Question:

Jeff, Sorry to respond so late.  Of course I remember.  I have also been following your ordel.  I’m sorry to hear it, my friend.  You do know, of course, that plaquenil is ototoxic.  I hope that it isn’t bothering your ears too much. Good to hear from you again. Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the X’s from my email address: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi mike.  u remember me from a few years ago?  sorry to hear you are not doing very well.  can i offer immunomodulators maybe?  that seems to work for me.  on mtx and plaquenil.  am holding own. jeffy It’s been a long time….  You folks probably don’t remember me, but I’m back. Been in denail the past few months, but it is definately back–my colitis/proctitis.whatever it is.  They’ve never really figured it out actually.  For awhile, I’d have days of no symptoms, then a day of blood, and nothing again for days.  Right now, it’s become constant.  So, I’m back. Tried all the alternative stuff like fish oil, flaxseed, borage, evening primrose, etc.  The only one that seemed to do anything was bromelain, and it made my heart race, so can’t keep taking it.  Trying to avoid any real meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! I’m allergic to 5ASA and I hate the cortisone suppositories–make me get all fungusy down there.  DAMN!!!  Wish there was some other alternative. I don’t have diarrhea, and go only once a day (sometimes twice), just blood and mucus (sometimes just blood)—otherwise the stools are generally normal. I need to find a doc.  My current doc says, "You’re bleeding, so what?" Obviously, I’m a mild case.  Go only once a day, big deal.  It still hurts, and sucks! Don’t know what more to say.  Hope you kept a space open for me in the club. Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the X’s from my email address:

Response:

What’s molo-cure?

Mike,     Here is the link for Molocure: http://www.molocure.com for more info.   Like I said, I don’t know if it works, but thats all my daughter is on right now along with other multivitamins.  Now, I’m not endorsing MoloCure nor am I suggesting its working.  All I’m saying is that MoloCure is a product we chose to add to my daughters diet as a natural suppliment under the supervision of her GI.  I’m a skeptic and I attribute her well being to the Prednisone regimine she was just on and the removal of Asacol from her list of meds. We are still considering 6mp, but for now MoloCure is all we are using and she’s symptom free.     We are going back to the GI next Friday. Joe

Response:

hi mike.  u remember me from a few years ago?  sorry to hear you are not doing very well.  can i offer immunomodulators maybe?  that seems to work for me.  on mtx and plaquenil.  am holding own. jeffy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It’s been a long time….  You folks probably don’t remember me, but I’m back. Been in denail the past few months, but it is definately back–my colitis/proctitis.whatever it is.  They’ve never really figured it out actually.  For awhile, I’d have days of no symptoms, then a day of blood, and nothing again for days.  Right now, it’s become constant.  So, I’m back. Tried all the alternative stuff like fish oil, flaxseed, borage, evening primrose, etc.  The only one that seemed to do anything was bromelain, and it made my heart race, so can’t keep taking it.  Trying to avoid any real meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! I’m allergic to 5ASA and I hate the cortisone suppositories–make me get all fungusy down there.  DAMN!!!  Wish there was some other alternative. I don’t have diarrhea, and go only once a day (sometimes twice), just blood and mucus (sometimes just blood)—otherwise the stools are generally normal. I need to find a doc.  My current doc says, "You’re bleeding, so what?" Obviously, I’m a mild case.  Go only once a day, big deal.  It still hurts, and sucks! Don’t know what more to say.  Hope you kept a space open for me in the club. Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the X’s from my email address:

Response:

Hi Jennifer, Regarding prednisone in asthma, I have quite a bit of experience with asthma medications, and it sounds like your asthma is not controlled at times?  I was wondering if you have tried Advair? It contains Flovent and Serevent. Barry

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know this doesn’t pertain to the thread however Joe mentioned Prednisone. Is this a common treatment?  I use prednisone when my asthma flares up and when I’m on that med I can eat all day, to be expected, and have no problems with stools. Jennifer   meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for   IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! Mike,     Since my daughter is asacol-intolerant, I’ve added Molo-Cure to her diet with permission of her GI.  She just came off her Prednisone regime due to what we thought was a flare up, but now think it was the Asacol.   So far she is fine.  I can’t attribute her well being to the Molo-cure since she got better just by stopping the Asacol. Right now she is not taking anything, but we are considering 6mp. Our decision is to wait and see for a while…. Joe

Response:

THANKS to all of you who report problems with the asacol, and the docs refusing to acknowledge it… I flat out refused to take it after problems I was having.  Doc thought I was nuts, but I stuck to my guns. I’m taking Colazal now, which is expensive as hell, but is supposed to be similar to asacol.  No problems, but if it’s keeping the CD in check I have no idea. Robin

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Asacol is evil.  I think so many people have been hurt by it, and yet no doc will ever believe it.  What’s molo-cure? Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the (SPAM_BLOCKER) from my email address:   meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for   IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! Mike,     Since my daughter is asacol-intolerant, I’ve added Molo-Cure to her diet with permission of her GI.  She just came off her Prednisone regime due to what we thought was a flare up, but now think it was the Asacol.   So far she is fine.  I can’t attribute her well being to the Molo-cure since she got better just by stopping the Asacol. Right now she is not taking anything, but we are considering 6mp. Our decision is to wait and see for a while…. Joe

Response:

Hi Mike, You mentioned that you have tried everything, so I was wondering if you tried the Specific Carbohydrate Diet recommended by Elaine G. Gottschall ? It worked for my wife, and my sister, who was quite severe. Here is a link to some information about her books. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096927680X/qid%3D1057963139/sr… My sister went on the strict version of the diet, and within 2 weeks was back to normal. At the very least you should consider reading the book "Breaking the Viscious Cycle". It is based on solid scientific principles, and it has worked for many people. Barry – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It’s been a long time….  You folks probably don’t remember me, but I’m back. Been in denail the past few months, but it is definately back–my colitis/proctitis.whatever it is.  They’ve never really figured it out actually.  For awhile, I’d have days of no symptoms, then a day of blood, and nothing again for days.  Right now, it’s become constant.  So, I’m back. Tried all the alternative stuff like fish oil, flaxseed, borage, evening primrose, etc.  The only one that seemed to do anything was bromelain, and it made my heart race, so can’t keep taking it.  Trying to avoid any real meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! I’m allergic to 5ASA and I hate the cortisone suppositories–make me get all fungusy down there.  DAMN!!!  Wish there was some other alternative. I don’t have diarrhea, and go only once a day (sometimes twice), just blood and mucus (sometimes just blood)—otherwise the stools are generally normal. I need to find a doc.  My current doc says, "You’re bleeding, so what?" Obviously, I’m a mild case.  Go only once a day, big deal.  It still hurts, and sucks! Don’t know what more to say.  Hope you kept a space open for me in the club. Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the X’s from my email address:

Response:

  meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for   IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy!   Mike,     Since my daughter is asacol-intolerant, I’ve added Molo-Cure to her diet with permission of her GI.  She just came off her Prednisone regime due to what we thought was a flare up, but now think it was the Asacol.   So far she is fine.  I can’t attribute her well being to the Molo-cure since she got better just by stopping the Asacol. Right now she is not taking anything, but we are considering 6mp. Our decision is to wait and see for a while…. Joe

Response:

Asacol is evil.  I think so many people have been hurt by it, and yet no doc will ever believe it.  What’s molo-cure? Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the (SPAM_BLOCKER) from my email address:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for   IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! Mike,     Since my daughter is asacol-intolerant, I’ve added Molo-Cure to her diet with permission of her GI.  She just came off her Prednisone regime due to what we thought was a flare up, but now think it was the Asacol.   So far she is fine.  I can’t attribute her well being to the Molo-cure since she got better just by stopping the Asacol. Right now she is not taking anything, but we are considering 6mp. Our decision is to wait and see for a while…. Joe

Response:

I know this doesn’t pertain to the thread however Joe mentioned Prednisone. Is this a common treatment?  I use prednisone when my asthma flares up and when I’m on that med I can eat all day, to be expected, and have no problems with stools. Jennifer

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for   IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! Mike,     Since my daughter is asacol-intolerant, I’ve added Molo-Cure to her diet with permission of her GI.  She just came off her Prednisone regime due to what we thought was a flare up, but now think it was the Asacol.   So far she is fine.  I can’t attribute her well being to the Molo-cure since she got better just by stopping the Asacol. Right now she is not taking anything, but we are considering 6mp. Our decision is to wait and see for a while…. Joe

Response:

Mike, Maybe you should try a new doctor if your doctor doesn’t seem to think there is a problem… Seems to me if you are having blood in your stools… That’s not good! Hope you feel better soon! Marlena – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It’s been a long time….  You folks probably don’t remember me, but I’m back. Been in denail the past few months, but it is definately back–my colitis/proctitis.whatever it is.  They’ve never really figured it out actually.  For awhile, I’d have days of no symptoms, then a day of blood, and nothing again for days.  Right now, it’s become constant.  So, I’m back. Tried all the alternative stuff like fish oil, flaxseed, borage, evening primrose, etc.  The only one that seemed to do anything was bromelain, and it made my heart race, so can’t keep taking it.  Trying to avoid any real meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! I’m allergic to 5ASA and I hate the cortisone suppositories–make me get all fungusy down there.  DAMN!!!  Wish there was some other alternative. I don’t have diarrhea, and go only once a day (sometimes twice), just blood and mucus (sometimes just blood)—otherwise the stools are generally normal. I need to find a doc.  My current doc says, "You’re bleeding, so what?" Obviously, I’m a mild case.  Go only once a day, big deal.  It still hurts, and sucks! Don’t know what more to say.  Hope you kept a space open for me in the club. Thanks, Mike

Response:

It’s been a long time….  You folks probably don’t remember me, but I’m back. Been in denail the past few months, but it is definately back–my colitis/proctitis.whatever it is.  They’ve never really figured it out actually.  For awhile, I’d have days of no symptoms, then a day of blood, and nothing again for days.  Right now, it’s become constant.  So, I’m back. Tried all the alternative stuff like fish oil, flaxseed, borage, evening primrose, etc.  The only one that seemed to do anything was bromelain, and it made my heart race, so can’t keep taking it.  Trying to avoid any real meds, but I think I’m screwed.  Are there supplemetns that are *BAD* for IBD?  Even ginger makes me bleed more!  Crazy! I’m allergic to 5ASA and I hate the cortisone suppositories–make me get all fungusy down there.  DAMN!!!  Wish there was some other alternative. I don’t have diarrhea, and go only once a day (sometimes twice), just blood and mucus (sometimes just blood)—otherwise the stools are generally normal. I need to find a doc.  My current doc says, "You’re bleeding, so what?" Obviously, I’m a mild case.  Go only once a day, big deal.  It still hurts, and sucks! Don’t know what more to say.  Hope you kept a space open for me in the club. Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the X’s from my email address:

Response:

Question:

About a week after taking Singular it feels as though I have a lump in my throat.  I’m not sure if this is a side effect so if anybody else has experienced this I’d like to know.  Would it help for my to switch to Accolate. Thanks for any info.

Hopefully it isn’t an abcess like the one that just about killed me.  No reason for it to be an abcess — mine may have been caused by frostbite — but if should you start having severe choking episodes then get to an ER and have it checked out.

Response:

About a week after taking Singular it feels as though I have a lump in my throat.  I’m not sure if this is a side effect so if anybody else has experienced this I’d like to know.  Would it help for my to switch to Accolate. Thanks for any info.

I just started on Sigulair this past week and after 16 months on Accolate I find it MUCH more effective. No lingering tightness, no consistent light wheezing, its wonderful..almost like Theo again.  What are some of the other side effects..(Dr gave me 2 week sample to try) Bill

Response:

About a week after taking Singular it feels as though I have a lump in my throat.  I’m not sure if this is a side effect so if anybody else has experienced this I’d like to know.  Would it help for my to switch to Accolate. Thanks for any info. I have a lump in my throat also.   I thought it was from increasing the

Flovent from 8 puffs of 110 to 8 puffs of 220, so I have been cutting back on the Flovent, I haven’t noticed any changes in the lump.  I did go to the Dr. and she didn’t see anything abnormal in my throat.  Since this is the height of asthma/allergy season here I am reluctant to go off Singulair,  I had rash on my arms with Accolate.  Let me know what you do, if you stop Singulair and the lump goes away.  I hope the lump isn’t anything serious because for now I have decided to learn to live with the it.  Pam – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

I found Singulair worked quite well in lessening need forVentolin, but it caused edema, esp. swollen ankles.  I kept with it for about 4 months since doctors denied this as a side effect. (Doesn’t seem so strange to me since the generic name is M. Sodium)…

Montelukast Sodium http://www.merck.com/product/usa/singulair/cns/prescribing_info/descr… l has a chemical formula of C35 H35 Cl N Na O3 S, it has a molecular weight of 608.18 Daltons (one Dalton is approximately the weight of one hydrogen atom).  Sodium has a molecular weight of 23 Daltons.  That means that sodium accounts for 3.78% of the Montelukast total weight (23/608.18=3.78%).  There are 10 mg of Montelukast Sodium in a tablet of Singulair, that means there are 0.378 mg of Sodium in a Singulair tablet (10 mg x 3.78%=0.378 mg). There are 7.3 mg of Sodium in a single Bite Size tortilla chip of a popular name brand.  I’m not an MD but it is hard for me to imagine that 0.387 mg of Sodium is enough to make one’s ankle swell.  Perhaps it is a reaction to the carbohydrate portion of the molecule.

Response:

About a week after taking Singular it feels as though I have a lump in my throat.  I’m not sure if this is a side effect so if anybody else has experienced this I’d like to know.  Would it help for my to switch to Accolate. Thanks for any info.

Response:

I found Singulair worked quite well in lessening need forVentolin, but it caused edema, esp. swollen ankles.  I kept with it for about 4 months since doctors denied this as a side effect. (Doesn’t seem so strange to me since the generic name is M. Sodium)   Finally, I tried going off Singulair twice and each time the swelling went away. I am no longer on Singulair. Accolate did not work for me at all.  Unfortunately, I am running out of things to try. Serevent was a disaster.  Any other really new drugs or techniques? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – About a week after taking Singular it feels as though I have a lump in my throat.  I’m not sure if this is a side effect so if anybody else has experienced this I’d like to know.  Would it help for my to switch to Accolate. Thanks for any info.

Response:

Question:

I know that there has to be others on RAB that have asthma, take inhaled steroids and get tattooed.   I am new to the asthma thing, started taking Flovent in Dec. Anyway, some of it’s side effects are thinning of the skin, depleting the body of potassium, and bruising.. I take potassium for leg cramps due to this sometimes, but not on a regular basis. Got 3 hs of tattoo work yesterday on my arm and am very bruised.  It started showing up an hr after the tattoo.  I KNOW this is the med. so please don’t fault the dear artist who was very light handed as I told him of the possibility of this.  I am just kinda shocked that it is this extensive and am concerned that this med is destroying me inside out… the questions: Any tattoo artists with experience with this?  Seen it before? Any asthma peoples with experiences similar and  any suggestions?   My thought is to take my potassium regularly (we have lots more work to do) and hope for the best. Wish I could just quit the meds but I gotta breathe. Tattoo Artists:  If ya see inhaled steroids on a release form for medications your customer is taking let them know there is a possibility of bruising.  Altho they may already know this from how easily they bruise anyway…. Emily Tessier Under The Surface

Response:

I know that there has to be others on RAB that have asthma, take inhaled steroids and get tattooed. I am new to the asthma thing, started taking Flovent in Dec. Anyway, some of it’s side effects are thinning of the skin, depleting the body of potassium, and bruising..

I use a similar product, Pulmicort, and have never experienced such side effects! I actually did a search on Flovent but didn’t find any extensive listings of possible side effects… I know I’ve never heard of these side effects concerning Pulmicort, and I have read a lot about it. I like to know what I’m doing to my body! Perhaps you could talk to your doctor about switching to Pulmicort, if this would alleviate your problems? Ulf

Response:

I know that there has to be others on RAB that have asthma, take inhaled steroids and get tattooed. I am new to the asthma thing, started taking Flovent in Dec. Anyway, some of it’s side effects are thinning of the skin, depleting the body of potassium, and bruising..

