i did literature search using Medline this afternoon, in between the patients ! But i did not find any article on "flovent and acne" or "flovent and rash" or "flovent and skin" good luck with aerobid. yatin j patel md http://md4lungs.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – –WebTV-Mail-24826-3781 Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit Thanks for your response. My doctor put me on Aerobid about two weeks ago. So far I seem to be doing alright on it. Then again, I have been on an antibiotic, as well as O2. I finish it tonight. We shall see. However, I still have the red bumps. Perhaps they will clear up with time. I must tell you that I have COPD. Scaring on my left lung since childhood,bronchitis, and asthma. I became sick four years ago. Had to be hospitalized for a week, and was sent home with the O2. I was on it for about two months. Had to go back on two weeks ago. I checked out your website. I will be visiting often. We all use the same treatments and medications. –WebTV-Mail-24826-3781 Content-Description: signature Content-Disposition: Inline Content-Type: Text/HTML; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit <html<clock</clock</html –WebTV-Mail-24826-3781–
– Yatin J Patel MD http://md4lungs.com If you have asthma, this is your home. Join Dr. Patel every wednesday 7 PM Indiana Time for online chats. Before you buy.
Thanks for your response. My doctor put me on Aerobid about two weeks ago. So far I seem to be doing alright on it. Then again, I have been on an antibiotic, as well as O2. I finish it tonight. We shall see. However, I still have the red bumps. Perhaps they will clear up with time. I must tell you that I have COPD. Scaring on my left lung since childhood,bronchitis, and asthma. I became sick four years ago. Had to be hospitalized for a week, and was sent home with the O2. I was on it for about two months. Had to go back on two weeks ago. I checked out your website. I will be visiting often. We all use the same treatments and medications.
have you tried other steroid inhalers like aerobid or pulmicort? yatin j patel md – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – –WebTV-Mail-14553-2611 Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit I do use a spacer. I do not have red bumps around my mouth, I have acne on my face, (not around my mouth) and red bumps on my arms and legs. When I am on this medication for very long periods my neck also turns red. When it first happened my pulmonary doctor sent me to a dermatologist, he said it was from sun and weather. When I went off it I cleared up. I know this is going to sound crazy, but when I first go off Flovent I can breathe better. Unfortunately I have to go back on it. I would like to know if any one using inhaled steroids has been diagnosed with hypohyroidism. I was diagnosed with it about six months after starting Flovent. It may or may not be a factor, but I can’t see inhaling anything can be good for my thyroid. My doc says no. After all they know best. If I sound fed up, it’s because I am. They just don’t listen. I’m scared. Any ideas? Thanks….. –WebTV-Mail-14553-2611 Content-Description: signature Content-Disposition: Inline Content-Type: Text/HTML; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit <html<clock</clock</html –WebTV-Mail-14553-2611–
– Yatin J Patel MD http://md4lungs.com If you have asthma, this is your home. Join Dr. Patel every wednesday 7 PM Indiana Time for online chats. Before you buy.
I’m also very, very fair-skinned. Blonde hair, lashes, brows. I have never had zits, but I did have "follicle infections" due to a hormone imbalance … but that was 25 years ago! My doctor at that time told me to wash my face, rubbing the sores til they bled, and then apply Polysporin ointment. Even with the ointment, it took a month or more for each sore to heal. Birth control pills helped the hormone problem and the sores (of course, if you’re male…. ignore this advice). This time it’s not hormones. I do use a spacer. I got desperate over the weekend and I used Victoria Principal’s blemish buster on each sore. They’re about 50% improved overnight. I’m also overweight, but I blame that on developing asthma 2 years ago and not being able to exercise as often as I want/need. I thought about seeing a dermatologist, but what’s the use of being on tetracycline when I’m still on Flovent? I’m on a 4-week tapering program. My allergist wants me off Servent BEFORE going off Flovent. So next week I stop the Serevent, and then 2 weeks later (if I survive), I try going off Flovent … no inhalers. But I’m on a double-dose of Claritin (2 a day). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I have been lurking for months, afraid to post. Your post on Flovent prompted me to take the plunge. I have had the same problem. Was on Flovent for three years. Have had acne, and small red raised bumps on my legs and arms. Every time I go off the Flovent I clear up. My pulmonary doctor changed me to another steroid, Aerobid. However, I am afraid it is not any better. I hate the steroids. I am 40lbs. over my normal weight. I don’t even recognize myself. I was also told it was non-related. I have very fair skin, this may have something to do with it. I feel some doctors are not educated on the side affects of some of these drugs. That’s why we have to educate ourselves. Just wanted you to know you are not alone.
Hello, I am so glad you posted. This is a support newsgroup…please don’t be afraid to be involved. I will admit it gets pretty intense at times, but most folks here are in the same boat. We have asthma and we use this newsgroup as a method to exchange information and to share experiences, plus gain some support if we happen to be having a hard time with our illness or meds. There is no one person here that has all the answers, but all are willing to try and help. Glad to see you here! I also gained weight after starting meds….I don’t know why. I have always been a thin kind of girl, but not now. :o( I work out whenever I have the breath and do pretty well most times. To me it’s a real battle and hits in the old self esteem area pretty hard. I just keep doing the best I can. Take care, Patrice
Hi, I have been lurking for months, afraid to post. Your post on Flovent prompted me to take the plunge. I have had the same problem. Was on Flovent for three years. Have had acne, and small red raised bumps on my legs and arms. Every time I go off the Flovent I clear up. My pulmonary doctor changed me to another steroid, Aerobid. However, I am afraid it is not any better. I hate the steroids. I am 40lbs. over my normal weight. I don’t even recognize myself. I was also told it was non-related. I have very fair skin, this may have something to do with it. I feel some doctors are not educated on the side affects of some of these drugs. That’s why we have to educate ourselves. Just wanted you to know you are not alone.
I do use a spacer. I do not have red bumps around my mouth, I have acne on my face, (not around my mouth) and red bumps on my arms and legs. When I am on this medication for very long periods my neck also turns red. When it first happened my pulmonary doctor sent me to a dermatologist, he said it was from sun and weather. When I went off it I cleared up. I know this is going to sound crazy, but when I first go off Flovent I can breathe better. Unfortunately I have to go back on it. I would like to know if any one using inhaled steroids has been diagnosed with hypohyroidism. I was diagnosed with it about six months after starting Flovent. It may or may not be a factor, but I can’t see inhaling anything can be good for my thyroid. My doc says no. After all they know best. If I sound fed up, it’s because I am. They just don’t listen. I’m scared. Any ideas? Thanks…..
Hi, I have been lurking for months, afraid to post. Your post on Flovent prompted me to take the plunge. I have had the same problem. Was on Flovent for three years. Have had acne, and small red raised bumps on my legs and arms. Every time I go off the Flovent I clear up. My pulmonary doctor changed me to another steroid, Aerobid. However, I am afraid it is not any better. I hate the steroids. I am 40lbs. over my normal weight. I don’t even recognize myself. I was also told it was non-related. I have very fair skin, this may have something to do with it. I feel some doctors are not educated on the side affects of some of these drugs. That’s why we have to educate ourselves. Just wanted you to know you are not alone.
Using flovent inhaler without a spacer would increase the oral deposition of the medicine. This may predispose one to those bumps on the skin around the lips. In article Nope, not on prednisone, and I don’t have a history of acne. In fact, I’ve always been complimented on my porcelain skin. That’s why this is a horrific experience for me. are you on prednisone also? because i take flovent and serevent, and only get the redness and welts when i’m on the prednisone also…
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Do you have a history of acne? PErhaps you have developed it and it is totally unrelated to the asthma. Two doctors tell me that the dozens of pimples/sores on my face are not related to Flovent, yet the Flovent insert mentions follicle infections as a rare side effect. It cleared up when I was on antibiotics for a sinus infection but it came right back. I went off Flovent for 2 weeks and saw minor improvement, but my asthma doc said I could not be on Serevent without being on Flovent, so I had to go back on Flovent. He wants me to wean off both eventually, if possible. In the meantime, I’m using an antibiotic ointment called MetroGel on my face, but it only controls the severity of the welts; it doesn’t make it go away. Anybody have a similar experience? Any hope?
– Yatin J Patel MD http://md4lungs.com If you have asthma, this is your home. Join Dr. Patel every wednesday 7 PM Indiana Time for online chats. Before you buy.
are you on prednisone also? because i take flovent and serevent, and only get the redness and welts when i’m on the prednisone also…
Nope, not on prednisone, and I don’t have a history of acne. In fact, I’ve always been complimented on my porcelain skin. That’s why this is a horrific experience for me. are you on prednisone also? because i take flovent and serevent, and only get the redness and welts when i’m on the prednisone also… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Do you have a history of acne? PErhaps you have developed it and it is totally unrelated to the asthma. Two doctors tell me that the dozens of pimples/sores on my face are not related to Flovent, yet the Flovent insert mentions follicle infections as a rare side effect. It cleared up when I was on antibiotics for a sinus infection but it came right back. I went off Flovent for 2 weeks and saw minor improvement, but my asthma doc said I could not be on Serevent without being on Flovent, so I had to go back on Flovent. He wants me to wean off both eventually, if possible. In the meantime, I’m using an antibiotic ointment called MetroGel on my face, but it only controls the severity of the welts; it doesn’t make it go away. Anybody have a similar experience? Any hope?
Do you have a history of acne? PErhaps you have developed it and it is totally unrelated to the asthma. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Two doctors tell me that the dozens of pimples/sores on my face are not related to Flovent, yet the Flovent insert mentions follicle infections as a rare side effect. It cleared up when I was on antibiotics for a sinus infection but it came right back. I went off Flovent for 2 weeks and saw minor improvement, but my asthma doc said I could not be on Serevent without being on Flovent, so I had to go back on Flovent. He wants me to wean off both eventually, if possible. In the meantime, I’m using an antibiotic ointment called MetroGel on my face, but it only controls the severity of the welts; it doesn’t make it go away. Anybody have a similar experience? Any hope?
Two doctors tell me that the dozens of pimples/sores on my face are not related to Flovent, yet the Flovent insert mentions follicle infections as a rare side effect. It cleared up when I was on antibiotics for a sinus infection but it came right back. I went off Flovent for 2 weeks and saw minor improvement, but my asthma doc said I could not be on Serevent without being on Flovent, so I had to go back on Flovent. He wants me to wean off both eventually, if possible. In the meantime, I’m using an antibiotic ointment called MetroGel on my face, but it only controls the severity of the welts; it doesn’t make it go away. Anybody have a similar experience? Any hope?
I had these symptoms and after blood tests it was determined that I was anemic. Some nights I got very little sleep because of the intense "charley horses" in my legs. After three months of consuming ferrous sulfate 4 times a day I have relief. Kitty disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. …. Has anyone – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
I had these symptoms and after blood tests it was determined that I was anemic. Some nights I got very little sleep because of the intense "charley horses" in my legs. After three months of consuming ferrous sulfate 4 times a day I have relief. Kitty disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. …. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
I had identical problems for a couple of months. My pulmonologist put me on a very high dose of Flovent and a standard dose of Serevent. I had experienced leg cramps when on oral prednisone in the past and the high dose of inhaled Flovent was affecting me in the same way. To compound the problem, I learned that Serevent can deplete potassium, so there was another potential source of leg cramps. Fortunately, my asthma improved, so I’m now on a much lower dose of Flovent. I also take a potassium tablet every other day. The leg cramps are gone but I’m going to check things out with my GP during my annual physical this month. It seems that the pulmonologist’s sole goal was to get rid of the asthma symptoms with little regard for the rest of my body.
I tried calcium salt, potassium and magnesium without relief. I was up most of the night two nights ago with intense repeat cramps in both feet, the calves, hand and elbow. I was really in pain, perhaps due to the potassium and bananas I had been taking all week. I’ll try iron supplements instead. I gave blood 10 days ago, so that explanation makes sense to me. Thanks!! Peggy I had these symptoms and after blood tests it was determined that I was anemic. Some nights I got very little sleep because of the intense "charley horses" in my legs. After three months of consuming ferrous sulfate 4 times a day I have relief. Kitty disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. …. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
– To reply, remove the asterisk in asterisk.
Other and more tasty potassium sources: bananas, tomato-based juices…
: I have found that potassium tablets help me with this problem. The bottle : tells the dosage to take. : : My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often : disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to : take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone : else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? : : Sleepless in San Antonio : I had the same problem, which disappeared when I stopped taking : Serevent. The PDR lists muscle cramps as one of the adverse reactions : associated with Serevent. Jeff. : : — Murray Stone phone: (403) 486-5146 fax: (403) 483-7791 snailmail: 616-21, 10405 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, AB, T5J 3S2 Canada
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio I had the same problem, which disappeared when I stopped taking Serevent. The PDR lists muscle cramps as one of the adverse reactions associated with Serevent. Jeff. Yep, I’ll go with the Serevent as well. The leaflet does list cramps as a side effect. For me the cramps are worth the relief that Serevent gives me. Remove the spam from address if replying by email
I also was taking Flovent,Severent, and Accolate along with Flonase. I too was experiencing the severe cramps. I discontinued the Accolate and have had the problem no more. Cramps are also listed as an Accolate side effect. I must have been one of those people that Accolate does not work for as I can tell no difference in my condition.
Yes I had bad leg cramps when I used Aerobid and Serevent at the same time, my Doctor said this is a known side effect of combining Serevent with some other meds, it does happen , though it is a rare. She should talk to her doctor again. I had to be removed from the Serevent and had to take Pedisone to fight off the effects. Of course DO NOT STOP any meds without first talking with your Doctor. Dave Hereid – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy?
My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
Steroids can cause those symptoms, but they can also be caused by other things. One of the most common causes is a lack of potassium. My husband, the non-asthmatic in the family 
, had the same problems. A banana or orange a day cured them. Chris Owens
Try having her drink a glass of tonic water. It has quinine in it that is an antispasmodic and has worked for me for years. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
I had the same problem, which disappeared when I stopped taking Serevent. The PDR lists muscle cramps as one of the adverse reactions associated with Serevent. Jeff.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio Steroids can cause those symptoms, but they can also be caused by other things. One of the most common causes is a lack of potassium. My husband, the non-asthmatic in the family , had the same problems. A banana or orange a day cured them. Chris Owens
I have severe muscle cramps often when tapering from Prednisone. during those times, I take extra calcium (Prednisone depelets it). A previous message mentions tonic water. I often find it helps to drink orange juice mixed into tonic water. That combines potassium with quinine, both of which can help with the muscle cramps that can’t be walked off or stretched out.
My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. I had the same problem, which disappeared when I stopped taking Serevent. The PDR lists muscle cramps as one of the adverse reactions associated with Serevent. Jeff.
Yes … if you read the data sheet with Serevent carefully, you’ll discover the cause of the cramps … Serevent actually works to deplete potassium from your body. Since I started using Serevent I’ve also started drinking orange for breakfast every day and tomato or V8 juice for lunch. This seems to fix the problem for me. — Don Faatz |
I have found that potassium tablets help me with this problem. The bottle tells the dosage to take. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio I had the same problem, which disappeared when I stopped taking Serevent. The PDR lists muscle cramps as one of the adverse reactions associated with Serevent. Jeff.
Try having her drink a glass of tonic water. It has quinine in it that is an antispasmodic and has worked for me for years.
Should it include Gin? My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
– Surfer! To e-mail change ww to w in ‘Reply to’
My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio I had the same problem, which disappeared when I stopped taking Serevent. The PDR lists muscle cramps as one of the adverse reactions associated with Serevent. Jeff.
Yep, I’ll go with the Serevent as well. The leaflet does list cramps as a side effect. For me the cramps are worth the relief that Serevent gives me. Remove the spam from address if replying by email
I don’t know that the medication is actually connected to this. I also have had the pain and cramping in my legs over the years but even before I started any asthma meds. I do take the same meds she takes now and don’t have much problem with it anymore. In the past, potassium helped me. Now I use valerian. I took it every night for a week and now I take it a couple of nights a week. I’d try either or both but not at the same time. There are medications that can also help with this but you need to talk to her doctor about it. The sleep disorders unit at a local hospital may be able to give you some information as well. Loki – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
My wife takes Flovent, Serevent and Accolate. Her sleep is often disturbed by pain and muscle cramps in her legs. The doctor said to take calcium, and that has helped a little, but not much. Has anyone else had this experience, and does anyone know of a remedy? Sleepless in San Antonio
I doubt any of the 3 asthma drugs is implicated but Accolate might be a long shot possibility if cramps started after adding Accolate. Here are some references on muscle cramps in legs. http://www.healthnet.ivi.com/bh/cond/ailments/htm/musclec.htm "CAUSES Muscles contract or lengthen in response to electrical signals from nerves; minerals such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium, which surround and permeate muscle cells, play a key role in the transmission of these signals. Imbalances in those minerals
I have had asthma since birth, and it was primarily caused by seasonal allergies. ….. in the past year have virtually eliminated my asthma and use of all prescription drugs by using some mega-quality supplements, followed by huge doses of vitamin C and anti-oxidants and grape seed extract……
That sounds like me except I’ve kept a pretty serious regimen of vitamins and exercise without the same auspicious results. I was able to quit taking prescription drugs and inhalers due to a certain non-prescription medication called Haysma. That is until it suddenly dissapeared completely from the shelves of every store (it was sold in most regular grocery stores as well as drug stores) in Salt Lake City. From what I’ve been unofficially informed, it was banned in S.L. & maybe all of Utah because somebody in our LDS-influenced legislature thought it contained harmful substances, esp. caffeine. This isn’t the first time something that is practically benign in the "real" world was 86′d by our gov. Except this time it has caused me to either put up with attacks or go back to the horrible prescription drugs and/or inhalers I thought I was free from. I’m quite sure that Haysma–there’s probably other comparable products, but this is the only one ever sold around here; because it was supposed to be harmless–is not banned anywhere else. The company, also called Haysma Inc, is still going strong according to the stock market reports. So if anyone out there in non-Mormon land knows where or how I can find it, I’d greatly appreciate an e-mail. Thanks, Mike S.W.
That sounds like me except I’ve kept a pretty serious regimen of vitamins and exercise without the same auspicious results. I was able to quit taking prescription drugs and inhalers due to a certain non-prescription medication called Haysma. That is until it suddenly dissapeared completely from the shelves of every store (it was sold in most regular grocery stores as well as drug stores) in Salt Lake City. From what I’ve been unofficially informed, it was banned in S.L. & maybe all of Utah because somebody in our LDS-influenced legislature thought it contained harmful substances, esp. caffeine.
According to a quick search I did haysma is listed as containing ephedrine. The drug ephedrine has been associated with so many serious and fatal reactions that the FDA proposed strict limits on its usage. These limits would have effectively banned many OTC and ‘alternative’ remedies. (These limits were dropped by the FDA after Congressional pressure.) Due to the presence of known dangers and the ability of lobbyists to prevent federal safety standards, many states have adopted the proposed FDA safety standards on their own. BTW, mixing ephedrine and caffeine is a very, very bad idea. If haysma does in fact contain both then it is a good thing it was removed from the shelves. "Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea — massive, diffucult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." Gene Spafford 1992
Another option for manufacturers is to petition FDA, asking the agency to establish the conditions under which the new dietary ingredient would reasonably be expected to be safe. To date, FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has received no such petitions. Under DSHEA, once a dietary supplement is marketed, FDA has the responsibility for showing that a dietary supplement is unsafe before it can take action to restrict the product’s use. This was the case when, in June 1997, FDA proposed, among other things, to limit the amount of ephedrine alkaloids in dietary supplements (marketed as ephedra, Ma huang, Chinese ephedra, and epitonin, for example) and provide warnings to consumers about hazards associated with use of dietary supplements containing the ingredients. The hazards ranged from nervousness, dizziness, and changes in blood pressure and heart rate to chest pain, heart attack, hepatitis, stroke, seizures, psychosis, and death. The proposal stemmed from FDA’s review of adverse event reports it had received, scientific literature, and public comments. FDA has received many comments on the 1997 proposal and was reviewing them at press time. Besides FDA, individual states can take steps to restrict or stop the sale of potentially harmful dietary supplements within their jurisdictions. For example, Florida has banned some ephedra-containing products, and other states have said they are considering similar action. Also, the industry strives to regulate itself, the Council for Responsible Nutrition’s Cordaro says. He cites the GMPs that his trade group and others developed for their member companies. FDA is reviewing these GMPs as it considers whether to pursue mandatory industry-wide GMPs. Another example of self-regulation, Cordaro says, is the voluntary use of a warning about ephedra products that his organization drafted. He says that about 90 percent of U.S. manufacturers of products containing ephedra alkaloids now use this warning label. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1998/598_guid.html Ephedra As you know, on June 4, 1997, FDA published in the Federal Register a proposed rule on Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedrine Alkaloids (62 FR 30678). There are a variety of opinions about the proposed rule and the direction the Agency should take. One cannot dispute, however, the shear volume of the reports of illness and injuries that FDA received reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplements suspected to contain ephedrine alkaloids. Between 1993 and mid-1996, FDA received about 1,600 AER’s reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplement products in general. Of these, over half of the AER’s were reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplements that contained, or were suspected to contain, ephedrine alkaloids. These adverse events tended to involve cardiovascular system effects and nervous system effects. FDA evaluated these reports and found that the single most common element was that the products contained, or were thought to contain, a source of ephedrine alkaloids (62 FR 30679). FDA used the information available in the approximately 600 AER’s that were in the Agency’s possession as of June 7, 1996, to describe patterns associated with these reports. A review of the demographic information showed that in over half of the reported adverse events, the injured party was under 40 years of age. Almost 75 percent of the adverse events were reported to occur in females, often using products promoted for weight loss (62 FR 30683). About 59 percent of the adverse events were reported to occur within 4 weeks of starting to use the product. About 14 percent of the reported adverse events occurred on the first day of using the dietary supplement and, in a few cases, on the initial use (62 FR 30684). Overall, the reported signs and symptoms associated with these AER’s included those in which clinically serious events occurred, including heart attack, stroke, psychoses, seizure, and in a few cases, death, as well as those with less clinical significance, including rapid and irregular heart rhythms, increased blood pressure, anxiety, nervousness, tremor, hyperactivity, and insomnia (62 FR 30683). The Agency recognized that these reports could be indicative of early warnings of serious cardiovascular or nervous system risks if product use were to continue. Notably, the information from these adverse events revealed consistent patterns of signs and symptoms in both healthy individuals and in those with underlying diseases or conditions. Many of these reported signs and symptoms occurred in young adults who generally would not have been expected to be at high risk for such conditions (e.g., heart attack and stroke). Included were the deaths of two young adult males in which the medical examiners attributed the cause of death to ephedrine toxicity (ARMS Nos. 10862 and 11134 at 62 FR 30720 and 30722, respectively). In some cases, particular events appeared to reflect individual sensitivities related to dose levels, frequency, or duration of use of ephedrine alkaloids (62 FR 30684). As depicted in Chart C, the ephedra AER’s generated an important "signal", but were just one small component (the "tip of the iceberg") of FDA’s overall analysis of the potential public health risk associated with this product. To better understand the nature and types of products associated with these AER’s, FDA conducted a review of the marketplace (62 FR 30679). Over a two-year period, FDA collected and analyzed over 25 dietary supplement products labeled as containing a known source of ephedrine alkaloids. FDA also searched the scientific literature for relevant clinical studies, case reports, and the expected physiologic and pharmacologic effects. In addition, FDA also convened an ad hoc working group of its Food Advisory Committee (Working Group) and its Food Advisory Committee to consider the public health problems associated with the use of ephedrine alkaloid-containing dietary supplements (62 FR 30680). In the proposed rule, FDA requested comments containing data, particularly clinical data, on the safety of the use of ephedrine alkaloids in dietary supplements. (62 FR 30694). As noted above, while the AER’s served as the warning signal of potential hazard associated with the use of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids, the Agency’s evaluation of those hazards was comprised of multiple sources of scientific information. This evaluation included the AER’s, a search of the scientific literature, published case reports, controlled clinical studies, and published reports of adverse events associated with traditional uses of ephedrine alkaloids. All of these sources of scientific information revealed a consistent pattern of cardiovascular and nervous system effects associated with ephedrine alkaloids. That view was affirmed by FDA’s Food Advisory Committee. http://www.fda.gov/ola/aems599.html
I have had asthma since birth, and it was primarily caused by seasonal allergies. It did however flare up at any time, often linked to strenuous exertion, temperature changes and stress. I have been on Tedral, Beclovent, Salbutamol, Ventolin and Flovent. I am now 40, and in the past year have virtually eliminated my asthma and use of all prescription drugs by using some mega-quality supplements, followed by huge doses of vitamin C and anti-oxidants and grape seed extract. The daily vitamin C doses for me (that my body can tolerate without any effects) are around 5000 milligrams. That can vary from person to person. I also made some minor diet changes in cutting back on dairy products and red meat. Hope this information helps. Eric
Does anyone else find doctor visits nerve wracking and depressing, especially when you have to go because you’re feeling worse?
Oh YES! I think it comes after years of having hope built up and then shattered. I also worry that the doctors are as frustrated with me as *I* am. I worry they will send me to psychiatry. ((((((Elahn One))))))) Debbie <<
Does anyone else find doctor visits nerve wracking and depressing, especially when you have to go because you’re feeling worse?
Yes, and also add to that extremely frustrating when you feel that they are saying to themseles, I wish this person would just go away, we are running out of options… Kristen Leigh
Yes, and also add to that extremely frustrating when you feel that they are saying to themseles, I wish this person would just go away, we are running out of options… Kristen Leigh
Some of you may know my long saga with my HMO and the hospital I work with. I won’t repeat it here, but my primary care doc, who also happens to be the first person to treat my asthma years ago has really turned on me. I tried a few other primary docs within the group I have to choose from and had such horrid experiences, that I finally went back to my old doc. He knows I changed around on him and he has been a real pill this last few months even when calling for routine refills on prescriptions. A few months ago, I called to schedule an appointment to discuss taking up scuba diving. He would not even see me. He just had his nurse call back and say "Absolutely NOT! No one with asthma should scuba dive." I have since found out this is an old school of thought and I "might" be able to take it up. Then, I called for a refill on Serevent and Flovent – my asthma meds and just asked if I could try Singulair instead as I had heard it was better for migraine patients. He said "You heard wrong." No explanations. Now I would really like to go in and discuss a trial of Topamax instead of waiting for my insurance change to take effect later this year which will allow me to go to a doctor that I choose. My migraines are escalating once again and I am absolutely terrified of talking to this guy. He is the gatekeeper for any referrals I might get. The only neuro he is allowed to refer me to is a buddy of his that put me on Depakote and kept upping the dose in spite of my saying the tremors were getting bad. He never once mentioned checking liver function tests. Finally during a scheduled appointment that he was called away on, another neuro in the group caught the Depakote problem and took me off it – naturally, she has since left the group and moved out of state – due to difference of opinion. I hate this feeling of knowing my doctor thinks I am a total waste of his time. He sighs and shakes his head and the last time I was in his office was when he told me I was just depressed and he could not help me. I have since been told differently by a psychiatrist and counselor I went to because of this doctor visit. I feel so helpless and I hate it. Red
Red: I really feel for you. So sorry you’re having to go through all this. Doctors can be such jerks at times. A necessary evil. I think they get insecure when we know more than they do. I will say a special prayer for you tonight. Take Care. Love, Caroline.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yes, and also add to that extremely frustrating when you feel that they are saying to themseles, I wish this person would just go away, we are running out of options… Kristen Leigh Some of you may know my long saga with my HMO and the hospital I work with. I won’t repeat it here, but my primary care doc, who also happens to be the first person to treat my asthma years ago has really turned on me. I tried a few other primary docs within the group I have to choose from and had such horrid experiences, that I finally went back to my old doc. He knows I changed around on him and he has been a real pill this last few months even when calling for routine refills on prescriptions. A few months ago, I called to schedule an appointment to discuss taking up scuba diving. He would not even see me. He just had his nurse call back and say "Absolutely NOT! No one with asthma should scuba dive." I have since found out this is an old school of thought and I "might" be able to take it up. Then, I called for a refill on Serevent and Flovent – my asthma meds and just asked if I could try Singulair instead as I had heard it was better for migraine patients. He said "You heard wrong." No explanations. Now I would really like to go in and discuss a trial of Topamax instead of waiting for my insurance change to take effect later this year which will allow me to go to a doctor that I choose. My migraines are escalating once again and I am absolutely terrified of talking to this guy. He is the gatekeeper for any referrals I might get. The only neuro he is allowed to refer me to is a buddy of his that put me on Depakote and kept upping the dose in spite of my saying the tremors were getting bad. He never once mentioned checking liver function tests. Finally during a scheduled appointment that he was called away on, another neuro in the group caught the Depakote problem and took me off it – naturally, she has since left the group and moved out of state – due to difference of opinion. I hate this feeling of knowing my doctor thinks I am a total waste of his time. He sighs and shakes his head and the last time I was in his office was when he told me I was just depressed and he could not help me. I have since been told differently by a psychiatrist and counselor I went to because of this doctor visit. I feel so helpless and I hate it. Red
Many a patient is better informed and actually smarter than their doctor(s). They’re probably afraid of being manipulated on some level.
One of the things that vexes me the most about doctor visits is the lectures they give me when I have to cancel an appt due to a raging (10+) migraine….they always tell me that that’s the best time to come in. They don’t seem to understand that when the pain reaches that level, the thought of being jostled about in a car for 20 minutes, only to wait for over 2 hours in a loud brightly lit room, to see the doc for 15 minutes can exacerbate the pain to the point where I want to cry or scream or collapse and puke my guts out. And considering how stressful and infuriorating doc visits can be, that’s the last thing I need at such a point. Raven "Don’t think of it as dying, think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush."
Why do they think it’s a good time to go in? I always feel like my dr is vexed with me because I can’t focus on the question and I give fuzzy answers, and then I can’t remember most of the visit anyway. Seems like a waste of both of our times. Oh and there is the lovely "shining of the pen light in your eyes thingy!" I’m with you Raven. Dawn – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – One of the things that vexes me the most about doctor visits is the lectures they give me when I have to cancel an appt due to a raging (10+) migraine….they always tell me that that’s the best time to come in. They don’t seem to understand that when the pain reaches that level, the thought of being jostled about in a car for 20 minutes, only to wait for over 2 hours in a loud brightly lit room, to see the doc for 15 minutes can exacerbate the pain to the point where I want to cry or scream or collapse and puke my guts out. And considering how stressful and infuriorating doc visits can be, that’s the last thing I need at such a point. Raven "Don’t think of it as dying, think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush."
