hospital treated you badly.   I won't go there due to how they treated my middle son years ago in the ER.    I am glad that they are putting you on a depression medicine.   PLEASE take the meds as prescribed.   We don't want anything to happen to you.   If you need to talk to someone PM me and I will give you my numbers.
Praying that everything goes well for you.

Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Elsa,

I am sorry that you are going through so much right now.  Depression is a huge thing to batte.  If your baby is under two, you probably had postpartum depression also.  I had a break down a while back because my depression got so out of control.  Please remember to take your medication.  It is like night and day when you are no longer depressed.  I only know a few people with bipolar, but I know that can be hard to manage also.  It sounds like you have had a lot happen in your life lately.  Please know that you are in my prayers and that we are here if you ever need to talk.  I am a good listener... and I know what it is like to battle with depression.

-Kim T

Praying for you! I don't know much about ambian and xanax, but I hope that you find the right combination and a great team of doctors.

Geez Elsa ,   you're lucky to be alive after taking that many Xanax!   

  A few hopefully helpful things here ..  First, as to the bi-polar, it sounds like the Geodon is not working for you (anymore?) ..  You need to talk to your psychi. about trying something else ..   There are several drugs available for bi-polar disorder these days, and it's a matter of finding one that works ..  

  As to the panic attacks, there are drugs available that specifically address those now (which is generally due to an imbalance involving lactic acid levels in the body, IIRC).  You should be taking those instead of general tranquilizers like the Xanax for that condition, esp. since you are BP.   Also, for the hyperventilating part of PAs, has a doc or nurse ever shown you the "paper bag" trick?   If you realize you are HV, breath into a small paper bag through your mouth ..  Eventually that will restore the correct carbon dioxide level to your blood to counter the effects of HV.   There are also techniques of meditation and biofeedback that you can learn to help prevent the attacks w/o using the meds, later on .. 

   It sounds like you might benefit from a sleep aid at night, as well.   I personaly have started taking over the counter melatonin pills (you can get them at Wal-Mart, Kroger, or any pharmacy) and they knock me out just fine for hours, and no concerns about "drug effects" or physical addiction with them.   

   Good luck, hang in there, and don't do anything drastic ..