Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Wheezing Cough And Flovent » Residue Buildup On My AeroChamber
yes, but if the poster is right that the buildup is basically caused by static electricity, then I’ll just wash the Aerochamber every day with some dishwashing liquid. Why take chances. It’s not that big an effort to keep it clean. I was just curious.
Considering the quality of many of its posts, I would strongly suggest you look for a more reliable reference. Ted
Ted
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Wheezing Cough And Flovent » Help for Asthma
I have had asthma since birth, and it was primarily caused by seasonal allergies. ….. in the past year have virtually eliminated my asthma and use of all prescription drugs by using some mega-quality supplements, followed by huge doses of vitamin C and anti-oxidants and grape seed extract……
That sounds like me except I’ve kept a pretty serious regimen of vitamins and exercise without the same auspicious results. I was able to quit taking prescription drugs and inhalers due to a certain non-prescription medication called Haysma. That is until it suddenly dissapeared completely from the shelves of every store (it was sold in most regular grocery stores as well as drug stores) in Salt Lake City. From what I’ve been unofficially informed, it was banned in S.L. & maybe all of Utah because somebody in our LDS-influenced legislature thought it contained harmful substances, esp. caffeine. This isn’t the first time something that is practically benign in the "real" world was 86′d by our gov. Except this time it has caused me to either put up with attacks or go back to the horrible prescription drugs and/or inhalers I thought I was free from. I’m quite sure that Haysma–there’s probably other comparable products, but this is the only one ever sold around here; because it was supposed to be harmless–is not banned anywhere else. The company, also called Haysma Inc, is still going strong according to the stock market reports. So if anyone out there in non-Mormon land knows where or how I can find it, I’d greatly appreciate an e-mail. Thanks, Mike S.W.
That sounds like me except I’ve kept a pretty serious regimen of vitamins and exercise without the same auspicious results. I was able to quit taking prescription drugs and inhalers due to a certain non-prescription medication called Haysma. That is until it suddenly dissapeared completely from the shelves of every store (it was sold in most regular grocery stores as well as drug stores) in Salt Lake City. From what I’ve been unofficially informed, it was banned in S.L. & maybe all of Utah because somebody in our LDS-influenced legislature thought it contained harmful substances, esp. caffeine.
According to a quick search I did haysma is listed as containing ephedrine. The drug ephedrine has been associated with so many serious and fatal reactions that the FDA proposed strict limits on its usage. These limits would have effectively banned many OTC and ‘alternative’ remedies. (These limits were dropped by the FDA after Congressional pressure.) Due to the presence of known dangers and the ability of lobbyists to prevent federal safety standards, many states have adopted the proposed FDA safety standards on their own. BTW, mixing ephedrine and caffeine is a very, very bad idea. If haysma does in fact contain both then it is a good thing it was removed from the shelves. "Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea — massive, diffucult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." Gene Spafford 1992
Another option for manufacturers is to petition FDA, asking the agency to establish the conditions under which the new dietary ingredient would reasonably be expected to be safe. To date, FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has received no such petitions. Under DSHEA, once a dietary supplement is marketed, FDA has the responsibility for showing that a dietary supplement is unsafe before it can take action to restrict the product’s use. This was the case when, in June 1997, FDA proposed, among other things, to limit the amount of ephedrine alkaloids in dietary supplements (marketed as ephedra, Ma huang, Chinese ephedra, and epitonin, for example) and provide warnings to consumers about hazards associated with use of dietary supplements containing the ingredients. The hazards ranged from nervousness, dizziness, and changes in blood pressure and heart rate to chest pain, heart attack, hepatitis, stroke, seizures, psychosis, and death. The proposal stemmed from FDA’s review of adverse event reports it had received, scientific literature, and public comments. FDA has received many comments on the 1997 proposal and was reviewing them at press time. Besides FDA, individual states can take steps to restrict or stop the sale of potentially harmful dietary supplements within their jurisdictions. For example, Florida has banned some ephedra-containing products, and other states have said they are considering similar action. Also, the industry strives to regulate itself, the Council for Responsible Nutrition’s Cordaro says. He cites the GMPs that his trade group and others developed for their member companies. FDA is reviewing these GMPs as it considers whether to pursue mandatory industry-wide GMPs. Another example of self-regulation, Cordaro says, is the voluntary use of a warning about ephedra products that his organization drafted. He says that about 90 percent of U.S. manufacturers of products containing ephedra alkaloids now use this warning label. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1998/598_guid.html Ephedra As you know, on June 4, 1997, FDA published in the Federal Register a proposed rule on Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedrine Alkaloids (62 FR 30678). There are a variety of opinions about the proposed rule and the direction the Agency should take. One cannot dispute, however, the shear volume of the reports of illness and injuries that FDA received reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplements suspected to contain ephedrine alkaloids. Between 1993 and mid-1996, FDA received about 1,600 AER’s reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplement products in general. Of these, over half of the AER’s were reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplements that contained, or were suspected to contain, ephedrine alkaloids. These adverse events tended to involve cardiovascular system effects and nervous system effects. FDA evaluated these reports and found that the single most common element was that the products contained, or were thought to contain, a source of ephedrine alkaloids (62 FR 30679). FDA used the information available in the approximately 600 AER’s that were in the Agency’s possession as of June 7, 1996, to describe patterns associated with these reports. A review of the demographic information showed that in over half of the reported adverse events, the injured party was under 40 years of age. Almost 75 percent of the adverse events were reported to occur in females, often using products promoted for weight loss (62 FR 30683). About 59 percent of the adverse events were reported to occur within 4 weeks of starting to use the product. About 14 percent of the reported adverse events occurred on the first day of using the dietary supplement and, in a few cases, on the initial use (62 FR 30684). Overall, the reported signs and symptoms associated with these AER’s included those in which clinically serious events occurred, including heart attack, stroke, psychoses, seizure, and in a few cases, death, as well as those with less clinical significance, including rapid and irregular heart rhythms, increased blood pressure, anxiety, nervousness, tremor, hyperactivity, and insomnia (62 FR 30683). The Agency recognized that these reports could be indicative of early warnings of serious cardiovascular or nervous system risks if product use were to continue. Notably, the information from these adverse events revealed consistent patterns of signs and symptoms in both healthy individuals and in those with underlying diseases or conditions. Many of these reported signs and symptoms occurred in young adults who generally would not have been expected to be at high risk for such conditions (e.g., heart attack and stroke). Included were the deaths of two young adult males in which the medical examiners attributed the cause of death to ephedrine toxicity (ARMS Nos. 10862 and 11134 at 62 FR 30720 and 30722, respectively). In some cases, particular events appeared to reflect individual sensitivities related to dose levels, frequency, or duration of use of ephedrine alkaloids (62 FR 30684). As depicted in Chart C, the ephedra AER’s generated an important "signal", but were just one small component (the "tip of the iceberg") of FDA’s overall analysis of the potential public health risk associated with this product. To better understand the nature and types of products associated with these AER’s, FDA conducted a review of the marketplace (62 FR 30679). Over a two-year period, FDA collected and analyzed over 25 dietary supplement products labeled as containing a known source of ephedrine alkaloids. FDA also searched the scientific literature for relevant clinical studies, case reports, and the expected physiologic and pharmacologic effects. In addition, FDA also convened an ad hoc working group of its Food Advisory Committee (Working Group) and its Food Advisory Committee to consider the public health problems associated with the use of ephedrine alkaloid-containing dietary supplements (62 FR 30680). In the proposed rule, FDA requested comments containing data, particularly clinical data, on the safety of the use of ephedrine alkaloids in dietary supplements. (62 FR 30694). As noted above, while the AER’s served as the warning signal of potential hazard associated with the use of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids, the Agency’s evaluation of those hazards was comprised of multiple sources of scientific information. This evaluation included the AER’s, a search of the scientific literature, published case reports, controlled clinical studies, and published reports of adverse events associated with traditional uses of ephedrine alkaloids. All of these sources of scientific information revealed a consistent pattern of cardiovascular and nervous system effects associated with ephedrine alkaloids. That view was affirmed by FDA’s Food Advisory Committee. http://www.fda.gov/ola/aems599.html
I have had asthma since birth, and it was primarily caused by seasonal allergies. It did however flare up at any time, often linked to strenuous exertion, temperature changes and stress. I have been on Tedral, Beclovent, Salbutamol, Ventolin and Flovent. I am now 40, and in the past year have virtually eliminated my asthma and use of all prescription drugs by using some mega-quality supplements, followed by huge doses of vitamin C and anti-oxidants and grape seed extract. The daily vitamin C doses for me (that my body can tolerate without any effects) are around 5000 milligrams. That can vary from person to person. I also made some minor diet changes in cutting back on dairy products and red meat. Hope this information helps. Eric
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Zoloft Withdrawal » Panic
Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help.
Gaba doesn’t pass the blood-brain barrier and anyway it’s not a *lack of Gaba* that’s causing PD. I would suggest trying a benzodiazepine like Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Valium which, unlike the antidepressants, *do* work on the Gaba system. Benzos will cause *dependence* (as do many ADs and a myriad of other meds) for which reason some doctors won’t prescribe them, confusing dependence and addiction. Benzos are first choice meds for panic and dependence means you shouldn’t stop taking them suddenly but by way of a slow taper. Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
:I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. :I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. 
I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are :returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having :much success. Welcome to ASAPM! Sorry you are having a setback. That`s par for the course when it comes to living with an anxiety disorder GABA hasn`t been proven having any luck with it. 
oes anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can :recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative :approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack 
f sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help. When you ask about the brain recovering from 10 year antidepressant use, do you think your brain was hurt by using zoloft for 10 years? Let me assure you that what you are experiencing is quite normal for people with anxiety disorders, meds or not. Setbacks after the cessation of medication is unfortunately…. too common. I urge you to seek professional help as soon as possible. If you are very adverse to taking another antidepressant, than ask your doctor about benzodiazepines. If you are against meds period, then look into cognitive behavioral therapy. It is the most effective therapy for anxiety disorders. Here are two informative links on CBT: http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/therapycbt/ http://www.cognitivetherapy.com/ Here`s a link to a great website on anxiety disorders, there is a wealth of information at this site. http://panicdisorder.about.com/index.htm?once=true&COB=home&PID=2791 Take care 
Jackie ~*~My grandfather always said that living is like licking honey off a thorn~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
nothing perfect in life, the zoloft was effective enough to eliminate your anxiety and you (might) never had to learn how to deal with your disorder, so if for some reason you have to quite taking it your anxiety disorder can come back if you are genetically prone to a anxiety disorder you have to work a lot harder than normal people to help deal with anxiety and this would be to learn many different coping techniques along with medication as needed and there very well could be a time in your life where medication is the only effective answer and possibly a time when you might be able to work to diminish many of the symptoms without med Jim Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help.
Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help.
First of al : Welcome to this group it can be a great help I can see your problem,but (this maybe doesn’t is the info you are looking for) I think the problem isn’t the intake of zoloft for 10 years. When I read your symptoms I can only assume your PAD isn’t under control without medication. I don’t think your brain needs to recover from Zoloft. Jackie gave you some excellent links. Unfortenatly PAD isn’t a disorder that disappears. With very few people it is a temporary thing. Of course you are free to live without medication but then ,like Elliot said, there is a great need for therapy (CBT) so you can control your thinking. You can post here all you want for info and support. We all know what you are talking about ! Take care from Anna — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Laura, I would like to know your experience on zoloft as I am considering it. I deal with a lot of anxiety and probably mini PA’s on a daily basis. I take klonopin as needed, and boy it makes me good. chaz
Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help.
I am coming off of Serzone after using it for at least 10 years. I came off the Serzone very slowly and have medical supervision on this. I have been told by my Dr. that if I was to come off the medication too quickly, I would probably trigger an episode of deep depression. My experience so far now that I am off Serzone completely for 3 days is that my tension migraines are a wee be worse but my head has lost much of its "fog." This trade-off is worth it for me but anxiety may in the end cause me to have to go back on meds. Good luck Ron — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Long term use of the SSRIs presents a lot of problems. It doesn’t usually work forever and at a certain point they need to be stopped. As an episodic problem panic disorder probably is going to do best with an episodic treatment. Withdrawal after long term use can be much more severe than you describe, and people need to be aware that withdrawal induced suicidal ideation is a problem — as is the induction of new symptoms of anxiety and panic that were not present previously. Zaps are often confused with panic attacks. So is withdrawal related visual lag/vertigo and withdrawal related nausea. All that aside, what can one do? It seems that when a person stops a SSRI, they are relatively serotonin depleted. My strategy to boos serotonin on the supply side is to prescribe l-tryptophan at a dose of 1000 mg twice daily — to be taken on an empty stomach with a bit of sugar only (juice, soda crackers, etc.) Tryptophan is converted to serotonin in the brain. I avoid 5-HTP because it is converted into serotonin to a large extent outside of the brain and this can potentially cause the same sort of cardiac problems that phen-fen caused. Taking the tryptophan with SAM-e 200 to 400 mg can boost serotonin synthesis even further. If you have a prior history of manic episodes, avoid the SAM-e. Some of my patients have found significant relief from SSRI/Zoloft withdrawal using this strategy. Stuart Shipko, M.D. Panic Disorders Institute http://www.algy.com/pdi — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help. Hi Laura, It sounds like the Zoloft was controlling your anxiety disorder, and after you stopped it, the panic attacks returned. I’d restart the Zoloft. I’ve been on Zoloft for over 10 years, primarily for recurrant depression. In the past when I have discontinued the Zoloft, my depression returns. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Welcome to the group Laura. Maybe you should talk to your doctor about going back on Zoloft or another med. So sorry about the way this disorder is affecting you. :-( I’m weaning onto Celexa, but it’s only been 2 weeks so I’m not much help there. I think you’ll find lots of supportive people here. Please take care. Hugs, Di Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help.
Welcome, Laura!! I’m sorry you are experiencing this again. There is no reason you can’t resume your Zoloft if it helped you before, and you need it. I don’t think you are ‘recovering’ from 10 years of anti-depressant use…I think you are just plain suffering from an anxiety disorder. It’s really OK to take meds if you need them, Laura. A diabetic needs insulin…someone with anxiety or depression also needs meds. It’s the same thing. If I were you, I would contact the doctor and start something again. This can cause you other health problems if gone untreated. Healing hugs, Gigglz Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help.
Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help.
Hello, Laura, and welcome. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off = it for 1 year. … Now panic attacks are returning in full force.
