Question:

Selling collection of approximately 3,000 to 3,500 vinyl 12" records. There is a mixture of Rap/Hip Hop, Dance, R&B, Soul, Techno, and Funk from the 80’s and 90’s.   Most are 12" singles, some full albums. Some have picture sleeves, some have generic or label covers. Conditions are mixed, most are in Near Mint condition.  There is no list, sorry.  $1500 bid + shipping.

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Here’s the link: http://page.auctions.yahoo.com/auction/43211597 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Selling collection of approximately 3,000 to 3,500 vinyl 12" records. There is a mixture of Rap/Hip Hop, Dance, R&B, Soul, Techno, and Funk from the 80’s and 90’s.   Most are 12" singles, some full albums. Some have picture sleeves, some have generic or label covers. Conditions are mixed, most are in Near Mint condition.  There is no list, sorry.  $1500 bid + shipping.

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Question:

hey everyone… my doctor finally switched me off of effexor xr to welbrutrin sr… and now i have little bits of me that keep going numb, of i keep getting little jolts of electricity through my body. although these are not painful they are disconcerting. any suggestions? -will

the jolts of electricity sound like Effexor withdrawal. They will disappear with time. Chip

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:hey everyone… :my doctor finally switched me off of effexor xr to welbrutrin sr… : :and now i have little bits of me that keep going numb, of i keep getting :little jolts of electricity through my body. although these are not painful :they are disconcerting. : :any suggestions? :-will Dear Will, Did you stop effexor cold turkey? Effexor is known for withdrawals. Electric shock type sensations can be withdrawal symptoms. There is also the possibility that this is a side-effect of wellbutrin. It can be hard to know what is causing this being you stopped taking one med and started a new med all at the same time. What dose of wellbutrin did you start at? Why are you taking the wellbutrin, anxiety and/or depression? You might want to give your doctor a call about this, maybe something can be done to alleviate this symptom. Take care! Jackie ~*~Confusion never stops, closing walls and ticking clocks Come back and take you home, I could not stop, that you now know Come out upon my seas, curse missed opportunities Am I a part of the cure, or am I part of the disease~*~      ~Coldplay~

Response:

hey everyone… my doctor finally switched me off of effexor xr to welbrutrin sr… and now i have little bits of me that keep going numb, of i keep getting little jolts of electricity through my body. although these are not painful they are disconcerting. any suggestions? -will

Hi Will –  a lot has been written about Wellbutrin (bupropion) on this newgroup over the years. In general, it’s thought that Wellbutrin is not a good med for treating anxiety disorders. One or two people here have done ok on it, but it’s a stimulating anti-depressant, and it has a lot of side-effects, which include increased anxiety – it sounds as though that might be what you’re experiencing in those symptoms. They could also possibly be related to the switch from Effexor (venlafaxine). Are you taking a benzo? That could help to alleviate the symptoms – but you need to talk to your doctor again, I think. -David-

Response:

hey everyone… my doctor finally switched me off of effexor xr to welbrutrin sr… and now i have little bits of me that keep going numb, of i keep getting little jolts of electricity through my body. although these are not painful they are disconcerting. any suggestions? -will

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Question:

Does anyone have experience with taking Celexa vs. Prozac?  Thanks so much.

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Does anyone have experience with taking Celexa vs. Prozac?  Thanks so much.

I tried Prozac once a long time ago, but I had to stop after a few days. Prozac made me extremely anxious. Celexa is the best SSRI I have taken. I just switched from Zoloft to Celexa, and Celexa is equally or more effective as an anti-depressant with fewer and milder side effects than Zoloft, which is already a lot better than Prozac.

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Question:

Hi Pepsi 46 Just want to wish you all the best i am also a mum of two teenagers, they can be quite a handfull without this kind of problems… Want to wish you and your daugther lots of strength, and best wishes ((((((((((((((((Pepsi JR and SR)))))))))))))))) Jeannette

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – To all who replied to my original post–I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtful and kind answers. I have been very upset about this and trying to help her all I can. The doctor who originally prescribed this medication to her was not very helpful and did not take my daughter’s concerns about the side effects seriously.

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To all who replied to my original post–I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtful and kind answers. I have been very upset about this and trying to help her all I can. The doctor who originally prescribed this medication to her was not very helpful and did not take my daughter’s concerns about the side effects seriously.

Hi again, I can relate to your being upset as I am a parent too. My oldest daughter has shown signs of an anxiety disorder and I have done everything in my power to help her.She refuses my help. Fortunately, your daughter wants help. You have the bond. Use it. I would strongly advise to seek a good Psych doc and/ or grill this one about his intensions. There is no need for your daughter to suffer. Best to you, Steph

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I hope one of you can help with some questions I have. My daughter started suffering from panic attacks–3 hospital visits this month alone. The doctor put her on Zoloft 25.mg–I hope that is the correct dosage. Mg?

The starting dose of Zoloft for someone with panic disorder is 12.5 to 25 mg/day. Benzos (e.g. Xanax, Ativan) are often added initially to help with the temporary side effects of increased anxiety and insomnia. She has been having strange symptons since taking this medicine. Like elecrical currents shooting in her head. A strange numbness in the left side of her face. It goes away–this is not constant.

These are called "paresthesias" and are a symptom of Zoloft withdrawal and can occur if one tapers off Zoloft too rapidly. Is she taking her Zoloft every day? If not, she may be experiencing Zoloft withdrawal. She wants to stop the medication–she feels she can handle these panic attacks with the help of a therapist.

You don’t state her age, but I believe a teenager should have some input into his/her treatment. The ER last night suggested she take one tablet today, none tomorrow

When tapering off Zoloft one should take some Zoloft every day (no skipping days). and then taper off over a 2 week period down to none. She has only been taking these tablets 3 weeks. I don’t know all the ins and outs of side effects for this medication. Could someone please help me with some information. Thank you for your time.

Should she experience the effects of Zoloft withdrawal, she can take some Zoloft that day to diminish them. The details of coming off a psychiatric med should be explained by a professional. Chip

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I started Zoloft at 25 mg too, and if I had to do it again, I would have started at 12.5.  Side effects are common until the body gets used to the changes. Your daughter might do better seeing a psychiatrist since they usually know the medicines for anxiety much better.  Cognitive Behavior Therapy with a therapist would help her a lot, too.  Please let us know how she is doing. Take care, Liz – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I hope one of you can help with some questions I have. My daughter started suffering from panic attacks–3 hospital visits this month alone. The doctor put her on Zoloft 25.mg–I hope that is the correct dosage. Mg? She has been having strange symptons since taking this medicine. Like elecrical currents shooting in her head. A strange numbness in the left side of her face. It goes away–this is not constant. She wants to stop the medication–she feels she can handle these panic attacks with the help of a therapist. The ER last night suggested she take one tablet today, none tomorrow and then taper off over a 2 week period down to none. She has only been taking these tablets 3 weeks. I don’t know all the ins and outs of side effects for this medication. Could someone please help me with some information. Thank you for your time.

