Question:

hello, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to which pranayama exercises are most appropriate for asthmatics. I.ve been practicing for about two years and have recently begun to explore pranayama.  I sometimes find, however, that this can antagonize my symptoms. Fortunately, when this happens, I’ve always been able to return to "normal" breathing but it can be rather frustrating.  Thanks in advance for your help. Namaste, Kyle

Response:

I have asthma and I never though of pranayama as something that would relieve the symptoms or the disease.  It can’t hurt, after all asthma effects exhaling and pranayama, for the most part, concentrates on exhaling. I find that doing head and shoulder stands followed by bridge and fish are great.  You get to really stretch out the lungs and get to breathe deeply…expanding lung capacity is a good thing for asthmatics. I also take medication (Severent and Pulmicort) and exercise.  Combined with yoga I’m virtually symptom free. Good luck,

Response:

hello, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to which pranayama exercises are most appropriate for asthmatics. I.ve been practicing for about two years and have recently begun to explore pranayama.  I sometimes find, however, that this can antagonize my symptoms. Fortunately, when this happens, I’ve always been able to return to "normal" breathing but it can be rather frustrating.  Thanks in advance for your help. Namaste, Kyle

Hello Kyle, it’s a long way – be patient. Especially breathing exercises for ppl with breathing diseases. I practice Yoga + Pranayama now for 12 years and slowly start to "understand" now how to meditate on the breath in a relaxed and joyful way. I wish I "only" would have Asthma – I have only 30% lung capacity – but it is possible to heal the relationship with the breath. But it needs patience – allways and a lot of love, forgiving understanding and patience – for your-self. Don’t give up + enjoy. Sat Nam – Hari Har Singh PS: There are many different ways of pranayama, working with the breath. Maybe you’ll also try something different.

Response:

yes – yes – yes – that is where it came from.  A manual with our human frailties listed in alphabetical order.  and things to do to facilitate healing. is this the one that says the "asthma will fly from your body like a crow from a clap of the hands"?

Yes, it is. Page 53 The exersise is 1-3 min. long we forgot to mention Sat Nam – Hari Har Singh

Response:

dear asthma sufferer, ask your healthcare professional if it is o.k. for you to do this stand up, heels together.  hands are overhead with palms together.  lean back as far as possible and do breath of fire for 1-3 minutes.  you can lean on back of sofa to avoid falling.  but lean back as far as you can. peace

Ah, you practice Kundalini Yoga? It’s one of the KY classics for the lungs – can be found in the book "Yoga for Health and Healing" ISBN 0-940992-01-9 For additional copies of that manual write to: Alice B. Clagett P.O. Box 3142 Santa Monica, CA 90408 Phone: (310)393-8167 Sat Nam – Hari Har Singh PS: If you have problems with breath of fire you can also practice this exercise with long deep breathing.

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Question:

I have been on Singulair since Feb 98.  I also have noticed fatigue and depression.  I was going to stop once, but, since this is the only drug that has seemed to help I tell myself that I can handle it.  Since nothing else has changed in my life since I started taking Singulair, I really feel that this is a problem due to the drug  

Response:

I’ve noticed a tendency for Singulair to cause fatigue. I think the fatigue reduces with time, but still exists. [I'm in the 50% who experience significant improvement with Singulair, 25% get dramatic improvement, 25% no improvement] I still take Pulmicort, Serevent, and low dose TheoDur. My peak flows are running around 100%, but I have gained weight and have exercise induced asthma. I’ve been experimenting dropping the Singulair; or taking a reduced dose by using every other day (or splitting tablet). I am 60; children take a half dose; maybe certain others should be on a half dose? Singulair PI at www.singulair.com Fatigue is shown as 1.8% versus 1.2% for placebo. Also see: http://www.rxlist.com/scripts/patient/piumore.pl?mononum=806&order=0&… Patient Monograph – montelukast Excerpt: "What should my health care professional know before I use  montelukast? They need to know if you have any of these conditions:

Question:

If your depression is due to a seratonin imbalence, yes they can help. If your depression is due to something else, they won’t. Most ssri drugs do have sexual side effects. If you’ve had blood work and your testosterone level is above the midrange, you might try antidepressants for a month or so. If they don’t work for you, try something else. Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i am at the point where i think its time to aproach my gp to discuss some help regards anti depressants.from earlier posts i have seen people recomend not to use ssri,s so i will also talk with him regards these.i was just wondering if these will help my wellbeing for i am extremely depressed and really need some help now.everything is a struggle from getting up in the morns to working to well just everything .so could some one with experience in these things help me out by telling me if they r worth taking as things r getting harder day by day.i cant afford to get much worse or things could fall apart and i really need to keep my job thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If your depression is due to a seratonin imbalence, yes they can help. If your depression is due to something else, they won’t. Most ssri drugs do have sexual side effects. If you’ve had blood work and your testosterone level is above the midrange, you might try antidepressants for a month or so. If they don’t work for you, try something else. Mike i am at the point where i think its time to aproach my gp to discuss some help regards anti depressants.from earlier posts i have seen people recomend not to use ssri,s so i will also talk with him regards these.i was just wondering if these will help my wellbeing for i am extremely depressed and really need some help now.everything is a struggle from getting up in the morns to working to well just everything .so could some one with experience in these things help me out by telling me if they r worth taking as things r getting harder day by day.i cant afford to get much worse or things could fall apart and i really need to keep my job thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me

I had much more severe form of depression and antidepressants helped me to minimize it. I was not even moving…Here are those I took: Amitriptillin, Zoloft,Xanax, Alprazolam…the good about them – they helped me to ALMOST completely defeat depression, but The bad side…they ALMOST competely removed my sex drive…

Response:

Saint John’s Wort will lower prolactin levels, unlike other SSRI pills. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i am at the point where i think its time to aproach my gp to discuss some help regards anti depressants.from earlier posts i have seen people recomend not to use ssri,s so i will also talk with him regards these.i was just wondering if these will help my wellbeing for i am extremely depressed and really need some help now.everything is a struggle from getting up in the morns to working to well just everything .so could some one with experience in these things help me out by telling me if they r worth taking as things r getting harder day by day.i cant afford to get much worse or things could fall apart and i really need to keep my job thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me

Response:

i was just wondering if these will help my wellbeing for i am extremely depressed and really need some help now.everything is a struggle from getting up in the morns to working to well just everything .so could some one with experience in these things help me out by telling me if they r worth taking as things r getting harder day by day.i cant afford to get much worse or things could fall apart and i really need to keep my job

The first thing you need to do is get "The Testosterone Sydrome" by Dr. Eugene Shippen and read it. Find out what the various tests to check you hormone levels and other health issues are before going to antidepressants. I wasted many years on antidepressants before discovering I had a hormone deficiency. You at least owe it to yourself to CHECK OUT ALL OTHER PHYSICAL PROBLEMS FIRST. The symptoms you describe sound like hypogonadism. I had identical symptoms myself for many many years.  I’m surprised I didn’t commit suicide, but I’m extrremely thankful now that I didn’t!

