Question:

you know) particularly with sinus pressure. I AM going to talk to Health Services here and if they don’t have any bright ideas call my doctor at home again. Anyone know of anything I might try? — Emily

You might discuss taking a prednisone burst.  It is not a fun medication to take (I refer to it as "The side effect of the week medication.") but it should help you get through the cold. "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits." Einstein

Response:

Hi.   You shoudl be on more flovent. I was put on flovent 220 four puffs a day (the higher dose) when I was still having problems. your dose should definitely be increased!!! Ask for some flonase for your nose (isn’t habit forming, it is just like the steroid inhaler for your lungs). I have some similar problems to you, and using the albuterol too much, and using slo-bid (theophylline) were the WORST things I could do for any sort of anxiety attacks. Decongestant is FINE unless the doctor told you not to take it due to your other medications. Summary: get some extra meds to get you through your cold, and get the health people to give you the flovent 220! In the meantime, a pred. burst may be necessary. -jenny ideas as to what might help, that would NOT tend to make one nervous, i could really use them…the pseudoephedrine HELPS, but I still as I said had to use my inhaler in class a few hours after taking it this morning, and waking up in the morning or middle of the night gasping is not fun (as I’m sure many of you know) particularly with sinus pressure. I AM going to talk to Health Services here and if they don’t have any bright ideas call my doctor at home again. Anyone know of anything I might try? — Emily

Jennifer Gerbi                          http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~gerbi Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign   1-113 ESB             (217)244-0332

Response:

Talk to your doctor about all this.  Your doctor and you must decide how bad your anxiety disorder is and the risks of adding drugs that exasperate this condition.  However, it is common to do a short dose of oral prednisone when asthmatics get ill.  Talk to your doctor about this possibility to get you through until your cold gets better.  Upping your Flovent may help some but I’d probably go for the prednisone in this instance.  Again, talk to your doctor and see what he/she suggests to get you through it.  Pseudoephedrine (I’m guessing OTC) is a broad spectrum agonist against your adrenergic receptors so this is probably why you’re feeling more anxious while taking it.  Albuterol is specific for the beta-2 receptor so it mainly acts on the smooth muscles in your lung dilating them, although some gets in your system and can certainly make you more anxious also.  If it was me, I’d go for a short prednisone burst, but talk to your doc and see what they think.

Nah, I was told pred is for RED zone….I’m only in the upper end of yellow. And form what people here have been saying, that stuff gets people’s emotions terribly messed up all by itself. sounds like the last thing I want to be taking —

Response:

It sounds like a lot of your symptoms are related to post nasal drip. The nasal steroids are one good solution, but they will take a few days to do have an effect. The sedating antihistamines like Benedryl can dry the nose though their side effects, not necessarily from the histamine action. Avoid this if you are having a lot of chest congestion. Using saline nasal sprays every hour or two can help, as well as drinking hot liquids. If the Sudafed is helping your nose and not giving you anxiety problems then go with it. You will know if it gets you too hyped up. You and your doctor may just have to agree on a plan that includes stimulants when your asthma warrants and combat the effects with other sedatives. — Good Luck, CBI, M.D. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey…got a little problem here. I have a cold which is exacerbating my asthma badly. I’ve had to use albuterol for it several times (including this morning in class. Trying to take notes on complex math with your hands shaking is bad) in the last week. Now, I’m using that when I feel I need to, and I talked to my doctor once already (first time I was in yellow zone since having the chart set up) and am on Flovent 44 3×3 instead of my normal 2×2. I WAS taking a nasal spray decongestant, which worked pretty well except for wearing off before 12 hours was up, BUT you can only use that for 4 days and my 4 days are up. I AM taking pseudoephedrine now, but I’m really not supposed to; I have some sort of anxiety disorder (that I’ve very recently been put on meds for) and so I’m not supposed to take things that could make it worse. Now, admittedly my instincts say that the psuedoephedrine makes me less nervous than constantly using albuterol….but if anyone has any other ideas as to what might help, that would NOT tend to make one nervous, i could really use them…the pseudoephedrine HELPS, but I still as I said had to use my inhaler in class a few hours after taking it this morning, and waking up in the morning or middle of the night gasping is not fun (as I’m sure many of you know) particularly with sinus pressure. I AM going to talk to Health Services here and if they don’t have any bright ideas call my doctor at home again. Anyone know of anything I might try? — Emily

Response:

Talk to your doctor about all this.  Your doctor and you must decide how bad your anxiety disorder is and the risks of adding drugs that exasperate this condition.  However, it is common to do a short dose of oral prednisone when asthmatics get ill.  Talk to your doctor about this possibility to get you through until your cold gets better.  Upping your Flovent may help some but I’d probably go for the prednisone in this instance.  Again, talk to your doctor and see what he/she suggests to get you through it.  Pseudoephedrine (I’m guessing OTC) is a broad spectrum agonist against your adrenergic receptors so this is probably why you’re feeling more anxious while taking it.  Albuterol is specific for the beta-2 receptor so it mainly acts on the smooth muscles in your lung dilating them, although some gets in your system and can certainly make you more anxious also.  If it was me, I’d go for a short prednisone burst, but talk to your doc and see what they think. — James P Picotte Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hey…got a little problem here. I have a cold which is exacerbating my asthma badly. I’ve had to use albuterol for it several times (including this morning in class. Trying to take notes on complex math with your hands shaking is bad) in the last week. Now, I’m using that when I feel I need to, and I talked to my doctor once already (first time I was in yellow zone since having the chart set up) and am on Flovent 44 3×3 instead of my normal 2×2. I WAS taking a nasal spray decongestant, which worked pretty well except for wearing off before 12 hours was up, BUT you can only use that for 4 days and my 4 days are up. I AM taking pseudoephedrine now, but I’m really not supposed to; I have some sort of anxiety disorder (that I’ve very recently been put on meds for) and so I’m not supposed to take things that could make it worse. Now, admittedly my instincts say that the psuedoephedrine makes me less nervous than constantly using albuterol….but if anyone has any other ideas as to what might help, that would NOT tend to make one nervous, i could really use them…the pseudoephedrine HELPS, but I still as I said had to use my inhaler in class a few hours after taking it this morning, and waking up in the morning or middle of the night gasping is not fun (as I’m sure many of you know) particularly with sinus pressure. I AM going to talk to Health Services here and if they don’t have any bright ideas call my doctor at home again. Anyone know of anything I might try? — Emily

Response:

Hey…got a little problem here. I have a cold which is exacerbating my asthma badly. I’ve had to use albuterol for it several times (including this morning in class. Trying to take notes on complex math with your hands shaking is bad) in the last week. Now, I’m using that when I feel I need to, and I talked to my doctor once already (first time I was in yellow zone since having the chart set up) and am on Flovent 44 3×3 instead of my normal 2×2. I WAS taking a nasal spray decongestant, which worked pretty well except for wearing off before 12 hours was up, BUT you can only use that for 4 days and my 4 days are up. I AM taking pseudoephedrine now, but I’m really not supposed to; I have some sort of anxiety disorder (that I’ve very recently been put on meds for) and so I’m not supposed to take things that could make it worse. Now, admittedly my instincts say that the psuedoephedrine makes me less nervous than constantly using albuterol….but if anyone has any other ideas as to what might help, that would NOT tend to make one nervous, i could really use them…the pseudoephedrine HELPS, but I still as I said had to use my inhaler in class a few hours after taking it this morning, and waking up in the morning or middle of the night gasping is not fun (as I’m sure many of you know) particularly with sinus pressure. I AM going to talk to Health Services here and if they don’t have any bright ideas call my doctor at home again. Anyone know of anything I might try? — Emily

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey…got a little problem here. I have a cold which is exacerbating my asthma badly. I’ve had to use albuterol for it several times (including this morning in class. Trying to take notes on complex math with your hands shaking is bad) in the last week. Now, I’m using that when I feel I need to, and I talked to my doctor once already (first time I was in yellow zone since having the chart set up) and am on Flovent 44 3×3 instead of my normal 2×2. I WAS taking a nasal spray decongestant, which worked pretty well except for wearing off before 12 hours was up, BUT you can only use that for 4 days and my 4 days are up. I AM taking pseudoephedrine now, but I’m really not supposed to; I have some sort of anxiety disorder (that I’ve very recently been put on meds for) and so I’m not supposed to take things that could make it worse. Now, admittedly my instincts say that the psuedoephedrine makes me less nervous than constantly using albuterol….but if anyone has any other ideas as to what might help, that would NOT tend to make one nervous, i could really use them…the pseudoephedrine HELPS, but I still as I said had to use my inhaler in class a few hours after taking it this morning, and waking up in the morning or middle of the night gasping is not fun (as I’m sure many of you know) particularly with sinus pressure. I AM going to talk to Health Services here and if they don’t have any bright ideas call my doctor at home again. Anyone know of anything I might try? — Emily

