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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Alone on February 2, 2007, at 21:18:45
In my Xanax poll I noticed some of you also take Valium. I am allowed to take Xanax as needed for anxiety but it makes me so drowsy. Does Valium work well for anxiety? Does it make you drowsy? Would it be a good daytime anti-anxiety medication? Thanks!!!!!
Posted by Phillipa on February 2, 2007, at 22:01:49
In reply to Valium AND Xanax?, posted by Alone on February 2, 2007, at 21:18:45
Depends on how bad your anxiety is and the amount. I like valium at night. Puts me to sleep. Xanax during the day is better start on a low dose .I take all at night but think I need the xanax instead during the day. Yes I take both. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on February 3, 2007, at 0:46:24
In reply to Valium AND Xanax?, posted by Alone on February 2, 2007, at 21:18:45
> In my Xanax poll I noticed some of you also take Valium. I am allowed to take Xanax as needed for anxiety but it makes me so drowsy. Does Valium work well for anxiety? Does it make you drowsy? Would it be a good daytime anti-anxiety medication? Thanks!!!!!
Yes it works well for anxiety but I have a complex Somatiform NOS disorder that is only beginning to be studied by the medical community. There have now been fMRI studies of people with Somatiform disorders.It also causes daytime drowsiness varying of course with your metabolism of the medication (any benzodiazepine will do so) and reduction of reaction time to stimuli. But I still believe it makes a good daytime (24 hours + actually) anxiolytic. I happen to take it twice a day because I like the larger peak in the evening when I'm at home, but the average is still the same.
If Xanax PRN makes you drowsy, that ironically is a good thing -- it means you aren't habituated to benzodiazepines in general. That's why its good kept as PRN, because you won't habituate to it nearly as much as if it were given all day or in XR format.
Yes, there is cross-pollination of tolerance so the Valium dose should be kept to a MED (minimum effective dose) and the Xanax kept as a say, .5mg "oh crap its bad" medication a few times a week. The drowsiness of the Xanax will be natural, its fairly immediate acting and kept at that stage, you will feel some drowsiness, but is that better or worse than an ensuing all out panic attack ? Something to take while not needing to be as alert as possible, so drowsiness isn't a major issue.
Posted by Quintal on February 3, 2007, at 5:08:37
In reply to Valium AND Xanax?, posted by Alone on February 2, 2007, at 21:18:45
Xanax is 20 times more potent than Valium but most people find that Xanax is less sedating. Valium seems to have a higher affinity for the subsets of benzodiazepine receptors that cause sedation, and for that reason it tends to make people drowsy. I think the theory behind using Valium and Xanax together might be to reduce the rebound anxiety after each dose of Xanax wears off (Xanax has a half-life of ~6-12 hours and Valium ~20-200 hours).
Q
Posted by valene on February 3, 2007, at 7:39:01
In reply to Valium AND Xanax?, posted by Alone on February 2, 2007, at 21:18:45
I don't take both benzos together but I did take valium a couple years ago to taper my xanax to a lower dose. I found that Valium for me does cause more drowsiness.
I had my first car accident ever on valium (luckily not serious) but I am convinced it was due to the low dose of Valium (10mg) at the time.
25 years on xanax now at a lower dose also, and never came close to a car accident.
Posted by bassman on February 3, 2007, at 9:42:04
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax? » Alone, posted by Quintal on February 3, 2007, at 5:08:37
I agree-I take Klonopin and Xanax, both at low levels, for exactly the Xanax-rebound reason. I've missed Xanax doses for days and not felt any withdrawal...
Posted by Phillipa on February 3, 2007, at 18:47:42
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax? » Alone, posted by yxibow on February 3, 2007, at 0:46:24
Funny I took xanax for years and then all of a sudden during the day it made me tired? Never did before wonder why no the dose wasn't higher either. Love Phillipa
Posted by Alone on February 3, 2007, at 22:37:45
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax? » Alone, posted by yxibow on February 3, 2007, at 0:46:24
I too was dx with a Somatiform Disorder, specifically, Somatization Disorder. My Neurologist prescribes me Neurontin for it.
Posted by psychobot5000 on February 4, 2007, at 1:09:50
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax? » yxibow, posted by Phillipa on February 3, 2007, at 18:47:42
> Funny I took xanax for years and then all of a sudden during the day it made me tired? Never did before wonder why no the dose wasn't higher either. Love Phillipa
Could you have started another drug that slowed xanax's metabolism maybe?