I went to the ER once for a migraine cause it was the worst one I’ve ever had. They gave me my first Imitrex injection. I couldn’t take anything else because of the vomiting. It was horrible. Riding in the car, motion sickness added to the nausea. Then when I got to the brightly lit hospital, there were babies crying…loud. I was filling out paperwork FIRST before I could see the doc and I had to leave in the middle of the paperwork to go puke for the 3rd time! Then I had to go back and finish the paperwork and I finally saw a doctor.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Why do they think it’s a good time to go in? I always feel like my dr is vexed with me because I can’t focus on the question and I give fuzzy answers, and then I can’t remember most of the visit anyway. Seems like a waste of both of our times. Oh and there is the lovely "shining of the pen light in your eyes thingy!" I’m with you Raven. Dawn One of the things that vexes me the most about doctor visits is the lectures they give me when I have to cancel an appt due to a raging (10+) migraine….they always tell me that that’s the best time to come in. They don’t seem to understand that when the pain reaches that level, the thought of being jostled about in a car for 20 minutes, only to wait for over 2 hours in a loud brightly lit room, to see the doc for 15 minutes can exacerbate the pain to the point where I want to cry or scream or collapse and puke my guts out. And considering how stressful and infuriorating doc visits can be, that’s the last thing I need at such a point. Raven "Don’t think of it as dying, think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush."
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My anxiety/panic attacks are actually a lot better than they use to be. My depression isn’t as intense as it was say a couple of months ago either. Right now, my biggest problem seems to be obsessive thoughts that I cannot get out of my mind. For example, I called a lady friend of mine night before last and she still hasn’t called me back. She normally calls be back shortly after I call her. This evening I have gotten myself all worked up about her not calling, thinking that she doesn’t like me anymore or is mad at me about something. Does anyone else experience this obsessive type of thinking? Is it part of anxiety or is it possibly a deeper problem? Take care and happy Easter. Yes. A thought goes through my mind and it circulates and intensifies and it becomes very hard to get rid of. At times the thoughts are very positive obsessions (now that the Zoloft is lifting the depression); other times they are negative obsessions. It could be part of anxiety or depression IMO. The Zoloft has merely transferred them more often to the "positive zone." Of course, you constantly have to work to break those negative cycles. Don’t simmer on anything but positive obsessions.
Hello Marie, Thanks for your reply. Obsessing about things is a big problem with me. It seems everyday I am obsessing about some new thought or worry. I have been really bad for this for about six years now. Sometimes I’ll get so worked up I’ll be just beside myself and don’t know what to do. When I get like this Seroquel PRN seems to be really helpful. Anyways, thanks again for your reply. Take care. Chris Hecker
Hello group, I have been struggling with anxiety pretty much my entire adult life. In addition to anxiety I also suffer from depression, possibly bi-polar. The meds that I am curently on are Effexor XR- 150 mg Seroquel – 50 mg HS Inderal (to counteract shaking caused by my meds) 40 mg Lithium carbonate – 600 mg HS My anxiety/panic attacks are actually a lot better than they use to be. My depression isn’t as intense as it was say a couple of months ago either. Right now, my biggest problem seems to be obsessive thoughts that I cannot get out of my mind. For example, I called a lady friend of mine night before last and she still hasn’t called me back. She normally calls be back shortly after I call her. This evening I have gotten myself all worked up about her not calling, thinking that she doesn’t like me anymore or is mad at me about something. Does anyone else experience this obsessive type of thinking? Is it part of anxiety or is it possibly a deeper problem? Take care and happy Easter. Chris H. Internet Security 101 – http://www.internetsecurity101.net
My anxiety/panic attacks are actually a lot better than they use to be. My depression isn’t as intense as it was say a couple of months ago either. Right now, my biggest problem seems to be obsessive thoughts that I cannot get out of my mind. For example, I called a lady friend of mine night before last and she still hasn’t called me back. She normally calls be back shortly after I call her. This evening I have gotten myself all worked up about her not calling, thinking that she doesn’t like me anymore or is mad at me about something. Does anyone else experience this obsessive type of thinking? Is it part of anxiety or is it possibly a deeper problem? Take care and happy Easter.
Yes. A thought goes through my mind and it circulates and intensifies and it becomes very hard to get rid of. At times the thoughts are very positive obsessions (now that the Zoloft is lifting the depression); other times they are negative obsessions. It could be part of anxiety or depression IMO. The Zoloft has merely transferred them more often to the "positive zone." Of course, you constantly have to work to break those negative cycles. Don’t simmer on anything but positive obsessions.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -question wrote:
I am a 21 year old male suffering from Social Phobia. I’ve tried drugs in the past, mostly SSRI’s, with no real success. Some of the drugs I’ve tried I went off immediatly due to sexual side effects, mostly inability to feel pleasure while masturbating. The most recent drug, Zoloft, I went off due to the sexual side effect after 6-8 weeks. The sexual side effect had occured almost immediatly but I stayed on it for a little while. After the drug was out of my system I still felt like I wasn’t getting pleasure like I used to. I also see that I am less interested in masturbating that I used to be. (No sexual partners involved, due to social phobia and all) Can these drugs have permanent effects on a person’s sexuality when you are off them? The psychiatrist I used to see recommended that I go on the drugs even with the side effect to deal with my social problem. A this point, I might have to consider it. Sidenote: The drugs I’ve had sexual side effects with are Effexor and Zoloft.
