Question:

eBay announcement today:   Hi everyone, I’m Julian Green, the new Director   of ProStores, and I

Question:

I was on oral prednisone for about 3 months, 40MG with a slow taper, I found I had bruising problems, which declined as I got down below 10MG. I also use Pulmicort, and before that, Flovent, and have seen no problems with those alone. As has been pointed out, people vary in their sensitivity. Boyd — "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." (Ellen Parr- author) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi does anyone know if my medications (Ventolin- Seratide 250- Uniphyllin) has anything to do with the bad bruises that keep appearing. I don’t even know why I am getting them as I don’t really knock myself or anything. Just wondered if they were related. Thanks in advance for any replies.

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I also get lots of bruises.  I think it also depends on the person.  Some people are more sensitive to the side effects. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any steroid can lead to bruising. When I am on Prednisone my legs look like I have been kicked by Jackie Chan! Denise Hi does anyone know if my medications (Ventolin- Seratide 250- Uniphyllin) has anything to do with the bad bruises that keep appearing. I don’t even know why I am getting them as I don’t really knock myself or anything. Just wondered if they were related. Thanks in advance for any replies.

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I have noticed since my son started Pulmicort that he bruises much more easily.  He had a nasty insect bite on his leg that left a black and blue mark for weeks.  His doctor said that inhaled steroids do that sometimes.  But the kid’s not wheezing anymore. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi does anyone know if my medications (Ventolin- Seratide 250- Uniphyllin) has anything to do with the bad bruises that keep appearing. I don’t even know why I am getting them as I don’t really knock myself or anything. Just wondered if they were related. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Response:

Any steroid can lead to bruising. When I am on Prednisone my legs look like I have been kicked by Jackie Chan! Denise – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi does anyone know if my medications (Ventolin- Seratide 250- Uniphyllin) has anything to do with the bad bruises that keep appearing. I don’t even know why I am getting them as I don’t really knock myself or anything. Just wondered if they were related. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Response:

Hi does anyone know if my medications (Ventolin- Seratide 250- Uniphyllin) has anything to do with the bad bruises that keep appearing. I don’t even know why I am getting them as I don’t really knock myself or anything. Just wondered if they were related. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Response:

Hello, I’ve been lurking for quit some time now. I’ve had diabetes for 3 years and was taking oral medications. Now my doctor has put me on insulin, this is my question. Is any one else that uses insulin’s  tummy as bruised as mine is? What am I doing wrong? It doesn’t hurt. It just looks horrible. Also sometimes a little bubble of insulin seeps out of my skin is this normal? I always hate to call the doctor for every little problem, so I was hoping some one could answer these questions for me.

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Gale, I get bruising from time to time. I can’t explain why it happens. I have heard it could be from pinching a to small of an area.It doesn’t matter where I shoot I can get bruising. A bubble does appear sometime right after I shoot but it is nothing to be concerned about. keep the faith rik — Padded room with a view                                    RWC3

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Hi Gale., I did have brusing when I first started, came from shoving the needle in to quickly for me.. Once I let the needle fall into the skin then slowly push it the rest of the way, the problems stopped. For *me* I found shooting at an angle wasn’t an option, I go straight in. But as with this.. its a YMMV also, the little bubble is normal, not enough to worry about, keep the needle inserted a extra couple seconds so it all gets dispensed.. should end that problem also. Good luck — RK [T1 that was smarter then her previous Doctors!][dx'd 5/00][Lantus Lover w/Novolog] http://www.diabeticnet.com – Main alt.support.diabetes website – Be fooled by no other imitations! http://www.zerolimit.net/files/zl-mirc.exe (#diabeticnet chatroom software)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, I’ve been lurking for quit some time now. I’ve had diabetes for 3 years and was taking oral medications. Now my doctor has put me on insulin, this is my question. Is any one else that uses insulin’s  tummy as bruised as mine is? What am I doing wrong? It doesn’t hurt. It just looks horrible. Also sometimes a little bubble of insulin seeps out of my skin is this normal? I always hate to call the doctor for every little problem, so I was hoping some one could answer these questions for me.

Response:

press down on the injection site for 10 seconds after your shot — kate

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, I’ve been lurking for quit some time now. I’ve had diabetes for 3 years and was taking oral medications. Now my doctor has put me on insulin, this is my question. Is any one else that uses insulin’s  tummy as bruised as mine is? What am I doing wrong? It doesn’t hurt. It just looks horrible. Also sometimes a little bubble of insulin seeps out of my skin is this normal? I always hate to call the doctor for every little problem, so I was hoping some one could answer these questions for me.

Response:

Hello, I’ve been lurking for quit some time now. I’ve had diabetes for 3 years and was taking oral medications. Now my doctor has put me on insulin, this is my question. Is any one else that uses insulin’s  tummy as bruised as mine is? What am I doing wrong? It doesn’t hurt. It just looks horrible. Also sometimes a little bubble of insulin seeps out of my skin is this normal? I always hate to call the doctor for every little problem, so I was hoping some one could answer these questions for me.

Well, I did at first also a little. For one thing, inject the insulin slowly. As for the insulin seeping out, count to 10 or so before withdrawing. — Dave – 5:23:57 PM T2 – 8/98 Glucophage, U & H A 4th generation Diabetic – Davors Daily Aphorism: I have a speech impediment… my foot. — —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

press down on the injection site for 10 seconds after your shot — kate

Ten seconds is apparently the  correct time to hold the needle in place before *slowly* withdrawing. So say Novo and Lilly in their literature. Bruising is usually the result of just catching a blood vessel under the skin. So slow insertion and removal helps prevent damage to those vessels caused by too-fast movement. It’s just one of those things we all live with. I can go a fortnight without a bruise and then get three in a day. Ratty

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Hello, I’ve been lurking for quit some time now. I’ve had diabetes for 3 years and was taking oral medications. Now my doctor has put me on insulin, this is my question. Is any one else that uses insulin’s  tummy as bruised as mine is? What am I doing wrong? It doesn’t hurt. It just looks horrible. Also sometimes a little bubble of insulin seeps out of my skin is this normal? I always hate to call the doctor for every little problem, so I was hoping some one could answer these questions for me.

If your stomach is the only place you are injecting then you are ignoring other good locations and not allowing your stomach area enough time to heal.  I found that by setting up and following an exact injection site rotation schedule that I eliminated most of the bruising.  You can inject in your upper arm, the closer to the back of it the better, your upper thighs and even around your back as far as you can reach.  I learned that by keening up against a door frame that I could either pull my upper arm tight or with a twist I could bunch up the skin and then inject using one hand.  The trick is to stay leaning up against the door frame until you remove the syringe.  It is akward at first but with a little practice it can be done in the dame amount of time that it takes to inject in the thigh or stomach area. By injecting in the upper arm on one side and then the stomach area on the same side and then the thigh and then switching sides and going back up to the arm and then starting over, you will allow enough time to heal between injections in the same area. The back flow of insulin from the injection is nothing to be concerned about.  It can be avoided by simply placing your fingertip directly on the injection site and applying pressure for a few seconds immediately after pulling the syringe out. Derek Type 1 since 1975 Minimed 508 Insulin Pump http://www.diabeticnet.com http://sweetblood.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org http://www.diabetesinterview.com http://www.zerolimit.net (irc server webpage for our chat room) #diabeticnet is the name of our IRC chat on zerolimit.net http://www.zerolimit.net/files/zl-mirc.exe  http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/misc/webtv.html http://www.xs4all.nl/~ircle/  <–Ircle Mac IRC software http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2001/06/cureall.htm

Response:

Thank you all for the support, I will give it a try. It’s a good thing I don’t wear a bikini any more….lol…thanks you all have been great. Gale

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, I’ve been lurking for quit some time now. I’ve had diabetes for 3 years and was taking oral medications. Now my doctor has put me on insulin, this is my question. Is any one else that uses insulin’s  tummy as bruised as mine is? What am I doing wrong? It doesn’t hurt. It just looks horrible. Also sometimes a little bubble of insulin seeps out of my skin is this normal? I always hate to call the doctor for every little problem, so I was hoping some one could answer these questions for me.

Response:

<snip  I learned that by keening up against a door frame that I could either pull my upper arm tight or with a twist I could bunch up the skin and then inject using one hand.  The trick is to stay leaning up against the door frame until you remove the syringe.  It is akward at first but with a little practice it can be done in the dame amount of time that it takes to inject in the thigh or stomach area. <sniip i got this image of me doing this in a resturant just as my meal arrives. d.