Posted by yxibow on February 4, 2007, at 1:25:15
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax? » yxibow, posted by Alone on February 3, 2007, at 22:37:45
> I too was dx with a Somatiform Disorder, specifically, Somatization Disorder. My Neurologist prescribes me Neurontin for it.
I would be curious to hear about your Somatization Disorder if you would be willing to share it. It is a misunderstood disorder that is just beginning to have fMRI studies and the concept of malingering has been rewritten, because the majority of people with Somatiform disorders do not want them. I can sure say I don't like to have little control over how brightness and contrast appear to me.
Neurontin is among the soup of agents prescribed -- the principal active agent(s) I believe are Valium and Seroquel (dampening of D2) for me though I have adjunctive medication as well. Polypharmacy is not fun but sometimes is necessary, especially since I have MDD concomitant either related to depression about the illness and how few people out there have anything close to me, and just general depression.-- Jay
Posted by Phillipa on February 4, 2007, at 17:38:08
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax?, posted by psychobot5000 on February 4, 2007, at 1:09:50
No only med I was on at the time. Love Phillipa
Posted by Alone on February 8, 2007, at 18:49:32
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax? » Alone, posted by yxibow on February 4, 2007, at 1:25:15
Wow, you are the first other Somatiform person I have encountered.
I had neck pain for over a decade, but about 2 years ago I lost 30 lbs in just a few months for no reason.
I also developed urinary urgency and frequency, my body temperature would drop drastically every night and I would get chills.
My right eye would over work itself (confirmed by my optometrist) for no reason making my eye red and it would feel like there was always something in it.
I would get sharp pains in my upper abdomin and terrible acid coming up in my throat.
My Family doc ran tons of tests (Cat Scans, Blood work, xrays...) and refered me to other docs (Urologist, Gastroenterologist, Rare disease guy) and they ran even more tests.
Then I got Shingles. My Family doc gave me Neurontin for the Shingle pain and then some thing wonderful happened.
Most of my other problems dissapeared, completely. But then they would start to comeback and consequently my doc would up my Neurontin again and then the symptoms would go away again.
After I got up to 2400mg a day of Neurontin, I still needed another increase but my doc said he was worried that I needed so much. He suspected I had Somatization Disorder and referred me to a Neurologist.
The Neurologist tested me for MS, which came back negative, confirmed the dx of Somatization disorder and let me go up to 3400mg a day of Neurontin.
So far I have only had to use a max of 2700 mg in a day to control my symptoms. I have litterally had every part (almost) of my body checked and there were NO physical explanations for any of my problems. But the Neurontin works. It's a mystery!
Posted by yxibow on February 9, 2007, at 3:20:09
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax? SOMATIZATION » yxibow, posted by Alone on February 8, 2007, at 18:49:32
> Wow, you are the first other Somatiform person I have encountered.
The same. It is out there, but because it is so varied in manifestation, it is not always caught, it may be misdiagnosed, and sometimes really doesn't fit a single DSM, as mine, Somatiform NOS (not otherwise specified).
> I had neck pain for over a decade, but about 2 years ago I lost 30 lbs in just a few months for no reason.
>
> I also developed urinary urgency and frequency, my body temperature would drop drastically every night and I would get chills.
>
> My right eye would over work itself (confirmed by my optometrist) for no reason making my eye red and it would feel like there was always something in it.
>
> I would get sharp pains in my upper abdomin and terrible acid coming up in my throat.
>
> My Family doc ran tons of tests (Cat Scans, Blood work, xrays...) and refered me to other docs (Urologist, Gastroenterologist, Rare disease guy) and they ran even more tests.
>
> Then I got Shingles. My Family doc gave me Neurontin for the Shingle pain and then some thing wonderful happened.
>
> Most of my other problems dissapeared, completely. But then they would start to comeback and consequently my doc would up my Neurontin again and then the symptoms would go away again.
>
> After I got up to 2400mg a day of Neurontin, I still needed another increase but my doc said he was worried that I needed so much. He suspected I had Somatization Disorder and referred me to a Neurologist.
>
> The Neurologist tested me for MS, which came back negative, confirmed the dx of Somatization disorder and let me go up to 3400mg a day of Neurontin.
>
> So far I have only had to use a max of 2700 mg in a day to control my symptoms. I have litterally had every part (almost) of my body checked and there were NO physical explanations for any of my problems. But the Neurontin works. It's a mystery!