Response:

Like everybody else said, it’s vital to have a complete hormone panel, including prolactin, free testosterone, estradiol, and thyroid. If *any* of those are off, it can cause depression, anxiety, lethargy, etc. If you haven’t had a CBC (complete blood count) and lipid profile (cholesterol) have that checked also. They aren’t related to depression, but it’s just good sense. Also a review of your medical history, drug and alcohol use, and family history of medical and psychiatric problems are all useful. The troubleshooting sequence is actually very simple: hormonal problems can cause depression. You can test for hormone problems, so do that first. You can’t test for depression. If hormones are normal, treat as depression. But don’t take an SSRI if you’re concerned about sexual problems, rather try Wellbutrin, Remeron, or Serzone. One possible exception: the brand-new SSRI Lexapro reportedly causes less sexual problems than other SSRIs; don’t know how true this is. Re your title question, ADs can be very helpful. When they work people often report a fog has lifted, black moods gone, energy and vitality restored, can think clearer, etc. Statistically ADs have about a 70% success rate, but that’s *all* ADs combined. IOW you might need to try several different ones — Drs can’t match an AD to your symptoms, it’s just trial and error. But there’s a good chance it will work if your problem is endogenous depression, not hormonal. — Joe D. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i am at the point where i think its time to aproach my gp to discuss some help regards anti depressants.from earlier posts i have seen people recomend not to use ssri,s so i will also talk with him regards these.i was just wondering if these will help my wellbeing for i am extremely depressed and really need some help now.everything is a struggle from getting up in the morns to working to well just everything .so could some one with experience in these things help me out by telling me if they r worth taking as things r getting harder day by day.i cant afford to get much worse or things could fall apart and i really need to keep my job thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me

Response:

Jim, You are absolutely correct! However, there does appear to be a form of depression unlinked to low testosterone levels.   I asked my psychiatrist about that and he agreed.   I posted what my psychiatrist said at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hypogonadism2. and a fellow member posted that he agreed with that possibility. OR eon

Response:

T, Yes, my email addy works…it’s a real one too.  Feel free to email me anytime. OR eon

Response:

Hi, Before you jump into the deep end of  the pool, have you ever gotten your testosterone level? The symptoms of low T include depression, low energy level and loss of the sense of well being. I have been getting testosterone replacement therapy for  10 years and just recently bought a book on the subject that is fabulous. "The Testosterone Syndrome" by Dr. Eugene Shippen, $14.95, Barnes & Noble. It was a surprise T is used by the vital organs and all thru the body. I guess the brain is a vital organ to, right? He says in the preface, "When deficient, it is at the core of disease and early demise". Pretty strong language I thought but then found out why by reading his book. Ernie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i am at the point where i think its time to aproach my gp to discuss some help regards anti depressants.from earlier posts i have seen people recomend not to use ssri,s so i will also talk with him regards these.i was just wondering if these will help my wellbeing for i am extremely depressed and really need some help now.everything is a struggle from getting up in the morns to working to well just everything .so could some one with experience in these things help me out by telling me if they r worth taking as things r getting harder day by day.i cant afford to get much worse or things could fall apart and i really need to keep my job thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me

Response:

i am at the point where i think its time to aproach my gp to discuss some help regards anti depressants.from earlier posts i have seen people recomend not to use ssri,s so i will also talk with him regards these.i was just wondering if these will help my wellbeing for i am extremely depressed and really need some help now.everything is a struggle from getting up in the morns to working to well just everything .so could some one with experience in these things help me out by telling me if they r worth taking as things r getting harder day by day.i cant afford to get much worse or things could fall apart and i really need to keep my job thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me

Response:

T, There are four or five anti-depressants with minimal,  negative erectile effects.  One is Wellbutrin. I had clinical depression and in Oct ‘97 my psychiatrist put me on 150 mg Wellbutrin SR/2x/dy. That did not alleviate depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation seemed to intensify…so December ‘97 he added Lithobid 300 mg/2x/dy.   That did it! I’ve been on that combination since then. There was a brief period when depressive symptoms returned…when PCP put me on a diuretic…diuretic was flushing out the lithium and it was easier to eliminate diuretic than find one compatible with lithium. Good luck, Keep us posted as goes it how… Just my experiences…. OR eon

Response:

thanks oreon for the reply.not dealing with this to well and have some pretty bad times .dont like facing a life of ad,s but must try something.hope ur doing well.would like to discuss things more with u on a more private level,so i will see if ur mail addy works if thats ok with u.thanks again

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – T, There are four or five anti-depressants with minimal,  negative erectile effects.  One is Wellbutrin. I had clinical depression and in Oct ‘97 my psychiatrist put me on 150 mg Wellbutrin SR/2x/dy. That did not alleviate depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation seemed to intensify…so December ‘97 he added Lithobid 300 mg/2x/dy.   That did it! I’ve been on that combination since then. There was a brief period when depressive symptoms returned…when PCP put me on a diuretic…diuretic was flushing out the lithium and it was easier to eliminate diuretic than find one compatible with lithium. Good luck, Keep us posted as goes it how… Just my experiences…. OR eon

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Question:

Has anyone heard of Zoloft withdrawal lasting longer than a couple of weeks? I was taking 200 to 250 mg Zoloft daily (increased during PMS) and then switched to Celexa. I was frustrated with neither of them helping my depression, so I unwisely abruptly discontinued the medication. My withdrawal symptoms ranged from moderate to severe…initially, I experienced extreme agitation, anxiety, crying, uncharacteristic rage, and formication (sensation that bugs were crawling on me). With the help of my doctor, I restarted a low dose of Celexa (I had been on 20 mg prior to this) and tapered off–but still quicker than I should have because I’m stubborn. The main problems that persisted for a couple of weeks were numbness and tingling in my arms and legs, and then spontaneous pain or muscle spasms in my legs. (Pretty darn painful). That and gastro-intestinal distress. My doctor felt that most of this was actually withdrawal from the Zoloft, not Celexa. She felt that the Celexa had prevented me from going into Zoloft withdrawal, but when I discontinued Celexa, the Zoloft withdrawal kicked in. From what I’ve read about other people’s experiences with Zoloft withdrawal, my symptoms do appear to match theirs. I had been taking Zoloft (at different doses) for about 4 years. I tried other medications during that time, but I was unable to tolerate most of them. I am very sensitive to medications and tend to have side effects with just about everything I take, usually to the point where I don’t want to take anything. Back to the symptoms–after 2-1/2 weeks, these symptoms diminished. 3-1/2 weeks after the initial discontinuation, however, I had a flare-up of gastro-intenstinal distress that lasted a day or two. Then, 4-1/2 weeks after the initial discontinuation (maybe 2 weeks since stopping the mild tapering-off) I experienced the leg pain, numbness, tingling along with severe stomach cramps and such. I did not expect to still be experiencing withdrawal symptoms, so I’m confused. Am I imagining things? Is this something else? Thank you for any help you can provide.

