Question:

would that be memory ‘loss’, or just short term memory is an effect in itself?  or do you mean short term memory is slowed, which would mean one would only remember what one did yesterday when yesterday becomes in my homestate this week: (connecticut))

Bikers? Or do you mean posers on "hawgs?" I don’t care what patch they wear, all I meet these days are suburbanites playing dress-up and gangster games. It’s not lost or anything. Short-term memory just becomes more difficult to access while under the effects of THC. After an hour, everything is back to normal, whatever that may be. — Compute Free <http://debian.org<http://freedos.org<http://openbsd.org Help People  <http://rawa.org<http://tibet.org<http://gadenrelief.org Do Something <http://www.msf.org<http://www.icrc.org/<http://icbl.org Now <http://www.foei.org<http://www.greenpeace.org<http://activist.ca

Response:

Short-term memory is the most easily noted effect for marijuana, but other processes are slowed too, such as reaction time.

would that be memory ‘loss’, or just short term memory is an effect in itself?  or do you mean short term memory is slowed, which would mean one would only remember what one did yesterday when yesterday becomes in my homestate this week: (connecticut)) —Brian

Response:

The wrong link for the Compassion Club listings. It’s with an ‘h’: <http://medicalmarihuana.ca/compassionclubs.html Maybe. Can’t seem to remember right now. hahahahaha — Compute Free <http://debian.org<http://freedos.org<http://openbsd.org Help People  <http://rawa.org<http://tibet.org<http://gadenrelief.org Do Something <http://www.msf.org<http://www.icrc.org/<http://icbl.org Now <http://www.foei.org<http://www.greenpeace.org<http://activist.ca

Response:

I’m having a rough time with the side effects with effexor. It’s been years since I’ve done it but do you think Cannabis is a way to go to relieve some of the adverse side effects to depression and meds?

Some of them. Vertigo, dizzyness and nausea. It can keep you from choking to death on vomit in your sleep. It renders a sense of euphoria. It is considered a euphoriant depressant drug. It’s very good for pain. Being called a "depressant" drug does not mean that it causes depression. A depressant drug slows down some brain processes. Short-term memory is the most easily noted effect for marijuana, but other processes are slowed too, such as reaction time. As for being a drug, it sure looks like a plant to me. Food. I don’t smoke so I’m thinking more like Hash-brownies(do they still call them that?)

Only if they’re brownies made with hashish. Pot cake and pot cookies are popular. To eat it, and not have it cost a fortune or use a whole lot, you have to first melt the finely-ground herb in the butter or other fat to be used in the recipe. Then bake it. By melting it into the fat prior to cooking it will emulsify and the active compounds will be more available upon ingestion. Do not cook with hashish – today that is considered a waste, which it is. The quality of both marijuana and hashish has changed a lot in the past twenty years. Would love to hear some thoughts and Idea’s about this.

Look for a Compassion Club in your area. Ask your physician for a prescription for medical marijuana if it is available in your area. In Canada and some US states, you can grow your own or contract for someone to do it for you. A prescription and some licenses are required. There are also medical marijuana suppliers, but they are quite expensive since the marijuana is indoor grown, organically under lab conditions at great expense. The price is similar to black market marijuana. If you grow your own, or contract a grower, it can be done anually and outdoors and can be very cheap. I don’t know which states in the USA it is legal in, but there are a few. There are also ways to get it in Europe and Britian, I don’t know those either. But, just in case it’s useful, here is the Canadian government site for obtaining the forms for the permits and licenses: Health Canada: <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/ocma/ Compassion Clubs: <http://medicalmarijuana.ca/compassionclubs.html There are more clubs than what are listed there. Good seeds: <http://www.kindseed.com/ The favourites for medical use are: Jack Herer – Sensi Seeds (way overpriced, but hardy) Chronic – Serious Seeds (medium priced, longtime favourite) Chemo – Jordan Island Seeds (very good price, upcoming challenger) I’d go for the Chemo. It was developed as a medical grade strain, hence the name. — Compute Free <http://debian.org<http://freedos.org<http://openbsd.org Help People  <http://rawa.org<http://tibet.org<http://gadenrelief.org Do Something <http://www.msf.org<http://www.icrc.org/<http://icbl.org Now <http://www.foei.org<http://www.greenpeace.org<http://activist.ca

Response:

snip Instead, I sit here with no way to solve anything,  Just withdrawing, knowing winter is coming, and I’ll still be in this stress mess.  I don’t have the energy I had before my trip to the hospital.  I need some help, and have tried everything, to no avail.  It’s complicated, and somehow there are no answers.   Just a big stress mess that is really taking it’s toll.

Sounds as though that spell in hospital triggered something.  Have you told your doctor what you feel like?   — —  Whiskers

Response:

Pigtail, I’ve got lots of thoughts on this, including someone in your area that might just be eager to help.  Loads of experience (23 years) from having my ill mother with me in my California residence and having to deal with the problem of needing medical benefits for her but the State disqualifying her because she was my dependant, but if she lived in her own place, she would be allowed to have a live in caretaker and still keep her benefits, but if the caretaker was related to her she’d be disqualified, because then they might consider her head of household…..  I’m sure you know this song by now.  It was written by the No Way to Win group of bureaucrats. Let me get my thoughts together, I’m still having trouble concentrating, and I’ll email you direct later today.  Also, you mentioned that your mother is 87.  My mother was 82, but I’m only 43 (the baby).  I need to know your age, simply because, as we both know, the State can be very fixated on your age and what benefits and help they will let you receive all due to that magic number.  Direct email me with it, so that I’ll hear the message come in. Blessings, Cait

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi!  This is Pigtail back again.  Thank you Whiskers (love it) for your reply and help.  Thank you Alan for the great sense of humor in your message, and thanks Tara for welcoming me.  I appreciate all of you.  I have to say that I’m not really comfortable posting personal thoughts, etc., but could use some new friends, and support. I wish I could reach out somehow, and touch each one of you, and make things turn better…like quick for you.  My heart and thoughts are with you anyway.  It is hard to see other’s suffering. This will be too long to write at one time.  I live alone, and have helped the elderly and animals, my entire life.  I do many things for the less fortunate. A year ago, I had some kind of attack….physician said gall bladder, but I didn’t have very good vibes about it.  I had been out stacking bales of hay.  In brief, this became a nightmare from hell.  Before I was rudely interrupted and sent to the hospital, I was packing to move. You know….the entire house torn completely up.  Putting everything in storage, and trying to paint, digging everything out of the yard..(e-gads), etc.  I got out of the hospital in December, cold and raining, and back to the house just like I left it.  In no shape, or mood to do anything but look at it all. Here I sit a year later overwhelmed in trying to figure out how to ever accomplish this.  I can’t even find my good sense of humor….it is gone. I have became angry, stressed to the max, disgusted, and signs of depression lurking around me. Then I decided I would see about helping a couple people in the homeless shelter.  If I could find the right people, it would help us both.  I could give someone a permanant place to live, and maybe we could just get moved.  All of us could be close to homeless if anything went wrong with our income for a few months. I would need someone compatible, etc. and I didn’t know how to go about this too well.  I wanted someone that I could really help, and one who would appreciate it.  I finally decide to leave the house…….and go to the shelter. Well, that did not turn out too good.  They had to be screened, agree to see you, make an appointment, fill out all this information……  But, you can’t do it quite like that, it could mean losing your medical, etc. if you say they are living with you.  There must be another way, but I don’t know what it is. Nothing I try to do works.  I can’t figure out why. I have a whole business in storage.  I should be pouring plaster molds right now for Christmas.  It helps the animals, elderly, and the homeless. I do animal assisted therapy, and this helps support all of the above. Instead, I sit here with no way to solve anything,  Just withdrawing, knowing winter is coming, and I’ll still be in this stress mess.  I don’t have the energy I had before my trip to the hospital.  I need some help, and have tried everything, to no avail.  It’s complicated, and somehow there are no answers.   Just a big stress mess that is really taking it’s toll. Sorry this is so long.  We all have different things to deal with, don’t we?  Thank you for listening.  I’m here if anyone needs or wants to talk.  You can email me also, if you like.  I wish good things to happen to each of you.

— Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Response:

The pot is a depressant and will just make matters worse. Tell your doctor about you’re trouble with the meds. He can make changes if he deems it necessary.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m a 48 year old father of three and married to a great woman. But, and a big but, I’m sick and very depressed. I have Hep C and hemophilia etc, etc, tried to take my life 2 weeks ago, etc, etc,… I’m having a rough time with the side effects with effexor. It’s been years since I’ve done it but do you think Cannabis is a way to go to relieve some of the adverse side effects to depression and meds? I don’t smoke so I’m thinking more like Hash-brownies(do they still call them that?) Would love to hear some thoughts and Idea’s about this.

Response:

Hi!  This is Pigtail back again.  Thank you Whiskers (love it) for your reply and help.  Thank you Alan for the great sense of humor in your message, and thanks Tara for welcoming me.  I appreciate all of you.  I have to say that I’m not really comfortable posting personal thoughts, etc., but could use some new friends, and support. I wish I could reach out somehow, and touch each one of you, and make things turn better…like quick for you.  My heart and thoughts are with you anyway.  It is hard to see other’s suffering. This will be too long to write at one time.  I live alone, and have helped the elderly and animals, my entire life.  I do many things for the less fortunate.   A year ago, I had some kind of attack….physician said gall bladder, but I didn’t have very good vibes about it.  I had been out stacking bales of hay.  In brief, this became a nightmare from hell.  Before I was rudely interrupted and sent to the hospital, I was packing to move. You know….the entire house torn completely up.  Putting everything in storage, and trying to paint, digging everything out of the yard..(e-gads), etc.  I got out of the hospital in December, cold and raining, and back to the house just like I left it.  In no shape, or mood to do anything but look at it all. Here I sit a year later overwhelmed in trying to figure out how to ever accomplish this.  I can’t even find my good sense of humor….it is gone. I have became angry, stressed to the max, disgusted, and signs of depression lurking around me.   Then I decided I would see about helping a couple people in the homeless shelter.  If I could find the right people, it would help us both.  I could give someone a permanant place to live, and maybe we could just get moved.  All of us could be close to homeless if anything went wrong with our income for a few months. I would need someone compatible, etc. and I didn’t know how to go about this too well.  I wanted someone that I could really help, and one who would appreciate it.  I finally decide to leave the house…….and go to the shelter. Well, that did not turn out too good.  They had to be screened, agree to see you, make an appointment, fill out all this information……  But, you can’t do it quite like that, it could mean losing your medical, etc. if you say they are living with you.  There must be another way, but I don’t know what it is. Nothing I try to do works.  I can’t figure out why. I have a whole business in storage.  I should be pouring plaster molds right now for Christmas.  It helps the animals, elderly, and the homeless. I do animal assisted therapy, and this helps support all of the above.   Instead, I sit here with no way to solve anything,  Just withdrawing, knowing winter is coming, and I’ll still be in this stress mess.  I don’t have the energy I had before my trip to the hospital.  I need some help, and have tried everything, to no avail.  It’s complicated, and somehow there are no answers.   Just a big stress mess that is really taking it’s toll. Sorry this is so long.  We all have different things to deal with, don’t we?  Thank you for listening.  I’m here if anyone needs or wants to talk.  You can email me also, if you like.  I wish good things to happen to each of you.

