Question:

Hi all — I wanted to report my pleasure with my Gurney’s black-stripe sunflowers. The plants are about 6 feet tall and vigorous, but for a change the flowers do not bend down and face the ground.  The flower heads are smaller than some varieties, but hold themselves up very well.  They look just fantastic!  I hope the birds will find and harvest them. KeziaK Northern VA

Response:

I would like to second that sunflower rave. I have generic sunflowers, dont knnow what type, I first planted them about 5 or 6 years ago in a small plot on the edge of my garden about 12 x 12, every year they have re seeded. I look forward to the blue jays that cruise by every fall for a few weeks and feast. Its a sustainable sunflower bed. Except of course for the roundup I spray every spring to clear out the weeds, the 2,4-D I use to clear out the broad leaf stuff, and the insecticides I use 3 or 4 times a year just to be on the safe side. NOT. Hi all — I wanted to report my pleasure with my Gurney’s black-stripe sunflowers. The plants are about 6 feet tall and vigorous, but for a change the flowers do not bend down and face the ground.  The flower heads are smaller than some varieties, but hold themselves up very well.  They look just fantastic!  I hope the birds will find and harvest them. KeziaK Northern VA

– Ken Toews    *            In life effects are certainty while causes                      Stay Hungry, Stay foolish  <<

Response:

Question:

Hi everyone, i’ve suffered headaches off and on my whole life, but over the past 8 days, I have had a severe morning headache every single morning.  It is more in the back of my head, my neck muscles are very sore and my jaw and bottom molars are sore as well. I take two excedrin migraine and the headache is completely gone within an hour, if I don’t take the excedrin, then well the headache stays with me for most of the day until after lunch.  Also my eyes are very light sensitive with these headaches. I had been on zoloft 50mg for about 8 months and two months ago I stopped taking it, I slowly weaned myself off of it.  I’m thinking these headaches could be from the zoloft withdrawal?  I also feel that I may be grinding my teeth at night but i’m not sure.  Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Response:

I had been on zoloft 50mg for about 8 months and two months ago I stopped taking it, I slowly weaned myself off of it. I’m thinking these headaches could be from the zoloft withdrawal? I also feel that I may be grinding my teeth at night but i’m not sure. Any thoughts?

IMHO, it may well be the grinding of your teeth, as well as not taking zoloft anymore.  Doctors say that anti-depressants are not addictive as benzo’s, but they are so wrong.  I  weaned myself off prozac very slowly, and I felt ok for  a few months.  Then all of a sudden, I developed dizzy spells, felt very sad and awful.  So…I took the prozac again, and bingo, the dizziness went away, my crying fits stopped, and felt better (but still have that same underlying feelings of sadness and feelings of despair , guilt, etc.  Try taking the zoloft again in small doses, and see if the headaches stop.  Then you know it was the brain yelling out for the zoloft.  The brain does not forget these little pills we take, and lets us know that it wants it again.  Of course, I could be entirely wrong about this.  Maybe your headaches are caused by tension.  Maybe this, or maybe that.  Good luck and be well.   Art Decco… nyc, usa

Response:

Question:

I have been taking effexor for two weeks after being on parnate for ten years and have been having terrible dreams and a very hard time coming out of a dream sleep in the morning- kind of like dreaming while awake- it’s really unpleasant.                                                                  Has anyone out there had  a similiar experience with effexor or any other anti- depressent? Thanks. Lara

Response:

I have been taking effexor for two weeks after being on parnate for ten years and have been having terrible dreams and a very hard time coming out of a dream sleep in the morning- kind of like dreaming while awake- it’s really unpleasant.                                Has anyone out there had  a similiar experience with effexor or any other anti- depressent? Thanks. Lara