I always used my stomach when injecting in restaurants. Derek Type 1 since 1975 Minimed 508 Insulin Pump http://www.diabeticnet.com http://sweetblood.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org http://www.diabetesinterview.com http://www.zerolimit.net (irc server webpage for our chat room) #diabeticnet is the name of our IRC chat on zerolimit.net http://www.zerolimit.net/files/zl-mirc.exe  http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/misc/webtv.html http://www.xs4all.nl/~ircle/  <–Ircle Mac IRC software http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2001/06/cureall.htm

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Has anyone experienced bruising after squeezing a pimple? If so, do you know how to treat it properly without it causing an infection? And why does this happen with some pimples and not others? Thanks! -Bobbi

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:Has anyone experienced bruising after squeezing a pimple? : :If so, do you know how to treat it properly without it causing an :infection? :And why does this happen with some pimples and not others? You have bruised becuase you squeezed hard enough to burst fine blood vessels under the skin.  This was too hard and is probably resulting in causing more serious problems. Please go to a profesional skin care specialist and have them show you the proper way to extract them. Jeff :Thanks! :-Bobbi AAEA – American Aestheticians Education Association   (A non-profit professional organization dedicated to generic    and non-biased education, litigation and research for the    Esthetic and Beauty Care Service Provider Industries.)

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: :Has anyone experienced bruising after squeezing a pimple?

: You have bruised becuase you squeezed hard enough to burst fine blood : vessels under the skin.  This was too hard and is probably resulting : in causing more serious problems. On rare occasion I have had a cyst bruise which I didn’t squeeze. It would do so after "hanging around" for a long time, neither getting better nor getting worse. Maybe this is a result of the stuff inside being "backed up,"  or "stuck." Val Butler

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One should not squeeze pimples.  Bruising can lead to nodule formation and boil-like eruptions.  It usually makes matters worse in the medium to long-term, although it might appear cosmetically more attractive in the short-term. Cheers, Dr P M Lassoff London "Bake those donuts with extra grease This batch is for the Chief of Police"                          – The Pop-O-Pies

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Has anyone experienced bruising after squeezing a pimple? If so, do you know how to treat it properly without it causing an infection? And why does this happen with some pimples and not others? Thanks! -Bobbi

Response:

:Has anyone experienced bruising after squeezing a pimple? : :If so, do you know how to treat it properly without it causing an :infection? :And why does this happen with some pimples and not others? You have bruised becuase you squeezed hard enough to burst fine blood vessels under the skin.  This was too hard and is probably resulting in causing more serious problems. Please go to a profesional skin care specialist and have them show you the proper way to extract them. Jeff :Thanks! :-Bobbi AAEA – American Aestheticians Education Association   (A non-profit professional organization dedicated to generic    and non-biased education, litigation and research for the    Esthetic and Beauty Care Service Provider Industries.)

Response:

: :Has anyone experienced bruising after squeezing a pimple?

: You have bruised becuase you squeezed hard enough to burst fine blood : vessels under the skin.  This was too hard and is probably resulting : in causing more serious problems. On rare occasion I have had a cyst bruise which I didn’t squeeze. It would do so after "hanging around" for a long time, neither getting better nor getting worse. Maybe this is a result of the stuff inside being "backed up,"  or "stuck." Val Butler

Response:

One should not squeeze pimples.  Bruising can lead to nodule formation and boil-like eruptions.  It usually makes matters worse in the medium to long-term, although it might appear cosmetically more attractive in the short-term. Cheers, Dr P M Lassoff London "Bake those donuts with extra grease This batch is for the Chief of Police"                          – The Pop-O-Pies

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Kenneth, you state you have been or currently are on prednsoine. That should be the answer to the bruising problem. It generally takes some time to be affected, you did not state the # of milg. you are on, if it is a high dosage then it could set it off earlier then one who has been on a small dosage for a number of years. If you continue on pred. I would suggest a med. called FOLGARD it helps somewhat after a period of time. Check with your local druggist and or Dr. D.S.M. (DM Ret. US Govt. Int. Affairs)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – grapefruit ? What foods contain flavanoids? Bruising, without the slightest trauma, usually reflects thinning of the dermis. What ever you are taking for nutritional supplements…they are not working. It is   remedied quite easily by consuming a diet rich in flavanoids. Along with a basic  supplement regimen of Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Essential Fatty Acids. Ken.W  7 Years Med Free All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

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grapefruit ?

****** Wouldn’t eating grapefruit  be  a  bad idea? Aside from the acidity I mean. m Wouldn’t the grapefruit  iinteract with any meds you’re takiing? Violet Tigress

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 Vi Wouldn’t eating grapefruit  be  a  bad idea? Aside from the acidity I  Vi mean. m Wouldn’t the grapefruit  iinteract with any meds you’re  Vi takiing?  Vi Violet Tigress         For what it is worth, my wife has continued to eat grapefruit         and other citrus plus tomatoes through all her problems. She         claims that she sees no ill effects and the last time at the         doctor, he said if it doesnt bother than eat it.         Quite recently I read an article claiming that the effects of         grapefruit on the meds MAY not be as bad as first thought. What         is good for today is gonna kill ya tomorrow.  Ya cant win!!                         Art ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30

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grapefruit ? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What foods contain flavanoids? Bruising, without the slightest trauma, usually reflects thinning of the dermis. What ever you are taking for nutritional supplements…they are not working. It is   remedied quite easily by consuming a diet rich in flavanoids. Along with a basic  supplement regimen of Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Essential Fatty Acids. Ken.W  7 Years Med Free All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

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I saw my GP yesterday, and she ordered a whole lot of blood tests (they took 6 vials from me) – FBE, LFT, iron, etc. Hopefully that will shed some light on the problem. Will these tests tell me about my platelets? I hope so, because I heard somewhere that platelets should be checked when there is bruising. I’ll find out the results next week. Thanks for the suggestion Amy. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. Have you had your platelets checked recently?

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What foods contain flavanoids? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Bruising, without the slightest trauma, usually reflects thinning of the dermis. What ever you are taking for nutritional supplements…they are not working. It is   remedied quite easily by consuming a diet rich in flavanoids. Along with a basic  supplement regimen of Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Essential Fatty Acids. Ken.W  7 Years Med Free All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

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All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason.

Have you had your platelets checked recently?

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I bruise more when taking Imuran or prednisone.  Sometimes all it takes is just pressing my skin up against a surface too hard (such as leaning it on a box, etc). Be well- Tracy CD class of ‘98 my homepage: http://home.talkcity.com/ParadiseDr/goodboie/index.html  : )  smile – it makes people wonder what you’re up to!

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Another strange side-effect I had while on Imuran was bleeding.  The tiniest scratch would cause awful bleeding and would take up to a half- hour to stop.  I work alot outside in my gardens and last summer, while on pred and Imuran, I had to carry a couple papertowels in my pocket as every time I turned around, I’d be bleeding from somewhere. Hugs,  Linda – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I bruise more when taking Imuran or prednisone.  Sometimes all it takes is just pressing my skin up against a surface too hard (such as leaning it on a box, etc). Be well- Tracy CD class of ‘98 my homepage: http://home.talkcity.com/ParadiseDr/goodboie/index.html  : )  smile – it makes people wonder what you’re up to!

Response:

Bruising, without the slightest trauma, usually reflects thinning of the dermis. What ever you are taking for nutritional supplements…they are not working. It is   remedied quite easily by consuming a diet rich in flavanoids. Along with a basic  supplement regimen of Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Essential Fatty Acids. Ken.W  7 Years Med Free

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

Response:

Hi Amy, I have UC to and take prednisolone and mesalazine (same as mesasal). I find that everyfew months I will get tons of brusies coveing my arms and legs for a few weeks and then they just go. They are usually just little bruises but sometimes I find that they can be quite big too. Hope this helps Sarah

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

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  LOL! Hugs,  Linda – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Not if the horse was a good dancer! Debs Thanks Linda, so it might be the Imuran and it has finally kicked in! Being kicked in the thigh by a horse sounds PAINFUL. I had one step on my foot once, got a lovely looking bruise but that is to be expected! Amy. Hi Amy, I don’t bruise easily – no bruise even after being kicked in the thigh by a horse that didn’t want to go into the horsetrailer but while I was taking Imuran, I’d find bruises when I didn’t remember hitting anything.  I seemed to get alot on the backs of my hands and on my arms.  Since being off Imuran, I haven’t bruised at all. Hugs,  Linda All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

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YW Amy  About two summers ago, a friend’s horse stepped on my pinky toe and I’m sure she broke it.  Nothing I did for it made it feel better except to wear my cowboy boots.  I sure looked kinda funny that summer with my shorts and cowboy boots everywhere I went, LOL!   Hugs,  Linda – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks Linda, so it might be the Imuran and it has finally kicked in! Being kicked in the thigh by a horse sounds PAINFUL. I had one step on my foot once, got a lovely looking bruise but that is to be expected! Amy. Hi Amy, I don’t bruise easily – no bruise even after being kicked in the thigh by a horse that didn’t want to go into the horsetrailer but while I was taking Imuran, I’d find bruises when I didn’t remember hitting anything.  I seemed to get alot on the backs of my hands and on my arms.  Since being off Imuran, I haven’t bruised at all. Hugs,  Linda All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

