annemargaret
13-05-12, 19:55
Hi all. I stumbled upon this site whilst trying to find out what has happened to Promazine, boy am I glad I did! After spending a couple of hours doing lots of reading on here I decided to join...here is my intro! I can't remember how many years I have suffered with GAD & depression, I think way back into my childhood. I'm 58 now, a long time then. I was a teacher until Sept 2004 when I could no longer face going into school. I had been on Prozac a couple of times, had 5mgs of diazepam I took when desperate, co-codamol 500/30 for my lumbar back pain, disc degeneration, pills for blood pressure, pills for cholesterol...but that morning I knew, just knew my panic attack was a massive one! My daughter took me to hospital. The next 4 yrs were hell. I drank too much, hardly went out, let myself go...well I'd been "let go" from my teaching job, I felt worthless. I was seeing a psychiatrist but even on the highest dose of prozac I wasn't really any better. Then I got a new psych. He prescribed promazine. I eventually felt a little calmer. Things stayed at this level until another new psych put me on 45mg Mirtazapine & upped my promazine. I was managing to get out sometimes when the back pain or shakes weren't too bad...even got tothe haidressers! A real biggy...what, me sitting waiting without running away! This carried on...better days, still bad days until 6 mnths ago when yet ANOTHER new psych saw me. She listened patiently whilst I went through my long history, plus the fact that I could no longer get hold of promazine & I wasn't sleeping (oh yes, I forgot the night terrors! worse thing ever...) She told me ther was a manufacturing problem...I nearly had a panic attack right there & then. She explained to me about a drug called Pregablin, which was used for pain & GAD. I was asked if I wanted to try it to replace the promazine & that she had found it worked well with some of her patients for GAD. I agreed. She started me on 50mgs twice a day for a week, then 100mgs twice a day for a week, then 150mgs maintainence til I saw her again with instruction to ring if I had any problems with them. I was a bit dizzy at first, constipated, but as someone who usually has the opposite trouble with IBS it was OK by me! Three months down the line...well, all I can say is thank God for Pregablin! I still have my moments, but I answer the phone unafraid of who it might be, go shopping with my daughter, as long as my escape route is planned, I even went to see a musical & didn't have to leave before the end!!! The only down side is as I'm no longer on promazine I do have terrible nightmares some nights...promazine seemed to lessen these. But, until I see her again I will carry on taking the dose of Pregablin. I am due at the pain clinic in 10 days. My psych said they might even up my pills by 150mgs. I think I've put some weight on but had been doing anyway because I stopped going to WW & going for walks due to my back, the sciatica has been really bad. I also have an appointment with psychiatric services for CBT. I feel that now I am ready for this. It isn't a miracle cure, like my depression I get bad days when I just go under the duvet, but after SO many yrs I'm not shaking for 24 hrs a day. Sorry if I've rambled, that's just me I'm afraid!!! Oh yes, I also have Menieres Disease, so dizziness with that can strike. My first Grandchild was due last Wednesday, I'm feeling better than I ever have, get the pain sorted...I reckon 2012 has been a good year for me! I'll go now...:roflmao: