Question:

Actually, you would be better off using herbs.  I’m not saying you should stop using your asthma inhalants, but take the herbs in addition to… After about a month, you will notice that you don’t really need all of the medication that you are taking. I have had asthma for fifty-two of my fifty-three years.

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currently, i am using flovent 110 mcg,2 puffs twice daily, serevent 2 puffs twice daily, and a nebulizer w/albuterol as needed. side effects from the flovent include sleeplessnes,  tremendous headaches that i am unable to remedy w/any medication, mood swings, and bruises that show up all over-with no injury to cause them. these occur when taking as little as 1 puff of the flovent 110 mcg, twice daily. my question is this, am i better off continuing the flovent and suffering the side effects; or, would i be better off avoiding all triggers, thereby curtailing the asthma attacks?

Avoiding triggers as much as possible is always a good idea.  So is going to your doctor, pointing out the side effects and lack of asthma control you are having, and trying another of the several medicines in the same class as Flovent to see if one of them works better. Chris Owens

Response:

      You mentioned using herbs…can you be a little more specific and mention the names of some of the herbs you have used, and what they help you with?       Thanks. *                                 *                         o                (((—O—)))   o         *                *                             *           * *                      *        *                                      O

Response:

Actually, you would be better off using herbs.  I’m not saying you should stop using your asthma inhalants, but take the herbs in addition to… After about a month, you will notice that you don’t really need all of the medication that you are taking. I have had asthma for fifty-two of my fifty-three years.

Let’s see, the difference between an herb and a formulary medication is:  The formulary is of known content, dosage, and purity.  The herb isn’t.  So, in addition to having a life-threatening illness, you are proposing that I play dosage/content roulette?  NO, thank you! Chris Owens

Response:

currently, i am using flovent 110 mcg,2 puffs twice daily, serevent 2 puffs twice daily, and a nebulizer w/albuterol as needed. side effects from the flovent include sleeplessnes,  tremendous headaches that i am unable to remedy w/any medication, mood swings, and bruises that show up all over-with no injury to cause them. these occur when taking as little as 1 puff of the flovent 110 mcg, twice daily. my question is this, am i better off continuing the flovent and suffering the side effects; or, would i be better off avoiding all triggers, thereby curtailing the asthma attacks? any information will be greatly appreciated. thanks! je meyer

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Question:

Hey Don, My running partner has asthma and routinely runs Ultra Marathons. If you write me I’ll forward your address with your permission to him. He might

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        Some meds such as Ventolin or sodium chromolyn are often prescriobed to be taken before exercise.  When I do hard runs, I hit the puffer.  On easy days, I usually do not (preference on my part). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone out there have advice for running with asthma.  I ran in highschool and my best times were around 16:30 for the 5K and 35 for the 10k and continued to run sporadically thru college . I got out of shape later in life and developed asthma, since then I have been running for a year and a half and can’t seem to get in shape or run faster than 7 minute pace, yet I’m only 33.  Mentally I know I’m capable of at least running close to those highschool times as I never really even did any speed work in hs and college, just went for long runs. Any advice please Frustrated runner

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Don, I have asthma and had used Ventolin for years (and Cromolyn and epinephrine and bronkaid and Prednisone and Beclovent and Beclofort and side-stream at the hospital and … on and on and on), since I was 18 (I am now 45), up until last fall. I then consulted another lung specialist. He categorized me as "severely asthmatic" and put me on two new meds; Serevent (2 puffs x 2 daily) and Flovent (2 puffs x 2 daily). Since then, almost 1 year, I have used my Ventolin … once! I used it practically daily up until I started the new meds. I now "never" use Ventolin during my runs (I "always" used it before), my breathing is stronger, my lungs feel stronger and life, overall is that much better. I’ll stop sounding like a shill for pharmaceutical companies now and get on to the … ***SOLICITED ADVICE SECTION*** I’m not saying that these meds will do for you what they do for me … we are all different. What I’m saying is this; There is help out there for asthmatics that wasn’t available even 1 or 2 years ago. Do your homework, see a specialist, get a diagnosis … and get back to running. Geoff *18 days to Seattle Marathon!!* Nash – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone out there have advice for running with asthma

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Does anyone out there have advice for running with asthma.  I ran in highschool and my best times were around 16:30 for the 5K and 35 for the 10k and continued to run sporadically thru college . I got out of shape later in life and developed asthma, since then I have been running for a year and a half and can’t seem to get in shape or run faster than 7 minute pace, yet I’m only 33.  Mentally I know I’m capable of at least running close to those highschool times as I never really even did any speed work in hs and college, just went for long runs. Any advice please Frustrated runner

Response:

Hey there.  There’s another thread here about this same topic, you should check it out.  You didn’t mention being on any medications; there’s some really good ones out there.  For example, there is Ventolin, which is good for stopping your wheezing once you’ve already started.  I can also use it just before easy runs; but it does increase your heart rate so it’s probably not a good idea for those days when you push yourself.  Another really great one is cromolyn, which prevents wheezing in the first place.  Unless it’s cold, what’s probably happening is that your lungs are hypersensitized to pollutants.  Cells in your lungs release nasty stuff that constricts your airways (in case you’re interested); cromolyn stops those cells from ever releasing that stuff. Ventolin opens your airways up afterwards.  Cold weather may be different; I don’t think anybody really knows how that works.  The cromolyn that I’m taking doesn’t really seem to help there.  Ozzie has mentioned breathing through your nose (thanks Ozzie!); I’ve also heard that wrapping a scarf around your mouth helps too. Either way, the air gets warmed before it hits your lungs. Just to be on the safe side, you may want to get your wheezing checked out, just in case it’s heart-related and not lung-related.  It’s much more likely to be asthma than anything else, but I’m quite the hypochrondriac! Good luck! Jo. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone out there have advice for running with asthma.  I ran in highschool and my best times were around 16:30 for the 5K and 35 for the 10k and continued to run sporadically thru college . I got out of shape later in life and developed asthma, since then I have been running for a year and a half and can’t seem to get in shape or run faster than 7 minute pace, yet I’m only 33.  Mentally I know I’m capable of at least running close to those highschool times as I never really even did any speed work in hs and college, just went for long runs. Any advice please Frustrated runner

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Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi tony, he doesnt want to be on any kind of drugs, his gp put him on this to get him off crystal meth and heroin. that has worked but now he wants to be totally drug free, but he seems to think that he can get off effexor… i wonder why she put him on those if she knew that they are the hardest drugs to get off, even tho she knew that he wanted to be drug free one day hmmmmmmmmmmmmm i think to make life easier for her mayeb? hi everyone, more of a reader than a poster, but i do have  a quick question. im not familiar with effexor, but my brother is on it, and has been since october last year. what is the best way to get off these? Jackie gave some good advise, but I can’t help asking why he wants to go off of effexor? Tony From a very bad personal experience.. I think I would rather go cold

turkey off of crystal meth and heroine simultaneously than cold turkey off of Effexor. If he does not go off of this medication without the help of a physician, he is going to be one sorry guy. I know this, because I did it.. despite having already known it was highly recommended NOT to do it.. I did it because the side effects from Effexor were just more than I thought I could tolerate another second. I know this drug has helped many people. I also know this drug has been .. to put it mildly.. a not so good experience for some others, myself included. I think your brother is being irrational, however.. if Effexor enabled him to stop the street drugs, it must have some positive effects for him. He sounds like he has benefited from taking it. We’d all *like* to be med free. Nobody wants to be chained to a regimen of drugs just to feel normal..but med free does not always mean that is the healthiest way to go. Medications can save your life, your sanity, save you from much discomfort and suffering… They are there for a good reason, and I hope he rethinks his position. He may or may not be able to live med free, but if he d/c’s the Effexor without a doctor’s supervision, he may be in for a very bad experience. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi tony, he doesnt want to be on any kind of drugs, his gp put him on this to get him off crystal meth and heroin. that has worked but now he wants to be totally drug free, but he seems to think that he can get off effexor… i wonder why she put him on those if she knew that they are the hardest drugs to get off, even tho she knew that he wanted to be drug free one day hmmmmmmmmmmmmm i think to make life easier for her mayeb? hi everyone, more of a reader than a poster, but i do have  a quick question. im not familiar with effexor, but my brother is on it, and has been since october last year. what is the best way to get off these? Jackie gave some good advise, but I can’t help asking why he wants to go off of effexor? Tony —

I dont mean to sound negative, but I had one HELL of a time getting off of Effexor. It didnt work for me so my doctor kept upping the dosage. She got it up to 250mg a day and my anxiety never relented. It took about 3 months to try to wean myself off, and even then I felt TERRIBLE. I would advise anyone taking this to try and get off of it before you stay on it long enough to have the withdrawl symptoms (and my doctor claimed she had never heard of anyone having any withdrawl symptoms-needless to say she is no longer my doc) I went to a new doc who gave me alprazolam (which the old doc wouldnt do because of concerns that I may become addicted, imagine that) which I only take when I need and it works wonders. I have heard of people having the same problems with Cymbalta. They say you will become addicted to valium or alprazolam (which are cheap and work when used properly, and will only result in addiction if abused) and then put you on high- dollar SSRI’s (which cause horrible withdrawl symtoms). Obviously the best paitent’s best interest is not top priority here. Sorry, I guess I got on a bit of a rant there…… Terri — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

hi tony, he doesnt want to be on any kind of drugs, his gp put him on this to get him off crystal meth and heroin. that has worked but now he wants to be totally drug free, but he seems to think that he can get off effexor… i wonder why she put him on those if she knew that they are the hardest drugs to get off, even tho she knew that he wanted to be drug free one day hmmmmmmmmmmmmm i think to make life easier for her mayeb?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi everyone, more of a reader than a poster, but i do have  a quick question. im not familiar with effexor, but my brother is on it, and has been since october last year. what is the best way to get off these? Jackie gave some good advise, but I can’t help asking why he wants to go off of effexor? Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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

Response:

Tennessee Tony schreef: hi everyone, more of a reader than a poster, but i do have  a quick question. im not familiar with effexor, but my brother is on it, and has been since october last year. what is the best way to get off these? Jackie gave some good advise, but I can’t help asking why he wants to go off of effexor? Tony

 ….which is a very good question (I know because I wanted to ask it myself Being on an AD for half a year is short. Now I have another question: why is he *on* it in the first place? Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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hi everyone, more of a reader than a poster, but i do have  a quick question. im not familiar with effexor, but my brother is on it, and has been since october last year. what is the best way to get off these?

