![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 24 to 48 of 48. Go back in thread:
Posted by Aadika on December 11, 2002, at 19:47:01
In reply to Re: Some GABAergic drugs you may want to try..., posted by temoigneur on December 11, 2002, at 16:15:18
Hi there, surprising that someone else has been following Riluzole... I've never heard mention of it otherwise. So it's said to have literal anesthetic properties? Like analgesia/sedation? I've heard that it possessed some hypnotic properties, but this is news to me... I suppose at this point I have very high expectations for an anxiolytic medication, as my current meds provide complete relief from my symptoms and no side effects. Right now I'm just interested in trying new drugs more for the science... I mean, if it doesn't work, I know I'll always have my Klonopin. And that thought's exactly what's kept me sane throughout this past year or so of trial after trial of essentially useless medication.
So you had the same problem with Depakote too, huh? What dose were you taking? I was at 1,000mg per day, I believe (it's been a while). I have to wonder if I was just at far too low a dose, seeing as how the drug doesn't have any GABAergic action until the higher doses. But I may just have to continue wondering, as I'd rather not have to deal with all the cognitive dulling I've heard occurs at those levels. Not to mention choking down those ungodly horse pills three times a day! (I already have enough of that with all the vitamin/mineral supplements I take-- I'm a firm believer in 'nutraceuticals'.)
Well, may as well post this. These are some of the drugs I've taken that I can remember offhand (my God, it's actually reached the point that I can't remember them all! lol) and the effect they had on me-- all of them were pushed to the max dose (excluding some of the benzos) before giving up:
Zoloft: no anxiety relief; sedation; sexual dysfunction
Prozac: anxiety MUCH worse; insomnia; brought back symptoms of ADHD that I had as a child
Celexa: minimal anxiety relief; insomnia; sexual dysfunction
Luvox: no anxiety relief; sexual dysfunction
Paxil: adequate anxiety relief; apathy; insomnia; sexual dysfunction; UPON WITHDRAWAL: 'head zaps', which have ceased neither in frequency nor severity in the past two years; status epilepticus
Effexor XR: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Wellbutrin: extreme anxiety, panic, agoraphobia; insomnia
Serzone: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Remeron: no anxiety relief; hypersomnia; lethargy
Desyrel: minimal anxiety relief; hypersomnia
Elavil: somewhat heightened anxiety; hallucinations; lethargy
Anafranil: no anxiety relief; lethargy
Sinequan: moderate anxiety relief; hypersomnia; lethargy
Ludiomil: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Clomipramine: minimal anxiety relief; insomnia; sexual dysfunction
Nardil: no anxiety relief; sexual dysfunction; orthostatic hypotension
Parnate: no anxiety relief; sexual dysfunction; insomnia; slight hyperactivity/euphoria (hypomania?)
Aurorix: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Selegiline: minimal anxiety relief; no side effects
Mirapex: no anxiety relief; slight lift in mood
Ritalin / Concerta: heightened anxiety; muscle tension
Adderall XR: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Dexedrine Spansules: moderate anxiety relief; no side effects
Desoxyn Gradumets: no anxiety relief; mild euphoria; insomnia
Cylert: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Zyprexa: minimal anxiety relief; lethargy
Risperdal: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Seroquel: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Thorazine: minimal anxiety relief; apathy; sexual dysfunction
Mellaril: minimal anxiety relief; apathy
Lithium: no anxiety relief; frequent urination
Neurontin: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Gabitril: no anxiety relief; urinary retention/hesitancy; UPON DR. RAISING DOSE FROM 8mg q.i.d. TO 12mg t.i.d.: brief psychotic episode; status epilepticus preceded by a catatonic state
Trileptal: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Tegretol: no anxiety relief; extreme fatigue
Topamax: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Xanax: complete anxiety relief; strong euphoria; cognitive/coordinational impairment; physical/psychological dependence, rapidly escalating tolerance, and ultimately severe addiction
Ativan: moderate anxiety relief; no side effects
Valium: moderate anxiety relief; dysthymia; irritability
Tranxene: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Librium: moderate anxiety relief; mild euphoria; rapidly-developing tolerance
Paxipam: complete anxiety relief; rapidly-developig tolerance
Serax: moderate anxiety relief; headache
Miltown: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Amytal: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Luminal: no anxiety relief; no side effects
Catapres: minimal anxiety relief; orthostatic hypotension; blurred vision
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whew, lol. That excludes several tricyclics, neuroleptics, and I'm sure several others I'm forgetting because I'm so exhausted. And of course it excludes the three meds I'm currently taking, Klonopin, Provigil, and Inderal.
