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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 0:44:35
I desperately need something to take care of my crippling anxiety. I feel like I simply cannot function sometimes. My head feels heavy and my body feels weak. My circulation is poor and I get cold very easily. My chest is miserably tight and uncomfortable. What would be a good medication/antidepressant for anxiety and energy.
Zoloft used to do it for me but it just is not working the way it used to.
Posted by SLS on December 19, 2009, at 4:39:00
In reply to Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 0:44:35
> I desperately need something to take care of my crippling anxiety.
Does L-theanine help at all?
> What would be a good medication/antidepressant for anxiety and energy.
Some doctors would choose Paxil or Effexor if they determine GAD is present. Nardil is another drug to consider. I don't know if you would want to start playing with benzodiazepines (Xanax or Ativan) and neuroleptics (Seroquel or Zyprexa) at this point, but they can be acutely effective. Buspar? I don't know. Some people do well with it, even though it has long had a reputation for being less effective than BZD. I guess it depends on what is being treated. As with ADs, Buspar takes several weeks to work.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on December 19, 2009, at 10:40:54
In reply to Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 0:44:35
Are you at the maximum dose of zoloft? And it's definitely anxiety not that I doubt you. I've had those same feelngs in the past and it only a benzo that relieved it. Good luck. ps your thyroid is fine right? Phillipa
Posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 11:30:43
In reply to Re: Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by SLS on December 19, 2009, at 4:39:00
Yeah I just got off Zyprexa, didn't ever feel so hot when I was on it. Paxil turned me into a zombie ten years ago but maybe it would be different now. Would love to try Nardil but I hate the 3 day dosing-not sure if I could stick with it.
I will try L Theanine in the next few days
Posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 13:03:14
In reply to Re: Antidepressant for anxiety and energy » morganator, posted by Phillipa on December 19, 2009, at 10:40:54
Yep thyroid is good. Going up on Zoloft helps at first and then feels like too much.
Posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 14:12:53
In reply to Re: Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 13:03:14
Well I took .5mg klonopin and now I'm flat out wiped out. Klonopin and other benzos probably will not be the answer for me. Simply too sedating, mind numbing, and life draining.
Posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 14:35:23
In reply to Re: Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 14:12:53
Feeling better now. I guess the initial effect was extreme drowsiness. Now I feel much better. Still a bit numb and medicated but better. It makes me wonder if I should switch to Nardil. I just can't see myself being able to time the 3 dosages a day properly.
Posted by SLS on December 19, 2009, at 14:54:56
In reply to Re: Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 14:35:23
> I just can't see myself being able to time the 3 dosages a day properly.
In an attempt to minimize side effects when I took a combination of Parnate and desipramine, I had to dose myself 6 times a day. It was worth it, though, and I was happy to do it. The payoff was remission. If the stuff works that well for you, just make believe it is exercise. <hee hee>
- Scott
Posted by bleauberry on December 19, 2009, at 20:11:08
In reply to Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by morganator on December 19, 2009, at 0:44:35
You said you just got off zyprexa? I am not sure how long it has been since your last dose, but I can say from my own experience and others that the post-zyprexa anxiety and other weirdness is going to be around for a while. For me it was about 3 months, but I had been on zyprexa for 8 years. I would avoid the strong tempation to rely on other meds or increase doses of other meds to deal with it. That just sets you up for another hard time. Just trading one now for a different one later.
Instead you could use bandaids for the worst moments. Those would include:
Theanine is a possibility. For me it was actually stimulating in an uncomfortable anxiety way, not at all calming. That was in the aftermath of stopping zyprexa. Mileage varies with everything.
Other supplements that are handy:
GABA.
Glycine.
Magnesium.
All three of the above combined is best. Glycine is not much talked about, but what a good supplement it is.
Tryptophan.
Passionflower.
Lemon Balm.In the antidepressant category, for your symptoms I would favor the off-labe of low dose Savella,
or the ssri you got the best results with combined with nortriptyline.
Posted by morganator on December 21, 2009, at 8:51:11
In reply to Re: Antidepressant for anxiety and energy » morganator, posted by SLS on December 19, 2009, at 14:54:56
Yeah I will consider it and think of it as exercise. That's funny.
Posted by morganator on December 21, 2009, at 8:53:24
In reply to Re: Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by bleauberry on December 19, 2009, at 20:11:08
Thanks bleauberry
Posted by morganator on December 21, 2009, at 11:07:46
In reply to Re: Antidepressant for anxiety and energy, posted by bleauberry on December 19, 2009, at 20:11:08
I've actually been using glycine as of last week. I think it is helping. I need to get some GABA. I used GABA over a year and a half ago when I stopped using klonopin-I was only using .25 in the morning and .25 in the evening. I take magnesium at night but may try it during the day as well.
I will talk to my doc about Savella. I'm on Zoloft but have been feeling sooo anxious. I may switch to Prozac as I had success with it in the past before getting on Zoloft for 7 years. Then I will mention Nortripyline to my doc. I'm just concerned about the long-term health of my brain. I don't want to keep adding things on and making changes in my chemistry. But I guess that functioning and feeling well is more important right now than possible long term alterations/damage. I'm also concerned about more side effects. I don't need my mouth, eyes, and skin to be any drier than they already are. I feel like the older I get the more these medications dry me out.
I've actually only been off Zyprexa for 2 weeks now. Before I stopped I had been taking 2.5 mg or less for about 3 weeks. I think I'm actually doing pretty good considering. The thin is, I already had bad anxiety and didn't feel well when I was on Zyprexa. I feel more alive since getting off it but definitely have more anxiety. I have the kind of anxiety where I'm cold and shaky and fatigued-miserable. This the opposite of how I felt for so long when I was just on Zoloft for those 7 years. It's funny how things change. Even when I had anxiety I wasn't cold all the time. I just hope to get back to feeling more like I used to.
This is the end of the thread.
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