Response:

Has anyone heard of Zoloft withdrawal lasting longer than a couple of weeks? I was taking 200 to 250 mg Zoloft daily (increased during PMS) and then switched to Celexa. I was frustrated with neither of them helping my depression, so I unwisely abruptly discontinued the medication. My withdrawal symptoms ranged from moderate to severe…initially, I experienced extreme agitation, anxiety, crying, uncharacteristic rage, and formication (sensation that bugs were crawling on me). With the help of my doctor, I restarted a low dose of Celexa (I had been on 20 mg prior to this) and tapered off–but still quicker than I should have because I’m stubborn. The main problems that persisted for a couple of weeks were numbness and tingling in my arms and legs, and then spontaneous pain or muscle spasms in my legs. (Pretty darn painful). That and gastro-intestinal distress. My doctor felt that most of this was actually withdrawal from the Zoloft, not Celexa. She felt that the Celexa had prevented me from going into Zoloft withdrawal, but when I discontinued Celexa, the Zoloft withdrawal kicked in. From what I’ve read about other people’s experiences with Zoloft withdrawal, my symptoms do appear to match theirs. I had been taking Zoloft (at different doses) for about 4 years. I tried other medications during that time, but I was unable to tolerate most of them. I am very sensitive to medications and tend to have side effects with just about everything I take, usually to the point where I don’t want to take anything. Back to the symptoms–after 2-1/2 weeks, these symptoms diminished. 3-1/2 weeks after the initial discontinuation, however, I had a flare-up of gastro-intenstinal distress that lasted a day or two. Then, 4-1/2 weeks after the initial discontinuation (maybe 2 weeks since stopping the mild tapering-off) I experienced the leg pain, numbness, tingling along with severe stomach cramps and such. I did not expect to still be experiencing withdrawal symptoms, so I’m confused. Am I imagining things? Is this something else? Thank you for any help you can provide.

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Question:

The standard answer I’ve encountered is that effexor withdrawal is bad *because* effexor has such a short half-life. At best, this is only part of the answer. For example, a carefull 2 week taper can mimic the decay curve of a drug with a 2 week half-life, but a 2 week taper is manifestly not enough for effexor. Why not? One idea I had is that perhaps there is a phenomenon called "kindling" involved. This is the idea that going through an even minor drug withdrawal in some way predisposes the central nervous system to undergo more severe withdrawals from the same drug in the future. This phenomenon is pretty well established in the case of alcohol, where it is alcoholics who have already gone through a number of detoxes who are most at risk for developing DTs. Maybe the shorter half-life of effexor means that your body is constantly going through mini-withdrawals and setting you up for a really big withdrawal in the future. The only problem with this theory that I see is that it would seem to suggest that effexor xr has less of a withdrawal problem than regular effexor, but I don’t think that this is the case. Any ideas? -scattered

Response:

No ideas, but one remedy I’ve heard for Effex withdrawl is to take a Prozac along with it as you taper. Prozac is the opposite in that it stays in the system for weeks and weeks and helps the process… Only hearsay however.. Experience, anyone?

Response:

hya scattered half lives, etc reminds me too much of chemistry and physics, so i will avoid responding to that one (plus i dont have a scooby)! I know that any time I’ve tried to come off the normal efexor i’ve had terrible feelings of being physically ill and weird nightmares, anxiety and more severe agoraphobia. It’s funny, cos I’m on weekly prescriptions of efexor (due to recurrent OD’s) and my GP has threatened to stop prescribing it to me.  Would he be that cruel ? Does he not know how bad coming off efexor is?  Perhaps he’s just bluffing to scare me into behaving myself. Anyway, it might have something to do with the half life.  I will ask my GP on Thursday and see what he has to say.  Not sure he’ll be able to enlighten me, but I can but try.  I’ll update you if he says anything interesting. lisa

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The standard answer I’ve encountered is that effexor withdrawal is bad *because* effexor has such a short half-life. At best, this is only part of the answer. For example, a carefull 2 week taper can mimic the decay curve of a drug with a 2 week half-life, but a 2 week taper is manifestly not enough for effexor. Why not? One idea I had is that perhaps there is a phenomenon called "kindling" involved. This is the idea that going through an even minor drug withdrawal in some way predisposes the central nervous system to undergo more severe withdrawals from the same drug in the future. This phenomenon is pretty well established in the case of alcohol, where it is alcoholics who have already gone through a number of detoxes who are most at risk for developing DTs. Maybe the shorter half-life of effexor means that your body is constantly going through mini-withdrawals and setting you up for a really big withdrawal in the future. The only problem with this theory that I see is that it would seem to suggest that effexor xr has less of a withdrawal problem than regular effexor, but I don’t think that this is the case. Any ideas? -scattered

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – << The standard answer I’ve encountered is that effexor withdrawal is bad *because* effexor has such a short half-life. At best, this is only part of the answer. For example, a carefull 2 week taper can mimic the decay curve of a drug with a 2 week half-life, but a 2 week taper is manifestly not enough for effexor. Why not? This is THE answer to why Effexor has such a bad "withdrawal" as some call it. It is indeed due to Effexor’s short half life. All the antidepressants which have very short half lives tend to have a bad withdrawal. Paxil is even shorter than Effexor and Paxil has a notorious "withdrawal." As Effexor has this short half life, this means it exits your body at high speed which hurts and results in "Effexor withdrawal." One idea I had is that perhaps there is a phenomenon called "kindling" involved. This is the idea that going through an even minor drug withdrawal in some way predisposes the central nervous system to undergo more severe withdrawals from the same drug in the future. This phenomenon is pretty well established in the case of alcohol, where it is alcoholics who have already gone through a number of detoxes who are most at risk for developing DTs. Maybe the shorter half-life of effexor means that your body is constantly going through mini-withdrawals and setting you up for a really big withdrawal in the future. The only problem with this theory that I see is that it would seem to suggest that effexor xr has less of a withdrawal problem than regular effexor, but I don’t think that this is the case. No, your "kindling" theory is bullshit. That has nothing to do with antidepressant withdrawal.

From the expert sophists mouth, so just drop the idea, Eric does not like it.  The fact that the kindling idea is a theory as promising as the one which supports the use of SSRI’s is of no interest to Eric. On the other hand other people are willing to entertain such ideas, not necessarily accept them, but surely consider them. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The main reason is due to the short half lives some of these ADs have. Notice that Prozac has an extremely long half live and nobody ever complains of a bad withdrawal when they go off Prozac. Voila…there you go.

Response:

<< The standard answer I’ve encountered is that effexor withdrawal is bad *because* effexor has such a short half-life. At best, this is only part of the answer. For example, a carefull 2 week taper can mimic the decay curve of a drug with a 2 week half-life, but a 2 week taper is manifestly not enough for effexor. Why not? This is THE answer to why Effexor has such a bad "withdrawal" as some call it. It is indeed due to Effexor’s short half life. All the antidepressants which have very short half lives tend to have a bad withdrawal. Paxil is even shorter than Effexor and Paxil has a notorious "withdrawal." As Effexor has this short half life, this means it exits your body at high speed which hurts and results in "Effexor withdrawal."