Well, I've got one more post to respond to and then it's definitely off to bed for me. Keep me updated on the Riluzole (and everything else)!
~ Aadika
Posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 20:03:04
In reply to Re: Some GABAergic drugs you may want to try... » utopizen, posted by Aadika on December 11, 2002, at 13:30:36
Wow-- most docs couldn't tell you the difference between a sedating and a non-sedating GABA binding med...
here's a link that overviews GABA stuff in anxiety-
http://www.vcu-cme.org/gaba/overview.htmlMy doc was the one who suggested Gabitri after I pointed out everything that worked so far worked through binding my GABA (alcohol, Neurontin, Klonopin). I'm sure it was a shot in the dark for him...
Posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 20:12:05
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by biovsenvio? on December 11, 2002, at 17:19:22
This is crazy. Serentil did the same thing back in the 60's-- it was an antipsychotic, like the med you took, claiming to have "special" properties particular to the anxiety psychotic people get. (It's called psychic tension).
Well anyway, some nifty marketing person came up with the idea to make this sound like another barbituate or something, and ran an ad in a doctor's journal that said lines like "for the businessman who can't fit in to his new job," "for the housewife who can't make friends," "for the mother who can't adjust to moving."
Look I understand it helped you but I realize consider it unethical to give someone who does not have a psychotic condition an antipsychotic unless they are actually treatment resistant. Just because YOUR DOCTOR is resistant to benzos doesn't make YOU treatment resistant, it makes YOUR DOCTOR resistant to prescribing what is safest to cover himself in case you feel like you were led into an "addictive" substance.
It's really, really sad. I suppose I can't say it's terrible to take an antipsychotic if one is indeed treatment resistant, but unfortunately doctors manage to interpret this as if responding to benzo treatment doesn't matter.
If you respond to benzo treatment, you are not treatment resistant. YOUR DOCTOR IS resistant to treating you.
Posted by Aadika on December 11, 2002, at 20:27:28
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by biovsenvio? on December 11, 2002, at 17:19:22
Wow, medications and weight gain.... that's a rather difficult issue for me to address. Over the course of five years that I've been taking psychopharmaceuticals I'd gone from 165 (a perfect weight for me) to 255..... but it's hard for me to discern which meds were the catalysts. All I know is I gained the weight, just started dieting and weight training 3 months ago and have worked my way back to my normal weight, so thank God.
As for Riluzole, it's been available for awhile... not exactly sure how long. But it was touted as the only FDA-approved treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I wouldn't get my hopes up too high, but its mechanism(s) of action make it sounds extremely promising. Keeping my fingers crossed.
And I know what you mean, it most certainly DOES suck. Myself, I spent approximately the first ten years of my life with severe ADHD, but high-functioning academically. My mother never wanted me on medication, so we just dealt with it... and when it started to somehow work its way into social anxiety disorder during pre-adolescence, my mother STILL didn't want me on drugs, so I toughed it out. But when it became so horrible I had to drop out of high school five years ago and rarely even left my room, let alone the house, that's when I insisted on getting help. It was hell for the first four years. The drugs weren't helping, the side effects were debilitating, and at one point I was hospitalized for two weeks for Xanax addiction... I had worked my way up to around 120mg / day, buying it off the streets and getting it from friends to supplement my prescription, which had gone up to 10mg / day. Three times I stayed in Rusk State Mental Hospital, as my condition was so horrible it seemed to mimic many symptoms of severe schizo-affective disorder in an acute stage. It wasn't until a year ago that I was diagnosed properly with avoidant personality disorder and have been on Klonopin (along with other things at different times) ever since.