Regarding nasal sprays, the steroid ones are very effective and can be used long term; Flonase, Rhinocort, Vancenase A nonsteroidal OTC one that can be tried is Nasalcrom (cromolyn) It’s moderately effective and can be used long term; needs to be used 3-4x/day for a couple of weeks to become effective. Regarding Flovent 44, this is the weakest of the formulations. In your case may be more practical to go to the middle formulation, Flovent 110. A twice a day regimen should be sufficient. One or two puffs. The higher steroid dose should control the asthma better. You really should stay away from decongestants if taking antianxiety drugs. Also minimize albuterol useage, no more than once/day. Ellis

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Question:

Hey moron, solar cells work at night too! We have these little things called batteries, you fucking idiot. "Bill Bonde, one of many Fair and Balanced Conservatives, AKA Spike, currently brunching on extra juicy ortolans, where do you put the beaks

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "It is a massively fragile Rube Goldberg device that dangerously and inefficiently carts around electricity from expensive, polluting and extremely unsafe central generating plants… The technology for a decentralized, solar-based power system is ready now. We don’t need massive research breakthroughs…" Does anyone out there actually believe this stuff? In 1952 a Blue Ribbon report to Harry Truman predicted that the future of America’s energy rested with the sun.  It predicted 13 million solar-powered homes here by 1975, and the promise of decentralized, off-grid self-sufficiency. Instead, Dwight Eisenhower took us into the pit of the "Peaceful Atom".  A trillion dollars later, we have a half-century of crashing grids and dangerous nukes that are vulnerable to terrorism and must shut down precisely when they’re most needed, as they did during this latest blackout. I suppose your solar power won’t shut down when it’s most needed, at night. The latest Bush energy bill only makes the situation worse, with more nuke subsidies and a powerful push for fossil fuels, especially coal. Nuclear power and coal are the only practical major new sources of energy right now. Nuclear power is especially attractive. The whole system demands a green deconstruction.  Solar technologies are ready to make energy self-sufficiency a tangible reality. Photovoltaic cells on rooftops and embedded in windows can produce grid-free electricity, with battery or fuel-cell backups. Do you know what fuel cells cost? Geothermal power can heat and cool with nothing but the power of the earth’s crust. Sure but it isn’t available everywhere and where it is, tapping it too hard can cause negative effects in on nearby national treasures such as Yellow Stone. Methane digestion can turn waste into usable gas.  Basement generators can use biomass fuels like ethanol and soy diesel for off-grid self-sufficiency. These systems need not provide 100% of a building’s energy, but can gradually make them increasingly self-sufficient. If they don’t provide 100% of the build’s needs, then we will still need a grid. Meanwhile more efficient heating, lighting and cooling systems can reduce demand. Windows that actually open and close can balance usage, building by building. Bush’s "upgrading the grid" means a new money pit for the same old unsafe nukes, polluting coal burners and gas turbines whose prices are set to skyrocket all looped together by dangerous, wasteful wires that are bound to crash again and again. Almost all of the alternative sources of energy are not available on demand. Coal, nuclear, gas, are available on demand. A grid could be used to transfer power from where there is a temporary surplus to where it is needed. That’s what is done now. Doing away with that seems like a negative for those who want to run homes in cloudy areas on solar power. San Francisco has used part of a public bond to put the first of a new generation of solar cells atop its downtown Moscone Center.  Those same cells could’ve kept Madison Square Garden or any other Manhattan building up and running during this latest outage.  Will New Yorkers know better next time? The person who wrote this didn’t bother to even do the most basic of math. Geez. What if the outage had occurred in the Winter? At night?

Response:

"It is a massively fragile Rube Goldberg device that dangerously and inefficiently carts around electricity from expensive, polluting and extremely unsafe central generating plants… The technology for a decentralized, solar-based power system is ready now. We don’t need massive research breakthroughs…"

Does anyone out there actually believe this stuff? In 1952 a Blue Ribbon report to Harry Truman predicted that the future of America’s energy rested with the sun.  It predicted 13 million solar-powered homes here by 1975, and the promise of decentralized, off-grid self-sufficiency. Instead, Dwight Eisenhower took us into the pit of the "Peaceful Atom".  A trillion dollars later, we have a half-century of crashing grids and dangerous nukes that are vulnerable to terrorism and must shut down precisely when they’re most needed, as they did during this latest blackout.

I suppose your solar power won’t shut down when it’s most needed, at night. The latest Bush energy bill only makes the situation worse, with more nuke subsidies and a powerful push for fossil fuels, especially coal.

Nuclear power and coal are the only practical major new sources of energy right now. Nuclear power is especially attractive. The whole system demands a green deconstruction.  Solar technologies are ready to make energy self-sufficiency a tangible reality. Photovoltaic cells on rooftops and embedded in windows can produce grid-free electricity, with battery or fuel-cell backups.

Do you know what fuel cells cost? Geothermal power can heat and cool with nothing but the power of the earth’s crust.  

Sure but it isn’t available everywhere and where it is, tapping it too hard can cause negative effects in on nearby national treasures such as Yellow Stone. Methane digestion can turn waste into usable gas.  Basement generators can use biomass fuels like ethanol and soy diesel for off-grid self-sufficiency. These systems need not provide 100% of a building’s energy, but can gradually make them increasingly self-sufficient.

If they don’t provide 100% of the build’s needs, then we will still need a grid. Meanwhile more efficient heating, lighting and cooling systems can reduce demand. Windows that actually open and close can balance usage, building by building. Bush’s "upgrading the grid" means a new money pit for the same old unsafe nukes, polluting coal burners and gas turbines whose prices are set to skyrocket all looped together by dangerous, wasteful wires that are bound to crash again and again.

Almost all of the alternative sources of energy are not available on demand. Coal, nuclear, gas, are available on demand. A grid could be used to transfer power from where there is a temporary surplus to where it is needed. That’s what is done now. Doing away with that seems like a negative for those who want to run homes in cloudy areas on solar power. San Francisco has used part of a public bond to put the first of a new generation of solar cells atop its downtown Moscone Center.  Those same cells could’ve kept Madison Square Garden or any other Manhattan building up and running during this latest outage.  Will New Yorkers know better next time?

The person who wrote this didn’t bother to even do the most basic of math. Geez. What if the outage had occurred in the Winter? At night?

Response:

"It is a massively fragile Rube Goldberg device that dangerously and inefficiently carts around electricity from expensive, polluting and extremely unsafe central generating plants… The technology for a decentralized, solar-based power system is ready now. We don’t need massive research breakthroughs…" "San Francisco has used part of a public bond to put the first of a new generation of solar cells atop its downtown Moscone Center.  Those same cells could’ve kept Madison Square Garden or any other Manhattan building up and running during this latest outage.  Will New Yorkers know better next time?" The latest bogus fossil-nuke blackout: this grid should not exist by Harvey Wasserman, August 15, 2003 This is the fourth—and worst—completely unnecessary major regional blackout in this country in forty years, dating back to 1965. It’s scope—from Detroit to Ottawa to New York and New Jersey—is absolutely awesome, especially since it’s due to total stupidity and corruption. This does not count the blackouts that raged through California in 2000-2001.  Those were "blackmails," set by Enron and the other Bush gas cronies to rip $60 billion out of the state, leading to, among other things, the impending ouster of Gov. Gray Davis. When the lights went out, Davis kissed the feet of Southern California Edison’s John Bryson, who engineered a deregulation bill that gouged $30 billion out of the ratepayers for the state’s failed nukes.  That opened the gates for the gas pirates to steal yet another $60 billion. Davis got caught in the backdraft. The culprits in this latest northeastern disaster are basically the same—the barons of fossil and nuclear power and their cronies in the electric utility business. Their "weapon" is an ancient electric grid that’s obsolete if not obscene.   It is a massively fragile Rube Goldberg device that dangerously and inefficiently carts around electricity from expensive, polluting and extremely unsafe central generating plants to buildings that waste massive amounts of energy and generate none. That the grid will crash again and again and yet again is absolutely certain.  The only question is who are the real terrorists:  errant crazies who blow things up, or entrenched interests that refuse to change? The technology now exists to transcend this mess.  In the mid 1990s California’s green energy advocates proposed a 600-megawatt mosaic of solar, wind and other renewable generators that would have entirely prevented the fake deregulatory crisis of 2000-1.  It was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, but then killed by Southern California Edison and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Today, the Bush Administration wants to further subsidize its fossil/utility friends with a bad energy bill, and by pouring billions into "upgrading" the electric grid.  The only thing certain is that every cent of that money will be wasted. In 1952 a Blue Ribbon report to Harry Truman predicted that the future of America’s energy rested with the sun.  It predicted 13 million solar-powered homes here by 1975, and the promise of decentralized, off-grid self-sufficiency. Instead, Dwight Eisenhower took us into the pit of the "Peaceful Atom".  A trillion dollars later, we have a half-century of crashing grids and dangerous nukes that are vulnerable to terrorism and must shut down precisely when they’re most needed, as they did during this latest blackout.  The latest Bush energy bill only makes the situation worse, with more nuke subsidies and a powerful push for fossil fuels, especially coal. The whole system demands a green deconstruction.  Solar technologies are ready to make energy self-sufficiency a tangible reality. Photovoltaic cells on rooftops and embedded in windows can produce grid-free electricity, with battery or fuel-cell backups.  Geothermal power can heat and cool with nothing but the power of the earth’s crust.  Methane digestion can turn waste into usable gas.  Basement generators can use biomass fuels like ethanol and soy diesel for off-grid self-sufficiency. These systems need not provide 100% of a building’s energy, but can gradually make them increasingly self-sufficient.  Meanwhile more efficient heating, lighting and cooling systems can reduce demand. Windows that actually open and close can balance usage, building by building. Bush’s "upgrading the grid" means a new money pit for the same old unsafe nukes, polluting coal burners and gas turbines whose prices are set to skyrocket all looped together by dangerous, wasteful wires that are bound to crash again and again. San Francisco has used part of a public bond to put the first of a new generation of solar cells atop its downtown Moscone Center.  Those same cells could’ve kept Madison Square Garden or any other Manhattan building up and running during this latest outage.  Will New Yorkers know better next time? The technology for a decentralized, solar-based power system is ready now. We don’t need massive research breakthroughs. We need public demand and fully funded production capacity.  And to stop repeating the same mistakes because the utility and fossil/nuke guys fund the politicians in power. This isn’t rocket science.  It’s just common solar sense, known to all since 1952. Harvey Wasserman is author of THE LAST ENERGY WAR and senior editor of www.freepress.org. CONTACT THE FREE PRESS: PRINT: 1240 Bryden Road Columbus, Ohio 43209 Ph/Fx 614.253.2571 SOURCE: http://www.freepress.org/columns.php?strFunc=display&strID=735&strYea… Author=7 = = = = STILL FEELING LIKE THE MAINSTREAM U.S. CORPORATE MEDIA IS GIVING A FULL HONEST PICTURE OF WHAT’S GOING ON? = = = = More information: Daily Online 2 hour radio show reporting: www.DemocracyNow.org = = = = Sorry we cannot read/reply to most usenet posts but welcome email For more information: http://EconomicDemocracy.org/wtc/ (peace) And http://EconomicDemocracy.org/ (general)