Hi lara, I did take Effexor but did not experience any side effects. Here is some info on side effects. No mention of bad dreams. http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-e02.html#Head_6 Adverse Effects Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions: The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of venlafaxine (incidence of 5% or greater) and not seen at an equivalent incidence among placebo-treated patients (i.e., incidence for venlafaxine at least twice that for placebo), derived from the 1% incidence Table III, were asthenia, sweating, nausea, constipation, anorexia, vomiting, somnolence, dry mouth, dizziness nervousness, anxiety, tremor, blurred vision, and abnormal ejaculation/orgasm and impotence in men. Adverse Reactions Associated with Discontinuation of Treatment: Nineteen percent (537/2897) of venlafaxine-treated patients in Phase II and III depression studies discontinued treatment due to an adverse reaction (see Table II). The more common events (=1%) associated with discontinuation of treatment and considered to be drug-related (i.e., those events associated with dropout at a rate approximately twice or greater for venlafaxine compared to placebo) included Table II. Table II Adverse Reactions Associated with Discontinuation of Treatment                       Venlafaxine   Placebo CNS   Somnolence              3%           1%   Insomnia                3%           1%   Dizziness               3%           —   Nervousness             2%           —   Dry Mouth               2%           —   Anxiety                 2%           1% Gastrointestinal   Nausea                  6%           1% Urogenital   Abnormal Ejaculation*   3%           — Other   Headache                3%           1%   Asthenia                2%           —  Sweating                 2%           —  *  percentages based on the number of males.  – Less than 1% Incidence in Controlled Trials: Table III that follows enumerates adverse events that occurred at an incidence of 1% or more, and were more frequent than in the placebo group, among venlafaxine-treated patients who participated in 4- to 8-week placebo-controlled trials in which patients were administered doses in the range of 75 to 375 mg/day. Reported adverse events were classified using a standard COSTART-based Dictionary terminology. Dose Dependency of Adverse Events: A comparison of adverse event rates in a fixed-dose study comparing Effexor 75, 225, and 375 mg/day with placebo revealed a dose dependency for some of the more common adverse events associated with Effexor use, as shown in Table IV. The rule for including events was to enumerate those that occurred at an incidence of 5% or more for at least one of the venlafaxine groups and for which the incidence was at least twice the placebo incidence for at least one Effexor group. Tests for potential dose relationships for these events (Cochran-Armitage Test, with a criterion of exact 2-sided p-value <= 0.05) suggested a dose-dependency for several adverse events in this list, including chills, hypertension, anorexia, nausea, agitation, dizziness, somnolence, tremor, yawning, sweating, and abnormal ejaculation . – Table III Treatment-Emergent Adverse Experience Incidence in 4-to 8-Week Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials (Percentage) –                                              Effexor   Placebo Body System          Preferred Term          (n=1033)  (n=609) – Body as a whole      Headache                    25        24                      Asthenia                    12         6                      Infection                    6         5                      Chills                       3        –                      Chest Pain                   2         1                      Trauma                       2         1 Cardiovascular       Vasodilatation               4         3                      Increased blood/pressure                        hypertension               2        –                      Tachycardia                  2        –                      Postural hypotension         1        – Dermatological       Sweating                    12         3                      Rash                         3         2                      Pruritus                     1        – Gastrointestinal     Nausea                      37        11                      Constipation                15         7                      Anorexia                    11         2                      Diarrhoea                    8         7                      Vomiting                     6         2                      Dyspepsia                    5         4                      Flatulence                   3         2 Metabolic            Weight loss                  1        – Nervous              Somnolence                  23         9                      Dry mouth                   22        11                      Dizziness                   19         7                      Insomnia                    18        10                      Nervousness                 13         6                      Anxiety                      6         3                      Tremor                       5         1                      Abnormal Dreams              4         3                      Hypertonia                   3         2                      Paraesthesia                 3         2                      Libido decreased             2        –                      Agitation                    2        –                      Confusion                    2         1                      Thinking abnormal            2         1                      Depersonalization            1        –                      Depression                   1        –                      Urinary retention            1        –                      Twitching                    1        – Respiration          Yawn                         3        – Special Senses       Blurred vision               6         2                      Taste perversion             2        –                      Tinnitus                     2        –                      Mydriasis                    2        – Urogenital           Abnormal ejaculation/                        orgasm                    12 [2]     2                      Impotence                    6 [2]     2                      Urinary frequency            3         2                      Urination impaired           2        –                      Orgasm disturbance           2 [3]    – [3]                      Menstrual disorder           1 [3]    – [3] – [1] Events reported by at least 1% of patients treated with Effexor are     included, and are rounded to the nearest %. Events for which the     Effexor incidence was equal to or less than placebo are not listed     in the table, but included the following: abdominal pain, pain, back     pain, flu syndrome, fever, palpitation, increased appetite, myalgia,     arthralgia, amnesia, hypaesthesia, rhinitis pharyngitis, sinusitis     cough increased urinary tract infection and dysmenorrhoea [3] —  Incidence less than 1% [2] Incidence based on number of male patients. [3] Incidence based on number of female patients. – Adaptation to Certain Adverse Events: Over a 6-week period, there was evidence of adaptation to some adverse events with continued therapy (e.g., dizziness and nausea), but less to other effects (e.g., abnormal ejaculation and dry mouth). Vital Sign Changes: Venlafaxine treatment (averaged over all dose groups) in clinical trials was associated with a mean increase in pulse rate of approximately 3 beats per minute, compared to no change for placebo. It was associated with mean increases in diastolic blood pressure ranging from 0.7 to 2.5 mm Hg averaged over all dose groups, compared to mean decreases ranging from O.9 to 3.8 mm Hg for placebo. However, there is a dose dependency for blood pressure increase (see Warnings). Laboratory Changes: Of the serum chemistry and hematology parameters monitored during clinical trials with venlafaxine, a statistically significant difference with placebo was seen only for serum cholesterol, i.e., patients treated with venlafaxine had mean increases from baseline of 3 mg/dL, a change of unknown clinical significance. Table IV Treatment-Emergent Adverse Experience Incidence    in a Dose Comparison Trial                                      Effexor (mg/day) Body System/              Placebo     75        225       375 Preferred Term            (n=92)    (n=89)    (n=89)    (n=88) Body as Whole   Abdominal pain            3.3%      3.4%      2.2%      8.0%   Asthenia                  3.3%     16.9%     14.6%    

… read more »

Response:

Hi Lara, Yes the odd dreaming is definatly a side effect of effexor. Some people also have a terrible time getting to sleep. I found that when I put the dose up, my anxiety got worse and I used to get very frustrated trying to get to sleep! I also had really WEIRD dreams. Aswell as yelling out in my sleep (I’ve always talked in my sleep though), I sometimes punched and kicked my poor fiance! This is my advice to you: 1. If you find yourself getting anxious and irritable, and your doctor tells you to up the dose, be VERY wary of doing that, because it is possible that the effexor could be causing the anxiety. 2. When/if you decide to come off the effexor, please do it VERY slowly. Some people go fine going off it over a week or two, but others have very serious yucky withdrawls. (I did it over 2 weeks and got really dizzy and nauseous and very, very moody!). To help you sleep better, perhaps try some simple relaxation techniques before bed (like stretching, then when you’re in bed concentrate on your breathing or something. I you’ll find that you’re dreams will be worse if you’re particularily stressed when you go to bed. Um… I hope this helped a little. Kara.

Response:

Question:

On or about Mon, 15 Jan 2001 15:19:41 GMT, "MS" <marshmall…@yahoo.com

did apparently write: commonly used slow serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)

ROTFL!  What a load of BS … —   -john

Response:

I am interested in info. on St. John’s Wort and Kava for OCD and anxiety. Thank you.

Response:

R.P. <addr…@reply-to.is.accurate

wrote in message

news:9325bq$640$1@slb7.atl.mindspring.net…

I am interested in info. on St. John’s Wort and Kava for OCD and anxiety. Thank you.

I had a lot of luck with Kava Kava for anxiety, but it brought back eczema that had lain dormant for over 6 years (and which I have yet to get rid of). Take care if you have any dermatological problems.

Response:

My psychiatrist said it was useless for OCD. Only good for *mild* depression. Ida R.P. <addr…@reply-to.is.accurate

wrote in message

news:9325bq$640$1@slb7.atl.mindspring.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

I am interested in info. on St. John’s Wort and Kava for OCD and anxiety. Thank you.