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Not if the horse was a good dancer! Debs – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks Linda, so it might be the Imuran and it has finally kicked in! Being kicked in the thigh by a horse sounds PAINFUL. I had one step on my foot once, got a lovely looking bruise but that is to be expected! Amy. Hi Amy, I don’t bruise easily – no bruise even after being kicked in the thigh by a horse that didn’t want to go into the horsetrailer but while I was taking Imuran, I’d find bruises when I didn’t remember hitting anything.  I seemed to get alot on the backs of my hands and on my arms.  Since being off Imuran, I haven’t bruised at all. Hugs,  Linda All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

Response:

Thanks Linda, so it might be the Imuran and it has finally kicked in! Being kicked in the thigh by a horse sounds PAINFUL. I had one step on my foot once, got a lovely looking bruise but that is to be expected! Amy. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Amy, I don’t bruise easily – no bruise even after being kicked in the thigh by a horse that didn’t want to go into the horsetrailer but while I was taking Imuran, I’d find bruises when I didn’t remember hitting anything.  I seemed to get alot on the backs of my hands and on my arms.  Since being off Imuran, I haven’t bruised at all. Hugs,  Linda All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

Response:

Hi Amy, I don’t bruise easily – no bruise even after being kicked in the thigh by a horse that didn’t want to go into the horsetrailer but while I was taking Imuran, I’d find bruises when I didn’t remember hitting anything.  I seemed to get alot on the backs of my hands and on my arms.  Since being off Imuran, I haven’t bruised at all. Hugs,  Linda – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

Response:

It seems, at least for me, that bruises just appear.  I have gotten them from just little bumps against furniture to anemia (a simple blood test can tell you if you are really low).  I find the skin reacts for some reason I really don’t understand myself and I have CD.  If you are real tired and the bruises are a lot contact your dr to be sure it’s ok.  UM MOM Susan

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

Response:

All of a sudden my arms, legs, and stomach are covered in bruises for no apparent reason. I have been moving house, but I didn’t do any of the heavy lifting or anything! So this seems really unusual for me. Has this happened to anyone else before? I have UC, have been taking Mesasal for 18months, Imuran for 13 months (the last 6 at the proper weight-based dose of 100mg/day), recently used Salofalk enemas (4g) in addition to the 12 Mesasal for one month, and have used Colifoam for about 6 or 7 months. I have always had low iron but am not taking any supplements, and I recently found out I already had osteopaenia 18months ago before I was diagnosed with UC and took steroids. Pretty scary for a 25 year old but apparently it is not uncommon in IBD patients. So I haven’t really started on any new medications that would explain these bruises, although perhaps by coincidence just as the bruises started appearing, I also experienced significant improvement in my UC, giving me hope that I am going into remission for the first time since diagnosed. Only 2 toilet trips a day for the last week or so! That is the first time I have been that "healthy" since I was on 50mg of pred. Anyone have any suggestions for me about what might be causing those bruises? Thanks, Amy Melbourne, Australia

Response:

Question:

Haldol makes me sane when I’m not. Hey Sally. Bob suggested Haldol as well, though I’m wary of it, since it’s such an old drug, and has some severe side effects, from what I hear. Have you had any problems with it? Ian — http://sundry.ws/

Hey Ian, Every once in awhile, I will get TD (tardive dyskenesia) but I also have a prescription for Cogentin that I take when that happens, and it is okay.  Haldol’s the only anti psychotic that I have been on that has helped me – the newer ones don’t, and Seroquel nearly killed me.  I find Haldol to be the right medicine for me, but YMMV. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Haldol’s the only anti psychotic that I have been on that has helped me – the newer ones don’t, and Seroquel nearly killed me.  I find Haldol to be the right medicine for me, but YMMV.

Hey Sally. Seroquel nearly killed me as well. My pdoc would not listen. I really, truly believe he has read the Marquis de Sade, as he seemed to be a real sadist. I mean, he seemed to enjoy the fact that I was suffering under his care. That Seroquel would give me terrifying body rushes every time I went to sleep. I thought I was gonna die every night. The Abilify isn’t getting rid of the racing thoughts, or helping with the concentration, so I’ll mention to my new pdoc the Haldol, next time I see him. I guess Cogentin isn’t too bad, although with my history, I wonder if they would give me something like that. Thanks for the suggestion, Sally, and BTW, I keep meaning to respond to your very thoughtful email, but I’m too overwhelmed right now to put enough thought into it. Hope you’re well, Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Haldol’s the only anti psychotic that I have been on that has helped me – the newer ones don’t, and Seroquel nearly killed me.  I find Haldol to be the right medicine for me, but YMMV. Hey Sally. Seroquel nearly killed me as well. My pdoc would not listen. I really, truly believe he has read the Marquis de Sade, as he seemed to be a real sadist. I mean, he seemed to enjoy the fact that I was suffering under his care. That Seroquel would give me terrifying body rushes every time I went to sleep. I thought I was gonna die every night. The Abilify isn’t getting rid of the racing thoughts, or helping with the concentration, so I’ll mention to my new pdoc the Haldol, next time I see him. I guess Cogentin isn’t too bad, although with my history, I wonder if they would give me something like that. Thanks for the suggestion, Sally, and BTW, I keep meaning to respond to your very thoughtful email, but I’m too overwhelmed right now to put enough thought into it. Hope you’re well, Ian — http://sundry.ws/

Ian, I have had a couple of pdocs that gave me Haldol, but didn’t like to do it.  They wanted me on a new anti psychotic, but I’ve tried them, and they just don’t work for me.  Haldol, however, does.  Right now I have a great pdoc, whose attitude is "if the medication you are taking is working, let’s keep it like that."  He’s not a benzophobe either, last RX he gave me for Xanax had FIVE refills on it. As to the cogentin, I take that on an "as needed" basis.  I have a bottle of it that is about 8 months old, I have a lot left.  If you get a day of TD you will know it, because your facial muscles do things you don’t want them to do. Not fun, but it’s manageable with Cogentin.  It’s more annoying than anything else. Don’t worry about answering emails.  You write when you want to, I’m here whenever, and my feelings don’t get hurt if I don’t get an answer  Whenever you need to, my inbox is open to you. (and everyone else, for that matter) Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

 How long have you been getting medical help for the anxiety?  It took years for me to get somewhat settled, and I’m always looking for more help. Ah, well, the anxiety is considered just part of the general diagnosis of schizoaffective. My previous pdoc told me to get used to it. My current one is a bit nicer. He gives me Klonopin and tells me to get used to life on that. Didn’t mean to send such a weird post. I talked to Bob A. for a while, and I agreed to take only three of them, as opposed to a bunch. Listening to a very nice Cure mix right now … this is one of the benefits of depression, that the Cure sounds really good.

im sadder these days for many reasons, $$$ would surely ease a lot of the anxiety and dep. darn it, this thing, hoovering over me… ugg… going on 14 years… xanax and zoloft.. klonopin was good to me but no money for doctors.. ohh, boysss don’t.. cryyyy love the cure.. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

love the cure..

Yes, they’re great. I used to have the Bob Smith hairdo in high school, back in ‘89, when Disintegration came out. I was all the rage. Not being able to afford a doctor sucks. Can’t you get some help from a free clinic? Around here, I get to see a free pdoc and a free MD, though I suppose it’s not really free, as I’m on disability, and get Medicare and Medicaid. But I think places like that treat you even if you’re broke. I mean, that’s the idea, anyway, that human beings should all get treatment when they need it. It’s like, a human right, or something. Ian — I’m sick of following my dreams. I’m just gonna ask where they’re goin’, and hook up with ‘em later. (Mitch Hedburg) http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When I was young I thought I would become famous. At some point, I realized it would be a good idea just to be safe. Now I’m trying to reverse what lies ahead, but have realized tonight that it can’t be reversed. These moments of clarity come to me every once in a while  … this illness is just getting a head of steam on it. Right now the only thing keeping me alive is the fact that I’m still too afraid of the actual act of suicide. I would sure fall off the wagon, though, if I had any money. Perhaps this is a good time to declare a moratorium on going outside. Many of us here have done this, I assume. My friend Bob and I (and many of you know Bob) are forming a software company based on our shared qualities of obsessiveness and reclusiveness. We figure that’s the edge we’ll have over the competition. So maybe this will be a good thing. Who knows. But I seem to be incompatible with society in general, and am feeling like I would rather die than go through this night, unless this night were accompanied by large amounts of Klonopin, which will soon follow. Hope yiz understand. I’m not a danger to myself, just realizing what lies ahead. There really isn’t anywhere else I can go to say this. Ian

Hi Ian, I just want to tell you I hope you hang in there. You are beautifully talented — that is apparent in your website. I also know that being talented isn’t easy — there’s a certain amount of pressure to use it as a means to ’success’, whatever that is. I don’t have a lot of great wisdom to impart here. Just know I’m hoping the best for you. I think you have a great spirit. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

that’s part of why I get suicidal. because of constant emotional pain

I hear you. Other people have to go through phases of pain, and don’t understand what it means to have it in their lives constantly. Then they get smug about their success. <sigh Hope you’re well, and living in the moment, Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Just know I’m hoping the best for you. I think you have a great spirit.