Jackie gave some good advise, but I can’t help asking why he wants to go off of effexor? Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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:: ::hi everyone, :: ::more of a reader than a poster, but i do have  a quick question. :: ::im not familiar with effexor, but my brother is on it, and has been since ::october last year. :: ::what is the best way to get off these? :: ::thanks Hi Glama, Your brother should discontinue Effexor under the guidance of a medical professional. Effexor is one of the more difficult antidepressants to wean off of. A way to minimize withdrawal symptoms is to take it very slow and to decrease the dose in small amounts. Here is some info on discontinuing antidepressants….. http://bipolar.about.com/cs/antidep/a/0207_ssridisc1.htm http://bipolar.about.com/cs/antidep/a/0207_ssridisc2.htm http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEED9173EF936A15756… Wishing your brother lots of luck and success getting off Effexor! Jackie ~*~Life is not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the way it    is. The way you deal with it is what makes the difference~*~   ~~ Virginia Satir   — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

hi everyone, more of a reader than a poster, but i do have  a quick question. im not familiar with effexor, but my brother is on it, and has been since october last year. what is the best way to get off these? thanks — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Question:

((((((Deirdre)))))) I wish I had the right words, any words to say right now to you.  I’m so very sorry about what happened to you and how you are feeling. Do you have a therapy session or pdoc’s appointment soon.  It would do you good to talk with a professional about how you are feeling. Please vent all you need to us.  We are here for you. smiles, Elise

I’m close to crashing and burning. Anybody wants to know more check the blog home.earthlink.net/~deirdre1952 THanks for caring Anne – it feels really good. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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

Response:

Thank you Anne, Jackie, Diane, and Elise — and the others who have given me such kind support. I’m still struggling, but I’m doing the best I can. My brother is coming by today on his way to a gig – he’s going to help me gather up all the trash bags and get them to the dumpster. That he’s doing it for Mom rather than for me is expected. That doesn’t matter a lot to me — just a little — but any assistance at all is a gift. I wish I the equivalent of 7 dwarves who could come into my house and whistle while they work, doing all the things I am currently incapable of doing. (Yuck. I hate Disney imagery.) Anyway, thank you all again. I’m still around, just very wobbly both physically and emotionally. Medications help somewhat. I am finding it difficult to meditate: sometimes my brain is racing too fast and furiously, sometimes I just sit and cry. There are three things that keep me going: 1. Mom (she loves me and needs me) 2. the knowledge that I’ve been in this state before and survived 3. my support system, of which ASAP-M is a major part. Thanks again to all, Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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One day at a time. love Meryl – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thank you Anne, Jackie, Diane, and Elise — and the others who have given me such kind support. I’m still struggling, but I’m doing the best I can. My brother is coming by today on his way to a gig – he’s going to help me gather up all the trash bags and get them to the dumpster. That he’s doing it for Mom rather than for me is expected. That doesn’t matter a lot to me — just a little — but any assistance at all is a gift. I wish I the equivalent of 7 dwarves who could come into my house and whistle while they work, doing all the things I am currently incapable of doing. (Yuck. I hate Disney imagery.) Anyway, thank you all again. I’m still around, just very wobbly both physically and emotionally. Medications help somewhat. I am finding it difficult to meditate: sometimes my brain is racing too fast and furiously, sometimes I just sit and cry. There are three things that keep me going: 1. Mom (she loves me and needs me) 2. the knowledge that I’ve been in this state before and survived 3. my support system, of which ASAP-M is a major part. Thanks again to all, Deirdre

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

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Just wondering how you’re doing…  Sending good thoughts your way. xxoo Anne — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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I’m close to crashing and burning. Anybody wants to know more check the blog home.earthlink.net/~deirdre1952 THanks for caring Anne – it feels really good. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Hi Deirdre:  I had just read your blog before I posted.  :-( Please tell us how we can help.  Do you have AIM or Yahoo Messenger? xxoo Anne — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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~*~I’m close to crashing and burning. Anybody wants to know more check the Dear Deirdre, I wish I could say or do something to make you feel better. Everything I want heart-breaking and brutally honest. I don`t know if you realize it but you are an incredibly strong, courageous woman, one I admire and care for very much. Good thoughts being sent your way. Hoping you will heal from both your physical and emotional pain one day soon…. (((((Deirdre))))) P.S. Never forget farts in the barn. I still laugh to this day when I think about that ) Jackie ~*~Advice is like snow – the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind~*~  ~~By Samuel Taylor Coleridge.~~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Sorry for top posting, but I agree with Jackie.  {{{{{Deirdre}}}}} Love, Di

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ~*~I’m close to crashing and burning. Anybody wants to know more check the Dear Deirdre, I wish I could say or do something to make you feel better. Everything I want heart-breaking and brutally honest. I don`t know if you realize it but you are an incredibly strong, courageous woman, one I admire and care for very much. Good thoughts being sent your way. Hoping you will heal from both your physical and emotional pain one day soon…. (((((Deirdre))))) P.S. Never forget farts in the barn. I still laugh to this day when I think about that ) Jackie

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

Response:

It’s nice to see you here again, Deirdre.  Glad things are pretty much normal for you and your Mom.  Just wanted to hear something from you, that’s all.  {{{{{Deirdre}}}}}

Thanks, Di — I appreciate that. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Philip, and everyone, The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all. Peace to all, Deirdre Hi Deirdre.  It is good to read your posts again!!  Please can you teach us a little about your meditation methods?  I would be very interested in hearing about this!

Hi TJ, I posted about my meditation practice —  it has links to downloads and some other info. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Hi, Deirdre, Good to hear from you.  Glad the meditation is helping with the anxiety. Take care and you know where we are… smiles, Elise

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I may have missed something but I am wondering where Deirdre is. I miss her here. Anyone know? Philip Hi Philip, and everyone, It’s nice to be missed — sorry if I worried anyone.  I just haven’t been motivated to post anything.  Mostly I feel I have nothing to contribute about anxiety and panic. The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all.  The weird news is:  since I’ve been meditating regularly I have been lethargic and uninterested in most things.  I can’t quite shake the (irrational?) thought that maybe I need a little anxiety to keep me moving. So, make of that what you will.  It feels like depression without sadness. Is that possible?  My pdoc du jour is not a lot of help.  He’s nice and earnest and looks to be about 14 years old.  Lots of reference books and very little real experience.  That’s what we po’ folks get. I’m currently taking 60 mg fluoxetine (Prozac) and 150 mg venlafaxine (Effexor) daily.  I have clonazepam (Klonopin) on hand but haven’t needed it in quite a while.  Same with the trazodone for insomnia.  Since pdoc added the Effexor, the only apparent change is an increase in exhaustingly bizarre dreams.  I’ve always had wild dreams, but these are way off the charts.  I wake up shaking my head in amazement.  OTOH, maybe meditation is stripping away layers of the mental onion, so to speak, and I’m getting down to the deeper levels of me.  Whatever the case, there’s another unshakable (irrational?) thought: I am just really good at masking total madness. Raging psychosis under the quiet exterior.  Once again, pdoc du jour is too green to understand me.  I’ll be getting the next pdoc (a new one every summer) in a month or two.  We’ll see what the psych professors have dreamed up during the past 12 months. Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure.  Mom is doing fine, in that there have been no crises.  She’s weaker and slower — the daily changes are imperceptible, but over a few months I can tell she’s slowing down.  My brother is fine, my nephew is grand.  My cat is occasionally snuggly. I guess that’s my report for now.  I’ll try to post more often, but I can’t promise anything. Peace to all, Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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

Response:

"Deirdre" wrote : The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all.  The weird news is:  since I’ve been meditating regularly I have been lethargic and uninterested in most things.  I can’t quite shake the (irrational?) thought that maybe I need a little anxiety to keep me moving.

        Interesting!  I’d expect that it would make you more alert.  I need to meditate more myself.           You said you’d posted on your meditation practices.  Where might we find that?  Do you still have your blog? Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure.  Mom is doing fine, in that there have been no crises.  She’s weaker and slower — the daily changes are imperceptible, but over a few months I can tell she’s slowing down.  My brother is fine, my nephew is grand.  My cat is occasionally snuggly.

        I’m glad family is going relatively well.  ;-)  Do you have a boyfriend currently? Dennis — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Deirdre schreef:

<snip Mostly I feel I have nothing to contribute about anxiety and panic. Anything you write is worth reading.

Sweet talker <lol. The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all.  The weird news is:  since I’ve been meditating regularly I have been lethargic and uninterested in most things.  I can’t quite shake the (irrational?) thought that maybe I need a little anxiety to keep me moving. Hehe. What kind of meditation do you practice?

see my post "my meditation practice" also — Basically two types of meditation practice that enhance each other. These increase concentration and insight: –mindfulness of the breath –mindfulness of the body –mindfulness of feelings –mindfulness of thoughts And metta meditation, also called lovingkindness meditation. I usually begin each sitting with standard relaxation exercises. In terms of psychiatric benefits, I’m starting to realize that the mindfulness meditations are more suited to combatting anxiety and panic, and the metta meditation is most beneficial against depression.  Looks like I need to do more metta:-) You don’t need anxiety in the pathological sense, no one does. But maybe you need other kinds of stimuli?

I download movies a lot.  But that’s just really high-tech escapism.  I have heaps of books but my attention span isn’t what it used to be.  And Mom is still saying "no" when I express my wish for a motorcycle. <sigh It feels like depression without sadness. It sounds like depression to me, some kind of dissociated depression maybe (hm, that sounds *deep*, I wonder what I mean by that).

I think you’re on the right track. "Dissociated" seems accurate. Is that possible?  My pdoc du jour is not a lot of help.  He’s nice and earnest and looks to be about 14 years old. A child prodigy in psychiatry! Psychiatry needs its very own Mozart.

In musical terms, this guy is more Manilow than Mozart.  Well-meaning, but little substance. <snip Did your child pdoc give a reason for prescribing Effexor together with 60 mg of Prozac or is he just trying the next cvombo he can think of?

You win a gold star.  He went over the long list of the drugs I’ve had previously, and we decided "Hey, maybe Effexor will be fun."  <shrug  It doesn’t seem to do much for me.  I just dread the inevitable weaning-off, whenever that comes.  Lots of horror stories out there. <snip Keep us posted please, maybe this one will be a drooling octogenarian?

<LOL Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure. I want to learn it too!

It’s so simple.  It requires patience and dedication to practice, but it really is simple.  If you can sit and breathe, you can meditate.  See my post about my practice for suggestions on how to start. <snip   I’ll try to post more often, but I can’t promise anything. It’s not an *obligation*. We’re happy when you post because we *like* you a lot so it’s good to know how you are and you’ve been a lot worse.

Thanks, Philip.  I like you, I like this group.  I still think you hit the nail squarely on the head with "dissociation".  I’m here and not-here. That’s too Zen for me, but still.  :-) Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

"Deirdre" wrote : The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had

<snip    You said you’d posted on your meditation practices.  Where might we find that?

"my meditation practice" is the subject line Do you still have your blog?

Yes.  I write stuff there from time to time http://360.yahoo.com/deirdre_faithnomore I write about meditation there, among other topics. Do you have a boyfriend currently?

I honestly don’t know.  He who might be the boyfriend is an enigma.  He remains in poor health 3000 miles away. I care about him and his wellbeing, but there’s nothing I can do for him other than wish good things for him. In fact, that’s the only thing resembling help that he accepts from me. Anyway, I have my own wellbeing to tend to, and that of my mother, and that’s a lot of tending.  I’m all about decreasing suffering, so dwelling on a doomed love relationship is something I avoid. I hope you are well. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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<gently snipped ::Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has ::significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure.  Mom is doing fine, ::in that there have been no crises.  She’s weaker and slower — the daily ::changes are imperceptible, but over a few months I can tell she’s slowing ::down.  My brother is fine, my nephew is grand.  My cat is occasionally ::snuggly. Dear Deirdre, It’s nice to see you again. Sorry to hear your Mom is slowing down but glad there have been no crises. Hope you stick around. (((((Deirdre))))) Jackie ~*~"What I cannot love, I overlook."~*~    ~~ Anais Nin — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <gently snipped ::Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has ::significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure.  Mom is doing fine, ::in that there have been no crises.  She’s weaker and slower — the daily ::changes are imperceptible, but over a few months I can tell she’s slowing ::down.  My brother is fine, my nephew is grand.  My cat is occasionally ::snuggly. Dear Deirdre, It’s nice to see you again. Sorry to hear your Mom is slowing down but glad there have been no crises. Hope you stick around. (((((Deirdre)))))

Thanks, Jackie ! Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Deirdre schreef: You don’t need anxiety in the pathological sense, no one does. But maybe you need other kinds of stimuli? I download movies a lot.  But that’s just really high-tech escapism.  I have heaps of books but my attention span isn’t what it used to be.  And Mom is still saying "no" when I express my wish for a motorcycle. <sigh

Well, you *are* an adult… you don’t need your mother’s approval. And a motorcycle may just be what the doctor ordered (maybe your insurance company will pay for it because it’s *outside*, adventurous, into the world! I didn’t mean movies or books (love them too) but rather interaction with the outside world. It feels like depression without sadness. It sounds like depression to me, some kind of dissociated depression maybe (hm, that sounds *deep*, I wonder what I mean by that). I think you’re on the right track. "Dissociated" seems accurate.

So focussing on everyday practical things seems beneficial. But it takes work and *motivation*. And motivation will never come if you wait for it. You have to act first and the the motivation will follow. As they say "Depression hates a moving target". Is that possible?  My pdoc du jour is not a lot of help.  He’s nice and earnest and looks to be about 14 years old. A child prodigy in psychiatry! Psychiatry needs its very own Mozart. In musical terms, this guy is more Manilow than Mozart.  Well-meaning, but little substance.

LOL. Hate Manilow. Now Mozart is quite a different proposition. <snip Did your child pdoc give a reason for prescribing Effexor together with 60 mg of Prozac or is he just trying the next cvombo he can think of? You win a gold star.  He went over the long list of the drugs I’ve had previously, and we decided "Hey, maybe Effexor will be fun."  <shrug  It doesn’t seem to do much for me.  I just dread the inevitable weaning-off, whenever that comes.  Lots of horror stories out there.

YMMV, as they say. Did you ever try a TCA? And proper CBT? (Lesse,, how many other abbr. do I know? Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure. I want to learn it too! It’s so simple.  It requires patience and dedication to practice, but it really is simple.  If you can sit and breathe, you can meditate.  See my post about my practice for suggestions on how to start.

I did and I think it’s about time for me to go and practice some serious meditation.I did it off and on but that doesn’t work (stoy of my lazy life Thanks for sharing, it sounds inspirational.   I’ll try to post more often, but I can’t promise anything. It’s not an *obligation*. We’re happy when you post because we *like* you a lot so it’s good to know how you are and you’ve been a lot worse. Thanks, Philip.  I like you, I like this group.  I still think you hit the nail squarely on the head with "dissociation".  I’m here and not-here. That’s too Zen for me, but still.  :-)

One of my favourite Zen text: "Before I was enlightened the trees were trees and the mountains were mountains. When I started to become enlightened the trees weren’t trees and the mountains weren’t mountains. Now that I am enlightened the trees are trees and the mountains are mountains." One of the most profound statements I know. Not that it helps with anxiety/panic/depression Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Hi, Deirdre, Good to hear from you.  Glad the meditation is helping with the anxiety. Take care and you know where we are… smiles, Elise

Thanks, Elise D. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Deirdre schreef: I may have missed something but I am wondering where Deirdre is. I miss her here. Anyone know? Philip Hi Philip, and everyone,

Well HELLOOOOOOOOOOooooooo! It’s nice to be missed — sorry if I worried anyone.  I just haven’t been motivated to post anything.  Mostly I feel I have nothing to contribute about anxiety and panic.

Anything you write is worth reading. Anxiety and panic are overrated anyway The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all.  The weird news is:  since I’ve been meditating regularly I have been lethargic and uninterested in most things.  I can’t quite shake the (irrational?) thought that maybe I need a little anxiety to keep me moving.

Hehe. What kind of meditation do you practice? You don’t need anxiety in the pathological sense, no one does. But maybe you need other kinds of stimuli? So, make of that what you will.  It feels like depression without sadness.

It sounds like depression to me, some kind of dissociated depression maybe (hm, that sounds *deep*, I wonder what I mean by that). Is that possible?  My pdoc du jour is not a lot of help.  He’s nice and earnest and looks to be about 14 years old.

A child prodigy in psychiatry! Psychiatry needs its very own Mozart. I’m currently taking 60 mg fluoxetine (Prozac) and 150 mg venlafaxine (Effexor) daily.  I have clonazepam (Klonopin) on hand but haven’t needed it in quite a while.  Same with the trazodone for insomnia.  Since pdoc added the Effexor, the only apparent change is an increase in exhaustingly bizarre dreams.  I’ve always had wild dreams, but these are way off the charts.  I wake up shaking my head in amazement.  OTOH, maybe meditation is stripping away layers of the mental onion, so to speak, and I’m getting down to the deeper levels of me.

I don’t know if we consist of deeper and more superficial levels. I also doubt that dreams mean anything except what we interpret them to mean (which can be good material, not only for psychodynamic therapy nut for cognitive therapy as well). Did your child pdoc give a reason for prescribing Effexor together with 60 mg of Prozac or is he just trying the next cvombo he can think of?   Whatever the case, there’s another unshakable (irrational?) thought: I am just really good at masking total madness. Raging psychosis under the quiet exterior.

That thought indeed sounds quite irrational to me. I don’t subscribe to this concept of the onion either. I do think we can have many different and contradictory thoughts and feelings (when we are awake and when we are dreaming) but I don’t think we’re like vulcanos (which is somewhat like you describe yourself: psychosis raging under the quiet exterior). I think you may sometimes have psychotic episodes and when they’re over they’re over and not somewhere "down there" waiting for th next chance to erupt. I don’t think that way about panic atacks either and I wonder if you do…   Once again, pdoc du jour is too green to understand me.  I’ll be getting the next pdoc (a new one every summer) in a month or two.  We’ll see what the psych professors have dreamed up during the past 12 months.

Keep us posted please, maybe this one will be a drooling octogenarian? Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure.

I want to learn it too!   Mom is doing fine, in that there have been no crises.  She’s weaker and slower — the daily changes are imperceptible, but over a few months I can tell she’s slowing down.  My brother is fine, my nephew is grand.  My cat is occasionally snuggly.

Sounds good to me. I guess that’s my report for now.  I’ll try to post more often, but I can’t promise anything.

It’s not an *obligation*. We’re happy when you post because we *like* you a lot so it’s good to know how you are and you’ve been a lot worse. . Peace to all,

Yeah, baby. Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Hi Philip, and everyone, The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all. Peace to all, Deirdre

Hi Deirdre.  It is good to read your posts again!!  Please can you teach us a little about your meditation methods?  I would be very interested in hearing about this! — _TJ_ <TJ_IREL at YAHOO dot IE — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I may have missed something but I am wondering where Deirdre is. I miss her here. Anyone know? Philip Hi Philip, and everyone, It’s nice to be missed — sorry if I worried anyone.  I just haven’t been motivated to post anything.  Mostly I feel I have nothing to contribute about anxiety and panic. The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all.  The weird news is:  since I’ve been meditating regularly I have been lethargic and uninterested in most things.  I can’t quite shake the (irrational?) thought that maybe I need a little anxiety to keep me moving. So, make of that what you will.  It feels like depression without sadness. Is that possible?  My pdoc du jour is not a lot of help. He’s nice and earnest and looks to be about 14 years old.  Lots of reference books and very little real experience.  That’s what we po’ folks get. I’m currently taking 60 mg fluoxetine (Prozac) and 150 mg venlafaxine (Effexor) daily.  I have clonazepam (Klonopin) on hand but haven’t needed it in quite a while.  Same with the trazodone for insomnia. Since pdoc added the Effexor, the only apparent change is an increase in exhaustingly bizarre dreams.  I’ve always had wild dreams, but these are way off the charts.  I wake up shaking my head in amazement.  OTOH, maybe meditation is stripping away layers of the mental onion, so to speak, and I’m getting down to the deeper levels of me.  Whatever the case, there’s another unshakable (irrational?) thought: I am just really good at masking total madness. Raging psychosis under the quiet exterior.  Once again, pdoc du jour is too green to understand me.  I’ll be getting the next pdoc (a new one every summer) in a month or two.  We’ll see what the psych professors have dreamed up during the past 12 months. Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure.  Mom is doing fine, in that there have been no crises.  She’s weaker and slower — the daily changes are imperceptible, but over a few months I can tell she’s slowing down.  My brother is fine, my nephew is grand.  My cat is occasionally snuggly. I guess that’s my report for now.  I’ll try to post more often, but I can’t promise anything. Peace to all, Deirdre

Thanks for chiming in Deirdre.  We just want to know you’re alive. kili — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

It’s nice to see you here again, Deirdre.  Glad things are pretty much normal for you and your Mom.  Just wanted to hear something from you, that’s all.  {{{{{Deirdre}}}}} Love, Di

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I may have missed something but I am wondering where Deirdre is. I miss her here. Anyone know? Philip Hi Philip, and everyone, It’s nice to be missed — sorry if I worried anyone.  I just haven’t been motivated to post anything.  Mostly I feel I have nothing to contribute about anxiety and panic. The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all.  The weird news is:  since I’ve been meditating regularly I have been lethargic and uninterested in most things.  I can’t quite shake the (irrational?) thought that maybe I need a little anxiety to keep me moving. So, make of that what you will.  It feels like depression without sadness. Is that possible?  My pdoc du jour is not a lot of help.  He’s nice and earnest and looks to be about 14 years old.  Lots of reference books and very little real experience.  That’s what we po’ folks get. I’m currently taking 60 mg fluoxetine (Prozac) and 150 mg venlafaxine (Effexor) daily.  I have clonazepam (Klonopin) on hand but haven’t needed it in quite a while.  Same with the trazodone for insomnia.  Since pdoc added the Effexor, the only apparent change is an increase in exhaustingly bizarre dreams.  I’ve always had wild dreams, but these are way off the charts.  I wake up shaking my head in amazement.  OTOH, maybe meditation is stripping away layers of the mental onion, so to speak, and I’m getting down to the deeper levels of me.  Whatever the case, there’s another unshakable (irrational?) thought: I am just really good at masking total madness. Raging psychosis under the quiet exterior.  Once again, pdoc du jour is too green to understand me.  I’ll be getting the next pdoc (a new one every summer) in a month or two.  We’ll see what the psych professors have dreamed up during the past 12 months. Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure.  Mom is doing fine, in that there have been no crises.  She’s weaker and slower — the daily changes are imperceptible, but over a few months I can tell she’s slowing down.  My brother is fine, my nephew is grand.  My cat is occasionally snuggly. I guess that’s my report for now.  I’ll try to post more often, but I can’t promise anything. Peace to all, Deirdre

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

Response:

Thanks for chiming in Deirdre.  We just want to know you’re alive. kili

I’m alive.  At least I think so. I’m glad your latest health report looks so good. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Deirdre, where are you?  I hope everything is alright.  {{{{{Deirdre}}}}} Post, if you can. Love, Di

I may have missed something but I am wondering where Deirdre is. I miss her here. Anyone know? Philip

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

Response:

I may have missed something but I am wondering where Deirdre is. I miss her here. Anyone know? Philip

Hi Philip, and everyone, It’s nice to be missed — sorry if I worried anyone.  I just haven’t been motivated to post anything.  Mostly I feel I have nothing to contribute about anxiety and panic. The good news is: since I’ve been meditating regularly I haven’t had any anxiety at all.  The weird news is:  since I’ve been meditating regularly I have been lethargic and uninterested in most things.  I can’t quite shake the (irrational?) thought that maybe I need a little anxiety to keep me moving. So, make of that what you will.  It feels like depression without sadness. Is that possible?  My pdoc du jour is not a lot of help.  He’s nice and earnest and looks to be about 14 years old.  Lots of reference books and very little real experience.  That’s what we po’ folks get. I’m currently taking 60 mg fluoxetine (Prozac) and 150 mg venlafaxine (Effexor) daily.  I have clonazepam (Klonopin) on hand but haven’t needed it in quite a while.  Same with the trazodone for insomnia.  Since pdoc added the Effexor, the only apparent change is an increase in exhaustingly bizarre dreams.  I’ve always had wild dreams, but these are way off the charts.  I wake up shaking my head in amazement.  OTOH, maybe meditation is stripping away layers of the mental onion, so to speak, and I’m getting down to the deeper levels of me.  Whatever the case, there’s another unshakable (irrational?) thought: I am just really good at masking total madness. Raging psychosis under the quiet exterior.  Once again, pdoc du jour is too green to understand me.  I’ll be getting the next pdoc (a new one every summer) in a month or two.  We’ll see what the psych professors have dreamed up during the past 12 months. Other than mental health issues, I’m fairly healthy.  Meditation has significantly lowered and stabilized my blood pressure.  Mom is doing fine, in that there have been no crises.  She’s weaker and slower — the daily changes are imperceptible, but over a few months I can tell she’s slowing down.  My brother is fine, my nephew is grand.  My cat is occasionally snuggly. I guess that’s my report for now.  I’ll try to post more often, but I can’t promise anything. Peace to all, Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I may have missed something but I am wondering where Deirdre is. I miss her here. Anyone know? Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I may have missed something but I am wondering where Deirdre is. I miss her here. Anyone know? Philip

Good question, Philip.  I haven’t heard from her either. kili — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Question:

 you all should check out this web address, it is the journal of a schizophrenic…its amazing… http://www.h13.com <I finally am getting time to read some interesting posts and I find <the debate about to med or not to medicate an interesting one. A Shawneie forgery as about 2/3 of the posts today are. She is pissed off that her schemes were exposed and I refuse to allow her to use her sock puppets to hide behind so she is taking it out on everyone. Yes, she is having a very bad day.

LOL.. Poor pauly boy..

Response:

I finally am getting time to read some interesting posts and I find the debate about to med or not to medicate an interesting one. When my dau. was diagnosed with severe TS almost 3 yrs. ago, we chose to medicate.  Her tics were so that she could not attend school.  She had a loud hiccup type tic every 3 sec. of every waking moment.  Her tics went on from there.  I saw a picture of her at Christmas time when she was about in third grade where I actually took a picture of her in the middle of one of her tics.  I didn’t realize it was TS then.  I did go to m.d. about it, but they said, bad habits. So went to full gambit.  Seroquel, Respiradol, Zyprexia, Clonidine, Tenex, Klonopin, Geodon and  antidepressants–Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and Prozac.  After all of that, my dau. is not presently on any medications.  By this summer, she had had it and we pulled her off her present medications of Prozac and Geodon.  As soon as we deleted Prozac, my old dau. emerged.  She was a ticcing old dau., but her old personality resurfaced.  It was like a miracle to us.  She traded dealing with ticcing rather than being spaced out, drugged out, crazed out by drugs that she had no control over her reactions to.  Three years later she is learning to live with her ticcing, learning to deal with the teasing she had received in middle school (she hardly attended school at all during her middle school years).  She has developed a harder crust.  She no longer self-mutilates, but still tics a great deal and I drive4 her crazy–such as breathing, sneezing, coughing, etc.  My noises and mannerisms sends her into tail spins. If I had known that Prozac was having the negative impact on her, I would have demanded she be taken off of it.  I think many of us parents are just so desperate to return our children to what we view as normalcy.  I never realized how this med was affecting her.  I just thought she was mentally decompensating more.  Especially with antidepressants, you have to watch out for weight gain and ones that could make you tic more, such as Zoloft and Wellbutrin.  It is so complicated and scarey to medicate to kids.  They are often unable to fully explain to the medicating docs how the medications are truly affecting them. The child often wants the medications to work so bad that they are initially willing to put up with anything that could help them deal with the tics. Then it is further complicated by the philosophical treatment of the neuros vs. the psychiatrists.  It is also dependent on if you have a doctor in any field that has any real experience with TS.  It is just very scarey out there for both the parent and the TS child.  I know first hand.  Been there and done that. I think it took me awhile to come to terms with my daughter’s diagnosis of TS.  I see so many parents making comments, that "my beautiful, gifted, child has TS."  They feel that somehow their child has been blighted.  I know I fell into that trap too.  It just takes awhile for us parents to accept the pronounced changes that happen when a child has TS.  Their ticcing driving you crazy; their not being able to attend school sometimes; their being upset when kids tease them; their being depressed because their lives will never be the ame–they just want to be "normal" like everyone else.  Let’s face it, in adolescents, especially, it is like a kiss of death to be thought of as different.  All of the peer pressure is staggering to a TS child. Would I do what I did if I had to do it over again, probably.  Because I must remember where we were at three years ago–so desperate, so unwilling to accept what was my daughter’s plight.  Were we misguided–perhaps.  We we desperate–yes.  We just had to try to do anything we could go help her, good or bad, only to come to full circle and take all of the medications away.  The ironies of life. Dawnee Dawnee

Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better?? Take some Effexor. Are you tapering, or stopping cold turkey? I have been tapering for the last four months.  I went from taking 150 mg a day to 37.5 a day.  My doctor told me stop when I got down to 37.5.

A.  Reports have found people  who tapered down to that level and still have horrific withdrawal symptoms can avert the withdrawal symptoms by switching to an SSRI with a longer half life, then withdrawing from that. B. Reports indicate people may  avert experiencing withdrawals symptoms upon titration from Effexor  by use of Ondansetron, a drug commonly prescribed for the relief of the side effects (nausea etc.) associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. See http://www.effexorfx.freeuk.com/webdoc8.htm

Response:

When I went off effexor (I had the nasty withdrawl stuff too)…I opened the capsules and dumped some of the granules out and then closed it back up and swallowed it.  It was hardly scientific, but it worked pretty well.  So Just start trying to dump out around half the granules…then down to maybe 1/4…then maybe try to just stop. Hope that helps. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better??  

Response:

That was exactly my experience. Actually, I got down from 300mg to 37.5mg fast (in two weeks), but it was very hard to quit from there. My doctor added 30mg remeron, and I think that was the trick that helped me get down to 37.5 fast. Adding Remeron now, and then tapering it off too when you got rid of effexor completely might be good idea for you too. I used to get terrible vertigo, and a feeling of  not being here when I tried to quit from 37.5 (even though I was still taking remeron) From there, adding some small dose (2 – 4 mg/day) reboxetine helped me. I felt some vertigo from time to time for the next two months, but they all went away in the end. Don’t worry, you will get rid of it in the end, but ask your doctor to augment it with remeron or some other AD. That would help. cem

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better?? Take some Effexor. Are you tapering, or stopping cold turkey? I have been tapering for the last four months.  I went from taking 150 mg a day to 37.5 a day.  My doctor told me stop when I got down to 37.5.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better?? Take some Effexor. Are you tapering, or stopping cold turkey? I have been tapering for the last four months.  I went from taking 150 mg a day to 37.5 a day.  My doctor told me stop when I got down to 37.5.

Reducing Withdrawal Symptoms —- The following information has been drawn from the medical reports which have been published to date on the withdrawal symptoms associated with dose reduction or discontinuation of venlafaxine and from the feedback which I have received from venlafaxine patients. It is by no means intended to be a recommendation of a particular course of action but is simply given to provide a starting point for discussion between patients and their medical advisors with regard to the options available to reduce the severity of the withdrawal symptoms that are common even on a gradual tapered discontinuance of the drug. It appears plausible that both methods could be used simultaneously. —- 1. The rapid onset and the severity of the withdrawal symptoms on dose reduction or discontinuation of venlafaxine appear to stem from the relatively short half-life of the drug (5 hours). Medical data on the subject (Parker, for example) suggests that the withdrawal symptoms can therefore be reduced by gradually replacing venlafaxine with a longer half-life SSRI antidepressant and to then proceed to discontinue the SSRI. It should be noted that although this method has been reported to have been undertaken successfully, it contradicts the advice given by Wyerth-Ayerst, the manufacturer of venlafaxine, that a "wash-out" period be allowed before starting an SSRI.. However, it should also be noted that Wyerth-Ayerst has only recently acknowledged the potent severity of the withdrawal syndrome on venlafaxine discontinuation or dose reduction (see Medwatch – venlafaxine drug labelling changes) 2. The medical report published by Raby (full text available) reports on the relief of venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms by the use of ondansetron, a drug commonly prescribed for the relief of the side effects (nausea etc.) associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. The report also discusses the cause of these withdrawal symptoms and provides an explanation of why their severity appears to be unique to venlafaxine. In the case reported a patient who had been receiving 150 mg daily venlafaxine experienced disabilitating nausea, headaches, diarrhea and anxiety once the dose was reduced below 75 mg daily. Only after ondansetron was given, was the patient able to proceed with the tapering schedule of venlafaxine over several weeks. The only adverse side effect of ondansetron was constipation which was treated with laxatives. There was no reoccurrence of venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms after ondansetron was itself discontinued.

Response:

It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better??  

Response:

It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better??

Take some Effexor. Are you tapering, or stopping cold turkey?

Response:

It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better?? Take some Effexor. Are you tapering, or stopping cold turkey?

I have been tapering for the last four months.  I went from taking 150 mg a day to 37.5 a day.  My doctor told me stop when I got down to 37.5.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better?? Take some Effexor. Are you tapering, or stopping cold turkey? I have been tapering for the last four months.  I went from taking 150 mg a day to 37.5 a day.  My doctor told me stop when I got down to 37.5.

I’m sorry. I hope my first comment wasn’t taken wrong…..it is nevertheless the obvious thing to do. Can you take half again of this lesser dose? Sometimes, taking a small dose of a different antidepressant can help.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is only the first day of not taking Effexor and I feel like I’m going to die.  My head is pounding, I feel like I’m going to vomit, my eyes hurt, etc…. What can I do to feel better?? Take some Effexor. Are you tapering, or stopping cold turkey? I have been tapering for the last four months.  I went from taking 150 mg a day to 37.5 a day.  My doctor told me stop when I got down to 37.5.

W.J. Giakas, J.M. Davis, Intractable withdrawal from venlafaxine treated with fluoxetine, Psychiatric Annals, February 1997, 27 (2), 85-86 and 92. Authors report three consecutive cases (26-35 year old women) where patients experienced severe withdrawal after discontinuing venlaxfaxine, following treatment ranging from a week or two to seven months: "Repeated attempts at gradually tapering the dosage were unsuccessful and led to intolerable withdrawal sensations."  In these and other cases, authors noted appearance of withdrawal symptoms within a few hours of patient missing a dose. Although, symptoms they saw "are not identical to a fully-fledged psychedelic experience or a true migraine headache, similarity is evident…"  In all cases, venlafaxine was eventually discontinued under cover of fluoxetine, which itself was later withdrawn uneventfully in one of the three cases.

Response:

Question:

On my third week at 200 mg.  Still nothing.  Does anyone have any experience using Serzone?  Please share.

Response:

Taking serzone, 250 mg/day. Started at 75, then up to 125, then 150, now 250.  I’ve been on it probably 9-10 months.  I am very glad I found it. I can’t take prozac, paxil, zoloft, effexor . . . but the serzone does what it needs to. I don’t feel "flat" or numb – I still have emotions, it’s just that the highs are not as high nor the lows as low.  I still have bad days, but they come and go much quicker than when I was on no meds at all.  My pdoc says I will probably be on the serzone for a couple of years at least. The only side effects i’ve noticed are that I sweat a whole lot (I sweat a lot before I ever took ADs, so now it is profuse!), and my dreams are very, very vivid.  But I can handle both of those SE. Good luck with it, Oliver. Kym The Tintinnabulation of the bells, Bells, BELLS! Remove "blech" to e-mail me

Response:

serzone nearly wrecked everything , 400 per day , welcome to the zoo , well it was for me , the best med i took so far , has been no med , and i mean no med at all . not even a coffee .

