Just Breathe

~I know I discuss medication quite a bit on this blog, but it is a huge part of the treatment my son receives…

As I mentioned back on March 10th, he was going to start a third antipsychotic drug called Loxapine. It was to replace the Moban gradually, which is being taken off the market this June. At first, I was concerned about him taking three different antipsychotic drugs at the same time. He has had sensitivity to many in the past – including being hospitalized with tardive dyskinesia after taking Risperdal.

So, the thought of three separate drugs like this made me nervous.

We were assured it was okay, and were told to watch for the obvious ‘ticks’ and ‘tremors’.

It was impossible to find a pharmacy that carried it, and it had to be ordered… We finally started the Loxapine on Tuesday.

Ever since then, I’ve noticed as he’s laying down watching TV, or just relaxing that his cheeks have been turning bright red. He doesn’t have a fever, he just seems a bit ‘out of it’ with really red, flushed cheeks. At first I didn’t think too much about it. I wondered if maybe he was getting sick, though this wasn’t a typical symptom of a cold or flu.

. . .

Tonight was when I panicked.  As we were eating dinner, I kept reminding ‘please chew with your mouth closed’. He looked up at me and said, “Mom, I can’t breathe, it’s really hard.” – Usually he tells me that his nose is stuffy – or something to that effect at dinner when I ask to close his mouth when he’s chewing, but this was different. There was something about the tone of his voice that made me worry.  I asked him if his nose was stuffy, expecting him to say yes. Instead, he grabbed his chest and said, “no, I can’t breathe. It feels really tight. I just can’t catch my breath.” It was obvious he was struggling to breathe.

I had him lay down on the couch while I called his doctor.

. . .

About twenty minutes later, his psychiatrist called me back. I explained to him what was going on. He told me to stop giving Nick the Loxapine immediately. It was an obvious reaction, (allergic? – I don’t know.) He said that it sounded like respiratory depression.

I mentioned that I had heard about interactions with his meds especially the Lithium. Most of the medication he is on does NOT combine well with Lithium. Here is what I discovered Loxapine:

{Found on: http://www.minddisorders.com/}

Precautions

Persons taking Loxapine should not stop taking this medication suddenly. The dosage should be gradually decreased over time. Loxapine should not be combined with other agents that depress the central nervous system, such as antihistamines, alcohol, tranquilizers, sleeping medications, and seizure medications.

Side effects

Rare side effects, but ones that need to be reported immediately to a doctor, include seizures, breathing difficulties, irregular heartbeat, significant changes in blood pressure, increased sweating, severe stiffness, extreme weakness, and unusually pale skin. These symptoms are considered an emergency, and the patient should stop using the medication immediately. More common but less serious side effects include uncontrolled movement of the arms or legs, lip smacking, unusual movements of the tongue, puffing of the cheeks, and uncontrolled chewing movements. These symptoms should also be reported immediately to a doctor.

* THIS IS WHAT IS SAYS ABOUT TAKING IT WITH LITHIUM! *

Interactions

Loxapine should not be combined with anticholinergic drugs because of the potential of decreased antipsychotic effects. Loxapine should not be combined with bromocriptine because the combination can decrease the effectiveness of bromocriptine in patients with pituitary tumors. The combination of loxapine with lithium increases the toxicity of both drugs significantly and should not be combined. The combination of the two has produced very low blood pressure, severe drowsiness, and respiratory depression in rare cases.

. . .

Nick’s doctor agreed that it was damaging to him. He tried explaining to me how each of the drugs he’s on is filtered through his body, and which organs process what… When I told him my concern about the Lithium/Loxapine interaction, he said that the Lithium is processed through his kidneys, and it is the only drug that is. Then, he said it didn’t sound like ‘a break-down of the kidneys, but the cardiovascular system’. – HIS HEART!  He didn’t elaborate much more. He started talking about the medications again, telling me to stop the Loxapine, and so on, and to call if there were any more changes, etc…

This is all incredibly scary. I know there are risks with every medication out there. Even over-the-counter meds. However, were talking about something that is hurting – not helping his brain and his heart. That terrifies me! I keep listening to him in his room sleeping, and I feel as I did when he was baby – going in every so often just to ‘check on him’. I honestly do not think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Thankfully, he’s off the medication, and hopefully he’ll be ‘right as rain’ tomorrow.

[Via http://walkoneggshells.wordpress.com]