Did your doctor tell you this? Those would be side effects of steroids administered systemically (not sure about the bruising though, I’ll look it up), not topically. From http://www.rxmed.com/monographs/flovent.html: "Fluticasone is a highly potent glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory steroid with strong topical and negligible systemic activity. When administered by inhalation at therapeutic dosages, it has a direct potent anti-inflammatory action within the lungs, resulting in reduced symptoms and exacerbations of asthma without the adverse effects observed when corticosteroids are administered systemically. (…) A portion of an inhaled dose will be swallowed; however, oral bioavailability of fluticasone approaches zero due to poor absorption and extensive first-pass metabolism. Following oral administration, 87 to 100% of the dose is excreted in the feces (…) Adverse Effects: No major side effects attributable to the use of fluticasone have been reported. (…) Candidiasis: Therapeutic dosages frequently cause the appearance of C. albicans (thrush) in the mouth and throat." This means that the fluticasone you inhale does not enter the bloodstream, and that what you swallow is not taken up to an extent that could cause systemic side effects. There must be a different reason for the bruising. I think you should talk to your doc about this. I checked a German drug reference and it said the same things. I take potassium for leg cramps due to this sometimes, but not on a regular basis.

Leg cramps are often associated with magnesium deficiency also. Nina — http://members.xoom.com/critterwoman Seeing that water is so important for life, it has to be a decision by an intelligent being to make water from H2O and not Oil from H2O.      -from alt.atheism.satire

Response:

hmm, I’m asthmatic, tattooed, and until Thursday, had never bruised. I thought my bruising was caused because it is an arm opiece, and the skin on the inner arm is more delicate…also because my arm is a _little_ flabby (lol) and the tattooist had to hold the skin taut….oh well.. carmen (with a beautiful new tattoo on her flabby arm.)xxx — "I feel much better now that I’ve abandoned all hope". – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know that there has to be others on RAB that have asthma, take inhaled steroids and get tattooed. I am new to the asthma thing, started taking Flovent in Dec. Anyway, some of it’s side effects are thinning of the skin, depleting the body of potassium, and bruising.. Did your doctor tell you this? Those would be side effects of steroids administered systemically (not sure about the bruising though, I’ll look it up), not topically. From http://www.rxmed.com/monographs/flovent.html: "Fluticasone is a highly potent glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory steroid with strong topical and negligible systemic activity. When administered by inhalation at therapeutic dosages, it has a direct potent anti-inflammatory action within the lungs, resulting in reduced symptoms and exacerbations of asthma without the adverse effects observed when corticosteroids are administered systemically. (…) A portion of an inhaled dose will be swallowed; however, oral bioavailability of fluticasone approaches zero due to poor absorption and extensive first-pass metabolism. Following oral administration, 87 to 100% of the dose is excreted in the feces (…) Adverse Effects: No major side effects attributable to the use of fluticasone have been reported. (…) Candidiasis: Therapeutic dosages frequently cause the appearance of C. albicans (thrush) in the mouth and throat." This means that the fluticasone you inhale does not enter the bloodstream, and that what you swallow is not taken up to an extent that could cause systemic side effects. There must be a different reason for the bruising. I think you should talk to your doc about this. I checked a German drug reference and it said the same things. I take potassium for leg cramps due to this sometimes, but not on a regular basis. Leg cramps are often associated with magnesium deficiency also. Nina — http://members.xoom.com/critterwoman Seeing that water is so important for life, it has to be a decision by an intelligent being to make water from H2O and not Oil from H2O.      -from alt.atheism.satire

Response:

Your asthma inhaler should not cause you all this harm. I have been on soo many asthma meds, and never a problem like that. I take a pill to, this pill is called singulair (so far has proven itself to be the best controller). This pill makes the body produce less phlegm, and has no steroid properties. I also do asthmacort, and Proventil HFA. all of these are good, and I have never had problems like that. I do infact have problems w the IV steroids, but that is so different. Please ask your doc if you could try the non steroidal pill… it works wonderz! — "~LOBE

Question:

I remember day 5 thru 10 to be the worst. day 15 (sweating profusely, brain shocks,couldn’t eat, or drink coffee, drank huge amounts of water) , it was had  already tapered down. Day 30 I had brain shocks maybe once every 2-3 days, but other than that I was pretty normal Week 8 I was completely back to normal. BTW, if you sample a fair amount of posts, you’ll find that they are all in their first 2 weeks of withdrawal. After that not many people post anymore. That is an encouraging sign.

Response:

Uther, I hate to be harsh, but ultimately, it just doesn’t matter.

amen.  sux, tha truth. Take your new medicine and continue the taper.  It will end when it ends.  Sorry, but that’s it.

i hate bottom lines !  and unfortunately , Gary’s right.. you can’t rush a detox from that crap.

Response:

I’ll keep telling my brain shocks they don’t matter and maybe they’ll get bored and go bother someone else

thanks a HEAP !  i gottem now.. oh holy.. i just read the rest of yer post, Uther.. i don’t think there’s any addictive pharmacological properties in Effexor, unless it’s that red dye. probly more mental. want some REAL withdrawals?  eat xanax for a few and cold turkey THAT… you will commune with your life, as flashed before your eyes…. 24/7, i promise you.   ~tanya

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ll keep telling my brain shocks they don’t matter and maybe they’ll get bored and go bother someone else thanks a HEAP !  i gottem now.. oh holy.. i just read the rest of yer post, Uther.. i don’t think there’s any addictive pharmacological properties in Effexor, unless it’s that red dye. probly more mental. want some REAL withdrawals?  eat xanax for a few and cold turkey THAT… you will commune with your life, as flashed before your eyes…. 24/7, i promise you.   ~tanya

Unfortunately Effexor is associated with withdrawal problems that can be just as bad as Xanax withdrawal. A way to get around it is switch to Prozac and then taper off of Prozac which is much easier to stop. Philip

Response:

The worst withdrawal I ever had was from quitting good old fashioned coffee cold turkey. I was in my 20’s and lived in a very rural area, was doing a pot of coffee a day. Big snowstorm showed up, out of coffee, no way to get to town to get my fix. Horrible headaches for 3 days, stomach cramps etc. I gave up coffee for awhile after that, went back to it, later decided to cut down, tapered slowly, no withdrawal. Now I do 1 mug of black coffee each morning, forgot it one morning and didn’t notice. I tapered xanax last summer, cut down by .25 mg every 3 days, no withdrawal, stopped it for nearly a month, then some serious shit happened in my life, a family member phoned screaming at me at 2 am  and I ran for the xanax bottle. Xanax not only keeps me sane, it keeps some people who have to be around me sane too. I don’t recommend quitting cold turkey for any substance. Withdrawals are hell. —-’Course – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – want some REAL withdrawals? eat xanax for a few and cold turkey THAT… you will commune with your life, as flashed before your eyes…. 24/7, i promise you. ~tanya —

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ll keep telling my brain shocks they don’t matter and maybe they’ll get bored and go bother someone else thanks a HEAP !  i gottem now.. oh holy.. i just read the rest of yer post, Uther.. i don’t think there’s any addictive pharmacological properties in Effexor, unless it’s that red dye. probly more mental. want some REAL withdrawals?  eat xanax for a few and cold turkey THAT… you will commune with your life, as flashed before your eyes…. 24/7, i promise you.   ~tanya Unfortunately Effexor is associated with withdrawal problems that can be just as bad as Xanax withdrawal. A way to get around it is switch to Prozac and then taper off of Prozac which is much easier to stop. Philip

I found withdrawing from Effexor extraordinarily difficult but necessary. Fortunately I had Xanax to help and the knowledge that I was starting a new AD. Despite the problems withdrawing, Effexor worked well for me for 5 years. Meryl

Response:

I found withdrawing from Effexor extraordinarily difficult but necessary. Fortunately I had Xanax to help and the knowledge that I was starting a new AD. Despite the problems withdrawing, Effexor worked well for me for 5 years. Meryl

Hi Meryl, how come you had to quit after 5 years?  I found it tough enough after 4 weeks Uthur

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I found withdrawing from Effexor extraordinarily difficult but necessary. Fortunately I had Xanax to help and the knowledge that I was starting a new AD. Despite the problems withdrawing, Effexor worked well for me for 5 years. Meryl Hi Meryl, how come you had to quit after 5 years?  I found it tough enough after 4 weeks Uthur

I developed adverse side effects. The worrying one was high blood pressure so I had to switch ADs. It was also pooping out as an antidepressant. I had climbed to 300 mg over the years but my depression was not controlled by the end. Meryl

Response:

Uther, I hate to be harsh, but ultimately, it just doesn’t matter.  Take your new medicine and continue the taper.  It will end when it ends.  Sorry, but that’s it. Gary

Thanks Gary, your philosophical approach is refreshing.  I’ll keep telling my brain shocks they don’t matter and maybe they’ll get bored and go bother someone else Uthur – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Howdy friends, I’m currently going through the less than enjoyable process of coming off this strange old drug.  Here’s my situation: I was on 75mg Effexor XL a day for 4 weeks in total. I went from that to 37.5mg for 14 days. Then I went to 37.5mg every second day for about 10 days. 3 days ago I took my last dose. I felt pretty bad last night and again today.  My questions are these – when do you think the withdrawal will peak, and how long before it is completely gone?  I came off Celexa a year ago a bit too abruptly and had withdrawal for 10 weeks – I hope I won’t go through that again! All opinions are welcome.  Thanks. Uthur

Response:

Uther, I hate to be harsh, but ultimately, it just doesn’t matter.  Take your new medicine and continue the taper.  It will end when it ends.  Sorry, but that’s it. Gary

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Howdy friends, I’m currently going through the less than enjoyable process of coming off this strange old drug.  Here’s my situation: I was on 75mg Effexor XL a day for 4 weeks in total. I went from that to 37.5mg for 14 days. Then I went to 37.5mg every second day for about 10 days. 3 days ago I took my last dose. I felt pretty bad last night and again today.  My questions are these – when do you think the withdrawal will peak, and how long before it is completely gone?  I came off Celexa a year ago a bit too abruptly and had withdrawal for 10 weeks – I hope I won’t go through that again! All opinions are welcome.  Thanks. Uthur

Response:

Howdy friends, I’m currently going through the less than enjoyable process of coming off this strange old drug.  Here’s my situation: I was on 75mg Effexor XL a day for 4 weeks in total. I went from that to 37.5mg for 14 days. Then I went to 37.5mg every second day for about 10 days. 3 days ago I took my last dose. I felt pretty bad last night and again today.  My questions are these – when do you think the withdrawal will peak, and how long before it is completely gone?  I came off Celexa a year ago a bit too abruptly and had withdrawal for 10 weeks – I hope I won’t go through that again! All opinions are welcome.  Thanks. Uthur

Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I’m 23 y/o female who has has depression/anxiety all my life…   And I get panic attacks/anxiety attacks…  I don’t get the I’m going to die feeling though so the doc says it’s not true panic attack just anxiety.   I went to the Doctors because I couldn’t function.  No energy, motivation, depression, severe anxiety, can’t concentrate/focus. About the start of  Nov. I was put on Celexa on a Friday morning.   I started taking it and was nausous for 2 days and then I got double vision and couldn’t focus my eyes so I stopped taking that Sunday morning and felt poopy for 2-3 days.. The next friday I got put on Wellbutrin.   That was absolute HELL.   I heard my dog talk and I was insane beyond belief for like 4-5 days and I only took the Wellbutrin for 3 days.   I kept repeating over and over "I’m crazy, I’m crazy".   And I had 3 panic attacks in one day.    So obviously that wasn’t the drug for me.  stopped again.   The Tues-Wed. following the Friday that I was put on the Wellbutrin I had a panic attack in my marriage counseling session.  She helped me go to this Psychiatric place where I met Doctor M. They wanted me to be an in-patient at a Psych Ward.   I said no and they scheduled me an appt w/ Dr. R for 3weeks later.   That same day Doctor M. prescribed me .5mg Klonopin to be taken every 4-6 hours as needed. Klonopin just made me drowsy/semi-drugged.  No good.    So I called back and Dr. M prescribed me Ativan.   I was nervious about taking that so I went on Base (husband is in the military)  and went to a Physicans Assistant-M (PA-M) and he presribed me Zoloft 50mg once a day and Xanax .5mg  3x’s a day that was about Nov. 22.    It started working immediately and I felt great. I had been taking xanax 1-2 times a day when I got really nervous/anxious and over-excited and couldn’t calm down.  I ran out of xanax and called PA-M to get a refill just to last me until my appt w/ the psychiatric nurse Dr. R.  This last friday I went to Dr. R and she decided that I was bi-polar . She was very unorganized and didn’t seem to know her shit.  She kept trying to prescribe medicine for me that I told her had caused me problems in the past.   Kept saying she didn’t like this drug or that drug.  (another doctor had said that in the past also that I was bi-polar possibly.  I think I am more adult ADD than bi-polar though although I have a lot of symptoms for both of them).  So she griped that xanax is a horrible drug and so addictive blah blah blah.  Xanax has been a miracle drug for me.  I felt NORMAL. HUMAN.   It gave me energy and I could concentrate and was happy and funny and social.    So she dicked around and today I finally got my xanax refilled.   But on Friday she gave me Trileptol for the bi-polar and was weaning me off of the zoloft down to 25mg for a week and then off of it. This last Sunday I got depressed. and then Yesterday was hell I couldn’t even get dressed/showered until 5:30pm.   Luckily this happened when I don’t have to work.   The xanax/zoloft has made me so much better that I have been able to get a job and now I am enrolled in college classes online.     At 1:30am last night I had another major panic attack and ended up having to call a Doctor on base to try and calm me down.   Today I went and saw Dr. R again and I told her that the zoloft was ok other than the vivid nightmares and no sex drive..   I said I could deal with that as long as I was happy and could function.  She decided she wanted to put me on Paxil.   Which in the past had given me the nightmares/no sex drive..  DUMB *itch.    Then tried to prescribe me prozac which also doesn’t work for me and I’d told her that twice also that it didn’t work that I was fine on the zoloft.    So she decided to put me on Elavil along w/ the Trileptol.   I have a bad astigmatism and was wearing glasses and Elavil causes depth perception problems again DUMB *itch.    But I got my prescription for xanax refilled. She kept going on and on how addictive it was.   Previously I had been told to take it 3 times a day.  Now she had Dr. M (she can’t presribe scheduled drugs/addictive ones.  she’s not really a Doctor just some special glorified psychiatric nurse).    So Dr. M presribed me #60 pills to take ever 4-6 hours or 4-6 pills a day.  Grrrrrrrrrr…    What should I do now?     I am soooooo confused.   I need to be able to function and work and go to school. Without the xanax and zoloft at 25mg yesterday I couldn’t function.    In the past I have taken Trazadone, Remeron, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa,  Effexor and probably more I’ve forgotten all with some major negative side effects. Help!!!!       I am not doubling up the dosage of the xanax nor even taking it as often as the doctor says I can.   Just when I need it but it’s a miracle when I do need it.    So frustrating.   I admitted to doing drugs in the past.   (pot, mushrooms, acid 2times, xtc25 times or so, never any other methanphetamine drugs).     My sobriety from drugs is very important to me and I believe I have never been addicted to any of those drugs.   I worked in a drug rehab for 9 months helping drug addicted girls.   But from going to feeling normal to and happy to being told that I may not be able to have what has made me happy anymore is very frustrating.   I really don’t care if I get addicted.   I just want to be happy and be able to function and work and live.  I’m tired of existing and not living.     Please help give me some direction on where I should go from here?   Can I report this ladies erratic behavior?    She tried to prescribe me wellbutrin 3 times when that pill puts me in hell. Also my personal counselor told me she talked to PA-M to originally prescribed me the xanax/zoloft and he told her that he was surprised the xanax lasted me as long as it had and he didn’t think that I was a high risk for addiction. Thanks, Jaimie P.S.  Sorry this is so long.  I needed to vent.

Hi Jaimie & welcome to ASAP! This is typically one of those stories… paved with incompetent mental health practitioners. If Zoloft and Xanax *as needed* works so well for you you’d better stick with it. It’s common and often very effective to combine an SSRI with a benzo. There is no reason why anybody would want to prescribe Paxil or Prozac instead of Zoloft when that is the med that works, it’s plainly ridiculous. Wellbutrin is the most stimulating of antidepressants and as an only med is contra-indicated for anxiety/panic sufferers, in the vast majority of cases it will only exacerbate anxiety as you noticed. BTW you don’t have to think you’re dying when having a PA. As a matter of fact when in the middle of a major PA I wish I *would* die, anything to *stop* it… If you would be bipolar they shouldn’t have prescribed an SSRI for you but lithium or some such. From the scarce information you give it doesn’t sound like you’re bipolar to me and the fact that Zoloft/Xanax helps that makes it even more unlikely. So find another doc or have them prescribe you Zoloft/Xanax as a regular combo. Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

Welcome, Jaimie.   I was nervious about taking that so I went on Base (husband is in the military)  and went to a Physicans Assistant-M (PA-M) and he presribed me Zoloft 50mg once a day and Xanax .5mg  3x’s a day that was about Nov. 22.    It started working immediately and I felt great.