And that sort of lends itself to a segue into my personal thoughts as to whether meds are the answer. See, I'm kind of a strange case... I've been through therapy five times with five different, wonderful therapists-- each with their different approach to treating me. I even went through several months of hypnotherapy and acupuncture. None of this worked. This surprised the hell out of me, as it had always been drilled into my head by all the various medical professionals I worked with that a personality disorder basically spelled out "therapy". And by the very nature of my disorder, I am a poor responder to medication (avoidants generally tend to have an incomplete or negative response to anxiolytic medications). So when therapy proved a failure, as well as hypnosis, acupuncture, homeopathy, and even losing 90 lbs., working out every day, and supplementing with brain/body essential nutrients (I suggest you read up on the vitamins inositol and niacinamide in the treatment of anxiety, in particular), my doctor just finally decided that keeping me on this 5mg / day of Klonopin that I've been on for well over a year indefinitely could be the only answer... so that's how it worked out for me. Your mileage may vary. :-)
~ Aadika
Posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 20:30:20
In reply to Re: Some GABAergic drugs you may want to try... » temoigneur, posted by Aadika on December 11, 2002, at 19:47:01
You took meth for anxiety? Please tell me you took it solely for ADD.
What school did your doctor go to?? Drug dealers would smirk at that kind of psychopharmacological ignorance. Speaking of which, a receptionist at MGH told me today there's actually a whole department of psychopharmacologists that do nothing but study psychotropics in people at my hospital. If this school of though exists, you'd think everyone would become one. What's the point of psychiatrists these days anyway? We all know they're not willing to give CBT unless it's the initials of a new AD (and their drug rep took them to lunch that day to boast of it).
Although I shouldn't talk, I "cleverly" convinced my doc to trial me on Desoxyn by claiming it may have a chance at reducing my anxiety levels in contrast to Adderall's heightening of them. I also capped it off by saying "then that way I may be able to avoid the benzos."
That's when he whipped out his pad and gave me them. I've learned if you say the line "then I might be able to avoid the benzos" docs will prescribe you meth. Yeah, sadly, I'm literal on this one, as Desoxyn *is* methamphetamine HCL. Klonopin might be habit forming, so let's get you on meth. While you're at it, doc, let's wean alcoholics off of their booze by giving them anti-freeze...
Posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 21:52:37
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds... » biovsenvio?, posted by Aadika on December 11, 2002, at 20:27:28
Wait a sec- I was getting jealous when I heard someone on this board getting 2mg/day of K. 5mg?!!?
I get guilt tripped by my p-doc for asking for .5mg PRN. Sometimes he "caves" in and gives me prn .5mg, qty. 10, to cover 3 months. And he does this reluctantly.
I'm seriously thinking of telling him "oh, I don't know why I never mentioned this, but I've always had my legs move about fast during the night, it wakes me up a lot, do you think this is something that's treatable?" (my legs don't move during the night, but what the heck can he do to avoid K for RLS? At least he can't cop-out by hinting there's some SSRI out there I haven't found that would work.
And seriously, I'd be a happy man if I just got .5mg/day. 1mg would probably be best, but I'd be happy with .5mg. Is that so much to ask? He goes, "oh, if you stop, you might get seizures" I tried to explain to him even the makers of benzos state in the insert seizures are typical in people who are prone to seizures already, but naturally I state this in the form of a question as if I wasn't sure (I don't want to act like a smart-ass) and then he goes, "no."
UGGGG!!!!
Equanil specifically states in their insert seizures may happen, typically in seizure-proned individuals, and taking a barbituate during withdrawl period can help the withdrawl time. All this in the insert. My doc didn't even know if Meprobromate still existed when I mentioned it.
I really do want to just say "Look, you can keep acting stubborn and I will ask for a second opinion and meet someone who realizes I deserve K, or you can keep your $70 each time you see me for a 5 minute appointment and give me some .5mg K."
After a year of treatment, you'd think he'd give up by now. But no, he just says "I'll take longer than others to get comfortable." Yeah, but who cares about being comfortable in a coffin? 'Cause that's how long it'll take me to get comfortable with social anxiety.