Thanks, Deirdre. I don’t know how to respond, but what you said means a lot to me. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

<gently snipped ::Perhaps this is a good time to declare a moratorium on going ::outside. Many of us here have done this, I assume. Dear Ian, I read in another post that you are doing better today. I`m so glad to hear that. Bad times never last forever. We seem to forget that when we are in and decided to stay inside. Those four walls get old really quickly. Anyways, my panic and anxiety followed me there too I truly empathize with how you are feeling. There are those days where you just throw your hands up and say I can`t do this anymore. But you wake up the next day and it is a little better and you decide to try again. (((((Ian))))) Jackie ~*~My greatest fear is there is no such thing as PMS and this is really my personality~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Don’t give up Ian, when my anxiety was really bad being housebound was somewhere I didn’t want to be. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea to encourage you to become housebound in any way. If it’s hard to go outside (does it cause you more anxiety?) you should still try. If you stop going outside, it will be that much harder to go outside when you have to. At least that’s the way I see it. Are you taking any meds or therapy for your schizo-affective disorder?

When my anxiety was very bad at the beginning of my recovery from "meltdown", I made as many trips as I could to my local computer store where I discussed with the proprietor possible specifications for a new computer for him to build for me. The distance was far enough to be exercise and short enough to not be excessively tiring. Make up excuses to go outside. You don’t have to stay there long but make it a point to make it past the front door. If you can set up a chair outside you can take a book or magazine with you to peruse or maybe listen to some music. Gains are made in short steps. — Ron P I’m an EXPERT….a has-been under pressure<;-) — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

If you stop going outside, it will be that much harder to go outside when you have to. Hi Doug. Last night was just a real night of despair. I think today is a bit better, and thank you for the kind words. Going outside … well, I have to for certain things, but man is it hard to deal with "normal" people. We should do things where we feel better afterward, and dealing with society always leaves me feeling desperate. It’s better on the Internet, for whatever reason.

Dealings on the Internet are for the most part non-personal and remote which are the total opposite of face to face encounters. — Ron P I’m an EXPERT….a has-been under pressure<;-) — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Ian, I’ve read a number of things you posted, and you have a lot of capacity to do a lot, and to experience a lot of meaning, even if that’s not happening in your life right now.  Things change, and they sometimes do serendipitously change for the better.  - Gary

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – that’s part of why I get suicidal. because of constant emotional pain I hear you. Other people have to go through phases of pain, and don’t understand what it means to have it in their lives constantly. Then they get smug about their success. <sigh Hope you’re well, and living in the moment, Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

How long have you been getting medical help for the anxiety?  It took years for me to get somewhat settled, and I’m always looking for more help. Ah, well, the anxiety is considered just part of the general diagnosis of schizoaffective.

There seems to be a fast growing number of people here that are schizoaffective, If I hadn’t told you before, I’m on the list.  My previous pdoc told me to get used to it. My current one is a bit nicer. He gives me Klonopin and tells me to get used to life on that.

That’s odd?  Most people that are schizoaffective are on antipsychotics?   I’m on 400mg of Seroquel.  All the benzos in the world didn’t stop my schizo symptoms.  Now I’d guess the Seroquel knocked out about 75% of it. Didn’t mean to send such a weird post. I talked to Bob A. for a while, and I agreed to take only three of them, as opposed to a bunch. Listening to a very nice Cure mix right now … this is one of the benefits of depression, that the Cure sounds really good.

For the life of me I can’t remember any of their music.  I know I heard it, I guess in the early 80’s? Hope you’re doin’ well, Tony, Ian

Thanks Ian, hoping the same for you. Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How long have you been getting medical help for the anxiety?  It took years for me to get somewhat settled, and I’m always looking for more help. Ah, well, the anxiety is considered just part of the general diagnosis of schizoaffective. There seems to be a fast growing number of people here that are schizoaffective, If I hadn’t told you before, I’m on the list.  My previous pdoc told me to get used to it. My current one is a bit nicer. He gives me Klonopin and tells me to get used to life on that. That’s odd?  Most people that are schizoaffective are on antipsychotics?   I’m on 400mg of Seroquel.  All the benzos in the world didn’t stop my schizo symptoms.  Now I’d guess the Seroquel knocked out about 75% of it. Didn’t mean to send such a weird post. I talked to Bob A. for a while, and I agreed to take only three of them, as opposed to a bunch. Listening to a very nice Cure mix right now … this is one of the benefits of depression, that the Cure sounds really good. For the life of me I can’t remember any of their music.  I know I heard it, I guess in the early 80’s? Hope you’re doin’ well, Tony, Ian Thanks Ian, hoping the same for you. Tony

Add me to the list of the schizoaffective group.. or I’m schizo something.  No two doctors can agree on what I am. I think I’m schizophrenic, actually.  Mildly so.  But I agree with Tono.  An antipsychotic is pretty vital if you’re schizoaffective.  I take Haldol.  I’ve tried all the "newer" ones, and they don’t do anything good to me, and most of them do something bad to me.  Haldol makes me sane when I’m not.   Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Haldol makes me sane when I’m not.  

Hey Sally. Bob suggested Haldol as well, though I’m wary of it, since it’s such an old drug, and has some severe side effects, from what I hear. Have you had any problems with it? Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Dear Ian, In the past.. have you been particularly good at foretelling the future?  Have you always seen events coming and knew they were going to happen.. or in the past, have you been surprised by things that happened to you in your life? I wish I could comfort you, you need a hug and reassurance.  Email me anytime, you can ask Bob if I’m worthy of trust.  Fear is one terrible emotion, and I’m not saying I can guantee you will never feel it, because it’s a human emotion.. but I can share with you some things that I went through.  I was certain a year ago that my destiny was to end up on the streets.. Led me to a horrible drinking binge I liked to never came out of.  I learned  not just how to quit drinking.. I learned how to face life.. most all of it and not live in fear.  And I’m glad you are afraid of suicide and I’m glad you are too poor to drink.  So looks like you need to learn how to cope.  That’s what it looks like to me.  If you need to talk, email me anytime.  You would be surprised, Ian.  What we are capable of living through.  I know I am. And that cliche everyone says.. about what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?  That’s not a cliche. It’s the truth.  Ask Bob if I know what I’m talking about in that regard. I’m not an expert, but I came out of where you seem to be awhile back. Please take good care.. we care for you. Sally – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When I was young I thought I would become famous. At some point, I realized it would be a good idea just to be safe. Now I’m trying to reverse what lies ahead, but have realized tonight that it can’t be reversed. These moments of clarity come to me every once in a while  … this illness is just getting a head of steam on it. Right now the only thing keeping me alive is the fact that I’m still too afraid of the actual act of suicide. I would sure fall off the wagon, though, if I had any money. Perhaps this is a good time to declare a moratorium on going outside. Many of us here have done this, I assume. My friend Bob and I (and many of you know Bob) are forming a software company based on our shared qualities of obsessiveness and reclusiveness. We figure that’s the edge we’ll have over the competition. So maybe this will be a good thing. Who knows. But I seem to be incompatible with society in general, and am feeling like I would rather die than go through this night, unless this night were accompanied by large amounts of Klonopin, which will soon follow. Hope yiz understand. I’m not a danger to myself, just realizing what lies ahead. There really isn’t anywhere else I can go to say this. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Don’t give up Ian, when my anxiety was really bad being housebound was somewhere I didn’t want to be. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea to encourage you to become housebound in any way. If it’s hard to go outside (does it cause you more anxiety?) you should still try. If you stop going outside, it will be that much harder to go outside when you have to. At least that’s the way I see it. Are you taking any meds or therapy for your schizo-affective disorder? — Doug

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Perhaps this is a good time to declare a moratorium on going outside. Many of us here have done this, I assume. My friend Bob and I (and many of you know Bob) are forming a software company based on our shared qualities of obsessiveness and reclusiveness. We figure that’s the edge we’ll have over the competition. So maybe this will be a good thing. Who knows. But I seem to be incompatible with society in general, and am feeling like I would rather die than go through this night, unless this night were accompanied by large amounts of Klonopin, which will soon follow. Hope yiz understand. I’m not a danger to myself, just realizing what lies ahead. There really isn’t anywhere else I can go to say this. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Hope yiz understand. I’m not a danger to myself, just realizing what lies ahead. There really isn’t anywhere else I can go to say this. Ian

Good luck with the company. Wish I had the skills, my ability to go outside is limited by my illness and its not particularly fun, I miss it a great deal and want to get back to that. I’ve other things that help me stay alive, I’m not particularly afraid of death, a tiny bit afraid of pain, but that’s part of why I get suicidal. because of constant emotional pain. But, I’ve got too much to do and live for at the moment. Just hope I can keep remembering that. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

If you stop going outside, it will be that much harder to go outside when you have to.