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Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – X-No-archive: yes Hi, I posted here almost 2 years ago after suffering a series of panic attacks and extreme anxiety for abt 6 months. Months later, the anxiety is still around, though not as severe. I never had any treatment and it seemed to subside, although my eating habits have remained permanently screwed up. I’ve also had to deal with chronic severe endometriosis, which I finally had treatment for this year, so it has been fairly tough!! My problem is that I am due to begin my Honours year in psychology (ironic? I think so) next year and, to put it frankly, I am terrified that the anxiety is going to come back a lot worse. I already feel sick and shaky thinking about it, and I feel myself getting more and more agitated as the end of the year draws closer. This time, I want to take some kind of medication to help me through it, but I’m unsure when I should see a doctor and request it — since the university year runs from March – November here, I’m thinking early January, so I’ll have the chance to find something that will work hopefully and give it a chance to kick in? I want medication because, looking back, I can remember instances of extreme anxiety dating back to when I was 5 years old, which kinda suggests to me that it might be some kind of neurotransmitter imbalance as opposed to something learnt or directly environmentally triggered. I’ve had this all of my life, and it’s only now that it’s really starting to drive me crazy. I’m so scared I won’t find a med that will work for me. My fingers are just crossed that I will! Any advice on the kind of medication to take? I know that it varies, but I have friends who have taken Zoloft for anxiety and found it very effective, and I’m a little wary of Aropax (Paxil) due to the withdrawal symptoms I have heard about. Any comments/advice would most appreciated. Take care xxxxxxxx

I just started taking klonopin.  It is a benzo.  I like the ideas of benzo because if you have side effects or do not like them you simply stop and they are not in your system forever.  Like SSRI like Prozac Zoloft Celexa paxil all take at least 2 to 3 weeks of nasty side effects and making anxiety worse before you feel any relief  then if you feel you cannot stand the side effects and stop they stay in your system for like 2 or more weeks still!  Benzo is just a fancy term for tranquilizer.  I take .25 Klonopin once in the morning and once at night.  I have only been on it a week but like it so far. Also Benzo family work instantly like the very first pill you take it reduces anxiety.  The only thing is the firs day or so you may feel a little tired while you body adjusts.  Then the sleepiness for me went away but the anti anxiety calm feeling is staying so far! Good Luck! Dustin

Response:

Cool Dustin, I am glad it is working for you.  Good luck when you put the dosage up again. If it is working now, it will continue to work for you when you add a bit more, then you can concentrate on your "baby steps" getting out in that big wide world again! Take care Imogen

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – X-No-archive: yes Hi, I posted here almost 2 years ago after suffering a series of panic attacks and extreme anxiety for abt 6 months. Months later, the anxiety is still around, though not as severe. I never had any treatment and it seemed to subside, although my eating habits have remained permanently screwed up. I’ve also had to deal with chronic severe endometriosis, which I finally had treatment for this year, so it has been fairly tough!! My problem is that I am due to begin my Honours year in psychology (ironic? I think so) next year and, to put it frankly, I am terrified that the anxiety is going to come back a lot worse. I already feel sick and shaky thinking about it, and I feel myself getting more and more agitated as the end of the year draws closer. This time, I want to take some kind of medication to help me through it, but I’m unsure when I should see a doctor and request it — since the university year runs from March – November here, I’m thinking early January, so I’ll have the chance to find something that will work hopefully and give it a chance to kick in? I want medication because, looking back, I can remember instances of extreme anxiety dating back to when I was 5 years old, which kinda suggests to me that it might be some kind of neurotransmitter imbalance as opposed to something learnt or directly environmentally triggered. I’ve had this all of my life, and it’s only now that it’s really starting to drive me crazy. I’m so scared I won’t find a med that will work for me. My fingers are just crossed that I will! Any advice on the kind of medication to take? I know that it varies, but I have friends who have taken Zoloft for anxiety and found it very effective, and I’m a little wary of Aropax (Paxil) due to the withdrawal symptoms I have heard about. Any comments/advice would most appreciated. Take care xxxxxxxx I just started taking klonopin.  It is a benzo.  I like the ideas of benzo because if you have side effects or do not like them you simply stop and they are not in your system forever.  Like SSRI like Prozac Zoloft Celexa paxil all take at least 2 to 3 weeks of nasty side effects and making anxiety worse before you feel any relief  then if you feel you cannot stand the side effects and stop they stay in your system for like 2 or more weeks still!  Benzo is just a fancy term for tranquilizer.  I take .25 Klonopin once in the morning and once at night.  I have only been on it a week but like it so far. Also Benzo family work instantly like the very first pill you take it reduces anxiety.  The only thing is the firs day or so you may feel a little tired while you body adjusts.  Then the sleepiness for me went away but the anti anxiety calm feeling is staying so far! Good Luck! Dustin

Response:

Hello, I don’t see any reason for waiting. Why not see a specialist now. You may not need medication. Therapy may help but if you need medication as well it would be helpful to sort it out during your break, rather than worrying about it until next year. Sorry about the endometriosis but I’m pleased you have had treatment. I have been taking medication for years. A combination of Xanax and Efexor XR works for me but we are all different. Welcome to another Aussie. Take care, Meryl (Melbourne)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – X-No-archive: yes Hi, I posted here almost 2 years ago after suffering a series of panic attacks and extreme anxiety for abt 6 months. Months later, the anxiety is still around, though not as severe. I never had any treatment and it seemed to subside, although my eating habits have remained permanently screwed up. I’ve also had to deal with chronic severe endometriosis, which I finally had treatment for this year, so it has been fairly tough!! My problem is that I am due to begin my Honours year in psychology (ironic? I think so) next year and, to put it frankly, I am terrified that the anxiety is going to come back a lot worse. I already feel sick and shaky thinking about it, and I feel myself getting more and more agitated as the end of the year draws closer. This time, I want to take some kind of medication to help me through it, but I’m unsure when I should see a doctor and request it — since the university year runs from March – November here, I’m thinking early January, so I’ll have the chance to find something that will work hopefully and give it a chance to kick in? I want medication because, looking back, I can remember instances of extreme anxiety dating back to when I was 5 years old, which kinda suggests to me that it might be some kind of neurotransmitter imbalance as opposed to something learnt or directly environmentally triggered. I’ve had this all of my life, and it’s only now that it’s really starting to drive me crazy. I’m so scared I won’t find a med that will work for me. My fingers are just crossed that I will! Any advice on the kind of medication to take? I know that it varies, but I have friends who have taken Zoloft for anxiety and found it very effective, and I’m a little wary of Aropax (Paxil) due to the withdrawal symptoms I have heard about. Any comments/advice would most appreciated. Take care xxxxxxxx

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Question:

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

Response:

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

Response:

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

Response:

—–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—–

Response:

Question:

(in message    It probably has more to do with a build up of residual metabolic by products (such as lactic acid) than hypertrophy of fast twitch muscle fibers.

huh?? me dumb… me no understand  Posted with Hogwasher. For a free Test Drive click on:      http://www.asar.com/cgi-bin/product.pl?58/hogwasher.html

Response:

The problem with strength-building devices is that they build up the slow-twitch muscles, which can increase your strength at the expense of your flexibility and agility (fast-twitch muscles). I notice a slowing in my playing after working out. It takes a few hours for that sluggishness to ease.