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

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To all who replied to my original post–I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtful and kind answers. I have been very upset about this and trying to help her all I can. The doctor who originally prescribed this medication to her was not very helpful and did not take my daughter’s concerns about the side effects seriously.

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pepsi46 asked: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I hope one of you can help with some questions I have. My daughter started suffering from panic attacks–3 hospital visits this month alone. The doctor put her on Zoloft 25.mg–I hope that is the correct dosage. Mg? She has been having strange symptons since taking this medicine. Like elecrical currents shooting in her head. A strange numbness in the left side of her face. It goes away–this is not constant. She wants to stop the medication–she feels she can handle these panic attacks with the help of a therapist. The ER last night suggested she take one tablet today, none tomorrow and then taper off over a 2 week period down to none. She has only been taking these tablets 3 weeks. I don’t know all the ins and outs of side effects for this medication. Could someone please help me with some information. Thank you for your time.  

Hi, 25 mgs of Zoloft is the usual dose daily for panic disorder initially. It is not unusual for your daughter to be having these side effects. It takes a good 8 weeks or so to wean onto an antidepressant. Actually my drug handbook states that after 1 week the dosage should be upped to 50 mgs, max dose being 200 mgs per day which of course depends on the patient and how they tolerate the med.I would strongly suggest you discuss this with her Physician or P-doc ASAP.You could always call a pharmacy and ask about the S/E if you cannot talk to the Dr soon enough. I was on Zoloft once but it did not help me. I hope your daughter finds relief soon. Take care, Steph

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I hope one of you can help with some questions I have. My daughter started suffering from panic attacks–3 hospital visits this month alone. The doctor put her on Zoloft 25.mg–I hope that is the correct dosage. Mg? She has been having strange symptons since taking this medicine. Like elecrical currents shooting in her head. A strange numbness in the left side of her face. It goes away–this is not constant. She wants to stop the medication–she feels she can handle these panic attacks with the help of a therapist. The ER last night suggested she take one tablet today, none tomorrow and then taper off over a 2 week period down to none. She has only been taking these tablets 3 weeks. I don’t know all the ins and outs of side effects for this medication. Could someone please help me with some information. Thank you for your time.  

Response:

I hope one of you can help with some questions I have. My daughter started suffering from panic attacks–3 hospital visits this month alone. The doctor put her on Zoloft 25.mg–I hope that is the correct dosage. Mg? She has been having strange symptons since taking this medicine. Like elecrical currents shooting in her head. A strange numbness in the left side of her face. It goes away–this is not constant. She wants to stop the medication–she feels she can handle these panic attacks with the help of a therapist. The ER last night suggested she take one tablet today, none tomorrow and then taper off over a 2 week period down to none. She has only been taking these tablets 3 weeks. I don’t know all the ins and outs of side effects for this medication. Could someone please help me with some information. Thank you for your time.  

The electrical currents are Brain shivers which are common with antidepressant medications. But what you and your daughter need to do is contact the doctor that prescribed the Medication and he will help her withdraw from the medication and perhaps start her on something else. SHe should wean with the doctor and he will evaluate her progress. Otherwise the doctor will not know what is going on. I had experienced the brain shivers with Effexor but they were not enough for me to stop taking the medication. But if she is having panic attacks, her treatment may include a benzodiazepine such as Xanax or Ativan, which would help her calm down within a half hour of the attack. I wish you and your daughter well.Julie

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Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – argggggggggggggggggggggg its so annoying Before you buy.

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Phone the hospital!!!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – argggggggggggggggggggggg its so annoying Before you buy.

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argggggggggggggggggggggg its so annoying

Having been without your Zoloft for several days (why? It’s not advisable…) your body needs to become accustomed to it again. It is certainly not dangerous at all and will be temporary, may take a few days… Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Before you buy.

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argggggggggggggggggggggg its so annoying

Frenchi, how many tablets did you take at the same time?  Call your doctor! Dot Before you buy.

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argggggggggggggggggggggg its so annoying Before you buy.

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Do yourself two favors, never take a friend’s medication and call your doc now! — TC3 Always take an emergency leisurely. Chinese Proverb – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – argggggggggggggggggggggg its so annoying Before you buy.

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What do you mean – you took them together? Do you mean that you usually split your dosage up but instead took the full dosage? I don’t think and I hope that you did not mean that you took the Zoloft that you didn’t take for the few days. Well I am not an expert on this but I do take Zoloft and have been for about five years. I was told by my doctor that I could separate my dosage or take it all at once it was entirely up to me. I know that side effects for Zoloft have been documented up to 200mg and with that dosage you will experience more side effects. What you are describing is common side effects for people on that dosage. I am assuming that if you have not taken your Zoloft for a few days that your blood levels are very low and that is why you are experiencing side effects now. My Zoloft was just upped from 100 to 150mg and I experienced the same side effects you are describing for about a week. You should direct your question to Margrove as I am sure he will be able to give you a more accurate and reliable answer. Take care Zedexa – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – argggggggggggggggggggggg its so annoying Before you buy.

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Question:

I know I am highly suggestible. I see I just can’t read anything negative about anything right now…it’s not in my best interest. Lorri – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -And this is one of the reasons the anti benzo brigade get such a hard time here. Not because of the dependency issue, which is admitted – just check ASAP’s FAQ, but because they blow it out of all proportion and scare people off what can be a very useful group of anti-anx/pan meds. I had a very hard time with Xanax some years ago. But it wasn’t the med that was at fault, but my expectations that it would cause certain things to happen, based on what had been mostly misinformation. What some of these doom merchants fail to realise, or perhaps don’t care about, is that suggestions can be very powerful. I remember a study done many years ago which basically consisted of giving half the subjects a cup of warm milk just before bedtime and the other half got strong coffee. As expected the warm milk group slept soundly, while most of the coffee group couldn’t sleep at all. However, what they didn’t know was that the coffee was decaf and the warm milk was laced with about 3 strong coffees worth of caffeine. Tell folk that they are going to suffer the agonies of the damned when they wean of their benzo and most of them will. Yes, dependency is an issue, just as it is with many medications. Fail to wean slowly from beta blockers or many blood pressure meds and the withdrawal effect can be initially high blood pressure, quickly followed by zero blood pressure. Permanently zero BP!! Weaned from correctly, benzos usually don’t present any greater difficulty than most other dependency producing drugs. Indeed, on some evidence, they appear to be much easier to quit than aspirin (see my comments in the Aspirin thread).                                       Zu Enlil