Posted by viridis on December 12, 2002, at 1:54:03
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 21:52:37
Hi Utopizen,
I don't get it -- if your doctor refuses to treat you adequately, why are you so loyal to him that you won't at least seek a second opinion?
Obviously you need better anxiety management, and you have a pretty clear idea of what would do it. I don't mean the barbiturates, dilaudid etc. that you've mentioned (I can understand a doctor being nervous about those) but if you respond well to the combination of Klonopin + a stimulant (my impression from all you've written, and the mix that works for me), then why not just find a sensible psychiatrist who will take into account your responses to different meds? It should be possible, especially if you're in a major metropolitan area.
Although I've had a pretty rich and diverse life so far, I've also suffered tremendously and needlessly with anxiety, depression, and ADD-related problems. Things have been much better since I started ditching the ineffective doctors and found a competent psychiatrist who actually listens to what I say and prescribes accordingly.
Posted by utopizen on December 12, 2002, at 2:36:46
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds... » utopizen, posted by viridis on December 12, 2002, at 1:54:03
Wow. You're like my Dr. Phil.
For some reason simply reading what you said sort of liberated me there for a second. I think the reason I felt so compelled to be loyal was that he sort of gives this "advice" to help me cope with anxiety (in other words, things to think about to keep my mind off the fact that he won't treat me properly). And after hearing these pieces of advice each time I go to him, after awhile, I start to believe I'm the problem, that I'm trying too hard to perfect myself and find everything in a pill and so forth.
I will ask him today when I see him if it's "a good idea" to get a second opinion from a psychopharmacologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (I'm in Boston, and go to that hospital for other stuff anyway). I just learned today that MGH has an entire department of the world's leading psychopharmacologists. I didn't even know the field existed. Imagine, a psychiatrist minus the need to act like he gives you CBT in the 3 1/2 minutes he sees you!
Plus, he actually follows the med news, so he knows what to give, because he doesn't have a vague job description. If a p-doc is giving bad med treatments, he might be able to "over-compensate" by treating his patients with guilt trips enough so they remain loyal to him...
> Hi Utopizen,
>
> I don't get it -- if your doctor refuses to treat you adequately, why are you so loyal to him that you won't at least seek a second opinion?
>
> Obviously you need better anxiety management, and you have a pretty clear idea of what would do it. I don't mean the barbiturates, dilaudid etc. that you've mentioned (I can understand a doctor being nervous about those) but if you respond well to the combination of Klonopin + a stimulant (my impression from all you've written, and the mix that works for me), then why not just find a sensible psychiatrist who will take into account your responses to different meds? It should be possible, especially if you're in a major metropolitan area.
>
> Although I've had a pretty rich and diverse life so far, I've also suffered tremendously and needlessly with anxiety, depression, and ADD-related problems. Things have been much better since I started ditching the ineffective doctors and found a competent psychiatrist who actually listens to what I say and prescribes accordingly.What you said is so obvious, I'm just going to see a psychopharma unless he happens to change his tune tomorrow. I'm laying it on the line-- I've seen him for a year now, and no results. I shouldn't have to continue living like this, wasting my life in college.
Posted by rickoshay on December 12, 2002, at 7:13:08
In reply to injectable Dilaudid used for anxiety?, posted by utopizen on December 7, 2002, at 18:24:35
In high school I had a couple friends who managed to get hooked on heroin.When the supply was sparse,since they were "suburban" kids and dependant on only their "buddies" from the less affluent city nearby,the supply wasn't always available.Drugstore break-ins were one remedy for this.Dilaudid was nick named "drugstore heroin" and prefered to most other opioids available then(the 60's).My point,if any,is do you really want to get involved with this?
Posted by Sswift on December 12, 2002, at 7:56:54
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by biovsenvio? on December 11, 2002, at 17:19:22
Just wondering, has anyone tried any herbal alternatives??? If anyone has had success with herbs, tell the names and how it can help with anxiety, depression, etc.
Posted by Aadika on December 12, 2002, at 13:27:56
In reply to Re: Some GABAergic drugs you may want to try..., posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 20:03:04
Thanks for the link, I'm surprised I haven't come across that before in my research.