Hmm…I guess "at the expense" is the wrong choice of words. I don’t think you are helping your agility with these devices, but that’s it. JMK

Response:

If you play an acoustic (or electric, for that matter) w/ heavy strings, make sure you warm up slowly at first.  I highly advocate using thicker strings, when you play .012’s for even a little while, going back down to .010’s gets your fingers flying.

You could also do finger exercises if you’re just sitting around somewhere or waiting in line at the grocery store or whatever.  Tap your fingers to your thumb one at a time and try mixing em up, like 1,3,2,4   4,3,2,1  and see how many times you can do it without screwing up.  It doesn’t help strength a whole bunch but it trains your mind into getting used to playing leads. Peace & Grooviness schmange http://www.guitartricks.com/2000/host.php?input=7 Monday, May 28, 2001 3:07:30 AM  Posted with Hogwasher. Mac first, Mac only:      http://www.asar.com/cgi-bin/product.pl?58/hogwasher.html

Response:

I have Essential Tremor, so my hands shake like a motherfucker when I try to get all intricate. I feel better when I just jam out. If I jam out a good riff I like, the more I play it, the more fluid it becomes. I have no patience for learning/practicing anything that I don’t enjoy playing. But that’s just me. Everyone has their own style. If you want to do scales and exercises, that’s cool. But I’d rather just play what’s in my head, and what sounds good to me. Sven – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Do you feel training for hand/finger strength with specific exercices is  needed? Should I use some "grip strength building devices" etc? Or is better method just play with acoustic with heavy strings? Sometimes I have troubles forming barre chords, and my wrist also hurts occasionally. Should I stretch more etc? Any comments, pointer to WWW pages etc. is greatly appreciated.

Response:

x-no-archive:  yes The problem with strength-building devices is that they build up the slow-twitch muscles, which can increase your strength at the expense of your flexibility and agility (fast-twitch muscles). Where’d you get that?

Why, this newsgroup! I guess that’ll learn me. I notice a slowing in my playing after working out. It takes a few hours for that sluggishness to ease. It probably has more to do with a build up of residual metabolic by products (such as lactic acid) than hypertrophy of fast twitch muscle fibers.

I’m not a medical professional so I’ll defer to your expertise. JMK

Response:

The best thing to do is just play.  But you cant exactly carry a guitar in your pocket so you can play it during a ride home or chemistry class.   I used a gripmaster for a while, but sooner or later it stops doing any good. If you play an acoustic (or electric, for that matter) w/ heavy strings, make sure you warm up slowly at first.  I highly advocate using thicker strings, when you play .012’s for even a little while, going back down to .010’s gets your fingers flying.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Do you feel training for hand/finger strength with specific exercices is  needed? Should I use some "grip strength building devices" etc? Or is better method just play with acoustic with heavy strings? Sometimes I have troubles forming barre chords, and my wrist also hurts occasionally. Should I stretch more etc? Any comments, pointer to WWW pages etc. is greatly appreciated. Play an acoustic daily.  That’s all the exercise you’ll need.

Response:

Do you feel training for hand/finger strength with specific exercices is  needed? Should I use some "grip strength building devices" etc? Or is better method just play with acoustic with heavy strings? Sometimes I have troubles forming barre chords, and my wrist also hurts occasionally. Should I stretch more etc? Any comments, pointer to WWW pages etc. is greatly appreciated.

I used to squeeze a tennis ball when I first started playing but it didn’t really help much..   I also tried one of those spring loaded grip things… but same thing.  It just made my hand hurt a lot and didn’t help with chords or anything.   I think ya just have to practice a whole bunch with barre chords and be patient…   Getting into a band helps a lot too cause it causes you to play your butt off and try harder than normal cause you don’t wanna look like a dork in front of everybody. Peace & Grooviness schmange http://www.guitartricks.com/2000/host.php?input=7 Sunday, May 27, 2001 2:34:34 PM  Posted with Hogwasher. Mac first, Mac only:      http://www.asar.com/cgi-bin/product.pl?58/hogwasher.html

Response:

The problem with strength-building devices is that they build up the slow-twitch muscles, which can increase your strength at the expense of your flexibility and agility (fast-twitch muscles). I notice a slowing in my playing after working out. It takes a few hours for that sluggishness to ease. The best way to build up strength in conjunction with agility is just to play. JMK

I vastly prefer the machines at my gym because the barbells and dumbells can be really hard on my hands. Weight lifters will deny all this, but, they are full of beans. Isometric type exercises can be ok.. simple, smart, stretching.. like putting your hands together as if in prayer and lifting the elbows is ok.. also spread the fingers out and do the same thing. Exercises in which you practice control.. like laying the hand on a table and practicing lifting each finger in different orders.. is also ok. I’ve not tried any of the devices. Twang! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Kilbrannon Sound home page: http://www.kilbrannonsound.batcave.net MP3’s, schedules, other info…..

Response:

I bought a Gripmaster, which is a great little device.  But I then learned that I have some tendonitis in my left hand, and the Gripmaster can make it worse.  So I say, just play the guitar.  That should be exercise plenty. Mark

Response:

The problem with strength-building devices is that they build up the slow-twitch muscles, which can increase your strength at the expense of your flexibility and agility (fast-twitch muscles). I notice a slowing in my playing after working out. It takes a few hours for that sluggishness to ease. The best way to build up strength in conjunction with agility is just to play. JMK — The Kilbrannon Sound home page: http://www.kilbrannonsound.batcave.net MP3’s, schedules, other info…..

Response:

Do you feel training for hand/finger strength with specific exercices is  needed? Should I use some "grip strength building devices" etc? Or is better method just play with acoustic with heavy strings? Sometimes I have troubles forming barre chords, and my wrist also hurts occasionally. Should I stretch more etc?

Hi Timo: Mind you, I’m a beginner of only 11 months so take my comments with a grain of salt. ‘Bout 10 months ago when getting into barre chords, I had the same question/feeling about finger gadgets and such.    Thankfully I followed the advice of folks on this newgsroup and decided just to let the strength develop over time whilest playing.   Barre Chords and other things of that nature (IHMO) cannot be rushed.    I say that because I learned the hard way by trying to rush my progress of barre chords and have a torn ligament in my index finger on my fret hand to prove that.    10 months later, it’s still slightly tight at times BUT finally healing.    My doctor said certain types of ligament tears in the finger can take over a year to heal.    I suspect I have that such tear.    It happened because I tried to rush and "forced" too much strength/pressure into barre chords the first week getting into them because I wanted to sound good at them right away.       Not to sound like a "born again" or a preacher (I ain’t neither) but don’t let this happen to you as I would not wish this injury on my worst enemy.    It’s extremely painful and takes forever to heal.    Fortunately the worst is over for me and I’ve been playing thru the injury since it happened and know that it will be completely healde in another few months.    Aside from the injury, I noticed barre chords got easier and easier with daily practice and NOT exerting too much pressure/strength.    Anymore (thanks to the "Heavy Arm" method where I use my thumb like a clamp and let my "heavy arm" hold the strings down naturally with the weight of my arm, the barre chords (even on the first fret) are relatively easy now.    It also seems like I barely have to put much strength into it.     So this will definitely happen to you too over time.   That "Jamey Adreas" book called "Principles of Correct Guitar Practice" also talks about the "heavy arm" and it does make a difference for barre chords. thanks, Theron – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any comments, pointer to WWW pages etc. is greatly appreciated. —   Timo   To reply, remove "ei", "roskaa" and ".invalid" from my e-mail address.

Response:

Do you feel training for hand/finger strength with specific exercices is  needed? Should I use some "grip strength building devices" etc? Or is better method just play with acoustic with heavy strings? Sometimes I have troubles forming barre chords, and my wrist also hurts occasionally. Should I stretch more etc? Any comments, pointer to WWW pages etc. is greatly appreciated.

Play an acoustic daily.  That’s all the exercise you’ll need.

Response:

<snipped Play an acoustic daily.  That’s all the exercise you’ll need. <snipped Thats true!! But if you want them, there are gadgets on the market, from the typical sports grip thing through to the Gripmaster, designed for guitarists andworks individual fingers. The sports gripscost about

Question:

They still do not know for sure if Ecstasy even cause brain damage.