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Taking serzone, 250 mg/day. Started at 75, then up to 125, then 150, now 250.  I’ve been on it probably 9-10 months.  I am very glad I found it. I can’t take prozac, paxil, zoloft, effexor . . . but the serzone does what it needs to. I don’t feel "flat" or numb – I still have emotions, it’s just that the highs are not as high nor the lows as low.  I still have bad days, but they come and go much quicker than when I was on no meds at all.  My pdoc says I will probably be on the serzone for a couple of years at least. The only side effects i’ve noticed are that I sweat a whole lot (I sweat a lot before I ever took ADs, so now it is profuse!), and my dreams are very, very vivid.  But I can handle both of those SE. Good luck with it, Oliver. Kym The Tintinnabulation of the bells, Bells, BELLS! Remove "blech" to e-mail me

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Response:

mind you, normally i wouldn’t be bothered by the easy access to a script… but it only verified for me that nobody in a 90 mile radius gives a sh*t about me.

Honey, it’s not you.  Doctors are under so much pressure to see as many people as possible that they simply give you pretty much what ever you ask for just to save time.  Yes it’s horrible, but it’s not aimed at you personally. anybody experience really bad headaches with this drug?

I couldn’t tell you that because I’ve had bad headaches pretty much all my life no matter what drug I’m on. Monica Tittle   Bad habits are hard to break.  Especially if you like them.                                   –Found inside a fortune cookie

Response:

That’s the med’s that my doc gave me. I’m taking 100 mg’s.  I’ve only started today, so I woulden’t know. The doc said it should take about 2 1/2 weeks to kick in. Give it another week.  If it is not working, then tell your doc. ~Racheal G           ICQ# 91183600 You can’t fight the tears that aint coming, or the moment of truth in your lies. When everything feels like the movies, you bleed just to know your alive. Before you buy.

Response:

The only side effects i’ve noticed are that I sweat a whole lot (I sweat a lot before I ever took ADs, so now it is profuse!), and my dreams are very, very vivid.  But I can handle both of those SE.

Oh god!  I thought it was just me!  I’ve never sweated very much before, but now I sweat buckets.  I was folding laundry (only three baskets) and I looked like I had been working out for an hour afterwards.  I’m talking dripping off my nose soaked hair kind of sweaty here. I wish I had the vivid dreams.  I haven’t had a good one in a very long time.  :-/ Monica Tittle   Bad habits are hard to break.  Especially if you like them.                                   –Found inside a fortune cookie

Response:

serzone had it’s ups n downs , sex was finally possible again , but the toilet trips were a little much , i got bum burn

% Sorry you had trouble with the serzone. For me it has been a godsend – a way to be able to live, productively, work, be active in my church, and quell most of the suic*de thoughts that I was having. As for no caffeine – ACK – i’d never survive! Kym The Tintinnabulation of the bells, Bells, BELLS! Remove "blech" to e-mail me

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Response:

% Sorry you had trouble with the serzone. For me it has been a godsend – a way to be able to live, productively, work, be active in my church, and quell most of the suic*de thoughts that I was having. As for no caffeine – ACK – i’d never survive! Kym The Tintinnabulation of the bells, Bells, BELLS! Remove "blech" to e-mail me

Response:

Question:

what your experiencing are panic attacks, i get them quite often.  i take st. johns wart to help me relax.  jamie

Response:

Hi! My name is Tracy and I had my first anxiety attack a few months ago.  I woke up and felt I was having a heart attack: fast heart beat, sweating, numbness in my right arm, so bad I had to keep it elevated (thinking is would help the circulation.  I even went as far as dialing 911 just in case I dropped dead – I figured it would be the last thing I would hit….thinking it was the end.  Well when I woke up the next morning, happy to be alive, I played with fate, was a lucky person. and really believed I fought a heart was on my way home when those "heart attack symptons" reoccured, only in my mind I played with fate once before  and new something was seriously  wrong even thought as far as of going to the hospital, but figured it would pass by to go….where she asked.  and me a person who hates going to the dr. insisted we go to the hospital immediately.  Of coarse getting everyone panicked, we were off to  the hospital which was fifteen minutes away.  I didn’t think i was going to make it.  We arrived at the Hospital and they admitted me immediately and ran an ekg, and took blood, even a cardiologist came and took blood.  While waiting for my results the doctor thought that I was just having an axiety attack (yeah right I thought)  he later confirmed that it was indeed a axiety attack and that I was hyperventilating.  (i disagreed – I did not think I was breathing out of control – I know what hyperventilating is) My carbon dioxide level and oxygen levels were high and low wich gives you that dizzy feeling. The worse that could of happened was that I passed out. He gave me a prescription and that was it – that was about 5 months ago.  3.  I just had my third axiety attack while out was friends on Saturday….once again happy to be alive and still wonder if my doctor is correct – am I really having axiety attacks or am I having heart problems and because I’m only 31 he won’t pursue more detailed testing.  I don’t want to die –  And I know I’m not crazy.  I am glad to know i’m not the only one who gets these attacks. I felt better only when I read other people’s experiences.  So many friends don’t understand what it feels like, so to read someone else’s experience makes me feel not reality this is really really short.

Response:

Hi Tracy, welcome to our NG!! You are definitely not alone, everyone here is battling against an anxiety disorder of some sort. I myself experienced symptoms which mirror those you have described. I thought I had some sort of heart dysfunction or defect that was going to kill me at any instant. I woke up in the night with it, delt with it in social situations and when I was alone…it really was terrifying. After a complete physical and cardiac examination (by the head of the cardiology dept. in the largest hospital in my province) nothing could be found…I was only 21 yrs old. Well, three years later here I am, alive!!! The only thing is that I am trying to live with Panic Disorder!!! My medication allows me to live a fairly normal life, despite the occasional unexplained anxiety, which I guess is normal. Good luck to you and try to participate in the group I have found it very beneficial!!! all the best jason – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi! My name is Tracy and I had my first anxiety attack a few months ago.  I woke up and felt I was having a heart attack: fast heart beat, sweating, numbness in my right arm, so bad I had to keep it elevated (thinking is would help the circulation.  I even went as far as dialing 911 just in case I dropped dead – I figured it would be the last thing I would hit….thinking it was the end.  Well when I woke up the next morning, happy to be alive, I played with fate, was a lucky person. and really believed I fought a heart was on my way home when those "heart attack symptons" reoccured, only in my mind I played with fate once before  and new something was seriously  wrong even thought as far as of going to the hospital, but figured it would pass by to go….where she asked.  and me a person who hates going to the dr. insisted we go to the hospital immediately.  Of coarse getting everyone panicked, we were off to  the hospital which was fifteen minutes away.  I didn’t think i was going to make it.  We arrived at the Hospital and they admitted me immediately and ran an ekg, and took blood, even a cardiologist came and took blood.  While waiting for my results the doctor thought that I was just having an axiety attack (yeah right I thought)  he later confirmed that it was indeed a axiety attack and that I was hyperventilating.  (i disagreed – I did not think I was breathing out of control – I know what hyperventilating is) My carbon dioxide level and oxygen levels were high and low wich gives you that dizzy feeling. The worse that could of happened was that I passed out. He gave me a prescription and that was it – that was about 5 months ago.  3.  I just had my third axiety attack while out was friends on Saturday….once again happy to be alive and still wonder if my doctor is correct – am I really having axiety attacks or am I having heart problems and because I’m only 31 he won’t pursue more detailed testing.  I don’t want to die –  And I know I’m not crazy.  I am glad to know i’m not the only one who gets these attacks. I felt better only when I read other people’s experiences.  So many friends don’t understand what it feels like, so to read someone else’s experience makes me feel not reality this is really really short.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi! My name is Tracy and I had my first anxiety attack a few months ago.  I woke up and felt I was having a heart attack: fast heart beat, sweating, numbness in my right arm, so bad I had to keep it elevated (thinking is would help the circulation.  I even went as far as dialing 911 just in case I dropped dead – I figured it would be the last thing I would hit….thinking it was the end.  Well when I woke up the next morning, happy to be alive, I played with fate, was a lucky person. and really believed I fought a heart was on my way home when those "heart attack symptons" reoccured, only in my mind I played with fate once before  and new something was seriously  wrong even thought as far as of going to the hospital, but figured it would pass by to go….where she asked.  and me a person who hates going to the dr. insisted we go to the hospital immediately.  Of coarse getting everyone panicked, we were off to  the hospital which was fifteen minutes away.  I didn’t think i was going to make it.  We arrived at the Hospital and they admitted me immediately and ran an ekg, and took blood, even a cardiologist came and took blood.  While waiting for my results the doctor thought that I was just having an axiety attack (yeah right I thought)  he later confirmed that it was indeed a axiety attack and that I was hyperventilating.  (i disagreed – I did not think I was breathing out of control – I know what hyperventilating is) My carbon dioxide level and oxygen levels were high and low wich gives you that dizzy feeling. The worse that could of happened was that I passed out. He gave me a prescription and that was it – that was about 5 months ago.  3.  I just had my third axiety attack while out was friends on Saturday….once again happy to be alive and still wonder if my doctor is correct – am I really having axiety attacks or am I having heart problems and because I’m only 31 he won’t pursue more detailed testing.  I don’t want to die –  And I know I’m not crazy.  I am glad to know i’m not the only one who gets these attacks. I felt better only when I read other people’s experiences.  So many friends don’t understand what it feels like, so to read someone else’s experience makes me feel not reality this is really really short.