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I know I am highly suggestible. I see I just can’t read anything negative about anything right now…it’s not in my best interest. Lorri

Dear Lorri, From one med phobic to another, what you are going through is very common. What I did when I was weaning on paxil was to *not* read any threads that had to do with Paxil. It took alot of willpower on my part to also not give into my urges to surf the net to read all about paxil.  Once you have been on the Klonopin for awhile and your anxiety has decreased, you should find that your suggestibility when it comes to Klonopin will decrease too. Take care Jackie

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Hi Jackie, Now I just pop it and try not to think too much about it. Hugs Lorri

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I know I am highly suggestible. I see I just can’t read anything negative about anything right now…it’s not in my best interest. Lorri

Lorri, I know a bit about meds and how they work, but my pharmacist knows that she should take the info sheets out of my AD packets!!!! Some things you just don’t need to think about.   Take care                                             Zu

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Thankfully, before and even after the lasik, these 45 yr old eyes couldn’t really read the tiny print of the inserts. Now if I only can keep off the websites! Lorri – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Lorri, I know a bit about meds and how they work, but my pharmacist knows that she should take the info sheets out of my AD packets!!!! Some things you just don’t need to think about.   Take care                                            Zu

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Hi Jackie, Now I just pop it and try not to think too much about it. Hugs Lorri

Hi Lorri, I can also relate to being very med phobic. I am very curious to know if the Klonopin is working for you so far. How are you feeling on it? Have you felt less anxious? Hugs, Steph

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Hi Stephanie, As of now my Zoloft dose is up to 50 mg and last night after a friend said something to me, I freaked and took .5mg of K. It seemed to calm me down somewhat. I’m going to ask my Dr if I might be better off taking a dose in the morning and in the evening. I kind of had an epiphany today. I drive for a living and put in more than 4 hours on the road….and boy do we have some rotten highways. Anyway, my anxiety level was kind of high and I just decided to except it, not try to fight it or push it away. Well, it worked. I feel much better when I’m not waiting for the inevitable doom to stike. Heres hoping that I can contine to reinforce this. (((((hugs)))) Lorri

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Hi Rita, It’s funny but taking the Zoloft doesnt scare me at all, it was the K that frightened me. I guess all the talk about dependence and addiction was part of the scare. I went up on a site last night to read about the K and I found myself getting scared…I dont think I read more than one line.

snipped And this is one of the reasons the anti benzo brigade get such a hard time here. Not because of the dependency issue, which is admitted – just check ASAP’s FAQ, but because they blow it out of all proportion and scare people off what can be a very useful group of anti-anx/pan meds. I had a very hard time with Xanax some years ago. But it wasn’t the med that was at fault, but my expectations that it would cause certain things to happen, based on what had been mostly misinformation. What some of these doom merchants fail to realise, or perhaps don’t care about, is that suggestions can be very powerful. I remember a study done many years ago which basically consisted of giving half the subjects a cup of warm milk just before bedtime and the other half got strong coffee. As expected the warm milk group slept soundly, while most of the coffee group couldn’t sleep at all. However, what they didn’t know was that the coffee was decaf and the warm milk was laced with about 3 strong coffees worth of caffeine. Tell folk that they are going to suffer the agonies of the damned when they wean of their benzo and most of them will. Yes, dependency is an issue, just as it is with many medications. Fail to wean slowly from beta blockers or many blood pressure meds and the withdrawal effect can be initially high blood pressure, quickly followed by zero blood pressure. Permanently zero BP!! Weaned from correctly, benzos usually don’t present any greater difficulty than most other dependency producing drugs. Indeed, on some evidence, they appear to be much easier to quit than aspirin (see my comments in the Aspirin thread).                                        Zu Enlil

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Followup: I got brave and took another 2.5 mg of K right before I went to bed last night. I did some serious relaxation exercises before hand and had one of the best sleeps I’ve had in weeks. I was also able to fall back to sleep when I woke up at 6AM. No, I dont intend to use it every night but I need it for now. I have med paranioa that makes me think my meds are going to have an opposite effect on me. I have to get over this. Lorri

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Followup: I got brave and took another 2.5 mg of K right before I went to bed last night. I did some serious relaxation exercises before hand and had one of the best sleeps I’ve had in weeks. I was also able to fall back to sleep when I woke up at 6AM. No, I dont intend to use it every night but I need it for now. I have med paranioa that makes me think my meds are going to have an opposite effect on me. I have to get over this. Lorri

good for you I’m proud of you for taking the med and confronting your fear as well as realizing it is your fear not a side effect you are feeling. LM

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Followup: I got brave and took another 2.5 mg of K right before I went to bed last night. I did some serious relaxation exercises before hand and had one of the best sleeps I’ve had in weeks. I was also able to fall back to sleep when I woke up at 6AM. No, I dont intend to use it every night but I need it for now. I have med paranioa that makes me think my meds are going to have an opposite effect on me. I have to get over this. Lorri

Most PAD-sufferers are med phobic. I know I am. And up to a point this can initially work against us. For example: when I started Xanax three years ago I had all the listed side effects plus some unlisted ones <g five minutes after I took the first pill…. As a matter of fact Dr. Shipko goes so far as to state that people who are really phobic of a new med shouldn’t take it because they will produce a *self-fulfilling prophecy*. I strongly disagree with his reasoning though. From my own experience (and that of many others) I know that a med will do its work properly because it *does* work…. regardless of what we think of it. In his view, I feel, *placebo* (or, rather *deplacebo*) is rated much too high. Although I agree that placebo effects play a large role in the treatment of PAD (and are, in the positive sense, proper effects too which can be put to good use) the substances in our meds are real enough just like penicilline will work even if we don’t believe it will. Also research has shown time and again that placebo may often occur but that nevertheless meds *do* work a whole lot better. You have now proven to yourself that Klonopin works, your *med paranoia* notwithstanding. Yes, you have to get over this, but just taking the med will do that for you. Philip