If this is what works for you, then why not go back to this person.  A good psychiatrist would be best to go to in the long term, one who understands that this is a good med for you.  I take Zoloft, and find it to be a good med.  My psychiatrist also gives me Ativan when it is needed, but I have not needed to take it for quite a while.  The Zoloft is handling things pretty well. Take care, Liz

Response:

HI Jaimie, welcome to ASAP, yep that was a long post, but hope you feel better having vented. No wonder you are confused, you sure have been on a roller coaster with meds and docs. So after all this do you have a proper diagnosis? It appears from what you say that the zoloft/xanax combo works best for you. I understand your docs concerns re addiction given your past but from what you say you are in control. Just wanted to tell you that with the Klonopin/clonazepam it usually does cause drowsiness to begin with but for most people this subsides within a few weeks. It doesn’t give the immediate relief that xanax does but as a longer acting benzo it has major benefits – not suggesting you should go back to it, just giving you my experience with this med. So where to from here? Are any of these docs you’ve seen specialist in anxiety, if not it would be great if you were to get a proper diagnosis. From here you could get back to the meds which have helped in the past and perhaps you might like to consider some therapy to develop coping strategies for the panic attacks. Wishing you all the best for the wedding. Even a happy event can add stress to our lives. Vanessa )

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I’m 23 y/o female who has has depression/anxiety all my life…   And I get panic attacks/anxiety attacks…  I don’t get the I’m going to die feeling though so the doc says it’s not true panic attack just anxiety.   I went to the Doctors because I couldn’t function.  No energy, motivation, depression, severe anxiety, can’t concentrate/focus. About the start of  Nov. I was put on Celexa on a Friday morning.   I started taking it and was nausous for 2 days and then I got double vision and couldn’t focus my eyes so I stopped taking that Sunday morning and felt poopy for 2-3 days.. The next friday I got put on Wellbutrin.   That was absolute HELL.   I heard my dog talk and I was insane beyond belief for like 4-5 days and I only took the Wellbutrin for 3 days.   I kept repeating over and over "I’m crazy, I’m crazy".   And I had 3 panic attacks in one day.    So obviously that wasn’t the drug for me.  stopped again.   The Tues-Wed. following the Friday that I was put on the Wellbutrin I had a panic attack in my marriage counseling session.  She helped me go to this Psychiatric place where I met Doctor M. They wanted me to be an in-patient at a Psych Ward.   I said no and they scheduled me an appt w/ Dr. R for 3weeks later.   That same day Doctor M. prescribed me .5mg Klonopin to be taken every 4-6 hours as needed. Klonopin just made me drowsy/semi-drugged.  No good.    So I called back and Dr. M prescribed me Ativan.   I was nervious about taking that so I went on Base (husband is in the military)  and went to a Physicans Assistant-M (PA-M) and he presribed me Zoloft 50mg once a day and Xanax .5mg  3x’s a day that was about Nov. 22.    It started working immediately and I felt great. I had been taking xanax 1-2 times a day when I got really nervous/anxious and over-excited and couldn’t calm down.  I ran out of xanax and called PA-M to get a refill just to last me until my appt w/ the psychiatric nurse Dr. R.  This last friday I went to Dr. R and she decided that I was bi-polar . She was very unorganized and didn’t seem to know her shit.  She kept trying to prescribe medicine for me that I told her had caused me problems in the past.   Kept saying she didn’t like this drug or that drug.  (another doctor had said that in the past also that I was bi-polar possibly.  I think I am more adult ADD than bi-polar though although I have a lot of symptoms for both of them).  So she griped that xanax is a horrible drug and so addictive blah blah blah.  Xanax has been a miracle drug for me.  I felt NORMAL. HUMAN.   It gave me energy and I could concentrate and was happy and funny and social.    So she dicked around and today I finally got my xanax refilled.   But on Friday she gave me Trileptol for the bi-polar and was weaning me off of the zoloft down to 25mg for a week and then off of it. This last Sunday I got depressed. and then Yesterday was hell I couldn’t even get dressed/showered until 5:30pm.   Luckily this happened when I don’t have to work.   The xanax/zoloft has made me so much better that I have been able to get a job and now I am enrolled in college classes online.     At 1:30am last night I had another major panic attack and ended up having to call a Doctor on base to try and calm me down.   Today I went and saw Dr. R again and I told her that the zoloft was ok other than the vivid nightmares and no sex drive..   I said I could deal with that as long as I was happy and could function.  She decided she wanted to put me on Paxil.   Which in the past had given me the nightmares/no sex drive..  DUMB *itch.    Then tried to prescribe me prozac which also doesn’t work for me and I’d told her that twice also that it didn’t work that I was fine on the zoloft.    So she decided to put me on Elavil along w/ the Trileptol.   I have a bad astigmatism and was wearing glasses and Elavil causes depth perception problems again DUMB *itch.    But I got my prescription for xanax refilled. She kept going on and on how addictive it was.   Previously I had been told to take it 3 times a day.  Now she had Dr. M (she can’t presribe scheduled drugs/addictive ones.  she’s not really a Doctor just some special glorified psychiatric nurse).    So Dr. M presribed me #60 pills to take ever 4-6 hours or 4-6 pills a day.  Grrrrrrrrrr…    What should I do now?     I am soooooo confused.   I need to be able to function and work and go to school. Without the xanax and zoloft at 25mg yesterday I couldn’t function.    In the past I have taken Trazadone, Remeron, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa,  Effexor and probably more I’ve forgotten all with some major negative side effects. Help!!!!       I am not doubling up the dosage of the xanax nor even taking it as often as the doctor says I can.   Just when I need it but it’s a miracle when I do need it.    So frustrating.   I admitted to doing drugs in the past.   (pot, mushrooms, acid 2times, xtc25 times or so, never any other methanphetamine drugs).     My sobriety from drugs is very important to me and I believe I have never been addicted to any of those drugs.   I worked in a drug rehab for 9 months helping drug addicted girls.   But from going to feeling normal to and happy to being told that I may not be able to have what has made me happy anymore is very frustrating.   I really don’t care if I get addicted.   I just want to be happy and be able to function and work and live.  I’m tired of existing and not living.     Please help give me some direction on where I should go from here?   Can I report this ladies erratic behavior?    She tried to prescribe me wellbutrin 3 times when that pill puts me in hell. Also my personal counselor told me she talked to PA-M to originally prescribed me the xanax/zoloft and he told her that he was surprised the xanax lasted me as long as it had and he didn’t think that I was a high risk for addiction. Thanks, Jaimie P.S.  Sorry this is so long.  I needed to vent.

Response:

Hi Jaimie, Welcome to ASAP! It sounds like you’ve been threw the ringer so far. It sounds like you have yet to receive a proper diagnosis and therapuetic routine to work with. I knwo this is frustrating for you but I would try to be as paitent as possible and see this all through. If you receive a firm diagnosis, such as bipolar, they therapy will be different than if you were to suffer from Anxiety/Panic attacks. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is the best therapy for A&P. Work with your Doctors. You clearly don’t have confidence in the one who is unorganized and scattered. Are you confined to using Military Doctors? Would you be able to use civilians and have CHAMPUS reimburse? Military life is difficult to adjust to. How long have you been married?  From your note it sounds like you are going through major life adjustments at the moment. Is your spouse with you? I imagine with the likelyhood of us having a war with Iraq you must be concerned about your husbands life. Good luck and keep us posted as to your progress. Hang tough! Peace, John – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I’m 23 y/o female who has has depression/anxiety all my life…   And I get panic attacks/anxiety attacks…  I don’t get the I’m going to die feeling though so the doc says it’s not true panic attack just anxiety.   I went to the Doctors because I couldn’t function.  No energy, motivation, depression, severe anxiety, can’t concentrate/focus. About the start of  Nov. I was put on Celexa on a Friday morning.   I started taking it and was nausous for 2 days and then I got double vision and couldn’t focus my eyes so I stopped taking that Sunday morning and felt poopy for 2-3 days.. The next friday I got put on Wellbutrin.   That was absolute HELL.   I heard my dog talk and I was insane beyond belief for like 4-5 days and I only took the Wellbutrin for 3 days.   I kept repeating over and over "I’m crazy, I’m crazy".   And I had 3 panic attacks in one day.    So obviously that wasn’t the drug for me.  stopped again.   The Tues-Wed. following the Friday that I was put on the Wellbutrin I had a panic attack in my marriage counseling session.  She helped me go to this Psychiatric place where I met Doctor M. They wanted me to be an in-patient at a Psych Ward.   I said no and they scheduled me an appt w/ Dr. R for 3weeks later.   That same day Doctor M. prescribed me .5mg Klonopin to be taken every 4-6 hours as needed. Klonopin just made me drowsy/semi-drugged.  No good.    So I called back and Dr. M prescribed me Ativan.   I was nervious about taking that so I went on Base (husband is in the military)  and went to a Physicans Assistant-M (PA-M) and he presribed me Zoloft 50mg once a day and Xanax .5mg  3x’s a day that was about Nov. 22.    It started working immediately and I felt great. I had been taking xanax 1-2 times a day when I got really nervous/anxious and over-excited and couldn’t calm down.  I ran out of xanax and called PA-M to get a refill just to last me until my appt w/ the psychiatric nurse Dr. R.  This last friday I went to Dr. R and she decided that I was bi-polar . She was very unorganized and didn’t seem to know her shit.  She kept trying to prescribe medicine for me that I told her had caused me problems in the past.   Kept saying she didn’t like this drug or that drug.  (another doctor had said that in the past also that I was bi-polar possibly.  I think I am more adult ADD than bi-polar though although I have a lot of symptoms for both of them).  So she griped that xanax is a horrible drug and so addictive blah blah blah.  Xanax has been a miracle drug for me.  I felt NORMAL. HUMAN.   It gave me energy and I could concentrate and was happy and funny and social.    So she dicked around and today I finally got my xanax refilled.   But on Friday she gave me Trileptol for the bi-polar and was weaning me off of the zoloft down to 25mg for a week and then off of it. This last Sunday I got depressed. and then Yesterday was hell I couldn’t even get dressed/showered until 5:30pm.   Luckily this happened when I don’t have to work.   The xanax/zoloft has made me so much better that I have been able to get a job and now I am enrolled in college classes online.     At 1:30am last night I had another major panic attack and ended up having to call a Doctor on base to try and calm me down.   Today I went and saw Dr. R again and I told her that the zoloft was ok other than the vivid nightmares and no sex drive..   I said I could deal with that as long as I was happy and could function.  She decided she wanted to put me on Paxil.   Which in the past had given me the nightmares/no sex drive..  DUMB *itch.    Then tried to prescribe me prozac which also doesn’t work for me and I’d told her that twice also that it didn’t work that I was fine on the zoloft.    So she decided to put me on Elavil along w/ the Trileptol.   I have a bad astigmatism and was wearing glasses and Elavil causes depth perception problems again DUMB *itch.    But I got my prescription for xanax refilled. She kept going on and on how addictive it was.   Previously I had been told to take it 3 times a day.  Now she had Dr. M (she can’t presribe scheduled drugs/addictive ones.  she’s not really a Doctor just some special glorified psychiatric nurse).    So Dr. M presribed me #60 pills to take ever 4-6 hours or 4-6 pills a day.  Grrrrrrrrrr…    What should I do now?     I am soooooo confused.   I need to be able to function and work and go to school. Without the xanax and zoloft at 25mg yesterday I couldn’t function.    In the past I have taken Trazadone, Remeron, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa,  Effexor and probably more I’ve forgotten all with some major negative side effects. Help!!!!       I am not doubling up the dosage of the xanax nor even taking it as often as the doctor says I can.   Just when I need it but it’s a miracle when I do need it.    So frustrating.   I admitted to doing drugs in the past.   (pot, mushrooms, acid 2times, xtc25 times or so, never any other methanphetamine drugs).     My sobriety from drugs is very important to me and I believe I have never been addicted to any of those drugs.   I worked in a drug rehab for 9 months helping drug addicted girls.   But from going to feeling normal to and happy to being told that I may not be able to have what has made me happy anymore is very frustrating.   I really don’t care if I get addicted.   I just want to be happy and be able to function and work and live.  I’m tired of existing and not living.     Please help give me some direction on where I should go from here?   Can I report this ladies erratic behavior?    She tried to prescribe me wellbutrin 3 times when that pill puts me in hell. Also my personal counselor told me she talked to PA-M to originally prescribed me the xanax/zoloft and he told her that he was surprised the xanax lasted me as long as it had and he didn’t think that I was a high risk for addiction. Thanks, Jaimie P.S.  Sorry this is so long.  I needed to vent.

Response:

Hey Jaimie! I don’t post here a lot but I do certainly understand and empathize with your predicament .   Just get your meds sorted out and start feeling  human when  the rug gets yanked out from under you AGAIN!!  IT BITES ~ From your comments it would seem that  the PA-M has it the most together, overmedicated state by many of your fellow sufferers opinions or needs. Since you’ve switched  SSRI’s in the past,  I’m guessing going to 50 mg of Zoloft was not a rough start, but you  have a lot happening and the Xanax has helped you smooth over the potholes.   Any change in meds can be uncomfortable. the comment that PA-M was surprised the initial xanax RX lasted you as long as it did  is heartening.  also heartening that your personal counselor  has been in touch with PA-M and they are willling to work together.   thats a wonderful combination.  I don’t knock PA’s either in  Military  or civilian attire, sometimes they have more time to LISTEN. We talk a lot about doctor shopping here, but it seems like/looks like you’ve shopped  and maybe found your own best solution…..  if the Zoloft /Xanax combo works for you, why mess with it? We all want to be well, feel well and  we all search for the Right Stuff. If you are as lucky as I have been you will need the Xanax less and less as the "right" SSRI does what its supposed to do. You CAN chose your  health providers, you MUST chose your health providers, and you are in no way obligated to suck up to anyone who isn’t helping you. That applies to those who may be confusing the issues For your own empowerment, stick with the providers who help you.  Alphabet soup means nothing, results count. Hugs to you. Sue in Maine