What you desecribe is the classic beginning of Panic Disorder. Yes, you have panic attacks. The thing to do is see a psychiatrist who is specialized in anxiety disorders (is there a university clinic in your area? often a good bet), get properly diagnosed and prescribed some meds. I’m sorry to welcome you to ASAP, the club nobody wants to belong to but everybody is glad exists ) Philip

Response:

Hi.  I am also a new comer to this group.  Let me tell you a little about what I have gone through.  After my daughter (I was 25 ) was born 23 years ago I started to feel the same way you did, losing my breath, feeling very weird like I was losing my mind and completely out of contro.  So I also went to the doctor and he told me I was having a panic attack and maybe I needed to take some time off work.  I did but the panic attacks were still happening.  I got to a point where I didn’t want to go anywhere (and that is  not me I love to go out and have fun).  So after going to the doctor a million times and to the emergency room because I thought I was having a heart attack or I had some other life threatening disease, I finally read some books and told myself I tired of this and I want it to stop.  So with the help of medication called Tranxene and a lot of hard work on my part I finally felt better.  It took me a long time.  Now 20 years later my attacks have come back. (I’m trying to keep this short) I think the reason is this.  A year and half ago my husband at 46 suffered a massive heart attack.  He is doing fine, but it was the worst thing I have ever gone through.  I held up pretty well until 6 months later.  I started driving to work, my hands and feet got clammy I started to get that weird feeling of losing control and burst into tears.  I was so scared to drive.  I finally called my boss and had him drive me to the doctor.  It was the same thing panic attack!!  He put me on Tranxene (I am not a very good pill taker).  I have been on it since last May.  I stopped taking it about 2 weeks ago and just 3 days ago I started those feelings.  So I am going to take it regularly and get myself back on track.  I have been to a shrink and I got nothing out of it.  I have found that having someone to talk to and keeping myself busy helps.  The problem with me is I worry about everyone and think I can fix the world.  I have been where you are  and I know you will be ok.  It’s just so frightening.  I hope I have helped you in some way and if you every want to talk more e-mail me.  Nothing like this was every available when I first started my panic attacks and being able to talk to someone and knowing they have felt the same way you have does help.  I wish you the best and do know you are ok.  I have to remember to think positive.. Take care…

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi I’m a new comer to this group & was wondering if I could get some explanation as to what a panic attack is. I guess I can start off by saying what I have experienced & go from there. I’ll try to keep it short. About a year ago while driving to work (at night, I work midnights) I started losing my breath, feeling very wierd, my arms were going numb, thoughts of wanting to kill myself (which is definately not me!!) i thought i was having a heart attack (I’m 39 now) I made it to work but was to shakey i couldnt cope, went home but was just dazed & confused. I went to my doctor & she said i had a panic attack. I had one similar several days afterwards but wasnt as bad and i tried hard to control myself, after all both times I was driving!! So that was it, back to the doctor & have been on 50mg of Zoloft since. Now I was supposed to start weening off the zoloft this month & what happens, I have one of these attacks at work. So now i’m still on it. I am going to go see a shrink I guess, i dont want it to get worse, I’m getting to the point where I am almost scared of driving & going to work. I feel very strongly that it is my midnight shift that is doing this to me, because I cant think of anything else that it could be. Is there anyone else out there that works nights that is going through this?? The zoloft is good though & i have been very reassured that it is a safe drug to stay on for many years if needed, but i would like to get off it. If anyone has taken the time to read my long storey get back to me with your storey or thoughts I would appreciate it. Thanks & think positive!!!

Hi Frank, Welcome to ASAP! A panic attack can be a very  individual thing. Your attack does sound like a Panic attack. Mine are different, I get very hot, flushed, dizzy, off-balance, shaky, can`t concentrate and tingling sensations in my fingers. I think I either am going to die or go crazy. I think you should see a Pdoc, one that is knowledgeable in anxiety disorders. CBT therapy is a very good compliment with medication. You might want to give serious thought to increasing your Zoloft dose. You are on a very low therapeutic dose, and you are experiencing alot of discomfort still. You might want to get a script for a benzo to be used on a "as needed" basis. Doing CBT, increasing your Zoloft and getting a benzo, could really get you back on your feet again. Yes, you can stay on Zoloft for a long time. About getting off meds, first you need to get better and be better for awhile, before you think of getting off meds. Some of us need meds for the rest of our lives, others need it on and off, depending on setbacks and remissions, and then there are some that are on meds for awhile, get off the meds, and never need them again. Unfortunately, you won`t know, until you go off I am not sure that the night shift "caused" your anxiety, although it could be a contributing factor. I use to work the graveyard shift in a nursing home, and I didn`t like the way it made me feel. It wasn`t anxiety, I just felt off. After a few months I begged to get off that shift, and I felt much better. If you can, change your hours, maybe a note from your doctor could help with that. Take Care and good luck!! Jackie

Response:

Hi I’m a new comer to this group & was wondering if I could get some explanation as to what a panic attack is. I guess I can start off by saying what I have experienced & go from there. I’ll try to keep it short. About a year ago while driving to work (at night, I work midnights) I started losing my breath, feeling very wierd, my arms were going numb, thoughts of wanting to kill myself (which is definately not me!!) i thought i was having a heart attack (I’m 39 now) I made it to work but was to shakey i couldnt cope, went home but was just dazed & confused. I went to my doctor & she said i had a panic attack. I had one similar several days afterwards but wasnt as bad and i tried hard to control myself, after all both times I was driving!! So that was it, back to the doctor & have been on 50mg of Zoloft since. Now I was supposed to start weening off the zoloft this month & what happens, I have one of these attacks at work. So now i’m still on it. I am going to go see a shrink I guess, i dont want it to get worse, I’m getting to the point where I am almost scared of driving & going to work. I feel very strongly that it is my midnight shift that is doing this to me, because I cant think of anything else that it could be. Is there anyone else out there that works nights that is going through this?? The zoloft is good though & i have been very reassured that it is a safe drug to stay on for many years if needed, but i would like to get off it. If anyone has taken the time to read my long storey get back to me with your storey or thoughts I would appreciate it. Thanks & think positive!!!

Response:

Frank, My first anxiety attack was about 5 1/2 years ago while I was driving. Like you I thought I was having a heart attack.  I didn’t want to kill myself but was sure I must be dying.  I had a lot of stresses in my life at that time so once I realized that it was anxiety attacks I was having  I did go to a therapist. I also take Zoloft.  I started at 50 mg but have decreased it to 25 mg.  I have tried to wean off it several times and each time I have a panic attack.  I don’t like taking meds all the time but I believe it is better than going through the feelings of panic and constant anxiety. So who knows how long I will take this stuff.  I feel pretty good when I am on it. I do have times when I don’t feel as well but everyone has good and bad days whether or not they have PA’s. Do you have any particular stressful things going on in your life?  Or did you when the panic attacks started?  It might be a good idea to find a pdoc who specializes in anxiety who can help you to recognize possible triggers. The one thing about panic attacks is that they seem to strike "out of the blue" and that is the most frustrating part about them.  Because you don’t know when you’ll have one you sometimes start to avoid situations where you had one before. (Like driving, grocery shopping, eating in a restaurant)  It is a vicious (sp?) circle but you know what? You are NOT ALONE.  And you will get through them. Good luck and keep us posted. Nori — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Exchange ideas on practically anything ™.

Response:

The zoloft is good though & i have been very reassured that it is a safe drug to stay on for many years if needed, but i would like to get off it.

Frank, Is medication the only way you are managing? Not that I am knocking it! I am using three different meds, myself. But I am also doing something that I did not do the last time I was in remission from panic. I am now making the effort to learn Cognitive Behavioral techniques. A few years ago, the med of my dreams rid me of Panic, General Anxiety and Agoraphobia for just over a year. But it did not last, I started having breakthrough attacks and didn’t have the skills that I have since gained in controlling the symptoms. Changing my thoughts, correcting my breathing, muscular relaxation and slowing my heart beat are things I have become pretty good at, but not perfect. And there are many more symptoms that I must work with. I would just like to suggest that you get yourself some long lasting coping skills before going off of your med. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has worked for so many. Some without any meds. But I believe combining the two is very powerful. My two cents and wishing you well, Kathryn

Response:

Hi Frank, The following a criteria for panic attacks recently distributed in a brochure to Australian GPs A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four (or more) of the following symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes:     palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate     sweating     trembling or shaking     sensations of shortness of breath or smothering     feeling of choking     chest pain or discomfort     nausea or abdominal distress     feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint     feelings of unreality or being detached from oneself     feelings of losing control or going crazy     fear of dying     paraesthesia (numbness or tingling sensation)     chills or hot flushes I reckon I have experienced each and every one of these! Given that your symptoms are recurring I suggest that you discuss your medication, dosage, with your doctor. It doesn’t sound like a good time to wean off. I am also experiencing a recurrence of some symptoms, in particular situations, so my medication is being reviewed. I guess where lucky that our conditions are treatable. Take care, Meryl

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi I’m a new comer to this group & was wondering if I could get some explanation as to what a panic attack is. I guess I can start off by saying what I have experienced & go from there. I’ll try to keep it short. About a year ago while driving to work (at night, I work midnights) I started losing my breath, feeling very wierd, my arms were going numb, thoughts of wanting to kill myself (which is definately not me!!) i thought i was having a heart attack (I’m 39 now) I made it to work but was to shakey i couldnt cope, went home but was just dazed & confused. I went to my doctor & she said i had a panic attack. I had one similar several days afterwards but wasnt as bad and i tried hard to control myself, after all both times I was driving!! So that was it, back to the doctor & have been on 50mg of Zoloft since. Now I was supposed to start weening off the zoloft this month & what happens, I have one of these attacks at work. So now i’m still on it. I am going to go see a shrink I guess, i dont want it to get worse, I’m getting to the point where I am almost scared of driving & going to work. I feel very strongly that it is my midnight shift that is doing this to me, because I cant think of anything else that it could be. Is there anyone else out there that works nights that is going through this?? The zoloft is good though & i have been very reassured that it is a safe drug to stay on for many years if needed, but i would like to get off it. If anyone has taken the time to read my long storey get back to me with your storey or thoughts I would appreciate it. Thanks & think positive!!!