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I know I have to get over the fear..I figured I would "just do it" and NOT dwell on any "what ifs"…that part of my problem anyway, LOL. Sigh, this time my PAs were triggered by the Lasik surgery I had almost three weeks ago. This is NOT the thing to do if you have constant anxiety hanging over you. I swear they should give a pych test before doing the Lasik. The first 2 post lasik days were perfect, then the old fears of "OMG, what if my Dr made a mistake, what if he put the wrong corrections into the computer, what if I’m permently blinded, what if, what if, what if? Sheesh, does this train of throught sound familar?? Thankfully, my medical Dr told me that I just found a new focus for old fears and if it wasnt the lasik, I would still be dwelling on brain tumors, cancer, etc! Thanks for caring! Lorri – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -good for you I’m proud of you for taking the med and confronting your fear as well as realizing it is your fear not a side effect you are feeling. LM

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Thankfully, my medical Dr told me that I just found a new focus for old fears and if it wasnt the lasik, I would still be dwelling on brain tumors,

he is correct–you have a persoanlity style that worries and this worry will attach itself onto any credible tangible thing it can-what you can learn to do with cbt is slow down your thinking and learn to dispute the irrational beliefs before you react to them.By recognizing that negativity and catastrophic thinking is a bad habit and can be changed will take you a long way towards recovery. You may forever be a sensitive worrier but you can ramp down its overall reaction to your living a happy healthy life. what if he put the wrong corrections into the computer,

a normie may think this too but the difference is you believe it and even though you know that believing it is not objective you still believe it or at least think that by hedging and believing part of it you safeguard it from happening-sort of like believing in magic-if I worry enough it won’t happen. Your motives for the surgery were rational the procedure is relatively safe and has agood track record your doc wasn’t a foot doctor working on eyes and you survived it with comfort and are healing- when I wake up in the morning I can easily start catastrophizing and slip into the void of feeling anxious-but I actively and consciously don’t do it-I force myself to think differently and it becomes a habit-I will not be a mr.happy go lucky smiling bafoon but I will not be a chronic worrier either-this type of thinking is obsessive negativity try using it’s opposite for a week be obsessively positive even if you don’t believe it-when you believe it you will see it and you will slowly but surely.paste positive affirmations everywhere and read them write down every negative thought you have just the cumbersomeness will help abate some learn to recognize them and challenge them forcefully-klonopin will relax you but it will not change your negativity you can do that and will if you grow tired enough of the results of being negative-Remember that klonopin is used at doses of up to 4.5 mg a day so your dose is way lower then many who use it-the fear you have is just an attempt to negate a positive or proactive move-you are trying to keep yourself stuck and sabotoge growth-growth is scary-and its ok to be scared give yourself permission to be anxious it really is ok-no one likes to take meds no one wants to feel badly-the role of the meds are as a tool to help you not to harm you regardless of lots of misinformed nonsense you may read from time to time-one step forward at a time LM

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I said: Thankfully, my medical Dr told me that I just found a new focus for old fears and if it wasnt the lasik, I would still be dwelling on brain tumors,

LM came back with: he is correct–you have a persoanlity style that worries and this worry will attach itself onto any credible tangible thing it can- snip< a normie may think this too but the difference is you believe it and even though you know that believing it is not objective you still believe it or at least think that by hedging and believing part of it you safeguard it from happening-sort of like believing in magic-if I worry enough it won’t happen.

I can’t believe you hit the nail right on the head with your super insight. I was just telling someone last night that my fears (today the lasik) is kind of like a fearful flier that just knows the plane will crash if they relax. I also realized that I am afraid to let go of my fears….there is something almost comforting in the familiar anxiety I have. Thank you, I have saved this post and will go back and read it again. Lorri

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Steph Think about what you just said. It doesn’t make sense. If she ( I don’t think she said ) just started taking .2mgs of K and got a jittery feeling, how does that indicate that she is under medicated unless of course she was experiencing the same jitteriness all along. But if this is a reaction to the drug, then why would you say to go up on it  ?  Yes it isn’t a lot of K  but I would be curious to ask her if she felt the jitteriness came as a result of the meds.  If so then, what is the point of taking more ?  To try to cover up what the .2mgs are doing ?    Oh well, people on benzos can’t think too clearly anyway ( myself included .   I’m down to 3 mgs Valium a day and feeling OK but some transient bad muscle stiffness and some other things.  I thought I would have problems around here but so far so good.  BTW  FWIW  point2 mgs of K is equal to about  4 mgs valium. Let’s have a don’t trust your dang fool doctor day and see if anyone here starts to get better. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took .2 mgs of Klonopin for the first time last night. I was fine until I tried to sleep. I felt very jittery. I was wondering if this is common with the drug. If this is how it’s going to effect me, I won’t take it…I do the jitters just fine on my own, thank you very much Lorri Hi Lorri! I’m surprised that you had the jitters. I myself have never experienced this. Please give it about a week or two to get into your system. I take 0.5 mgs 2-3 times daily and as I told you I had no problem. IMHO, 0.2 mg is undermedicated. Is that the dosage your Physician prescribed? How many times a day? Let me hear from you. Steph

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Hi Lorrie, I agree with Philip on this one.  A drug is designed to do a certain job, and no matter what I "think" about it, it’s going to still do the job it was meant to do.  Once I accepted that concept, I relaxed and stopped worrying about it.  I also threw away all my med info books. I am the type that would compulsively read up on each and every med given to me and then would scare myself half to death. I found out the less I knew, the better off I was.  That’s just me.  Now if I want to know something, I call my psych doc and ask him. That’s the only way I knew how to "cure" my drug phobia.:-) ~Rita~ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Followup: I got brave and took another 2.5 mg of K right before I went to bed last night. I did some serious relaxation exercises before hand and had one of the best sleeps I’ve had in weeks. I was also able to fall back to sleep when I woke up at 6AM. No, I dont intend to use it every night but I need it for now. I have med paranioa that makes me think my meds are going to have an opposite effect on me. I have to get over this. Lorri Most PAD-sufferers are med phobic. I know I am. And up to a point this can initially work against us. For example: when I started Xanax three years ago I had all the listed side effects plus some unlisted ones <g five minutes after I took the first pill…. As a matter of fact Dr. Shipko goes so far as to state that people who are really phobic of a new med shouldn’t take it because they will produce a *self-fulfilling prophecy*. I strongly disagree with his reasoning though. From my own experience (and that of many others) I know that a med will do its work properly because it *does* work…. regardless of what we think of it. In his view, I feel, *placebo* (or, rather *deplacebo*) is rated much too high. Although I agree that placebo effects play a large role in the treatment of PAD (and are, in the positive sense, proper effects too which can be put to good use) the substances in our meds are real enough just like penicilline will work even if we don’t believe it will. Also research has shown time and again that placebo may often occur but that nevertheless meds *do* work a whole lot better. You have now proven to yourself that Klonopin works, your *med paranoia* notwithstanding. Yes, you have to get over this, but just taking the med will do that for you. Philip

Before you buy.