I actually had to suggest Gabitril to my pdoc once Neurontin had failed to provide any relief. I suppose I should have read up on it a bit better... I could have avoided the horrific experience I went through that nearly killed me. Ah well, hindsight being 20/20, perhaps it was a good thing.
~ Aadika
Posted by Aadika on December 12, 2002, at 13:41:42
In reply to Re: Some GABAergic drugs you may want to try..., posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 20:30:20
Actually the methamphetamine was also my own suggestion... as were all of the stimulants. I was at a point that I had begun to question whether my anxiety was a symptom of my ADHD, so in desperation I inquired first about Adderall (big mistake), then Ritalin (bigger mistake), but finally received some pleasant anxiolytic effects from Dexedrine, especially when taken in conjunction with clonazepam. So I took what I assumed would be the next natural step and gave Desoxyn a try. It proved inferior to Dex, and for some reason my pdoc decided abruptly at this point that he wasn't going to prescribe me any more schedule II drugs... so Cylert it was. Which sucked, of course. It wasn't until recently that I tried Provigil and found it to possess comparable anxiolysis to Dexedrine, though I know they have entirely different mechanisms of action.
As far as your opinions on the state of psychiatry, I naturally couldn't agree with you more. Sad, though, that it took experiences with nine different psychiatrists to realize that I am essentially responsible for my own treatment. I finally at the very least have found one who will just prescribe me what I tell him and raise the dose when I deem it necessary. Regardless of whether other medical professionals would consider this "good practice", I really could care less at this point.
~ Aadika
Posted by Aadika on December 12, 2002, at 13:57:44
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 21:52:37
It's absolutely ridiculous that anyone should have to go through this... I mean, even though my psychatrist is very well aware of the horrible problem I had with Xanax, he was more than willing to offer me clonazepam simply because he could quite clearly see how much I suffered. In fact, I was prescribed 1mg t.i.d. as a STARTING dose. At my next appointment my doctor remarked he could see some definite improvement, and he'd like to increase my dose to 2mg t.i.d.-- and he sure as hell got a surprised look on his face when I agreed to this but mentioned that I only felt 1mg was necessary before bed (I actually do have RLS, as well as bruxism that my dentists have been complaining to me about for years). I suppose he didn't often come across a patient who would turn down ANY amount of a benzodiazepine!
But come on-- you mean to tell me your doctor is RELUCTANT to give you a total of 5mg to cover a three month period?? That's beyond absurd; all I can say is some (most) psychiatrists are quite stuck in their ways. I hope you'll eventually seek treatment from one of the few psychiatrists (there ARE some out there!) who actually understand anxiety disorders... not to mention the inevitable, devestating consequences of allowing such a chronic condition to go untreated.
~ Aadika
Posted by utopizen on December 12, 2002, at 17:53:15
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds... » utopizen, posted by Aadika on December 12, 2002, at 13:57:44
Well, he said today he wouldn't prescribe .5mg because he was sure I was a perfect candidate to become a Klonopin junkie, as he has seen people like me before do the same, with tolerance, followed by rehab, and detox, and all the rest.
Well I broke down right then, which I'm glad, because well, I don't cry often, so it's good to get it out of my system. Anyway, eventually I chilled... oh, and he basically said "oh, this is about the point where people start to want to move on to a new doctor who will actually treat them" (meaning the year I have been seeing him and all). So, um, I brought up the psychopharmacologist stuff, and he thought it was a good idea that I see one.
Posted by Dinah on December 12, 2002, at 19:01:35
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by utopizen on December 12, 2002, at 17:53:15
He admitted he hadn't been adequately treating you for a year?
Posted by utopizen on December 12, 2002, at 20:54:14
In reply to Good heavens! » utopizen, posted by Dinah on December 12, 2002, at 19:01:35
> He admitted he hadn't been adequately treating you for a year?
>Well at least he's honest =)
Posted by FredPotter on December 12, 2002, at 22:41:57
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by utopizen on December 11, 2002, at 20:12:05
> This is crazy. Serentil did the same thing back in the 60's-- it was an antipsychotic, like the med you took, claiming to have "special" properties particular to the anxiety psychotic people get. (It's called psychic tension).