Response:

Thanks Tara. Paul in Ontario discoursed thusly: I’ve become one of those people who I use to call

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – is everything. I’m really living my worse night-mare! I thought I could handle anything in my life but mental illness mixed with a chronic disease is a one two punch that has rocked me to my foundation. I feel lower than a snakes belly!!! The important thing to keep in mind, Paul, is it’s *feelings*and not reality. The reality is, anyone who gets hit with that kind of one-two punch is going to feel shaky. It’s not weakness. It’s not failure. It’s a hell of a hit to have to take. So, cut yourself some slack. You didn’t ask for this shit, you don’t deserve this shit, and you’re doing the best you can in the circumstances. That’s the most any of us can do. Tara J. Ballance Montreal, Canada

Response:

Thanks all for responding. I kinda felt I was clutching at straws with the cannabis thoughts, but when you are sick and tired of being sick and tired Endocet pain killers which ultimatley led to my attempt at suicide. is everything. I’m really living my worse night-mare! I thought I could handle anything in my life but mental illness mixed with a chronic disease is a one two punch that has rocked me to my foundation. I feel lower than a snakes belly!!!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Twist- I also suffer from Hepatitis C, and a number of my friends (who do also) SWEAR by marijuana as a great way to relieve the pain and nausea from the Hep itself, as well as the Hep tx. As I’m sure you well know, a number of us are put on antids before beginning tx because of the side effects of the interferon. However, if you are suffering from NATURAL depression, (not drug induced) I’m not sure that I would go that route. Even though it DOES take 2-4 (or longer) weeks to fully realize any relief from a new antid, if the sides are THAT bad, it is unlikely that the relief will outweigh them. I would suggest that you go ahead and tell the doctor that  you simply cannot take the sides, and try something else. Better to do it now, than to go through however long you give it, then find that it doesn’t work. Simply MHO though. Wanda

Response:

Twist- I also suffer from Hepatitis C, and a number of my friends (who do also) SWEAR by marijuana as a great way to relieve the pain and nausea from the Hep itself, as well as the Hep tx. As I’m sure you well know, a number of us are put on antids before beginning tx because of the side effects of the interferon. However, if you are suffering from NATURAL depression, (not drug induced) I’m not sure that I would go that route. Even though it DOES take 2-4 (or longer) weeks to fully realize any relief from a new antid, if the sides are THAT bad, it is unlikely that the relief will outweigh them. I would suggest that you go ahead and tell the doctor that  you simply cannot take the sides, and try something else. Better to do it now, than to go through however long you give it, then find that it doesn’t work. Simply MHO though. Wanda

Response:

I’m having a rough time with the side effects with effexor. It’s been years since I’ve done it but do you think Cannabis is a way to go to relieve some of the adverse side effects to depression and meds?

It definately won’t help with depression, except that it might help you sleep. It is an amazing painkiller though, if the pain is physical. I suffer from severe migraine headaches and marijuana is the only thing I’ve ever known to successfully relieve them (after 10 years of looking). I don’t smoke so I’m thinking more like Hash-brownies(do they still call them that?)

I go to an affluent high school rife with drug use and no one I know of bothers with mixing it into food. I’ve been told you need quite a lot of it to do this, which could be expensive? I don’t know how much your medication is though.

Response:

I’m a 48 year old father of three and married to a great woman. But, and a big but, I’m sick and very depressed. I have Hep C and hemophilia etc, etc, tried to take my life 2 weeks ago, etc, etc,… I’m having a rough time with the side effects with effexor. It’s been years since I’ve done it but do you think Cannabis is a way to go to relieve some of the adverse side effects to depression and meds? I don’t smoke so I’m thinking more like Hash-brownies(do they still call them that?) Would love to hear some thoughts and Idea’s about this.

pot is a depressant as is alcohol…stay away from both, hang in there, let the meds have time to work.  I’m waiting on mine to kick in (just started 3 days ago) and its not easy.  I have good and bad moments…you will too-post here, check with your doc, call friends, play with a pet…stay away from self-medication though.

Response:

Yes, I know. But everyone keeps telling me I should wait another 2-4 weeks to see if effexor will work.

If you are getting side-efects that you can’t put up with, then certainly talk to the doctor again.  There are lots of different anti-depressants, and each person reacts differently. Don’t stop taking the medication without talking to your doctor first; some things are best ‘tapered off’ gradually. — —  Whiskers

Response:

No, I don’t think taking an illegal depressant will help your depression.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m a 48 year old father of three and married to a great woman. But, and a big but, I’m sick and very depressed. I have Hep C and hemophilia etc, etc, tried to take my life 2 weeks ago, etc, etc,… I’m having a rough time with the side effects with effexor. It’s been years since I’ve done it but do you think Cannabis is a way to go to relieve some of the adverse side effects to depression and meds? I don’t smoke so I’m thinking more like Hash-brownies(do they still call them that?) Would love to hear some thoughts and Idea’s about this.

— Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Response:

Yes, I know. But everyone keeps telling me I should wait another 2-4 weeks to see if effexor will work.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m a 48 year old father of three and married to a great woman. But, and a big but, I’m sick and very depressed. I have Hep C and hemophilia etc, etc, tried to take my life 2 weeks ago, etc, etc,… I’m having a rough time with the side effects with effexor. It’s been years since I’ve done it but do you think Cannabis is a way to go to relieve some of the adverse side effects to depression and meds? I don’t smoke so I’m thinking more like Hash-brownies(do they still call them that?) Would love to hear some thoughts and Idea’s about this. see a doctor , there are lots of drugs besides effexor

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m a 48 year old father of three and married to a great woman. But, and a big but, I’m sick and very depressed. I have Hep C and hemophilia etc, etc, tried to take my life 2 weeks ago, etc, etc,… I’m having a rough time with the side effects with effexor. It’s been years since I’ve done it but do you think Cannabis is a way to go to relieve some of the adverse side effects to depression and meds? I don’t smoke so I’m thinking more like Hash-brownies(do they still call them that?) Would love to hear some thoughts and Idea’s about this.

see a doctor , there are lots of drugs besides effexor

Response:

I’m a 48 year old father of three and married to a great woman. But, and a big but, I’m sick and very depressed. I have Hep C and hemophilia etc, etc, tried to take my life 2 weeks ago, etc, etc,… I’m having a rough time with the side effects with effexor. It’s been years since I’ve done it but do you think Cannabis is a way to go to relieve some of the adverse side effects to depression and meds? I don’t smoke so I’m thinking more like Hash-brownies(do they still call them that?) Would love to hear some thoughts and Idea’s about this.

Response:

Question:

"Maryann" <sableme…@rcn.com

wrote in message

news:3D4938E2.6070709@rcn.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Janus wrote: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,

have

a dx alright,  but its not TS! Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all

wrong..

If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by

posters

to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng.. But…but…but… I know for a fact that Dr. Jankovic prescribes stimulant medication to *some* kids with co-morbid TS/ADHD…this proves not only that he "knows nothing about TS", but that he is also EVIL…pure EVIL… I say we burn him.

http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/neurol/jankovic/biography.htm Biography:  Professor of Neurology, Director, Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas After receiving his M.D. degree in 1973, Dr. Jankovic completed medicine internship at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. He obtained his neurological training at the Neurological Institute (NI), Columbia University, New York City, where he served as the Chief Resident until 1977. While at the NI he became interested in movement disorders and obtained additional training with Stanley Fahn, M.D. In 1977 he joined the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine and established the Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic (PDCMDC). Dr. Jankovic was promoted to a full professor of Neurology and a senior attending at The Methodist Hospital in 1988. In 1992, the National Parkinson Foundation recognized the PDCMDC as a "Center of Excellence" and in 2001 the Huntington Disease Society of America recognized the PDCMDC as "HDSA Center of Excellence". Dr. Jankovic has conducted numerous clinical trials and has published over 600 original articles and chapters. He has edited or co-edited 20 books and volumes including standard textbooks such as Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders and Surgery of Movement Disorders. In addition to Parkinson disease and related disorders, these publications have covered tremors, dystonia, Tourette syndrome, Huntington disease, myoclonus, tardive dyskinesia, restless legs syndrome, paroxysmal dyskinesias, various neurodegenerative disorders, and surgical and experimental therapeutics of movement disorders. Dr. Jankovic is an editor of several on-line books and journals including Neurology in Clinical Practice. He has also served on the editorial boards of Neurology, Movement Disorders, Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, Neurobase, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, Clinical Neuropharmacology and other journals. Dr. Jankovic is past president of the international Movement Disorder Society and of the Houston Neurological Society. Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN), he has been an examiner for the ABPN and for the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and active member of the American Neurological Association, Society for Neuroscience, Parkinson Study Group, Tourette Syndrome Study Group, Dystonia Study Group, Huntington Disease Study Group, Tremor Research and Investigation Group, and other professional and scientific organizations. Dr. Jankovic has organized and chaired numerous national and international scientific symposia. Since 1990, along with Drs. Fahn, Marsden, Hallett and Jenner, he has co-directed the annual course "A Comprehensive Review of Movement Disorders", in Aspen, Colorado. He has also directed the annual AAN course on Movement Disorders, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Update, and, along with Dr. Lang, has co-directed the annual seminar "Unusual Movement Disorders". A member of the AAN educational committee, he served as the chairman of the A/V subcommittee. He is current or past member of the scientific and medical advisory boards of many national foundations including the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, International Tremor Foundation, Tourette Syndrome Association, Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Myoclonus Research Foundation, and The Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation. He is the founder and past chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for the Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation. Dr. Jankovic has served as the medical director of regional associations including the Houston Area Parkinsonism Society (HAPS) and regional chapters of national support groups. Dr. Jankovic is a recipient of several prestigious awards and has been invited as a named lecturer and a visiting professor to many U.S. and foreign universities. Dr. Jankovic is listed in Best Doctors in America, America’s Top Doctors, and in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in World, Who’s Who in Health and Medical Services, and in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

— A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.        "The Emperor is naked," he said. —Hans Christian Anderson Project Gutenberg Fine Literature Digitally Republished http://promo.net/pg/index.html

Response:

In article <MPG.17b2fb9773c3b2989…@news.alt.net

,

Janus  <Ja…@nospam.com

wrote: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,  have a dx alright,  but its not TS!  

Its quite common that people with a condition know more about it than the ‘experts’. Face blindness is a good example, I actually know the people involved here. The original face blindness tests involved showing an entire person and/or head. People who experienced face blindness where passing the tests, and posting on discussion boards about the problems with them. Finally a neurology student sees the discussions and not being full of himself and his ‘expertise’ decides they might be right, and sets out to make a valid test. He first proved the old tests invalid by showing that people still passed them even when the faces where removed from the pictures! —       Be a counter terrorist perpetrate random senseless acts of kindness      Rave: Immanentization of the Eschaton in a Temporary Autonomous Zone.   C/C++/Perl Linux/Unix resume: http://www.farviolet.com/~entropy/resume.txt

Response:

On Thu, 1 Aug 2002 09:03:10 -0400, in article <MPG.17b2fb9773c3b2989…@news.alt.net

,

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Janus <Ja…@nospam.com

wrote: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,  have a dx alright,  but its not TS!   Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng..