It may be that you could discuss going back on the Zoloft, with your doctor or psychiatrist. If it helped you then, it will probably help you now. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to = diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight.
I’m so sorry to hear this! Laura, there is really no need to suffer when a medication exists that can help you. Please talk to your doctor about resuming the Zoloft! xxoo Anne — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Hi, Laura, Welcome to ASAPM!!! Why make yourself suffer when going back on Zoloft could reduce or eliminate the anxiety and its symptoms. smiles, Elise Hello, I am new to this group and hope to find some support for my panic attacks. I used zoloft for 10 years to control panic, and have been off it for 1 year. (I tapered off very slowly over the course of a year.) Now panic attacks are returning in full force. I am trying to control them with gaba, but not having much success. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wjether the brain can recover after 10 years of anti-depressant use? Or suggestions for alternative approaches. I am desperate because my anxiety is leading to diahrea, lack of sleep, loss of weight. Thanks for any help.
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Effexor Withdrawal » Men and Effexor XR=impotence?
Is this pretty much normal for coming off Paxil? I took a look at the website you recommended and there seem to be a lot of side effects. I’m asking on behalf of my 10 year old nephew. Today his doctor changed his medication from Paxil to something else (can’t remember – began with an R). He was on 20mg a day and he’s cutting the dose in half for the next three days, then having him take the half dose every other day. His mom is already at the end of her rope and if there are going to be side effects from this, she’s totally unprepared for them.
If you are changing from one antidepressant to another, I don’t think you will have side effects (or they won’t be as bad). NK
"jake" <inva…@invalid.com
wrote in message
news:kn66bv4osdbnirrfvv944s2q3p5hv98d6g@4ax.com…
On Fri, 02 May 2003 23:03:52 GMT, "No kidding!" <nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net wrote: I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off
of
it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad
I’d
have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go
through
my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the
http://www.quitpaxil.org/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a
period
of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the
medication
without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too
but
not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor
depression
but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot. sure..with the emphasis on IF you are sick enough with genuine profound depression..and with informed consent. Where the profit motive and a drive to expand markets are the motivation, history shows it takes legal action to compel pharmaceutical companies to provide the information needed for any kind of informed consent worth its name. And as for highpowered TV advertising to entice people to badger an uninformed GP to prescribe for the variety of ailments they claim it suitable for…….criminal prosecution .
I have mixed feelings about the TV advertising. On one level, I’m glad people can see there are options to help them. Educating the public is not a bad thing but I totaly agree that medications (for depression and ADHD) are being doled out more often than they should. I ‘m not a nurse but I’ve worked in the medical field for the past 27 years and I’m always seeing MD’s prescribe psych meds that have no business doing so (i.e regular GPs and gynecologists). I can’t tell you all the ADHD kids I see coming in for pre-medication work ups that could probably benefit from other options rather than medication but that’s the easiest avenue. I had a friend who was a little down and she went to her GYN doc and asked for an antidepressant and he prescribed Effexor! Despite this, I’m still a firm believer in medication under the right circumstances. I was in bad shape at one time and I probably would be dead or severely incapacitated without it. Thank goodness I went to a competant psychiatrist and he was willing to work with me when the time came to come off the Paxil. Some of them out there do not believe in the discontinuation symptoms and make their patients go cold turkey. Brutal! Patients also need to take a little responsibility for their own health by asking questions and reading up on their medications (maybe this is not such a good idea if you have OCD like me). IMO, it all boils down to: how badly is your life being affected by your disorder? I was bad enough that a few side effects were a better option than what I was dealing with. NK
On Sat, 03 May 2003 15:00:01 GMT, "No kidding!" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net
wrote: "jake" <inva…@invalid.com wrote in message news:kn66bv4osdbnirrfvv944s2q3p5hv98d6g@4ax.com… On Fri, 02 May 2003 23:03:52 GMT, "No kidding!" <nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net wrote: I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off of it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad I’d have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go through my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a period of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the medication without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too but not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor depression but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot. sure..with the emphasis on IF you are sick enough with genuine profound depression..and with informed consent. Where the profit motive and a drive to expand markets are the motivation, history shows it takes legal action to compel pharmaceutical companies to provide the information needed for any kind of informed consent worth its name. And as for highpowered TV advertising to entice people to badger an uninformed GP to prescribe for the variety of ailments they claim it suitable for…….criminal prosecution . I have mixed feelings about the TV advertising. On one level, I’m glad people can see there are options to help them. Educating the public is not a bad thing but I totaly agree that medications (for depression and ADHD) are being doled out more often than they should.
Education of the consumer is critical to any kind of informed consent worth the name. The Sales Departments of multinational drug companies are hardly a suitable institution to undertake this task though.
I ‘m not a nurse but I’ve worked in the medical field for the past 27 years and I’m always seeing MD’s prescribe psych meds that have no business doing so (i.e regular GPs and gynecologists). I can’t tell you all the ADHD kids I see coming in for pre-medication work ups that could probably benefit from other options rather than medication but that’s the easiest avenue. I had a friend who was a little down and she went to her GYN doc and asked for an antidepressant and he prescribed Effexor!
how totally irresponsible .It is probably his standard practice,scribbling a script takes little effort.
Despite this, I’m still a firm believer in medication under the right circumstances. I was in bad shape at one time and I probably would be dead or severely incapacitated without it.
One can never know , of course , but in critical situations of genuine need it has been a boon to many. The problem arise withthe commercial pressures to define more and more circumstances as the "right " ones.
Thank goodness I went to a competant psychiatrist and he was willing to work with me when the time came to come off the Paxil.
Indeed Some of them out there do not believe in the discontinuation
symptoms and make their patients go cold turkey. Brutal!
Completely irresponsible and verging on criminal negligence.. They should be forced to educate themselves before being allowed to prescribe them.
Patients also need to take a little responsibility for their own health by asking questions and reading up on their medications (maybe this is not such a good idea if you have OCD like me).
:
)
Yes it can be so easy to be constantly scanning for signs of dire consequences.. They key perhaps lies with a compentant doctor who actually takes th truble to monitor his patients halth , rather than feeling the problem is soved if the patient goes away with a bottle of pills in their hand and doesn’t return.
IMO, it all boils down to: how badly is your life being affected by your disorder?
of course..
I was bad enough that a few side effects were a better option than what I was dealing with.
The fact that you managed to get off the Paxil will be an inspiration to many who despair of ever being able to. As you know if you are familiar with the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ support site there are those whose experiences with the drug are far more horrific than any complaint they may have been prescribed it for. __ Sorrow is knowledge, those that know the most must mourn the deepest, the tree of knowledge is not the tree of life. -Lord Byron http://www.schizoaffective.org/
which one do you use Great? "Great" <k…@xyz.com
wrote in message
news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
> news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is > this > > true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? > > TIA
Which one do you use Great that doesn’t cause it? "Great" <k…@xyz.com
wrote in message
news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
> news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is > this > > true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? > > TIA
After eight months without any problem it’s a pretty safe bet. Any impotence I experience is going to be for other reasons. "jake" <inva…@invalid.com
wrote in message
news:drf7bvopnvu46a3gc613v15l6jr2pu1is5@4ax.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
On Sat, 03 May 2003 10:27:24 GMT, "Roger" <roge…@hotmail.com wrote: There is doubt. It doesn’t cause it in me. It can cause it. well dont tempt fate ..It has not as yet
Bupropion doesn’t cause it. Ritalin doesn’t cause it. Deprynl also doesn’t cause it. "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
news:ZsVsa.715511$3D1.395315@sccrnsc01… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Which one do you use Great that doesn’t cause it? > "Great" <k…@xyz.com
wrote in message
> news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… > > There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. > > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
> > news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is
this true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA
On Sat, 03 May 2003 10:27:24 GMT, "Roger" <roge…@hotmail.com
wrote: There is doubt. It doesn’t cause it in me. It can cause it.
well dont tempt fate ..It has not as yet In response to the original posters query,there is no doubt whatsoever that impotence is a commonly observed adverse reaction, and it is misleading to suggest otherwise Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions: http://www.effexor-xr-side-effects-withdrawal.com/adverse-effects-eff… The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of venlafaxine (incidence of 5% or greater) and not seen at an equivalent incidence among placebo-treated patients (i.e., incidence for venlafaxine at least twice that for placebo), derived from the 1% incidence Table III, were asthenia, sweating, nausea, constipation, anorexia, vomiting, somnolence, dry mouth, dizziness nervousness, anxiety, tremor, blurred vision, and abnormal ejaculation/orgasm and impotence in men. __ The long term effects could be far more drastic http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/treatment/antidepr… But perhaps the most troubling problem with the newer drugs is that no one is sure just what their long-term effects might be. There are some new, troubling reports that Effexor may cause tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder that may be permanent, involving writhing, wormlike movements of the body, lips, and tongue. But many chronically depressed people say they don’t care. They’re willing to pay the price of future uncertainty to buy freedom from depression today.
"Great" <k…@xyz.com wrote in message news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com wrote in message news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA
"When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/ Thomas.J.Moore
There is doubt. It doesn’t cause it in me. It can cause it. "Great" <k…@xyz.com
wrote in message
news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
> news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is > this > > true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? > > TIA
There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is
this
true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA
On Fri, 02 May 2003 23:03:52 GMT, "No kidding!" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net
wrote: I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off of it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad I’d have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go through my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a period of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the medication without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too but not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor depression but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot.
sure..with the emphasis on IF you are sick enough with genuine profound depression..and with informed consent. Where the profit motive and a drive to expand markets are the motivation, history shows it takes legal action to compel pharmaceutical companies to provide the information needed for any kind of informed consent worth its name. And as for highpowered TV advertising to entice people to badger an uninformed GP to prescribe for the variety of ailments they claim it suitable for…….criminal prosecution . Of course in most advanced countries other than the USA , such activities are in fact illegal.. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
"jake" <inva…@invalid.com wrote in message news:2qe4bvsohuqflnkqf52m7o7743v1knghcv@4ax.com… On Fri, 2 May 2003 00:22:01 -0500, "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com wrote: "kevin" wrote in message … Are you sure about this? I thought I’ve seen many posts about how effexor xr makes people a uniuch. I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and while it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual feelings/thoughts either. This scared me. Try it and see how it affects you. You can always stop taking it if you don’t like the side-effects, Sadly this is not always the case Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this. http://www.pandamedicine.com/rt_health/160-41.html I have been on effexor for years. I haven\’t had any weight gain, on the contrary, it kills my appetite, but I cannot wean myself off it. I get a racing heart, and feel like I am having a heart atack, heart palpatations, pounding heart,pounding in my ears,and hearing loss. I also experience body tremors and convulsion-like body jerks. I also get the \"brain shivers\" but entire BODY SHIVERS as well. These symptoms dissappear when I re-take my dose, but then I am back on the nightmare cycle. No one told me about this, and I don\’t believe the drug company put out a disclaimer regarding withdrawl symptoms(anyone know about that?). I am interested in filing a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. Anyone who is interested, please contact me @ ceciliari…@aol.com. This is SERIOUS! it’s not like the loss of libido is permanent. "When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/ Thomas.J.Moore
"When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/ Thomas.J.Moore
On Fri, 02 May 2003 18:39:12 GMT, pet…@chariot.net.au (Peter Hodges) wrote: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
X-No-Archive: Yes On Fri, 02 May 2003 10:41:44 +0100, jake <inva…@invalid.com wrote: <snip Sadly this is not always the case Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this. http://www.pandamedicine.com/rt_health/160-41.html I have been on effexor for years. I haven\’t had any weight gain, on the contrary, it kills my appetite, but I cannot wean myself off it. I get a racing heart, and feel like I am having a heart atack, heart palpatations, pounding heart,pounding in my ears,and hearing loss. I also experience body tremors and convulsion-like body jerks. I also get the \"brain shivers\" but entire BODY SHIVERS as well. These symptoms dissappear when I re-take my dose, but then I am back on the nightmare cycle. No one told me about this, and I don\’t believe the drug company put out a disclaimer regarding withdrawl symptoms(anyone know about that?). I am interested in filing a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. Anyone who is interested, please contact me @ ceciliari…@aol.com. This is SERIOUS! I had terrible sides from Effexor XR; after only 6 weeks I’d lost 9kg – a lot for someone of my build. Some 5% of people develop anorexia – not something you normally associate with 47 y.o. males, but I got it. I had no energy, no stamina, could barely get out of bed and lost *all* interest in food. If I hadn’t realised what was going on – and a mate hadn’t visited a few times and said I was looking *really* sick & gaunt I may have ended up in hospital or dead. I put a post on the newsgroup and got quite a few emails from people who’ve had terrible side’s from Effexor XR. There is an excellent page run by a woman called Belynda with stories about bad times from Effexor & Effexor XR; the URL is: <http://members.tripod.com/~BWarner/effexor.html. The page is called "Effexor Withdrawal" and gives a brief description of her own Effexor history, as well as comments by people who have had trouble with it – believe it or not, these pages of people’s troubles run for 480-odd pages: quite a few problems.
Oh well it seems to have gone, unfortunately.. I am not too suprised there were so many complaints it is the No 2 drug for withdrawal problems __ Sorrow is knowledge, those that know the most must mourn the deepest, the tree of knowledge is not the tree of life. -Lord Byron http://www.schizoaffective.org/
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -"No kidding!" wrote:
I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off of it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad I’d have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go through my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a period of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the medication without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too but not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor depression but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot. NK
Is this pretty much normal for coming off Paxil? I took a look at the website you recommended and there seem to be a lot of side effects. I’m asking on behalf of my 10 year old nephew. Today his doctor changed his medication from Paxil to something else (can’t remember – began with an R). He was on 20mg a day and he’s cutting the dose in half for the next three days, then having him take the half dose every other day. His mom is already at the end of her rope and if there are going to be side effects from this, she’s totally unprepared for them.