Response:

In article < 933137$vs…@slb6.atl.mindspring.net

,

  "Bill & Ida Kern" < clooney…@mindspring.com

wrote: My psychiatrist said it was useless for OCD. Only good for *mild* depression. Ida

The interesting thing with St. John’s Wort, is that it alters the ‘mood/mind’ enough to allow an objective and clear perspective of the Self. And therefore a clear insight into those parts of the Self that causes the depression. Is your intent to clear yourself of the depression?… or clear yourself of the sources of that depression? The Wort (like LSD; magic mushrooms; kava-kava) open-up the psyche for deeper investigation… rather than offer a cure-all. Later Gerrit Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/

Response:

On Fri, 05 Jan 2001 00:44:03 GMT, Gerrit Deppe <gerrit_de…@my-deja.com

wrote:

The interesting thing with St. John’s Wort, is that it alters the ‘mood/mind’ enough to allow an objective and clear perspective of the Self. And therefore a clear insight into those parts of the Self that causes the depression. Is your intent to clear yourself of the depression?… or clear yourself of the sources of that depression?

Translation: SJW is not strong enough to cure many cases of depression by itself, and works best with psychotherapy combination. By extension, an SSRI plus that kind of psychotherapy ought to be better yet? — The above from: address is spamblocked. Use wherrera (at) lynxview (dot) com for the reply address.

Response:

Dear R.P.,      I have used Kava for anxiety and it does help though if your anxiety is high it may take a few days for it to really catch up with you.  To be on it is to be mellow but alert at the same time so I think it would help with OCD.                    Rusty "R.P." <addr…@reply-to.is.accurate

wrote in message

news:9325bq$640$1@slb7.atl.mindspring.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

I am interested in info. on St. John’s Wort and Kava for OCD and anxiety. Thank you.

Response:

"R.P." <addr…@reply-to.is.accurate

wrote in message

news:9325bq$640$1@slb7.atl.mindspring.net…

I am interested in info. on St. John’s Wort and Kava for OCD and anxiety.

Here is some info. I found on St. John’s Wort and OCD: "Gridrunner: Have you heard of some success using St. John’s Wort or 5-htp to lessen OCD? Dr. Jenike: Yes, there are a few cases where St. John’s Wort has helped OCD. In Germany, there are dozens of studies using SJW for mild to moderate depression, but its use for treating OCD is relatively new. I have tried it in quite a few patients, with not much success. But then again, most of the patients I see now, are on the more severe end of the spectrum." – http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/OCD/site/transcripts/obsession s_ocd.htm See also: http://www.biopsychiatry.com/stjohnocd.htm

Response:

Recent studies have shown SJW to be equally as effective as Zoloft (sertraline) and Prozac (fluoxetine) in mild to moderate depression. It also seems to have a better side-effect profile. See the references below: – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – Equivalence of St John’s wort extract (Ze 117) and fluoxetine: a randomized, controlled study in mild-moderate depression. Schrader E Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2000 Mar;15(2):61-8 Treatment with St John’s wort extract tablets (hypericum Ze 117) and the commonly used slow serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine was compared in patients with mild-moderate depression with entry Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) (21-item) in the range 16-24, in a randomized, double-blind, parallel group comparison in 240 subjects; fluoxetine: 114 (48%), hypericum: 126 (52%). After 6 weeks’ treatment, mean HAM-D at endpoint decreased to 11.54 on hypericum and to 12.20 on fluoxetine (P < 0.09), while mean Clinical Global Impression (CGI) item I (severity) was significantly (P < 0.03) superior on hypericum, as was the responder rate (P = 0.005). Hypericum safety was substantially superior to fluoxetine, with the incidence of adverse events being 23% on fluoxetine and 8% on hypericum. The commonest events on fluoxetine were agitation (8%), GI disturbances (6%), retching (4%), dizziness (4%), tiredness, anxiety/nervousness and erectile dysfunction (3% each), while on hypericum only GI disturbances (5%) had an incidence greater than 2%. We concluded that hypericum and fluoxetine are equipotent with respect to all main parameters used to investigate antidepressants in this population. Although hypericum may be superior in improving the responder rate, the main difference between the two treatments is safety. Hypericum was superior to fluoxetine in overall incidence of side-effects, number of patients with side-effects and the type of side-effect reported. – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – "Comparison of an extract of hypericum (LI 160) and sertraline in the treatment of depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot study." Brenner R, Azbel V, Madhusoodanan S, Pawlowska M Clin Ther 2000 Apr;22(4):411-9 BACKGROUND: Hypericum (St. John’s wort) has been shown to be as efficacious and well tolerated as standard antidepressants in the treatment of depression but has not been compared with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). OBJECTIVE: This study compared hypericum and the SSRI sertraline in the treatment of depression. METHODS: In a double-blind, randomized study conducted in a community hospital, 30 male and female outpatients (19 women, 11 men; mean age, 45.5 years) with mild to moderate depression received 600 mg/d of a standardized extract of hypericum (LI 160) or 50 mg/d sertraline for I week, followed by hypericum 900 mg/d or sertraline 75 mg/d for 6 weeks. RESULTS: The severity of symptoms, as assessed by scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Clinical Global Impression scale, was significantly reduced in both treatment groups (P < 0.01). Clinical response (defined as a