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Hi Rita, It’s funny but taking the Zoloft doesnt scare me at all, it was the K that frightened me. I guess all the talk about dependence and addiction was part of the scare. I went up on a site last night to read about the K and I found myself getting scared…I dont think I read more than one line. I take the K at night and find myself being kind of anal about it..should I take it at 9, will I be better off taking it at 10…will I become dependent?? Sheesh, at that point I tell myself to shut up and I swallow the damned thing. I also popped a Tylenol with it because I had a headache…YEAAAAA! Lorri – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi Lorrie, I agree with Philip on this one.  A drug is designed to do a certain job, and no matter what I "think" about it, it’s going to still do the job it was meant to do.  Once I accepted that concept, I relaxed and stopped worrying about it.  I also threw away all my med info books. I am the type that would compulsively read up on each and every med given to me and then would scare myself half to death. I found out the less I knew, the better off I was.  That’s just me.  Now if I want to know something, I call my psych doc and ask him. That’s the only way I knew how to "cure" my drug phobia.:-) ~Rita~ Followup: I got brave and took another 2.5 mg of K right before I went to bed last night. I did some serious relaxation exercises before hand and had one of the best sleeps I’ve had in weeks. I was also able to fall back to sleep when I woke up at 6AM. No, I dont intend to use it every night but I need it for now. I have med paranioa that makes me think my meds are going to have an opposite effect on me. I have to get over this. Lorri Most PAD-sufferers are med phobic. I know I am. And up to a point this can initially work against us. For example: when I started Xanax three years ago I had all the listed side effects plus some unlisted ones <g five minutes after I took the first pill…. As a matter of fact Dr. Shipko goes so far as to state that people who are really phobic of a new med shouldn’t take it because they will produce a *self-fulfilling prophecy*. I strongly disagree with his reasoning though. From my own experience (and that of many others) I know that a med will do its work properly because it *does* work…. regardless of what we think of it. In his view, I feel, *placebo* (or, rather *deplacebo*) is rated much too high. Although I agree that placebo effects play a large role in the treatment of PAD (and are, in the positive sense, proper effects too which can be put to good use) the substances in our meds are real enough just like penicilline will work even if we don’t believe it will. Also research has shown time and again that placebo may often occur but that nevertheless meds *do* work a whole lot better. You have now proven to yourself that Klonopin works, your *med paranoia* notwithstanding. Yes, you have to get over this, but just taking the med will do that for you. Philip Before you buy.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Steph Think about what you just said. It doesn’t make sense. If she ( I don’t think she said ) just started taking .2mgs of K and got a jittery feeling, how does that indicate that she is under medicated unless of course she was experiencing the same jitteriness all along. But if this is a reaction to the drug, then why would you say to go up on it  ?  Yes it isn’t a lot of K  but I would be curious to ask her if she felt the jitteriness came as a result of the meds.  If so then, what is the point of taking more ?  To try to cover up what the .2mgs are doing ?    Oh well, people on benzos can’t think too clearly anyway ( myself included .   I’m down to 3 mgs Valium a day and feeling OK but some transient bad muscle stiffness and some other things.  I thought I would have problems around here but so far so good.  BTW  FWIW  point2 mgs of K is equal to about  4 mgs valium. Let’s have a don’t trust your dang fool doctor day and see if anyone here starts to get better.

Good Heavens! You are an idiot! I never told her to up her dosage. I clearly stated IMHO (which you NEVER do, BTW) I asked her if that was what her Physician prescribed and how many times per day.IMHO means just that. It does not mean I told her to up her dosage. It just means IMHO that *I* feel she may be undermedicated. Get your shit together. Don’t take me for a fool Rand. I’ll come back everytime and bust your balls. Stephanie

Response:

I took .2 mgs of Klonopin for the first time last night. I was fine until I tried to sleep. I felt very jittery. I was wondering if this is common with the drug. If this is how it’s going to effect me, I won’t take it…I do the jitters just fine on my own, thank you very much Lorri

Hi Lorri! I’m surprised that you had the jitters. I myself have never experienced this. Please give it about a week or two to get into your system. I take 0.5 mgs 2-3 times daily and as I told you I had no problem. IMHO, 0.2 mg is undermedicated. Is that the dosage your Physician prescribed? How many times a day? Let me hear from you. Steph

Response:

You are making the event of medicating yourself an anxiety trigger

You know, I think you’re right. I have always been afraid to medicate myself…even the thought of an aspirin makes me wonder what side effects I will have. Sigh, I took my first Zoloft this morning and waited for the worst to happen. I honestly think this is a deep seated control issue for me. Thank you for your response. Lorri

Response:

Lorri, I have found that many meds do make me jittery at night.  What I do is take my last daily med around 8:00 pm and go to bed a few hours later.  If I take it right before I go to bed I do end up jittery.  Try taking it earlier in the evening.  Hope it works! smiles, elise

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took .2 mgs of Klonopin for the first time last night. I was fine until I tried to sleep. I felt very jittery. I was wondering if this is common with the drug. If this is how it’s going to effect me, I won’t take it…I do the jitters just fine on my own, thank you very much Lorri

Response:

I honestly think this is a deep seated control issue for me.

it isn’t deep seated or a control issue no one likes taking meds unless you really have a problem of abuse or severe hypochndriasis-meds can be scary justifiably so-what you can do is weigh the benefit vrs risk issue and truly examine he significant side effects of the med you want to use. Klonopin zoloft asprin aren’t LSD or cyanide-the dramatic fear response one has is similar to the fear response they have when thinking of how they will react when having a panic attack-bottom line if you examine how many people in a given day take zoloft or asprin and how many of them benefit without significant risk you put this in somewhat of a more realistic perspective. The combination of zoloft and klonopin is a good one so stick with it -start your zoloft low and give it a full 6 weeks to work after you reach the full dose-do use the klonopin at your docs rec. dosing -this may be in your best interests not your worse-be patient LM

Response:

it isn’t deep seated or a control issue no one likes taking meds unless you really have a problem of abuse or severe hypochndriasis-

When I said I have a control issue, I meant losing control of myself. I’m afraid of nt being able to handle what I feel….sigh…it goes on and on. Anyway, I’m going to stick with the Zoloft and give it a chance to work. Lorri

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took .2 mgs of Klonopin for the first time last night. I was fine until I tried to sleep. I felt very jittery. I was wondering if this is common with the drug. If this is how it’s going to effect me, I won’t take it…I do the jitters just fine on my own, thank you very much Lorri

no actually the opposite many nuerologists use it to stop tremors and jitters this is an example of creating more anxiety then the drug can reduce-which at this dose is easy. You are making the event of medicating yourself an anxiety trigger-unless you are indeed having a paradoxical reaction- a larger dose would be te telling sign if you are willing to experince or try it again following your docs prescribing dose LM

Response:

I took .2 mgs of Klonopin for the first time last night. I was fine until I tried to sleep. I felt very jittery. I was wondering if this is common with the drug. If this is how it’s going to effect me, I won’t take it…I do the jitters just fine on my own, thank you very much Lorri

Response:

Question:

The, North, &, South, Bipolar, Connection…Meet, me, in, the, middle! You can still get the medical care you need without insurance, and you don’t have to settle for care that doesn’t meet your needs, but you will have to work harder to find it and see that you get it.