I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off of it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad I’d have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go through my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a period of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the medication without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too but not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor depression but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot. NK "jake" <inva…@invalid.com
wrote in message
news:2qe4bvsohuqflnkqf52m7o7743v1knghcv@4ax.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
On Fri, 2 May 2003 00:22:01 -0500, "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com wrote: "kevin" wrote in message … Are you sure about this? I thought I’ve seen many posts about how
effexor
xr makes people a uniuch. I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and
while
it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual
feelings/thoughts
either. This scared me. Try it and see how it affects you. You can always stop taking it if you don’t like the side-effects, Sadly this is not always the case Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this. http://www.pandamedicine.com/rt_health/160-41.html I have been on effexor for years. I haven\’t had any weight gain, on the contrary, it kills my appetite, but I cannot wean myself off it. I get a racing heart, and feel like I am having a heart atack, heart palpatations, pounding heart,pounding in my ears,and hearing loss. I also experience body tremors and convulsion-like body jerks. I also get the \"brain shivers\" but entire BODY SHIVERS as well. These symptoms dissappear when I re-take my dose, but then I am back on the nightmare cycle. No one told me about this, and I don\’t believe the drug company put out a disclaimer regarding withdrawl symptoms(anyone know about that?). I am interested in filing a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. Anyone who is interested, please contact me @ ceciliari…@aol.com. This is SERIOUS! it’s not like the loss of libido is permanent. "When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to
embrace a
pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to
the
harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/ Thomas.J.Moore
"kevin" wrote in message …
Are you sure about this? I thought I’ve seen many posts about how effexor xr makes people a uniuch. I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and while it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual feelings/thoughts either. This scared me.
Try it and see how it affects you. You can always stop taking it if you don’t like the side-effects, it’s not like the loss of libido is permanent.
On Fri, 2 May 2003 00:22:01 -0500, "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com
wrote:
"kevin" wrote in message … Are you sure about this? I thought I’ve seen many posts about how effexor xr makes people a uniuch. I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and while it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual feelings/thoughts either. This scared me. Try it and see how it affects you. You can always stop taking it if you don’t like the side-effects,
Sadly this is not always the case Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this. http://www.pandamedicine.com/rt_health/160-41.html I have been on effexor for years. I haven\’t had any weight gain, on the contrary, it kills my appetite, but I cannot wean myself off it. I get a racing heart, and feel like I am having a heart atack, heart palpatations, pounding heart,pounding in my ears,and hearing loss. I also experience body tremors and convulsion-like body jerks. I also get the \"brain shivers\" but entire BODY SHIVERS as well. These symptoms dissappear when I re-take my dose, but then I am back on the nightmare cycle. No one told me about this, and I don\’t believe the drug company put out a disclaimer regarding withdrawl symptoms(anyone know about that?). I am interested in filing a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. Anyone who is interested, please contact me @ ceciliari…@aol.com. This is SERIOUS! it’s not like the loss of libido
is permanent.
"When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/ Thomas.J.Moore
Prozac didn’t affect my sex drive at all but everyone is different. Taking antidepressants is like a crap shootas far as side effects are concerned. Don’t refuse to take it on the possibility you *might* have a certain side effect because maybe it won’t happen. I’ve tried several, several antidepressants before I found one I was able to stay on for 13 years. I recently weaned off of them but if I need to take them again, I will. I’ve learned to try them out for a few weeks and see what happens before I pass judgement. If the side effects are intolerable, then I try something else. NK "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com
wrote in message
news:2OqdnWf1R7E-5SyjXTWcow@bravo.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
"kevin" wrote in message <5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is
this
true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? Effexor is supposed to be very good in this respect. I take Effexor XR, first 150mg, then 225mg, now 75mg, and I have never had any sexual side effects from it. My doctor said I might notice a delay in orgasm but it never happened. Other anti-depressants, the SSRIs like Prozac, etc. are notorious for the sexual side-effects, users claim they kill the sex drive completely. You should give the Effexor a chance, if it causes sexual problems then switch to Wellbutrin, another antidepressant with few sexual side-effects.
Has definitely not caused me any sexual side effects. "No kidding!" <nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net
wrote in message
news:fAZra.49107$4P1.4594324@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> It definitely caused me sexual side effects > NK > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
> news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is > this > > true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? > > TIA
kevin wrote:
I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA
Many antidepressant, Effexor among them, can cause all sorts of sexual dysfunction. There are some ways around it. http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/medsdysfunction Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
"kevin" wrote in message <5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03
… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees?
Effexor is supposed to be very good in this respect. I take Effexor XR, first 150mg, then 225mg, now 75mg, and I have never had any sexual side effects from it. My doctor said I might notice a delay in orgasm but it never happened. Other anti-depressants, the SSRIs like Prozac, etc. are notorious for the sexual side-effects, users claim they kill the sex drive completely. You should give the Effexor a chance, if it causes sexual problems then switch to Wellbutrin, another antidepressant with few sexual side-effects.
Are you sure about this? I thought I’ve seen many posts about how effexor xr makes people a uniuch. I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and while it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual feelings/thoughts either. This scared me. "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com
wrote in message
news:2OqdnWf1R7E-5SyjXTWcow@bravo.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
"kevin" wrote in message <5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is
this
true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? Effexor is supposed to be very good in this respect. I take Effexor XR, first 150mg, then 225mg, now 75mg, and I have never had any sexual side effects from it. My doctor said I might notice a delay in orgasm but it never happened. Other anti-depressants, the SSRIs like Prozac, etc. are notorious for the sexual side-effects, users claim they kill the sex drive completely. You should give the Effexor a chance, if it causes sexual problems then switch to Wellbutrin, another antidepressant with few sexual side-effects.
I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA
Don’t know much about Effexor, but isn’t that an SNRI, like Strattera? I’m not sure. I can tell you that I’m currently taking Celexa (which is an SSRI), and that has had some pretty negative sexual side effects. Like taking an hour to masturbate (delayed ejaculation is a side effect). Sheesh. I’m also taking Strattera (again, an SNRI), which I started a few weeks after the Celexa, and I can’t say that it has made the sexual side effects any better or worse. The only anti-depressent that I’m aware of that doesn’t seem to have any negative sexual side effects is Wellbutrin. But it can make you feel jittery, which can make any anxiety problems worse. Mike "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is
this
true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA
"kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA
Most ADs including Effexor frequently cause sexual dysfunction. However it’s very individualistic — some men aren’t affected by some drugs, or only at higher dosages. But as a general statement, yes most ADs affect many men this way. The exceptions are Mirtazapine (Remeron), and Bupropion (Wellbutrin). — Joe D.
It definitely caused me sexual side effects NK "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com
wrote in message
news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is
this
true? Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Effexor Dose » sleeplessness and Effexor
spewed forth: Hello. Into my 3rd week with Effexor still lots of side-effects and not much relief. I know my depression is a main reason for my terrible sleeping pattern but Effexor seems to make it worse. Is there any over-the-counter drug that would be good for helping me sleep longer and deeper? TIA.
You might want to try Benadryl. Yes, it’s an anti-histamine. But it can make you very drowsy. And by far it’s the only ’sleep aid’ that you might be able to take on any kind of depression medication. Anything else you might take could possibly increase the effects of the anti-depressants you’re on – and in a very bad way.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Hello. Into my 3rd week with Effexor still lots of side-effects and not much : relief. I know my depression is a main reason for my terrible sleeping : pattern but Effexor seems to make it worse. Is there any over-the-counter : drug that would be good for helping me sleep longer and deeper? : TIA. I’m really impressed by zopiclone (Imovane). It’s only available in Canada. The impression that i get is that it’s similar to Ambien. No hangover!! Emma
Yeah, ambien is some good stuff. You might try asking your doc about it.
If you take the effexor at night, try switching the dose to morning or afternoon. If you take it in the morning, try taking it at night to see if it makes you drowsy. All antidepressants can cause either drowsiness or insomnia in different people, and rather than taking sleeping medication, you might want to try changing when you take the effexor first. Good luck Kylie.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello. Into my 3rd week with Effexor still lots of side-effects and not much relief. I know my depression is a main reason for my terrible sleeping pattern but Effexor seems to make it worse. Is there any over-the-counter drug that would be good for helping me sleep longer and deeper? TIA.
Hello Emma: This is a over the counter drug? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Hello. Into my 3rd week with Effexor still lots of side-effects and not much : relief. I know my depression is a main reason for my terrible sleeping : pattern but Effexor seems to make it worse. Is there any over-the-counter : drug that would be good for helping me sleep longer and deeper? : TIA. I’m really impressed by zopiclone (Imovane). It’s only available in Canada. The impression that i get is that it’s similar to Ambien. No hangover!! Emma — X-no-Archive:yes
: Hello. Into my 3rd week with Effexor still lots of side-effects and not much : relief. I know my depression is a main reason for my terrible sleeping : pattern but Effexor seems to make it worse. Is there any over-the-counter : drug that would be good for helping me sleep longer and deeper? : TIA. I’m really impressed by zopiclone (Imovane). It’s only available in Canada. The impression that i get is that it’s similar to Ambien. No hangover!! Emma — X-no-Archive:yes
Hello. Into my 3rd week with Effexor still lots of side-effects and not much relief. I know my depression is a main reason for my terrible sleeping pattern but Effexor seems to make it worse. Is there any over-the-counter drug that would be good for helping me sleep longer and deeper? TIA.
Thanks all. I appreciate it. See my pdoc Wednesday and my GP Friday so between the two pill dispensers I should be able to come up with something. Trouble is they might not want to prescribe something too strong as I tried swallowing bucket loads of Endocet and valium only a month or so ago. Maybe I should take up a "wee hours of the morning" hobby. Maybe painting landscapes on the head of a pin 
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – spewed forth: Hello. Into my 3rd week with Effexor still lots of side-effects and not much relief. I know my depression is a main reason for my terrible sleeping pattern but Effexor seems to make it worse. Is there any over-the-counter drug that would be good for helping me sleep longer and deeper? TIA. You might want to try Benadryl. Yes, it’s an anti-histamine. But it can make you very drowsy. And by far it’s the only ’sleep aid’ that you might be able to take on any kind of depression medication. Anything else you might take could possibly increase the effects of the anti-depressants you’re on – and in a very bad way.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks all. I appreciate it. See my pdoc Wednesday and my GP Friday so between the two pill dispensers I should be able to come up with something. Trouble is they might not want to prescribe something too strong as I tried swallowing bucket loads of Endocet and valium only a month or so ago. Maybe I should take up a "wee hours of the morning" hobby. Maybe painting landscapes on the head of a pin spewed forth: Hello. Into my 3rd week with Effexor still lots of side-effects and not much relief. I know my depression is a main reason for my terrible sleeping pattern but Effexor seems to make it worse. Is there any over-the-counter drug that would be good for helping me sleep longer and deeper? TIA. You might want to try Benadryl. Yes, it’s an anti-histamine. But it can make you very drowsy. And by far it’s the only ’sleep aid’ that you might be able to take on any kind of depression medication. Anything else you might take could possibly increase the effects of the anti-depressants you’re on – and in a very bad way.
Benadryl isn’t supposed to be taken at the same time. It will effectively make your Effexor dose more potent and longer lasting. Talk to your doctor and make sure they look up drug interactions.
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Effexor Withdrawal » Effexor withdrawal, it's electrifyin'!