Yes it does!! Go to Medscape and use the key words "Ecstasy and brain damage", and see all the info there is. We`ve had two posters at this newsgroup that know of people that have devastating brain damage from using Ecstasy. In many case, the brain damage is a fate worse than death. Not to mention that people have died after using Ecstasy just ONE time. Jackie Here is a small sample of what is at Medscape: [Clinical and toxicologic aspects of the use of Ecstasy (see comments)] [Klinische en toxicologische aspecten van ecstasygebruik.] Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 1998 Aug 29;142(35):1942-6   (ISSN: 0028-2162) Pennings EJ; Konijn KZ; de Wolff FA [Find other articles with these Authors] Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum, afd. Klinische Chemie, Leiden. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, the active compound of ecstacy (XTC) tablets) is a psychoactive amphetamine congener which in humans has a stimulatory effect and enhances feelings of openness and solidarity. MDMA is neurotoxic in animals. It depletes axonal serotonin stores, it inhibits serotonin synthesis by inhibiting tryptophan hydroxylase, and it inhibits the reuptake of serotonin into the neuron. These events lead to destruction of serotonergic axon terminals in animal brain. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors protect against the neurotoxic effects of MDMA. Binding of (+)[11C]McN-5652, a selective neuroligand for the serotonin transporter, is decreased in the brains of XTC-users. This indicates that XTC damages serotonergic axon terminals in human brain, also. We strongly advise against the use of XTC as the long-term clinical consequences are not known. In man, somatic life-threatening complications after XTC use include hyperthermia, hyponatraemia and liver failure. Psychiatric complications include psychosis, depression, panic disorder, and impulsive behaviour. The chronic psychosis responds poorly to therapy. Comment in: Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 1998 Oct 17; 142(42):2321-2 [Ecstasy: psychostimulant, hallucinogen and toxic substance] [L'ecstasy: psychostimulant, hallucinogene et toxique.] Presse Med 1996 Sep 14;25(26):1208-12   (ISSN: 0755-4982) Burnat P; Le Brumant-Payen C; Huart B; Ceppa F; Pailler FM [Find other articles with these Authors] Laboratoire de Biochimie et de Toxicologie cliniques, Hopital d’Instruction des Armees Begin, Saint-Mande. MDMA or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, more commonly called "ecstasy", is a drug classified as a stupefiant and increasingly used by young people for its stimulant and hallucinogen effects. This popular designer drug is often used in techno or rave parties and perceived by users as relatively harmless. It has however been associated with disorders of thermoregulation and has been the cause of several deaths. In addition, the drug has been shown to destroy serotonin receptors in the brain in the monkey and leads to serious physchiatric disorders and liver damage in man. Adverse reactions with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘ecstasy’). Drug Saf 1996 Aug;15(2):107-15   (ISSN: 0114-5916) McCann UD; Slate SO; Ricaurte GA [Find other articles with these Authors] Unit on Anxiety Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘ecstasy’) is an increasingly popular recreational drug in the US, Western Europe and Australia. In animals, including nonhuman primates, MDMA is known to damage brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) neurons. It is not known whether MDMA damages serotonin neurons in the human brain but there is some indication that it may. Although the large majority of individuals who have used MDMA recreationally do not develop acute complications, as the popularity of MDMA has increased, so have reports of adverse nonpsychiatric and psychiatric consequences associated with use of the drug. Further, since manifestations of MDMA-induced serotonin injury might only become apparent with age, or under periods of stress, it is possible that some individuals with no apparent abnormalities might develop complications over time. High intensity dependence of auditory evoked dipole source activity indicates decreased serotonergic activity in abstinent ecstasy (MDMA) users. Neuropsychopharmacology 2000 Jun;22(6):608-17   (ISSN: 0893-133X) Tuchtenhagen F; Daumann J; Norra C; Gobbele R; Becker S; Pelz S; Sass H; Buchner H; Gouzoulis-Mayfrank E [Find other articles with these Authors] Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty of the University of Technology, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany. Neurotoxic damage of central serotonergic systems has been demonstrated in numerous animal studies after exposure to methylenedioxyamphetamines (ecstasy). A high intensity dependence of auditory evoked potentials and, particularly, of the tangential N1/P2 source activity has been associated with low levels of serotonergic neurotransmission in humans. We performed an auditory evoked potentials study in 28 abstinent recreational ecstasy users and two equally sized groups of cannabis users and nonusers. The ecstasy users exhibited an increase of the amplitude of the tangential N1/P2 source activity with higher stimulus intensities; whereas, both control groups failed to exhibit this feature. These data are in line with the hypothesis that abstinent ecstasy users present with diminished central serotonergic activity. This feature of information processing is probably related to the well-recognized neurotoxic potential of ecstasy. Our data indicate that recreational ecstasy use may cause long-term alterations in the function (and possibly structure) of the human brain.

Response:

Hi, I was

here before talking about worries I had about SSRI’s. I am not a doctor. I do

have a degree in Sociology (a B.A.), but this whole informal study of mine was

due to some concerns I had about restarting taking SSRIs. It seemed to some

of you that I thought they were awful, but that really was not the case. I’d

like to start posting non-related concerns, posts, etc., so I thought I should

clear up this old one first. Ok, here goes…. My Conclusion as of Now

(conclusions can always change): #1 – In light of the fact that panic and

anxiety can be debilitating and these meds have shown positive effects in

people, they are worth a shot and have few concerns attached to them. They are

almost totally harmless to the point that I would almost say they are not

harmless at all. *see note #1* #2 – It is my opinion and the opinion of many

doctors(at least I get the impression) that these meds are best used to "pick you up" out of a period of stress/depression and not for a lifetime. I say this mostly because one cannot always count on a medicine to work or to be available. There may be some very small long term concerns with the meds as

well. They are very small but worth a little "concern". In my opinion and from

what I have gathered, the best way to use an SSRI, Effexor, or Buspar is for a

short period of time to help you to overcome the problems. It is best to

actually overcome one’s problems by oneself and it is my belief that the meds

act as aides in your OWN recovery process, which when fully complete will see you medicine free. #3 – While I do not wish to put down these meds, I believe from experience that one should go about solving one’s problems with stress in

the following manner (a) Therapy of any sort in which no medicine is administered (b) Medicine with therapy (c) However one chooses to go when

one is "better" (relatively speaking- I am an optimist so I DO – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -think one can get 100% better). #4 – This might be a bit of a rehash of another point, but it only makes logical sense to first try everything besides medication for the anxiety unless the anxiety becomes somewhat debilitating. Then, it makes sense to take a med for a period of time while working on the causes of the anxiety. This may seem like common sense so far. What I am REALLY trying to say is that there are SLIGHT risks associated with these meds and SIDE EFFECTS, so obviously the best approach possible would be to take no

meds at all. I say this because some of us have not tried everything out there

yet. EXAMPLE: Some of my major problems are specific phobias that grip me in

certain situations. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming is supposed

to work for this. Also, Reiki or "the Healing Touch" has been proven

scientifically legitimate as a method of relieving stress. Some of us rush to

the medication without trying enough of the alternatives. I think it is wise to

FIRST try to deal with it without the meds or at least use the meds as a

"helper" while doing other therapy that will ultimately bring you to a stage of being as well as possible. #5 – When calculating the risks of the meds, one

should factor in what having the stress itself could possibly cause. In my case, I came to the conclusion that taking an SSRI again might be worth it to me because stress can cause heart attacks. Even if the SSRI itself may cause some minor physical problems (if they do they would be minor), the effect of taking away the stress would outweight the bad parts. #6 – The actual

concerns I still have to a small degree: Heart- Although, many medical

studies concluded that SSRI’s have no effect on the heart, I did find a couple

noting some problems in some people and in animals in the cardio area. One

noted that SSRIs affected Calcium and Sodium in some manner related to the heart – I don’t remember but the effect was related to Calcium and Sodium. I did not fully understand the significance of this, but I believe it is small. I also found some articles in which EKG’s were affected SLIGHTLY due to SSRIs.