I'm glad the Neurontin is working for you, I also take 2700mg of Neurontin a day as an adjunct to Valium.More than 900mg of Neurontin at a time generally is eliminated through the kidneys so it is self-regulating. I was at 3600mg, but backed down a bit. I don't know about how Lyrica would work in that regards, since I couldn't take it because it caused blurry vision.
I did't go through the route of a neurologist, but I had just about every test done in the book by my former GP and a few by my current.
A year before the **** hit the fan, I had a fever (I tend to run 97.5 as normal) of 99.5 every day from 4pm till past midnight -- no infection, nothing, but it sure felt like a big fever at times and it responded to acetaminophen.
Tests from Valley Fever to you name it were done, more recently I insisted on Lyme (nothing). My current GP finally agreed with my psychiatrist 1 year into the treatment that my anxiety over not having an MRI was getting in the way of things and I had a head and neck MRI with Gadolinium. Nothing surprising there, just a sign that at one point I had a sinus infection, which is one typical result of an MRI of the head.
I've been in therapy for 5 years, more intensive for probably at least 3 of those. The goal is to slowly make me more productive so whatever trapped anxiety, be it from 9/11 (likely) or my natural body inclination toward it (I am a lifetime OCD sufferer although it is fairly quiescent at the moment) will become less of a burden and leave my system. This includes activities like volunteering, updating my resume skills with some extension courses, and hopefully eventually with the help of my parents who have been nothing but supportive in my life (yes, I am an only child) move out and do some freelance work.
Its anybody's guess how long things will take, and I have to move forward with my life, but I'm not willing to be handicapped, I haven't lost my wit or my intelligence, I'm just hampered with a disorder I wouldn't wish upon anyone.
There is a sense of diminishing returns at times because I think that I have become less patient to periods of symptom retrogression than I was in the past when my medication mix dampened my visual symptoms dramatically and there is less of dramatic signs lately, perhaps because I really am much better than I was before. I mean at the beginning, fluorescent lights in stores made me so confused that I almost knocked over clothes racks.
(No, this isn't a psychotic disorder -- I know that out there, there is a reality, slightly different from the one I experience, that is free of distractions from visual cues, the one that I know from college. Nothing I experience really isn't anything that the average person would see and its gone, poof, in a microsecond. Because that's what it really comes down to me, somehow my mind is not filtering things out.)
The mind is a very powerful creature (it can activate the autonomic nervous system), and psychiatrists are only beginning to recognize what really is a true disorder and definately not malingering. Yes, there is a DSM code for that too, but the vast majority of people who fit in some sort of Conversion Disorder/Somatiform/OC Spectrum area do not want their symptoms. The most common seen in hospitals, as I noted before, are pseudoseizures.
There has been a small study recently, I think this article is accessable to everyone, I'm not sure, using fMRI -- it doesn't quite apply to my "special senses" (visual, etc.) condition but it does show that there is brain chemistry at work.
I wish you much luck and recovery of your life.Thank you for posting your condition.
-- Jay
Posted by Alone on February 9, 2007, at 11:51:01
In reply to Re: Valium AND Xanax? SOMATIZATION » Alone, posted by yxibow on February 9, 2007, at 3:20:09
>
> Its anybody's guess how long things will take, and I have to move forward with my life, but I'm not willing to be handicapped, I haven't lost my wit or my intelligence, I'm just hampered with a disorder I wouldn't wish upon anyone.
>
>Hi Jay,Me too. My pdoc and GP refuse to say I am able to work, so I decided to start my own buisiness. I got my first client and literally froze. I couldn't move. I had to cancell the job. I kept the buisiness open and tried again year later.
It seems that when I am feeling better I can do everything and stay up all night working like crazy. Then all of a sudden it will happen again. I freeze and I can't move, I can't even clean the house.
I go up and down. When I am up it is like I am in a frenzy. When I am down, it is like some one sucked all of the will, drive, energy, & motivation out of me and I cry all day long for no reason.
But I too think that it is just a matter of time and one day I will have a life again.I am extremely embarassed each and every time I have to tell anyone I am on Disability. It really hurts my pride and my self esteem has been crushed.
But when I am on a "high" I get determined to prove them wrong and get back on my feet and be a sucessful person.
But inevitably, I crash again. But there is a person inside of me who is NOT disabled and refuses to accept it.
My best wishes to you.
This is the end of the thread.
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