I’ve been on Effexor XR for a little over a month now. I started with three days at 30-odd mg and then eleven days at 75mg, and have been at 150mg for the two weeks or so after that. For shits and giggles, I decided not to take my fat pillie for just one day. Well, I made it through my day without feeling too shabby. I learned how to drive a manual transmission and was otherwise productive. Then, came the night. Every time I fell asleep, I’d get this strong feeling that an electrical pulse was being sent into my back and neck. I’d fall asleep, feel like I was shocked a few times, then wake up and ask myself, "What the hell was that?" These weren’t mild sensations. Rather, it felt like the work of a cheap stun-gun or one of those electric weight-loss belts cranked up to eleven. Now, when my friend had told me he went through some bad times coming off of Effexor, I hadn’t imagined anything like this. I’ve never had such a strong and violent response from simply NOT taking something. It seems especially odd because I’ve only been on the stuff for a month and change. But now that I’ve read more about Effexor, I know it can only get worse from here. I don’t have a point really, and I don’t have a moral. I have a definite problem with depression, and I need something to help me operate on a socially functional level, but now I’m a little scared of what the future has in store for me if I ever, heaven forbid, go longer than one day without my fix. I think I ought to force myself off of this drug ASAP and save myself from a possibly much wackier and even more extreme withdrawal process months or years down the line. Oh well, at least it doesn’t make me impotent, right? -Jon
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been on Effexor XR for a little over a month now. I started with three days at 30-odd mg and then eleven days at 75mg, and have been at 150mg for the two weeks or so after that. For shits and giggles, I decided not to take my fat pillie for just one day. Well, I made it through my day without feeling too shabby. I learned how to drive a manual transmission and was otherwise productive. Then, came the night. Every time I fell asleep, I’d get this strong feeling that an electrical pulse was being sent into my back and neck. I’d fall asleep, feel like I was shocked a few times, then wake up and ask myself, "What the hell was that?" These weren’t mild sensations. Rather, it felt like the work of a cheap stun-gun or one of those electric weight-loss belts cranked up to eleven. Now, when my friend had told me he went through some bad times coming off of Effexor, I hadn’t imagined anything like this. I’ve never had such a strong and violent response from simply NOT taking something. It seems especially odd because I’ve only been on the stuff for a month and change. But now that I’ve read more about Effexor, I know it can only get worse from here. I don’t have a point really, and I don’t have a moral. I have a definite problem with depression, and I need something to help me operate on a socially functional level, but now I’m a little scared of what the future has in store for me if I ever, heaven forbid, go longer than one day without my fix. I think I ought to force myself off of this drug ASAP and save myself from a possibly much wackier and even more extreme withdrawal process months or years down the line. Oh well, at least it doesn’t make me impotent, right? -Jon
If you punch in "effexor" on yahoo, you will get some links to sites that might offer you some help on xr withdrawal. There is an anti-nausia drug reported to help some patients ease off this drug more effectively. If you have found anymore help for withdrawal, please let us know. More and more people are reporting this same difficulty of going through withdrawal "hell" from effexor xr and have had to return taking it again just to function. Wyeth, the manufacturer knows about this and have posted more info on their site about tapering off this med. Hope this helps. Thanx Steveb
I’ve had the same experience. But I have decided to stay on Effexor because it is the best AD out there for my type of depression. — John Lundquist —-
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been on Effexor XR for a little over a month now. I started with three days at 30-odd mg and then eleven days at 75mg, and have been at 150mg for the two weeks or so after that. For shits and giggles, I decided not to take my fat pillie for just one day. Well, I made it through my day without feeling too shabby. I learned how to drive a manual transmission and was otherwise productive. Then, came the night. Every time I fell asleep, I’d get this strong feeling that an electrical pulse was being sent into my back and neck. I’d fall asleep, feel like I was shocked a few times, then wake up and ask myself, "What the hell was that?" These weren’t mild sensations. Rather, it felt like the work of a cheap stun-gun or one of those electric weight-loss belts cranked up to eleven. Now, when my friend had told me he went through some bad times coming off of Effexor, I hadn’t imagined anything like this. I’ve never had such a strong and violent response from simply NOT taking something. It seems especially odd because I’ve only been on the stuff for a month and change. But now that I’ve read more about Effexor, I know it can only get worse from here. I don’t have a point really, and I don’t have a moral. I have a definite problem with depression, and I need something to help me operate on a socially functional level, but now I’m a little scared of what the future has in store for me if I ever, heaven forbid, go longer than one day without my fix. I think I ought to force myself off of this drug ASAP and save myself from a possibly much wackier and even more extreme withdrawal process months or years down the line. Oh well, at least it doesn’t make me impotent, right? -Jon
I’ve been on Effexor XR for a little over a month now. I started with three days at 30-odd mg and then eleven days at 75mg, and have been at 150mg for the two weeks or so after that. For shits and giggles, I decided not to take my fat pillie for just one day. Well, I made it through my day without feeling too shabby. I learned how to drive a manual transmission and was otherwise productive. Then, came the night. Every time I fell asleep, I’d get this strong feeling that an electrical pulse was being sent into my back and neck. I’d fall asleep, feel like I was shocked a few times, then wake up and ask myself, "What the hell was that…
Other people have reported "shocks" when withdrawing from Effexor and other antidepressants. I quit Effexor XR 150mg cold turkey 1.5 weeks ago because my blood pressure was dangerously high. So far I have not experienced ANY withdrawal symptoms. My blood pressure is a bit lower but it may be because I also laid off most of the caffeine.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been on Effexor XR for a little over a month now. I started with three days at 30-odd mg and then eleven days at 75mg, and have been at 150mg for the two weeks or so after that. For shits and giggles, I decided not to take my fat pillie for just one day. Well, I made it through my day without feeling too shabby. I learned how to drive a manual transmission and was otherwise productive. Then, came the night. Every time I fell asleep, I’d get this strong feeling that an electrical pulse was being sent into my back and neck. I’d fall asleep, feel like I was shocked a few times, then wake up and ask myself, "What the hell was that?" These weren’t mild sensations. Rather, it felt like the work of a cheap stun-gun or one of those electric weight-loss belts cranked up to eleven. Now, when my friend had told me he went through some bad times coming off of Effexor, I hadn’t imagined anything like this. I’ve never had such a strong and violent response from simply NOT taking something. It seems especially odd because I’ve only been on the stuff for a month and change. But now that I’ve read more about Effexor, I know it can only get worse from here. I don’t have a point really, and I don’t have a moral. I have a definite problem with depression, and I need something to help me operate on a socially functional level, but now I’m a little scared of what the future has in store for me if I ever, heaven forbid, go longer than one day without my fix. I think I ought to force myself off of this drug ASAP and save myself from a possibly much wackier and even more extreme withdrawal process months or years down the line. Oh well, at least it doesn’t make me impotent, right? -Jon
I was on Effexor XR 150mg for over a year, and suffered no memorable withdrawal symptoms when I d/c’ed. Of course, I did taper off rather than going cold turkey, so maybe that helped. Over a year later, I had another run-in with your friend and mine, the big "D", and now I’m on Zoloft 100mg. From my personal experience, I would recommend either of these ADs to anyone, but would also suggest that they follow their doc’s instructions carefully. Andy
Alright guys, I guess I’ve got a lot to think about. Thanks for your input. -Jon
in general when stopping medication cold turkey one should expect withdrawal symptoms i have heard a lot of complaints from people who have stopped taking their medication abruptly…. however the simple solution to this is to not stop taking your medication abruptly if anyone has tapered off and still found themselves unable to escape severe withdrawal symptoms, i would like to hear it
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been on Effexor XR for a little over a month now. I started with three days at 30-odd mg and then eleven days at 75mg, and have been at 150mg for the two weeks or so after that. For shits and giggles, I decided not to take my fat pillie for just one day. Well, I made it through my day without feeling too shabby. I learned how to drive a manual transmission and was otherwise productive. Then, came the night. Every time I fell asleep, I’d get this strong feeling that an electrical pulse was being sent into my back and neck. I’d fall asleep, feel like I was shocked a few times, then wake up and ask myself, "What the hell was that?" These weren’t mild sensations. Rather, it felt like the work of a cheap stun-gun or one of those electric weight-loss belts cranked up to eleven. Now, when my friend had told me he went through some bad times coming off of Effexor, I hadn’t imagined anything like this. I’ve never had such a strong and violent response from simply NOT taking something. It seems especially odd because I’ve only been on the stuff for a month and change. But now that I’ve read more about Effexor, I know it can only get worse from here. I don’t have a point really, and I don’t have a moral. I have a definite problem with depression, and I need something to help me operate on a socially functional level, but now I’m a little scared of what the future has in store for me if I ever, heaven forbid, go longer than one day without my fix. I think I ought to force myself off of this drug ASAP and save myself from a possibly much wackier and even more extreme withdrawal process months or years down the line. Oh well, at least it doesn’t make me impotent, right? -Jon
I tapered off Effexor XR with what seemed to be an entirely reasonably schedule, from 225 mg/day to 150 for a week, 75 for a week, 37.5 for a week, then half of that for a few days. Have been experiencing all the symptoms mentioned below ever since, about 2 weeks.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – in general when stopping medication cold turkey one should expect withdrawal symptoms i have heard a lot of complaints from people who have stopped taking their medication abruptly…. however the simple solution to this is to not stop taking your medication abruptly if anyone has tapered off and still found themselves unable to escape severe withdrawal symptoms, i would like to hear it I’ve been on Effexor XR for a little over a month now. I started with three days at 30-odd mg and then eleven days at 75mg, and have been at 150mg for the two weeks or so after that. For shits and giggles, I decided not to take my fat pillie for just one day. Well, I made it through my day without feeling too shabby. I learned how to drive a manual transmission and was otherwise productive. Then, came the night. Every time I fell asleep, I’d get this strong feeling that an electrical pulse was being sent into my back and neck. I’d fall asleep, feel like I was shocked a few times, then wake up and ask myself, "What the hell was that?" These weren’t mild sensations. Rather, it felt like the work of a cheap stun-gun or one of those electric weight-loss belts cranked up to eleven. Now, when my friend had told me he went through some bad times coming off of Effexor, I hadn’t imagined anything like this. I’ve never had such a strong and violent response from simply NOT taking something. It seems especially odd because I’ve only been on the stuff for a month and change. But now that I’ve read more about Effexor, I know it can only get worse from here. I don’t have a point really, and I don’t have a moral. I have a definite problem with depression, and I need something to help me operate on a socially functional level, but now I’m a little scared of what the future has in store for me if I ever, heaven forbid, go longer than one day without my fix. I think I ought to force myself off of this drug ASAP and save myself from a possibly much wackier and even more extreme withdrawal process months or years down the line. Oh well, at least it doesn’t make me impotent, right? -Jon
okay i do feel bad for you… my doc told me to take clonazepam… and it worked wonders maybe you should ask your doc – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I tapered off Effexor XR with what seemed to be an entirely reasonably schedule, from 225 mg/day to 150 for a week, 75 for a week, 37.5 for a week, then half of that for a few days. Have been experiencing all the symptoms mentioned below ever since, about 2 weeks.
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Side Effects Of Effexor » starting wellbutrin sr
I am starting welbutrin sr and need to know what to expect. I am bi-polar/mood swings/OCD/major panic attacks, and I am obsessive about what meds will do to me. Then I panic once I take them, and It is just a bad circle of needing meds/ being afraid of meds.I have been on different meds in the past, but have been off them for a while(except xanax, I keep that around just in case a panick attack). Any info on what I should expect with wellbutrin sr would be great….Mary
I am starting welbutrin sr and need to know what to expect. I am bi-polar/mood swings/OCD/major panic attacks, and I am obsessive about what meds will do to me. Then I panic once I take them, and It is just a bad circle of needing meds/ being afraid of meds.I have been on different meds in the past, but have been off them for a while(except xanax, I keep that around just in case a panick attack). Any info on what I should expect with wellbutrin sr would be great….Mary
– I’ve heard that is one of the more stimulating ones – so if you are anxiety prone, you might get more anxious with this one – but I have not tried it myself. For bipolar, lithium with some long-term benzo seems to be a first choice, or tegratol, or Valproate. I used to take Xanax for panic but I think i had the panic from too high a Synthroid dose. I only take it now very rarely but my Synthroid has been reduced since then about 40%. Squiggles
It seems to me that that Wellbutrin is not the best choice for someone with your conditions. I’m only going on memory of the many posts here by other members and various links supplied also. I took Wellbutrin and was suffering from mood swings. I ended up hypomanic and had to stop. Well, I’m not the word of God about this. Just check into it. Good luck. Carrie ;o)
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am starting welbutrin sr and need to know what to expect. I am bi-polar/mood swings/OCD/major panic attacks, and I am obsessive about what meds will do to me. Then I panic once I take them, and It is just a bad circle of needing meds/ being afraid of meds.I have been on different meds in the past, but have been off them for a while(except xanax, I keep that around just in case a panick attack). Any info on what I should expect with wellbutrin sr would be great….Mary
—–BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE—– Hash: SHA1
I am starting welbutrin sr and need to know what to expect. I am bi-polar/mood swings/OCD/major panic attacks, and I am obsessive about what meds will do to me. Then I panic once I take them, and It is just a bad circle of needing meds/ being afraid of meds.I have been on different meds in the past, but have been off them for a while(except xanax, I keep that around just in case a panick attack). Any info on what I should expect with wellbutrin sr would be great….Mary
As always, the effects depend on the individual, and I am not a medical pro. However, I am ramping up on Wellbutrin myself. Your results may vary, especially since I am very responsive to any neuro drug I can find (one drink gives me a buzz, one cup of coffee wakes me right up, one dose of Benadril makes me a zombie for 24 hours) Wellbutrin claims to be very low on side effects (it claims to be one of the few ADs that rarely cause sexual side effects). The only ones I have noticed from personal experience are diminished appetite and weight loss, which are fine since I’m overweight to begin with. BTW, that’s why anorexia and bulimia are contraindications. The other big contraindication is alcohol. Stay completely dry while on Wellbutrin. Alcohol may interfere with other ADs, but with Wellbutrin it can cause seizures. If you can be (or already are) a teatotaller, this should be no problem for you. My prescriber is also trying to find an antianxiety med that I can tolerate (I have nasty side effects with Effexor and Celexa), so I’m guessing that Wellbutrin isn’t itself an antianxiety. But for me, it is good at treating depression. I sensed immediate results during the first week at the 50mg/day level (standard therepudic dose is 300 mg/day). Again, I am likely _very_ responsive to Wellbutrin, so you may have to wait several weeks at a higher dose. —–BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE—– Version: PGPfreeware 6.5.8 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com iQA/AwUBPIUmCkdroV5D+kXPEQJumQCgrRN47bk6RWTmoZnHmLKB2l4LmoEAnR58 AC1BP8lgKRyh8WCV6ON+kh19 =08UA —–END PGP SIGNATURE—–
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Zoloft Dose » Scary!
How long have you been taking the Zoloft? And are you taking anything else (such as Xanax)? I had some of that early on, but I truly believe that it is the interim feeling you get when the Zoloft is fighting anxiety. In other words, instead of feeling anxious, you feel cloudy. At least that is my experience, because the longer I’ve been on Zoloft and the less often I have felt anxious, the less I have had this problem. Also, occasionally, when I’ve taken a Xanax for an extra bad day, I feel this way when I come off of it. Interesting. Best, Charly
I’ve been taking Zoloft for 6 months, and I don’t take anything else…I hardly have any anxiety any more, but this spaciness is freaking me out… Thanks Mandy
I’ve been on Zoloft for almost six months now, and these feelings started around the same time…..it’s so weird!
Yes, it is. What does your doctor say? Maybe you could try either adding a benzo or switching to another SSRI? Philip (don’t know really) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – MandySince when have you been taking Zoloft? As a rule dissociation is not a SSRI side effect but nothing is impossible. I have found a benzo helps me with dissociative feelings and perceptions. YMMV. Philip
Hummingbird says
I posted a while ago about my feelings of unreality….I was wondering if maybe it is partly caused by the Zoloft….I feel like I’m just playing the part or something…It really scares me sometimes that I can’t FEEL some things….I take 200 mg/day…Does anybody know if Zoloft can cause these feelings? I don’t understand why I feel this way. It’s almost a constant thing now….I want to feel alive, but I just feel like nothing is real…Like I’m playing a part in some generic B movie or something….HELP! Mandy
hi mandy. I thought that was just of the effects of the anxiety/panic….jeeeezzzz! I don’t take Zoloft (but I like the big Z) – - though I know the "unreality" feeling. Hope your meds don’t cause that! Maybe some adjusting is needed by the doc….hmmm? -take care & good luck!! Z p.s. I usually feel like I’m some bizarre character in a Terry Gilliam movie if ya know what I mean.
I’ve been on Zoloft for almost six months now, and these feelings started around the same time…..it’s so weird! MandySince when have you been taking Zoloft? As a rule dissociation is not a SSRI – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -side effect but nothing is impossible. I have found a benzo helps me with dissociative feelings and perceptions. YMMV. Philip
no-archive:yes I posted a while ago about my feelings of unreality….I was wondering if maybe it is partly caused by the Zoloft….I feel like I’m just playing the part or something…It really scares me sometimes that I can’t FEEL some things….I take 200 mg/day…Does anybody know if Zoloft can cause these feelings? I don’t understand why I feel this way. It’s almost a constant thing now….I want to feel alive, but I just feel like nothing is real…Like I’m playing a part in some generic B movie or something….HELP! Mandy
How long have you been taking the Zoloft? And are you taking anything else (such as Xanax)? I had some of that early on, but I truly believe that it is the interim feeling you get when the Zoloft is fighting anxiety. In other words, instead of feeling anxious, you feel cloudy. At least that is my experience, because the longer I’ve been on Zoloft and the less often I have felt anxious, the less I have had this problem. Also, occasionally, when I’ve taken a Xanax for an extra bad day, I feel this way when I come off of it. Interesting. Best, Charly
I posted a while ago about my feelings of unreality….I was wondering if maybe it is partly caused by the Zoloft….I feel like I’m just playing the part or something…It really scares me sometimes that I can’t FEEL some things….I take 200 mg/day…Does anybody know if Zoloft can cause these feelings? I don’t understand why I feel this way. It’s almost a constant thing now….I want to feel alive, but I just feel like nothing is real…Like I’m playing a part in some generic B movie or something….HELP!