>
> Well anyway, some nifty marketing person came up with the idea to make this sound like another barbituate or something, and ran an ad in a doctor's journal that said lines like "for the businessman who can't fit in to his new job," "for the housewife who can't make friends," "for the mother who can't adjust to moving."
>
> Look I understand it helped you but I realize consider it unethical to give someone who does not have a psychotic condition an antipsychotic unless they are actually treatment resistant. Just because YOUR DOCTOR is resistant to benzos doesn't make YOU treatment resistant, it makes YOUR DOCTOR resistant to prescribing what is safest to cover himself in case you feel like you were led into an "addictive" substance.
>
> It's really, really sad. I suppose I can't say it's terrible to take an antipsychotic if one is indeed treatment resistant, but unfortunately doctors manage to interpret this as if responding to benzo treatment doesn't matter.
>
> If you respond to benzo treatment, you are not treatment resistant. YOUR DOCTOR IS resistant to treating you.Well said there! Years ago a Dr prescribed me first Largactil, then Eulactil and then Stelazine. Only after I became quite ill with the restless exhaustion they caused was I tried on something else. I often wonder if they did any lasting harm
Posted by viridis on December 12, 2002, at 23:45:28
In reply to Re: Good heavens!, posted by utopizen on December 12, 2002, at 20:54:14
Hi Utopizen,
It sounds like you're on the right path. See a specialist, get the right treatment, and start enjoying life. You're young and sharp, and you'll almost certainly get better with the appropriate meds. I kind of envy you -- I'm about twice your age and only figured this out a little over a year ago. You have a lot to look forward to.
Viridis
Posted by biovsenvio? on December 13, 2002, at 1:15:03
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds... » utopizen, posted by Aadika on December 12, 2002, at 13:57:44
hey...aadika, I was the one asking about that new med that starts with an"r" (forgot the spelling) anyway... read the list of all the meds you've tried and i think i've got you beat...lol... you seem pretty bright in regards to medicine and treatment... do you mind me asking what your diagnosis is... and you said you were 19 right? well anyways.... i've been on:
tca's: elavil,desipramine, imipramine, tofranil... and some others...
maoi's: nardil, parnate and i think another forget name though, moclobemide(maoi-b from european pharm) seligiline...
ssri's: paxil, prozac, zoloft, celexa, new celexa...
other antideps.:effexor, remeron, serzone, trazadone,wellbutrin, reboxetine(snri from europe),manerix
antianxiety:buspar, klonapin, xanex, valium, ativan
antisezure: lithium, depakote, tegratol, lamictal, topimax, neurontin, gabatril, keppra, zonegran...trileptal...i think some others too...
anti psych's: seroquil,geodon, aripiprazole(dont know trade name... just came out) & took zyprexa one night when i was spazzing out in the hospital...
stim's: dexadrine, ritalin, cylert, provigil, ummm and a new one that just came out....
sleepers: sonata, and that other one that didnt do crap...
herbal rem's: st johns wort, kava, same, melatonin, tyrosine, tryptophan, b-complex vitamins...omega 3's(taking right now.. cant tell anyhting though....exercize helps sometimes ... currently investigating the low carb diet....
& I've had 5 weekly or longer stays at api mental hosp. in the past 6 years + 2 (14) round sessions of bilateral e.c.t...
i am a 21 yr old female... and my depression started back in 9th grade after taking a med called accutane(but i've got some fam hist. too)
anyway... my diagnosis was depression at first then it went to atypical depression to anxiety , to rapid cycling bipolar II with a cyclical focus on major depressive disorder.... honestly i dont think they know whats wrong with me...
anyway... the only thing that concerns me right now is that after being on all these meds i have gon fron 5'6 105 lbs to (same height) but 144lbs and that right there makes me want to cry... i seriously wanna kill myself every night just because of that.... but i dont cause my doc said that i'f i ever tried to kill myself again, he wouldnt treat me... and that would suck..... anyway about the meds..... nothing has really worked for both my depression and anxiety as e.c.t,,, i lost my memory for a while but it got me out of the house, working, and going to school for almost a year....the other things that worked for about 3 month stretches were.. keppra, zoloft+klonapin combo(not that great but able to finish home school.. had to drop out of h.s.)and aripiprazole....i will seriously never go on another ssri again they practiclly make me 10 times worse in terms of anxiety....stim's work for my dep. but poop out after like 3 days... most mood stabolizers make me feel retarded especially topimax... (got in a nice little car accident on that one)remeron made me comatose, effexor made me manic, ummm... think thats about it.... anyway... just wanted to get my story out there... if anyone has any questions, comments , or suggestions... bring em on!!