Do you have TS? Blurt

Response:

Doctors are just everyday people who can read way too much about stuff that has little bearing on reality. the folk in this form deal with people (read doctors) who deal with Tourettes mostly though some third or fourth-hand form. first-hand, being someone who has the condition. second hand, being someone, like a mother, who deals with the condition. and third-hand, being someone who might writes about these conditions. fourth-hand, may be a G.P, or even perhaps a geneticist. So don’t go wasting all your energy projecting it all into the rebuttal of one minor disagreement you had with what TSNW says. When your intentions are so meaningless, anything you say therein will have little credence to anybody here you are maybe hoping to influence. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -On Thu, 1 Aug 2002 14:50:09 +0100, "lurker" <spam@nospam

wrote: "Maryann" <sableme…@rcn.com wrote in message news:3D4938E2.6070709@rcn.com… Janus wrote: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts, have a dx alright,  but its not TS! Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng.. But…but…but… I know for a fact that Dr. Jankovic prescribes stimulant medication to *some* kids with co-morbid TS/ADHD…this proves not only that he "knows nothing about TS", but that he is also EVIL…pure EVIL… I say we burn him. http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/neurol/jankovic/biography.htm Biography: Professor of Neurology, Director, Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas After receiving his M.D. degree in 1973, Dr. Jankovic completed medicine internship at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. He obtained his neurological training at the Neurological Institute (NI), Columbia University, New York City, where he served as the Chief Resident until 1977. While at the NI he became interested in movement disorders and obtained additional training with Stanley Fahn, M.D. In 1977 he joined the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine and established the Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic (PDCMDC). Dr. Jankovic was promoted to a full professor of Neurology and a senior attending at The Methodist Hospital in 1988. In 1992, the National Parkinson Foundation recognized the PDCMDC as a "Center of Excellence" and in 2001 the Huntington Disease Society of America recognized the PDCMDC as "HDSA Center of Excellence". Dr. Jankovic has conducted numerous clinical trials and has published over 600 original articles and chapters. He has edited or co-edited 20 books and volumes including standard textbooks such as Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders and Surgery of Movement Disorders. In addition to Parkinson disease and related disorders, these publications have covered tremors, dystonia, Tourette syndrome, Huntington disease, myoclonus, tardive dyskinesia, restless legs syndrome, paroxysmal dyskinesias, various neurodegenerative disorders, and surgical and experimental therapeutics of movement disorders. Dr. Jankovic is an editor of several on-line books and journals including Neurology in Clinical Practice. He has also served on the editorial boards of Neurology, Movement Disorders, Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, Neurobase, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, Clinical Neuropharmacology and other journals. Dr. Jankovic is past president of the international Movement Disorder Society and of the Houston Neurological Society. Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN), he has been an examiner for the ABPN and for the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and active member of the American Neurological Association, Society for Neuroscience, Parkinson Study Group, Tourette Syndrome Study Group, Dystonia Study Group, Huntington Disease Study Group, Tremor Research and Investigation Group, and other professional and scientific organizations. Dr. Jankovic has organized and chaired numerous national and international scientific symposia. Since 1990, along with Drs. Fahn, Marsden, Hallett and Jenner, he has co-directed the annual course "A Comprehensive Review of Movement Disorders", in Aspen, Colorado. He has also directed the annual AAN course on Movement Disorders, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Update, and, along with Dr. Lang, has co-directed the annual seminar "Unusual Movement Disorders". A member of the AAN educational committee, he served as the chairman of the A/V subcommittee. He is current or past member of the scientific and medical advisory boards of many national foundations including the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, International Tremor Foundation, Tourette Syndrome Association, Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Myoclonus Research Foundation, and The Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation. He is the founder and past chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for the Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation. Dr. Jankovic has served as the medical director of regional associations including the Houston Area Parkinsonism Society (HAPS) and regional chapters of national support groups. Dr. Jankovic is a recipient of several prestigious awards and has been invited as a named lecturer and a visiting professor to many U.S. and foreign universities. Dr. Jankovic is listed in Best Doctors in America, America’s Top Doctors, and in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in World, Who’s Who in Health and Medical Services, and in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering. — A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.        "The Emperor is naked," he said. —Hans Christian Anderson Project Gutenberg Fine Literature Digitally Republished http://promo.net/pg/index.html

Response:

On Thu, 01 Aug 2002 14:00:08 GMT, "John Morten Malerbakken" <John.Mor…@malerbakken.com

wrote: Janus, You would be surprised to know the number of people on this group who also have TS themselves. It is easier to focus on th children for many reason, as most of us believe that there is one place that we could be able to make a difference.

I also think they make good distractions. I once said to someone who wanted to put kids in a wedding that i likened it to putting a bowl of swimming fish in a room.

Response:

"Janus" <Ja…@nospam.com

wrote in message

news:MPG.17b2fb9773c3b29896bb@news.alt.net…

It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng.

Then  leave.    Ooops, block sender?  Ok.  Gone now.

Response:

in article MPG.17b31ca568da8276989…@news.alt.net, Janus at Ja…@nospam.com wrote on 8/1/02 10:24 AM: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

In article <B96EB4F1.1479A%spock…@bellsouth.net, spock…@bellsouth.net says… in article MPG.17b2fb9773c3b2989…@news.alt.net, Janus at Ja…@nospam.com wrote on 8/1/02 8:03 AM: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,  have a dx alright,  but its not TS! Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng.. Have you ever heard the term:  Science now believes??? The day the medical profession professes to ‘know all there is about anything’ is the same day I will doubt their credibility as a profession. "Experts" can be wrong, and have been known to have been wrong. It is not a big deal. A reputable "expert" welcomes input. nuff said. Paula go to other doctors, until you find an eminent specialist who agrees with you,  and get the other eminent specialist to approach dr jancovic and argue the case. You don’t go writing eminent specialists like a bunch of grandiose manics, would, telling them they are wrong on _your_ say so.. lol

And, why the hell not????? I have absolutely no problem giving anyone my 2 cents worth. pfffft…. Paula —

Response:

Janus writes:

It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng.

Didn’t used to be…

People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol

The doc who posits that behavioral disorders are part and parcel of TS is being defended by the guy/gal/sockpuppet  who states that only people who don’t engage in personal attacks or start pissing contests are presumed to have TS…

People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,  have a dx alright,  but its not TS!   Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng..

JANus…JANkovic…nah…..that would be Paranoid Delusions…

Response:

–  xxxx "MomN82R" <momn…@aol.com

wrote in message

news:20020801225752.28506.00000848@mb-cs.aol.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Janus writes: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. Didn’t used to be… People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol The doc who posits that behavioral disorders are part and parcel of TS is

being

defended by the guy/gal/sockpuppet  who states that only people who don’t engage in personal attacks or start pissing contests are presumed to have

TS…

People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,  have a dx alright,  but its not TS! Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng.. JANus…JANkovic…nah…..that would be Paranoid Delusions…

ROFL…..brilliant!!!!!! JANnybravo, uh, uh, I meant jennybravo…. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

in article MPG.17b2fb9773c3b2989…@news.alt.net, Janus at Ja…@nospam.com wrote on 8/1/02 8:03 AM: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,  have a dx alright,  but its not TS! Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng..

Have you ever heard the term:  Science now believes??? The day the medical profession professes to ‘know all there is about anything’ is the same day I will doubt their credibility as a profession. "Experts" can be wrong, and have been known to have been wrong. It is not a big deal. A reputable "expert" welcomes input. nuff said. Paula —

Response:

In article <B96EB4F1.1479A%spock…@bellsouth.net

,

spock…@bellsouth.net says… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

in article MPG.17b2fb9773c3b2989…@news.alt.net, Janus at Ja…@nospam.com wrote on 8/1/02 8:03 AM: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,  have a dx alright,  but its not TS! Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng.. Have you ever heard the term:  Science now believes??? The day the medical profession professes to ‘know all there is about anything’ is the same day I will doubt their credibility as a profession. "Experts" can be wrong, and have been known to have been wrong. It is not a big deal. A reputable "expert" welcomes input. nuff said. Paula

go to other doctors, until you find an eminent specialist who agrees with you,  and get the other eminent specialist to approach dr jancovic and argue the case. You don’t go writing eminent specialists like a bunch of grandiose manics, would, telling them they are wrong on _your_ say so.. lol

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -lurker wrote:

"Maryann" <sableme…@rcn.com wrote in message news:3D4938E2.6070709@rcn.com… Janus wrote: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts, have a dx alright,  but its not TS! Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng.. But…but…but… I know for a fact that Dr. Jankovic prescribes stimulant medication to *some* kids with co-morbid TS/ADHD…this proves not only that he "knows nothing about TS", but that he is also EVIL…pure EVIL… I say we burn him. http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/neurol/jankovic/biography.htm Biography:  Professor of Neurology, Director, Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas After receiving his M.D. degree in 1973, Dr. Jankovic completed medicine internship at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. He obtained his neurological training at the Neurological Institute (NI), Columbia University, New York City, where he served as the Chief Resident until 1977. While at the NI he became interested in movement disorders and obtained additional training with Stanley Fahn, M.D. In 1977 he joined the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine and established the Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic (PDCMDC). Dr. Jankovic was promoted to a full professor of Neurology and a senior attending at The Methodist Hospital in 1988. In 1992, the National Parkinson Foundation recognized the PDCMDC as a "Center of Excellence" and in 2001 the Huntington Disease Society of America recognized the PDCMDC as "HDSA Center of Excellence". Dr. Jankovic has conducted numerous clinical trials and has published over 600 original articles and chapters. He has edited or co-edited 20 books and volumes including standard textbooks such as Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders and Surgery of Movement Disorders. In addition to Parkinson disease and related disorders, these publications have covered tremors, dystonia, Tourette syndrome, Huntington disease, myoclonus, tardive dyskinesia, restless legs syndrome, paroxysmal dyskinesias, various neurodegenerative disorders, and surgical and experimental therapeutics of movement disorders. Dr. Jankovic is an editor of several on-line books and journals including Neurology in Clinical Practice. He has also served on the editorial boards of Neurology, Movement Disorders, Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, Neurobase, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, Clinical Neuropharmacology and other journals. Dr. Jankovic is past president of the international Movement Disorder Society and of the Houston Neurological Society. Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN), he has been an examiner for the ABPN and for the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and active member of the American Neurological Association, Society for Neuroscience, Parkinson Study Group, Tourette Syndrome Study Group, Dystonia Study Group, Huntington Disease Study Group, Tremor Research and Investigation Group, and other professional and scientific organizations. Dr. Jankovic has organized and chaired numerous national and international scientific symposia. Since 1990, along with Drs. Fahn, Marsden, Hallett and Jenner, he has co-directed the annual course "A Comprehensive Review of Movement Disorders", in Aspen, Colorado. He has also directed the annual AAN course on Movement Disorders, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Update, and, along with Dr. Lang, has co-directed the annual seminar "Unusual Movement Disorders". A member of the AAN educational committee, he served as the chairman of the A/V subcommittee. He is current or past member of the scientific and medical advisory boards of many national foundations including the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, International Tremor Foundation, Tourette Syndrome Association, Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Myoclonus Research Foundation, and The Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation. He is the founder and past chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for the Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation. Dr. Jankovic has served as the medical director of regional associations including the Houston Area Parkinsonism Society (HAPS) and regional chapters of national support groups. Dr. Jankovic is a recipient of several prestigious awards and has been invited as a named lecturer and a visiting professor to many U.S. and foreign universities. Dr. Jankovic is listed in Best Doctors in America, America’s Top Doctors, and in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in World, Who’s Who in Health and Medical Services, and in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering.

Thanks lurker.  I am well aware of Dr. J’s CV (the TS community in New England is not THAT large) and I know a couple of his patients personally.  It’s clear that I should have prefaced my post with a big !!!SARCASM ALERT!!!… Of course physicians must be judicious and cautious in prescribing stimulants (or any other med, for that matter).  Stimulants *can* exacerbate tics in some people, sometimes severely.  No argument there. But if Janus’ position is that *no* physician who is knowledgeable about TS would ever prescribe stimulants to *any* patient with tics or TS and co-morbid ADHD, he/she is flat out wrong.