Dear Mandy, Has this symptom only been around since being on zoloft? Your comment *I can`t feel some things*, sounds like you are numb or apathetic. This seems to happen to some people while they are on anti-depressants. I urge you to talk to your doctor about this, perhaps a med change is in order. Take care. Jackie
I posted a while ago about my feelings of unreality….I was wondering if maybe it is partly caused by the Zoloft….I feel like I’m just playing the part or something…It really scares me sometimes that I can’t FEEL some things….I take 200 mg/day…Does anybody know if Zoloft can cause these feelings? I don’t understand why I feel this way. It’s almost a constant thing now….I want to feel alive, but I just feel like nothing is real…Like I’m playing a part in some generic B movie or something….HELP! Mandy
Zoloft can cause feelings of unreality (called depersonalization/derealization), *especially* if your dose has been titrated upwards too rapidly. I’d check with your doc. You may need a reduction in you Zoloft dose. Also benzos have been quite effective in relieving feelings of unreality I have had. Even in small dosage, such as Xanax 0.25 mg four times per day. Chip Before you buy.
.It really scares me sometimes that I can’t FEEL some things….
this is different qualitatively then dissociation where you feel outside yourself-one is a ramping down of emotion the other a ramping up-when we dissociate we are purposly excluding ourselves from the present moment to reduce sensory input as a defense an exhaustion-the inability to feel emotions as acutely or as intensly is and can be a side effect of any ad med as they can tend to in some reduce appropriate anxieties as well as reduce specific spontaneous emotional responses-they get slowed down which is how these drugs work to reduce some emotional disturbances-so you may have to clarify what it is you actualy are experiencing LM
I posted a while ago about my feelings of unreality….I was wondering if maybe it is partly caused by the Zoloft….I feel like I’m just playing the part or something…It really scares me sometimes that I can’t FEEL some things….I take 200 mg/day…Does anybody know if Zoloft can cause these feelings? I don’t understand why I feel this way. It’s almost a constant thing now….I want to feel alive, but I just feel like nothing is real…Like I’m playing a part in some generic B movie or something….HELP! Mandy
Since when have you been taking Zoloft? As a rule dissociation is not a SSRI side effect but nothing is impossible. I have found a benzo helps me with dissociative feelings and perceptions. YMMV. Philip
I find most meditations make me feel that way. I have come to know it is all part of my symptoms of my anxiety disorder. I like to do journalling and meditation to get in touch with my feelings. It definately is unpleasant…I go in and out of unreality feelings and spaceyness quite frequently, especially when I go for walks. I feel like I’m not real and the world around me seems distant. Typical of someone from a traumatic background. Disassociation….I love those moments of clarity much better. I do not suffer as bad as I did, so I keep the hope. (((((HUGS))))) Debbie
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I posted a while ago about my feelings of unreality….I was wondering if maybe it is partly caused by the Zoloft….I feel like I’m just playing the part or something…It really scares me sometimes that I can’t FEEL some things….I take 200 mg/day…Does anybody know if Zoloft can cause these feelings? I don’t understand why I feel this way. It’s almost a constant thing now….I want to feel alive, but I just feel like nothing is real…Like I’m playing a part in some generic B movie or something….HELP! Mandy
I posted a while ago about my feelings of unreality….I was wondering if maybe it is partly caused by the Zoloft….I feel like I’m just playing the part or something…It really scares me sometimes that I can’t FEEL some things….I take 200 mg/day…Does anybody know if Zoloft can cause these feelings? I don’t understand why I feel this way. It’s almost a constant thing now….I want to feel alive, but I just feel like nothing is real…Like I’m playing a part in some generic B movie or something….HELP! Mandy
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Zoloft Sertraline » can you drink coffee?
I could drink coffee with no problem on Paxil and Zoloft. So far I have been able to resume since I’ve been on Effexor. I’m afraid it will lead to anxiety.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anybody have any trouble with mixing certain drugs with coffee? Do you even allow yourself to drink it anymore? — Geof
Dute de dute..de dute ..de de…(repeat 10 times and go to next poster) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Caffeine blocks absorption of most meds.. You might as well not take them if you’re going to drink coffee with them. -Rob Does anybody have any trouble with mixing certain drugs with coffee? Do you even allow yourself to drink it anymore? — Geof
I drink instant, five talbespoons per cup with a half pint of cream. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I drink about a gallon of strong, black coffee a day. Rarely drink it after 12 noon, when I switch to iced tea. jen * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Further, and unrelated to what I’m direclty replying to, here are some excerpts from Topic 6.3 in "The Owner’s Manual for the Brain" by Pierce J. Howard with additional information about caffeine: "Caffeine belongs to a class of compounds called methylxanthines, along with theophylline and theobromine, all of which have the ability to trick the brain into thinking they are the neurotransmitter adenosine. Adenosine is a relaxant that is required to restore the central nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic arousal, or from stress to relaxation. By finding adenosine receptor sites, caffeine blocks the relaxig effects of adenosine and maintains high arousal." "Caffene’s arousing properties were found to be associated not only with mental alertness, but also with physical endurance". "It inhibits phosphodiesterase (PDE). PDE is an enzyme that breaks down adenosine, so inhibiting PDE makes more adenosine available. This results in psychmotor stimulation, increased alertness, faster heart rate, and faster breathing. Excessive arousal appears to result in errors of commission (for example, typographical errors), whereas deficient arousal appears to result in errors of omission (for example, skipping a paragraph while typing)." "If the less impulsive person consumes caffeinated beverages upon waking, he or she will tend to perform poorly on complex mental tasks. If the more impulsive person tries a complex mental task upon waking before consuming a caffeinated beverage, he or she will tend to perform poorly. Toward the end of the day, this pattern switches: in the evening, less impulsive people perform complex mental tasks better with a hit of caffeine,; more impulsive people perform complex tasks better without it." "Some of these compounds [in caffeine] are antioxidants, the chmicals that disarm (or bind) free radicals and inhibit their insatiable appetite for vital cell membranes." "Ten grams is a lethal dose, while for small children 35 milligrams per kilogram of body weight is toxic." "Consumption of 400 to 500 milligrams of caffeine per day is associated wtih dependence. Symptoms of caffeine dependence are diarrhea, nausea, light-headedness, irregular heartbeat, irritability, and insomnia." "The arousal effects of one cup of caffeinated coffee last about 6 hours but vary according to the individual." "Women who drink coffee are less likely to commit suicide than those who don’t according to a report in the Archives of internal Medicine." "Coffee has a dark side: the DSM-IV includes four caffeeine-related diagnoses: caffeine intoxication, caffeine-related anxiety disorder, caffeine-related sleep disorder, and (in the appendix) caffeine withdrawl. In addition to these problems, caffeine, a stimulant, can wreak havok with calming prescription drugs such as antidepressants, antianxiety medications, and neuroleptic tranquilizers." "Higher caffeine consumption was found to be correlated with lower academic perfrormance." "Check out the newsgroup alt.drugs.caffeine on the Internet for furth information and discussion. A FAQ (frequently asked questions) file is available. It is maintained by Alex Lopex-Ortiz at the University of [all this from pages 111-115 of the book] On that note, with the last quote.. I’d suggest any caffeine discussions be taken there, and you look for similar symptoms within that group. -Rob
etched permanently in the ether: BUT I understand that the amount of caffeine in chocolate is not high, and it may not be in "chocolate flavoring" at all.
From my phsych pharm class–a long time ago: It takes 5 to 10 cups of coffee per day to become addicted to the caffeine. It takes a LOT less of Mountain Dew or other similar drinks. It takes a pound of chocolate a day to get enough caffeine to risk addiction. HOWEVER, chocolate also contains theobromine a stronger stimulant than caffeine–so be aware of this fact. Nancy
Caffeine blocks absorption of most meds.. You might as well not take them if you’re going to drink coffee with them. -Rob
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anybody have any trouble with mixing certain drugs with coffee? Do you even allow yourself to drink it anymore? — Geof
I think the zoloft made you manic.. it’s a mood-"upper".. -Rob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sometimes noticed coffee making me a bit manic for an hour or two. That happened when I had started Zoloft (sertraline). Hasa Does anybody have any trouble with mixing certain drugs with coffee? Do you even allow yourself to drink it anymore? — Geof
I drink about a gallon of strong, black coffee a day. Rarely drink it after 12 noon, when I switch to iced tea. jen * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Interestingly enough, I was completely caffiene-free for five years preceding and throughout my first manic episode. For that matter, I was a complete health nut…. had given up smoking for 7 years, ran 3-5 miles daily, lifted weights, drank no caffienated beverages, and ate a vegetarian diet of whole grains. It really perplexed my G.P….. he kept offering the standard insomnia advice to "eat well, exercise early in the day, stay away from caffiene" yet still I could not sleep. These days, I am smoking a pack a day again, eating meat, don’t ever exercise, and drink gallons of coffee. Go figure. jen * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Rob, who told you that? Where did that information come from? Please explain that and where you got that from. Eric Steroids caused my depression…prednisone should be used conservatively. Beware of steroids!! * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Does anybody have any trouble with mixing certain drugs with coffee? Do you even allow yourself to drink it anymore? — Geof
I found coffee made me too jittery and irritable when I was taking Wellbutrin. On the other hand, it helped modify the fatigue caused by my SSRI, Luvox
I love my strong stuff in the morning — two cups. Then probably 2 cups of the kaka they have at work. After that, my insides can’t take anymore and I have to switch to water….. But I love the stuff! — Eileen [The world will go as it wills; not as you or I would have it. MZB]
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anybody have any trouble with mixing certain drugs with coffee? Do you even allow yourself to drink it anymore? — Geof
I don’t drink coffee..but I do LOVE caffeine! That’s why, for those morning’s I wake up achy and grogy with a "dull" headache..I grab Anacin, as besides ASA, it also has caffiene in it. It’s been a lifesaver sometimes, especially after a "night out". Plus, I find often on medications, you don’t get that "complete..refreshed" sleep. Even with just a few hours sleep..it has held me for at least the morning! James:-) — "Dying is only one thing to be sad over. Living unhappily is something else." Morrie Schwartz "We must love one another or perish. Not physically,but spiritually and socially." W.H. Auden "Some day we will wave hello…and wish we’d never waved goodbye…"
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I love my strong stuff in the morning — two cups. Then probably 2 cups of the kaka they have at work. After that, my insides can’t take anymore and I have to switch to water….. But I love the stuff! — Eileen [The world will go as it wills; not as you or I would have it. MZB] Does anybody have any trouble with mixing certain drugs with coffee? Do you even allow yourself to drink it anymore? — Geof
Robbie, P.J. Howard is old hat, such a bore. please.. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Further, and unrelated to what I’m direclty replying to, here are some excerpts from Topic 6.3 in "The Owner’s Manual for the Brain" by Pierce J. Howard with additional information about caffeine: "Caffeine belongs to a class of compounds called methylxanthines, along with theophylline and theobromine, all of which have the ability to trick the brain into thinking they are the neurotransmitter adenosine. Adenosine is a relaxant that is required to restore the central nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic arousal, or from stress to relaxation. By finding adenosine receptor sites, caffeine blocks the relaxig effects of adenosine and maintains high arousal." "Caffene’s arousing properties were found to be associated not only with mental alertness, but also with physical endurance". "It inhibits phosphodiesterase (PDE). PDE is an enzyme that breaks down adenosine, so inhibiting PDE makes more adenosine available. This results in psychmotor stimulation, increased alertness, faster heart rate, and faster breathing. Excessive arousal appears to result in errors of commission (for example, typographical errors), whereas deficient arousal appears to result in errors of omission (for example, skipping a paragraph while typing)." "If the less impulsive person consumes caffeinated beverages upon waking, he or she will tend to perform poorly on complex mental tasks. If the more impulsive person tries a complex mental task upon waking before consuming a caffeinated beverage, he or she will tend to perform poorly. Toward the end of the day, this pattern switches: in the evening, less impulsive people perform complex mental tasks better with a hit of caffeine,; more impulsive people perform complex tasks better without it." "Some of these compounds [in caffeine] are antioxidants, the chmicals that disarm (or bind) free radicals and inhibit their insatiable appetite for vital cell membranes." "Ten grams is a lethal dose, while for small children 35 milligrams per kilogram of body weight is toxic." "Consumption of 400 to 500 milligrams of caffeine per day is associated wtih dependence. Symptoms of caffeine dependence are diarrhea, nausea, light-headedness, irregular heartbeat, irritability, and insomnia." "The arousal effects of one cup of caffeinated coffee last about 6 hours but vary according to the individual." "Women who drink coffee are less likely to commit suicide than those who don’t according to a report in the Archives of internal Medicine." "Coffee has a dark side: the DSM-IV includes four caffeeine-related diagnoses: caffeine intoxication, caffeine-related anxiety disorder, caffeine-related sleep disorder, and (in the appendix) caffeine withdrawl. In addition to these problems, caffeine, a stimulant, can wreak havok with calming prescription drugs such as antidepressants, antianxiety medications, and neuroleptic tranquilizers." "Higher caffeine consumption was found to be correlated with lower academic perfrormance." "Check out the newsgroup alt.drugs.caffeine on the Internet for furth information and discussion. A FAQ (frequently asked questions) file is available. It is maintained by Alex Lopex-Ortiz at the University of [all this from pages 111-115 of the book] On that note, with the last quote.. I’d suggest any caffeine discussions be taken there, and you look for similar symptoms within that group. -Rob
It takes a pound of chocolate a day to get enough caffeine to risk addiction.
- so that’s the amount I need to eat – sheesh I’ve been playing in the shallows – (really NOT SERIOUS!) HOWEVER, chocolate also contains theobromine a stronger stimulant than caffeine–so be aware of this fact.