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I’m 23 y/o female who has has depression/anxiety all my life…   And I get panic attacks/anxiety attacks…  I don’t get the I’m going to die feeling though so the doc says it’s not true panic attack just anxiety.   I went to the Doctors because I couldn’t function.  No energy, motivation, depression, severe anxiety, can’t concentrate/focus. About the start of  Nov. I was put on Celexa on a Friday morning.   I started taking it and was nausous for 2 days and then I got double vision and couldn’t focus my eyes so I stopped taking that Sunday morning and felt poopy for 2-3 days.. The next friday I got put on Wellbutrin.   That was absolute HELL.   I heard my dog talk and I was insane beyond belief for like 4-5 days and I only took the Wellbutrin for 3 days.   I kept repeating over and over "I’m crazy, I’m crazy".   And I had 3 panic attacks in one day.    So obviously that wasn’t the drug for me.  stopped again.   The Tues-Wed. following the Friday that I was put on the Wellbutrin I had a panic attack in my marriage counseling session.  She helped me go to this Psychiatric place where I met Doctor M. They wanted me to be an in-patient at a Psych Ward.   I said no and they scheduled me an appt w/ Dr. R for 3weeks later.   That same day Doctor M. prescribed me .5mg Klonopin to be taken every 4-6 hours as needed. Klonopin just made me drowsy/semi-drugged.  No good.    So I called back and Dr. M prescribed me Ativan.   I was nervious about taking that so I went on Base (husband is in the military)  and went to a Physicans Assistant-M (PA-M) and he presribed me Zoloft 50mg once a day and Xanax .5mg  3x’s a day that was about Nov. 22.    It started working immediately and I felt great. I had been taking xanax 1-2 times a day when I got really nervous/anxious and over-excited and couldn’t calm down.  I ran out of xanax and called PA-M to get a refill just to last me until my appt w/ the psychiatric nurse Dr. R.  This last friday I went to Dr. R and she decided that I was bi-polar . She was very unorganized and didn’t seem to know her shit.  She kept tryin g to prescribe medicine for me that I told her had caused me problems in the past.   Kept saying she didn’t like this drug or that drug.  (another doctor had said that in the past also that I was bi-polar possibly.  I think I am more adult ADD than bi-polar though although I have a lot of symptoms for both of them).  So she griped that xanax is a horrible drug and so addictive blah blah blah.  Xanax has been a miracle drug for me.  I felt NORMAL. HUMAN.   It gave me energy and I could concentrate and was happy and funny and social.    So she dicked around and today I finally got my xanax refilled.   But on Friday she gave me Trileptol for the bi-polar and was weaning me off of the zoloft down to 25mg for a week and then off of it. This last Sunday I got depressed. and then Yesterday was hell I couldn’t even get dressed/showered until 5:30pm.   Luckily this happened when I don’t have to work.   The xanax/zoloft has made me so much better that I have been able to get a job and now I am enrolled in college classes online.     At 1:30am last night I had another major panic attack and ended up having to call a Doctor on base to try and calm me down.   Today I went and saw Dr. R again and I told her that the zoloft was ok other than the vivid nightmares and no sex drive..   I said I could deal with that as long as I was happy and could function.  She decided she wanted to put me on Paxil.   Which in the past had given me the nightmares/no sex drive..  DUMB *itch.    Then tried to prescribe me prozac which also doesn’t work for me and I’d told her that twice also that it didn’t work that I was fine on the zoloft.    So she decided to put me on Elavil along w/ the Trileptol.   I have a bad astigmatism and was wearing glasses and Elavil causes depth perception problems again DUMB *itch.    But I got my prescription for xanax refilled. She kept going on and on how addictive it was.   Previously I had been told to take it 3 times a day.  Now she had Dr. M (she can’t presribe scheduled drugs/addictive ones.  she’s not really a Doctor just some special glorified psychiatric nurse).    So Dr. M presribed me #60 pills to take ever 4-6 hours or 4-6 pills a day.  Grrrrrrrrrr…    What should I do now?     I am soooooo confused.   I need to be able to function and work and go to school. Without the xanax and zoloft at 25mg yesterday I couldn’t function.    In the past I have taken Trazadone, Remeron, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa,  Effexor and probably more I’ve forgotten all with some major negative side effects. Help!!!!       I am not doubling up the dosage of the xanax nor even taking it as often as the doctor says I can.   Just when I need it but it’s a miracle when I do need it.    So frustrating.   I admitted to doing drugs in the past.   (pot, mushrooms, acid 2times, xtc25 times or so, never any other methanphetamine drugs).     My sobriety from drugs is very important to me and I believe I have never been addicted to any of those drugs.   I worked in a drug rehab for 9 months helping drug addicted girls.   But from going to feeling normal to and happy to being told that I may not be able to have what has made me happy anymore is very frustrating.   I really don’t care if I get addicted.   I just want to be happy and be able to function and work and live.  I’m tired of existing and not living.     Please help give me some direction on where I should go from here?   Can I report this ladies erratic behavior?    She tried to prescribe me wellbutrin 3 times when that pill puts me in hell. Also my personal counselor told me she talked to PA-M to originally prescribed me the xanax/zoloft and he told her that he was surprised the xanax lasted me as long as it had and he didn’t think that I was a high risk for addiction. Thanks, Jaimie P.S.  Sorry this is so long.  I needed to vent.

Response:

Hi all, I’m 23 y/o female who has has depression/anxiety all my life…   And I get panic attacks/anxiety attacks…  I don’t get the I’m going to die feeling though so the doc says it’s not true panic attack just anxiety.   I went to the Doctors because I couldn’t function.  No energy, motivation, depression, severe anxiety, can’t concentrate/focus. About the start of  Nov. I was put on Celexa on a Friday morning.   I started taking it and was nausous for 2 days and then I got double vision and couldn’t focus my eyes so I stopped taking that Sunday morning and felt poopy for 2-3 days.. The next friday I got put on Wellbutrin.   That was absolute HELL.   I heard my dog talk and I was insane beyond belief for like 4-5 days and I only took the Wellbutrin for 3 days.   I kept repeating over and over "I’m crazy, I’m crazy".   And I had 3 panic attacks in one day.    So obviously that wasn’t the drug for me.  stopped again.   The Tues-Wed. following the Friday that I was put on the Wellbutrin I had a panic attack in my marriage counseling session.  She helped me go to this Psychiatric place where I met Doctor M. They wanted me to be an in-patient at a Psych Ward.   I said no and they scheduled me an appt w/ Dr. R for 3weeks later.   That same day Doctor M. prescribed me .5mg Klonopin to be taken every 4-6 hours as needed. Klonopin just made me drowsy/semi-drugged.  No good.    So I called back and Dr. M prescribed me Ativan.   I was nervious about taking that so I went on Base (husband is in the military)  and went to a Physicans Assistant-M (PA-M) and he presribed me Zoloft 50mg once a day and Xanax .5mg  3x’s a day that was about Nov. 22.    It started working immediately and I felt great. I had been taking xanax 1-2 times a day when I got really nervous/anxious and over-excited and couldn’t calm down.  I ran out of xanax and called PA-M to get a refill just to last me until my appt w/ the psychiatric nurse Dr. R.  This last friday I went to Dr. R and she decided that I was bi-polar . She was very unorganized and didn’t seem to know her shit.  She kept trying to prescribe medicine for me that I told her had caused me problems in the past.   Kept saying she didn’t like this drug or that drug.  (another doctor had said that in the past also that I was bi-polar possibly.  I think I am more adult ADD than bi-polar though although I have a lot of symptoms for both of them).  So she griped that xanax is a horrible drug and so addictive blah blah blah.  Xanax has been a miracle drug for me.  I felt NORMAL. HUMAN.   It gave me energy and I could concentrate and was happy and funny and social.    So she dicked around and today I finally got my xanax refilled.   But on Friday she gave me Trileptol for the bi-polar and was weaning me off of the zoloft down to 25mg for a week and then off of it. This last Sunday I got depressed. and then Yesterday was hell I couldn’t even get dressed/showered until 5:30pm.   Luckily this happened when I don’t have to work.   The xanax/zoloft has made me so much better that I have been able to get a job and now I am enrolled in college classes online.     At 1:30am last night I had another major panic attack and ended up having to call a Doctor on base to try and calm me down.   Today I went and saw Dr. R again and I told her that the zoloft was ok other than the vivid nightmares and no sex drive..   I said I could deal with that as long as I was happy and could function.  She decided she wanted to put me on Paxil.   Which in the past had given me the nightmares/no sex drive..  DUMB *itch.    Then tried to prescribe me prozac which also doesn’t work for me and I’d told her that twice also that it didn’t work that I was fine on the zoloft.    So she decided to put me on Elavil along w/ the Trileptol.   I have a bad astigmatism and was wearing glasses and Elavil causes depth perception problems again DUMB *itch.    But I got my prescription for xanax refilled. She kept going on and on how addictive it was.   Previously I had been told to take it 3 times a day.  Now she had Dr. M (she can’t presribe scheduled drugs/addictive ones.  she’s not really a Doctor just some special glorified psychiatric nurse).    So Dr. M presribed me #60 pills to take ever 4-6 hours or 4-6 pills a day.  Grrrrrrrrrr…    What should I do now?     I am soooooo confused.   I need to be able to function and work and go to school. Without the xanax and zoloft at 25mg yesterday I couldn’t function.    In the past I have taken Trazadone, Remeron, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa,  Effexor and probably more I’ve forgotten all with some major negative side effects. Help!!!!       I am not doubling up the dosage of the xanax nor even taking it as often as the doctor says I can.   Just when I need it but it’s a miracle when I do need it.    So frustrating.   I admitted to doing drugs in the past.   (pot, mushrooms, acid 2times, xtc25 times or so, never any other methanphetamine drugs).     My sobriety from drugs is very important to me and I believe I have never been addicted to any of those drugs.   I worked in a drug rehab for 9 months helping drug addicted girls.   But from going to feeling normal to and happy to being told that I may not be able to have what has made me happy anymore is very frustrating.   I really don’t care if I get addicted.   I just want to be happy and be able to function and work and live.  I’m tired of existing and not living.     Please help give me some direction on where I should go from here?   Can I report this ladies erratic behavior?    She tried to prescribe me wellbutrin 3 times when that pill puts me in hell. Also my personal counselor told me she talked to PA-M to originally prescribed me the xanax/zoloft and he told her that he was surprised the xanax lasted me as long as it had and he didn’t think that I was a high risk for addiction. Thanks, Jaimie P.S.  Sorry this is so long.  I needed to vent.

Response:

Question:

<Gale.Schu…@risperdal.causes.mania

wrote in message

news:cv50ducnc4u11fr799r6265i8vu3k60t76@4ax.com…

Effexor Withdrawal Causing Crackling Sounds in the Brain Antidepressants  "Thank God for this website." I had a nervous breakdown six years ago and after being on other

anti-depressants without

a problem, my psychiatrist felt that Effexor had less of an effect on the

heart, and so

switched me to Effexor. I have tried unsuccessfully to quit on many

occasions, even though

I only take 37.5 mgs per day. The extreme lethargy I feel when I have

tried to quit, the

tingling in various parts of my body, the weird dreams and most

troublesome of all, the

crackling, electric sounds in my head have caused me too much distress to

ever be

successful.

Hi, I think that you have to think about all these  side effect problems. Maybe they are not side-effect, maybe they are only telling you that you are stressed, and you need to fix your problems, otherwise the side-problems will be forever with you B

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -"barbapic" <barba…@ntlworld.com

wrote in message <news:go%z8.821$8n2.364518@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com… <Gale.Schu…@risperdal.causes.mania wrote in message news:cv50ducnc4u11fr799r6265i8vu3k60t76@4ax.com… Effexor Withdrawal Causing Crackling Sounds in the Brain Antidepressants  "Thank God for this website." I had a nervous breakdown six years ago and after being on other  anti-depressants without a problem, my psychiatrist felt that Effexor had less of an effect on the  heart, and so switched me to Effexor. I have tried unsuccessfully to quit on many  occasions, even though I only take 37.5 mgs per day. The extreme lethargy I feel when I have  tried to quit, the tingling in various parts of my body, the weird dreams and most  troublesome of all, the crackling, electric sounds in my head have caused me too much distress to  ever be successful. Hi, I think that you have to think about all these  side effect problems. Maybe they are not side-effect, maybe they are only telling you that you are stressed, and you need to fix your problems, otherwise the side-problems will be forever with you B

I thought cross-posting to and from different kind of newsgroups was not the reason why they started alt.support.schizofrenia. Btw, is it not forbidden in the FAQ ? Berty

Response:

Question:

Celexia, Prozac, Wellbutin, Zoloft, Effexor, which I stopped called turky, a 2 months ago. I’mback on Paxil as the pain clinic said it helps the most with chronic pain… The thing with Paxil, by the third week I am a zombie…. dory

Response:

Paul, I used to take Paxil, now on Effexor XR.  I am currently thinking about switching to another one.  I think I build up a tolerance to them over time.   I have a cousin who seems to have this same problem with tolerance, he can only last about six months on a given antidepressant. Susan E

Response:

oooohhhhhhhhhhh i have a headache — all your base are belong to us <el…@notathome.com

wrote in message

news:3af18654.8951432@news.cis.dfn.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

On Thu, 03 May 2001 15:53:14 GMT, "Diana Calder" <d.r.calder@home wrote: family.  Anyway! with M.S., the mind says yes and the body says no, or is the other way around! Close.  I believe its "the mind says yes, and the body says f*** off"   Eliz. To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I had known this some time ago." – Corwin, Sign of the Unicorn

Response:

oh please a bit of couth — all your base are belong to us "Michael" <muirh…@island.net

wrote in message

news:9cs146$f4sgt$1@ID-78693.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> "Podz" <po.dzDEL…@ntlworld.com

wrote in message

> news:9crs0o$f9vfv$1@ID-83140.news.dfncis.de… > > Paroxetine (Seroxat) > <snip> > > 1…Prevents ejaculation at high doses > High-dose ejaculation is undesirable? > Is that because *both* people would have to sleep in the wet spot? > <ducking> > — >           ((((((((((U)))))))))) > Michael <muirh…@island.net> >    -=| Livin’ on Island Time |=-

Response:

Michael wrote:

The description of Effexor’s side effects goes on for two whole *pages* of fine print! Effing brutal, huh?   I’ll pass.

It is an EXCELLENT anti-depressant.   And if I felt I needed it I’d take again in a heartbeat, side effects be damned. But, for me right now, I’m not especially depressed, I’ll take wellbrutrin as a ‘just in case’ pill and to help me quit smoking.  I am mostly stopping it because I was tired of feeling like a sexless lump.  Heheh, now I’m just a frisky tired lump, deeeeeep sigh. ps. I forgot to mention the fun ‘clicking’ sound in your head when you move your eyes.  whoopie! Eliz. _____ As God is my witness, I really thought turkeys could fly. (WKRP in Cincinnati)

Response:

<el…@notathome.com

wrote in message news:3af0ec09.50575026@news.cis.dfn.de… Michael wrote: The description of Effexor’s side effects goes on for two whole *pages* of fine print! Effing brutal, huh?   I’ll pass. It is an EXCELLENT anti-depressant.   And if I felt I needed it I’d take again in a heartbeat, side effects be damned.

Easy there…. I wasn’t dumping on the stuff… just expressing (understandable, by my lights) fright.   It took a long time to convince myself to take Zoloft, whose side-effect list is not much shorter than Effexor’s.   It would doubtless take as long to convince me to take Effexor.

take wellbrutrin as a ‘just in case’ pill and to help me quit smoking.  I am mostly stopping it because I was tired of feeling like a sexless lump.  Heheh, now I’m just a frisky tired lump, deeeeeep sigh.

I had much the same problem while I took that stuff.   Libido *real* good… get-it-uppitiness OK… stamina *nil*.

ps. I forgot to mention the fun ‘clicking’ sound in your head when you move your eyes.  whoopie!

Oh, JOY!   Do you use 3-D specs and Dolby-surround for added effect? —           ((((((((((U)))))))))) Michael <muirh…@island.net

   -=| Livin’ on Island Time |=-

Response:

I have    used ALMOST every drug in the previous 50 posts EXCEPT Effexor…Though I may have had a brief stint with that too….I have been on Zoloft now for awhile….The only thing I can say, is I have to make sure to take it as early as possible or it becomes impossible to..you know…I don’t want to be crass…well I do, but I won’t….You know….My Dr said good, It is probably the most exercise u get…:-) Warm Regards and I hope you are all well, Eric Remember Strawberries, Watermellons, Lollipops, Sunshine and Hugs?

Response:

Parnate (Tranylcypromine)  and   Aurorix I used the Aurorix to have a break from the Parnate but I was on it for too long. It didn’t work as well and I was flat for a few months without realizing that I had pretty serious depression while on an anti depressant. Partly it was what was going on. When looking at the two though, Parnate is a much "dirtier" drug but is said to improve the catecholamines, adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine and also serotonin.   (as well as who knows what.)   In the Aurorix information dopamine isn’t mentioned. I wonder if it is *that* which is the really missing ingredient. btw originally it was prescribed for fatigue. At the time I had euphoria rather than depression.  So I wonder about the making of these lists. There is a complication that GPs especially introduce when they prescribed drugs which they know *work* (for some of their patients) for some symptoms. But which aren’t what the authorities or the companies make them for.   eg the new anti epileptic drug which in Australia only people with epilepsy could get as a cheap drug. Others had to pay the full price. (PwMS) keep up the good work Paul,                Linda http://www.ozemail.com.au/~lindafrd/ remove JUNK from address to reply

Response:

Yup, I agree.   I especially hate it when I miss a day, just one day, and I get the withdrawal symptoms, makes you wonder just what’s going on in there eh?  But did you know that MS affects the seratonin levels?  For me that little tidbit, coupled with my history of depression, and the fact that this disease would make anyone depressed, makes me loathe to stop taking anti-depressants. More of a preventative measure.  I know all too well how easily depression can sneak up on you. On Thu, 03 May 2001 16:45:28 GMT, "Diana Calder" <d.r.calder@home

wrote: I want to get off the dam things because of their horrible addictiveness.  I also feel that my body is getting used to them and are finding them not as effective as in the past. They say don’t try to fix whats not broken, but I do think we build up a tolerance to drugs after awhile.

Eliz. _____ There is an angel inside of me whom I am constantly shocking.