HOWEVER, it should be noted that even people who have had heart attacks have

taken SSRIs and MOST do not have any problems. MOST of the elderly who take

these meds do not have cardio problems because of the meds. SO, what I would

say to do here is periodically get your heart checked to ensure that you do not

have any cardio problems. My main fear here comes from the fact that Trycyclics

and drugs such as Phen-Fen DID have effects on the heart that were

significantly bad. Studies show that the SSRIs are almost completely safe, but

*personally* I would periodically get my heart checked to ensure nothing was developing. Blood Pressure – Effexor does cause an elevation in blood pressure. For this reason, I will not even take Effexor. My blood pressure is perfect so, *personally* I will not take Effexor unless nothing helps at all. OR, I would perhaps try Effexor and see if it did not do this… If it did not, I might go with it. Brain – The study I noted about rats and

SSRIs and brain damage was not fully completed. That particular study showed

that rat brain cells shrunk and also took on "corkscrew-like" shapes. This was with a high dosage. I have since been alerted that my logic was wrong in this regard. Taking lower doses of the meds over time will not likely have this effect. However, the study did say "this raises concerns". For myself, I am considering the usage of the medicine a short term aide that

is part of a bigger plan. I wish there were more studies on the effect of SSRIs on the brain in the long term. I do not think they will cause serious problems unless one notices them during treatment. Most of the problems, such as tics, go away when the medicine is discontinued. Liver – There was some

literature that found that there were some concerns with liver enzymes but

these were again just concerns. They did not seem enough to make someone not

take the medicine. I believe the concerns were based on Prozac more than any other SSRI. Mental/Emotional Effects – I would like to further research this area. Sometimes and for some people, these meds can cause negative mental events, such as mania .04% in Sertraline (too much for me personally). Does anyone know if this is something that will either happen right away or could these pop up all of sudden??? I would hate to be taking an SSRI and then after 2 years or so on the med have an episode of mania. Is this

possible? I just don’t know right now. I tend to believe if the medicine does

not cause these effects after it is started that it will not cause them in the

future. Can anyone validify that??? Anyway, the point here is, as with anything

uncertain, the better path would be to use the meds to cope until one could get off of them. The actual risk of "going crazy" is really low. I apologize that I do not fully understand this aspect. Does anyone know if the people who "flip out" have it happen right away or if that can happen out of the blue once treatment is well underway????? Note: It is not unfair to say that these effects have happened. In some people they have. Parkinson’s –

They are not sure, but they believe the drug Ecstasy may cause Parkinson’s.

They found in the infamous rat study that the effects of SSRIs were similar to

that of Ecstasy. However, these studies did not have any definitive answers and

it should be noted that Ecstasy is a lot more potent of a medicine with a

different chemistry. I only used it here for comparison. So far, there is no

evidence linking SSRIs to Parkinson’s or brain damage. They still do not know for sure if Ecstasy even cause brain damage. Other: Some people get movement

disorders (small %). Circulatory problems have been noted as a possibility

(nothing life threatening I believe and in a small % people). The normal side effects have been reported as "not worth it" by some. How I have decided to

deal with these concerns: (a) Consider the treatment with an SSRI to be a short term solution. (b) Consider the small risk of mostly minor problems (most of the concerns- even minor brain damage can be overcome) to be insignificant in

comparison of the help the meds may bring to me. (c) Realize that the

percentages of people reporting any problems of any magnitude is very small. (d) Realize that right now it is all speculation, as it is possible that any long term "side effect" could be due to something else in that person’s life. Ex: Someone having a heart attack while on an SSRI does not necessarily mean they cause heart attacks. The most important

realization I have had: My psychiatrist(I hate the term "pdoc" -sorry) told

me that taking these meds is like taking Aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil. You can choose which to take and you can choose to stop them. I feel this is the best attitude. I still would heartily recommend checking oneself medically more frequently than other people may. I do not say this to cause anxiety in anyone. I say this because there are SLIGHT issues that are still being looked into regarding these medicines. I can show anyone who wants to see it the article on the actual effect on the heart (sounds minor- would

have to look up what this effect actually means/ it could mean really nothing at all). Also, I used to take Paxil and I think it did help me. It is very hard to tell for me as regular life can sometimes cause things to get better and worse. Anyway, I believe it did help and I know that the only real annoying problem was that if I took an entire 20mg pill before bed I would wake up exactly  6 hours later. I am considering going back on Paxil

or trying Zoloft. I don’t think I gave Paxil enough of a chance because I drank

coffee while taking it, so – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I will perhaps go with it again.

… read more »

Response:

NOTE: I lumped Effexor and Buspar in here. Effexor had many of the same effects of an SSRI. There really wasn’t too much info on Buspar. I read somewhere that they think Buspar might actually *help* people with Parkinson’s (read this in "Beyond Prozac") so that’s kind of encouraging as far as the safety issue.

Response:

Before you take an SSRI I think you should read about this. You won’t likely get it from taking too much of one SSRI (allegedly impossible to get it from just taking a lot of one SSRI), but you can get it when you mix certain meds. They think it only applies with MAO-Inhibitors and SSRIs. I could have sworn I read that it’s possible to get from mixing two different SSRIs, but that may not be true. Nonetheless, you should at least be aware of it as a phenomenon.

Response:

Hi, I was here before talking about worries I had about SSRI’s. I am not a doctor. I do have a degree in Sociology (a B.A.), but this whole informal study of mine was due to some concerns I had about restarting taking SSRIs. It seemed to some of you that I thought they were awful, but that really was not the case. I’d like to start posting non-related concerns, posts, etc., so I thought I should clear up this old one first. Ok, here goes…. My Conclusion as of Now (conclusions can always change): #1 – In light of the fact that panic and anxiety can be debilitating and these meds have shown positive effects in people, they are worth a shot and have few concerns attached to them. They are almost totally harmless to the point that I would almost say they are not harmless at all. *see note #1* #2 – It is my opinion and the opinion of many doctors(at least I get the impression) that these meds are best used to "pick you up" out of a period of stress/depression and not for a lifetime. I say this mostly because one cannot always count on a medicine to work or to be available. There may be some very small long term concerns with the meds as well. They are very small but worth a little "concern". In my opinion and from what I have gathered, the best way to use an SSRI, Effexor, or Buspar is for a short period of time to help you to overcome the problems. It is best to actually overcome one’s problems by oneself and it is my belief that the meds act as aides in your OWN recovery process, which when fully complete will see you medicine free. #3 – While I do not wish to put down these meds, I believe from experience that one should go about solving one’s problems with stress in the following manner (a) Therapy of any sort in which no medicine is administered (b) Medicine with therapy (c) However one chooses to go when one is "better" (relatively speaking- I am an optimist so I DO think one can get 100% better). #4 – This might be a bit of a rehash of another point, but it only makes logical sense to first try everything besides medication for the anxiety unless the anxiety becomes somewhat debilitating. Then, it makes sense to take a med for a period of time while working on the causes of the anxiety. This may seem like common sense so far. What I am REALLY trying to say is that there are SLIGHT risks associated with these meds and SIDE EFFECTS, so obviously the best approach possible would be to take no meds at all. I say this because some of us have not tried everything out there yet. EXAMPLE: Some of my major problems are specific phobias that grip me in certain situations. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming is supposed to work for this. Also, Reiki or "the Healing Touch" has been proven scientifically legitimate as a method of relieving stress. Some of us rush to the medication without trying enough of the alternatives. I think it is wise to FIRST try to deal with it without the meds or at least use the meds as a "helper" while doing other therapy that will ultimately bring you to a stage of being as well as possible. #5 – When calculating the risks of the meds, one should factor in what having the stress itself could possibly cause. In my case, I came to the conclusion that taking an SSRI again might be worth it to me because stress can cause heart attacks. Even if the SSRI itself may cause some minor physical problems (if they do they would be minor), the effect of taking away the stress would outweight the bad parts. #6 – The actual concerns I still have to a small degree: Heart- Although, many medical studies concluded that SSRI’s have no effect on the heart, I did find a couple noting some problems in some people and in animals in the cardio area. One noted that SSRIs affected Calcium and Sodium in some manner related to the heart – I don’t remember but the effect was related to Calcium and Sodium. I did not fully understand the significance of this, but I believe it is small. I also found some articles in which EKG’s were affected SLIGHTLY due to SSRIs. HOWEVER, it should be noted that even people who have had heart attacks have taken SSRIs and MOST do not have any problems. MOST of the elderly who take these meds do not have cardio problems because of the meds. SO, what I would say to do here is periodically get your heart checked to ensure that you do not have any cardio problems. My main fear here comes from the fact that Trycyclics and drugs such as Phen-Fen DID have effects on the heart that were significantly bad. Studies show that the SSRIs are almost completely safe, but *personally* I would periodically get my heart checked to ensure nothing was developing. Blood Pressure – Effexor does cause an elevation in blood pressure. For this reason, I will not even take Effexor. My blood pressure is perfect so, *personally* I will not take Effexor unless nothing helps at all. OR, I would perhaps try Effexor and see if it did not do this… If it did not, I might go with it. Brain – The study I noted about rats and SSRIs and brain damage was not fully completed. That particular study showed that rat brain cells shrunk and also took on "corkscrew-like" shapes. This was with a high dosage. I have since been alerted that my logic was wrong in this regard. Taking lower doses of the meds over time will not likely have this effect. However, the study did say "this raises concerns". For myself, I am considering the usage of the medicine a short term aide that is part of a bigger plan. I wish there were more studies on the effect of SSRIs on the brain in the long term. I do not think they will cause serious problems unless one notices them during treatment. Most of the problems, such as tics, go away when the medicine is discontinued. Liver – There was some literature that found that there were some concerns with liver enzymes but these were again just concerns. They did not seem enough to make someone not take the medicine. I believe the concerns were based on Prozac more than any other SSRI. Mental/Emotional Effects – I would like to further research this area. Sometimes and for some people, these meds can cause negative mental events, such as mania .04% in Sertraline (too much for me personally). Does anyone know if this is something that will either happen right away or could these pop up all of sudden??? I would hate to be taking an SSRI and then after 2 years or so on the med have an episode of mania. Is this possible? I just don’t know right now. I tend to believe if the medicine does not cause these effects after it is started that it will not cause them in the future. Can anyone validify that??? Anyway, the point here is, as with anything uncertain, the better path would be to use the meds to cope until one could get off of them. The actual risk of "going crazy" is really low. I apologize that I do not fully understand this aspect. Does anyone know if the people who "flip out" have it happen right away or if that can happen out of the blue once treatment is well underway????? Note: It is not unfair to say that these effects have happened. In some people they have. Parkinson’s – They are not sure, but they believe the drug Ecstasy may cause Parkinson’s. They found in the infamous rat study that the effects of SSRIs were similar to that of Ecstasy. However, these studies did not have any definitive answers and it should be noted that Ecstasy is a lot more potent of a medicine with a different chemistry. I only used it here for comparison. So far, there is no evidence linking SSRIs to Parkinson’s or brain damage. They still do not know for sure if Ecstasy even cause brain damage. Other: Some people get movement disorders (small %). Circulatory problems have been noted as a possibility (nothing life threatening I believe and in a small % people). The normal side effects have been reported as "not worth it" by some. How I have decided to deal with these concerns: (a) Consider the treatment with an SSRI to be a short term solution. (b) Consider the small risk of mostly minor problems (most of the concerns- even minor brain damage can be overcome) to be insignificant in comparison of the help the meds may bring to me. (c) Realize that the percentages of people reporting any problems of any magnitude is very small. (d) Realize that right now it is all speculation, as it is possible that any long term "side effect" could be due to something else in that person’s life. Ex: Someone having a heart attack while on an SSRI does not necessarily mean they cause heart attacks. The most important realization I have had: My psychiatrist(I hate the term "pdoc" -sorry) told me that taking these meds is like taking Aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil. You can choose which to take and you can choose to stop them. I feel this is the best attitude. I still would heartily recommend checking oneself medically more frequently than other people may. I do not say this to cause anxiety in anyone. I say this because there are SLIGHT issues that are still being looked into regarding these medicines. I can show anyone who wants to see it the article on the actual effect on the heart (sounds minor- would have to look up what this effect actually means/ it could mean really nothing at all). Also, I used to take Paxil and I think it did help me. It is very hard to tell for me as regular life can sometimes cause things to get better and worse. Anyway, I believe it did help and I know that the only real annoying problem was that if I took an entire 20mg pill before bed I would wake up exactly  6 hours later. I am considering going back on Paxil or trying Zoloft. I don’t think I gave Paxil enough of a chance because I drank coffee while taking it, so I will perhaps go with it again. As far as other meds, I have not found anything really worrisome about Clonazepam except that some believe one can become addicted to it. I definitely have not become addicted to it. Anyway, I hope everyone realizes that I do think taking … read more »