Hi Doug. Last night was just a real night of despair. I think today is a bit better, and thank you for the kind words. Going outside … well, I have to for certain things, but man is it hard to deal with "normal" people. We should do things where we feel better afterward, and dealing with society always leaves me feeling desperate. It’s better on the Internet, for whatever reason. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

When I was young I thought I would become famous. At some point, I realized it would be a good idea just to be safe. Now I’m trying to reverse what lies ahead, but have realized tonight that it can’t be reversed. These moments of clarity come to me every once in a while  … this illness is just getting a head of steam on it. Right now the only thing keeping me alive is the fact that I’m still too afraid of the actual act of suicide. I would sure fall off the wagon, though, if I had any money. Perhaps this is a good time to declare a moratorium on going outside. Many of us here have done this, I assume. My friend Bob and I (and many of you know Bob) are forming a software company based on our shared qualities of obsessiveness and reclusiveness. We figure that’s the edge we’ll have over the competition. So maybe this will be a good thing. Who knows. But I seem to be incompatible with society in general, and am feeling like I would rather die than go through this night, unless this night were accompanied by large amounts of Klonopin, which will soon follow. Hope yiz understand. I’m not a danger to myself, just realizing what lies ahead. There really isn’t anywhere else I can go to say this. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When I was young I thought I would become famous. At some point, I realized it would be a good idea just to be safe. Now I’m trying to reverse what lies ahead, but have realized tonight that it can’t be reversed. These moments of clarity come to me every once in a while  … this illness is just getting a head of steam on it. Right now the only thing keeping me alive is the fact that I’m still too afraid of the actual act of suicide. I would sure fall off the wagon, though, if I had any money. Perhaps this is a good time to declare a moratorium on going outside. Many of us here have done this, I assume. My friend Bob and I (and many of you know Bob) are forming a software company based on our shared qualities of obsessiveness and reclusiveness. We figure that’s the edge we’ll have over the competition. So maybe this will be a good thing. Who knows. But I seem to be incompatible with society in general, and am feeling like I would rather die than go through this night, unless this night were accompanied by large amounts of Klonopin, which will soon follow. Hope yiz understand. I’m not a danger to myself, just realizing what lies ahead. There really isn’t anywhere else I can go to say this.

How long have you been getting medical help for the anxiety?  It took years for me to get somewhat settled, and I’m always looking for more help. Tono — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

How long have you been getting medical help for the anxiety?  It took years for me to get somewhat settled, and I’m always looking for more help.

Ah, well, the anxiety is considered just part of the general diagnosis of schizoaffective. My previous pdoc told me to get used to it. My current one is a bit nicer. He gives me Klonopin and tells me to get used to life on that. Didn’t mean to send such a weird post. I talked to Bob A. for a while, and I agreed to take only three of them, as opposed to a bunch. Listening to a very nice Cure mix right now … this is one of the benefits of depression, that the Cure sounds really good. Hope you’re doin’ well, Tony, Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Lines: 5 NNTP-Posting-Host: 1cust250.tnt2.cleveland3.oh.da.uu.net (67.211.27.250) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: fu-berlin.de 1012549143 41704991 67.211.27.250 (16 [33645]) X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.79 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: uni-berlin.de alt.support.depression.manic:194315 x-no-archive: yes I take 400mg of Lamictal daily and 3600mg of Neurontin, along with 8mg daily of Klonopin and 200mg Wellbutrin SR.

Response:

hi i was wondering what dosages some people were taking for lamotragine and gabapentin… esp. those who have had to go to the high end of the useful range …. also any info on how to discover one’s therapeutic dosage would be greatly appreciated

 4800 mg of Neurontin have been RX for some people. Therpeuric dose is subjective based on your response. Peace, Lynda

Response:

My drug list says you can go to 3200 mg of Neurontin.  I take 1600. I don’t know about Lamictal because I was afraid to take it after they told me about Stephens-Johnson syndrome.  Look it up on the Internet. — Val in Boise

Response:

I am currently at 1500 mg a day of neurontin and I will soon be going up to 1800 mg.   For now I will level off at that point and see how I do.  Do any of you on neurontin find that it makes you sleepy and if so how do you deal with this?  (when you can not sleep such as at work)  I seem to do better when I keep my doses evenly spaced throughout the day however my pdoc says I could take it all at once at bedtime if it made me too sleepy.  This seems like a lot to take at once to me. Bonnie

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi i was wondering what dosages some people were taking for lamotragine and gabapentin… esp. those who have had to go to the high end of the useful range …. also any info on how to discover one’s therapeutic dosage would be greatly appreciated thanks cybercafe

Response:

hello – I space mine out during the day… 6 a.m., 1 p.m., 8 p.m., but I am never tired….maybe it is the Effexor I am also taking. — regards, Compucat

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am currently at 1500 mg a day of neurontin and I will soon be going up to 1800 mg.   For now I will level off at that point and see how I do.  Do any of you on neurontin find that it makes you sleepy and if so how do you deal with this?  (when you can not sleep such as at work)  I seem to do better when I keep my doses evenly spaced throughout the day however my pdoc says I could take it all at once at bedtime if it made me too sleepy.  This seems like a lot to take at once to me. Bonnie hi i was wondering what dosages some people were taking for lamotragine and gabapentin… esp. those who have had to go to the high end of the useful range …. also any info on how to discover one’s therapeutic dosage would be greatly appreciated thanks cybercafe

Response:

Hi Compucat, I seem to do better when I space mine similar to that as well.  I have noticed that I get particularly sleepy if I don’t keep moving or stay busy in some manner.  How is the Effexor working for depression for you?  That is one that has been recommended to me that I have not yet tried. Bonnie

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hello – I space mine out during the day… 6 a.m., 1 p.m., 8 p.m., but I am never tired….maybe it is the Effexor I am also taking. — regards, Compucat I am currently at 1500 mg a day of neurontin and I will soon be going up to 1800 mg.   For now I will level off at that point and see how I do.  Do any of you on neurontin find that it makes you sleepy and if so how do you deal with this?  (when you can not sleep such as at work)  I seem to do better when I keep my doses evenly spaced throughout the day however my pdoc says I could take it all at once at bedtime if it made me too sleepy.  This seems like a lot to take at once to me. Bonnie hi i was wondering what dosages some people were taking for lamotragine and gabapentin… esp. those who have had to go to the high end of the useful range …. also any info on how to discover one’s therapeutic dosage would be greatly appreciated thanks cybercafe

Response:

heh… the reason i have had the good fortune to find myself back among you charming sirs and madams is because i recently lost my job due to drowsiness… or… falling asleep at work….  thing is, i can’t tell if it was more due to the Valporate or the Effexor … any ideas ? i found that both of them made me drowsy at one time.. though that my have been when i first started i *need* to figure out which med is the culprit so i can stop taking it, but i just can’t tell… i mean when i am out of work, running around, doing my own thing, i am fine …. ug… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Compucat, I seem to do better when I space mine similar to that as well.  I have noticed that I get particularly sleepy if I don’t keep moving or stay busy in some manner.  How is the Effexor working for depression for you?  That is one that has been recommended to me that I have not yet tried. Bonnie hello – I space mine out during the day… 6 a.m., 1 p.m., 8 p.m., but I am never tired….maybe it is the Effexor I am also taking. — regards, Compucat I am currently at 1500 mg a day of neurontin and I will soon be going up  to 1800 mg.   For now I will level off at that point and see how I do.  Do  any of you on neurontin find that it makes you sleepy and if so how do you  deal with this?  (when you can not sleep such as at work)  I seem to do  better when I keep my doses evenly spaced throughout the day however my pdoc  says  I could take it all at once at bedtime if it made me too sleepy.  This  seems like a lot to take at once to me. Bonnie hi i was wondering what dosages some people were taking for lamotragine and gabapentin… esp. those who have had to go to the high end of the useful range …. also any info on how to discover one’s therapeutic dosage would be greatly appreciated

Response:

hi i was wondering what dosages some people were taking for lamotragine and gabapentin… esp. those who have had to go to the high end of the useful range …. also any info on how to discover one’s therapeutic dosage would be greatly appreciated thanks cybercafe

Response:

hi… I am taking 2400 mg. of Gabapentin along with 187.5 mg. of Effexor. – regards, Compucat

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi i was wondering what dosages some people were taking for lamotragine and gabapentin… esp. those who have had to go to the high end of the useful range …. also any info on how to discover one’s therapeutic dosage would be greatly appreciated thanks cybercafe

Response:

hi Bonnie.. I was visiting my pdoc today after having 2 crashes last week and really high anxiety that has resulted in no sleep of any consequence for almost a month. So for now, I will be taking 75 mg. of Effexor in the a.m. and 75 mg. again at noon. That is a slight drop in my total for the day by 37.5 mg. as we try to find where the best dose is for me.We may have gone a touch high on the Effexor. My Gabapentin dose will stay the same – 2400 mg. a day, this time only split up twice. The depression has lifted, I can feel that, but I am not out of the woodwork. That said, my body/mind has always proved to be rather treatment resistant. It has been about a month and a half on this combination of drugs. I really feel they are my answer and I want to work to get the right balance for me. I  previously took Prozac for 10 years – no side effects – then gradually had to start increasing the dose up to 60 mg. a day, and then it just died on me. I have been having some side effects, but are they Effexor side effects or Gabapentin side effects or both?: – cannot sleep – extremely decreased appetite – jittery – blurred/double vision (this is gone now) – tremors (they feel like little electrical jolts Bonnie, please remember that you may have some of these or none at all. Remember, we were not all made at the Chrysler plant in Detroit on Monday morning. We all will react differently. Look at my 10 years with Prozac – we are talking no side effects at all. It was a delight for me. Maybe that will be you with Effexor. Do some reading about it on the web medical sights and see if you feel comfortable with considering it. I am hearing very good things about it and good successes. hugs, — regards, Compucat