Response:

I want to get off the dam things because of their horrible addictiveness.  I also feel that my body is getting used to them and are finding them not as effective as in the past.  They say don’t try to fix whats not broken, but I do think we build up a tolerance to drugs after awhile. <el…@notathome.com

wrote in message

news:3af186d4.9079372@news.cis.dfn.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Eek!  The  most I ever took was 75 mg/day!  I’ve always been > really sensitve to anti-depressants.  After TWO weeks I > managed to get down to 37.5, now I’m phasing down from that. > 4-5 days!?!    Holy crap batman.  That’s way too fast. > Be careful of the tablets – they really burn your guts if > you don’t take with a FULL meal. > Why did you want to stop taking it? > Diane Calder wrote: > >Hi Eliz! > >The doctor tried to wean me off 150 mgs in November over a > >4 0r 5 day period.  I then was to switch to wellbutrin. > >Well! besides feeling extremely nauseated, and a horrible > >sweeping sound in my head, I fell into a major depressive > >episode.  I ended up in the hospital for two weeks with my > >blood pressure all askew. They put me back on Effexor and > >now have increased the dose up to 225 mgs. I didn’t know > >they had the tablet form.  How are you doing weaning off > >Effexor!  Are you being succesful?  Good luck! > >Diana > ><el…@notathome.com

wrote in message

> >news:3af0e13e.47811940@news.cis.dfn.de… > >> Diana Calder wrote: > >> >Paxil, Zoloft, Elavil, Am now on Effexor which I find > >> >great, but hard to wean off of. > >> I too am trying to get off effexor.  I am taking > wellbutrin > >> as well.  Have you tried taking the tablet form of > effexor? > >> You can break the tablets into smaller and smaller pieces > to > >> get off it.  Otherwise the side effects are brutal as you > >> know! > >> Eliz. > >> _____ > >> As God is my witness, I really thought turkeys could fly. > >> (WKRP in Cincinnati) > Eliz. > To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I > had known this some time ago." – Corwin, Sign of the Unicorn

Response:

"Podz" <po.dzDEL…@ntlworld.com

wrote in message

news:9crs0o$f9vfv$1@ID-83140.news.dfncis.de…

Paroxetine (Seroxat)

<snip

1…Prevents ejaculation at high doses

High-dose ejaculation is undesirable? Is that because *both* people would have to sleep in the wet spot? <ducking

—           ((((((((((U)))))))))) Michael <muirh…@island.net

   -=| Livin’ on Island Time |=-

Response:

Eek!  The  most I ever took was 75 mg/day!  I’ve always been really sensitve to anti-depressants.  After TWO weeks I managed to get down to 37.5, now I’m phasing down from that. 4-5 days!?!    Holy crap batman.  That’s way too fast. Be careful of the tablets – they really burn your guts if you don’t take with a FULL meal. Why did you want to stop taking it? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Diane Calder wrote:

Hi Eliz! The doctor tried to wean me off 150 mgs in November over a 4 0r 5 day period.  I then was to switch to wellbutrin. Well! besides feeling extremely nauseated, and a horrible sweeping sound in my head, I fell into a major depressive episode.  I ended up in the hospital for two weeks with my blood pressure all askew. They put me back on Effexor and now have increased the dose up to 225 mgs. I didn’t know they had the tablet form.  How are you doing weaning off Effexor!  Are you being succesful?  Good luck! Diana <el…@notathome.com wrote in message news:3af0e13e.47811940@news.cis.dfn.de… Diana Calder wrote: Paxil, Zoloft, Elavil, Am now on Effexor which I find great, but hard to wean off of. I too am trying to get off effexor.  I am taking

wellbutrin

as well.  Have you tried taking the tablet form of

effexor?

You can break the tablets into smaller and smaller pieces

to

get off it.  Otherwise the side effects are brutal as you know! Eliz. _____ As God is my witness, I really thought turkeys could fly. (WKRP in Cincinnati)

Eliz. To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I had known this some time ago." – Corwin, Sign of the Unicorn

Response:

Eliz! You explained coming off Effexor to a tee!  As far as the libido side effects, Effexor has been the only antidepresant that has not interfered with that subject for myself.  All the others have, especially the prozac family.  Anyway! with M.S., the mind says yes and the body says no, or is the other way around! Diana <el…@notathome.com

wrote in message

news:3af0e9da.50016336@news.cis.dfn.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Michael  wrote: I’m curious here… what *are* the side effects to watch for when kicking Effexor? I remember this feeling of total depersonalization (nothing seemed real, and it was almost as if I was in some sort of a "bubble" that kept the world out,) when kicking a couple of different tricyclics… but never had any difficulty with trazodone or Zoloft. The word ‘discombobulated’ really sums it up.  Turn your head too fast and it feels like your brain has become unhinged.  Stir in a hefty of dose of bed-spin feeling.  I imagine its what a mild concussion would feel like, or a good whollop to the noggin.  effing brutal.  Ten times worse than the symptoms you get when you start taking it. Eliz. _____ As God is my witness, I really thought turkeys could fly. (WKRP in Cincinnati)

Response:

On Thu, 03 May 2001 15:53:14 GMT, "Diana Calder" <d.r.calder@home

wrote: family.  Anyway! with M.S., the mind says yes and the body says no, or is the other way around!

Close.  I believe its "the mind says yes, and the body says f*** off"   Eliz. To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I had known this some time ago." – Corwin, Sign of the Unicorn

Response:

Yup!  that analogy is much more fitting!  Thanks! Diana <el…@notathome.com

wrote in message

news:3af18654.8951432@news.cis.dfn.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

On Thu, 03 May 2001 15:53:14 GMT, "Diana Calder" <d.r.calder@home wrote: family.  Anyway! with M.S., the mind says yes and the body says no, or is the other way around! Close.  I believe its "the mind says yes, and the body says f*** off"   Eliz. To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I had known this some time ago." – Corwin, Sign of the Unicorn

Response:

Hi Eliz! The doctor tried to wean me off 150 mgs in November over a 4 0r 5 day period.  I then was to switch to wellbutrin.  Well! besides feeling extremely nauseated, and a horrible sweeping sound in my head, I fell into a major depressive episode.  I ended up in the hospital for two weeks with my blood pressure all askew. They put me back on Effexor and now have increased the dose up to 225 mgs. I didn’t know they had the tablet form.  How are you doing weaning off Effexor!  Are you being succesful?  Good luck! Diana <el…@notathome.com

wrote in message

news:3af0e13e.47811940@news.cis.dfn.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Diana Calder wrote: Paxil, Zoloft, Elavil, Am now on Effexor which I find great, but hard to wean off of. I too am trying to get off effexor.  I am taking wellbutrin as well.  Have you tried taking the tablet form of effexor? You can break the tablets into smaller and smaller pieces to get off it.  Otherwise the side effects are brutal as you know! Eliz. _____ As God is my witness, I really thought turkeys could fly. (WKRP in Cincinnati)

Response:

"Paul Jones" <Paul_Jo…@btinternet.com

wrote in message

news:3AF09386.6A58CF2F@btinternet.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Hi, I’m preparing a list of medications that people use in MS for my non-profit web site. I’m doing them symptoms by symptom. I’m particularly interested in the brand names as I can always get back to the generic from that and brands vary from country to country. Right now I’m doing anti-depressants. If could people reply to this just saying all the brands of anti-depressant that they have used, even if you’re not using them now, I’d be very grateful. Thanks, Paul http://www.btinternet.com/~ms_pages/

Been on; Prozac (Fluoxetine) Lustral (Sertraline) Dothiepin ( *forgot*) Amitriptylline (generic name) Paroxetine (Seroxat) This latter is the best for me, but has 2 unwelcome effects. 1…Prevents ejaculation at high doses 2…Known withdrawal syndrome ( see www.bnf.org ) HTH, P.

Response:

<el…@notathome.com

wrote …

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Michael  wrote: I’m curious here… what *are* the side effects to watch for when kicking Effexor? I remember this feeling of total depersonalization (nothing seemed real, and it was almost as if I was in some sort of a "bubble" that kept the world out,) when kicking a couple of different tricyclics… but never had any difficulty with trazodone or Zoloft. The word ‘discombobulated’ really sums it up.  Turn your head too fast and it feels like your brain has become unhinged.  Stir in a hefty of dose of bed-spin feeling.  I imagine its what a mild concussion would feel like, or a good whollop to the noggin.  effing brutal.  Ten times worse than the symptoms you get when you start taking it.

I just poked through my little (NOT) book of pills… The description of Effexor’s side effects goes on for two whole *pages* of fine print! Effing brutal, huh?   I’ll pass. —           ((((((((((U)))))))))) Michael <muirh…@island.net

   -=| Livin’ on Island Time |=-

Response:

Michael  wrote:

I’m curious here… what *are* the side effects to watch for when kicking Effexor? I remember this feeling of total depersonalization (nothing seemed real, and it was almost as if I was in some sort of a "bubble" that kept the world out,) when kicking a couple of different tricyclics… but never had any difficulty with trazodone or Zoloft.

The word ‘discombobulated’ really sums it up.  Turn your head too fast and it feels like your brain has become unhinged.  Stir in a hefty of dose of bed-spin feeling.  I imagine its what a mild concussion would feel like, or a good whollop to the noggin.  effing brutal.  Ten times worse than the symptoms you get when you start taking it. Eliz. _____ As God is my witness, I really thought turkeys could fly. (WKRP in Cincinnati)

Response:

Diana Calder wrote:

Paxil, Zoloft, Elavil, Am now on Effexor which I find great, but hard to wean off of.

I too am trying to get off effexor.  I am taking wellbutrin as well.  Have you tried taking the tablet form of effexor? You can break the tablets into smaller and smaller pieces to get off it.  Otherwise the side effects are brutal as you know! Eliz. _____ As God is my witness, I really thought turkeys could fly. (WKRP in Cincinnati)

Response:

<el…@notathome.com

wrote in message news:3af0e13e.47811940@news.cis.dfn.de… Diana Calder wrote: Paxil, Zoloft, Elavil, Am now on Effexor which I find great, but hard to wean off of. I too am trying to get off effexor.  I am taking wellbutrin as well.  Have you tried taking the tablet form of effexor? You can break the tablets into smaller and smaller pieces to get off it.  Otherwise the side effects are brutal as you know!

I’m curious here… what *are* the side effects to watch for when kicking Effexor? I remember this feeling of total depersonalization (nothing seemed real, and it was almost as if I was in some sort of a "bubble" that kept the world out,) when kicking a couple of different tricyclics… but never had any difficulty with trazodone or Zoloft. —           ((((((((((U)))))))))) Michael <muirh…@island.net

   -=| Livin’ on Island Time |=-

Response:

Zoloft, Effexor, Wellbutrin. On Thu, 03 May 2001 00:08:54 +0100, Paul Jones – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<Paul_Jo…@btinternet.com

wrote: Hi, I’m preparing a list of medications that people use in MS

for my

non-profit web site. I’m doing them symptoms by symptom.

I’m

particularly interested in the brand names as I can always

get back to

the generic from that and brands vary from country to

country.

Right now I’m doing anti-depressants. If could people reply to this just saying all the brands of anti-depressant that they have used, even if you’re not

using them now,

I’d be very grateful. Thanks, Paul http://www.btinternet.com/~ms_pages/

Eliz. _____ As God is my witness, I really thought turkeys could fly. (WKRP in Cincinnati)

Response:

Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, Trazedone.  Not using any now.  Didn’t like the so-called "side effects" cc:ng

Response:

Paxil, Zoloft, Elavil, Am now on Effexor which I find great, but hard to wean off of. Diana Paul Jones <Paul_Jo…@btinternet.com

wrote in message

news:3AF09386.6A58CF2F@btinternet.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Hi, I’m preparing a list of medications that people use in MS for my non-profit web site. I’m doing them symptoms by symptom. I’m particularly interested in the brand names as I can always get back to the generic from that and brands vary from country to country. Right now I’m doing anti-depressants. If could people reply to this just saying all the brands of anti-depressant that they have used, even if you’re not using them now, I’d be very grateful. Thanks, Paul http://www.btinternet.com/~ms_pages/

Response:

Hi, I’m preparing a list of medications that people use in MS for my non-profit web site. I’m doing them symptoms by symptom. I’m particularly interested in the brand names as I can always get back to the generic from that and brands vary from country to country. Right now I’m doing anti-depressants. If could people reply to this just saying all the brands of anti-depressant that they have used, even if you’re not using them now, I’d be very grateful. Thanks, Paul http://www.btinternet.com/~ms_pages/

Response:

Question:

Hi all. I was wondering if Wellbutrin is effective. I am taking it cause I have mild depression. What exactly does it do? Any answers can be appreciated. Thanks. Keith

I’ve been on it about 6 weeks, and I think the lack of crashes indicates that it is working.  I’m not happy-happy, but I’m not down too deep to see daylight, either. No intolerable negative side-effects so far…which is a rare thing for me with meds. And I better go pick up that refill (damn the expense) before that changes, I guess… The NyteBard (mail sent to the header address may or may not bounce)

Response:

i’ve been taking wellbutrin for 5 weeks. i still smoke.    i still drink.  i’m still depressed. no good effects.   no bad effects. maybe it’s sitill too soon. mary, sorry i couldn’t help more…. "by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes…"

Response:

Watch for mild rashes with Wellbutrin…..and some measure of temper tantrums….try to work on keeping these in check <thru modifying behavior…..The fog will probably start lifting for you after a few weeks…..drinking and smoking will both lose their fun-value with Wellbutrin… You will probably have some insomnia…..benadryl will help to counteract this effect, tho’…. disclaimer: **I am not a doctor….just a Wellbutrin taker… Rice

Response:

Hi all. I was wondering if Wellbutrin is effective. I am taking it cause I have mild depression. What exactly does it do? Any answers can be appreciated. Thanks. Keith

Gave me a NASTY rash!!!  Watch for skin changes! — Our lives begin to end the day we are silent about things that matter.                                 Martin Luther King, Jr.

Response:

Hi all. I was wondering if Wellbutrin is effective. I am taking it cause I have mild depression. What exactly does it do? Any answers can be appreciated. Thanks. Keith

Response:

..has halved my depression….having some trouble with insomnia, tho’….but some of its ‘other’ <;- side-effects are "bearable"…. Rice

Response:

I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help

I’ve been taking wellbutrin for a while. I actually have days now that I am NOT depressed.  This is new to me.  I actually have energy to take the walk I’ve been meaning to take for over a month.  Wellbutrin is definitly worth a try. Oh yeah,  I’m smoking less too, without trying.                            Shari Lee "That which does not kill us makes us stronger" – Nietzsche

Response:

Very much!  It took a little longer to "kick in" than what I expected and there were some minor side effects, but they went away in two or three weeks and the beneficial effects could be felt in about six weeks.  One other cool thing about it is that Wellbutrin is the same thing as the quit smoking pills that are available so I quit smoking rather painlessly as well!  Be patient and you’ll love it!  Good Luck! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help

Response:

I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help I had some side effects at first and had a tough time waiting for it to kick in. Now that it has, I LOVE it. Nothing has ever worked so well for me before and I haven’t felt this good in years.

Must be nice.

Response:

It’s been miraculous for me. Dan — Deus Ex Machina

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help

Response:

I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help

I had some side effects at first and had a tough time waiting for it to kick in. Now that it has, I LOVE it. Nothing has ever worked so well for me before and I haven’t felt this good in years.

Response:

I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help

Yes and yes. No side effects either (except some mild ones in the first couple weeks)

Response:

I took that once; it gave me the biggest panic attack in my life; my anxiety was so high I couldn’t breathe. Jill – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – it helped me more than anything else i’ve tried. one thing i like about it is that it gives me more energy than i have without it. -lisa I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help

Response:

it helped me more than anything else i’ve tried. one thing i like about it is that it gives me more energy than i have without it. -lisa – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help

Response:

I have just been put on this antidepressant and was wondering if anyone else was taking it and if so did it help

Response:

Has it ever occurred to you that this might be the cause you need professional help? Does your doctor know you are so stupid to ingest that brain corrosion? I don’t know, but if you change one entire life of health for some euphoric moments at your local antro, I do not thing you have even the right to complain or ask anyone to fix you afterwords. ummm…are you *sure* you’re not a troll, teilhard?