(Sadly), the sexual side effects with Effexor wear off pretty quickly (personally, I’m hoping for an anti depressant that causes me to lose all interested in sex, now that would be something). Without benzos in addition to it, sex drive will go back to normal in say 4 to 6 weeks whereas time to orgasm stays higher but it’s definitely possible after the first few weeks to get there.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -questionfor2…@yahoo.com (question) wrote in message <news:7fcdbfb4.0310192029.2f9937db@posting.google.com
… I am a 21 year old male suffering from Social Phobia. I’ve tried drugs in the past, mostly SSRI’s, with no real success. Some of the drugs I’ve tried I went off immediatly due to sexual side effects, mostly inability to feel pleasure while masturbating. The most recent drug, Zoloft, I went off due to the sexual side effect after 6-8 weeks. The sexual side effect had occured almost immediatly but I stayed on it for a little while. After the drug was out of my system I still felt like I wasn’t getting pleasure like I used to. I also see that I am less interested in masturbating that I used to be. (No sexual partners involved, due to social phobia and all) Can these drugs have permanent effects on a person’s sexuality when you are off them? The psychiatrist I used to see recommended that I go on the drugs even with the side effect to deal with my social problem. A this point, I might have to consider it. Sidenote: The drugs I’ve had sexual side effects with are Effexor and Zoloft. Any info would be appreciated.
i think it’s unlikely your side effects are permanent, because i experienced them continuously while taking paxil–we’re talking about a period of years–but as soon as i switched to lexapro the side effects were vastly reduced. besides lexapro, the other ssri to consider, as crackwalker pointed out, is luvox. when i decided to switch from paxil at the insistence of my new girlfriend, i told my MD i want to switch to luvox, but he said, oh no, take lexapro, so i did and the results have been excellent, although your mileage may vary. btw, if you’re curious about lexapro vis-a-vis luvox, luvox has been around much longer than lexapro, so presumably it’s not as effective as ssri’s go. lexapro, according to what i read, which might be pharm. co. propaganda, is a modified form of celexa. celexa basically contained two active components, only one of which is the ssri, so they deleted the other component that presumably caused lots of side effects to produce lexapro. good luck.
I am a 21 year old male suffering from Social Phobia. I’ve tried drugs in the past, mostly SSRI’s, with no real success. Some of the drugs I’ve tried I went off immediatly due to sexual side effects, mostly inability to feel pleasure while masturbating. The most recent drug, Zoloft, I went off due to the sexual side effect after 6-8 weeks. The sexual side effect had occured almost immediatly but I stayed on it for a little while. After the drug was out of my system I still felt like I wasn’t getting pleasure like I used to. I also see that I am less interested in masturbating that I used to be. (No sexual partners involved, due to social phobia and all) Can these drugs have permanent effects on a person’s sexuality when you are off them? The psychiatrist I used to see recommended that I go on the drugs even with the side effect to deal with my social problem. A this point, I might have to consider it. Sidenote: The drugs I’ve had sexual side effects with are Effexor and Zoloft. Any info would be appreciated.
Hi I would try a.. Luvox/Fluvoxamine Its the only med in the ssri category I can’t find anything on sexual dysfunction Crackwalker’ "question" <questionfor2…@yahoo.com
wrote in message
news:7fcdbfb4.0310192029.2f9937db@posting.google.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
Any info would be appreciated.
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.
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.
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. :<
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
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi there i take xanax 0.5mgs 4 x day..I just started celexa today to hel p with the obsessive thought patterns i seem to get into…I started at 10mgs..I understand i am supposed to ween off xanax..but by how much?? Tonight i am going to cut my usual pill in half making my daily dose .25 less then regular..how long should i maintain this before reducing more?? My shrink is on holidays and i finally got up enough courage to try a new med….sheesh shitty timing on my part.. also is it ok to advil for headaches while on these meds? I also take 40mgs a day of propanolol…thanks Shannon oh and please dont tell me bad stuff about celexa like side effects etc..or else i will think i have them and stop the meds….please only good stuff Thanks
Shannon, You shouldn’t wean off Xanax while weaning on Celexa. Xanax helps you avoiding initial Celexa side effects which you’re so afraid of. So you’d better wait till Celexa is working properly. You can take Advil for headaches with your other meds but it might be a good question to consider whether your headache is’t an anxiety symptom too which may disappear when the Celexa will have kicked in (which may take a while, up to eight weeks although beneficial effect may come much earlier). Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – —
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi there i take xanax 0.5mgs 4 x day..I just started celexa today to hel p with the obsessive thought patterns i seem to get into…I started at 10mgs..I understand i am supposed to ween off xanax..but by how much?? Tonight i am going to cut my usual pill in half making my daily dose .25 less then regular..how long should i maintain this before reducing more?? My shrink is on holidays and i finally got up enough courage to try a new med….sheesh shitty timing on my part.. also is it ok to advil for headaches while on these meds? I also take 40mgs a day of propanolol…thanks Shannon oh and please dont tell me bad stuff about celexa like side effects etc..or else i will think i have them and stop the meds….please only good stuff Thanks
Shannon – I’ll start with the positive report that I’ve been on Zoloft (another SSRI like Celexa) for 10 weeks with no big problems with side-effects…I have another friend who’s fiancee is on Celexa and loves it! Also, I’ve been on Xanax and Zoloft the entire time and have taken Advil several times with no problems… As far as the Xanax weening, take your time…I was taking .25 mg/ 6 times a day…I am now down to three…First things first, I would not reduce your Xanax for at least several weeks so that you have time to adjust to the Celexa and see some results (the AD’s will not do anything for several weeks). From my doctor’s advice and my own experience I recommend the following to ensure no problems: Reduce your intake by no more than .25 mg/week…The best thing to do is to stop taking it first at times when you normally feel least anxious (for me the bedtime dose went first)…Also, DON’T feel like you must adhere to your reduced dosage…If you are having breakthrough problems (as per me the last few days), I’ve found you are much better off taking the extra dose that day so that you don’t aggrevate your situation…You should be able to go to your reduced dose as soon as your breakthrough ends… Hope this all helps… — Charles Phipps