Thank you for your response. However, it doesn’t address the question of *why* a short half-life produces viscious withdrawal symptoms. If it was simply that the drug left the system so fast that the brain didn’t have time to adjust, then a relatively quick taper should fix the problem. But it doesn’t – so I think that something more must be going on. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – One idea I had is that perhaps there is a phenomenon called "kindling" involved. This is the idea that going through an even minor drug withdrawal in some way predisposes the central nervous system to undergo more severe withdrawals from the same drug in the future. This phenomenon is pretty well established in the case of alcohol, where it is alcoholics who have already gone through a number of detoxes who are most at risk for developing DTs. Maybe the shorter half-life of effexor means that your body is constantly going through mini-withdrawals and setting you up for a really big withdrawal in the future. The only problem with this theory that I see is that it would seem to suggest that effexor xr has less of a withdrawal problem than regular effexor, but I don’t think that this is the case. No, your "kindling" theory is bullshit. That has nothing to do with antidepressant withdrawal. The main reason is due to the short half lives some of these ADs have. Notice that Prozac has an extremely long half live and nobody ever complains of a bad withdrawal when they go off Prozac. Voila…there you go. Eric

In my view – the kindling theory (not mine, by the way) was an attempt to explain *why* a short half-life leads to such a viscious withdrawal syndrome. I have no formal training in nueroscience, so it was just an educated guess. If you are aware of any research relevant to the question I would be interested in seeing it. After all – why be satisfied with bullshit if genuine knowledge is possible? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any ideas? -scattered Steroids caused my depression…prednisone should be used conservatively http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FactsAndFallaciesOfDepression MIBS (Minimally Invasive Brain Stimulation) http://www.musc.edu/psychiatry/fnrd/tms.htm

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Question:

Snip  I don’t know what she thought about that but now she has put me on 50mg of zoloft but did give me the .75 a day of xanex too. I guess to make a long story short is what is this zoloft and will it help with the panic attacks?  I seem to be ok with the xanex.  I am so confused about all these meds.

Ara, Zoloft is an anti depressent in the same family as Prozac (SSRIs).  It is commonly used for anxiety/panic with a lot of success.  However, as with most anti depressents, you may feel worse before you feel better.  It’s a common practice to perscribe a little Xanax to help out while getting past the initial anti depressent adjustment period.  Also, the initial adjustment period can be as long as 8 weeks.  So, after 8 weeks, if the Zoloft isn’t helping, it probably won’t help and it’s time to try another med.  People commonly see an improvement prior to 8 weeks though.  Many people have been helped by Zoloft, but a minority are not (I can’t take SSRIs because I get rare side effects).  You should have got a sheet from your pharmacist listing the common side effects, you should look those over so you don’t freak if one of them happens. While Xanax is very effective, and people who criticise Xanax in this NG usually get a lot of flack, it has the potential for users to develop a "dependency" on it, meaning you can’t quit taking it after you’ve used it for a while without withdraw symptoms; it must be slowly weaned off.  So, in parts of the medical comunity, Xanax is not politically correct.  Also, people who have a history of substance abuse are more likely to abuse Xanax; but this is rare for most panic/anxiety people.  The irony is that any drug that crosses the blood brain barrier like Zoloft, Xanax, Prozac, most beta blockers, etc. can’t be just stopped, they must be weaned off.  So what makes Xanax so bad?  I’m not sure. Odds are good that Zoloft will help you.  If it doesn’t or you can’t take the side effects (often they stop after a while) there’s lots of other meds to try. BTW, .75 mg of Xanax / day is a low dose, you may find yourself needing more later if the Zoloft does not kick in soon enough, be sure to see your Dr. if this happens. Your Dr. seems to be following a common strategy for anxiety/panic that’s helpful for many people.  You’ll just have to wait and see if it works for you. God bless,   Mark Before you buy.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, New here.  Don’t want to start the newbie stuff.  Just had a couple of questions if you all could help out.  To give a quick recap of what has been going on, I ended up in the ER last month with chest pains (nothing wrong with the heart)and tingly sensations in my neck, head and eyes. The ER doc put me on .5 mg of xanex 4 times a day. Said that it was probably a panic attack. Then he told me to see my regular doc in a couple of days and I did and she put me on .25mg 2 to 3 times a day. She basically said just take the two.  I didn’t seem enough so I took 3 a day and that seemed to be better.  Anyway, went today to get a refill. I told her that the 2 a day wasn’t enough and that I was taking 3.  I told her that the tingly sensations would start coming back if I only took the 2.  I also told her that the more stressed I got the worse the tingly sensations.  I don’t know what she thought about that but now she has put me on 50mg of zoloft but did give me the .75 a day of xanex too. I guess to make a long story short is what is this zoloft and will it help with the panic attacks?  I seem to be ok with the xanex.  I am so confused about all these meds. Thanks for all the help, Ara

Hi Ara & welcome to ASAP! Many doctors have trouble prescribing Xanax and other benzodiazepines because they mistakenly think they are *addictive*. This is not the case. Benzos, like almost all psychotropic and many non-psychotropic meds, will cause some *dependance* which means that you’d better not stop them suddenly but taper off slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Xanax can be taken in two ways: *as needed* (when you feel a PA coming on) or as a maintenance med in a regular daily dose. Xanax is a fast- but short acting med, it works for 5 hours average which means that appr. 5 hours after having taking one your body will warn you that it’s time for another dose. To prescribe Xanax in whatever dose to be taken twice a day is not very sensible becausae 24 hours divided by 5 = (more than) 4 times. The average therapeutic dose of Xanax is anywhere between 2-6 mgs. Its most important side effect is *sedation* which will cease or at least diminish a lot after your body has become accustomed to it. Obviously your doctor feels not comfortable treating you with Xanax alone and also maybe is undersubscribing so she gave you Zoloft which is an antidepressant from the SSRI-group which are often used for PD and are first choice meds just like the benzos are. AD’s will worsen your anxiety in the beginning and sometimes throw in some weird initial side effects of their own which is a reason to *start low – go slow*. Starting someone on 50 mgs of Zoloft is asking for trouble. Best is 12,5 mgs for a week and then slowly raise it in 12,5 mgs increments a week until therapeutic dose is reached. In itself the choice of Zoloft isn’t a bad one and the combo of an SSRI and a benzo is a good one (Xanax will also help avoiding or minimizing initial Zoloft side effects). Philip

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Hi all, New here.  Don’t want to start the newbie stuff.  Just had a couple of questions if you all could help out.  To give a quick recap of what has been going on, I ended up in the ER last month with chest pains (nothing wrong with the heart)and tingly sensations in my neck, head and eyes. The ER doc put me on .5 mg of xanex 4 times a day. Said that it was probably a panic attack. Then he told me to see my regular doc in a couple of days and I did and she put me on .25mg 2 to 3 times a day. She basically said just take the two.  I didn’t seem enough so I took 3 a day and that seemed to be better.  Anyway, went today to get a refill. I told her that the 2 a day wasn’t enough and that I was taking 3.  I told her that the tingly sensations would start coming back if I only took the 2.  I also told her that the more stressed I got the worse the tingly sensations.  I don’t know what she thought about that but now she has put me on 50mg of zoloft but did give me the .75 a day of xanex too. I guess to make a long story short is what is this zoloft and will it help with the panic attacks?  I seem to be ok with the xanex.  I am so confused about all these meds. Thanks for all the help, Ara Before you buy.