I have been under a bit of stress lately, Sarah. That is not an excuse, I know, but one of the things that makes me mad is the lack of care some people give to their brains, the most precious gift we have. Anyway, here I go again: I APOLOGISE Better? — Teilhard The Extraterrestrial

Response:

ok so my doctor put me on Wellbutrin and I have been on it a few days. at first when i took it i would a little lighted for afew minutes and then it would go away real quick and would only happen right after i took a pill. that side effect has stopped and now all i get is the numb tongue, again right after i take a pill and just for a few minutes. it has also seemed to help me sexually but I wont go into that (grin)… any way i have 2 questions and I know the answer is that I shouldnt, but we all know that in reality shouldnt doesnt always work, oh and then i have a 3rd question too… -whats the thoghts about doing ectasy (the dance drug) on wellbutrin

wellbutrin is probably one of the worst ADs to try it with because it lowers your seizure threshold. -is it ok to have one drink once in a while?

my doc said occasional drinking would be okay.  be sure and check your reaction to alcohol when you don’t have to drive.  the meds can increase the alcohol’s effect two-fold. -i am feelign side effects but when i do *I* feel BETTER?

i’ve taken wellbutrin for the past 2 years.  the side effects generally go away after 4-6 weeks.  it took about 12 weeks before i felt better. hope this helps. — Wohali "Those who are enjoying something, or suffering something together, are companions." –C.S. Lewis

Response:

Has it ever occurred to you that this might be the cause you need professional help? Does your doctor know you are so stupid to ingest that brain corrosion? I don’t know, but if you change one entire life of health for some euphoric moments at your local antro, I do not thing you have even the right to complain or ask anyone to fix you afterwords.

ummm…are you *sure* you’re not a troll, teilhard? sarah. — but my faith in love is still devout

Response:

  -whats the thoghts about doing ectasy (the dance drug) Has it ever occurred to you that this might be the cause you need professional help? Does your doctor know you are so stupid to ingest that brain corrosion? I don’t know, but if you change one entire life of health for some euphoric moments at your local antro, I do not thing you have even the right to complain or ask anyone to fix you afterwords. — Teilhard The Extraterrestrial

Response:

As far as alchohol, I was on Wellbutrin for a while and drank with no problems, That’s not saying "you" won’t, as far ecstacy I would’nt even think of mixing the two. ecstacy is a generic name and there a no two pills that are exactly the same. You might take it one day and everthing is fine and the next day you take one from another source and BINGO! an additive in the drug you just took is deadly when mixed with Wellbutrin. Just my point of view. Man in a Shed

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ok so my doctor put me on Wellbutrin and I have been on it a few days. at first when i took it i would a little lighted for afew minutes and then it would go away real quick and would only happen right after i took a pill. that side effect has stopped and now all i get is the numb tongue, again right after i take a pill and just for a few minutes. it has also seemed to help me sexually but I wont go into that (grin)… any way i have 2 questions and I know the answer is that I shouldnt, but we all know that in reality shouldnt doesnt always work, oh and then i have a 3rd question too… -whats the thoghts about doing ectasy (the dance drug) on wellbutrin -is it ok to have one drink once in a while? -i am feelign side effects but when i do *I* feel BETTER?

Response:

ok so my doctor put me on Wellbutrin and I have been on it a few days. at first when i took it i would a little lighted for afew minutes and then it would go away real quick and would only happen right after i took a pill. that side effect has stopped and now all i get is the numb tongue, again right after i take a pill and just for a few minutes. it has also seemed to help me sexually but I wont go into that (grin)… any way i have 2 questions and I know the answer is that I shouldnt, but we all know that in reality shouldnt doesnt always work, oh and then i have a 3rd question too… -whats the thoghts about doing ectasy (the dance drug) on wellbutrin -is it ok to have one drink once in a while? -i am feelign side effects but when i do *I* feel BETTER?

Response:

yes….I have been quicker to anger…on Wellbutrin…..& alot more snippy with everyone…but my deep, gallows depression is now lighter & more manageable…..look out for mild rashes, tho’……buy some Lanacane ™ or Benadryl cream(tm)….to soothe yourself…. Rice

Response:

Hi all. I am currently taking 150 mg of Wellbutrin for my depression. Question: Did anyone that took it experience drastic changes in mood? This happens to me all the time for some reason. One day I will be happy, the next day I am so down it’s pathetic. Does this type of medication do this to a person? I neverread any sort of side effects like that. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you. Keith

Hi Keith, I’m on wellbutrin but I’ve always had mood swings. It’s been a long time since I felt "happiness". But I have started experiencing anger, which is completely out of character for me.  I seem to be expressing emotions greater than before.   That may make no sense at all but it’s just my experience so far. — Eeyore Moo

Response:

Hi all. I am currently taking 150 mg of Wellbutrin for my depression. Question: Did anyone that took it experience drastic changes in mood? This happens to me all the time for some reason. One day I will be happy, the next day I am so down it’s pathetic. Does this type of medication do this to a person? I neverread any sort of side effects like that. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you. Keith

Response:

SchuylerXX, Did you have blood tests that showed the need for the thyroid medication?  Maybe the thyroid problem is a seperate issue from the treatment with Wellbutrin.  Or maybe the wellbutrin effected your thyroid.  It should show up on the correct set of thyroid blood tests. Medication is a very individual affair for sure. CarolR – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My son’s wife would like to know if any of you have information from your personal experiences about the long-term affects of Wellbutrin. I have taken Wellbutrin for 6-7 years, since it first came out, and it has helped me a lot, but still left something to be desired. A year-and-a-half ago, a psychiatrist talked me into trying Cytomel, a thyroid drug, to augment the Wellbutrin, and it has been a big improvement! I now take 100 mg of Wellbutrin, twice a day, (more than that made me too sensitive to loud noises), and 25 mcg (micrograms) of Cytomel. My doc started me on 50 mcg of Cytomel, but it made me anxious and hyper. (I’m very sensitive to some drugs). I don’t believe that you’ll find Cytomel listed in the reference books as a drug to augment Wellbutrin, but many psychiatrists know about this combination, and your doctor should be able to get the necessary info if he or she calls a specialist or two in psychpharmacology (drugs for psychological problems). Feel free to e-mail me about this. Good luck! Schuyler "This is my letter to the World…"              — Emily Dickinson

Response:

My son’s wife would like to know if any of you have information from your personal experiences about the long-term affects of Wellbutrin.

I have taken Wellbutrin for 6-7 years, since it first came out, and it has helped me a lot, but still left something to be desired. A year-and-a-half ago, a psychiatrist talked me into trying Cytomel, a thyroid drug, to augment the Wellbutrin, and it has been a big improvement! I now take 100 mg of Wellbutrin, twice a day, (more than that made me too sensitive to loud noises), and 25 mcg (micrograms) of Cytomel. My doc started me on 50 mcg of Cytomel, but it made me anxious and hyper. (I’m very sensitive to some drugs). I don’t believe that you’ll find Cytomel listed in the reference books as a drug to augment Wellbutrin, but many psychiatrists know about this combination, and your doctor should be able to get the necessary info if he or she calls a specialist or two in psychpharmacology (drugs for psychological problems). Feel free to e-mail me about this. Good luck! Schuyler "This is my letter to the World…"              — Emily Dickinson

Response:

My son’s wife would like to know if any of you have information from your personal experiences about the long-term affects of Wellbutrin. She’s tried lots of meds and is hoping this one works.  Unfortunately she is not online so I’ve been checking out this newsgroup in the hopes of offering her some suggestions.  Thanks for your help!  Alyce

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – SchuylerXX, Did you have blood tests that showed the need for the thyroid medication?  Maybe the thyroid problem is a seperate issue from the treatment with Wellbutrin.  Or maybe the wellbutrin effected your thyroid.  It should show up on the correct set of thyroid blood tests. I have taken Wellbutrin for 6-7 years, since it first came out, and it has helped me a lot, but still left something to be desired. A year-and-a-half ago, a psychiatrist talked me into trying Cytomel, a thyroid drug, to augment the Wellbutrin, and it has been a big improvement! I now take 100 mg of Wellbutrin, twice a day, (more than that made me too sensitive to loud noises), and 25 mcg (micrograms) of Cytomel. My doc started me on 50 mcg of Cytomel, but it made me anxious and hyper. (I’m very sensitive to some drugs). I don’t believe that you’ll find Cytomel listed in the reference books as a drug to augment Wellbutrin, but many psychiatrists know about this combination, and your doctor should be able to get the necessary info if he or she calls a specialist or two in psychpharmacology (drugs for psychological problems).

Dear Carol, My thyroid was normal before and after I started taking Wellbutrin. I take Cytomel only to augment the Wellbutrin. Thanks for asking. P.S. I know, I know: I’m supposed to have left! But I’ll look in *occasionally*.                            ;-) Sincerely, Schuyler "This is my letter to the World…"              — Emily Dickinson

Response:

 My P-doc started me on 25mcg. with my 300mg. of Wellbutrin. I haven’t been suicidal since.  When it kicked in I felt like I did years ago. Connie SchuylerXX wrote in article – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – SchuylerXX, Did you have blood tests that showed the need for the thyroid medication?  Maybe the thyroid problem is a seperate issue from the treatment with Wellbutrin.  Or maybe the wellbutrin effected your thyroid.  It should show up on the correct set of thyroid blood tests. I have taken Wellbutrin for 6-7 years, since it first came out, and it has helped me a lot, but still left something to be desired. A year-and-a-half ago, a psychiatrist talked me into trying Cytomel, a thyroid drug, to augment the Wellbutrin, and it has been a big improvement! I now take 100 mg of Wellbutrin, twice a day, (more than that made me too sensitive to loud noises), and 25 mcg (micrograms) of Cytomel. My doc started me on 50 mcg of Cytomel, but it made me anxious and hyper. (I’m very sensitive to some drugs). I don’t believe that you’ll find Cytomel listed in the reference books as a drug to augment Wellbutrin, but many psychiatrists know about this combination, and your doctor should be able to get the necessary info if he or she calls a specialist or two in psychpharmacology (drugs for psychological problems). Dear Carol, My thyroid was normal before and after I started taking Wellbutrin. I take Cytomel only to augment the Wellbutrin. Thanks for asking. P.S. I know, I know: I’m supposed to have left! But I’ll look in *occasionally*.                           Sincerely, Schuyler "This is my letter to the World…"             — Emily Dickinson

Response:

[posted and emailed] i’m lookig for AS MUCH information/ stories / anecdotes / yada yada on the Wellbutrin pill. i started it and within days i had an incredible increase in appetite and violent tendencies, abrupt yelling, etc.

with those symptoms, call the pdoc immediately and discontinue it  - you’re like me when i was taking it…… "Dark Prism" – My personality refracts darkly through the serotonigenic spectrum. "There is no dark side of the moon.  As a matter of fact, it’s all dark." Thomas A. Ott — ottthoma (at) pipeline.com – [3 t's in ottthoma!!!] http://www.geocities.com/~ottthoma — main site http://www.geocities.com/~ottthoma/depression/index.html—– depression site http://www.geocities.com/~ottthoma/depression/sjw.html —— st. john’s wort stuff

Response:

Need more info? -300 mg/day of the slow release stuff gives me severe stomache aches once or twice a week. -sometimes it makes me anxious -and other times does nothing for me i.e. (spent all of last night slashing my wrist) — For more information about this service, send e-mail to:

Response:

i’m lookig for AS MUCH information/ stories / anecdotes / yada yada on the Wellbutrin pill. i started it and within days i had an incredible increase in appetite = and violent tendencies, abrupt yelling, etc.

Everything I’ve heard says few people have side effects and most of them are very minor. I, on the other hand, hallucinated, could not sleep, had the shakes so bad I could barely hold a glass, etc….. YMMV — For more information about this service, send e-mail to:

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i’m lookig for AS MUCH information/ stories / anecdotes / yada yada on the Wellbutrin pill. i started it and within days i had an incredible increase in appetite and violent tendencies, abrupt yelling, etc. You can chew them up and swish around in your mouth.  Swallow. Now your whole mouth and throat will be numb.  Pretty neat huh?  Other than the recreational distraction this phenomenon offered, I got nothing out of Wellbutrin.  I had to take a few milligrams of Xanax with them just to keep from going CRRAAZZYYYY.  Whoops…too late.  Shit. I’ve been on Wellbutrin for a month now and have found myself with a few

side effects.  I have found myslef more aggressive, I’m usually a quiet, shy person. Have extreme trouble sleeping, only getting two or three hours a night and no naps during the day.  It has given me energy, to much at times.  Made me feel real great the first week or two but now the good effects aren’t as strong. My Doc says if I can’t start getting some sleep he will give me some sleeping pills, just what I need another pill. Madmax, "Life’s a bitch then you Die"

Response:

I’ve tried Zoloft, Prozac, Effexor, and am now upping my Wellbutin dosage while easing off with the Effexor.  I’m also on lithobid to boost the antidepressant effect and Buspar to cut anxiety.  When I first increased the Wellbutrin dosage it gave me some good effects, but I had bad mood swings pretty soon after. I’ve been fooling around with meds for four years with one break of a few months and still haven’t found a combination that truly works. Wellbutrin hasn’t given me many bad side effects…..  Upping the Effexor made me gain weight so fast I got stretch marks.  I also had dry mouth, constipation, spacy or tired feelings, occasional dizziness, and an increased heart rate.  I don’t have any of that with Wellbutrin.  At first I had some nausea especially when my blood sugar got low, but that’s worn off.  Never tried the crunching and swishing technique:  I think I can skip a numb mouth, and anyway my pills are big ones.                                          Another pill popper,    KaraG

Response:

i’m lookig for AS MUCH information/ stories / anecdotes / yada yada on the Wellbutrin pill. i started it and within days i had an incredible increase in appetite and violent tendencies, abrupt yelling, etc. You can chew them up and swish around in your mouth.  Swallow. Now your whole mouth and throat will be numb.  Pretty neat huh?  Other than the recreational distraction this phenomenon offered, I got nothing out of Wellbutrin.  I had to take a few milligrams of Xanax with them just to keep from going CRRAAZZYYYY.  Whoops…too late.  Shit.

Taken in prescribed dosage did absolutely nothing for me.  Taking 80 in a period of 2 hours made me sick and I was quite pissed when I woke up alive. Hexe

Response:

Funny you should mention . . . . Wellbutrin .  Not good for me – all I did was cry and cry ALL day.  Alot of pain in my ears – was greatly relieved to go off – switched back to Zoloft, which has a few side effects I don’t like, but I can stay alive with.

Coming off Zoloft made me cry all day WITHOUT taking wellbutrin.  Are you sure it was WB and not Zoloft comedown.  When I come off SSRIs I get all teary and sappy.  I know it’s different than returning depression, because when depressed I couldn’t cry to save my life. "Time never started at all.  Chaos never died.    The Empire was never founded.  We are not  now & never have been slaves to the past or  hostages to the future,"                           Hakim Bey

Response:

i’m lookig for AS MUCH information/ stories / anecdotes / yada yada on the Wellbutrin pill. i started it and within days i had an incredible increase in appetite and violent tendencies, abrupt yelling, etc.

You can chew them up and swish around in your mouth.  Swallow. Now your whole mouth and throat will be numb.  Pretty neat huh?  Other than the recreational distraction this phenomenon offered, I got nothing out of Wellbutrin.  I had to take a few milligrams of Xanax with them just to keep from going CRRAAZZYYYY.  Whoops…too late.  Shit. "Time never started at all.  Chaos never died.    The Empire was never founded.  We are not  now & never have been slaves to the past or  hostages to the future,"                           Hakim Bey

Response:

Hi:  I’m interested in getting some information from others on their experiences with different medications.  I was diagnosed in August and prescribed Zoloft – 50 mg daily.  Three weeks ago I saw my doctor and told her that I wanted to change medication, as the Zoloft was just not doing anything.  She switched me to Prozak 20mg daily.  I feel worse now than on the Zoloft.  No real side effects – just blank.  I’d love to have a positive feeling about something, anything; just a positive feeling of any kind.  I’ve found that on the Prozak I tend to have occasional feelings of deep sadness, for no reason – like after I go to the grocery store.  I don’t remember having those on Zoloft.  Anybody have any experiences to share?  How many of you have been switched around on medications, before anything worked for you? Thanks for your input. Susan

Response:

i’m lookig for AS MUCH information/ stories / anecdotes / yada yada on the Wellbutrin pill. i started it and within days i had an incredible increase in appetite and violent tendencies, abrupt yelling, etc.