Posted by utopizen on December 14, 2002, at 0:01:19
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by biovsenvio? on December 11, 2002, at 17:19:22
How do you feel on an antipsych?
I'm going to see a doctor who will give me Klonopin after a year of seeing similar results you've tried.
Are you more outgoing on an antipsych? Is it as effective as Klonopin? Can you think straight? Neurontin makes me retarded and depressed (unless there's a serious reason for being happy). I'm surprised from what I read on antipsychotics you didn't note any cognitive side effect.... I'm 19 and on Effexor 300, about to go off in a few days (right after finals, don't feel like risking it)
Posted by comftnumb on December 14, 2002, at 1:05:58
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds..., posted by biovsenvio? on December 11, 2002, at 17:19:22
Why does your doc not want you on Klonopin? If it's because its addictive, he is being too conservative. A great deal of the meds are addictive, and they are hard to get off of. Does he think you'll O.D. on the Klonopin? I think a doc that doesn't trust you enough to give you a benzo isn't worth keeping. Remember that you pay him a shitload for his services. Some docs are really conservative and if you want aggressive treatment that fights your illness you gotta find the doc that's willing to put his own ass on the line. That's right, he's probably worried that he'll get sued that's why he won't give you Klonopin.
Posted by biovsenvio? on December 14, 2002, at 1:54:53
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds... » biovsenvio?, posted by utopizen on December 14, 2002, at 0:01:19
my memory and cognition is actually better on abilify(aripiprazole)(new antipsych)...klonopin worked a little for my anxiety but made me sooo tired and lethargic....i didnt like neurontin either.. i felt drunk and stupid on it...hows effexor working for you? how long have you been on it? any weight gain?.. i took it for about 3 mos... 2 yrs ago... cured mt depression in about 3 days but made me so pannicky and paranoid/shakey i couldnt sit still on it... but, thats me... i hate all ssri's and meds similar to them... do you mind me asking your diagnosis?...
> How do you feel on an antipsych?
>
> I'm going to see a doctor who will give me Klonopin after a year of seeing similar results you've tried.
>
> Are you more outgoing on an antipsych? Is it as effective as Klonopin? Can you think straight? Neurontin makes me retarded and depressed (unless there's a serious reason for being happy). I'm surprised from what I read on antipsychotics you didn't note any cognitive side effect.... I'm 19 and on Effexor 300, about to go off in a few days (right after finals, don't feel like risking it)
Posted by utopizen on December 14, 2002, at 6:38:03
In reply to Re: utop..., posted by biovsenvio? on December 14, 2002, at 1:54:53
Social anxiety, no depression.
No effect from 300mg Effexor since 9/15.
Posted by worrier on December 14, 2002, at 18:19:00
In reply to Re: follow up to antianxiety meds... virdis, posted by utopizen on December 12, 2002, at 2:36:46
>I fell into the trap of sticking with someone who wasn't helping me, only making my problems worse with totally wrong meds. I am not normally so sheep-like and when I finally got to a decent doc I spent alot of time whipping myself for being so stupid. He pointed out that my brain was so screwed up by the wrong meds that I couldn't think, I was terrified and the doctor was supposed to help me. It's hard to break away when the doc is telling you it's your fault you aren't getting better. There are good docs out there, don't be afraid to try to find one.
Posted by robski on January 7, 2004, at 3:13:05
In reply to a suggestion » utopizen, posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 14:20:38
For additional nighttime anxiety, though, you can take any benzos except Klonopin and Xanax, I think. At least Ativan seems to be okay.)
beardy
whats wrong with Klonopin?
Robski
This is the end of the thread.
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