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Compucat, I seem to do better when I space mine similar to that as well.  I have noticed that I get particularly sleepy if I don’t keep moving or stay busy in some manner.  How is the Effexor working for depression for you?  That is one that has been recommended to me that I have not yet tried. Bonnie hello – I space mine out during the day… 6 a.m., 1 p.m., 8 p.m., but I am never tired….maybe it is the Effexor I am also taking. — regards, Compucat I am currently at 1500 mg a day of neurontin and I will soon be going up to 1800 mg.   For now I will level off at that point and see how I do. Do any of you on neurontin find that it makes you sleepy and if so how do you deal with this?  (when you can not sleep such as at work)  I seem to do better when I keep my doses evenly spaced throughout the day however my pdoc says I could take it all at once at bedtime if it made me too sleepy.  This seems like a lot to take at once to me. Bonnie hi i was wondering what dosages some people were taking for lamotragine and gabapentin… esp. those who have had to go to the high end of the useful range …. also any info on how to discover one’s therapeutic dosage would be greatly appreciated thanks cybercafe

Response:

Question:

You seem to be missing my point.  If you are as desparate as you keep saying I don’t understand why you don’t just go have the treatment.  You say you are treatment resistant.  Are you really, or are you just resistant to treatment? You can’t shove it down someone else’s throat while avoiding it yourself. I am not dismissing your situation.  I really feel sorry for the shape you say you are in.  What does bother me is that you sit here and dismiss everyone elses problems like they don’t matter.  You can’t possibly know the situations that other people are in.  How about 30 years of semi-living?  How about attempted su*c*de and no one cared, didn’t even know?  How about throwing friends out the window because you are too tired and depressed to give them the time of day?  How about 30 years of excuses?  Maybe it isn’t major to you, but it sure can be hell on the ones suffering, not to mention the families they created.  I could go on and on, but I hope you can at least get the jest of what I am trying to say.  Who knows, maybe there was some major depression thrown in along the way. All I know is that it is just as hard on us as yours is on you.  You have to stop with all the assumptions, you don’t know.

Response:

The odds of Tylenol actually killing you is low.

Eric!!  Arrgh. If you take a full bottle of extra-strength Tylenol and don’t go to the hospital for the next few days, the odds of Tylenol actually killing you are about 100%. Denise

Response:

Eric!!  Arrgh. If you take a full bottle of extra-strength Tylenol and don’t go to the hospital for the next few days, the odds of Tylenol actually killing you are about 100%. Denise Awww come on now. How come that isnt in that book "Final Exit?" I think your full of crap. Eric

Okay… since you want to press it…  :-) I haven’t read Final Exit, but if it’s not in there, I imagine that’s because: 1) It’s a horrible way to die — very painful and slow, over a period of days or even a couple of weeks; 2) There is a good chance you’ll recover if someone finds you and gets you to the hospital within the first day for treatment (because there are chemical antidotes that can be administered); and 3) If you do survive, you might be left with permanent liver damage. So, I can see why someone writing a "how-to" book like Final Exit would not want to list Tylenol overdose as a recommended method.   Still, people use it frequently.  Some choose it because that’s what they have access to and they know it will work, and others because that’s what they have access to and they *don’t* realize it will work. It’s an especially big problem among teenagers — swallowing a bunch of Tylenol as a suicidal gesture, not realizing how lethal it can be. Also, because Tylenol is perceived to be safe, friends and family don’t always think to get it out of the home of somenoe who is suicidal. Some countries have even looked at limiting how many Tylenol can be bought at one time in order to curb its use in suicides. Anyway, just because you told me I’m full of crap (:-

Question:

nope

Response:

Geoff, Thanks for the medical backing.  I’ve made similar statements to my GI about pain relief; it’s nice to have a bit more knowledge to back it up.  So far I’ve not had problems with pain relief, i.e. getting the right scripts, but you never know when that can change.  mgbio CD Class of ‘99 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – About 6 years ago I had open heart surgery, fortunately my IBD went into remission (any connection I wonder?) until I recovered. After the acute pain phase  I was prescribed M-or-phi-ne Sulphate, these were coated, slow release tablets. I had no problems of any kind, no I add-ict-ion, no withdrawal, In fact I still have some unused. I have been tols by several doctors that provided there is a reason for taking medication, eg PAIN, addiction is not a problem. The brain associates the medication only with pain relief, so no pain to relieve, no association, so no craving. I’ve found this to be true. I take di-hydrocedeine when necessary, which I am told is metabilised to M-or–ph-ine in the body and am certainly not addicted. Geoff   I do not want to have people come into this conversation to harass. bother, and preach, it is a question for pain management. I had to put this first line in to keep the ones out that don’t belong, and search for key words. I am going to break up this work, M-eth-a-done. Has anyone used this for pain management? My doctor is giving me the option of trying it with morp-hine (again-hyphenated to keep the searches out of here). Thanx. Please no preaching, only experiences for pain management, preferably for those with chronic pain, and intestinal disease. stevenscott —-

Response:

About 6 years ago I had open heart surgery, fortunately my IBD went into remission (any connection I wonder?) until I recovered. After the acute pain phase  I was prescribed M-or-phi-ne Sulphate, these were coated, slow release tablets. I had no problems of any kind, no I add-ict-ion, no withdrawal, In fact I still have some unused. I have been tols by several doctors that provided there is a reason for taking medication, eg PAIN, addiction is not a problem. The brain associates the medication only with pain relief, so no pain to relieve, no association, so no craving. I’ve found this to be true. I take di-hydrocedeine when necessary, which I am told is metabilised to M-or–ph-ine in the body and am certainly not addicted. Geoff

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   I do not want to have people come into this conversation to harass. bother, and preach, it is a question for pain management. I had to put this first line in to keep the ones out that don’t belong, and search for key words. I am going to break up this work, M-eth-a-done. Has anyone used this for pain management? My doctor is giving me the option of trying it with morp-hine (again-hyphenated to keep the searches out of here). Thanx. Please no preaching, only experiences for pain management, preferably for those with chronic pain, and intestinal disease. stevenscott —-

Response:

eMi, I’m on the "stronger" type of med that you talk about in your "p.s.".   It has worked for me for 5 years now, and at the same dose no less.  I see an anaesthesiologist in a pain management clinic.  They have been wonderful to me and sooo helpful.  I have my life back after being in constant pain for 32 years!  I can even ride my horse more often than not ) Linda ~~~~~~~

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was on Duragesic patches and Oxycontin b4 my surgery…I found they worked great…..made the pain bearable and I was able to function without being too loopy…..they deliver a time released dose of med and you stay comfortable for the time rather than the up and down sort of pain with the other drugs.            eMi P.S. there is also a stronger time released type of morphine related to the oxycontin …I highly suggest you talk to the pharmacist…that is where I learned about the latest pain management meds.

Response:

methadone is used to treat  heroin addecits  thats the  most iv’e heard a bout it  good luck

Response:

Did you get any irriatation from the glue used on the patch? Mike I was on Duragesic patches and Oxycontin b4 my surgery…I found they worked great…..made the pain bearable and I was able to function without being too loopy…..they deliver a time released dose of med and you stay comfortable for the time rather than the up and down sort of pain with the other drugs.           eMi P.S. there is also a stronger time released type of morphine related to the oxycontin …I highly suggest you talk to the pharmacist…that is where I learned about the latest pain management meds.

Leah’s Body Sugaring Recipe Make it yourself and save http://www.for-romance.com/sugar

Response:

They have an 1-800 number to get an info pack. Might be worth a look see. If you do look into it let us know about it. Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You mean this: http://www.medtronic.com/neuro/ "Neurological and Spinal Business Overview Our neurological products include neurostimulation systems, drug delivery systems, neurosurgical implant devices, surgical access products, and diagnostic and therapeutic systems for chronic pain and neurologic, urologic, and gastrointestinal disorders. Eight businesses within our division work together to apply our therapies and products to provide comprehensive solutions to significant neurological disorders. Activa

Question:

It’s a little late on this thread for advice about bleeding, but I do want to remind you to keep up with your vitamins.  Lack of vitamins can slow clotting. Also, if you think you may give in and cut yourself, or if you recently have, DON’T take any aspirin! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – my arm won’t stop bleeding. it’s been at least 4 hours and it was under pressure but it still won’t stop.maybe my blood is thinning or something. the therapist from home hasn’t called yet. it is so ugly! i finished my work for tonight. no pressure or nothing and i still don’t feel right. well, my effexor dose is rising again tomorrow. though i don’t even know if it’s effective. oh well. i’m trying not to break my promise (the deal) i am trying. but it’s hard. les.