— A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.       "The Emperor is naked," he said. —Hans Christian Anderson Project Gutenberg Fine Literature Digitally Republished http://promo.net/pg/index.html

— A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.        "The Emperor is naked," he said.                                                                                                                         —Hans Christian Anderson Project Gutenberg Fine Literature Digitally Republished http://promo.net/pg/index.html

Response:

On Thu, 01 Aug 2002 09:34:26 -0400, Maryann <sableme…@rcn.com

wrote: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Janus wrote: It’s pathos and looney tunes on this ng. People who yet to reveal they themselves have the foggiest notion of the most basic facts about TS, are manicly writing letters to a doctor whose been dx’ing and treating TS for 31 years,  and telling him he got it wrong about TS, lol People with the grandiose delusion they know more than the experts,  have a dx alright,  but its not TS!   Classic manic depression is a differential diagnosis, often confused and misdiagnosed as Ts, ADHD. One of the big things people with manic depression do, is write complaints, and/or  write eminent specialists how they got it all wrong.. If I ever crosspost anything about the looney tunes engaged in by posters to this ng,  it will be to the manic ng.. But…but…but… I know for a fact that Dr. Jankovic prescribes stimulant medication to *some* kids with co-morbid TS/ADHD…this proves not only that he "knows nothing about TS", but that he is also EVIL…pure EVIL… I say we burn him.

Your comments have been forwarded Not too sure what you have against Professor Jankovic but if you arer going to cyberstalk him you may as well di it properly Professor of Neurology Director, Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic President, Movement Disorder Society Phone: 1-713-798-7438 (Patient Appointment) Phone: 1-713-798-5998 (Academic) Fax: 1-713-798-6808 email: jose…@bcm.tmc.edu Joseph Jankovic, M.D. ————————————————————————— —– Clinical Interests: Movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, tremors, dystonia, Tourette’s syndrome, Huntington’s disease, and tardive dyskinesias. Research Interests: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, genetics and experimental therapeutics of movement disorders. Selected Publications: (out of over 300 original articles and reviews) Ondo, W., Jankovic, J. (1996) Essential tremor: Treatment options. CNS Drugs. 3:178-191. Demirkiran, M., Jankovic, J. (1996) Paroxysmal dyskinesias. In: Appel, S.H., ed., Current Neurology, vol 16, Mosby Year Book, Chicago, 16:213-251. Krauss, J.K., Jankovic, J. (1996) Severe motor tics causing cervical myelopathy in Tourette’s syndrome. Mov. Disord. 11:563-566. Litvan, I., Agid, Y., Calne, D., Campbell, G., Dubois, B., Duvoisin, R.C., Goetz, C.G., Golbe, L.I., Grafman, J., Growdon, J.H., Hallett, M., Jankovic, J., Quinn, N.P., Tolosa, E., Zee, D.S. (1996) Clinical research criteria for the diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome): Report of the NINDS-SPSP International Workshop. Neurology. 47:1-9. Krauss, J.K., Jankovic, J. (1996) Surgical treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Am. Fam. Physician. 54:1621-1629. Stanley, R., Protas, E.J., Jankovic, J. (1996) Exercise intervention in Parkinson’s disease: A pilot study. Mov. Disor. 11:748-751. Litvan, I., Agid, Y., Sastrj, N., Jankovic, J., Wenning, G., Goetz, C.G., et al. (1996) What are the obstacles for an accurate clinical diagnosis of Pick’s disease? A clinicopathologic study. Neurology. 49:62-69. Krauss, J.K., Akeyson, E.W., Giam, P., Jankovic, J. (1996) Propofol-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson’s disease. Anesth. Analg. 83:420-422. Ondo, W., Jankovic, J. (1996) Restless legs syndrome: Clinical-etiologic correlates. Neurology. 47:1435-1441. Dichgans, J., M

Question:

Wellbutrin doesn’t cause sexual side effects!  Effexor XR worked great for me but is a TOTAL b*tch to withdraw from – even if you miss one day you get nauseated and sick – bad news!  It also caused sexual side effects for me, as does Celexa – I would avoid both Celexa and Effexor XR and go for the BuSpar or try Wellbutrin. ~Melissa

Response:

Wellbutrin doesn’t cause sexual side effects!  Effexor XR worked great for me but is a TOTAL b*tch to withdraw from – even if you miss one day you get nauseated and sick – bad news!  It also caused sexual side effects for me, as does Celexa – I would avoid both Celexa and Effexor XR and go for the BuSpar or try Wellbutrin. ~Melissa

 But thats your response to Effexor Melissa. Everyone is different. I have been on Effexor XR now for about 3 months. Last weekend I missed my first daily dose, I was staying at a friends house and was so busy with things going on that I just forgot to take my Effexor. I experienced no side effects at all – none. The next day I took my usual dose of 75mg without noticing anything out of the ordinary. I don’t think you can’t lump everyone into the same catagory – people respond differently. So far Effexor XR has helped me a lot.

Response:

My wife has been suffering from daily anxiety for some time now. It may be related to her diagnoses of multiple sclerosis over a year ago; her menopausal phase; or her hypothyroidism. After taking hormone replacement therapy and synthroid for the thyroid problem, she still has daily anxiety. She has been treating it with Ativan but her doc recommend an anti-depressent. Here’s the problem: her GP recommends Celexa; her neurologist recommends Effexor; and her psychiatrist recommended Buspar (and maybe a second drug as well.) She tried Prozac years ago and it worked well except she lost all interest in sex or orgasm was near impossible. My question is…can anyone give some insight into possible side effects of the 3 ADs mentioned? What might she expect? What about withdrawl from them? Getting off of Prozac was a bitch. Any help would be appreciated.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife has been suffering from daily anxiety for some time now. It may be related to her diagnoses of multiple sclerosis over a year ago; her menopausal phase; or her hypothyroidism. After taking hormone replacement therapy and synthroid for the thyroid problem, she still has daily anxiety. She has been treating it with Ativan but her doc recommend an anti-depressent. Here’s the problem: her GP recommends Celexa; her neurologist recommends Effexor; and her psychiatrist recommended Buspar (and maybe a second drug as well.) She tried Prozac years ago and it worked well except she lost all interest in sex or orgasm was near impossible. My question is…can anyone give some insight into possible side effects of the 3 ADs mentioned? What might she expect? What about withdrawl from them? Getting off of Prozac was a bitch. Any help would be appreciated.

Buspar in not like any other anxiety drug and not use for panick attack. It takes effect after a few weeks and does not interfere with the interest in sex. On the contrary, some say that at high dosage, it helps. The only sundesirable side effects i have experienced with Buspar is, sometimes, dizziness and tiredness. Il helps to take the medication with a very large glass of water. If you experience panick attack you could had attivan or something similar for a couple of days. ap

Response:

Question:

Ok, so my doctor agreed to try another SSRI, but she wanted me to wean off Paxil first! Told her I could wean off one and wean onto another at the same time, but she was dubious about that so I asked her to look it up and ask around… now she agrees. She has prescribed Effexor.

Although Effexor technically is not an SSRI it is cross tolerant with SSRI’s so switching this way should be no problem. I’ve been told to take 20 mgs of paxil(instead of 40) and to add 37,5mgs of effexor for the next 3 days, then drop the paxil completely and raise the effexor to 75mgs. Does this sound about right? It seems like a fast changeover to me, but I’d rather deal with any side effects and get this change over with quickly myself anyway.

I agree that this may be a tad fast but I think it can be done if you are prepared to white-knuckle through some possible temporary side effects. My other question; is the target does of 75 mgs of effexor comparible to the 40 mgs of paxil I’ve been taking?

That is impossible to say as our reactions to meds are so personal. 75 mg of Effexor sound OK to me and if after a few weeks you feel it doesn’t work well enough you can always raise the dose a bit more. My xanax has been switched from 2x .5mg per day to 1x 1mg xanax XR per day. Hopefully it will stop me feeling like a yo-yo, I may need to ask for a dose increase I think.

I think so too considering the AD change. I take Xanax XR and IMO it is far preferable to *normal* Xanax. No rollercoatser effect anymore but a comparatively very smooth ride. Any thoughts/comments about this change in meds?

No ) Keep us posted! Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

Ok, so my doctor agreed to try another SSRI, but she wanted me to wean off Paxil first! Told her I could wean off one and wean onto another at the same time, but she was dubious about that so I asked her to look it up and ask around… now she agrees. She has prescribed Effexor. I’ve been told to take 20mgs of paxil(instead of 40) and to add 37,5mgs of effexor for the next 3 days, then drop the paxil completely and raise the effexor to 75mgs. Does this sound about right? It seems like a fast changeover to me, but I’d rather deal with any side effects and get this change over with quickly myself anyway. My other question; is the target does of 75 mgs of effexor comparible to the 40 mgs of paxil I’ve been taking? My xanax has been switched from 2x .5mg per day to 1x 1mg xanax XR per day. Hopefully it will stop me feeling like a yo-yo, I may need to ask for a dose increase I think. I’ll soon find out, considering the other med change! : ) Any thoughts/comments about this change in meds? I mean to start the changeover tommorow… Vashti

Response:

From what you say above, and below, Vashti, it doesn’t seem like she has a good grip on these medications, but at least is open minded. Both frustrating and refreshing at the same time!

well could be dangerous to be less savy about things one prescribes Yes, I think it’s far too fast and large a drop in Paxil,

I concur My biggest concern would be that sudden drop of Paxil from 40 to 20, with a "starter" dose of Effexor ( 37.5 mg ) to take the place of 20 mg of Paxil?  I don’t think so!!

nope best off dropping paxil by 5mg a day per week until off Remember, they may be very slight, if much at all. So much depends on how ‘you’ react, not how some others have.

true 150 mg of Effexor to 40 mg of Paxil??

or  more since paxil is up to 17 times more potent at the synapse then prozac effexor hits multiple sites at higher doses and is basicaly serotonergic at lower ones so a sliding conversion may not be too bad-as a phenethylamine compound it excerts reuptake inhibition on serotonin first noradrenaline second and weakly dopaminergic thirdly so in some ways in works like a tca but in reverse where the tca hits adrenergic sites first serotonin sites second. it would be somewhat difficult to make a comparative dose per dose response due to the different pharmacokinetics and individual responses From what I understand, the XR should work out very well.

yes it would bot Rita and Philip use this med with good success You’re not alone..

Microbes are everywhere

Response:

Question:

Nichole, Excuse my ignorance but I saw you mention you gave up cream cheese. I had asked you why in a previous post , so that question is answered. I’m wondering why you dont eat Diet Jello if it has no carbs? Is it because it whets your appetite for sweets? I’m new at this. Is there a list of things that people in here have found to be counter productive though it is considered legal food? Thanks so much, Laureen

Response:

Beth, smack smack whats to give up. Its a healthy change post a day or two here are you working out did you consume some major salt intake prior to the 4 lb gain there are so many factors are you measureing and counting foods if you have lowered your calorie, sometimes what we think is a cup and what is a cup is vastly different You are the person in control of your weightloss, no one else JoKnows

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) I had to give up Chromium Picolinate because it made my BG rise. I did find that I must eat something ever 3-4 hours or my BG rises. My body thinks I am starving and makes my liver kick out more glycogen.  This all stems from years of starving my self. No Breakfasts. Ignoring hunger pangs. Being to lazy to get up and make something.  I actually have conditioned myself to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Sure I get lightheaded but …. Hmmm.. I can’t remember any benefits of it. I used to do it because I didn’t want to be seen eating in front of my friends in school and I wanted to sleep in a little longer in the morning. I am not sure how to correct it. I will try to eat more calories from protain and fat. I will try Nina’s suggestion for 10x weight and I won’t weigh myself for 3 weeks. We’ll see where I stand then. I am trying to wean myself off from my Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. The reason I take it is because of a natural tendency for despair. I get very negative about myself. With it I feel great. I just know it is said that these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives. I have to go back to my DR. in December for a 3 month Hba1c. I will also ask him to test my thyroid to make sure my Levoxl is working enough. My body temp. is always 97.8 and hasn’t changed since beginning the Thyroid meds. After Thanksgiving I am going to try a Yeast cleansing diet to see if that is a cause of no weight loss. BethM — homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1         297/291.5/165

Response:

Oh, Beth… I’m sorry you are feeling bad about your lack of loss in the last few weeks. If you posted what you are eating, I missed it.  I usually don’t read those posts.  I cut out cream and cream cheese, artificial sweetener in packet form and am trying to eliminate all preservatives from my diet.  I also cut out diet Jell-O.  I know this way of eating works for improvement of so many areas of one’s physical being, including weight loss.  I think that Dianne Schwartzbien said that some people may not lose for an entire year on low carb because they have been so depleted by years of low cal/low fat dieting. I think you are wise to continue on Low Carb to reap the medical benefits. I do believe if you experiment a bit you may find yourself losing the weight you wish to shed.  Hang in there, babydoll!  Bliss is just down the road a piece.