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Is it possible that drinking alcohol while on prozac can make you MORE depressed? Thanks,

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Besides, it makes people act in ways that are, afterwards, most depressing to recall. Darn! Ami

Oh my! What an opportunity, what a story…….Damn it! Loyalty prevails. Strange that I can remember though — :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AntiEverything Attitude~Incarnate :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Waffle and Crepe House ( This Space For Rent )

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Is it possible that drinking alcohol while on prozac can make you MORE depressed? Thanks,

since alcohol is a depressant,  i think it is a safe assumption. dennis Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has Struck Out

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: Is it possible that drinking alcohol while on prozac can make you MORE : depressed? I’m on Zoloft, Prozac’s next of kin. I found out that according to the manufacturer of Prozac, it is possible to have a FEW drinks. That’s the trick. I test-drank slowly to see how much of an interaction there is with Zoloft. It took surprisingly little to get drunk, and without meds, I’m a heavy drinker. In short, if you insist on drinking on Prozac, be careful. You do so at your own risk. — CAUTION: Email Spam Killer in use. Leave this line in your reply! 152680         "Sometimes the best psychiatrist is a flaky cardiologist" 2125733 bytes of spam mail deleted.           http://www.wwa.com/~nospam/

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Is it possible that drinking alcohol while on prozac can make you MORE : depressed? I’m on Zoloft, Prozac’s next of kin. I found out that according to the manufacturer of Prozac, it is possible to have a FEW drinks. That’s the trick. I test-drank slowly to see how much of an interaction there is with Zoloft. It took surprisingly little to get drunk, and without meds, I’m a heavy drinker. In short, if you insist on drinking on Prozac, be careful. You do so at your own risk. — CAUTION: Email Spam Killer in use. Leave this line in your reply! 152680         "Sometimes the best psychiatrist is a flaky cardiologist" 2125733 bytes of spam mail deleted.           http://www.wwa.com/~nospam/

I too am on Zoloft, but have not had any drinks since I started back in January.  I was warned that it would effect a person just the way you described it.  I’m not sure I could handle it and really don’t need the *extra* depressive influence right now. Just out of curiosity, how few drinks did it take?  Was there any after effects, like a bad hang over? Chuck (now drinking vicariously through others)

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Oh my! What an opportunity, what a story…….Damn it! Loyalty prevails. Strange that I can remember though — :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AntiEverything Attitude~Incarnate :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Waffle and Crepe House ( This Space For Rent ) sounds like an opportunity for black mail.  make her pay you off in kisses.

Nothing to blackmail with Dennis I’m afraid. It was me who had to much to drink and it was Amalie who prevented me from making a fool of myself. she’s too good for me and I don’t deserve her. AE

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Besides, it makes people act in ways that are, afterwards, most depressing to recall. Darn! Ami Oh my! What an opportunity, what a story…….Damn it! Loyalty prevails. Strange that I can remember though — :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AntiEverything Attitude~Incarnate :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Waffle and Crepe House ( This Space For Rent )

sounds like an opportunity for black mail.  make her pay you off in kisses. dennis Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has Struck Out

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Oh my! What an opportunity, what a story…….Damn it! Loyalty prevails. Strange that I can remember though — :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AntiEverything Attitude~Incarnate :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Waffle and Crepe House ( This Space For Rent ) sounds like an opportunity for black mail.  make her pay you off in kisses. Nothing to blackmail with Dennis I’m afraid. It was me who had to much to drink and it was Amalie who prevented me from making a fool of myself. she’s too good for me and I don’t deserve her. AE

oh.  then bribe her with kisses dennis Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has Struck Out

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : I too am on Zoloft, but have not had any drinks since I started back in : January.  I was warned that it would effect a person just the way you : described it.  I’m not sure I could handle it and really don’t need the : *extra* depressive influence right now. : Just out of curiosity, how few drinks did it take?  Was there any after : effects, like a bad hang over? It took only about 6 or 8 drinks over several hours to get drunk, and the drunk feels sort of "glittery" too. In both tests, I woke up pretty early considering, and the hangover is more or less in proportion to the drinking itself. A possible hazard is "serotonin syndrome" at least at higher doses of the Zoloft. My theory (for my liver) is that the liver goes after the booze first and the Zoloft hangs around longer until booze-sobriety. Of course, your liver is different, and you might have a different reaction. It would probably work to go on a Zoloft holiday during a weekend drinking session. Better yet, avoid drinking in the first place. A wierd side-effect with Zoloft not involving booze involves the voice. I’m multi-accented, and one accent, my drinking accent, requires I change the sound of my voice to add "distortion", which has interfered with singing. Now, I don’t do that one accent as well, but my voice doesn’t break up when singing. This side-effect is unique to my exact voice, and probably doesn’t affect anyone who is single-accented. — CAUTION: Email Spam Killer in use. Leave this line in your reply! 152680         "Sometimes the best psychiatrist is a flaky cardiologist" 2142564 bytes of spam mail deleted.           http://www.wwa.com/~nospam/

you should see that alchohol can provide valuable insights into reality, Mike

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: I too am on Zoloft, but have not had any drinks since I started back in : January.  I was warned that it would effect a person just the way you : described it.  I’m not sure I could handle it and really don’t need the : *extra* depressive influence right now. : Just out of curiosity, how few drinks did it take?  Was there any after : effects, like a bad hang over? It took only about 6 or 8 drinks over several hours to get drunk, and the drunk feels sort of "glittery" too. In both tests, I woke up pretty early considering, and the hangover is more or less in proportion to the drinking itself. A possible hazard is "serotonin syndrome" at least at higher doses of the Zoloft. My theory (for my liver) is that the liver goes after the booze first and the Zoloft hangs around longer until booze-sobriety. Of course, your liver is different, and you might have a different reaction. It would probably work to go on a Zoloft holiday during a weekend drinking session. Better yet, avoid drinking in the first place. A wierd side-effect with Zoloft not involving booze involves the voice. I’m multi-accented, and one accent, my drinking accent, requires I change the sound of my voice to add "distortion", which has interfered with singing. Now, I don’t do that one accent as well, but my voice doesn’t break up when singing. This side-effect is unique to my exact voice, and probably doesn’t affect anyone who is single-accented. — CAUTION: Email Spam Killer in use. Leave this line in your reply! 152680         "Sometimes the best psychiatrist is a flaky cardiologist" 2142564 bytes of spam mail deleted.           http://www.wwa.com/~nospam/

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Just out of curiosity, how few drinks did it take?  Was there any after effects, like a bad hang over?

I too have been on Zoloft for 18 months. I still drink wine and beer, finding that after 3 glasses of wine for dinner, I seem quite intoxicated. Does drinking enhance my depressed mood? I believe that the day after, my mood seems more depressed than usual, plus my sleep is interupted during the night after drinking, making me feel more tired and irratable. And forget about sex <g..my SO needs a two-by-four to whack me into a sexual realm <OUCH!!