Funny you should mention . . . . Wellbutrin .  Not good for me – all I did was cry and cry ALL day.  Alot of pain in my ears – was greatly relieved to go off – switched back to Zoloft, which has a few side effects I don’t like, but I can stay alive with.

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i started it and within days i had an incredible increase in appetite and violent tendencies, abrupt yelling, etc.

same here….and within a few days i always woke up nauseated but eating usually (but not always) helped…. interesting tho…i ate a lot….but i never gained any weight…. caer <who is off wellbutrin now and really depressed and god help you if you are a phoenix and you dare rise up from the ash a thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy while you are just flying back                                    -ani difranco

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i’m lookig for AS MUCH information/ stories / anecdotes / yada yada on the Wellbutrin pill. i started it and within days i had an incredible increase in appetite and violent tendencies, abrupt yelling, etc.

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Do you think you are still experiencing depression and/or anxiety. I’m not a doctor and agree you should report these symptoms to your MD. I’m aware that emotions like stress and anxiety often manifest themselves as physical symptoms such as the ones you describe. I’ve been taking wellbutrin for some time now. Currently I’m 6 weeks or so into stopping tranquilizers which I’d been prescribed for 14 years. Because of this it’s difficult to know what exactly, and in what proportion, to attribute my moods, however, despite the wellbutrin I still feel depressed and anxious. I’m quite sure the wellbutrin is keeping me from the devastating levels of depression which we’re all to familiar with. I know I’m running on but just wanted to share my experiences with you. Keep up the fight! CG – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – it for quite a while now but I experience bad mood swings and my chest is always hurting me, like burning or something. Is this supposed to be a side effect or it could be anxiety? I have no idea. I need some insight. Any help at all will be appreciated, thank you. You’re supposed to report chest pains to the prescribing physician. Right away, no delay.

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it for quite a while now but I experience bad mood swings and my chest is always hurting me, like burning or something. Is this supposed to be a side effect or it could be anxiety? I have no idea. I need some insight. Any help at all will be appreciated, thank you.

You’re supposed to report chest pains to the prescribing physician. Right away, no delay.

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No chest pains for me, but I definitely have the mood swings. More correctly, I have occasional, *intense* emotions at each end of the spectrum. I can be REALLY motivated, or I can be a presure-cooker ready to explode. Stil, W’s been the best AD for me so far. I tried Zoloft (did nothing for me) and Paxil (worked for me for only two weeks before ‘pooping out’ on me. I’m also on Buspar for anxiety. Hope that helps. Owl – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all. I am currently taking 350 mg of Wellbutrin. One pill in the morning, one pill at night. What does everyone think about this drug? I have been taking it for quite a while now but I experience bad mood swings and my chest is always hurting me, like burning or something. Is this supposed to be a side effect or it could be anxiety? I have no idea. I need some insight. Any help at all will be appreciated, thank you. Keith

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Hi all. I am currently taking 350 mg of Wellbutrin. One pill in the morning, one pill at night. What does everyone think about this drug? I have been taking it for quite a while now but I experience bad mood swings and my chest is always hurting me, like burning or something. Is this supposed to be a side effect or it could be anxiety? I have no idea. I need some insight. Any help at all will be appreciated, thank you. Keith

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Hi, there, I’ve taken Wellbutrin and it worked for a while but (like w/every other med) I had to keep increasing dose. Going higher than 450mg/day is NOT allowed. Also, be careful re: the 6-8 space between doses.  Any shorter time lapse can be harmful (possibly seizures could occur). Talk to your Dr. about this not working at this dose and I wish you good health. Cece CelestialSurvivor "There are no problems,  they are only  solutions that haven’t been found yet"  :me "Somedays you get the elevator,  somedays you get the shaft." :someone else

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For years I had taken Prozac and approximately 6-8 months ago I fell into deep depression.  At the recomendation of my doctor he suggested that I go to a psychiatrist.  I fought this for awhile and then decided it was do something or die.  The doctor changed my medicing to zoloft which I could not take then to Wellbutrin.  He started me on 150mg a day changed it to 150mg twice a day atleast eight hours apart.  It has helped greatly but I still have a prssimistic outlook and cry at the bat of a hat.  He is going to up my dosage again to 400mg a day.  If this does no improve my condition he will try adding (possible) a small amount of prozac along with the Wellbutrin.  All this to say that there are a lot of different ways to work with these medication.  Find you a good doctor who is schooled in the use of these drugs.  There is help.

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that it is working well. Does somebody have experience with this drug and what is a suitable alternative and dosage. Commments appreciatied… -=Patrick=-

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – /Hi anyone and/or everyone. /My name is Chuck and I have (I guess) Dystonia… It SUCKS!!! /I agree, Chuck, Dystonia does Suck:) /The thing is… Do I really have it or something else? /I have tremors of the; Head, trunk, arms, hands, legs, feet; /basically my whole body is shaky at one point or another. Mainly the /tremors are in my neck and hands. I have constant twitching. It also /seems the /more I do physically the worse the tremors get. It makes /walking difficult at imes or doing too much of anything. I’ve had all above symptoms but by stages. Now I am left with essential tremor and it’s annoying. /I have other problems my old /Neuropsych couldn’t pin point to anything. I have memory problems; /long and short term. I have headaches 24/7, with severe ones that I /take meds for. I have very poor eyesight now do to the tremors(?) /(bi-optical sight. One eye is near-sighted, the other far-sighted). I can related to long term memory lost, it is due to treatment for depression twenty years ago. Some of the prescriptions  you are taking are probably the cause of your memory lost, Chuck. It’s a common complaint with us on a.s.d. /the Botox shots. It did nothing… My Doc retired last year and /haven’t seen anyone new yet… just was wonder if I could get any / / opinions this way. You should write to the DMRF, Chuck, and ask them for the name of a competent neurologist, one who has an office in your city. Address, the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, /BTW: I’m 33y/o, married, 2 kids and 1 one the way… which in itself /should be interesting… I stay at home, recieve S.S.D.I., been /trying to find ways to support family with this condition. /Thanks for your time…. Chuck Regards, Gene

Thanks for your input Gene. Yes a good Doc is hard to find. I went through the state and supposedly I had the best Doc in Wisconsin. She was stumped, along with other colleags. That was at a medical college in WI. About the memory loss/depression drugs theory: I’ve asked the Doc about that in the past. Also about the drugs as a kid; Legal and illegal. Also asked about the many severe head injuries I’ve had in the past, and she says none of those things are a factor. I’ve had 2 or 3 Neurophsych evaluations and they only have gotten worse. I still think it could be lots of factors in my life that may or maynot have caused the tremors. But that’s not my concern. I just want the damb shit to go away. I can’t take much more. DMRF. Thanks for your thought… Chuck

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I sure wish that you could live a day or two in my shoes ; as I really think that your suffering needs a break  Like Gene, I do know the pain with this condition .To Bonnie and Chuck I hope that there is an answer just around the bend, I’m sure there is an answer, just hold on and take it one step at a time .Sometimes finding the right doctor is half the battle.Never give up, as tomorrow is a new day .       gary:

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Welcome, Chuck! I agree with Gene about finding a good dr. (movement disorder specialist) through the DMRF.  You need a definite diagnosis (did I just say that?! ha..ha…).   I say that, Chuck, because many of us with this disorder went many years without a diagnosis.  Alot of drs. have not heard of it.

Yes, that’s so true. It took me a few years before someone realized that something wasn’t mentaly wrong with me. It wasn’t just stress, nor depression. The tremors only get worse when those 2 happen. Nope, just a darn brain disorder (dystonia). Isn’t that all the same area anyway…. That’s why some old friends think I’m just nuts or faking it all… whatever… I wish. I understand about your tremors.  I also have them although not constant now due to the meds. I am on.  I have had generalized dystonia since I was a child; now 43.  That means it affects more than one part of my body.  I am on SSD.  That was hard to give up a career so early in life.

Yes I understand about giving up things in life. I have a degree that is of no use anymore. I can’t run and play with my kids anymore(I cheat on that when I’m having a better day… ) I’ve given up going in public too much; given up having great sex with the wife…. … ah…. never mind, just babbling…. Hope things work out for you and let us know more about yourself. Good luck and take care. Bonnie in TX Hi anyone and/or everyone. My name is Chuck and I have (I guess) Dystonia… It SUCKS!!!

Thanx Bonnie in TX(the longhorn state eh) below here is for general public viewing pleasure… what….. oh… BTW, to those who seem to think I need herbal or health stuff to heal; don’t bother wasting my time, nor yours. I hate any type of nonsence pedaling… you know who I mean, yes you… the one who e-mailed me on that URL to go to. No Thanx

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I sure wish that you could live a day or two in my shoes ; as I really think that your suffering needs a break  Like Gene, I do know the pain with this condition .To Bonnie and Chuck I hope that there is an answer just around the bend, I’m sure there is an answer, just hold on and take it one step at a time .Sometimes finding the right doctor is half the battle.Never give up, as tomorrow is a new day .       gary:

Thanx for the thought gary. Sure there are answers… THe experimental brain stimulator thingies they are doing lately. The ones that shock some part of the lower brain to stop the tremors. but it’s only worked in a few cases I’ve heard of and simple ones at that. But yes… I understand…. You are right tomorrow is a new day. They go by so quick for me these days. As I just do the few things that I can still somewhat do… If I don’t forget…  :)

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Chuck nice to hear from you.    I myself have never had this type of thing happen to me . Head snaps yes but this no . I write mainly on my own experiences with S.T  .       It is my hope that some one will read this and reply .    Be careful of the word dystonia . I suggest you look up its meaning . Dystonia is very wide ranging and includes many things .What I have is in reality SPASMODIC TORTICOLLIS (CERVICAL DYSTONIA).Yet I am said to have simply DYSTONIA.    gary:  P.S I WILL do my best to find info if others do not answer. Hi anyone and/or everyone. My name is Chuck and I have (I guess) Dystonia… It SUCKS!!! The thing is… Do I really have it or something else? I have tremors of the; Head, trunk, arms, hands, legs, feet; basically my whole body is shaky at one point or another. Mainly the tremors are in my neck and hands. I have constant twitching.

Yes, yes… the meaning… Oh how I’ve looked up and tried studying dystonia, tremors, CP, and the such. I’ve come to the conclusion no one realy knows what they are doing in or with the brain. I’ve been classified and reclassified and still they don’t know for sure… They are all befuddeled… is that a word? whatever… yes it is a strange world; the brain… Anyway… thanx for your input. Chuck

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Hi Chuck, My husband was diagnosed yesterday with this – he’s never had any problem before – Neuro Dr. thinks related to medication reaction?? Only thing is he hasn’t taken anything unusual or different recently??   We’ll see, I guess. Gave him 50 cc’s Benedryl – sent us home.  Okay since. He said his throat started being real sore, but not like you would have usually with cold,  then the next day when he tried to work on cabinets in shop, his mouth, bottom jaw, started drawing, so much it was painful and he couldn’t open his mouth or hardly talk. Said he would lie down and it would cease somewhat.  Get up start working, happened again and again.   He is 46 yrs. old, sees well,  and no other tremors.  Never know what kind of condition we can get in, do we?  Will keep you in my prayers as well. Take care, Mrs. Bond

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CHUCK HANG IN THERE, THERE WILL BE A CURE ONE DAY AND GOD I HOPE IT IS SOON. THIS ISN’T EVEN LIVING.  SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What does the Botox do for you or anyone? It had NO effect on me… bad or good. Used to be the life of parties huh? I can relate… Yes I too had to give up work and many other things in life. Just sucks huh… What’s even worse is I hate to not keep busy; which is hard when I can do so little now days… I have found something that reducess my stress levels and some tremors and such but alas it is not legal in my state yet… I only know of 5 US states allowing it for medical use. I still have the bad days, but it helps me on the really tuff days. Chuck A young lady mentioned that Botox injections were not working for her.  Her sister advised her to change doctor for a more experienced one.  She is most satisfied with Botoxin now and wouldn’t do without it.

I know… I still have to find a new Doc, since my last one left the business. Anyone know any good ones in S.E. Wisconsin? S.T. flares up for five/six years, that has been my experience with the syndrome, and the pain one experience during this period  indescribable.  Then, it slowly dissipates and your quality of life becomes  much better. Like a bad storm, S.T.’s fury alleviates on its own.

I’m sorry… S.T.??? I didn’t right that one down. My memory is terible… Dissipates??? I’ve had my disability for almost all my life… It was just almost 4 years ago now they got much worse. I have good days and bad days; then I have them really shitty ones, where I could blow the world up just to end the pain. But alas… today is a not too bad a day… thank goodness… best day in over a month!!! In the meantime, you could try Baclofen, Tens (S.P.?), hot packs, hot baths, and anything to take your mind away from the pain, say a musical instrument, hobby, etc.

Tens? Have tried Baclofen… yes did the hot bath the other night… helped somewhat. The weather was nice today(58 degrees), so I opened up the windows, grabbed some fresh air, then turned on my amp and played my guitar… felt nice for once… (just wish I could remember the notes better nowadays…) Don’t be shy to talk with us, fight with us,<<g laugh with us and cry with us. Gene

Oh, If I don’t forget about the disability; I’ll be here for a while…   Chuck

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CHUCK I HAVE DYSTONIA TOO AND I HAD TO QUIT WORK.  I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU ARE  MAKING IT.  I GET 3 BOTTLES OF BOTOX EVERY 3 MONTHS AND AM HORRIBLE IN ABOUT  3 WEEKS.  THIS HORRIBLE DISEASE CAUSES SO MUCH PAIN, I AM MISERABLE AND TO THINK I USED TO BE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY. TORTI 24 @  AOL.COM

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So good of you to answer with an experience thanks .I was 45 when I got S T             gary: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Chuck, My husband was diagnosed yesterday with this – he’s never had any problem

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Has anyone ever experienced a loss of balance, difficulty in standing motionless, difficulty in – for example – standing unsupported in a queue in a shopping mall – since getting dystonia? and if so has this ever been seen as part of dystonia or something unrelated? thanks chris

Hi Chris, It’s been a while.  How are you? The loss of balance because of Dystonia is a subject that’s been discussed by a.s.d. members who have this problem.  I suspect they will be contacting you shortly, as soon as their server picks up your post. Regards, Gene

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YES; I have, but I usually feel it is because of other things. Stuffed up and a cold, over tired ,fever, ear infection ,sinus infection, ect, but this is not to say it is not dystonia related .In this case I would say you should look at other things first as hearing is your balance (correct?).     gary: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone ever experienced a loss of balance, difficulty in standing motionless, difficulty in – for example – standing unsupported in a queue in a shopping mall – since getting dystonia? and if so has this ever been seen as part of dystonia or something unrelated? thanks chris

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Has anyone ever experienced a loss of balance, difficulty in standing motionless, difficulty in – for example – standing unsupported in a queue in a shopping mall – since getting dystonia? and if so has this ever been seen as part of dystonia or something unrelated? thanks chris

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Welcome, Chuck! I agree with Gene about finding a good dr. (movement disorder specialist) through the DMRF.  You need a definite diagnosis (did I just say that?! ha..ha…).   I say that, Chuck, because many of us with this disorder went many years without a diagnosis.  Alot of drs. have not heard of it. I understand about your tremors.  I also have them although not constant now due to the meds. I am on.  I have had generalized dystonia since I was a child; now 43.  That means it affects more than one part of my body.  I am on SSD.  That was hard to give up a career so early in life. Hope things work out for you and let us know more about yourself. Good luck and take care. Bonnie in TX – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi anyone and/or everyone. My name is Chuck and I have (I guess) Dystonia… It SUCKS!!! The thing is… Do I really have it or something else? I have tremors of the; Head, trunk, arms, hands, legs, feet; basically my whole body is shaky at one point or another. Mainly the tremors are in my neck and hands. I have constant twitching. It also seems the more I do physically the worse the tremors get. It makes walking difficult at times or doing too much of anything. I have other problems my old Neuropsych couldn’t pin point to anything. I have memory problems; long and short term. I have headaches 24/7, with severe ones that I take meds for. I have very poor eyesight now do to the tremors(?) (bi-optical sight. One eye is near-sighted, the other far-sighted). I used to have a very high I.Q., now I’m told I’m borderline retarded in most areas. Mainly I think because of the memory problems. I have equalibrium problems also. I’ve always been shaky since I was a kid, but the condition got severe a few years ago when I started having severe seisure type tremors. Which I still get on occasion. Where all my insides and outside seemed to tighten up and twitch sort of thing. I knew what was going on around me but couldn’t talk or open my eyes. Anyway… I’ve had ALL the tests they have(everything comes back normal, whatever that is), plus I’ve about tried every med they could think of. Yes even the Botox shots. It did nothing… My Doc retired last year and haven’t seen anyone new yet… just was wonder if I could get any opinions this way. BTW: I’m 33y/o, married, 2 kids and 1 one the way… which in itself should be interesting… I stay at home, recieve S.S.D.I., been trying to find ways to support family with this condition. Thanks for your time…. Chuck