Thanks Nichole, I am going to try a few differnt things and try to forget about losing weight. I am hoping for a big weight loss suprise at the end of 3 weeks. I will never leave this WOE BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

Hi Beth, Sorry to hear about all the trouble you’ve been having. I can’t actually see your initial post. I just got here and I think it’s too old for me to see. If you’d like, reply with what you eat on a daily basis and I’ll try to help out… — Sal C. Author of, "The One Low Carb Diet That Always Works" www.simplifiedweightloss.com

Thanks but I am not going to keep posting my foods. I have read the books I know what might be the culprit. I will give it three weeks. I am fighting hypothyroidism, and am taking my temp. As of 4:11pm I am 97.6. My levoxyl need adjusting. BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey, Beth, don’t give up. I do think it’s a good idea to give yourself a little break for awhile though, emotionally. Not weighing for awhile is a great way to take a break. But don’t give up entirely. You may still be in an adjustment phase. I think you should listen to Nina about the 10-12x your weight in calories. Nina really knows her stuff! I’m not sure a natural alternative to Zoloft wouldn’t have the same side effects. But you wouldn’t be able to control the dose as well. Maybe your doctor has another suggestion about a different medication. You may have hit on something about getting hungry. Can you work on spreading out your food over even more meals than you already do? Maybe you have something to go on about the yeast, too. The yeast cleansing diet isn’t hard to do, after you get used to it, according to DH. You can do it any day of the year, even Thanksgiving. Try this page www.candidapage.com There’s a food list there that DH followed. He fixed himself up. CAD 2/94 LC 7/01 188/167/126

Thank you for your support it means a lot. Bethm — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

Nichole, Excuse my ignorance but I saw you mention you gave up cream cheese. I had asked you why in a previous post , so that question is answered. I’m wondering why you dont eat Diet Jello if it has no carbs? Is it because it whets your appetite for sweets? I’m new at this. Is there a list of things that people in here have found to be counter productive though it is considered legal food? Thanks so much, Laureen

Diet Jell-o is made with aspartame which may cause stalls. The calories in Jell-o are the Aspartame. BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. … these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives. Beth: For me, Zoloft not only stalled weight loss, but put pounds back on — almost daily! I switched to St. John’s Wort (900 mg. per day) with much success.  None of the side effects of Zoloft with all of the antidepressant effects. BarbF

Thabk You so much Barb. I appreciate you telling me that. You’re a sweetie. I’ll go get some next week once I wean myself off the Zoloft. Last time I went cold turkey and was sickeningly dizzy for weeks. BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

{{{{{Beth}}}}} I’m sorry you feeling frustrated, but hang in there. — Polly

Thanks for the hug Polly. I am sending one right back to you {{{{{Polly}}}}}. BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

Beth, I have the same problem but here’s the thing *INCREASE* your calories if you want to lose weight, I’m serious. I have the exact same problem as you and the *only* way that I actually lose weight is by eating at least 12x body weight (lbs) in calories and drinking tons of water. DO NOT LOWER YOUR CALORIES. It’s only bringing your body back to that "comfortable" state of starving which has not done anything but keep the pounds on all this time. Trust me, this is something I find myself struggling with daily.Don’t give up, just try to force yourself to eat more calories and see what happens. Good luck,if I can do it I know you can do it too Erika RollerGirl

Thanks for really understanding. You and the others make me feel so cared for. BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

Beth, smack smack whats to give up. Its a healthy change

I know that’s why I won’t give up Atkins post a day or two here

Been there, done that, not doing it again are you working out

I do the eliptical trainer every other day and walk my dog. I am increasing slowly. did you consume some major salt intake prior to the 4 lb gain

 You betch’a lot’s of pepperoni. That and to much psyllium with too little water did a number on me.  I know we aren’t supposed to have processed foods, but, I wanted something at the movies and there were no Pork rinds to be found. there are so many factors

My hypothyroidism, possible yeast ,and on and on. are you measureing and counting foods if you have lowered your calorie, sometimes what we think is a cup and what is a cup is vastly different

I measure all the time, everytime. You are the person in control of your weightloss, no one else I know. JoKnows

Thanks Jo, BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

Beth, when I started, I was being switched from Zoloft to Serzone to Celexa. Since sticking with LC for a few months, I didn’t need any of it.  I would get so down on myself I would try to punish myself like pulling out a handful of hair or pinching myself really hard because I was so mad at myself for being so fat and out of control.  You ‘re doing the right thing by going LC.  Some people use St. John’s Wort for depression, but I find that I don’t even need that.  Hang in there hon, we’re all here for you. — Serena 340/161/145 http://photos.yahoo.com/gweeble_1998

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) I had to give up Chromium Picolinate because it made my BG rise. I did find that I must eat something ever 3-4 hours or my BG rises. My body thinks I am starving and makes my liver kick out more glycogen.  This all stems from years of starving my self. No Breakfasts. Ignoring hunger pangs. Being to lazy to get up and make something.  I actually have conditioned myself to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Sure I get lightheaded but …. Hmmm.. I can’t remember any benefits of it. I used to do it because I didn’t want to be seen eating in front of my friends in school and I wanted to sleep in a little longer in the morning. I am not sure how to correct it. I will try to eat more calories from protain and fat. I will try Nina’s suggestion for 10x weight and I won’t weigh myself for 3 weeks. We’ll see where I stand then. I am trying to wean myself off from my Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. The reason I take it is because of a natural tendency for despair. I get very negative about myself. With it I feel great. I just know it is said that these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives. I have to go back to my DR. in December for a 3 month Hba1c. I will also ask him to test my thyroid to make sure my Levoxl is working enough. My body temp. is always 97.8 and hasn’t changed since beginning the Thyroid meds. After Thanksgiving I am going to try a Yeast cleansing diet to see if that is a cause of no weight loss. BethM — homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1         297/291.5/165

Response:

Beth, when I started, I was being switched from Zoloft to Serzone to Celexa. Since sticking with LC for a few months, I didn’t need any of it.  I would get so down on myself I would try to punish myself like pulling out a handful of hair or pinching myself really hard because I was so mad at myself for being so fat and out of control.  You ‘re doing the right thing by going LC.  Some people use St. John’s Wort for depression, but I find that I don’t even need that.  Hang in there hon, we’re all here for you. — Serena 340/161/145

Thanks Serena. I would love to not need the stuff anymore. BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

OK, I agree w/ all of the above, Beth , hang in there. Effexor has done wonders for me, I’ve lost a bunch on it.  Don’t stop taking your meds w/o the docs help.–he/she can help  you do the switch.  And no Starvation Mode for you girlie!!  Eat your meat!! hinesranch 226/174/135

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Beth, when I started, I was being switched from Zoloft to Serzone to Celexa. Since sticking with LC for a few months, I didn’t need any of it.  I would get so down on myself I would try to punish myself like pulling out a handful of hair or pinching myself really hard because I was so mad at myself for being so fat and out of control.  You ‘re doing the right thing by going LC.  Some people use St. John’s Wort for depression, but I find that I don’t even need that.  Hang in there hon, we’re all here for you. — Serena 340/161/145 Thanks Serena. I would love to not need the stuff anymore. BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

OK, I agree w/ all of the above, Beth , hang in there. Effexor has done wonders for me, I’ve lost a bunch on it.  Don’t stop taking your meds w/o the docs help.–he/she can help  you do the switch.  And no Starvation Mode for you girlie!!  Eat your meat!! hinesranch 226/174/135

What is Effexor? Again I haven’t eaten much. I have been running aroungd all day and there is nothing made. I’m a bad girl. BethM — Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

diet Jell-o does have carbs. For one serving, it is something like .06. Earlier in this WOE (woe is me? lol) I thought if it said zero, it meant zero.  Not so.  Check everything on www.fitday.com  Jell-O just ain’t free. I stopped eating it because it has aspartame, it was hindering the loss of my sweet tooth, and I want sweet things to be very special events.  I mean, I want to save them for very special events. I think my list in the thread called "Starting a 3-day meat fast" has the list of things that sometimes cause problems for people on LC.  Sorry for not answering the cream cheese question before.  Feel free to email me. — Nichole–in Montana^^^ http://profiles.yahoo.com/ms_fausey http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASDLCMeetGreet Yahoo Messenger ID:  ms_fausey

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nichole, Excuse my ignorance but I saw you mention you gave up cream cheese. I had asked you why in a previous post , so that question is answered. I’m wondering why you dont eat Diet Jello if it has no carbs? Is it because it whets your appetite for sweets? I’m new at this. Is there a list of things that people in here have found to be counter productive though it is considered legal food? Thanks so much, Laureen

Response:

I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day)

Beth, it’s tough to stay on-WOE when the numbers don’t move, yet it’s good preparation for manitenance.  Nina’s advice is what worked for me even though I had trouble believing that 10x present weight would take weight off.  For me, it did.  I hope your metabolism catches up with your intentions or that your scales are broken. Hang in there, woman — it’s worth the fight! Cheers, Kay 232/144 (lowcarb since 98/12/26) maintenance since May 2000

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) Beth, it’s tough to stay on-WOE when the numbers don’t move, yet it’s good preparation for manitenance.  Nina’s advice is what worked for me even though I had trouble believing that 10x present weight would take weight off.  For me, it did.  I hope your metabolism catches up with your intentions or that your scales are broken. Hang in there, woman — it’s worth the fight! Cheers, Kay

Kay, Thanks for the help. I don’t mind this WOE at all. I don’t miss anything. BethM 232/144 (lowcarb since 98/12/26) maintenance since May 2000

– Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswerd prayers. (Garth Brooks) homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1        297/291.5/165

Response:

Oh, Beth… I’m sorry you are feeling bad about your lack of loss in the last few weeks. If you posted what you are eating, I missed it.  I usually don’t read those posts.  I cut out cream and cream cheese, artificial sweetener in packet form and am trying to eliminate all preservatives from my diet.  I also cut out diet Jell-O.  I know this way of eating works for improvement of so many areas of one’s physical being, including weight loss.  I think that Dianne Schwartzbien said that some people may not lose for an entire year on low carb because they have been so depleted by years of low cal/low fat dieting. I think you are wise to continue on Low Carb to reap the medical benefits. I do believe if you experiment a bit you may find yourself losing the weight you wish to shed.  Hang in there, babydoll!  Bliss is just down the road a piece. — Nichole–in Montana^^^ http://profiles.yahoo.com/ms_fausey http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASDLCMeetGreet Yahoo Messenger ID:  ms_fausey

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) I had to give up Chromium Picolinate because it made my BG rise. I did find that I must eat something ever 3-4 hours or my BG rises. My body thinks I am starving and makes my liver kick out more glycogen.  This all stems from years of starving my self. No Breakfasts. Ignoring hunger pangs. Being to lazy to get up and make something.  I actually have conditioned myself to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Sure I get lightheaded but …. Hmmm.. I can’t remember any benefits of it. I used to do it because I didn’t want to be seen eating in front of my friends in school and I wanted to sleep in a little longer in the morning. I am not sure how to correct it. I will try to eat more calories from protain and fat. I will try Nina’s suggestion for 10x weight and I won’t weigh myself for 3 weeks. We’ll see where I stand then. I am trying to wean myself off from my Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. The reason I take it is because of a natural tendency for despair. I get very negative about myself. With it I feel great. I just know it is said that these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives. I have to go back to my DR. in December for a 3 month Hba1c. I will also ask him to test my thyroid to make sure my Levoxl is working enough. My body temp. is always 97.8 and hasn’t changed since beginning the Thyroid meds. After Thanksgiving I am going to try a Yeast cleansing diet to see if that is a cause of no weight loss. BethM — homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1         297/291.5/165

Response:

Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. … these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives.