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I was wondering about this subject.  See ever since I went on ad’s (just Effexor and now Prozac) I seem to have lost any desire for drinking. (of course, supplementing that with pain killers is probably a good reason) Anyway, when I was in Vegas, I just wanted to get good and drunk and I couldn’t.  I had two Banana Colada’s (oh my god, they are heavenly)…got buzzed then had to take a nap.  It’s weird. Absolutely no desire what so ever to drink.  It justs make me feel lousy.  I wonder if that is due to ad’s cuz before them I drank all the time (well not all the time) but I was in college and partied quite a bit. ?  Anyone else find this happening? Now……if I can only get the same effect with the pain killers! Nik They say, "she’s crazy as anyone can be" That’s what they say, they say of me…….Sheryl Crow "On the Outside"

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Okay…couldn’t find the original question but I know its one that I myself asked many times (what happens when you drink..on prozac..etc.) I have been on Prozac for almost two years..and have been an alcoholic for about 6 mos (yes I’m about to go into treatment..no worries). I never found that drinking interacted with the drug itself in any way…but I know that as a depressive…drinking for me was not such a good idea (I am invited to every college party..not because people like me..but because my screaming and/or crying jags seem to liven up any game of as*hole) So do I recommend drinking on Prozac? Who cares! I DON"T recommend drinking if you are sick..and being on prozac would imply that…. CAUTION: Email Spam Killer in use. Leave this line in your reply! 152680         "Sometimes the best psychiatrist is a flaky cardiologist" 2142564 bytes of spam mail deleted.           http://www.wwa.com/~nospam/

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I think the fact I was off to bed anyway probably meant that I slept through the worst of it ! The good feeling the next day was probably just the tail-end of the effect. I’m undecided whether to try again. I’m over my depression now thankfully but am being weaned off the pills slowly. My chance to do this again will be gone soon ! Steve the Smurf – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi steve i’ve been on prozac for months now. i hardly ever drink anymore but i’ve certainly noticed the a wilder, deeper drunkenness than ever before. i had blackouts on champagne cocktails and get very drowsy quickly. pete Hi folks, well last week I made a mistake and had a large vodka before bedtime , forgetting that I had taken my Prozac earlier ! Well, I felt wonderful, I was buzzing all day the next day and had a wonderful sleep that night. After looking at the info leaflet that came with the drugs I noticed it says " avoid alcohol." Has anyone else had prozac with alcohol? Will it do me any harm if I do it again ( not constantly just occasionally !) Steve the Smurf — ICQ 12996897. Before you buy.

– ICQ 12996897. Before you buy.

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Just curious.. does this happen with other anti-depressents? I am on Celexa, Wellbutrin, and a little bit of Trazadone.. does it have an effect on any one of those medications? -Bernie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi steve i’ve been on prozac for months now. i hardly ever drink anymore but i’ve certainly noticed the a wilder, deeper drunkenness than ever before. i had blackouts on champagne cocktails and get very drowsy quickly. pete Hi folks, well last week I made a mistake and had a large vodka before bedtime , forgetting that I had taken my Prozac earlier ! Well, I felt wonderful, I was buzzing all day the next day and had a wonderful sleep that night. After looking at the info leaflet that came with the drugs I noticed it says " avoid alcohol." Has anyone else had prozac with alcohol? Will it do me any harm if I do it again ( not constantly just occasionally !) Steve the Smurf — ICQ 12996897. Before you buy.

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Just curious.. does this happen with other anti-depressents? I am on Celexa, Wellbutrin, and a little bit of Trazadone.. does it have an effect on any one of those medications?

i just did a short trial of wellbutrin, and while i was researching it i came across repeated warnings that alcohol can increase the risk of seizure while on this drug. i wouldn’t drink while taking it if i were you. Erik Erik Martin Schneider rhetorician of sorts http://www.concentric.net/~catdoc

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 Hi folks, well last week I made a mistake and had a large vodka before bedtime , forgetting that I had taken my Prozac earlier ! Well, I felt wonderful, I was buzzing all day the next day and had a wonderful sleep that night. After looking at the info leaflet that came with the drugs I noticed it says " avoid alcohol." Has anyone else had prozac with alcohol? Will it do me any harm if I do it again ( not constantly just occasionally !) Steve the Smurf — ICQ 12996897. Before you buy.

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Has anyone else had prozac with alcohol? Will it do me any harm if I do it again ( not constantly just occasionally !) Steve the Smurf

Hi Steve, Recently I decided to see what happened if I combined my Prozac (40 mg at that time) with about one standard drink of a vodka, wine and lemon mix (bottled, so I know it was mixed properly) and a tiny bit of Bayleys Irish Cream (which was disgusting!), spead out over several hours at a party. I felt fine for a while, but according to my father he could see in my eyes that I was smashed!  About 4 hours after I stopped drinking I started vomiting and was up repeatedly during the night.  I still felt tired and sick the next day. I’ll admit, the facts that I’m female, have a small body size, and am fairly inexperienced with alcohol didn’t help, but I should not have been that bad after two standard drinks (maximum!) I purposely mixed alcohol and prozac in a safe, controlled environment to see how it would effect me.  All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!  For me, it just wasn’t worth it. If it didn’t effect you too badly, drinking occasionally and in a controlled way shouldn’t hurt.  But only occasionally and only one or two drinks, because in my opinion, since alcohol is a depressant anyway, more than that could be dangerous. Just my two cents worth.  I hope this helps. Kylie. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!

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hi steve i’ve been on prozac for months now. i hardly ever drink anymore but i’ve certainly noticed the a wilder, deeper drunkenness than ever before. i had blackouts on champagne cocktails and get very drowsy quickly. pete – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi folks, well last week I made a mistake and had a large vodka before bedtime , forgetting that I had taken my Prozac earlier ! Well, I felt wonderful, I was buzzing all day the next day and had a wonderful sleep that night. After looking at the info leaflet that came with the drugs I noticed it says " avoid alcohol." Has anyone else had prozac with alcohol? Will it do me any harm if I do it again ( not constantly just occasionally !) Steve the Smurf — ICQ 12996897. Before you buy.

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Question:

I have never had a problem with trembling, even at the height of panic…Since I started on Zoloft, I am definitly doing better with the panic, but notice I have a slight tremor in my left arm/hand..sometimes I feel as if my legs are shaking too..Is this a possible side effect of Zoloft? Thanks Laura

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Laura, yes zoloft can cause tremors but there is nothing to get worried about it is a possible side effect. If would ease your anxiety talk to your Dr. about it.