God, I hope you’re right. You can use this period while you still have insurance to start making solid plans.

I’m trying. I’ve never been very good at follow-through though :/ The worry is a motivator, but once you start to see how you <will survive it becomes lessor. I know what it is like to have too many questions and not enough answers.

Don’t we all. :/ Thanks for the support.

Response:

I’m sorry I was so hard on you. I did not realize how much you have & are suffering or how frightened you are.

It’s ok, I understand those knee-jerk reactions; do it all the time myself ; I was insensitive myself in my response. Maybe you pushed one of my buttons. You see I have two children, both of whom are now adult & both of whom are healthy.

I’m glad your kids are healthy. I’m not going to have any myself, not only because I don’t want to take the chance of passing this on, but also because I don’t think I could take care of them. I can barely take care of myself. Heck, most of the time I go hungry because shopping is such a horrible experience. If you could get to a major teaching hospital in your area and see someone in the "Mood Disorders Clinic" (Department of Psychiatry), I am confident you would be able to find relief for most of your symptoms.

This is a very small city, there’s only one hospital. I’d have to go to CMH. It is possible that a period of hospitalization would be advisable to allow the pdocs & staff to more quickly find the right combination of meds for *you*.

Um. No. Not only does the mere thought of the hospital scare the crap outa me, but they allow smoking in there (at least in the other place I was in they did) and I am extremely hypersensitive to second hand smoke. Being trapped in there and having to breathe that shit and choking is my worst nightmare. It happened to me the last time and the doctors didn’t care. The other staff didn’t care either. They could have at least kept the exhaust fans on, but the other patients complained that the little bit of wind they generated made them cold. It didn’t even matter that I was choking. From your description of your recent symptoms of tactile and auditory hallucinations, perhaps one of the new "atypical" APs, like Zyprexa, would help. It is also quite useful in combating dysphoric mania, in my experience, which is something you might just be experiencing. Ask your pdoc about it in the context of a comprehensive plan…

I don’t actually have a psychiatrist; just a general practice doctor. I’ve been scared to go to any psychiatrists for at least a decade now … except the interview I just had which was something I had to do, but would rather not discuss. His purpose was just to interview me, he’s not going to be a doctor I will be seeing regularly or who will be prescribing me any medicines. Like I said, I’d have to go to CMH. I might have too much fear to do that, I dunno yet. As for trying other drugs, at this point I’m willing to try just about anything to get this pain out of me.

Response:

I have to agree with Thumper as to the Wellbutrin or any AD. If you are truly bipolar, you pretty well must take a mood stabilizer and this is especially true if you are taking an AD.

I honestly didn’t know this until a couple days ago. I always thought it was the drug causing the problem, but there’s no doubt that I have had very clear-cut episodes of mania that were not drug induced. Those were more in the past, though. The problem the last few years seems to be an ongoing mixed episode that crashes into all out depression every few months. I’m not even experiencing any periods of relative stability; except during the time I was taking dexedrine, but there were (eventually) problems associated with that too. I dunno if there is a drug or combo of drugs out there that will help. Let’s face it, some people just can’t be helped, I’m really starting to believe that I am one of those people. :<

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permanently in the ether: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I feel that, overall, I am doing worse now than in the past. I have: 1. Constant headaches. 2. Constant fatigue. 3. Difficulty concentrating. 4. NO energy. 5. Constant feelings that suicide is only solution (but unable to take that way out because of effect on family). 6. Joint pain in major joints (hips and shoulders). 7. Stomach pain. 8. Cholesterol and Liver Enzyme levels are high. 9. Skin itches all the time (although I have no rash). 10. I have pains in my left chest. 11. Low thyroid and testosterone hormones. 12. I stop breathing at night unless I use a CPAP machine. 13. If I don

Question:

Has anyone here taken SAM-e along with some other med (in particular Effexor but anything would be helpful), or weaned off another antidepressant while trying SAM-e?  Any experiences with SAM-e in general that you would care to share with the rest of us? I am feeling quite desperate and need to try something new and my doctor and I were thinking of trying SAM-e because I have such bad side effects with most of the antidepressants.  Unfortunately there is not much documentation on the safety of combining SAM-e with an SSRI, so I thought I would ask here. Please, please, if you have any information about SAM-e, please let me know.  I am also going to post a message regarding the differences between Effexor and Effexor XR, because Effexor worked well with me with lots of side effects but at least I was reasonably "happy".  Effexor XR is not currently helping, or at least not nearly enough.  So if you experienced the same, I would like to hear about it.  Maybe I just should go back to the Effexor and sleep away half my life! I have two young children and am a single mother under a great deal of stress and I NEED to be able to function.  Please help me!! Thanks, Lauri

Response:

Unfortunately, I can’t help you, but I do have a question of my own:  Was it a side-effect of the Effexor that it made you sleepy?  I am on a combo of Effexor XR (225 mg) and Zyprexa (15 mg) and I’m sleeping my life away.  I know the Zyprexa is making me sleep, but I wonder if the Effexor is compounding it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone here taken SAM-e along with some other med (in particular Effexor but anything would be helpful), or weaned off another antidepressant while trying SAM-e?  Any experiences with SAM-e in general that you would care to share with the rest of us? I am feeling quite desperate and need to try something new and my doctor and I were thinking of trying SAM-e because I have such bad side effects with most of the antidepressants.  Unfortunately there is not much documentation on the safety of combining SAM-e with an SSRI, so I thought I would ask here. Please, please, if you have any information about SAM-e, please let me know.  I am also going to post a message regarding the differences between Effexor and Effexor XR, because Effexor worked well with me with lots of side effects but at least I was reasonably "happy".  Effexor XR is not currently helping, or at least not nearly enough.  So if you experienced the same, I would like to hear about it.  Maybe I just should go back to the Effexor and sleep away half my life! I have two young children and am a single mother under a great deal of stress and I NEED to be able to function.  Please help me!! Thanks, Lauri