Response:

my arm won’t stop bleeding. it’s been at least 4 hours and it was under pressure but it still won’t stop.maybe my blood is thinning or something. the therapist from home hasn’t called yet. it is so ugly! i finished my work for tonight. no pressure or nothing and i still don’t feel right. well, my effexor dose is rising again tomorrow. though i don’t even know if it’s effective. oh well. i’m trying not to break my promise (the deal) i am trying. but it’s hard. les.

Response:

my arm won’t stop bleeding. it’s been at least 4 hours and it was under pressure but it still won’t stop.maybe my blood is thinning or something. the therapist from home hasn’t called yet.

if you’re losing too much blood, go to the emergency room!! it is so ugly! i finished my work for tonight. no pressure or nothing and i still don’t feel right. well, my effexor dose is rising again tomorrow. though i don’t even know if it’s effective. oh well. i’m trying not to break my promise (the deal) i am trying. but it’s hard.

Hang in there. You always have us to talk to. Sophie — http://grayarea.diaryland.com

Response:

my arm won’t stop bleeding.

it may ooze for some time depending on how deeply you cut it and with what-you used a knife? too dul it does too much tissue damage-this will scar. you are taking effexor and klonopin now? what happened to the seroquel? If you want to stop cutting you will-not a moment sooner the you decide to-but know there is a price to pay for it-that price is you will feel worse and it will scar-you are duping yourself into thinking it will feel better-it does but only for the moment-then the gult and verification of your worthlessness sets in-it becomes a cycle and a bad habit-you can stop and most likely will when you become busy in an environment that is stimulating as oppossed to boring and scary. But you can only search for this-it won’t come to you. You are working yourself up now and will crash into depression to slow it down-try and moderate-try and get busy-rent a movie listen to music-visit a friend-call one-call your dad-distract yourself from you pain-it will pass. this is temporary-think of how well you felt just a few short months ago in the summer-place yourself in the thoughts-be there-you will get there again. It semester end-exams and then going home-this seems to bring out this stress response in you-it will pass LM

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Hey Melissa, I agree with everybody else that the "Prozac turns people into axe murderers" thing is a lot of hype. Some people do get worse on antidepressants – it happened to me on Wellbutrin (though a lot of that may have just been the natural course of the illness). But if you were one of these people, you’d know it! In regard to people who became violent/suicidal on antidepressants, they and their relatives claimed that they had no prior history of violence/suicidality, but to the best of my knowledge, closer examination revealed that they did have histories. One other thing – if this helps any, the sleepwalking/axe-murdering (or whatever it was) story involved a person on *Halcion*, not an antidepressant. -elizabeth

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Thanks to all of you for assuaging my fears about zoloft and axe-murderers. Sometimes I need to hear it from others before it "sinks in."  Take care, Melissa

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Quick question.  I’ve been on Zoloft for four weeks now with very desirable results…getting out more, driving alone, etc. But after reading some of the stuff posted about SSRI’s causing people to commit suicide, homicide, or other atrocities, I’m freaked!!  Someone please tell me that I’m not going to sleepwalk and axe murder little kids!  I mean, all that stuff was political *wasn’t* it?? Thanks!  Melissa

Melissa, relax. Most of these claims are a lot of ::insert favourite expletive here::  Some have been spread by a particular organisation that has it’s own ideas about how psychological disorders should be treated (giving them lots a money, in the main) and some lawyers have tried to implicate them as being responsible for their client’s crimes. However, the only one that may be applicable is that some people on SSRIs have committed suicide. So have a lot of people that were not taking SSRIs. The fact is that many, if not most, were taking SSRIs because they were at risk. I’m one of those that cannot handle the effects of SSRIs – I get really wired on them, but I’ve never found that they have lead me to do something I wouldn’t normally contemplate. One the assumption that your cellar isn’t already stacked to the ceiling with the remains of your victims, after 4 weeks your should be reasonably safe!   :-^) Ian BTW-If you suddenly get the urge to commit henious acts apon *Moat Monsters* then up the Zoloft dose and give me a call!   <VVVBEG  

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Quick question.  I’ve been on Zoloft for four weeks now with very desirable results…getting out more, driving alone, etc. But after reading some of the stuff posted about SSRI’s causing people to commit suicide, homicide, or other atrocities, I’m freaked!!  Someone please tell me that I’m not going to sleepwalk and axe murder little kids!  I mean, all that stuff was political *wasn’t* it?? Thanks!  Melissa

Hi Melissa! Don’t worry! You’re definitely *not* going to sleepwalk and axe murder little kids. (There, I said it ) These stories *are* political indeed and if the odd criminal happened to be on an antidepressant that doesn’t mean that the antidepressant was the cause of his acts. Many criminals drink milk, I suppose, but milk won’t cause them to commit murders. In these *stories* it’s always Prozac BTW and never Zoloft, so I think you’re in the clear…;)) And it’s great that Zoloft is agreeing so well with you! Philip

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HI Melissa, If you have been on Zoloft for a few weeks and are doing good, IMO, don’t worry.  I am one of those people who had a bad time with Prozac, but my BAD symptoms developed after only 3 days on it. Cathy When we talk to God we’re praying. When God talks to us we’re schizophrenic. –Lily Tomlin P.H.O.B.I.A. Off-line Panic/Anxiety Support Group Learn about us at http://community.nj.com/cc/phobia

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Quick question.  I’ve been on Zoloft for four weeks now with very desirable results…getting out more, driving alone, etc. But after reading some of the stuff posted about SSRI’s causing people to commit suicide, homicide, or other atrocities, I’m freaked!!  Someone please tell me that I’m not going to sleepwalk and axe murder little kids!  I mean, all that stuff was political *wasn’t* it?? Thanks!  Melissa

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Quick question.  I’ve been on Zoloft for four weeks now with very desirable results…getting out more, driving alone, etc. But after reading some of the stuff posted about SSRI’s causing people to commit suicide, homicide, or other atrocities, I’m freaked!!  Someone please tell me that I’m not going to sleepwalk and axe murder little kids!  I mean, all that stuff was political *wasn’t* it?? Thanks!  Melissa

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Quick question.  I’ve been on Zoloft for four weeks now with very desirable results…getting out more, driving alone, etc. But after reading some of the stuff posted about SSRI’s causing people to commit suicide, homicide, or other atrocities, I’m freaked!!  Someone please tell me that I’m not going to sleepwalk and axe murder little kids!  I mean, all that stuff was political *wasn’t* it??

Hi Melissa, I can quarantee that we will not be hearing about you in the news, because you commited some despicable act<G. I think this all stems from the Prozac rumours. I am sure on very rare occassion, someone on Prozac killed themselves, but can we say for sure that the Prozac made them do it? I don`t think so. And there a few people who had bad reactions on Prozac, but you can have a bad reaction on any med there is. I am a med phobic, and if I felt there was any truth to what you fear, I would never had gone on it. I am fine, and nothing happened to me. And being you have been on Zoloft 4 weeks, the side-effects you have now, are it…..and they should start diminishing. You are going to be fine, stop worrying and enjoy how well you are feeling on the Zoloft…..that is what Zoloft is suppose to do, not make you crazy.  Take Care!! Jackie ~Dreams that come true can be as unsetting as those that don’t.~

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Hi all, and thanks in advance for reading…. I am new to this.  I need help.  I feel like disappearing. I have been on Efexor 70Mg for 14 months, and I’m coming off.  I’ve had enough of not feeling better.  No, I’m not seeing a psychiatrist – but , I think I should.   My doctor is relatively new to this type of disorder.  I have been diagnosed with Major Depression.  I want to start taking "Hypericum – St John’s Wort", as I have heard that it is good. After 2 weeks of trying to ween myself off Efexor, I am not coping very well. My body is screaming on the inside.  My heart keeps hiccuping,  I’m sweating, shaking and my mood is going up and down like the pedals on a bike going downhill. I don’t know if this is normal for someone coming off medication like this. Last night I had my very first serious suicidal thoughts.  I managed to talk myself out of doing silly things.  I was driving my car, and wanted to drive into a pole. I’m so scared.  Can someone please help me.  I really need it. I’m in Perth, Australia.  If anyone knows of support groups, please tell me. help. lynn