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Question:

Wanted to let you know what Debra thought of the NSTA symposium.  She sent this to me and I wanted to share it with all of you, since I posted her first call for help, on asd, asking if anyone else was going, since she was going alone.  She enjoyed meeting Elf, Katie and Sondra.  I thank all of you, too, for looking her up. Deb’s message: First of all, thanks to all of you who responded to my inquiry regarding who was attending.  Since it was my first symposium and my spouse could not attend, it was a little intimidating going alone.  However, as suggested through your e-mails, everyone was very kind and helpful. The symposium was great!  If you have never been to one, I would highly recommend it – next year is in San Diego – also a great vacation spot! I found one of the major benefits in attending is sharing the stories, symptoms, concerns with other ST’rs and having someone finally relate to the same set of feelings.  An extra special thanks and "hello" to three wonderful women found through the net, Romona (Elf) from Tennessee, Katie Stehr from Georgia, and Sondra from Ohio.  I also found many members of the NSTA team to be great including Jan Richter, Patricia Murray, Carol Frank, David Stein, and Don Roblee.  Time just flew and attendance was excellent making the sad part the inability to meet and spend time talking with everyone. Carol Frank, President of NSTA, shared that in 1980, there were 22 members of NSTA – today, there are over 3,000.  I’m certain most of you now know about the Botox A shortage.  Allergan is completely out of the product awaiting FDA approval hopefully by the end of November.  You can reach a local sales rep for updates at 1-800-639-7914. After the "Taco Neck" syndrome, Jerry West of the L.A. Lakers has cut two public service announcements.  It was also announced that Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrook will help to sponsor a Casino Night in L.A. next year.  We are still looking for our "famous affected spokesperson". The educational piece of the session began with Dr. Paul Cullis and Dr. Christopher O’Brien discussing Botox.   Most of you know that the body uses acetylcholine from the nerve transmission to the muscle causing it to contract.  Botox stops the release of this action.  There are three proteins that release acetylcholine and Botox A works on one protein (SNAP-25) while Botox B works on Synaptobrevin or VAMP.  One good idea to help counter the antibody situation many have experienced, is to alternate Botox A and Botox B once it has been approved.  It is estimated that the timeframe for Botox B approval is about 12 months.  Another key point from O’Brien is that administration of Botox is an art form and the success on a patient is very technique dependent.   This takes time and experience.  There are 56 muscles in the neck and proper administration of Botox is not in any textbook.   The stats from Cullis and O’Brien were an 80-85% good response rate for Botox for cervical dystonia.  Although to some of us, it has seemed like a miracle, it is not.  Botox typically responds in 1-10 days and peaks between 2-6 weeks. Average time between treatment is 3-4 months; Botox itself actually lasts 12 months but the brain makes new connections to new muscles causing the dystonia symptoms to reoccur.  Botox has been used on some patients for 15 years still receiving good results.  Dystonia does get worse with time and it does get harder to treat.  Antibodies tend to develop faster in younger people, higher doses (300 units+) and more frequent use.  Botox B is supposed to be a cleaner toxin.  Although there is a lot of research going on in many areas for dystonia – genetics, surgeries etc., O’Brien felt Botox will probably be the dystonia treatment of choice for the next five years. The next presentation was by Deborah DeLeon M.S. on the study of genetics of dystonia.  The first issue here is resources.  It is only herself and one other person (now on maternity leave) doing the research so it is taking much longer.  Genetics are showing that dystonia does carry on chromosomes but different ones for different family groups.  There are 2-3 times as many women with cervical dystonia compared to men.  It is showing up a lot in individuals with German backgrounds. Dr. Drake Duane spoke next on "Is ST an autoimmune disease?  He has studied about 300 patients between 1987-1997.  He has discovered the average age of onset is 43.5 yrs and the ratio is 65% female/35%male.  About 90% of ST’rs get relief when laying down.  One key point new to me was the number of patients that develop scoliosis.  Physical therapy can be helpful here as arthritis sets into the neck and back.  Dr. Duane reiterated that the ST brain does not degenerate, it simply has a quirk.   It was never really answered if ST is an autoimmune disease, cause is still unknown. Dr. Mitchell Brin spoke next on Deep Brain Stimulation for ST.  Surgical options are normally left for those that do not respond to medications or Botox.  However, different surgical options are being investigated since there are still limited solutions.  Deep brain stimulation is where electrodes are implanted into one of two areas of the brain and "wires" run down the inside of the neck to the chest with an implant of a pacemaker device.  Videos were shown with Parkinson’s patients where they had virtually no control and when the electrical stimulation was supplied they could move almost normally.  The FDA has approved this process for Parkinson’s and essential tremor.  Dr. Brin will be trialing it on two dystonia patients in December. The next presentation was by Dr. Dennis Dykstra on Doxorubicin Chemomyectomy for the treatment of ST.  Doxorubicin is an anti-cancer drug.  It has been experimented on 18 blepharospasm patients with 9 patients "cured" for one year and 60% of those not receiving any other treatment.  Doxorubicin actually destroys muscle cells which then fills in with connective tissue.   Doxorubicin does not diffuse throughout the muscle like Botox and it can destroy other cells.  It can injure your heart, liver and is toxic to the skin.  It is irreversible.  There are three ST patients trialing this right now.   Since it is in such early stages, very conservative doses are being used and going after only one or two muscles at a time.  Results have thus shown minor improvement.  The benefits are it is much cheaper than Botox ($15 for 10 mg, using 60 mg doses) and it would be permanent.  Overall opinion on this is possible potential but too early to tell.  Next came the presentation from Paul Cullis on ITX (Immunotoxin).  Dr. Cullis pointed out the limitations of Botox are: 1)Duration 3-4 mos. 2) Very expensive 3) certain % of non-responders 4) not specific to the exact area. The goal of ITX is to develop an immunotoxin for treatment of focal muscle spasms utilizing an immunoglobulin that attacks a problem in the body and a toxin with a type of "cruise Missile" that destroys the affected muscle on contact  permanently.  The toxin being used for this study is Ricin (plant based) and it zeroes in on just the affected muscle cells. Unfortunately, I had to make some calls for work at this point so I missed the majority of the denervation surgery presentation.   After a long day filled with information we broke for socializing and sharing of more experiences. The next morning, we had two interesting gentlemen from England share an epidemiology study from the northeast of England and a new program where a Nurse Practitioner is providing Botox treatments in people’s homes.  Out of about 766 patients, 566 have focal dystonia and of those 351 are cervical. They are doing extensive education in England on dystonia and show about 1 in every 10,450 people has cervical dystonia.  The nurse practitioner program has been very successful as patients feel the nurse spends more time with them, really listens to where the pain is and frees the doctor up for more consultation time.  They also expressed that ST is not only a physical movement disorder but it moves people socially and economically as well.  In England, average onset was at 39.4 years and diagnosis at 47 years thus the push for education.  From an employment standpoint for ST, 30.8% were available for work of  which 13.5% were in full-time employment, 8.2% in part-time employment, 7.7% unemployed and 1.4% self-employed.  However, an additional 25.6% were on long-term sick leave or retired early.  Similar employment results were found in a study in Germany.  The treatment of choice in England is Botox rather than drugs that also affect other areas of the body.  Although they also stated that 25% of all patients are dopa responsive so they try Sinebid prior to Botox. From a social perspective, 59.8% of ST’rs had moderate anxiety or depression compared to 19.1% of the general population.  8.8% of ST’rs had severe anxiety or depression compared to 1% of the general population.  60.4% experienced pain or discomfort compared to 29% of the general population and 21.8% had severe pain compared to 3.8% of the general population.  Social functioning for ST’rs was also 23.7 points below the general population. Next came Lee Dreyfus, former Governor of Wisconsin to discuss "Coping as a Family Member".  His wife, Joyce, developed ST seven years ago after a fall at their cottage.   Mr. Dreyfus was quite humorous and while I did not personally agree with everything he said or the comments he made about  and to his wife, he had a few key points from my perspective.  ST is not an individual affliction, it affects all family members.  He felt the key to a successful marriage was a male vs. a shared leadership and that each partner’s #1 concern should be the other person.  He encouraged ST’rs not to "use" the ST as an excuse and not to play wolf with "can’t" vs. "won’t".  He said family members must … read more »