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/Hi anyone and/or everyone. /My name is Chuck and I have (I guess) Dystonia… It SUCKS!!! /I agree, Chuck, Dystonia does Suck:) /The thing is… Do I really have it or something else? /I have tremors of the; Head, trunk, arms, hands, legs, feet; /basically my whole body is shaky at one point or another. Mainly the /tremors are in my neck and hands. I have constant twitching. It also /seems the /more I do physically the worse the tremors get. It makes /walking difficult at imes or doing too much of anything. I’ve had all above symptoms but by stages. Now I am left with essential tremor and it’s annoying. /I have other problems my old /Neuropsych couldn’t pin point to anything. I have memory problems; /long and short term. I have headaches 24/7, with severe ones that I /take meds for. I have very poor eyesight now do to the tremors(?) /(bi-optical sight. One eye is near-sighted, the other far-sighted). I can related to long term memory lost, it is due to treatment for depression twenty years ago. Some of the prescriptions  you are taking are probably the cause of your memory lost, Chuck.   It’s a common complaint with us on a.s.d.   /the Botox shots. It did nothing… My Doc retired last year and /haven’t seen anyone new yet… just was wonder if I could get any / / opinions this way. You should write to the DMRF, Chuck, and ask them for the name of a competent neurologist, one who has an office in your city. Address, the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, /BTW: I’m 33y/o, married, 2 kids and 1 one the way… which in itself /should be interesting… I stay at home, recieve S.S.D.I., been /trying to find ways to support family with this condition. /Thanks for your time…. Chuck Regards, Gene

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Chuck nice to hear from you.    I myself have never had this type of thing happen to me . Head snaps yes but this no . I write mainly on my own experiences with S.T  .       It is my hope that some one will read this and reply .    Be careful of the word dystonia . I suggest you look up its meaning . Dystonia is very wide ranging and includes many things .What I have is in reality SPASMODIC TORTICOLLIS (CERVICAL DYSTONIA).Yet I am said to have simply DYSTONIA.    gary:  P.S I WILL do my best to find info if others do not answer. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi anyone and/or everyone. My name is Chuck and I have (I guess) Dystonia… It SUCKS!!! The thing is… Do I really have it or something else? I have tremors of the; Head, trunk, arms, hands, legs, feet; basically my whole body is shaky at one point or another. Mainly the tremors are in my neck and hands. I have constant twitching.

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Hi anyone and/or everyone. My name is Chuck and I have (I guess) Dystonia… It SUCKS!!! The thing is… Do I really have it or something else? I have tremors of the; Head, trunk, arms, hands, legs, feet; basically my whole body is shaky at one point or another. Mainly the tremors are in my neck and hands. I have constant twitching. It also seems the more I do physically the worse the tremors get. It makes walking difficult at times or doing too much of anything. I have other problems my old Neuropsych couldn’t pin point to anything. I have memory problems; long and short term. I have headaches 24/7, with severe ones that I take meds for. I have very poor eyesight now do to the tremors(?) (bi-optical sight. One eye is near-sighted, the other far-sighted). I used to have a very high I.Q., now I’m told I’m borderline retarded in most areas. Mainly I think because of the memory problems. I have equalibrium problems also. I’ve always been shaky since I was a kid, but the condition got severe a few years ago when I started having severe seisure type tremors. Which I still get on occasion. Where all my insides and outside seemed to tighten up and twitch sort of thing. I knew what was going on around me but couldn’t talk or open my eyes. Anyway… I’ve had ALL the tests they have(everything comes back normal, whatever that is), plus I’ve about tried every med they could think of. Yes even the Botox shots. It did nothing… My Doc retired last year and haven’t seen anyone new yet… just was wonder if I could get any opinions this way. BTW: I’m 33y/o, married, 2 kids and 1 one the way… which in itself should be interesting… I stay at home, recieve S.S.D.I., been trying to find ways to support family with this condition. Thanks for your time…. Chuck

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Has anyone ever experienced a loss of balance, difficulty in standing motionless, difficulty in – for example – standing unsupported in a queue in a shopping mall – since getting dystonia? and if so has this ever been seen as part of dystonia or something unrelated? thanks chris Hi Chris, It’s been a while.  How are you?

Not good. Balance probs which means that as a teacher, my job is on the line…. The loss of balance because of Dystonia is a subject that’s been discussed by a.s.d. members who have this problem.  I suspect they will be contacting you shortly, as soon as their server picks up your post. Regards, Gene

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Now here is one I can say happens to me . I always feel it is because i’m too close .Well maybe not . Maybe I walk crooked .Got me thinking         gary:

 when I am walking beside someone I constantly run – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – into them.  I just walk crooked!     Bonnie in TX T

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Sue have you emptied your mail box lately a RETURNED letter said it was full.     gary: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Chris, I have balance problems exactly like Cathy has.  When I go from sitting to standing and when I am walking beside someone I constantly run into them.  I just walk crooked!    Yes, I do believe it is the dystonia.  But, now put me on a horse and watch me go.   How do you stay on a horse?  Balance!   Weird, huh? Bonnie in TX – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – writes: Has anyone ever experienced a loss of balance, difficulty in standing motionless, difficulty in – for example – standing unsupported in a queue in a shopping mall – since getting dystonia? and if so has this ever been seen as part of dystonia or something unrelated? thanks chris

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Has anyone ever experienced a loss of balance, difficulty in standing motionless, difficulty in – for example – standing unsupported in a queue in a shopping mall – since getting dystonia? and if so has this ever been seen as part of dystonia or something unrelated? thanks chris

I can say yes to all… Not just standing up, but also just standing. That is why when I walk, I walk with the aid of useing my toes for balance. That is why I don’t do much walking. Some days I use my cane, when ever I know I’m going to be walking any distance I rent a wheel chair. It’s just too hard otherwise. My old  Neuro said yes this is because of Dystonia. Hope this help…   Chuck

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I have some balance problems which are neurological in nature ("dystonic" in an extremely loose application of the word, I guess) and some which are probably inner-ear related.  Sigh. Amy. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone ever experienced a loss of balance, difficulty in standing motionless, difficulty in – for example – standing unsupported in a queue in a shopping mall – since getting dystonia? and if so has this ever been seen as part of dystonia or something unrelated? thanks chris

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Chris, I can not find the study off hand but let me try to refresh your memory.    I wrote you about a balance study that was being done in the UK.  You wrote me that very day and said that was where you were having your botox that day!  It was when you went through London during Princess Di"s funeral…. Maybe something is still going on with this study.   I  think you could ask if anybody that has dystonia does not lose their balance and you might get a more definitive answer<G Sue

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writes: Has anyone ever experienced a loss of balance, difficulty in standing motionless, difficulty in – for example – standing unsupported in a queue in a shopping mall – since getting dystonia? and if so has this ever been seen as part of dystonia or something unrelated? thanks chris

Chris, When I first got dystonia the balance problems began. It has gotten worse, which the neuro. had noticed. It is dystonia related.  I have had this for over 10 yrs.   Standing up, it may take 2 to 3 times in getting up from a sitting position to standing.  I did that a long time ago, then it stopped and now its back again.   Standing motionless…yes and no to that one. Its hard to answer as it depends what is going on around me.  The mall can be bad due to tile going from an all white area to a dark area, which sets things off. Majority of time, I would say yes to some degree of a balance problem going from sitting to standing.  But I have been doing this at the mall. When walking with Ted, I will tend to walk at an angle …rather than straight ahead, in the middle of the area, I will walk off the path and end up against the side of a store. (kind of hard to explain) Hope that helps. Cathy

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Question:

The following link is with a collection of links about poisonous plants: http://www.ScienceOxygen.com/botany95.html It does not provide any answer directly. But you might start from there to check the associated information.

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Hi All, I have been paging through the various seed catalogs and have seen a wide variety of flowers I’d love to grow.  I have been disappointed in many cases when I saw that Thompson & Morgan listed them as "poisonous".

Don’t be disappointed, it’s a fact that many plants are poisonous, and T&M are simply helping remind the reader of the fact. Two or three seeds of Ricinus can kill a child if eaten, and Aconitum plant fluids are very deadly, as may be the seeds as well. On the other hand, it would take eating a lot of Datura to kill anybody. Most of the buttercup family are fairly poisonous (Aconites, Ranunculus, Trollius, etc.). There are so many plants that are poisonous, though fewer are quickly fatal at small dosages, that it is not really feasible to eliminate them from one’s garden. I would avoid planting Castor beans and Aconites around children’s playgrounds, though, especially, and perhaps some other plants. It is generally wise to teach all children never to put any plants in their mouths. When I was a kid I remember sucking on honeysuckles and stuff we called ’sourgrass’ and lots of other things, with no ill effects. But kids may experiment beyond what local lore has as ‘edible’. Sucking the juice out of the friendly looking Lily of the Valley can be deadly.

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I have been paging through the various seed catalogs and have seen a wide variety of flowers I’d love to grow.  I have been disappointed in many cases when I saw that Thompson & Morgan listed them as "poisonous". This is the case for datura, sweet peas, four o’ clocks, many varieties of nicotiana and others.  Other catalogs (Burpees, Select Seeds, WFF) do not give a similar warning for many of the flowers.  I’m not a toxicologist and have no way of knowing how "poisonous" these plants are. Can anyone shed some light on this subject?

Steve, When a plant is labeled as poisonous, the level of toxicity may not be known.  The range could be anything from deadly to just causing a mild rash. The toxicity of the plant should be considered in two major areas. The first deals with children and animals.  If you have children, they may come in contact, or even ingest, the plants in your garden.  The same is true for pets or farm animals.  The presence of poisonous plants needs to be considered. The second area of concern deals with the gardener’s safety.  Direct contact with the plants may cause negative effects.  Taking precautions like long sleeves and gloves may be all it takes.  The warning of being poisonous in the catalog may be just a flag for you to be careful. If toxicity is a concern before you buy, check out exactly what level of poisoning your dealing with on the plants and flowers you are considering.   For a general guide to toxicity of plants, check out "Take Care With Plants" at –          http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/poison_control/plants.html This is part of the internet edition The Poison Center Answer Book prepared by the University of California, Davis, Medical Center (UCDMC) Regional Poison Control Center. Hope this helps.  Good luck with your garden. Marc

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Hi All, I have been paging through the various seed catalogs and have seen a wide variety of flowers I’d love to grow.  I have been disappointed in many cases when I saw that Thompson & Morgan listed them as "poisonous". This is the case for datura, sweet peas, four o’ clocks, many varieties of nicotiana and others.  Other catalogs (Burpees, Select Seeds, WFF) do not give a similar warning for many of the flowers.  I’m not a toxicologist and have no way of knowing how "poisonous" these plants are. Can anyone shed some light on this subject? Steve Cook Macungie, PA USDA

Many of the plants referred to as ‘poisonous’ are not very toxic. Some, like holly or mistletoe, will cause a mild stomach ache or the like.  Those plants that are very toxic should be considered carefully.  It is confusing when many varieties of plants are categorized as being toxic or poisonous when most of them aren’t really poisonous enough to be of any consequence.  If you have any doubt, ask a nurseryman in your area for advice.  For reference some common plants which are highly toxic are as follows:         Dieffenbachia         Oleander         Rhubarb (green parts of leaves)         Digitalis (foxgloves)         some cacti         most Solanum sp.         Datura (angel’s trumpets)         You should also consider that many plants with milky sap are also very toxic, as are the pits of many fruits (cyanide).  Even the rinds of some fruits like passion fruit have been found to be toxic enough for consideration.  Likewise, some plants often listed as poisonous, but not much so are as follows:         Philodendron         Grasses         Ficus

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Hi All, I have been paging through the various seed catalogs and have seen a wide variety of flowers I’d love to grow.  I have been disappointed in many cases when I saw that Thompson & Morgan listed them as "poisonous". This is the case for datura, sweet peas, four o’ clocks, many varieties of nicotiana and others.  Other catalogs (Burpees, Select Seeds, WFF) do not give a similar warning for many of the flowers.  I’m not a toxicologist and have no way of knowing how "poisonous" these plants are. Can anyone shed some light on this subject?

Hi Steve, The warning of poisonous in your T&M catalogue is merely a courtesy, most catalogues don’t bother. Datura is a hallucinogenic (sp?), nicotanias contain nicotine and so on. (Although I’m curious about the sweet peas, I’ve never heard there was a problem with them) Don’t let the warning deter you from planting these plants. Most garden plants are only poisonous if they are eaten, not by handling. Even edible plants can be poisonous if not used correctly, for example, more that one tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves can cause a toxic reaction in an adult human and rhubard *leaves* (not stalks) can cause internal bleeding, severe stomach cramps and poisoning. Some plants can kill, some can make you very sick, while others are perfectly safe. The only time you need to truly worry about this is when very young children will be in and around plantings. Children are very likely to put leaves and flowers into their mouths. Small children should never be left unattended in a garden where the possibility of poison exist. (Actually the period in that last sentence should probably fall after the word ‘garden’.) There are several books that refer to the toxicity of plants, unfortunately I don’t have any references for you, perhaps someone else will. The rule for anyone though is: never, *never*, NEVER eat from a plant, in the garden or the wild, unless you know exactly what it is and whether it is safe. But Steve, don’t let the poisonous label deter you from planting the flowers in your garden unless you have the above-mentioned small children. If you do, check out the edible flower thread that is currently going on. You can get some suggestions for ’safe’ plants there. Hope this helps Marianne — As soon as I have something important to say, I’ll put it here.

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I have been paging through the various seed catalogs and have seen a wide variety of flowers I’d love to grow.  I have been disappointed in many cases when I saw that Thompson & Morgan listed them as "poisonous". This is the case for datura, sweet peas, four o’ clocks, many varieties of nicotiana and others.  Other catalogs (Burpees, Select Seeds, WFF) do not give a similar warning for many of the flowers.  I’m not a toxicologist and have no way of knowing how "poisonous" these plants are. Can anyone shed some light on this subject?

The real question is whether it matters to you that the plants are poisonous. I guess the seed companies are just trying to protect themselves from dorks who try to sue them ("I added those Sweet Pea seeds to soup and they poisoned me – it’s your fault!"). There are few if any species which will harm you unless you actually eat the seeds or plant, and unless the plant actually looks attractive to eat, this is most unlikely (with the attractive berries of Deadly Nightshade – Atropa belladonna being an exception). So long as *you* aren’t going to eat the plant, and you are satisfied that young children won’t, then there’s little to worry about. I guess I didn’t answer your question of *how* poisonous they are! In the case of the deadly nightshade – very! I’d guess the Sweet Pea seeds are like many other dried pulses (peas/beans) that you can buy to eat – not good for you unless soaked and boiled. Nicotiana – they make cigarettes out of it. Datura – well discussed in recent threads, but a very attractive plant. I don’t know about Four o’clock – Mirabilis jalapa, except that I’ve seen the ‘poisonous’ notices on it too. — Clarke Brunt (CCB), Principal Software Engineer, Laser-Scan Ltd, Science Park, Milton Rd, CAMBRIDGE, CB4 4FY, England. Tel: (+44) (0)1223 420414; Fax: 420044

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Hi All, I have been paging through the various seed catalogs and have seen a wide variety of flowers I’d love to grow.  I have been disappointed in many cases when I saw that Thompson & Morgan listed them as "poisonous". This is the case for datura, sweet peas, four o’ clocks, many varieties of nicotiana and others.  Other catalogs (Burpees, Select Seeds, WFF) do not give a similar warning for many of the flowers.  I’m not a toxicologist and have no way of knowing how "poisonous" these plants are. Can anyone shed some light on this subject? Steve Cook Macungie, PA USDA Z6 — * Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.          Tel. (610) 481-2135     * * 7201 Hamilton Blvd.                       FAX  (610) 481-8803     * * Allentown, PA 18195                                               * * USA                                                               * *             Emacs – the choice of a GNU generation                * * Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are those of the author.  * *             Any resemblance between my opinions and those of Air  * *             Products is purely coincidental…                    *

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