or =50%

reduction in HAM-D scores) was noted in 47% of patients receiving hypericum and 40% of those receiving sertraline. The difference was not statistically significant. Both agents were well tolerated. A post hoc power analysis indicated that failure to reach statistical significance between treatments resulted primarily from an absence of clinical differences rather than the small sample size. CONCLUSION: The hypericum extract was at least as effective as sertraline in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in a small group of outpatients. William Herrera <posting.acco…@lynxview.com

wrote in message

news:3a554404.167049393@news.rmi.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

On Fri, 05 Jan 2001 00:44:03 GMT, Gerrit Deppe <gerrit_de…@my-deja.com wrote: The interesting thing with St. John’s Wort, is that it alters the ‘mood/mind’ enough to allow an objective and clear perspective of the Self. And therefore a clear insight into those parts of the Self that causes the depression. Is your intent to clear yourself of the depression?… or clear yourself of the sources of that depression? Translation: SJW is not strong enough to cure many cases of depression by itself, and works best with psychotherapy combination. By extension, an SSRI plus that kind of psychotherapy ought to be better

yet?

— The above from: address is spamblocked. Use wherrera (at) lynxview (dot)

com for the reply address.

Response:

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently went off my Zoloft which I have been taking on/off (mostly on) for a couple of years.  I have been at 100 mg for the past six or so months.  I only had side effects in the beginning but they all went away except the lack of libido which I can deal with.  The primary reason I am going off it is that I jsut can’t afford it anymore and am hoping that my depression will not return as bad as before.  Right now I seem emotionally stable   (Not to worry, if it appears that I really *need* to go back on it I will).  I have been off about 4-5 days and am having dizzy spells like crazy.  When I stand up to fast or turn my head too fast.  I know I shouldn’t have gone off cold turkey but hell, the money ran out at the same time the script did.  I am also in one of those situations where I make too much to qualify for any type of medication assistance yet not enough to pay for them.  Yeah, the middle class often gets the shaft too. Anyhow…I digress.  Is this dizziness just possibly a withdrawal thing from the Zoloft and if so, how long can I expect it to go on?  It is quite

annoying. Probably is from withdrawal. When I went off 100 mg of Zoloft cold turkey, I was dizzy 24 hours a day for about 4 weeks. It was then I finally gave in and started taking a very low dose with the goal of weaning myself off gradually. Maybe you can get one more scrip of a low dose from your doc, and wean yourself off? Good luck. Cate

Response:

I recently went off my Zoloft which I have been taking on/off (mostly on) for a couple of years.  I have been at 100 mg for the past six or so months.  I only had side effects in the beginning but they all went away except the lack of libido which I can deal with.  The primary reason I am going off it is that I jsut can’t afford it anymore and am hoping that my depression will not return as bad as before.  Right now I seem emotionally stable   (Not to worry, if it appears that I really *need* to go back on it I will).  I have been off about 4-5 days and am having dizzy spells like crazy.  When I stand up to fast or turn my head too fast.  I know I shouldn’t have gone off cold turkey but hell, the money ran out at the same time the script did.  I am also in one of those situations where I make too much to qualify for any type of medication assistance yet not enough to pay for them.  Yeah, the middle class often gets the shaft too. Anyhow…I digress.  Is this dizziness just possibly a withdrawal thing from the Zoloft and if so, how long can I expect it to go on?  It is quite annoying. SWC

Response:

Question:

hi key, that happened for me on effexor and every other a-d  i tried including aurorix, celexor, tofranil and luvox. my doc said the effects would wear off over time- but they didn’t. it took great perseverance to get it up, let alone climax. naturally, being a guy, this is hard to take. I was going to say ‘hard to swallow’, but I’m trying to be serious here…. normal sexual response returns within weeks of giving up the a-d. at least it has for me. Erm, Wellbutrin is an a-d that’s known to have a positive effect on sex drive so, if you’re somewhere in the world where its available (its not available in Australia – dang!)  you could ask your pdoc to swap you over. hope this helps… rossco (aka brother john) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m experiencing loss of sex drive and inability to reach orgasm on 150mg Effexor XR/day.  Has anyone had a similar experience and noticed a reduction of these side effects?  Basically, will I get my sex drive back? key Before you buy.

Response:

Key, I’m on 150mg Effexor a day also.  I’ve been on it for a few months.  I have the same problem.  It’s faded a little, but it still takes a long long time to reach orgasm.  I don’t know though, I think it’s different for everyone.   Jen(I know this didn’t help much) I’m experiencing loss of sex drive and inability to reach orgasm on 150mg Effexor XR/day.  Has anyone had a similar experience and noticed a reduction of these side effects?  Basically, will I get my sex drive back? key

And there was much rejoicing,     yaaaaaaaayyyyyyy. "My head won’t leave my head alone" -Dave Matthews band

Response:

Hi key… It’s the same thing with Paxil… I don’t know how reduce side effect. Aline – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m experiencing loss of sex drive and inability to reach orgasm on 150mg Effexor XR/day.  Has anyone had a similar experience and noticed a reduction of these side effects?  Basically, will I get my sex drive back? key Before you buy.

Response:

I’m experiencing loss of sex drive and inability to reach orgasm on 150mg Effexor XR/day.  Has anyone had a similar experience and noticed a reduction of these side effects?  Basically, will I get my sex drive back? key Before you buy.

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     The side effects I experienced were similar to the ones experienced on 20 mg of Paxil.  I am now taking 225mg of Effexor XR.  I am experiencing delayed ejaculation, it now takes about 20 minuets.  As opposed to the usual 5 to 10 minuets unmedicated. I left off reading newspapers once i got my journalism degree and realized HOW THEY WERE PRODUCED, and by WHAT sort of … life form.                                             – Ron Zucchini

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I’m experiencing loss of sex drive and inability to reach orgasm on 150mg Effexor XR/day.  Has anyone had a similar experience and noticed a reduction of these side effects?  Basically, will I get my sex drive back? key

No sex drive and inability to reach orgasm.  I had the same side effects. After several months these side effects hadn’t gone away, so my pdoc added Wellbutrin.  Much, much better now.  :-)

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Classic Effexor side effect. In some people the sex drive comes back. I don’t think the anorgasmia (is that what they call it?) goes away, if it’s one of the side effects for you, until you’re off Effexor. Then everything will be back the way it was before. Let the doc who prescribed it for you know if it’s a big issue for you. Take care. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m experiencing loss of sex drive and inability to reach orgasm on 150mg Effexor XR/day.  Has anyone had a similar experience and noticed a reduction of these side effects?  Basically, will I get my sex drive back? key Before you buy.

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What’s going on? What do you think is causing it? Wish I could help. (((liah))) Trev

I don’t know… it happens every now and then… if it were consistent with my moods i’d blame it on being upset but it happens in all different kinds of moods… but it almost hurts when i shake… Thanks  {{{Trev}}} liah i’m unlike anyone you’ve ever not wanted to meet

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my whole body… it really sucks and it’s making me paranoid… just please make it stop liah

Hey, you just described my entire physical life since I was 13. I have Essential Tremor, and myoclonus. I shake and twitch constantly. Klonopin and Neurontin help, but if your’s is only a temporary condition, I doubt if you’ll have to resort to meds. What’s going on? What do you think is causing it? Wish I could help. (((liah))) Trev – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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my whole body… it really sucks and it’s making me paranoid… just please make it stop liah i’m unlike anyone you’ve ever not wanted to meet

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drownproofing it could save your life first, take a deep breath and hold it. next, relax. float with your arms level with your shoulders. legs pointed down, head under water, with the top of your head at the surface. do not tread water. to breathe, make one stroke down with both hands and arms simultaneously. blow out air as your face breaks the water surface, inhale a full breath quickly when your mouth and nose break the surface, and relax again going back to the float mode with the head not out of the surface. dump items that cause negative buoyancy as coins ,watch, keys chains, etc. repeat the steps continuously as needed.