Beth: For me, Zoloft not only stalled weight loss, but put pounds back on — almost daily! I switched to St. John’s Wort (900 mg. per day) with much success.  None of the side effects of Zoloft with all of the antidepressant effects. BarbF

Response:

Hi Beth, Sorry to hear about all the trouble you’ve been having. I can’t actually see your initial post. I just got here and I think it’s too old for me to see. If you’d like, reply with what you eat on a daily basis and I’ll try to help out… — Sal C. Author of, "The One Low Carb Diet That Always Works" www.simplifiedweightloss.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Oh, Beth… I’m sorry you are feeling bad about your lack of loss in the last few weeks. If you posted what you are eating, I missed it.  I usually don’t read those posts.  I cut out cream and cream cheese, artificial sweetener in packet form and am trying to eliminate all preservatives from my diet.  I also cut out diet Jell-O.  I know this way of eating works for improvement of so many areas of one’s physical being, including weight loss.  I think that Dianne Schwartzbien said that some people may not lose for an entire year on low carb because they have been so depleted by years of low cal/low fat dieting. I think you are wise to continue on Low Carb to reap the medical benefits. I do believe if you experiment a bit you may find yourself losing the weight you wish to shed.  Hang in there, babydoll!  Bliss is just down the road a piece. — Nichole–in Montana^^^ http://profiles.yahoo.com/ms_fausey http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASDLCMeetGreet Yahoo Messenger ID:  ms_fausey I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) I had to give up Chromium Picolinate because it made my BG rise. I did find that I must eat something ever 3-4 hours or my BG rises. My body thinks I am starving and makes my liver kick out more glycogen.  This all stems from years of starving my self. No Breakfasts. Ignoring hunger pangs. Being to lazy to get up and make something.  I actually have conditioned myself to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Sure I get lightheaded but …. Hmmm.. I can’t remember any benefits of it. I used to do it because I didn’t want to be seen eating in front of my friends in school and I wanted to sleep in a little longer in the morning. I am not sure how to correct it. I will try to eat more calories from protain and fat. I will try Nina’s suggestion for 10x weight and I won’t weigh myself for 3 weeks. We’ll see where I stand then. I am trying to wean myself off from my Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. The reason I take it is because of a natural tendency for despair. I get very negative about myself. With it I feel great. I just know it is said that these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives. I have to go back to my DR. in December for a 3 month Hba1c. I will also ask him to test my thyroid to make sure my Levoxl is working enough. My body temp. is always 97.8 and hasn’t changed since beginning the Thyroid meds. After Thanksgiving I am going to try a Yeast cleansing diet to see if that is a cause of no weight loss. BethM — homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1         297/291.5/165

Response:

I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) This all stems from years of starving my self. No Breakfasts. Ignoring hunger pangs. Being to lazy to get up and make something.

Beth, I have the same problem but here’s the thing *INCREASE* your calories if you want to lose weight, I’m serious. I have the exact same problem as you and the *only* way that I actually lose weight is by eating at least 12x body weight (lbs) in calories and drinking tons of water. DO NOT LOWER YOUR CALORIES. It’s only bringing your body back to that "comfortable" state of starving which has not done anything but keep the pounds on all this time. Trust me, this is something I find myself struggling with daily.Don’t give up, just try to force yourself to eat more calories and see what happens. Good luck,if I can do it I know you can do it too Erika RollerGirl

Response:

{{{{{Beth}}}}} I’m sorry you feeling frustrated, but hang in there. — Polly (172/169/120) Start 11/01

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) I had to give up Chromium Picolinate because it made my BG rise. I did find that I must eat something ever 3-4 hours or my BG rises. My body thinks I am starving and makes my liver kick out more glycogen.  This all stems from years of starving my self. No Breakfasts. Ignoring hunger pangs. Being to lazy to get up and make something.  I actually have conditioned myself to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Sure I get lightheaded but …. Hmmm.. I can’t remember any benefits of it. I used to do it because I didn’t want to be seen eating in front of my friends in school and I wanted to sleep in a little longer in the morning. I am not sure how to correct it. I will try to eat more calories from protain and fat. I will try Nina’s suggestion for 10x weight and I won’t weigh myself for 3 weeks. We’ll see where I stand then. I am trying to wean myself off from my Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. The reason I take it is because of a natural tendency for despair. I get very negative about myself. With it I feel great. I just know it is said that these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives. I have to go back to my DR. in December for a 3 month Hba1c. I will also ask him to test my thyroid to make sure my Levoxl is working enough. My body temp. is always 97.8 and hasn’t changed since beginning the Thyroid meds. After Thanksgiving I am going to try a Yeast cleansing diet to see if that is a cause of no weight loss. BethM — homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1         297/291.5/165

Response:

Hey, Beth, don’t give up. I do think it’s a good idea to give yourself a little break for awhile though, emotionally. Not weighing for awhile is a great way to take a break. But don’t give up entirely. You may still be in an adjustment phase. I think you should listen to Nina about the 10-12x your weight in calories. Nina really knows her stuff! I’m not sure a natural alternative to Zoloft wouldn’t have the same side effects. But you wouldn’t be able to control the dose as well. Maybe your doctor has another suggestion about a different medication. You may have hit on something about getting hungry. Can you work on spreading out your food over even more meals than you already do? Maybe you have something to go on about the yeast, too. The yeast cleansing diet isn’t hard to do, after you get used to it, according to DH. You can do it any day of the year, even Thanksgiving. Try this page www.candidapage.com There’s a food list there that DH followed. He fixed himself up. CAD 2/94 LC 7/01 188/167/126

Response:

OH Beth, don’t give up…..((((((((hugs))))))))))  I know it can be discouraging at times.  I would listen to Nina about the calorie thing. Stay low carb, and drink water, stay off the scale.  Know that we are all here for you.  Hang in there !!! Sheila

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) I had to give up Chromium Picolinate because it made my BG rise. I did find that I must eat something ever 3-4 hours or my BG rises. My body thinks I am starving and makes my liver kick out more glycogen.  This all stems from years of starving my self. No Breakfasts. Ignoring hunger pangs. Being to lazy to get up and make something.  I actually have conditioned myself to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Sure I get lightheaded but …. Hmmm.. I can’t remember any benefits of it. I used to do it because I didn’t want to be seen eating in front of my friends in school and I wanted to sleep in a little longer in the morning. I am not sure how to correct it. I will try to eat more calories from protain and fat. I will try Nina’s suggestion for 10x weight and I won’t weigh myself for 3 weeks. We’ll see where I stand then. I am trying to wean myself off from my Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. The reason I take it is because of a natural tendency for despair. I get very negative about myself. With it I feel great. I just know it is said that these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives. I have to go back to my DR. in December for a 3 month Hba1c. I will also ask him to test my thyroid to make sure my Levoxl is working enough. My body temp. is always 97.8 and hasn’t changed since beginning the Thyroid meds. After Thanksgiving I am going to try a Yeast cleansing diet to see if that is a cause of no weight loss. BethM — homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1         297/291.5/165

Response:

I am sort of giving up on the idea of weightloss. I will stay on Atkins just because it’s effects on my BG.  I have not lost anything, inches or lbs. since my first 12 days. I woke up this morning and found I gained 4 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I don’t get my TOM so that can’t be it. ( I did lower my calories 1900- 2000/day) I had to give up Chromium Picolinate because it made my BG rise. I did find that I must eat something ever 3-4 hours or my BG rises. My body thinks I am starving and makes my liver kick out more glycogen.  This all stems from years of starving my self. No Breakfasts. Ignoring hunger pangs. Being to lazy to get up and make something.  I actually have conditioned myself to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Sure I get lightheaded but …. Hmmm.. I can’t remember any benefits of it. I used to do it because I didn’t want to be seen eating in front of my friends in school and I wanted to sleep in a little longer in the morning. I am not sure how to correct it. I will try to eat more calories from protain and fat. I will try Nina’s suggestion for 10x weight and I won’t weigh myself for 3 weeks. We’ll see where I stand then. I am trying to wean myself off from my Zoloft. I currently take 50 mg. The reason I take it is because of a natural tendency for despair. I get very negative about myself. With it I feel great. I just know it is said that these type of meds hinder weightloss. Can you suggest any natural alternatives. I have to go back to my DR. in December for a 3 month Hba1c. I will also ask him to test my thyroid to make sure my Levoxl is working enough. My body temp. is always 97.8 and hasn’t changed since beginning the Thyroid meds. After Thanksgiving I am going to try a Yeast cleansing diet to see if that is a cause of no weight loss. BethM — homepage.mac.com/bsmorr/Photo 1         297/291.5/165

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Question:

I was told I have mild case of Gerd earlier this year. I was getting allot of acid reflux. Since then I have been on Protonix and the reflux has stopped, BUT I get a lump feeling in my throat everyday, and sometimes just feel sick to my stomach? Does anyone have these same symptoms or know what they are ? Thanks

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I wish there were more people lurking around here…. I’m not sure, sorry!   try…..www.gerd-support.com/

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I get this same feeling and was told, by my GI MD, that it’s called a "globus sensation," and is caused by acid coming back up the esophagus.  At first, I thought I was going to choke on some food remnants, however, after the cause was explained to me, I now know it’s just part of the reflux problem.  Have you told your MD about this?  I would if I were you, because it’s possible that the Protonix is not working fully for you, and/or your dosage may need to be changed.  I’ve been on Tagamet, Prilosec, Protonix, and Aciphex, and nothing has really worked for me.  Yesterday I went for an EGD (esophagogstroduodenoscopy) and for the first time in one year, I no longer had the "lump in the throat" feeling.  I can only hope it lasts for a long time.  In one week I will know the results of the biopsies taken during the EGD. Hope this helps. Sharon

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I had the camera go down my throat, is that what you had. If so I wonder why you didnt have the lump sensation after having the procedure ?  I dont get the bad reflux like l use to so maybe just a little reflux cause the lump sensation…. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I get this same feeling and was told, by my GI MD, that it’s called a "globus sensation," and is caused by acid coming back up the esophagus.  At first, I thought I was going to choke on some food remnants, however, after the cause was explained to me, I now know it’s just part of the reflux problem.  Have you told your MD about this?  I would if I were you, because it’s possible that the Protonix is not working fully for you, and/or your dosage may need to be changed.  I’ve been on Tagamet, Prilosec, Protonix, and Aciphex, and nothing has really worked for me.  Yesterday I went for an EGD (esophagogstroduodenoscopy) and for the first time in one year, I no longer had the "lump in the throat" feeling.  I can only hope it lasts for a long time.  In one week I will know the results of the biopsies taken during the EGD. Hope this helps. Sharon

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Yes, it was the tube and camera.  Actually, I was told by my ENT a while back, during an endoscopic exam, that my esophagus was extremely narrow. Since I had the EGD yesterday, I have noticed that it is easier for me to swallow my daily pills/vitamins, and I attribute that to the procedure. However, my reflux is only a trifle better.  After the procedure, I barely had a sore throat yesterday afternoon and evening, and today I’m right as rain.  I think that during the procedure the doctor must have opened up my esophagus some, and maybe fixed a few other things, because the severe burning/acid reflux did not bother me from dawn to dusk today.  For cripe sakes, I even got reflux from plain Quaker Oats oatmeal!!  Yesterday the GI MD told me to add more fiber to my diet, which may help any digestive problems I may have.  As I stated in my previous email, I won’t know the results of the EGD for one week.  I have to take this one day at a time.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I had the camera go down my throat, is that what you had. If so I wonder why you didnt have the lump sensation after having the procedure ?  I dont get the bad reflux like l use to so maybe just a little reflux cause the lump sensation….

