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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Capri on June 19, 2003, at 19:32:26
Hi everyone,
I do need some advice. I really don't know if any of these AD's are going to work for me. 4 years ago I took Paxil but I could only take 15 mg. Anything more totally fogged me out. Stayed on it for a year..came off of it with no side effects. Never really helped though with panic or real anxiety. Helped a little.
Tried Celexa (only took 15 mg) not really theraputic, Zoloft (I was a total disaster),Wellubutrin (terrible dizziness, etc.), Buspar (dizziness - no benefit). After 4 years not being on any meds a new doc put me on Effexor. I was on for 5 weeks. I started getting depression, couldn't sleep at night, tired during the day, terrible headaches, etc. He now has me on Paxi 12.5mg CR. I'm not feeling any better. Still have depression (which I am being treated for anxiety not depression). Not sleeping at night (didn't have that on regular Paxil), tired during the day, etc. If the Paxil doesn't work or I can't tolerate it he will put me on Lexapro and then try Remeron if Lexapro fails.
I do take Klonopin when needed (especially going on these AD's and for sometimes sleeping) but I don't want to make it a habit. I'll tell ya though Klonopin works the best for my anxiety. I can take on the world. I'm really worried though about the addiction factor which I have read so much about.
Anybody not have luck with these AD's or have depression on an "anti-depressant". Should I ask my doc tomorrow to increase the dose of the Paxil? Any comments, suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! I am confused with the way I feel this time around. I don't know what to make of it.
Thanks so much for listening to me babble.
Capri
Posted by Viridis on June 19, 2003, at 22:59:38
In reply to Need some advice..feeling frustrated!, posted by Capri on June 19, 2003, at 19:32:26
If Klonopin works best for you, I'd go with that. Benzodiazepines aren't "addictive" for the vast majority of anxiety sufferers -- addiction means that you become obsessed with a substance, keep taking it despite harm, uncontrollably increase the dose, it disrupts your life, etc. (e.g., cocaine).
Klonopin, in particular, is well known for maintaining antianxiety effects at the same dose indefinitely -- my pdoc says he's had many panic and anxiety patients on low levels of daily K for years with no need to increase the dose, and that's certainly been the case for me.
Benzos do cause dependency, which means that if you discontinue them, you have to taper off gradually, as you would with various blood pressure and anti-heartburn meds, etc. Recent studies (endorsed by the World Health Organization) have demonstrated that some of the most common antidepressants are the hardest drugs to discontinue, with Effexor and Paxil at the top of the list -- much harder to get off than Klonopin and other benzos. So, if you're concerned about dependency, antidepressants like Paxil present the greatest risk by far. And, benzos have a much longer track record of safety than any of the newer antidepressants.
So, in terms of safety, effectiveness, and dependency issues, I consider Klonopin much preferable to most antidepressants, if it's appropriate for you. It's a shame that so many doctors buy into the propaganda put out by the drug companies etc. re: the supposed risks of benzos (which, not coincidentally, are almost all off-patent, so are available as inexpensive generics).
Posted by waterfall on June 20, 2003, at 19:56:12
In reply to Need some advice..feeling frustrated!, posted by Capri on June 19, 2003, at 19:32:26
> I do take Klonopin when needed .... I'm really worried though about the addiction factor which I have read so much about.
>
> Anybody not have luck with these AD's or have depression on an "anti-depressant".Hi Capri,
I found that my depression didn't lift until I was taking a combination of mood stabilizers and ADs, in my case Depakote, Wellbutrin, and Remeron. Have you tried taking more than one at a time - find one that helps (but not enough) and then add another? It's kinda messy but it sounds like the singletons aren't working for you.Klonopin. I took 4 mgs a day for several years and then went off. I went down .25 mgs a week for 16 weeks (plus one. there was one week in there I felt I couldn't drop any lower). It was hard, because everything that the Klonopin had been helping with was coming back. However, it was great, because every negative emotion I had for four months I could say, "This is just a reaction to coming off the K. If this problem still exists in 4 months, deal with it then." Interestingly, there wasn't much of a list at the end.
Good luck
waterfall.
Posted by Capri on June 20, 2003, at 20:22:37
In reply to Re: Need some advice..feeling frustrated! » Capri, posted by Viridis on June 19, 2003, at 22:59:38
Thank you so much Viridis for your post on Klonopin. I am seriously thinking about talking to my doctor about it. I'll give these AD's a few more weeks than I will give them up.
Waterfall, that might be a good idea too to try 2 different AD's at lose doses. I will speak to the doc about it.
THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP. IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.
CAPRI
Posted by Taylor123 on June 20, 2003, at 20:47:24
In reply to Re: Need some advice..feeling frustrated!, posted by Capri on June 20, 2003, at 20:22:37
Hey there!
Just wanted to let you know...I was unsuccesfully treated for depression a good while back unsuccessfully with an ssri alone. Although lithium is usually used for Bipolar disorder, it can also be used to augment the effects of an ssri. so it might be worth a try. Not sure from an anxiety point of veiw though. I found lithium to be very mind-numbing, but was on a high dose for BP disorder. So you may tolerate one of the ssri's that suits u best and a low dose of lithium. Definatly worth asking your p.doc about.
Good luck, take care and keep us posted!
Tay
Posted by Viridis on June 21, 2003, at 4:23:19
In reply to Re: Need some advice..feeling frustrated!, posted by Capri on June 20, 2003, at 20:22:37
Hi Capri,
I'm glad to help, and it looks like you're getting some very good advice from others too. There are so many meds out there that you're almost certain to find one, or a combo, that works -- it may just take time and trial-and-error.
I'm very pro-Klonopin, but I take other meds too. I cannot tolerate SSRIs or Wellbutrin at all though -- for example, I also had extreme dizziness with WB, as well as a lot of other weird side effects.
This may be kind of off-the-wall, but I just recently started taking Strattera (atomoxetine) for ADD. It seems to work well with my Klonopin (and Adderall, which I also take for ADD), and so far has had a very calming, stabilizing, mood-lifting effect (of course, this is just a few days of experience, so take what I say with a grain of salt). Currently it's marketed for ADD, but the company is trying to get approval for it as an antidepressant too. Again, I can't tolerate most ADs at all, but Strattera seems very different. It's just a thought, but since there seem to be lots of free samples available, you might ask your doctor about trying a low dose.
However, I'd definitely push for a trial on Klonopin above all; a lot of people do very well on it.
Good luck!
Posted by Capri on June 22, 2003, at 21:10:21
In reply to Re: Need some advice..feeling frustrated! » Capri, posted by Viridis on June 21, 2003, at 4:23:19
Hi Viridis,
Are you being treated for anxiety, panic, etc. or for ADD only??
I'm still on 12.5 mg of Paxil until my pdoc gets back into town. He might try to increase it. I'm really tired of trying all these meds that just basically have the same side effects.
Did I tell you that I took Xanax about 20 years ago for anxiety. A regular MD put me on them but never told me to taper off or make a follow up appt. Back then I knew nothing about meds so I took the .25 mg twice a day or three times a day (can't remember)that he prescribed for about 2 months. I literally freaked out when I stopped taking them cold turkey. I thought I was having a nervous breakdown or something. It only last 1 night and that was it but it was scary. But again I never tapered down.
I love Klonopin though. I know what your saying about a lot of people having a very difficult time coming off AD'S (and yet so many docs are against Benzo's).
Capri
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