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Question:

Does anyone think taking 300 mg wellbutrin and 225 mg effexor per day (as prescribed) then taking handfuls of klonopin on the weekend to calm down (not prescribed) is a problem?  I have felt better that ever on the effexor and the wellbutrin and viagra takes care of the sexual problems for me, but weekends are still rough.  I just want to be alone and be numbed. Can anyone relate? I feel like I should be so very grateful, cause I feel better than I ever have before, but I like to play with pills. I’d just like to know I’m not alone in this. Thanks… — I can’t think of a single movie that couldn’t be improved by a lesbian sex scene.

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Does anyone think taking 300 mg wellbutrin and 225 mg effexor per day (as prescribed) then taking handfuls of klonopin on the weekend to calm down (not prescribed) is a problem?  I have felt better that ever on the effexor and the wellbutrin and viagra takes care of the sexual problems for me, but weekends are still rough.  I just want to be alone and be numbed. Can anyone relate? I feel like I should be so very grateful, cause I feel better than I ever have before, but I like to play with pills. I’d just like to know I’m not alone in this. Thanks…

When I was taking 300 mg Effexor and 150 mg Wellbutrin, I had to take Klonopin quite often.  I just got so tense and anxious and sometimes I was really irritable or angry.  Lots of Klonopin helped.  I’m not on the Wellbutrin anymore, and I haven’t had to take the Klonopin recently either. No, you’re not alone. Deb

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone think taking 300 mg wellbutrin and 225 mg effexor per day (as prescribed) then taking handfuls of klonopin on the weekend to calm down (not prescribed) is a problem?  I have felt better that ever on the effexor and the wellbutrin and viagra takes care of the sexual problems for me, but weekends are still rough.  I just want to be alone and be numbed. Can anyone relate? I feel like I should be so very grateful, cause I feel better than I ever have before, but I like to play with pills. I’d just like to know I’m not alone in this. Thanks… When I was taking 300 mg Effexor and 150 mg Wellbutrin, I had to take Klonopin quite often.  I just got so tense and anxious and sometimes I was really irritable or angry.  Lots of Klonopin helped.  I’m not on the Wellbutrin anymore, and I haven’t had to take the Klonopin recently either. No, you’re not alone. Deb

I just don’t like benzo’s.  I want to take the whole bottle sometimes. I like the tense and anxious feeling better.  I really do. — I can’t think of a single movie that couldn’t be improved by a lesbian sex scene.

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Question:

I was wondering if anyone is living with person who has Attention Deficit, my husband was diagnosed 2 years ago, he is currently taken ritailin sr 20 mg twice a day. He still has mood swings and alot of other symptoms, I am trying to be real strong but sometimes he can be real harsh  with his words.  I just want someone who can understand and give adivce to me. Shannon    

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Tell his MD to recommend an SSRI like Prozac, Effexor, Paxil or Zoloft. These are mood stablizers and can balance out the mood swings.

I agree:  I have found that I was much less irritable when I was on Prozac, and then Effexor; I didn’t feel it neccessary to express anger towards people by snapping at them.  Being on SSRI’s made me a lot more laid back in general, so that things that I would normally fume about just didn’t get to me. From this post and your previous one, it sounds like your husband could really benifit.  I think I remember you saying that he had been on an antidepressant at one point.  Since stimulants often result in irritability as a side effect (particularly a reboud effect), the combonation may really suit your husband.

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Tell his MD to recommend an SSRI like Prozac, Effexor, Paxil or Zoloft. These are mood stablizers and can balance out the mood swings.  

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kevin wrote… Tell his MD to recommend an SSRI like Prozac, Effexor, Paxil or Zoloft.

If his MD is anything like me, you won’t be able to tell him anything. Sincerely, Dr. Jackass, M.D.

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Some of the meds that have been recommended so far are worth checking out.  My advice when it comes to your husband’s mood swings is to let him be by himself, if possible.  I wouldn’t advise trying to "talk sense" into him.  When someone is in a mood swing they do not think rationally and they will only say things that are mean and hurtful, things that they (most of the time) will later regret.  So try to get out of the house by taking a long walk, visiting a friend, or seeing a movie, etc.   When I lived at home, my dad would have mood swings (which he still does).  I would just make up any excuse to get out of the house so that he wouldn’t turn around and focus his anger on me.  By the time I got back he, usually, was in a good mood. – Mike       – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was wondering if anyone is living with person who has Attention Deficit, my husband was diagnosed 2 years ago, he is currently taken ritailin sr 20 mg twice a day. He still has mood swings and alot of other symptoms, I am trying to be real strong but sometimes he can be real harsh  with his words.  I just want someone who can understand and give adivce to me. Shannon    

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Yes but if he/she is like MINE he will ASK what the patient thinks is a good idea. kevin wrote… Tell his MD to recommend an SSRI like Prozac, Effexor, Paxil or Zoloft. If his MD is anything like me, you won’t be able to tell him anything. Sincerely, Dr. Jackass, M.D.

Nessa — everyone has a photographic mind, some of us just don’t have any film.

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I used to try to get my hubby into "a better mood". Guess what? : ) I think Mike has some real good ideas. And it does help to remember that he doesn’t get into these moods on purpose, or just to annoy you, he can’t help it. Try not to take things too personally. Lisa- wife to ADD hubby and two ADHD sons – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Some of the meds that have been recommended so far are worth checking out.  My advice when it comes to your husband’s mood swings is to let him be by himself, if possible.  I wouldn’t advise trying to "talk sense" into him.  When someone is in a mood swing they do not think rationally and they will only say things that are mean and hurtful, things that they (most of the time) will later regret.  So try to get out of the house by taking a long walk, visiting a friend, or seeing a movie, etc.