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Yes, I have the same symptoms, but my primary doc can’t explain the "lump" in my throat (actually, quite painful with trouble swallowing) that I’m having.  He treated me for GERD for several months, helped the heartburn but not the throat problem, so I’m off to a GI doc next week. Has your doc tried treating you for anxiety?  Mine did (with Xanax and Zoloft), and while it didn’t help me, it’s a common anxiety problem and perhaps a few weeks of trial meds could prove/disprove it for you? HTH, Chip

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was told I have mild case of Gerd earlier this year. I was getting allot of acid reflux. Since then I have been on Protonix and the reflux has stopped, BUT I get a lump feeling in my throat everyday, and sometimes just feel sick to my stomach? Does anyone have these same symptoms or know what they are ? Thanks

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Nancy wrote….. I went for my physical today.  I sure am glad to get it over with.  He wants me to have cholestrol test done not for anything other than high c runs in the family.  He’s also booking me for a brain scan because my mother has anuerisms and they can sometimes run in the family.  My blood pressure was good and my heart rate was good.  This suprised me because it was thumping like a wild think while I was in the waiting room! He doubled up my dose of Zoloft to 50mg and gave me some more ativan.  Thank God for ativan it seems to be the only thing that is keeping me sane these days. Oh also I am off work for at least another month.  *Phew*  I was worried about that because I am just not ready to go back there yet. I had a nice surprise visit from my brother tonight (who has only been to my place twice before in the past 8 years).  It was a really pleasant visit.  I really like him but we have never had a close relationship. I told the doctor that I had a good day on Sunday but then relapsed on Monday and ever since.  He saw that as a good sign.  At least I had one good day.  I really like him, he is our new family doctor and I only started seeing him when I got this bought of PA he seems pretty thorough.

Dear Nancy, I`m glad to hear that your doctor visit went well. I agree with your doctor that your good day even though it was followed by a setback, is a good thing. You can`t have a setback unless you had made some progress to begin with. The 50 mg increase in your Zoloft dose is a big increase at one time for a person with an anxiety disorder. Just wanted to point that out in case your anxiety or side-effects increase a bit during the next few days. Make sure to use your Ativan during this period. Take care Jackie ~*~The world breaks us all. Afterward, some are stronger at the broken places.

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Hi Nancy! I’m happy that things went well at the doctor’s office.  It’s better to get these tests out of the way and be able to relax afterwards.  It’s great you had such a nice visit with your brother.  I hope you have many more of them. I’m with you about Ativan. Hugs, Di

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, I went for my physical today.  I sure am glad to get it over with.  He wants me to have cholestrol test done not for anything other than high c runs in the family.  He’s also booking me for a brain scan because my mother has anuerisms and they can sometimes run in the family.  My blood pressure was good and my heart rate was good.  This suprised me because it was thumping like a wild think while I was in the waiting room! He doubled up my dose of Zoloft to 50mg and gave me some more ativan. Thank God for ativan it seems to be the only thing that is keeping me sane these days. Oh also I am off work for at least another month.  *Phew*  I was worried about that because I am just not ready to go back there yet. I had a nice surprise visit from my brother tonight (who has only been to my place twice before in the past 8 years).  It was a really pleasant visit. I really like him but we have never had a close relationship. I told the doctor that I had a good day on Sunday but then relapsed on Monday and ever since.  He saw that as a good sign.  At least I had one good day.  I really like him, he is our new family doctor and I only started seeing him when I got this bought of PA he seems pretty thorough. Sorry for the length, Nancy Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

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This is good that you are having all of these tests and that so far, they are showing that you are doing well.  This will take a big load off your mind once all the tests come back negative.  Having the next month off will give you a chance to get used to the Zoloft at a higher dose and let everything settle. Take care, Liz – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, I went for my physical today.  I sure am glad to get it over with.  He wants me to have cholestrol test done not for anything other than high c runs in the family.  He’s also booking me for a brain scan because my mother has anuerisms and they can sometimes run in the family.  My blood pressure was good and my heart rate was good.  This suprised me because it was thumping like a wild think while I was in the waiting room! He doubled up my dose of Zoloft to 50mg and gave me some more ativan.   Thank God for ativan it seems to be the only thing that is keeping me sane these days. Oh also I am off work for at least another month.  *Phew*  I was worried about that because I am just not ready to go back there yet. I had a nice surprise visit from my brother tonight (who has only been to my place twice before in the past 8 years).  It was a really pleasant visit.  I really like him but we have never had a close relationship. I told the doctor that I had a good day on Sunday but then relapsed on Monday and ever since.  He saw that as a good sign.  At least I had one good day.  I really like him, he is our new family doctor and I only started seeing him when I got this bought of PA he seems pretty thorough. Sorry for the length, Nancy Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

– Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.                            –Henry Kaiser

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Hi All, I went for my physical today.  I sure am glad to get it over with.  He wants me to have cholestrol test done not for anything other than high c runs in the family.  He’s also booking me for a brain scan because my mother has anuerisms and they can sometimes run in the family.  My blood pressure was good and my heart rate was good.  This suprised me because it was thumping like a wild think while I was in the waiting room! He doubled up my dose of Zoloft to 50mg and gave me some more ativan.  Thank God for ativan it seems to be the only thing that is keeping me sane these days. Oh also I am off work for at least another month.  *Phew*  I was worried about that because I am just not ready to go back there yet. I had a nice surprise visit from my brother tonight (who has only been to my place twice before in the past 8 years).  It was a really pleasant visit.  I really like him but we have never had a close relationship. I told the doctor that I had a good day on Sunday but then relapsed on Monday and ever since.  He saw that as a good sign.  At least I had one good day.  I really like him, he is our new family doctor and I only started seeing him when I got this bought of PA he seems pretty thorough. Sorry for the length, Nancy Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

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Question:

I’ve been off of Zoloft for about 6-months….it helped a little bit….I guess?; I’m starting to feel that depression-thing( I never realized I had, until I’d been on Anti-Depressants! ( Zoloft) I had to stop, cause I just couldn’t stand the Anxiety…..while it seemed to give me a more up-beat Just looking for feed-back?  I haven’t started, as my mail-order has not come in yet!!!   "but I have good expections!!!!"  Everybody around here seems to think; if one drug doesn’t work…then try a different one. thanks for listening!!!      Wild & Crazy

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I’ve been off of Zoloft for about 6-months….it helped a little bit….I guess?; I’m starting to feel that depression-thing( I never realized I had, until I’d been on Anti-Depressants! ( Zoloft) I had to stop, cause I just couldn’t stand the Anxiety…..while it seemed to give me a more up-beat Just looking for feed-back?  I haven’t started, as my mail-order has not come in yet!!!   "but I have good expections!!!!"  Everybody around here seems to think; if one drug doesn’t work…then try a different one. thanks for listening!!!      Wild & Crazy

Hi Wild & Crazy, It is true, if one med doesn`t work, move on to another one. Paxil has been a good med for me and *hopefully* you will have good results too. It is important to start Paxil at a low dose, 5 mgs is a good starting dose. You would stay at this dose for one week. Do all your increases in 5mg increments and stay at each increase for one week. Weaning like this will hopefully keep any side-effects that you have to a minimum. Having a benzo such a Xanax or Klonopin would help you deal with any increased anxiety you might experience. Give Paxil 6 to 8 weeks to kick in. Good luck!!! Jackie Hope is a strange invention– A Patent of the Heart– In unremitting action Yet never wearing out.

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Wild and Crazy I guess what you have to decide is what is worse, the side-effects, or the illness

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To Wild&Crazy,I have been on Prozac,Adivan,Buspar,Celexa,Zoloft,Xanax,and now Paxil.As you can see I’ve been through some meds.But I’m replying to you to let you know that Paxil(I take 10 mg. a day)is what has stopped my panic attacks.Zoloft seemed to make me have more attacks.Paxil is for PD more so than it is for depression.I don’t notice any side effects either. I have been on it for about 4 months. Good Luck. I know what you are going through. For 10 years I’ve been a sufferer. * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping.  Smart is Beautiful

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I need some input on Paxil. I’ve done the Zoloft thing…and it really made me nervous; and I gave it more than enough time, 6 or 7 months. What about Paxil? I’m considering trying Paxil…… Just looking for helpful input!                  Thanks,  Wild & Crazy

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I need some input on Paxil. I’ve done the Zoloft thing…and it really made me nervous; and I gave it more than enough time, 6 or 7 months. What about Paxil? I’m considering trying Paxil…… Just looking for helpful input!                  Thanks,  Wild & Crazy

There is nothing sensible to say about this as our reactions to meds are totally individual. As a rule though if a med from a certain group (in this case the SSRI’s) doesn’t work for you it’s often a good idea to try another med from the same group first. I would try Paxil if I were you but if it doesn’t work well after eight weeks or so I would advise trying another group of meds (TCA’s, benzos) Philip

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mr. zoloft worked on some of my obsessional thinking, then it killed my penis! no erection or orgasm for a month. i thought my doc poisoned me. got a new doc, put me on paxil. i have nothing but praise for mr. paxil at this point, but have only been on it for about a month. almost panic attack free. mr. zoloft is fucking poison for me. see another doctor if yours is giving you the nad killer. if mr. paxil doesn’t work for you, then try mr. effexor. if that doesn’t work then go back to steady, heavy drinking. lot’s of side effects in the morning, but no panic attacks and you don’t need a script. all kidding aside, paxil is the one! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I need some input on Paxil. I’ve done the Zoloft thing…and it really made me nervous; and I gave it more than enough time, 6 or 7 months. What about Paxil? I’m considering trying Paxil…… Just looking for helpful input!                  Thanks,  Wild & Crazy

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Question:

I have never experienced any sedation or gotten any "buzz" from Xanax, in fact it actually energizes me without making me "speedy", if that makes sense.

It does make sense, and that happens for me at low doses as well. How much have you taken at a time? I am totally screwed up with sleep and energy due to the fact that I work full time night shift and then watch my highly hyperactive toddler all day until 4 or 5 when my eldest daughter comes home to help. So I am always tired and yet cannot fall asleep..frustrating!

You have my sympathies! I often have trouble falling asleep due to pain, and I have problems with waking up in the middle of the night. I’m convinced this has had a deleterious effect on my mental functioning. :-/ -elizabeth

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I have never experienced any sedation or gotten any "buzz" from Xanax, in fact it actually energizes me without making me "speedy", if that makes sense. It does make sense, and that happens for me at low doses as well. How much have you taken at a time?