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Paul’s list on saving your life by drownproofing is well-timed for this part of the year. Thank you Paul. However, I seem to recall that within the last few years, there has been further information given out about how drownproofing can speed up hypothermia. Too much time with head in water, too much energy out-put, those sorts of things. drownproofing it could save your life first, take a deep breath and hold it. next, relax. float with your arms  level with your shoulders. legs pointed down, head under water, with

   the top of your head at the surface. do not tread water. to breathe, make one stroke down with both hands and arms simultaneously. blow out air as your face breaks the water surface, inhale a full breath

  quickly when your mouth and nose break the surface, and relax again   going back to the float mode with the head not out of the surface. dump items that cause negative buoyancy as coins ,watch, keys chains, etc. repeat the steps continuously as needed.

Any input from someone up to date on the latest in water-related hypothermia would be appreciated. Now is the season for such problems. Oh, and let’s try to stay on the boat, wear a pfd of some style of our choosing, or wear a survival suit. I don’t have a "Gumby" style suit, but do have a padded "Cruiser" suit by Mustang. Wonderful thing. Keeps me warm at the wheel, and even when sleeping off watch at night off shore. Hard to get out of if need to use the head, and the crotch is too low for short me, but otherwise, a very good thing. We wore our suits at night along the Washington coast this *summer* and felt very comfortable. One has to get out of the suit in the morning as the sun warms the air or you get wet from the inside. ANNE  (thanks Paul, again, for reminding us of the water being a danger) Public Access UNIX and Internet at (503) 220-1016 (2400-28800, N81)

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Paul’s list on saving your life by drownproofing is well-timed for this part of the year. Thank you Paul. However, I seem to recall that within the last few years, there has been further information given out about how drownproofing can speed up hypothermia. Too much time with head in water, too much energy out-put, those sorts of things.

 I doubt that energy expenditure could be too much.  Drownproofing allows even poor swimmers to stay afloat for hours.  The hypothermia risk I think is a significant increased risk.  You can drown-proof with your legs tucked up.  This will reduce heat loss, but the head underwater is a worry.  A floatcoat would be a much better option. Especially compared to basic drownproofing, but not as good as a "gumby".  If caught overboard in a floatcoat, or other jacket, tighten the collar and waist drawstring to minimize the cold water exchange. Mark Anderson

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Paul’s list on saving your life by drownproofing is well-timed for this part of the year. Thank you Paul. However, I seem to recall that within the last few years, there has been further information given out about how drownproofing can speed up hypothermia. Too much time with head in water,  I doubt that energy expenditure could be too much.  Drownproofing allows even poor swimmers to stay afloat for hours.  The hypothermia risk I think is a significant increased risk.  You can drown-proof with your legs tucked up.  This will reduce heat loss, but the head underwater is a worry.  A floatcoat would be a much better option. exchange. Mark Anderson

At the risk of repeating what the previous post wrote, I don’t think the following can be said enough: Drownproofing is a life saving technique that is now somewhat discredited. From recent literature I have from the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Red Cross ‘drownproofing’ will SUBSTANTIALLY reduce the amount of time a person can expect to remain alive in the water compared to other techniques. This includes simply treading water. As the other posts have stated this is becuase of the greatly increased heat loss through the head when is it is in the better thermal conducter; water. Most of our body’s heat loss is through the head. However, if the water is very warm, then it might make sense if a person is starting to have difficulty treading water. Of course if a PFD is in the equation then treading water ceases to be much of a concern. But hypothermia is still a very real problem in the cooler waters this time of year.Our lake was 3 degrees celsius when we pulled out last week-end. The Coast Guard literature went on to state that wearing a ‘float coat’ can increase one’s survival time many times over what it would be with a standard key-hole lifejacket.  

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Question:

Anyone have good ways of dealing with sexual dysfunction as a side effect from meds? Thanks, Rick Wagner You haven’t mentioned the meds you are on.  If youwant an informed answer please provide adequate information. Roy 46, still bipolar, and tried EVERY med you ever even heard of.