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Dear Lynn, Please, call your Dr. immediately!….withdrawal from any med can be *dangerous*!…..especially without a Dr’s supervision….if your Doc is unavailable, call an ER, tell them what’s going on and ask if you should come in….and if your Dr is not familiar with the treatment you’re receiving from him/her..Get A New One…preferablly a Psychiatrist…or Psycopharmacoligist… Also, DO NOT take the St. John’s Wort while on any A/D…this, too can be dangerous.. You sound like a very intelligent person and I hope you’ll heed my advice…..please keep posting and let us know how you’re doing..OK? Regards, Cece – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, and thanks in advance for reading…. I am new to this.  I need help.  I feel like disappearing. I have been on Efexor 70Mg for 14 months, and I’m coming off.  I’ve had enough of not feeling better.  No, I’m not seeing a psychiatrist – but , I think I should.   My doctor is relatively new to this type of disorder.  I have been diagnosed with Major Depression.  I want to start taking "Hypericum – St John’s Wort", as I have heard that it is good. After 2 weeks of trying to ween myself off Efexor, I am not coping very well. My body is screaming on the inside.  My heart keeps hiccuping,  I’m sweating, shaking and my mood is going up and down like the pedals on a bike going downhill. I don’t know if this is normal for someone coming off medication like this. Last night I had my very first serious suicidal thoughts.  I managed to talk myself out of doing silly things.  I was driving my car, and wanted to drive into a pole. I’m so scared.  Can someone please help me.  I really need it. I’m in Perth, Australia.  If anyone knows of support groups, please tell me. help. lynn

CelestialSurvivor — "When reality is too harsh, the ridiculous often becomes the sublime." :me "They’re not problems, they’re just solutions we haven’t found yet.":also me

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Lynn,  You really should talk to a doctor before you stop taking a med like this. I have hear of others who went off a med and then that med never working for them again. You may not have thought the med was going anything, but it must have been helping some. There are many different antidepressants that the doctor can try. Each person is different and needs a different one and different dose, but the doctor cant tell what you need, so you have to just keep trying till one works. I am in the USA so I don’t know of any groups, but we are here if you need some support.                           Good Luck,                                Penny – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, and thanks in advance for reading…. I am new to this.  I need help.  I feel like disappearing. I have been on Efexor 70Mg for 14 months, and I’m coming off.  I’ve had enough of not feeling better.  No, I’m not seeing a psychiatrist – but , I think I should.   My doctor is relatively new to this type of disorder.  I have been diagnosed with Major Depression.  I want to start taking "Hypericum – St John’s Wort", as I have heard that it is good. After 2 weeks of trying to ween myself off Efexor, I am not coping very well. My body is screaming on the inside.  My heart keeps hiccuping,  I’m sweating, shaking and my mood is going up and down like the pedals on a bike going downhill. I don’t know if this is normal for someone coming off medication like this. Last night I had my very first serious suicidal thoughts.  I managed to talk myself out of doing silly things.  I was driving my car, and wanted to drive into a pole. I’m so scared.  Can someone please help me.  I really need it. I’m in Perth, Australia.  If anyone knows of support groups, please tell me. help. lynn

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Dear Lynn, Please, call your Dr. immediately!….withdrawal from any med can be *dangerous*!…..especially without a Dr’s supervision….if your Doc is unavailable, call an ER, tell them what’s going on and ask if you should come in….and if your Dr is not familiar with the treatment you’re receiving from him/her..Get A New One…preferablly a Psychiatrist…or Psycopharmacoligist…

It’s okay.  I am under a Doctor’s supervision.  He has suggested that I ween myself off the meds.  I will be calling him today to "talk" and tell him about these most wonderful side effects. Also, DO NOT take the St. John’s Wort while on any A/D…this, too can be dangerous..

Sokay!  Not taking a/d’s.  I haven’t had any Efexor since Monday morning.  So, here, that’s 5 days!  Has anyone had any experience with St John’s Wort? You sound like a very intelligent person and I hope you’ll heed my

advice…..please keep posting and let us know how you’re doing..OK?Why thank you!  I’m feeling a lot

better at the moment.  There’s no tears pouring out of my eyes!  I’ll see how I go.  I’m fairly sure that this afternoon it will be a different story. I would also like to thank all those people that emailed me, and replied to the group.  I didn’t realise there was such  wonderful people around.  Thanks. I know that I should probably go and see a psychiatrist.  But, I can’t afford it. I guess I’ll just have to keep eating Orange Tic-Tacs until I feel great again. (Although, I did read that Nutella can give multiple oral orgasms! – it’s just a pity it’s fattening!). You know, I never really knew how good it felt to talk to complete strangers about this.  It’s good therapy. I hope that there are people out there that don’t just think that this Aussie is just dribbling on.  Well, okay, so I am.  But I like it.   %^) Thanks again everyone, for listening, and responding. Lynnee

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Sokay!  Not taking a/d’s.  I haven’t had any Efexor since Monday morning.  So, here, that’s 5 days!  Has anyone had any experience with St John’s Wort?

I took St. John’s Wort for about three months and it did help a small bit, but it wasn’t really enough to help me much.  I knew it was doing something because I didn’t go up and down as hard, but I was still miserable.  Iv’e been on 20mg of Paxil for about three weeks now and it is much, much more effective so far.  

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Sokay!  Not taking a/d’s.  I haven’t had any Efexor since Monday morning.  So, here, that’s 5 days!  Has anyone had any experience with St John’s Wort?

<raising hand I do! I actually took it while I was on Effexor in the hopes of boosting it. I’m not sure it did anything at all. I took it for about six months, then just kind of ran out and never bought any more about 3 months ago. I noticed no difference. I do know that SJW on its own is really only effective for mild to moderate depression, so if yours is more severe (as mine is) it may not be the drug for you. Upping my Effexor dose (I’m now on 300mg/day) and adding another med (Risperdal) turned out to help me a ton. I don’t mean to sound negative about SJW, I think it works for some people. I’ll be interested to hear what your experience is. Why thank you!  I’m feeling a lot better at the moment.  There’s no tears pouring out of my eyes!  I’ll see how I go.  I’m fairly sure that this afternoon it will be a different story.

How are you doing today? I know that I should probably go and see a psychiatrist.  But, I can’t afford it. I guess I’ll just have to keep eating Orange Tic-Tacs until I feel great again. (Although, I did read that Nutella can give multiple oral orgasms! – it’s just a pity it’s fattening!).

Multiple oral orgasms!! BAHAHA!! You know, I’ve been here and at first in asd for a year now, and I STILL haven’t tried Nutella! Keep meaning to, but given that I’ve been putting on enough weight without it, I don’t think I should be adding it to my diet. Maybe someday… I hope that there are people out there that don’t just think that this Aussie is just dribbling on.  Well, okay, so I am.  But I like it.   %^)

I like it too! Trust me, dribbling on happens all the time here. Nice to meet you, Lynn! Mary

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Just for the record, I think playing with our meds is a bad idea, if for no other reason that the disease itself alters our cognitive ablilities and our ability to make good decisions. Just for everyone’s info however, a short history of my medication: When to a general practitioner, had a hard time talking with him, he gave me a prescription for Paxil that I took for several months. The Paxil weirdly enough seem to make a difference right away, then its effectiveness immediately fell off. I went to see a Psychiatrist who prescribed Zoloft for depression and Xanax for the panic attacks. When the Zoloft alone was not working, we added Wellbutrin. With the Wellbutrin I went through a short period of aggression, was better for awhile, and then that combination seemed to lose its effectiveness as well. Then I stopped drinking entirely and around the same time started taking 300mg  of Effexor daily. The Effexor has stabilized my emotions and mind remarkably. Each day it seems to work for me I count as a blessing. I tried St. Johns Wort, but it seemed to increase my blood pressure and actually made me more depressed. My whole point is that working with a qualified doctor over a long period of time, we found a medication that has made a real difference in my life. cupojoe

: : Sokay!  Not taking a/d’s.  I haven’t had any Efexor since Monday morning.  So, : here, that’s 5 days!  Has anyone had any experience with St John’s Wort? : :<raising hand I do! I actually took it while I was on Effexor in the hopes of boosting :it. I’m not sure it did anything at all. I took it for about six months, then just kind f ran out and never bought any more about 3 months ago. I noticed no difference. I do :know that SJW on its own is really only effective for mild to moderate depression, so :if yours is more severe (as mine is) it may not be the drug for you. Upping my Effexor :dose (I’m now on 300mg/day) and adding another med (Risperdal) turned out to help me a :ton. : :I don’t mean to sound negative about SJW, I think it works for some people. I’ll be :interested to hear what your experience is. : : Why thank you!  I’m feeling a lot : better at the moment.  There’s no tears pouring out of my eyes! I’ll see how I : go.  I’m fairly sure that this afternoon it will be a different story. : :How are you doing today? : : I know that I should probably go and see a psychiatrist.  But, I can’t afford it. : I guess I’ll just have to keep eating Orange Tic-Tacs until I feel great again. : (Although, I did read that Nutella can give multiple oral orgasms! – it’s just a : pity it’s fattening!). : :Multiple oral orgasms!! BAHAHA!! You know, I’ve been here and at first in asd for a :year now, and I STILL haven’t tried Nutella! Keep meaning to, but given that I’ve been :putting on enough weight without it, I don’t think I should be adding it to my diet. :Maybe someday… : : I hope that there are people out there that don’t just think that this Aussie is : just dribbling on.  Well, okay, so I am.  But I like it.   %^) : :I like it too! Trust me, dribbling on happens all the time here. : :Nice to meet you, Lynn! :Mary : :

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