Anxiety Meds/SSRIs, questions

[SoothingSpaces]

Ugh sorry to hear that.

[MajorSky1]

Called dr. He said to stop taking it. I said I'd be willing to keep going, but he said no, to stop.
Been on it for a week, low dose, hoping there's no withdrawal symptoms.

[webslave]

Try another one, they all react differently. Prozac is also approved for anxiety, I think

[CMT23]

I experimented with many different antidepressants a few years ago. I should have written down names and dosages, but didn't. I remember that I went through all the TCAs without luck. Then tried a number of SSRIs. From what I understand, even for the doctors, it's all an experiment. Different people react differently to different antidepressants and dosages. Some made me sedated. Some made me sweat profusely. Some kept me awake all night. The only one I tried that I remember worked was Deanxit. I say 'worked' in that I feel it brought daily symptoms down from a 7 or 8 to a 3 or 4. But after 6 weeks there was no longer a benefit. I doubled the dose to no avail. I do think that there can be some relief in antidepressants, but it's an experimentation process and it may or may not be long term.

For me, the only think that is reliable for sleep is Clonazepam and for relief during waking hours, 2.5 - 5mg of valium combined with 25mg of Tramadol. If I also throw in a vodka and sit still at a dinner for example, my symptoms can almost appear to disappear. A few hours later after moving around and urinating a couple times, the symptoms usually return. So this isn't a long term daily solution, but it's good to know that when things are flaring up, there is something that can provide a little relief.

I still think about trying other antidepressants, but most take 3 weeks to kick in and then you may have to experiment with the dosages at that point and I really don't like most of the side effects, so at this point, it's not in my immediate plan. If you haven't read my story elsewhere, I did the Wise Anderson protocol as far as stretching and daily relaxation and internal massage a few years ago for around 12 months. There were times when I thought I was getting better, but at the end of the day, there was no major breakthrough.(I did feel relief many times after taking hot bath and then lying down for the relaxation, but only during that time).

Anyway, my symptoms have been bothering me more than usual as of late and I have the wand and the relaxation MP4 player so I will probably start up again soon. It's difficult to feel as motivated as the first time round, but I am not sure what else to do at this point.

I hope you are able to find some relief. Keep us updated.

[Caedar]

For me, the only think that is reliable for sleep is Clonazepam and for relief during waking hours, 2.5 - 5mg of valium combined with 25mg of Tramadol. If I also throw in a vodka and sit still at a dinner for example, my symptoms can almost appear to disappear.

Unless your symptoms are pretty bad to begin with, I'd strongly recommend not mixing benzos with opiates with alcohol. It sounds like a bad interaction waiting to happen.

[CMT23]

Hi Caedar. Thanks and agree. Sometimes when it's a choice between losing my sanity and taking the edge off with that combo, I choose the latter. Obviously I can't tell other people to do the same thing, but at the same time, it would be irresponsible in my mind to not at least share the info. When I do this, it is low doses of both drugs and maximum 2 shots of vodka over the course of an hour or so. It's not a great solution to rely on, but when the doctor tells you to 'learn to live with it' or 'play golf' or 'stop thinking so much' or 'I'm sure there is nothing wrong with you' or 'it's good you have a barometer to know when you need to rest' - I've heard them all and more, it's nice to know that something can still provide some relief.