  In the middle of an extreme panic attack I have once or twice taken 3 mgs at a time..and have taken 2 mgs at once for slightly less severe but still awful ones..Now though I never take more than 1mg at a time, I dont need to with the other meds, in fact dont take any sometimes cause I just plain old forget. May -elizabeth

– "Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!"      -                Nietzsche

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Hi Diana,     If you have never seen a p-doc yet, who prescribed the meds? 25mg is a good starting dose for zoloft, this should keep the side affects bearable. Zoloft taken daily and xanax whenever needed has worked very well for me, but then again YMMV.  The p-doc you are going to see  should be very caring and understanding towards your feelings. One that could try to understand what it is like to feel the way we do. I know mine does. I wish you the best of luck and hope the zoloft works for you. Please keep us posted. steve

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Hello everyone haven’t posted lately but i am back, I finally made a appt with a psych doc today, my appointment if for next tuesday this is the first time for me, alittle nervous, can anyone give me any suggestions on what to look for with her to make sure she is the right one for me?  been having PA for 9 years now and finally being medicated for it .05mg of xanax and 25mg of zoloft is that a good combo? Thanks, Diana

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The med combo is pretty standard, however that Zoloft dose is probably too low for any therapeutic benefit…although with all of the SSRI’s you must increase the dose gradually…and you can anticipate some increase in symptoms while you are going on any meds.  SSRI’s are more popular these days than TCA’s  because they effect fewer systems (less side effects) and are more site specific.  Xanax is a standard med to be used as needed., usually in combo with another med… however, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about a rebound effect … something I experience always, so I stopped.  In terms of your shrink… a good dr. should educate you about the disorder in addition to writing scripts for meds. Find out what percentage of her practice is anxiety patients.  Also, check out the Anxiety Disorder Assoc. web site for more ideas on getting a good shrink: www.adaa.org  GOOD LUCK!!  Keep us posted on the outcome.

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Steve, thanks for responding my family doc got me started on the meds and referred me to the psych doc.

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Hello everyone haven’t posted lately but i am back, I finally made a appt with a psych doc today, my appointment if for next tuesday this is the first time for me, alittle nervous, can anyone give me any suggestions on what to look for with her to make sure she is the right one for me?  been having PA for 9 years now and finally being medicated for it .05mg of xanax and 25mg of zoloft is that a good combo?

Zoloft (SSRI-antidepresant) and Xanax (benzo) make a good combo although our reactions to meds are very personal. One of the things to find out is whether your pdoc is a *benzophobe* (one who doesn’t prescribe benzos because of the alleged *addcition* problem). If she is, she’s not the right one for you. Also you should feel at ease with her. You should be listened to and treated like a responsible adult. You should be able to work on treatment together rather than the doc just telling you what to do. She should explain what she prescribes and proposes and why and then you should *agree* on what’s the right course to take. Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks, Diana

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Hi Diana, The only words of advice I can give are not medicine -related. Don’t go into your appointment believing that your doctor can wave a magic wand, say all the right things and heal you. Yes, you can be healed but you will have to work hard. Also, do a lot of reading and decide what sort of therapy will work for you. (If I have to talk about my childhood one more time, I will scream!) Also, if you don’t feel comfortable with your doctor, say so Finally, if you trust your doctor, follow his/her advice. I know how big a step it is to go to a pdoc….good for you! You’re one step closer to feeling better.  Good luck. Let us know how it goes. Charley – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello everyone haven’t posted lately but i am back, I finally made a appt with a psych doc today, my appointment if for next tuesday this is the first time for me, alittle nervous, can anyone give me any suggestions on what to look for with her to make sure she is the right one for me?  been having PA for 9 years now and finally being medicated for it .05mg of xanax and 25mg of zoloft is that a good combo? Thanks, Diana

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Hey Diana!!  I’m on Zoloft, 100 mgs., and Xanax .25 mgs. as needed.  Be careful with the Zoloft…I didn’t have many side effects but it definitely increased my panic attacks in the beginning.  Hang in there…Zoloft has worked great for me.  I still have a few "muted" PAs but I can handle them much better now.  And the fact that I can drive to and from work and even make it to stores (close to home) by myself is amazing!!  I’m going up to 125 mgs. of Zoloft starting tomorrow on the advice of my pdoc…good luck and keep us all posted. Melissa

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Hi, I take only zoloft 50 mgs. And it works well for me. Except around pms time when anxiety is high anyway. I feel some symtoms but they are very mild. It took 4 weeks to see the difference so give it awhile to work, the longer the better I feel.

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One of the things to find out is whether your pdoc is a *benzophobe* (one who doesn’t prescribe benzos because of the alleged *addcition* problem). If she is, she’s not the right one for you.

I second this…even if I didn’t take benzos, I’d avoid benzophobic doctors just on principle! As everybody has said, Zoloft and Xanax is a good combination for panic disorder. 25mg is a starting dose of Zoloft, not a therapeutic dose; around 50mg, many people start to get some benefit, 100 is often enough, 200 is the high end (though you *can* go higher, this is the "official" recommended maximum). Doses of benzos are pretty individualized – are you taking it "as needed," or on some schedule? When I was using it for panic attacks, I needed 2mg to stop them (I didn’t take it all the time, just when I felt an attack coming on), but that’s just me. I actually don’t know how much other people use for this purpose – anyone? -elizabeth

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Xanax is a standard med to be used as needed., usually in combo with another med… however, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about a rebound effect … something I experience always, so I stopped.

I’ve got a question about this: how many times a day were you taking it? I think that Xanax does not last equally long for everyone, so some people can get by taking twice a day but others need it four times a day. -elizabeth

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Xanax is a standard med to be used as needed., usually in combo with another med… however, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about a rebound effect … something I experience always, so I stopped. I’ve got a question about this: how many times a day were you taking it? I think that Xanax does not last equally long for everyone, so some people can get by taking twice a day but others need it four times a day. -elizabeth

 Personally I had trouble taking it PRN because my pas were often OOB (as in while sleeping or nothing at all) although after enough of them I developed pretty much a state of constant anticipatory anxiety ..I could literally think myself into a panic attack trying to figure out how to avoid them..enter agoraphobia..Anyhow when I finally got Xanax I found if I had a PA it would generally take me 1.5-2 mgs to stop it..and I had little success with twice a day dosage,so I decided to stop the PRN route, as that is almost sure to leave anyone like myself with lots of hours of anxiety, as Xanax lasts 4 to 5 hrs at most for me. I now take it regularly .05 mg to 1 mg every four hours while awake, and if I rememeber..I do skip doses lots of times without even noticing it since my other two meds are helping a good deal too I think. But I can’t imagine twice a day being a very good xanax dosing..I would think 3 times at least given its short action. I have had almost no…nada..zero PAs for 6 weeks or more *knock on wood*, and my anxiety level is low enough to live with..I am sorry I was talked out of Xanax for so long because its tailor made for me and allows me to live, like a ..well not normal..but like a person anyhow ;- May — "Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!"      -                Nietzsche

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Personally I had trouble taking it PRN because my pas were often OOB (as in while sleeping or nothing at all) although after enough of them I developed pretty much a state of constant anticipatory anxiety

I pretty much *exclusively* had OOTB panic attacks; I can only think of one instance in which there’s been an apparent trigger (it was a couple months ago – anxiety about school, actually). However, I experience an aura that predicts panic pretty consistently. I’ve never had one in my sleep, but then again, I don’t sleep much. :-} Anyhow when I finally got Xanax I found if I had a PA it would generally take me 1.5-2 mgs to stop it..and I had little success with twice a day dosage,so I decided to stop the PRN route, as that is almost sure to leave anyone like myself with lots of hours of anxiety, as Xanax lasts 4 to 5 hrs at most for me.

Yowsers. It lasts a lot longer than that for me: if I take a large enough dose to be sedating, I can actually get a full night’s sleep (7-8 hours). Most people do need to take it at least 3 times a day, though. I now take it regularly .05 mg to 1 mg every four hours while awake, and if I rememeber..I do skip doses lots of times without even noticing it since my other two meds are helping a good deal too I think.

Every 4 hours? Wow. Do you wake up in the morning feeling cruddy? When I tried taking Buprenex by itself (without a regular antidepressant), I found that I would get nasty rebound depression if I missed a dose. I think that sort of thing (short-acting) is better if you have an antidepressant (or two to smooth things out. (Now I’m just using the Buprenex as a p.r.n.) -elizabeth

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Personally I had trouble taking it PRN because my pas were often OOB (as in while sleeping or nothing at all) although after enough of them I developed pretty much a state of constant anticipatory anxiety I pretty much *exclusively* had OOTB panic attacks; I can only think of one instance in which there’s been an apparent trigger (it was a couple months ago – anxiety about school, actually). However, I experience an aura that predicts panic pretty consistently. I’ve never had one in my sleep, but then again, I don’t sleep much. :-} Anyhow when I finally got Xanax I found if I had a PA it would generally take me 1.5-2 mgs to stop it..and I had little success with twice a day dosage,so I decided to stop the PRN route, as that is almost sure to leave anyone like myself with lots of hours of anxiety, as Xanax lasts 4 to 5 hrs at most for me. Yowsers. It lasts a lot longer than that for me: if I take a large enough dose to be sedating, I can actually get a full night’s sleep (7-8 hours).

 I have never experienced any sedation or gotten any "buzz" from Xanax, in fact it actually energizes me without making me "speedy", if that makes sense. I had awful drowsiness on Klonopin that never went any and I was not even on a full therapeutic dosage any of the three times I took it. I still do not sleep well and have Ambien that I take on occasion and find somewhat helpful, but If I take it more than two days in a row it seems to lose its effectiveness for me. I am totally screwed up with sleep and energy due to the fact that I work full time night shift and then watch my highly hyperactive toddler all day until 4 or 5 when my eldest daughter comes home to help. So I am always tired and yet cannot fall asleep..frustrating!  Most people do need to take it at least 3 times a day, though. I now take it regularly .05 mg to 1 mg every four hours while awake, and if I rememeber..I do skip doses lots of times without even noticing it since my other two meds are helping a good deal too I think. Every 4 hours? Wow. Do you wake up in the morning feeling cruddy?

I wake up feeling better than I ever have in my life; I no longer sleep through the alarm or take an hour to drag my butt out of it. As I said though (I think) I am also on Pamelor 50mgs and 20mgs of Prozac and I no longer necessarily take xanax every four hours..On days off at home I have forgotten to take any at all even, and then there are days where I know I am going to be better off to take it every 4 hours  before I *need* it after six…I have never had any aura at all for my OOB attacks and over the years I have accumulated a ton of triggers that I am now working on overcoming..the big one so far was not only to ride comfortably in a car but to drive myself..Now that the Pamelor/Prozac is kicking in, I am taking the xanax pretty much prn..I dont generally take more than 2 mgs total on any day now, and as I say I have never felt more competent or alive in my life =) When I tried taking Buprenex by itself (without a regular antidepressant), I found that I would get nasty rebound depression if I missed a dose. I think that sort of thing (short-acting) is better if you have an antidepressant (or two to smooth things out. (Now I’m just using the Buprenex as a p.r.n.) -elizabeth

May — "Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!"      -                Nietzsche

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ok, i’m back on zoloft and waiting for the effects to kick in. the last time around, i think it actually precipitated something close to a panic attack. i’m not so sure i’m looking forward to the other side of the pendulum either. anyone else get this? Dawn. International student Second year Media Studies RMIT University, Australia (Melbourne) "Maybe I -will- become a writer, and maybe I won’t. I don’t know. I haven’t read the last page yet."      - Julia Salinger, Party of Five

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Dawn,    Several SSRIs cause a feeling of panic, jumpiness, and impending doom until they "kick" in. Paxil nearly wiped me out when I went on it. Luckily (?) I was in the hospital when I was put on Zoloft a few years ago. Anyhow, after about 3 weeks of feeling like shit, the drug kicked in and I did feel a bit better. My Best,  ~Robbi~  "oo" http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7160 for all of your bipolar needs. Serving bipolars since 1996!              The sex organ is a terrible thing to waste! P.S. The last remark on my sig line is dedicated to the sexual dysfunction that occurs in 25% of people taking antidepressants. The 25% figure is based on medical information which is suspect.

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What are the side effects of Zoloft?  Guess I should be prepared for them Kimber

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