- an added bonus – er now how many stairs will I need to climb to work off the excess cals? (if anything would make me appear manic I suspect that would). — Anne Marshall
: I am down to one cup a day. I love it. <snipped I don’t know what the connection is between bipolar and caffeine, but somewhere along the line there was an extreme change in my sensitivity to caffeine. Could it be a medication invoked reaction? Coffee I limit to one weak cup with breakfast sometimes, Get more from cola’s, two colas will make me sicker than a dog, wired for a few hours. Vern
Does anybody have any trouble with mixing certain drugs with coffee? Do you even allow yourself to drink it anymore? — Geof
I have ONE cup in the morning. Anything that would trigger a mania is amplified with coffee or any caffeine product. And watch the vitamin b-12–see my post–if you like that kind of a boost–b-12 will do it. <g Nancy
SO THATS WHAT WAS WRONG ALL THESE YEARS,,,MIXING ALL THOSE COFFEES WITH MY ZOLOFT! cimpson2
please stop typing in caps it is considered rude and yelling – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – SO THATS WHAT WAS WRONG ALL THESE YEARS,,,MIXING ALL THOSE COFFEES WITH MY ZOLOFT! cimpson2
I guess I’d say that my mixing could include coffee, neurontin, lamictal, buspar and klonipin-I drink them down with coffee every morning. -Thumper
Prescription Medication Knowledge Base » Eessential Tremor Effexor » Botox B
Hi Andy: It’s been a while. I am in the Bot B study too and recieved 10,000 U the 1st time and had maybe 10 days that seemed to be some improvement, but only with the tremor not the spasms. 11 weeks later, now 2 weeks ago, I recieved 12,500 U and once again, it was only a small improvement. It is kinda dissapointing! Like you, I have antibodies to A. I will be in Nashville this weekend and am looking forward to hearing some other ideas. Although, my MDS at Emory here in Atlanta, really keeps up and in discouraging the Selective Deneration procedure. One of the surgeons here is doing the Deep Brain Stimulation on Parkinson’s and essential tremor with wonderful results. I guess that is my hope! My MDS tried to find him(Dr, Jerry Vitek) today so I could talk to him about when he was going to start this procedure on Dystonia patients and we couldn’t hook up with him, so my doc is suppose to talk to him about it. Did you have any symptoms of dry mouth or difficulty swallowing after the Bot B? I did, and became very excited believing it was going to help and it did some but only a short period of time (2 weeks). Just thought I would share that with you! Take care, Kathie Nsta of GA
Dear Andy, I’m so sorry about the Botox B not working for you. As Elf already asked, I too thought that the B was made specifically for those who had antibodies for the A. I can’t know for sure how you feel, but can imagine that your hopes were very high. Again, I’m so sorry and sad that it didn’t work for you. Take Care, Gina
BOTULINUM TOXIN TYPE A Botulinum toxin type A (BOT-yoo-lye-num) is used to treat certain eye conditions, such as: Blepharospasm — A condition in which the eyelid will not stay open, because of a spasm of a muscle of the eye. Strabismus — A condition in which the eyes do not line up properly. Botulinum toxin type A is injected into the surrounding muscle or tissue of the eye, but not into the eye itself. Depending on your condition, more than one treatment may be required. This medicine is to be administered only by, or under the immediate supervision of, your doctor. It is available in the following dosage form: Parenteral-Local Injection (U.S. and Canada) Before Receiving This Medicine In deciding to receive a medicine, the risks of receiving the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For botulinum toxin type A, the following should be considered: Allergies – Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to botulinum toxin type A. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances. Pregnancy — Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals. Breast-feeding — It is not known whether botulinum toxin type A passes into the breast milk. However, this medicine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies. Children – Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of botulinum toxin type A in children up to 12 years of age with use in other age groups. Older adults — Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of botulinum toxin type A in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults. Other medicines – Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are using any other ophthalmic prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine. Other medical problems – The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of botulinum toxin type A. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially: Heart problems or other medical conditions that may worsen with rapidly increasing activity — Treatment with botulinum toxin type A may give you better vision and the desire to become more active in your daily life; this may put a strain on your heart and body. Infection with Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism poisoning), history of — Persons with a history of infection with Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism poisoning) may have produced antibodies that may interfere with botulinum toxin type A therapy and make it less effective. Proper Use of This Medicine Dosing — The dose of botulinum toxin type A will be different for different patients. The following information includes only the average doses of botulinum toxin type A. For injection dosage form: – For certain eye conditions: Adults and children 12 years of age and older — One or more injections into the muscles around the eyes one or more times, depending on the condition being treated. Children up to 12 years of age — Use and dose must be determined by your doctor. Precautions After Receiving This Medicine. After you have received this medicine and your vision is better, you may find that you are a lot more active than you were before. You should increase your activities slowly and carefully to allow your heart and body time to get stronger. Also, before you start any exercise program, check with your doctor. Side Effects of This Medicine. Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur: More common Dryness of the eye; inability to close the eyelid completely. Less common or rare. Decreased blinking; irritation of the cornea (colored portion) of the eye; turning outward or inward of the edge of the eyelid. Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome: More common Blue or purplish bruise on eyelid; drooping of the upper eyelid; eye pointing upward or downward instead of straight ahead; irritation or watering of the eye; sensitivity of the eye to light. Less common or rare. Difficulty finding the location of objects; double vision; skin rash; swelling of the eyelid skin. Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.
I heard the final phase for Botox B will be in March or April and then probably a year later for FDA approval. FYI Andy
Hi Kathie, Thanks for all the info. on Botox B. I’m really interested in this, as Botox A has never really worked for me and I feel it’s even made my dystonia worse. Do you know if ‘they’ are checking out the possibility of symtems getting worse like with the ‘A’ ? Keep us posted !! Gina
Hi Everyone: Just wanted to let you know that I am in the Bot B (NeuroBloc) study here in Atlanta at Emory. I am in the dose escalation study. 1st time, I recieved 10,000units (equal to about 200units of A), for me I developed hoarseness the next day, some difficulty swallowing for about 2 weeks, and a very dry mouth-like you get with the anti-cholinergics(Artane)), I have a very active dystonic tremor more than a pulling and it helped with the tremor for about 2-3 weeks the 1st time. I didn’t recieve that much effect with the pain level though. 2nd series (12,500 unitsgiven=250 of A) was 4 weeks ago,that was 11 weeks after the 1st. I had a more positive effect this time- the tremor is more diminished, the pain is decreased and so far at 4 weeks, it is still effective. I had developed antibodies to A after 3 years, and that was in 1994 so this has been a tremendous relief to me. It seems that the dose range with the B is what they are trying to determine, also the safety factor. For me, it does not seem to help quite as much as A did for me but my dstonia has progressed in the last 3 years. It is hard to pull out of my MDS much info about other patients he is treating with the B. I have the info from the first double blind trials with B, and they were not using a large enough dose to see a lot of improvement,but there was more when they used the 10,000u (that was the highest dose they gave at Emory) so there is hope. I will keep you all updated on my progress. By the way, you can e-mail Aethna Neurosciences and they will send you info on the 1st study. You all are a great bunch of people at a.s.d., I don’t get to check the posts often but when I do I can feel the love and support through my p.c. I was in Nashville for the Symposium. It was great! By the way, everyone at the sym. was given a copy of the PSA that was done about dystonia by LA Lakers Jerry West, has anyone heard if that is being run anywhere? Much thanks to David Stein(who does the 1-800-HURTFUL calls for NSTA) he was the one who arranged the PSA. Also, thanks to Deb who posted the highlights from Nashville here-I wasn’t attentive enough to catch all of that!!! Best wishes to everyone, Kathie
Oxford (UK) is just about to start trials for Botox B. What have the results been like in USA/Canada? is it something to get excited about? Any different side effects? Thanks – Chris Usenet
If I remember right, Botox B is not quite as good as the original, but if you develop anti-bodies to the original, it is a very good option. Ray T.
Chris, I just got back from the NSTA supposium (well the 1st day that is:) and they did address Botox B (which will be marketed as "NeuroBloc") …. Some of their patients are seeing results …. ?? I don’t know personally though… Andy might be able to "share" some information with you <G I’ll let him "tell ya". Elf in Tn…Romona – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Oxford (UK) is just about to start trials for Botox B. What have the results been like in USA/Canada? is it something to get excited about? Any different side effects? Thanks – Chris
Oxford (UK) is just about to start trials for Botox B. What have the results been like in USA/Canada? is it something to get excited about? Any different side effects? Thanks – Chris
Hi gang, It has been awhile since I posted. No luck with Botox B for me.
Sorry to read this, Andy. I hadn’t heard from you for a while and figured everything was okay. You mentioned stress. I found stress was "the great exacerbater" of muscle spasms, so much so, that I had to stop working. I am an accountant by profession. On a few occasions, I thought of returning back to work and, every time, memories of what it was like at the office made me turn into a cold sweat. Dystonia made my life miserable, I think that at one point, at least this is what a psychologist mentioned, there was a danger of suicide. Living this way, in constant pain, and the pressures at work, was too much. Sorry for bringing this up, but if there are any out there who feel this way, and feel guilty about having second thoughts regarding their careers, my advice to you is don’t feel this way. Dystonia is a serious syndrome, don’t let anyone tell you differently. Regarding Phenol, I think you may find what you are looking for at: http://www.rehabnet.com/monographs/nblock.htm Regards, Gene http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev or http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev/index.html
I am going to try to beat Tommye to this one, Teresa! What are facets? Do they fasten your ribs to the rest of you? Do they hook your knees to your legs? I do not think I have any facets, could be my problem–LOL–Sue
Hi gang, It has been awhile since I posted. No luck with Botox B for me. I tried it twice and the second time getting the maxium allowed under the study. I have heard that it has helped other ST’ers. So, that is good! I am trying Mexiletane now to see if this helps. I don’t know if Botox B is not working becuase of the stress I am under (work, personnal) or that I have antibodies to Botox A and still have them for Botox B. Stress is killing me. I hope I can relax a little in 98. Will see. Doctor thinks antibodies… Lucky me. Just thought I would keep you posted. New: Well my doctor is going to start his own study with Phenol (don’t know about this just like ITX which no one is trying yet) because it destorys the nerves to the muscles (they way I understand it). It may be good for some people but me I don’t want to destory nothing at this time. Also, he wants to try some of the new Parkinsons medication approved by FDA as well. Will keep you posted. Andy
(APENFAN) writes: It has been awhile since I posted. No luck with Botox B for me. I tried it
twice and the second time getting the maxium allowed under the study. Andy! We have missed you! So glad you are back with us, although the botox debacle is a bummer! Post again, okay? Love, Mary Beth
Stress and dystonia is wierd for me. There are times when, under great stress, that my spasms are not any worse at all; then at other times, with the same level of stress, by spasms go bozonkers! Take care- Gina
Odd, isn’t it? What works for one, won’t for another. Stress, as you say, exacerbates "at times". It’s as if dystonia is responding to exterior forces, and what it is I haven’t got a clue. Dr. Joseph Tsui, in conversation with Professor Eugene Smith, discussed this delema. Here is how it went: If dystonia symptoms originate because of a problem in the brain, have you neurologists studied the brain enough to know what’s really going on there? Attempts have been done. This is a conditiontion of motor control and therefore lots of programs in motor control are involved with that. There have been recent publications on the use of PET scans–PET meaning positro emission tomography –in writer’s cramp, for example. When you activate certain movements, the certain areas of the brain can light up. They pick up some very subtle abnormalities–that is, a little deviating compared with the normal. But all these are so embryonic in their development that they are so difficult to interprets. We don’t even have a good pattern for normal. What we understand currently I can only put into a very simple example. The basal ganglia is likened to something like a computer–a computer chip. To simplify it, it seems to contain all the complex movement patterns of the body and store them in terms of programs. These programs are stored there when we’re young. You learn certain complex movements. You learn to play a piano and when you’re young the basal ganglia is a very plastic structure. It accepts all sorts of programming, but once the programs are there, and as one grows older, this plasticity is lost. That is, you learn things with much more difficulty when you are getting older. These programs are interconnected with each other, executing through the cortex so we can do several things at the same time. I can talk to you, but I can also get my hand and play around with it without even thinking about it. Then I am just pulling on a few switches. These are all activated like computer switches. But in dystonia some of these programs go wrong, particularly in focal dystonia. In writer’s cramp, for example, the writing program goes wrong, but the hand is completely normal doing any other things. When you want to flip on the switch of writing, it starts going crazy. The interesting issue is that there are at least two writing programs–one using the wrist and fingers, the other by using more proximal shoulder movements. Now most patients with writer’s cramp when they write have problems, but when they use chalk to write on a blackboard, they all right. They can write perfectly well. So all this helps us to understand that it is actually much more complex than a computer–that there are motor-programming problems within the basal ganglia, and, if something goes wrong there, the action will be abnormal. That area also governs the normal posture of different parts of the body, so if that program goes wrong and it decides that the neck should be twisted, then unfortunately the brain would have to listen to this program. So we believe that it is probably a biochemical abnormality, but even that conclusion is standing on shaky grounds. Because right now if you believe in the connections, maybe the biochemical substance there is correct but the connections are wrong. but the theory about this biochemical imbalance is that, in some patients with dystonia, you can improve the dystonia by giving them therapeutic agents like anti-cholinergic drugs, and therefore we think that it may be a biochemical imbalance. But unfortunately not all patients respond to the same drugs. A well-known example is that –if you know the transmitter called dopamine for Parkinson’s disease–some patients respond very well to dopamine, that is, a drug that enhances dopamine. But some other patients respond to drugs that oppose dopamine, and so we are completely at a loss. We are confused. Drugs that work in totally different directions can be beneficial in one patient and vice versa in another patient, and it is only dopamine. The we come to talk about cholinergic substances. People have been using anti-cholinergic drugs, and there has been a report on cholinergic substances–that is again a different direction–that work well in the same kind of illness. The more convincing issue is that some patients with neck dystonia can come with a history that initially the head turns to the left and after a while turns to the right. So we don’t really know what everything means. In writer’s cramp, for example, some patients will start off having problems with the right hand, then shift to the use of the left hand to write. A small proportion of these patients actually after years develop the same problem in the other hand. This also helps to support the fact that it may be a central problem rather than a more peripheral problem. the theories are not very well founded. It could be a biochemical imbalance, but I suspect that in some patients, particularly in specific problems, it may be something more subtle than a biochemical imbalance. Well, if you don’t know what causes dystonia, or if it has more than one possible cause, how can you treat it? Or do you sometimes have to say, "You will just have to live with it"? Anything short of knowledge of the underlying cause we really cannot provide a cure for the condition. Symptomatic treatments for the condition with all the medications have been very unsatisfactory. Most patients get temporary relief but the side-effects are so bad that most of them would finally give up the medications, and therefore it is not good at all. Although it is not a cure, botulinum toxin