Response:

I obviously couldn’t tell you this for sure, but the Effexor could be compounding things.  One of the side effects of Effexor is drowsiness and/or weakness. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Unfortunately, I can’t help you, but I do have a question of my own:  Was it a side-effect of the Effexor that it made you sleepy?  I am on a combo of Effexor XR (225 mg) and Zyprexa (15 mg) and I’m sleeping my life away.  I know the Zyprexa is making me sleep, but I wonder if the Effexor is compounding it. Has anyone here taken SAM-e along with some other med (in particular Effexor but anything would be helpful), or weaned off another antidepressant while trying SAM-e?  Any experiences with SAM-e in general that you would care to share with the rest of us? I am feeling quite desperate and need to try something new and my doctor and I were thinking of trying SAM-e because I have such bad side effects with most of the antidepressants.  Unfortunately there is not much documentation on the safety of combining SAM-e with an SSRI, so I thought I would ask here. Please, please, if you have any information about SAM-e, please let me know.  I am also going to post a message regarding the differences between Effexor and Effexor XR, because Effexor worked well with me with lots of side effects but at least I was reasonably "happy".  Effexor XR is not currently helping, or at least not nearly enough.  So if you experienced the same, I would like to hear about it.  Maybe I just should go back to the Effexor and sleep away half my life! I have two young children and am a single mother under a great deal of stress and I NEED to be able to function.  Please help me!! Thanks, Lauri

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time –T.S. Eliot

Response:

I don’t know anything about Zyprexa but Effexor definitely causes sedation.  I am only on 75mg but definitely cannot get by on only 8 hours of sleep a day. When I went off of it once before, I was amazed at how much energy I had … when you’re on it for a while, you forget.  I also had frequent night sweats which made me even more tired during the day because I was up so much of the night. Hope this helps, Lauri – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Unfortunately, I can’t help you, but I do have a question of my own:  Was it a side-effect of the Effexor that it made you sleepy?  I am on a combo of Effexor XR (225 mg) and Zyprexa (15 mg) and I’m sleeping my life away.  I know the Zyprexa is making me sleep, but I wonder if the Effexor is compounding it. Has anyone here taken SAM-e along with some other med (in particular Effexor but anything would be helpful), or weaned off another antidepressant while trying SAM-e?  Any experiences with SAM-e in general that you would care to share with the rest of us? I am feeling quite desperate and need to try something new and my doctor and I were thinking of trying SAM-e because I have such bad side effects with most of the antidepressants.  Unfortunately there is not much documentation on the safety of combining SAM-e with an SSRI, so I thought I would ask here. Please, please, if you have any information about SAM-e, please let me know.  I am also going to post a message regarding the differences between Effexor and Effexor XR, because Effexor worked well with me with lots of side effects but at least I was reasonably "happy".  Effexor XR is not currently helping, or at least not nearly enough.  So if you experienced the same, I would like to hear about it.  Maybe I just should go back to the Effexor and sleep away half my life! I have two young children and am a single mother under a great deal of stress and I NEED to be able to function.  Please help me!! Thanks, Lauri

Response:

Question:

Hello all, I started getting  panic attacks about 6 weeks ago.  I was diagnosed and given medication (Xanax and Zoloft).  The intense attacks have disappeared, but I would say that I am dizzy nearly all of my waking hours and I can often go into some sort of trance and convince myself that everything is unreal. Does anyone have advise/experience with dizzyness?  I can understand it coming during an attack, but I am literally dizzy all day long! Help! Thanks, Greg

Response:

Greg, Sounds like you may have vertigo, in which case you should  probably see a neurologist for testing.  Vertigo is an imbalance in your inner ear which causes you to feel off balance. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello all, I started getting  panic attacks about 6 weeks ago.  I was diagnosed and given medication (Xanax and Zoloft).  The intense attacks have disappeared, but I would say that I am dizzy nearly all of my waking hours and I can often go into some sort of trance and convince myself that everything is unreal. Does anyone have advise/experience with dizzyness?  I can understand it coming during an attack, but I am literally dizzy all day long! Help! Thanks, Greg

Response:

It could also be a result of High Blood pressure.  That is usually the case with me. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello all, I started getting  panic attacks about 6 weeks ago.  I was diagnosed and given medication (Xanax and Zoloft).  The intense attacks have disappeared, but I would say that I am dizzy nearly all of my waking hours and I can often go into some sort of trance and convince myself that everything is unreal. Does anyone have advise/experience with dizzyness?  I can understand it coming during an attack, but I am literally dizzy all day long! Help! Thanks, Greg

Response:

I, too, have been having problems with dizziness.  One resource that helped me a great deal was the Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA).  I’ve forgotten what the internet address is, but it should be easy to find if you do a Net search.

Response:

Re: Re: Dizzyness anyone? Greg, Sounds like you may have vertigo, in which case you should  probably see a neurologist for testing.  Vertigo is an imbalance in your inner ear which causes you to feel off balance.

I wouldn’t go straight for the neurologist at this time, I would find a good ENT (ear nose and throat dr)  The neuro. should be reserved for last, Since any good ENT can probally diagnose the problem.                              Mzpepper Posted at:  Thorny’s BBS, Lawrence, Kansas USA    telnet://thorny.ml.org — Thanks to Freddie, I’m a Sexual Spastic. –Zappa.

Response:

Hello all, I started getting  panic attacks about 6 weeks ago.  I was diagnosed and given medication (Xanax and Zoloft).  The intense attacks have disappeared, but I would say that I am dizzy nearly all of my waking hours and I can often go into some sort of trance and convince myself that everything is unreal. Does anyone have advise/experience with dizzyness?  I can understand it coming during an attack, but I am literally dizzy all day long! Help! Thanks, Greg

Greg, It may well be the Zoloft, which can cause dizziness (SSRIs can cause just about anything).  You may want to talk to your doc about trying a different SSRI, Prozac would probably be the best choice, IMO.  There’s lots of complaints (more than with other SSRIs) about Paxil’s side effects (though some do very well on it), and Luvox is less effective than the other SSRIs for panic for quite a few (though, again, many do well on it). Best of luck to you! Matt (IMO, etc.)