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Question:

Hi Richard: I have the same thing as your wife!! I have had it for 5 years and it was originally caused from taking too much decongestant which caused insomnia. The worse my insomnia gets, the worse the jerks get and I can get days of 1 hr sleep a night. WHen it originally started I collapsed at work from fatigue and was diagnosed with panic disorder. I have successfully treated it with medications over the last 5 years. WHen I have to change meds for various reasons (wt gain, fatigue, etc) and/or during periods of no medication it comes back after a couple of nights of bad sleep. I had a sleep study done in the summer and it showed sleep terrors and I was told that the jerking was called hypnic (sp?) jerks. I also have hypnogogic hallucinations where I am partially awake and see trolls,and such, running around my room until I’m fully awake. Everyone is different with meds but I have found that Doxepin worked great within two days. Also Paxil, xanax, nortriptyline and now I am on zopiclone (Imovane here in Canada).For me I HAVE to be on medication, self-help things do absolutely nothing once I get the jerks. Drugs that did NOT work for me are clonazepam (though it is indicated for RLS and sleep terrors), Prozac, Effexor, Manerix. I am also on Luvox(fluvoxamine) now which does not help my sleep yet. I have been on the Imovane (3.75-7.5 mg) for about 6 weeks and just recently I have found it to be less effective. How long has your wife been on it and has it maintained its effectivesness? What dose is she on and how often? I was supposed to take it every second day but the day in between I was sleepless so now I am on it nightly. Has she had a sleep study done? In article <36930565.1…@bt.com

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -  richard.ingles…@bt.com wrote:

Help for my Wife We live in a small village in the UK. I’m hoping that somewhere out there is someone who has experience or knowledge of the problem that has affected my wife’s sleep for the last four years.  Elaine is 42 years old. The problem is as follows: – She will start to fall asleep, but just as she is dropping off her whole body jerks her awake.  These hypnagogic jerks  often happen in individuals, but normally only once or twice before the person falls asleep.  The problem for my wife is that this process is continuous, with jerks every few seconds preventing her from sleeping at all. Usually when people have these jerks they get a sensation of falling that precedes the jerk but my wife gets repeated jerks without the falling sensation.  She likens it to the needle on a record getting stuck and playing the same tune over and over again. The only way that my wife is able to get any relief from her insomnia is to take the sleeping medication Zopiclone (Zimovane) every night. Unfortunately Elaine needs at least 8 to 9 hours sleep to feel refreshed and not end up walking round like a zombie.  She used to be such a good sleeper and longs to be able to sleep well again of her own accord without having to take the medication. She has never been afraid of falling asleep as she has always found sleep to be a great way of relieving stress. If there is anyone who has suffered the same or knows of the causes/cures for this and can enlighten us I would be over the moon for any information given that would result in Elaine’s insomnia being cured.

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Response:

richard inglesant wrote:

We live in a small village in the UK.

You’ll be happy to know that there appear to be some excellent support groups in the UK for people suffering from sleep disorders.  Hopefully, one of the other members has that pointer readily available… (Sorry I don’t have it at the moment).

I’m hoping that somewhere out there is someone who has experience or knowledge of the problem that has affected my wife’s sleep for the last four years.  Elaine is 42 years old. The problem is as follows: – She will start to fall asleep, but just as she is dropping off her whole body jerks her awake.  These hypnagogic jerks often happen in individuals, but normally only once or twice before the person falls asleep.  The problem for my wife is that this process is continuous, with jerks every few seconds preventing her from sleeping at all.

Richard, please understand, suggestions we can offer are purely based on our experience, not medical knowledge.  However, with that disclaimer, you might want to look into two different possible problems: RLS – Restless Leg Syndrome … describes the problem some people have while awake.  (Generally their legs tend to ‘bounce’ as if restless – without the individual being fully aware of the movement). PLMD – Periodic Leg Movement Disorder … describes periodic leg movements during sleep, which cause the individual to jerk awake.  Often the jerk does not fully awaken the individual, but does cause the individual to not have restful sleep. For many people these jerks only exhibit themselves as jerks in the leg. However, these jerks can be severe enough to impact the entire body. Sometimes I hear sound associated with the jerks. Pointers on where to find out more are below.

Usually when people have these jerks they get a sensation of falling that precedes the jerk but my wife gets repeated jerks without the falling sensation.  She likens it to the needle on a record getting stuck and playing the same tune over and over again.

Yup.  Not comfortable and can cause a great deal of anxiety.

The only way that my wife is able to get any relief from her insomnia is to take the sleeping medication Zopiclone (Zimovane) every night.  Unfortunately Elaine needs at least 8 to 9 hours sleep to feel refreshed and not end up walking round like a zombie.  She used to be such a good sleeper and longs to be able to sleep well again of her own accord without having to take the medication. She has never been afraid of falling asleep as she has always found sleep to be a great way of relieving stress.

Unfortunately, (as I understand it) medication is about the only way to gain some release from these symptoms.  I do not know if the medication she is taking is targeted to relieve the symptoms or merely induce sleep.

If there is anyone who has suffered the same or knows of the causes/cures for this and can enlighten us I would be over the moon for any information given that would result in Elaine’s insomnia being cured.

You might want to discuss the possibility of Restless Leg Syndrome, or Periodic Leg Movement Disorder with her doctor.  Again, though the names imply only leg movements, it can impact the entire body.  I sometimes feel as if someone has delivered a strong electric shock to my system…  Not fun. You might want to look at the following web sites:   1.  Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation, Inc.    http://www.rls.org   2.  Southern California RLS Support Group       http://surf.to/rls Hope this helps some.  Other members in the newsgroup should be able to provide information about the medication they use, and possibly even about the medication your wife is taking.  But our experience is no substitute for discussing this with a healthcare professional who can help her with her sleep disorder (not just drugging her to sleep). Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher

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Help for my Wife We live in a small village in the UK.   I’m hoping that somewhere out there is someone who has experience or knowledge of the problem that has affected my wife’s sleep for the last four years.  Elaine is 42 years old. The problem is as follows: – She will start to fall asleep, but just as she is dropping off her whole body jerks her awake.  These hypnagogic jerks  often happen in individuals, but normally only once or twice before the person falls asleep.  The problem for my wife is that this process is continuous, with jerks every few seconds preventing her from sleeping at all. Usually when people have these jerks they get a sensation of falling that precedes the jerk but my wife gets repeated jerks without the falling sensation.  She likens it to the needle on a record getting stuck and playing the same tune over and over again. The only way that my wife is able to get any relief from her insomnia is to take the sleeping medication Zopiclone (Zimovane) every night. Unfortunately Elaine needs at least 8 to 9 hours sleep to feel refreshed and not end up walking round like a zombie.  She used to be such a good sleeper and longs to be able to sleep well again of her own accord without having to take the medication. She has never been afraid of falling asleep as she has always found sleep to be a great way of relieving stress. If there is anyone who has suffered the same or knows of the causes/cures for this and can enlighten us I would be over the moon for any information given that would result in Elaine’s insomnia being cured.

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I have sleep apnea so can’t offer eprsonal experience but here is a link to a great site that deals with a myriad of sleep disorders and restless legs syndrome is one I believe. http://www.sleepedu.net/forums/apnea/apneainf.html = = = = = For information regarding Tracheostomy and the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea please visit http://members.aol.com/citylinc/osa/index.htm = = = = = A great sleep forum http://www.sleepedu.net/forums/apnea/apneainf.html

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Question:

Has anyone else been on meds that worked only transiently? I finally had some relief from my depression a few weeks ago, but now I am becoming depressed again and it seems so much worse after having felt somewhat "normal" for a brief period. Does this mean that the dose is too low? or that I am simply out of luck? Martha

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Has anyone else been on meds that worked only transiently? I finally had some relief from my depression a few weeks ago, but now I am becoming depressed again and it seems so much worse after having felt somewhat "normal" for a brief period. Does this mean that the dose is too low? or that I am simply out of luck?

I have had this experience with Prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and Depakote.  It would work at first, then my body (or mind?) would "adjust" I suppose, and the dosage would have to be increased.  I’ve maxed out my current meds (Depakote & Wellbutrin).  I don’t know if you’re out of luck, but I hope not, because then I am too. June "word I was in my life alone, word I had no one left but God."                                                   — Robert Frost

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YES-SOME BIPOLAR SUBJECTS ONLY RESPOND A SHORT TIME. I HAD TAKEN EVERY ANTI-DEPRESENT ON THE MARKET EXCEPT PARNATE(MOAI0) MONOAMINE OXIDASE IN- HIBITOR. THIS IS NOT A NEW DRUG BUT REQUIRES SPECIAL DIET. THIS IS THE FIRST TO EVER WORK MORE THAN THREE MONTHS WITHOUT A MAJOR DEPRESSION.OUT OF FRUSTATION TO FINE A PHYCIATRIST THAT REALLY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING, MY SEARCH TOOK ME TO STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL WHERE THEY SPECIALIZE IN BIPOLAR DISORDERS. BELEIVE ME THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.KEEP LOOKING UNTIL YOU FIND THE RIGHT COMBO OF DRUGS AND DOCTOR. TOOK ME 5 YEARS BUT WAS WORTH IT. GOOD LUCK.   TOM D.

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It would be helpful to know what the med is and how much you are taking, but it sounds as though it might need to be titrated up until you start to feel better. Regards, Randy.

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