provides a very good symptomatic relief for many patients. It has provided at least some hope and also given the doctors something to do to help the patient. And that actually significantly improved the awareness of the condition. Lots of research has been done, and the funding agencies have paid more attention to funding research in dystonia. Botulism: the first reported case was in 1897. The word comes from the Latin word for sausages-food poisoning from sausages, bad sausage. Two types of neurotoxins have been identified initially-type A and type B neurotoxin. More and more protein types of the toxin have been found-to 1970 up to 7 types described: A, B, C, D, E, F, G (C further subdivided into I and 2). In 1924 the bacterium was finally given a name, clostridium botulinum. All neurotoxins are inactivated by boiling, and only A, B, E, F have been shown to give rise to human clinical botulism. Only type A has been a marketed drug, though type F was recently investigated and shown to be effective in patients who have grown resistant to type A; the duration of effectiveness was much shorter weeks rather than months. Type B toxin is currently being investigated in a multi-center study. What the toxin does in the body is to go to a junction between nerves and muscles, and it blocks the impulses between nerves and muscles. Normally what happens is that, when you want the arm to move or want to contract a certain muscle of the arm, your brain sets off an electrical impulse that is conducted by a nerve like a piece of wire right down to the junction between the nerve and the muscle. But it is not electricity that goes through to the muscle. At the end of the nerve it releases a chemical, and that chemical goes on to tell the muscle to contract. Botulinum toxin actually stops this process. It prevents the release of this chemical from the nerve endings and as a result it gives rise to paralysis or weakness of the muscle, depending on the dose. The toxin attaches itself to the nerve terminals; it is something like ingested by the nerve terminal and then within the nerve cell it exerts its action to prevent the release of the substance called acetylcholine. About the history of the toxin I think full credit has to be given to Alan Scott, who collaborated with the bacteriologist Edward Shantz. They worked together in the development of the toxin. Alan Scott is an ophthalmologist in San Francisco. He had been always longing to develop a method to replace surgery to treat a condition called strabismus, which is a condition of crossed eyes in children. In these children the eyes actually look in different directions, and the way to help them is to cut away one muscle that pulls the eye to one side and therefore the eyes can be restored to look straight ahead. This procedure, he thought, might be replaced by an injection of a substance which could temporarily weaken the muscle. As the child growsup, the condition may be self-correcting, so if they are left with a normal muscle they probably will end up better. He had been working on that, and in 1973 in a publication we found out that this botullnum toxin A had been able to do that. That is, the substance is quite safe. It does not produce any generalized bad reactions. It does not produce any local reactions, and it can also give rise to a rather predictable weakness for a period of time, ranging from several months up to eight months in the monkey. With that he worked on to actually apply it in the human, and in 1980 he made the first publication of its use as an alternative to surgery in children, and he was quite successful with that. The story would have just ended there, but there’s another condition called blepharospasm. This condition, now classified as a neurological condition, is a focal dystonia. But because the symptoms occur in the eyelids, most patients go to see eye doctors because the eyes are
… read more »
Andy, I’m so sorry that Botox just doesn’t work for you!!! I’d really do some major research before I go the "phenol route"–but if you pain is bad enough, you will get to the point you will try anything, but Let’s just hope and pray that it doesn’t get that bad!! I’m here if you need a shoulder…you know, sometimes we all do. Keep us informed on yourself, please. Love Ya, Tommye – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Andy, Long time no hear from kiddo …. I’m so sorry to hear about the second round of Botox B (max dose) not working….:::major sad face::: Phenol … I’ve read about that … Gene sent a post with url(s) a few months ago …. hum ..guess I need to go back and re-read it. I knew that it could cause "damage" … but a niggling of memory is there …isn’t he phenol a effective treatment in managing some of the symptoms … ????? Good luck at the next dr.s appt … keep us updated on how everything is going …the good, bad and duckly(opps that wouldn’t apply since your with Dr.B:) …many hugs and lots of love from all the "elves" here in TN…Romona
Andy, Long time no hear from kiddo …. I’m so sorry to hear about the second round of Botox B (max dose) not working….:::major sad face::: Phenol … I’ve read about that … Gene sent a post with url(s) a few months ago …. hum ..guess I need to go back and re-read it. I knew that it could cause "damage" … but a niggling of memory is there …isn’t he phenol a effective treatment in managing some of the symptoms … ????? Good luck at the next dr.s appt … keep us updated on how everything is going …the good, bad and duckly(opps that wouldn’t apply since your with Dr.B:) …many hugs and lots of love from all the "elves" here in TN…Romona
Gang, I had to add my 2 cents worth on this one-lol. I, as everyone else have tried conventional and other medicine. I had the facets in my upper lumbar spine fractured (I believe by chiropractor) years ago. I worked for and was also treated by a Pain Specialist last year. He used Phenol on the nerves going to the facets. I STILL HAVE NO PAIN THERE!!!!!!! I had some weird reaction in my knee and leg muscles on that side for a day or two – did not last long – no other problems. You might want to consider giving it a try. If I had that choice, with my limited experience and success – I would try it. Teresa
Wow Gene!! What an excellent response – Thank You!! Gina – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stress and dystonia is wierd for me. There are times when, under great stress, that my spasms are not any worse at all; then at other times, with the same level of stress, by spasms go bozonkers! Take care- Gina Odd, isn’t it? What works for one, won’t for another. Stress, as you say, exacerbates "at times". It’s as if dystonia is responding to exterior forces, and what it is I haven’t got a clue. Dr. Joseph Tsui, in conversation with Professor Eugene Smith, discussed this delema. Here is how it went: If dystonia symptoms originate because of a problem in the brain, have you neurologists studied the brain enough to know what’s really going on there? Attempts have been done. This is a conditiontion of motor control and therefore lots of programs in motor control are involved with that. There have been recent publications on the use of PET scans–PET meaning positro emission tomography –in writer’s cramp, for example. When you activate certain movements, the certain areas of the brain can light up. They pick up some very subtle abnormalities–that is, a little deviating compared with the normal. But all these are so embryonic in their development that they are so difficult to interprets. We don’t even have a good pattern for normal. What we understand currently I can only put into a very simple example. The basal ganglia is likened to something like a computer–a computer chip. To simplify it, it seems to contain all the complex movement patterns of the body and store them in terms of programs. These programs are stored there when we’re young. You learn certain complex movements. You learn to play a piano and when you’re young the basal ganglia is a very plastic structure. It accepts all sorts of programming, but once the programs are there, and as one grows older, this plasticity is lost. That is, you learn things with much more difficulty when you are getting older. These programs are interconnected with each other, executing through the cortex so we can do several things at the same time. I can talk to you, but I can also get my hand and play around with it without even thinking about it. Then I am just pulling on a few switches. These are all activated like computer switches. But in dystonia some of these programs go wrong, particularly in focal dystonia. In writer’s cramp, for example, the writing program goes wrong, but the hand is completely normal doing any other things. When you want to flip on the switch of writing, it starts going crazy. The interesting issue is that there are at least two writing programs–one using the wrist and fingers, the other by using more proximal shoulder movements. Now most patients with writer’s cramp when they write have problems, but when they use chalk to write on a blackboard, they all right. They can write perfectly well. So all this helps us to understand that it is actually much more complex than a computer–that there are motor-programming problems within the basal ganglia, and, if something goes wrong there, the action will be abnormal. That area also governs the normal posture of different parts of the body, so if that program goes wrong and it decides that the neck should be twisted, then unfortunately the brain would have to listen to this program. So we believe that it is probably a biochemical abnormality, but even that conclusion is standing on shaky grounds. Because right now if you believe in the connections, maybe the biochemical substance there is correct but the connections are wrong. but the theory about this biochemical imbalance is that, in some patients with dystonia, you can improve the dystonia by giving them therapeutic agents like anti-cholinergic drugs, and therefore we think that it may be a biochemical imbalance. But unfortunately not all patients respond to the same drugs. A well-known example is that –if you know the transmitter called dopamine for Parkinson’s disease–some patients respond very well to dopamine, that is, a drug that enhances dopamine. But some other patients respond to drugs that oppose dopamine, and so we are completely at a loss. We are confused. Drugs that work in totally different directions can be beneficial in one patient and vice versa in another patient, and it is only dopamine. The we come to talk about cholinergic substances. People have been using anti-cholinergic drugs, and there has been a report on cholinergic substances–that is again a different direction–that work well in the same kind of illness. The more convincing issue is that some patients with neck dystonia can come with a history that initially the head turns to the left and after a while turns to the right. So we don’t really know what everything means. In writer’s cramp, for example, some patients will start off having problems with the right hand, then shift to the use of the left hand to write. A small proportion of these patients actually after years develop the same problem in the other hand. This also helps to support the fact that it may be a central problem rather than a more peripheral problem. the theories are not very well founded. It could be a biochemical imbalance, but I suspect that in some patients, particularly in specific problems, it may be something more subtle than a biochemical imbalance. Well, if you don’t know what causes dystonia, or if it has more than one possible cause, how can you treat it? Or do you sometimes have to say, "You will just have to live with it"? Anything short of knowledge of the underlying cause we really cannot provide a cure for the condition. Symptomatic treatments for the condition with all the medications have been very unsatisfactory. Most patients get temporary relief but the side-effects are so bad that most of them would finally give up the medications, and therefore it is not good at all. Although it is not a cure, botulinum toxin provides a very good symptomatic relief for many patients. It has provided at least some hope and also given the doctors something to do to help the patient. And that actually significantly improved the awareness of the condition. Lots of research has been done, and the funding agencies have paid more attention to funding research in dystonia. Botulism: the first reported case was in 1897. The word comes from the Latin word for sausages-food poisoning from sausages, bad sausage. Two types of neurotoxins have been identified initially-type A and type B neurotoxin. More and more protein types of the toxin have been found-to 1970 up to 7 types described: A, B, C, D, E, F, G (C further subdivided into I and 2). In 1924 the bacterium was finally given a name, clostridium botulinum. All neurotoxins are inactivated by boiling, and only A, B, E, F have been shown to give rise to human clinical botulism. Only type A has been a marketed drug, though type F was recently investigated and shown to be effective in patients who have grown resistant to type A; the duration of effectiveness was much shorter weeks rather than months. Type B toxin is currently being investigated in a multi-center study. What the toxin does in the body is to go to a junction between nerves and muscles, and it blocks the impulses between nerves and muscles. Normally what happens is that, when you want the arm to move or want to contract a certain muscle of the arm, your brain sets off an electrical impulse that is conducted by a nerve like a piece of wire right down to the junction between the nerve and the muscle. But it is not electricity that goes through to the muscle. At the end of the nerve it releases a chemical, and that chemical goes on to tell the muscle to contract. Botulinum toxin actually stops this process. It prevents the release of this chemical from the nerve endings and as a result it gives rise to paralysis or weakness of the muscle, depending on the dose. The toxin attaches itself to the nerve terminals; it is something like ingested by the nerve terminal and then within the nerve cell it exerts its action to prevent the release of the substance called acetylcholine. About the history of the toxin I think full credit has to be given to Alan Scott, who collaborated with the bacteriologist Edward Shantz. They worked together in the development of the toxin. Alan Scott is an ophthalmologist in San Francisco. He had been always longing to develop a method to replace surgery to treat a condition called strabismus, which is a condition of crossed eyes in children. In these children the eyes actually look in different directions, and the way to help them is to cut away one muscle that pulls the eye to one side and therefore the eyes can be restored to look straight ahead. This procedure, he thought, might be replaced by an injection of a substance which could temporarily weaken the muscle. As the child growsup, the condition may be self-correcting, so if they are left with a normal muscle they probably will end up better. He had been working on that, and in 1973 in a publication we found out that this botullnum toxin A had been able to do that. That is, the substance is quite safe. It does not produce any generalized bad reactions. It does not produce any local reactions, and it can also give rise to a rather predictable weakness for a period of time, ranging from several months up to eight months in the monkey. With that he worked on to actually apply it in the human, and in 1980 he made the
… read more »
(GGMCJP) writes: Stress and dystonia is wierd for me. There are times when, under great stress,
that my spasms are not any worse at all; then at other times, with the same
level of stress, by spasms go bozonkers! Take care- Gina I am also that way. There have been moments when people would of thought I’d be jerking/spasms really bad and I’m cool. Then something else comes up and wammo. Thats the problem you just never know for sure. And, at times I can’t recall anything in particular happening and wammo! Where not boring, thats for sure! Anne
Hi Teresa, Do you happen to know ‘off hand’ if a person would qualify if they (me) are receiving a ‘widows pension’? Even though I’ve remarried, I still receive this income from my late husband’s place of employment. I worked for over 20 years, but haven’ worked in the last 4 years. Just curious, but probably need to contact my local SSD office. Thanks in advance, should you have any info on this! Gina – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mary Beth, You cannot be working at all to apply and get SSI and SSD. However, once you get it you can get up $499.99 per month working part-time. So whatever you do, file before you go back to work. That is what I am going to try to do. If I finally get it, work part time, if I can. Teresa
MB your SSD is Social Security Disability that you will be entitled to from so many quarters you’ve worked (nothing to do with income) but, SSI, depends on income–Jimmy and I together make too much so I can’t get it. When I get 65 yrs old, My SSD will just turn into Social Security and my employer disability insurance stops completely and retirement starts. If you aren’t sure, you might better start out part-time—-full-time is very hard if you’re in a lot of pain especially–or, you may just not have the energy to work full time. Something to think about, though. My MDS says that I’ll never work again, even though I already knew it. Love Ya, Tommye – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mary Beth, I’d think that starting out part time would be a good idea. If you’re doing well, you can always increase your hours, days and workload. It’s much more difficult to begin with full time work and then have to cut back. Also, IMO I think this might be a less stressful approach. Take care = Gina Please excuse some ‘outloud’ processing here, my friends…but does all this posting regarding how difficult working full-time can be, mean that I maybe need to reconsider my stubborn determination to return to working full-time after 8 years of ‘freedom’? Maybe I should consider part-time? If it were true, and I am NOT admitting to that, I can no longer maintain the stamina of working, would I be able to qualify for SSD or SSI or does one have to be without resources in order to do this? I can’t believe that I am actually writing this and sending it even…OY! MB Gene, before I quit work, it was almost too much for me, too!! I really worked longer than I should have tried to-was in constant horrible pain, having to take pain med in order to even work and getting reprimanded for taking med at work. I gave it up (work) at 2:30 on a Mon afternoon-I finally just broke down and knew that I couldn’t go any farther…..then, my supervisor called me that night to see how I was doing and if I thought I’d be at work the next morning. LOL then, I told her that I wasn’t coming back that I had finally give up—that was a terrible feeling, but, yes, stress plays a major role in dystonia!!!