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Question:

Good for you to find out about these drugs…from 1 to 10  my tinnitus is about a (7) right now… it was a(2) before a hip operation in Aug. this yr….Pain medication was the cause of the increase… I have hope that the T will drop down to (2) again since stopping the pain medication…

Response:

        On Tuesday my psychiatrist wanted me to start Paxil 10mg (I really think of him as a doctor who writes prescriptions for my Ambien and Xanax, rather than a psychiatrist.  I had six visits precertified through my US Health Care Insurance).  On Saturday afternoon I had a severe agitated depression that lasted about three hours, even though my t wasn’t bothering me then.         This is the time of year that allot of people get depressed anyway. Especially the ones without family.         I’ve been having a really good week so far, the best since this t hit me in July.  So I decided not to start the paxil yet.  Even though I had loud t three days in a row, it didn’t seem to bother me as much.  I’ve also been eating well for the last week. I’m also anticipating starting TRT soon. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

   Interesting. You dont say how many milligrams you were on. I was put on 20 mg a day. After two months i decided to cut my dosage in half due to side effects. I am on 10 mg a day.    I havent noticed any increase in ringing. The drop down to 10 mg very quickly eliminated the side effects including alternating hot and cold flashes and extreme fatigue. My mood was not affected.    My psychiatrist became very upset when i told him i had done this and told me i had made a serious mistake and was in for a big accident. He then threw me out of his office because i didnt want to return to the full dose.    I am going to slowly ease off the Paxil totally. If i feel the need to go backon it i will certainly find myself another doctor.    I have been on so many different medications the past three months trying to get back to "normal" which hasnt really happened, although life is more livable..thats a start. Anti depressants can help. Paxil seemed to level everything out. But it does affect your body and i didnt care for that discomfort on top of my tinnitus.    It doesnt totally get you out of the funk. Even on my full dose i got bouts of depression, I still do. Lots of emotions are tied up in this and if you already are experiencing stress or disapointments in life, tinnitus just adds to it, making you feel broken, victimized and helpless. Cynthia    I

Response:

FYI Paxil withdrawal is NOT pleasant. Dizziness, vomiting, loss of balance and *auditory hallucinations.*  These have been documented in others than I.  My psychiatrist found a paper on SSRI withdrawal, how lack of knowledge in this area is starting to cause problems. The drug companies don’t want to talk about this. This report has been my experience, only. I hope it helps others. BUT I will always belong to the ATA and a T. suffer’s advocate. Best to all. ciao, randall

        Interesting. You dont say how many milligrams you were on. I was put on 20 mg a day. After two months i decided to cut my dosage in half due to side effects. I am on 10 mg a day.         I havent noticed any increase in ringing. The drop down to 10 mg very quickly eliminated the side effects including alternating hot and cold flashes and extreme fatigue. My mood was not affected.         My psychiatrist became very upset when i told him i had done this and told me i had made a serious mistake and was in for a big accident. He then threw me out of his office because i didnt want to return to the full dose.         I am going to slowly ease off the Paxil totally. If i feel the need to go backon it i will certainly find myself another doctor.         I have been on so many different medications the past three months trying to get back to "normal" which hasnt really happened, although life is more livable..thats a start. Anti depressants can help. Paxil seemed to level everything out. But it does affect your body and i didnt care for that discomfort on top of my tinnitus.         It doesnt totally get you out of the funk. Even on my full dose i got bouts of depression, I still do. Lots of emotions are tied up in this and if you already are experiencing stress or disapointments in life, tinnitus just adds to it, making you feel broken, victimized and helpless. Cynthia         I

Response:

In article <01bcf5e6$d2cd89e0$0521accf@larrygol

, "Larry Goldman"

<larrg…@erols.com

writes: On Tuesday my psychiatrist wanted me to start Paxil 10mg (I really think of him as a doctor who writes prescriptions for my Ambien and Xanax, rather than a psychiatrist.  I had six visits precertified through my US Health Care Insurance).

Hi, Larry! We have all been pulling for you here, knowing how tough the past few weeks have been for you and hoping you will find something to help.  Glad this week has been better.  It’s about time! I thought I would clarify that a psychiatrist is a medically trainned doctor who generally has specialized training in medication.  A psychiatrist usually sees a patient and interviews him on a periodic basis in order to assess and monitor his meds.  If a person needs to be hospitalized, a psychiatrist generally is responsible, although more and more other mental health professions are becoming involved in hospitalization these days. A psychotherapist is a person with specialized training in psychotherapy.  This training varies, but may easily take 8-12 years or more of graduate school.  A psychiatrist may go on for more training in therapy, and some do, but by the time they have finished all the education that it took to get this far, many don’t sign up for an additional 8-12 years.  Many either are not interested or feel that it is time to get on with their lives.  Therefore, it may take some exploring to find out what training a particular psychiatrist has, or for any other therapist, for that matter. Good luck with the TRT.  We are all crossing our fingers for you. Ginny

Response:

This has been my experience. I developed *unbearable* tinnitus around Labor Day.  I have always noticed a slight sound [note] every now and again, but nothing *devastating*. This was.   1. Psychiatrist, Primary care, ENT: all tests MRI; another ENT; Tinnitus specialist who recommened a plan of treatment for T., long and involved. 2. I looked up several drugs in PDR. Found for Paxil [a Prozac relative] [all SSRIs, Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, Effexor, Desyrel(R), ] and Desyrel a small incidence of tinnitus. 3. 5 doctors and $2000.00 later, I decided to try and see if I was one of the small few in whom SSRIs caused tinnitus. 3. I stopped PAXIL and DESYREL. 4. 3 weeks later [today] tinnitus is 90% gone.  I comes and goes and changes daily, but on the whole, for the first time in 2 1/2 months I can honestly say I believe these drugs to be the cause of *my* tinnitus. 5. I put the connection together, because of Effexor withdrawal, caused a feeling of loss of balance control [INNER EAR]. 6. I knew if I missed 2 days of Paxil I became VERY dizzy and felt "swimmy."  [again, INNER EAR] 7.  I figured if the drugs [SSRIs] caused dizziness upon withdrawal, they were doing something in my inner ear, so what not the T. 8. Most of the tinnitus is gone. I still feel swimmy.  Waves of nausea will hit, along with a symphony of sounds in my ears.     So, I certainly believe IF you developed T. after starting an anti-depressant [namely SSRIs] or your T. has gotten worse, I would talk to your doctor about these drugs. FYI Paxil withdrawal is NOT pleasant. Dizziness, vomiting, loss of balance and *auditory hallucinations.*  These have been documented in others than I.  My psychiatrist found a paper on SSRI withdrawal, how lack of knowledge in this area is starting to cause problems. The drug companies don’t want to talk about this. This report has been my experience, only. I hope it helps others. BUT I will always belong to the ATA and a T. suffer’s advocate. Best to all. ciao, randall

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