Response:

Question:

Hi there, I used to think the exact same thing.  But, not anymore.  I can’t do this with the aid and assistance of meds.  I am beginning to believe that it is all in my head.  I will still be able to "feel" things, but it won’t be as strong.  I think I am finally coming into my own person.  I just want to be the old me, and if medication will do that and help me accomplish that, then I will be forever grateful. Kelly

Response:

to me, the first step to recovery, is to not need any meds.  we can do this without the assistance of meds.

Response:

Hi…I don’t know what your docs are thinking, but Prozac can cause weight loss.  If prescribed for a person with ed, it’s usually bulimia since this med can help the b/p urges.  I also asked my dr about Zyban and she wouldn’t give it to me b/c apparently it can cause seizures in people with eds.  I think you should ask your docs about switching you to Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor or something else that doesn’t have a high incidence of weight loss as a side effect, but probably not Wellbutrin…the seizure side effect was scary enough to me to forget that idea.  Good luck.  H.

Response:

Poeople with ED’s should NOT take Wellbutrin, unless specifically directed by a physician who is  fully aware of the ED To email, leave off the "xyz"

Response:

Here is an entry from my ‘Journal’: (spoilered for drug and other info) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * On the news this morning they did a thing about Wellbutrin (which is the

same as Zyban) to stop smoking.. I did a little research online and something ‘clicked’…    the dr.’s keep telling me to take my pills, but then tell me they don’t know much about anorexia and what to do about it and stuff..  They don’t seem to see a connection… for anorexia i read that you need to let the person know they are loved

and wanted and have worth..  I keep telling myself that, and i do believe it.. But i think it’s something medical as well… Well..  what ‘clicked’ was when i was reading about Wellbutrin messing

with your ‘pleasure centers’ and replacing other cravings and pleasures in the brain with the drug..  The dopamine thing… Well, ‘hunger’ (for food) is a mild form of ‘craving’…… I no longer

have cravings for foods or even hunger for them, although my body feels/displays the effects of no nutrition.   And the ‘pleasure’ i used to get from foods/tastes/etc. is gone a lot of the time…. Just like the smokers who quit with Zyban, the pleasure of smoking went

away and they were able to quit.. Please, does this make any sense at all?  I am desperate for an answer

before it’s too late…  I started losing the most weight when i started prozac 2 years ago, and the psychs told me it was not the meds doing it. But before that i was never anorexic and i was over 20 pounds heavier than now. i need help to make sense of it, the doc’s won’t listen when i say i need

off meds.. i can’t do it myself, i feel suicidal when i cut the meds.  that scares me becuz that’s not what i want, that’s the meds talking…   i don’t want that at all; i never acted on feelings like that before meds…….but i feel so alone at times…   ignoring the ED doesn’t make it go away…. Does it make sense, my theory about the Wellbutrin and cravings?  I mean,

don’t smokers flll the smoking void with food?.. now they can fill it with Wellbutrin… I have read repeatedly that Wellbutrin is not supposed to be given to anyone with anorexia.  And i never in my life felt TRUE ‘anxiety’ before i was on meds… But my doc’s say that’s not so… Who do i believe???   The stuff i read online is real medical info, not just someone’s personal

opinions..  Are the drug companies paying off the medical ppl, at the expense of the patients???  At $100 a bottle of Wellbutrin, i wouldn’t doubt it… I feel it’s my obligation to find an answer, and then i can help the other

people.  

Response:

Question:

i was taking Paxil for about 1.5 yrs and my doctor recently switched me to effexor.  i immediately began experiencing GAD symptoms (i was diagnosed with panic disorder before being diagnosed with depression; they put me on xanax for a while before paxil) and i find it absolutely unbearable.  should i try combining maybe xanax or klonopin with th effexor or should I find a new drug like serzone or traxodone?  ive been struggling for years to find an antidepressant that works for me and i am desparate for any info.  thanks

Response:

I was on Effexor for about five weeks.  The Effexor really did not do anything for me.  I felt anxious all the time.  I finally went to the doctor and demanded that he change my prescription.  I am on Prozac 20mg/day plus Ativan 2mg at night. JP – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i was taking Paxil for about 1.5 yrs and my doctor recently switched me to effexor.  i immediately began experiencing GAD symptoms (i was diagnosed with panic disorder before being diagnosed with depression; they put me on xanax for a while before paxil) and i find it absolutely unbearable.  should i try combining maybe xanax or klonopin with th effexor or should I find a new drug like serzone or traxodone?  ive been struggling for years to find an antidepressant that works for me and i am desparate for any info.  thanks

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In some people SSRI’s can increase anxiety. Where TCA’s and MOAI’s do not. YMMV Tim I beg to differ. TCA’s as a rule do increase symptoms in the first weeks as well. With most SRI’s it’s the same and in both cases this is of a passing nature. I don’t really know about MAOI’s. Philip

When I first went on a TCA I could hardly do anything for about 4 days except fall asleep. I was trying to get my act together to complain to the Doctor about this, when it suddenly cleared up. YYMV of course. — Jon Guite When replying by email, please remove the trailing x from my return address

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In some people SSRI’s can increase anxiety. Where TCA’s and MOAI’s do not. YMMV Tim

I beg to differ. TCA’s as a rule do increase symptoms in the first weeks as well. With most SRI’s it’s the same and in both cases this is of a passing nature. I don’t really know about MAOI’s. Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i was taking Paxil for about 1.5 yrs and my doctor recently switched me to effexor.  i immediately began experiencing GAD symptoms (i was diagnosed with panic disorder before being diagnosed with depression; they put me on xanax for a while before paxil) and i find it absolutely unbearable.  should i try combining maybe xanax or klonopin with th effexor or should I find a new drug like serzone or traxodone?  ive been struggling for years to find an antidepressant that works for me and i am desparate for any info.  thanks — Friends, don’t let friends eat haggis.

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Hi.  I was on Klonopin and Effexor at once before.  I was also on two other crappy meds, so It is hard to judge.  Effexor did a lot for my depression at first, but after about 3 months, it really didn’t have any effect.  I was on 175mg, about go on 300 when I switched to Parnate-an MAO.  It has *Really* helped my depression a lot.  It has also improved my anxiety.  Klonopin also improved my anxiety, but I was a zombie and had a hard time getting up and functioning.  Good luck. i was taking Paxil for about 1.5 yrs and my doctor recently switched me to effexor.  i immediately began experiencing GAD symptoms (i was diagnosed with panic disorder before being diagnosed with depression; they put me on xanax for a while before paxil) and i find it absolutely unbearable.  should i try combining maybe xanax or klonopin with th effexor or should I find a new drug like serzone or traxodone?  ive been struggling for years to find an antidepressant that works for me and i am desparate for any info.  thanks

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According to the literature I got w/my prescrip of effexor ANXIETY is one of the possible side-effects of effexor. Other possible side-effects include: dizziness, nausea, dry mouth and rapid heartbeat. I’ve experiences all of the side effects except dizziness. I cut my effexor tablets in half now and the more severe side-effects have vanished. Doug

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In some people SSRI’s can increase anxiety. Where TCA’s and MOAI’s do not. YMMV Tim i was taking Paxil for about 1.5 yrs and my doctor recently switched me to effexor.  i immediately began experiencing GAD symptoms (i was diagnosed with panic disorder before being diagnosed with depression; they put me on xanax for a while before paxil) and i find it absolutely unbearable.  should i try combining maybe xanax or klonopin with th effexor or should I find a new drug like serzone or traxodone?  ive been struggling for years to find an antidepressant that works for me and i am desparate for any info.  thanks

– Friends, don’t let friends eat haggis.

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i was taking Paxil for about 1.5 yrs and my doctor recently switched me to effexor.  i immediately began experiencing GAD symptoms (i was diagnosed with panic disorder before being diagnosed with depression; they put me on xanax for a while before paxil) and i find it absolutely unbearable.  should i try combining maybe xanax or klonopin with th effexor or should I find a new drug like serzone or traxodone?  ive been struggling for years to find an antidepressant that works for me and i am desparate for any info.  thanks

Why did you go off Paxil? Which AD’s did you try? I wouldn’t take Klonopin if I were you as this is contra-indicated for people suffering from depression. Xanax, however, has a slight antidepressant component of its own. Have you tried a TCA? Trazodone is not a good anti-anxiety med. I always thought Serzone wasn’t either, unless combined with Xanax, but lately quite some people here have reported good results. If you tried the other options this might be a med for you to try now. It enhances the effect of Xanax which means that you can take less Xanax than you weuld normally do and maybe you can have longer breaks in between doses. Let no-one tell you that Serzone/Xanax is a bad combo because it isn’t if prescribed and used in the right way. Of course there are still the MAOI’s to consider which seem the most effective meds but have other disadvantages. Please let us know how you carry on! Philip

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