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi there i take xanax 0.5mgs 4 x day..I just started celexa today to hel p with the obsessive thought patterns i seem to get into…I started at 10mgs..I understand i am supposed to ween off xanax..but by how much?? Shannon oh and please dont tell me bad stuff about celexa like side effects etc..or else i will think i have them and stop the meds….please only good stuff Thanks Shannon – I’ll start with the positive report that I’ve been on Zoloft (another SSRI like Celexa) for 10 weeks with no big problems with side-effects…I have another friend who’s fiancee is on Celexa and loves it! Also, I’ve been on Xanax and Zoloft the entire time and have taken Advil several times with no problems… As far as the Xanax weening, take your time…I was taking .25 mg/ 6 times a day…I am now down to three…First things first, I would not reduce your Xanax for at least several weeks so that you have time to adjust to the Celexa and see some results (the AD’s will not do anything for several weeks). From my doctor’s advice and my own experience I recommend the following to ensure no problems: Reduce your intake by no more than .25 mg/week…The best thing to do is to stop taking it first at times when you normally feel least anxious (for me the bedtime dose went first)…Also, DON’T feel like you must adhere to your reduced dosage…If you are having breakthrough problems (as per me the last few days), I’ve found you are much better off taking the extra dose that day so that you don’t aggrevate your situation…You should be able to go to your reduced dose as soon as your breakthrough ends… Hope this all helps… — Charles Phipps
Hi Shannon! I’m only 6 weeks ahead of you! Just Xanax and Celexa-not the other one. I didn’t even discuss weaning for the 1st 4 weeks when everything started kicking in with the Celexa. My doc said I’d probably "know" when it was time and she was right. Now that the Celexa is working, the Xanax actually works like it does for people without panic-I get too sleepy! And like Charles, I’ve had moments or a day when I had to take that extra .25mg after not having it-just try to go with the flow, which will probably be your mood eventually anyway. Just take it a day at a time. BTW, I was on 3mgs a day total of Xanax for almost 3 years-I’m down to 2.25mgs a day and everythings been just fine. Celexa does work well. Try to get back to me when you want to know about any of the less pretty aspects…most were transient and not bad at all. I thought it was helpful to find people who had the same reactions. Otherwise, I think I would have been more paranoid. Let me know. Denise – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Hi there i take xanax 0.5mgs 4 x day..I just started celexa today to hel p with the obsessive thought patterns i seem to get into…I started at 10mgs..I understand i am supposed to ween off xanax..but by how much?? Tonight i am going to cut my usual pill in half making my daily dose .25 less then regular..how long should i maintain this before reducing more?? My shrink is on holidays and i finally got up enough courage to try a new med….sheesh shitty timing on my part.. also is it ok to advil for headaches while on these meds? I also take 40mgs a day of propanolol…thanks Shannon oh and please dont tell me bad stuff about celexa like side effects etc..or else i will think i have them and stop the meds….please only good stuff Thanks — Shannon the Barbarian ~*Note To Self : Never, ever post to a Newsgroup again without Headgear and Full Body Armor*~
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi there i take xanax 0.5mgs 4 x day..I just started celexa today to hel p with the obsessive thought patterns i seem to get into…I started at 10mgs..I understand i am supposed to ween off xanax..but by how much?? Tonight i am going to cut my usual pill in half making my daily dose .25 less then regular..how long should i maintain this before reducing more?? My shrink is on holidays and i finally got up enough courage to try a new med….sheesh shitty timing on my part.. also is it ok to advil for headaches while on these meds? I also take 40mgs a day of propanolol…thanks Shannon oh and please dont tell me bad stuff about celexa like side effects etc..or else i will think i have them and stop the meds….please only good stuff Thanks
Hi Shannon, In my opinion this is not the time to be weaning off your Xanax. Most people while weaning on a anti-depressant use a benzo to help them. If you start getting funny physical sensations, you might blame the Celexa when it is really being caused by weaning off Xanax. Who told you that you had to wean off Xanax? I really advise you against decreasing your Xanax dose as of this time. You need to talk to your therapist when he gets back from holiday. I do not recommend taking Advil with the Propanolol. I would call your doctor and discuss this with him. There is a possible interaction if you take the two, and that is a decreased anti-hypertensive effect of the Propanolol. Tylenol should be fine. I think I answered you questions without saying anything bad about the Celexa…..<G!!!! Good luck!! Jackie "Strange as it may seem, my life is based on a true story
I started trying to get pregnant. This is my first cycle without the Zoloft and I am due for AF any day now and I am soooooooo cranky and most of all sooooooooo sad all the time. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this? Today is so bad that I had to take my 2 yr old daughter over to my mom’s house because she doesn’t understand why I cry so much and it makes her so sad to see my crying. I feel like a total failure because I can’t even take care of the daughter I do have when I am like this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. KD Pearce remove the 4 before replying
Hi- It sounds as though maybe you are having zoloft withdrawal. Do you know a lot about this med? Did your doctor explain to you that zoloft is a strong anti depressant? Maybe you could benefit by taking something milder. Good luck to you.
as soon as I started trying (seriouly) to get pregnant 1.5 years ago my dr. took me off all meds. even the one for pms and it has been a huge ajustment and my poor husband and 4 year old are always the butt end of all my anger and sadness! My only suggestion is to ask your husband to help more. And ask your Re if you can take an over the counter drug for pms. they told me I could , but so far I have’nt. good luckMissy
Please help! I’m trying to find anyone who has any anecdotal evidence of the following symptoms after stopping Zoloft while on continuous HRT: -Almost symultaneous return of menses and all the lovely side effects, like cramps, bloating, sore breasts. -Nightmares and wakefulness, poor sleep -joint aches -PMS No other changes in medicine. Don’t want to go back on Zoloft because of other well-known unpleasant "side effect." Any evidence that Prozak or another similar could help symptoms without "side effect". While on HRT and Zoloft I experienced no periods and none of the above. My GYN has never heard of this and doesn’t believe there could be a connection. No other symptoms of withdrawal from Zoloft. He wanted to reduce Premarin dosage from .9 to .625. Did that–no improvement, but I may be too impatient. Any help or info, please let me know at ZKTN…@PRODIGY.COM. Thanks so much.
From: ZKTN…@prodigy.com (D Race)
Date: 26 Aug 1997 01:37:01 GMT Message-id: <5ttbvt$13dg$1@newssvr01-int.news.prodigy.com
Please help! I’m trying to find anyone who has any anecdotal evidence of the following symptoms after stopping Zoloft while on continuous HRT: -Almost symultaneous return of menses and all the lovely side effects, like cramps, bloating, sore breasts. -Nightmares and wakefulness, poor sleep -joint aches -PMS No other changes in medicine.<<< I don’t know if this will help, but, interestingly enough, I noticed that there’s a web site called something like "Ask A Woman Doctor". Anyway, I stumbled across it one time and there was info on various drugs, one was prozac, which, like zoloft, is an SRRI. The M.D. who has the web site ( of course, I don’t know if this is accurate info.. but you might try looking up the site) said that one rare side effect of prozac was ….. MENOPAUSE. So maybe there is some evidence somewhere that the SRRI’s can stop ovulation/ and/or menses. I don’t know, but I thought I’d share that with you.
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