Presently on Depakote and Effexor. Didn’t mention particular med because so many seem to have this effect. I know I had the problem on at least Paxil and Triavil in combo with various others. Rick

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Roy 46, still bipolar, and tried EVERY med you ever even heard of.

Um, two things:   How about carbamide peroxide? (No fair looking in your Merck or PDR.)   Roy, you wrote a rather contradictory signature in another recent message.   You wrote "still bipolar, but getting very depressed" — the "but" implies   that you somehow make a distinction between depression and one of the   poles that make up "bipolar".  Now, this distinction might make no   difference whatsoever to you, however if you replace "but" with "and",   well, I reckon you know what is most effective for you. Zoz

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone have good ways of dealing with sexual dysfunction as a side effect from meds? Thanks, Rick Wagner Rick: I had the same problem on anti-depressants such as Prozac,Effexor, Zolloft etc. I switched to Serzone and found that the problem is nearly non-existent( after 2 years of dysfunction I do believe that I have some residual psychologcal dysfunction at times). Also the nurses at my PDoc’s office said that there is a drug to help this…ask your Doc. Good Luck Joe I was like both of you,sexual dysfunction,my doc put me on Wellbutrin and  no more dysfunction!….Bill

Wellbutrin, effexor and zoloft increased my sexual feelings greatly. Unfortunately they made me cycle about every hour! Too bad! julie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone have good ways of dealing with sexual dysfunction as a side effect from meds? Thanks, Rick Wagner I was like both of you,sexual dysfunction,my doc put me on Wellbutrin and  no more dysfunction!….Bill Wellbutrin, effexor and zoloft increased my sexual feelings greatly. Unfortunately they made me cycle about every hour! Too bad! julie

Wellbutrin kicked my sex drive into overdrive, too – my husband loves it! I also heard recently that a new drug, Wellbutrin SR, is being submitted to the FDA for approval. It is not supposed to have the sexual side effects that Wellbutrin has. My question is, why would anyone want to take it? But seriously, has anyone out there ever experienced _adverse_ sexual side effects on Wellbutrin? nancy

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Nancy, I too have had very positive reaction on Wellbutrin. I had been on a "sexual desert" with Effexor and Zoloft. Effexor stopped my monthly cycle for the 5 months that I took it also…. Good Luck,  Sally – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – says… Anyone have good ways of dealing with sexual dysfunction as a side effect from meds? Thanks, Rick Wagner I was like both of you,sexual dysfunction,my doc put me on Wellbutrin and  no more dysfunction!….Bill Wellbutrin, effexor and zoloft increased my sexual feelings greatly. Unfortunately they made me cycle about every hour! Too bad! julie Wellbutrin kicked my sex drive into overdrive, too – my husband loves it! I also heard recently that a new drug, Wellbutrin SR, is being submitted to the FDA for approval. It is not supposed to have the sexual side effects that Wellbutrin has. My question is, why would anyone want to take it? But seriously, has anyone out there ever experienced _adverse_ sexual side effects on Wellbutrin? nancy

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone have good ways of dealing with sexual dysfunction as a side effect from meds? Thanks, Rick Wagner Rick: I had the same problem on anti-depressants such as Prozac,Effexor, Zolloft etc. I switched to Serzone and found that the problem is nearly non-existent( after 2 years of dysfunction I do believe that I have some residual psychologcal dysfunction at times). Also the nurses at my PDoc’s office said that there is a drug to help this…ask your Doc. Good Luck Joe

I was like both of you,sexual dysfunction,my doc put me on Wellbutrin and  no more dysfunction!….Bill

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Anyone have good ways of dealing with sexual dysfunction as a side effect from meds? Several of our standard meds cause various problems. Between my wife’s meds and mine, we have managed to (sort of) have sex twice in the past year. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Rick Wagner

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Anyone have good ways of dealing with sexual dysfunction as a side effect from meds? Thanks, Rick Wagner

Rick: I had the same problem on anti-depressants such as Prozac,Effexor, Zolloft etc. I switched to Serzone and found that the problem is nearly non-existent( after 2 years of dysfunction I do believe that I have some residual psychologcal dysfunction at times). Also the nurses at my PDoc’s office said that there is a drug to help this…ask your Doc. Good Luck Joe

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