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Thank You Tommye, I thought Deb did a superb job and posted this information, since she sent it to me.  I have received mail from England asking for more info, which I forwarded to him, after I emailed to Deb to get it.    Love Ya too, ….Anna – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks Anna and Deb!!!  This is so very interesting-thank you so very much for posting it!! Love Ya, Tommye

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Gee, maybe a good slice of Ray Bari’s pizza with extra garlic before sex is all we need!  

Wasn’t that a Barry Manilow song? Thanks for publishing the dirt on nonoxynol-9.  Sounds like its worse than even I thought.  And now the gay organizations are giving out condoms lubricated with "extra strength" nonoxynol 9. Ed

I knew you would get a kick out of that. Yes, I will grudgingly verify that you were the first person that I ever heard speak out against N9. Hey, even a stopped clock can be right twice a day.          James M. Scutero, original proponent of misc.health.aids          misc.health.aids homepage: http://www.panix.com/~jscutero    MISC.HEALTH.AIDS * HIV/AIDS TALK ONLY * NO COMMERCIALS * NO MODERATORS

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Whey has a very high lysine to arginine ratio (2.75). I wonder if that is the reason why it works as an antiviral. Lysine has been shown to inhibit herpes viruses and may work against HIV. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS   WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1996     PAGE 8 FINDING A WHEY Could limit HIV spread by Joe Nicholson Daily News Staff Writer         Researchers yesterday said a substance made from whey, the liquid taken out of milk in making cheese, may have the power to stop the spread of the AIDS virus during intercourse.         Robert Neurath, a virologist at the New York Blood Center, held out the hope that the substance, dubbed B69, could be used as a foam or cream, like spermicides.         Neurath said he hit upon B69 after testing 68 other compounds with disappointing results: "It was a combination of persistence and luck, as is usual in life."         Neurath’s experiments, reported in February’s Nature Medicine journal, showed that B69 blocks HIV from entering CD4 cells, the immune cells the virus destroys.         Researchers cautioned, however, that B69 applications may not be a 100% preventive because it is uncertain whether B69 also would block other cell-entry sites.         "The compound could serve as the basis for preventive measures against HIV transmission…to supplement other barrier methods, like condoms," said the researchers.         Neurath said another big advantage of B69 was that a dose likely would cost only a few cents.         Neurath, whose laboratory work was funded with a $200,000 federal grant, said he was trying to raise at least $50,000 for animal testing.         Dr. John Adamson, president of the New York Blood Center, said B69 has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives. The treatment must first be tried on animals, and then, possibly a year from now, on humans.         The last big hope for stopping sexual spread of AIDS, Nonoxynol-9, was a disastrous failure, said Dr. Jeffrey Laurence of the American Foundation for AIDS Research.         Laurence, an AIDS researcher at Cornell Medical School as well as the foundation’s senior scientist for programs, said Nonoxynol-9 was tested in Africa several years ago.         "There were actually more infections in people who got the product," said Laurence. "It seemed to cause irritation in the vagina, and the hypothesis was that it eased the way for the AIDS virus."         Neurath said that unlike, Nonoxynol-9, B69 isn’t toxic to cells, so researchers "don’t expect…similar problems with this compound."         Neurath displayed a test tube of B69 liquid and said he was optimistic it would not cause negative reactions because it is a natural substance.          James M. Scutero, original proponent of misc.health.aids          misc.health.aids homepage: http://www.panix.com/~jscutero    MISC.HEALTH.AIDS * HIV/AIDS TALK ONLY * NO COMMERCIALS * NO MODERATORS

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Gee, maybe a good slice of Ray Bari’s pizza with extra garlic before sex is all we need!   Thanks for publishing the dirt on nonoxynol-9.  Sounds like its worse than even I thought.  And now the gay organizations are giving out condoms lubricated with "extra strength" nonoxynol 9. Ed

: Whey has a very high lysine to arginine ratio (2.75). I wonder if that is : the reason why it works as an antiviral. Lysine has been shown to inhibit : herpes viruses and may work against HIV. : NEW YORK DAILY NEWS   WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1996     PAGE 8 : FINDING A WHEY : Could limit HIV spread : by Joe Nicholson : Daily News Staff Writer :       Researchers yesterday said a substance made from whey, the liquid : taken out of milk in making cheese, may have the power to stop the spread : of the AIDS virus during intercourse. :       Robert Neurath, a virologist at the New York Blood Center, held : out the hope that the substance, dubbed B69, could be used as a foam or : cream, like spermicides. :       Neurath said he hit upon B69 after testing 68 other compounds : with disappointing results: "It was a combination of persistence and : luck, as is usual in life." :       Neurath’s experiments, reported in February’s Nature Medicine : journal, showed that B69 blocks HIV from entering CD4 cells, the immune : cells the virus destroys. :       Researchers cautioned, however, that B69 applications may not be : a 100% preventive because it is uncertain whether B69 also would block : other cell-entry sites. :       "The compound could serve as the basis for preventive measures : against HIV transmission…to supplement other barrier methods, like : condoms," said the researchers. :       Neurath said another big advantage of B69 was that a dose likely : would cost only a few cents. :       Neurath, whose laboratory work was funded with a $200,000 federal : grant, said he was trying to raise at least $50,000 for animal testing. :       Dr. John Adamson, president of the New York Blood Center, said : B69 has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives. The treatment : must first be tried on animals, and then, possibly a year from now, on : humans. :       The last big hope for stopping sexual spread of AIDS, : Nonoxynol-9, was a disastrous failure, said Dr. Jeffrey Laurence of the : American Foundation for AIDS Research. :       Laurence, an AIDS researcher at Cornell Medical School as well as : the foundation’s senior scientist for programs, said Nonoxynol-9 was : tested in Africa several years ago. :       "There were actually more infections in people who got the : product," said Laurence. "It seemed to cause irritation in the vagina, : and the hypothesis was that it eased the way for the AIDS virus." :       Neurath said that unlike, Nonoxynol-9, B69 isn’t toxic to cells, : so researchers "don’t expect…similar problems with this compound." :       Neurath displayed a test tube of B69 liquid and said he was : optimistic it would not cause negative reactions because it is a natural : substance. :          James M. Scutero, original proponent of misc.health.aids :          misc.health.aids homepage: http://www.panix.com/~jscutero :    MISC.HEALTH.AIDS * HIV/AIDS TALK ONLY * NO COMMERCIALS * NO MODERATORS

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