Mary Beth, You cannot be working at all to apply and get SSI and SSD. However, once you get it you can get up $499.99 per month working part-time. So whatever you do, file before you go back to work. That is what I am going to try to do. If I finally get it, work part time, if I can. Teresa
Yes, Yes, Gene, we will win this war against dystonia!!! The only way that we can and are even supposed to live is one day at a time and hope and pray for a cure—if not in our generation, then, the next one for sure!! but, I’m looking for it to happen in our generation, aren’t you??? Love Ya, Tommye – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Gene, before I quit work, it was almost too much for me, too!! I really worked longer than I should have tried to-was in constant horrible pain, having to take pain med in order to even work and getting reprimanded for taking med at work. I gave it up (work) at 2:30 on a Mon afternoon-I finally just broke down and knew that I couldn’t go any farther…..then, my supervisor called me that night to see how I was doing and if I thought I’d be at work the next morning. LOL then, I told her that I wasn’t coming back that I had finally give up—that was a terrible feeling, but, yes, stress plays a major role in dystonia!!! Love Ya, Tommye Having read the above, it brought back so many memories. Strange how we squirrel away bad moments! It seems to over shadow all good recollections. I was listening to a scientist philosopher type talk about the mind yesterday. And, he made reference to the very subject. According to him, it seems that the moment we are born, it’s downhill from there because there are so many diseases, and potential for accidents, etc. It’s as if all the odds were against us. But, it says something about the human spirit doesn’t it? People with dystonia are survivors. We will win this war, even though many battles have been lost, in the end, we will win. The trick is to never give up, there is always another day ahead, and it might just be the day that a cure is discovered. Gene http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev or http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev/index.html
Hey Tommye Girl!! Did I miss something here? Gina – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK "Miss SuzyQ", you beat me to it this time, but have you found out yet what are "facets"?? ROFLOL If I have any, mine must not be working, either!! LOL couldn’t be "faucets" could it?? I’ve got many of those!! Harry and Charlie!!! (ref: Ralph and Louie) LOL Love Ya, Tommye I am going to try to beat Tommye to this one, Teresa! What are facets? Do they fasten your ribs to the rest of you? Do they hook your knees to your legs? I do not think I have any facets, could be my problem–LOL–Sue
Gene, You are just a fountain of information – don’t know what we’d do without you! Thanks for all the website(s) information on just about everything. Gina Hi Dan, So sorry about the Botox B not working. This is just so frustrating! I’m sorry to ask this if you’ve already posted about it, but have you tried the new batch of Botox A? I’ve been ‘botoxed’ with the old A and found it to be pretty useless for me. But (for me) this new batch of ‘A’ is just so awesome! I hope there are others out there who have seen good results with the new A, and others yet, who will try it. Stress and dystonia is wierd for me. There are times when, under great stress, that my spasms are not any worse at all; then at other times, with the same level of stress, by spasms go bozonkers! Take care- Gina – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi gang, It has been awhile since I posted. No luck with Botox B for me. Sorry to read this, Andy. I hadn’t heard from you for a while and figured everything was okay. You mentioned stress. I found stress was "the great exacerbater" of muscle spasms, so much so, that I had to stop working. I am an accountant by profession. On a few occasions, I thought of returning back to work and, every time, memories of what it was like at the office made me turn into a cold sweat. Dystonia made my life miserable, I think that at one point, at least this is what a psychologist mentioned, there was a danger of suicide. Living this way, in constant pain, and the pressures at work, was too much. Sorry for bringing this up, but if there are any out there who feel this way, and feel guilty about having second thoughts regarding their careers, my advice to you is don’t feel this way. Dystonia is a serious syndrome, don’t let anyone tell you differently. Regarding Phenol, I think you may find what you are looking for at: http://www.rehabnet.com/monographs/nblock.htm Regards, Gene http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev or http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev/index.html
Teresa, thanks for the information…. I swear I had never heard of such a thing but I bet mine are beauts in my neck! Sue
Gene, before I quit work, it was almost too much for me, too!! I really worked longer than I should have tried to-was in constant horrible pain, having to take pain med in order to even work and getting reprimanded for taking med at work. I gave it up (work) at 2:30 on a Mon afternoon-I finally just broke down and knew that I couldn’t go any farther…..then, my supervisor called me that night to see how I was doing and if I thought I’d be at work the next morning. LOL then, I told her that I wasn’t coming back that I had finally give up—that was a terrible feeling, but, yes, stress plays a major role in dystonia!!! Love Ya, Tommye
Having read the above, it brought back so many memories. Strange how we squirrel away bad moments! It seems to over shadow all good recollections. I was listening to a scientist philosopher type talk about the mind yesterday. And, he made reference to the very subject. According to him, it seems that the moment we are born, it’s downhill from there because there are so many diseases, and potential for accidents, etc. It’s as if all the odds were against us. But, it says something about the human spirit doesn’t it? People with dystonia are survivors. We will win this war, even though many battles have been lost, in the end, we will win. The trick is to never give up, there is always another day ahead, and it might just be the day that a cure is discovered. Gene http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev or http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev/index.html
Please excuse some ‘outloud’ processing here, my friends…but does all this posting regarding how difficult working full-time can be, mean that I maybe need to reconsider my stubborn determination to return to working full-time after 8 years of ‘freedom’? Maybe I should consider part-time? If it were true, and I am NOT admitting to that, I can no longer maintain the stamina of working, would I be able to qualify for SSD or SSI or does one have to be without resources in order to do this? I can’t believe that I am actually writing this and sending it even…OY! MB Gene, before I quit work, it was almost too much for me, too!! I really
worked longer than I should have tried to-was in constant horrible pain,
having to take pain med in order to even work and getting reprimanded for
taking med at work. I gave it up (work) at 2:30 on a Mon afternoon-I
finally just broke down and knew that I couldn’t go any farther…..then,
my supervisor called me that night to see how I was doing and if I thought
I’d be at work the next morning. LOL then, I told her that I wasn’t coming
back that I had finally give up—that was a terrible feeling, but, yes,
stress plays a major role in dystonia!!!
OK "Miss SuzyQ", you beat me to it this time, but have you found out yet what are "facets"?? ROFLOL If I have any, mine must not be working, either!! LOL couldn’t be "faucets" could it?? I’ve got many of those!! Harry and Charlie!!! (ref: Ralph and Louie) LOL Love Ya, Tommye – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am going to try to beat Tommye to this one, Teresa! What are facets? Do they fasten your ribs to the rest of you? Do they hook your knees to your legs? I do not think I have any facets, could be my problem–LOL–Sue
Hi, I’m sorry that you had to quit work today. I was diagnosed with Dystonia July 1996 and was terminated by my employer in September 1997 because I was unable to perform by duties. The pain is so bad not to mention the embarrassment. I wish you lots of luck. Have you applied for disability?
Wasn’t it also a major relief to finally say "Enough"? Gina – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Gene, before I quit work, it was almost too much for me, too!! I really worked longer than I should have tried to-was in constant horrible pain, having to take pain med in order to even work and getting reprimanded for taking med at work. I gave it up (work) at 2:30 on a Mon afternoon-I finally just broke down and knew that I couldn’t go any farther…..then, my supervisor called me that night to see how I was doing and if I thought I’d be at work the next morning. LOL then, I told her that I wasn’t coming back that I had finally give up—that was a terrible feeling, but, yes, stress plays a major role in dystonia!!! Love Ya, Tommye Hi gang, It has been awhile since I posted. No luck with Botox B for me. Sorry to read this, Andy. I hadn’t heard from you for a while and figured everything was okay. You mentioned stress. I found stress was "the great exacerbater" of muscle spasms, so much so, that I had to stop working. I am an accountant by profession. On a few occasions, I thought of returning back to work and, every time, memories of what it was like at the office made me turn into a cold sweat. Dystonia made my life miserable, I think that at one point, at least this is what a psychologist mentioned, there was a danger of suicide. Living this way, in constant pain, and the pressures at work, was too much. Sorry for bringing this up, but if there are any out there who feel this way, and feel guilty about having second thoughts regarding their careers, my advice to you is don’t feel this way. Dystonia is a serious syndrome, don’t let anyone tell you differently. Regarding Phenol, I think you may find what you are looking for at: http://www.rehabnet.com/monographs/nblock.htm Regards, Gene http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev or http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev/index.html
Yes, Gina, goma doll, it surely was!! the next day I started paperwork for my employee disability, as my district supervisor came to my house and brought all of the paperwork, we filled everything out, and it was just final–so fast!! then I got pay for short term disability, built up sick days and 3 weeks vacation!! and was able to keep my hospital ins. until I’m 65 by paying it myself and they were real great….they let me keep $10,000 of $80,000 life insurance that I had. Of course, they still have my retirement, I’m considering getting out and putting into something else because if I didn’t, Jimmy will only get half of it, if I don’t get it out!! It was a wonderful releif to know that I wouldn’t have to sit there 8-9 hrs a day with my head down all day–at about 2:00 every afternoon, the pain was horrible from then on the rest of the day. Love Ya, Tommye – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Wasn’t it also a major relief to finally say "Enough"? Gina Gene, before I quit work, it was almost too much for me, too!! I really worked longer than I should have tried to-was in constant horrible pain, having to take pain med in order to even work and getting reprimanded for taking med at work. I gave it up (work) at 2:30 on a Mon afternoon-I finally just broke down and knew that I couldn’t go any farther…..then, my supervisor called me that night to see how I was doing and if I thought I’d be at work the next morning. LOL then, I told her that I wasn’t coming back that I had finally give up—that was a terrible feeling, but, yes, stress plays a major role in dystonia!!! Love Ya, Tommye Hi gang, It has been awhile since I posted. No luck with Botox B for me. Sorry to read this, Andy. I hadn’t heard from you for a while and figured everything was okay. You mentioned stress. I found stress was "the great exacerbater" of muscle spasms, so much so, that I had to stop working. I am an accountant by profession. On a few occasions, I thought of returning back to work and, every time, memories of what it was like at the office made me turn into a cold sweat. Dystonia made my life miserable, I think that at one point, at least this is what a psychologist mentioned, there was a danger of suicide. Living this way, in constant pain, and the pressures at work, was too much. Sorry for bringing this up, but if there are any out there who feel this way, and feel guilty about having second thoughts regarding their careers, my advice to you is don’t feel this way. Dystonia is a serious syndrome, don’t let anyone tell you differently. Regarding Phenol, I think you may find what you are looking for at: http://www.rehabnet.com/monographs/nblock.htm Regards, Gene http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev or http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/ev/index.html
Well, I thought if Ralph is "right" and Louie is "left" then, Charlie would be "cold water" and Harry would be "hot water"–LOL make any sense??? thought not, as I’m on one of my crazy "modes"!!! Love Ya, Tommye – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey Tommye Girl!! Did I miss something here? Gina OK "Miss SuzyQ", you beat me to it this time, but have you found out yet what are "facets"?? ROFLOL If I have any, mine must not be working, either!! LOL couldn’t be "faucets" could it?? I’ve got many of those!! Harry and Charlie!!! (ref: Ralph and Louie) LOL Love Ya, Tommye I am going to try to beat Tommye to this one, Teresa! What are facets? Do they fasten your ribs to the rest of you? Do they hook your knees to your legs? I do not think I have any facets, could be my problem–LOL–Sue
Mary Beth, I’d think that starting out part time would be a good idea. If you’re doing well, you can always increase your hours, days and workload. It’s much more difficult to begin with full time work and then have to cut back. Also, IMO I think this might be a less stressful approach. Take care = Gina – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Please excuse some ‘outloud’ processing here, my friends…but does all this posting regarding how difficult working full-time can be, mean that I maybe need to reconsider my stubborn determination to return to working full-time after 8 years of ‘freedom’? Maybe I should consider part-time? If it were true, and I am NOT admitting to that, I can no longer maintain the stamina of working, would I be able to qualify for SSD or SSI or does one have to be without resources in order to do this? I can’t believe that I am actually writing this and sending it even…OY! MB Gene, before I quit work, it was almost too much for me, too!! I really worked longer than I should have tried to-was in constant horrible pain, having to take pain med in order to even work and getting reprimanded for taking med at work. I gave it up (work) at 2:30 on a Mon afternoon-I finally just broke down and knew that I couldn’t go any farther…..then, my supervisor called me that night to see how I was doing and if I thought I’d be at work the next morning. LOL then, I told her that I wasn’t coming back that I had finally give up—that was a terrible feeling, but, yes, stress plays a major role in dystonia!!!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Article: 8240 of alt.support.dystonia Path: betanews.compulink.co.uk!news.cix.co.uk!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.support.dystonia Organization: CIX – Compulink Information eXchange Lines: 5 NNTP-Posting-Host: oare.compulink.co.uk Xref: betanews.compulink.co.uk alt.support.dystonia:8240 Just re-joined this conference after a break. My son has been told that he will be part of a trial of Botox B in the UK, having become immune to Botox A. What is the current opinion about the effectiveness of Botox B? Barry
Anyone suggest where I should look to find more about Botox B please? Barry
Just re-joined this conference after a break. My son has been told that he will be part of a trial of Botox B in the UK, having become immune to Botox A. What is the current opinion about the effectiveness of Botox B? Barry
I had Bot B injx last month. I, too, was more sore than with Botox A. I think there is a lot more of the Bot B solution that has to be injected so this may explain part of it. Also, seems like they missed a muscle and hit my salivary gland, as I’ve had almost no saliva since the toxin kicked in. They called it a "side effect". Oh, well. Given this torture, its still worth it so far. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I wrote a message about Myobloc, but maybe its the wrong name. I just got the new Botox injections. I am really sore and having strange feelings. Wondered how anyone else felt. I have read many posts of people trying the Myobloc and none of them seems satisfied with it yet. Can’t help but wonder if the doctors should have experimented a little more with it. Hope you soon start to feel better. Good luck, Anna
I have had the same problem after injections in my neck ,side effects of Botox …during about one week and it was finished . Eat and drink in the same time , not very polite ,but we have to survive ! marie:) LaBeeJay a