Advice on Antipsychotics anyone?

[Dazza123]

Hi

My first post here and looking for some info/advice.

Have suffered with an anxiety disorder for around 6 or 7 years, with panic attacks usually weekly depending on stress levels of which I try to keep a lid on.

I have developed a swallowing disorder in the past 8-9 months (I choked on some food)

Prescribed Diazepam 3x2mg daily since March. Started to get a little better after a couple of months, but situation got worse 3 months ago and started 2x5mg Diazepam due to a further swallowing related episode.

I stopped eating/drinking completely 3 weeks ago for 5 days, went to docs, who was ready to admit me to hospital, as I was completely dehydrated, very confused, ketones in my urine (diabetic) etc. I convinced her not to send me and promised to try to eat/drink.

She referred me to the mental health team urgently and I saw a Psychiatrist yesterday. She is instructing my Doctor to up the dose of Diazepam to 20 or 30mg per day, arranging a psychologist for some CBT, but has also told me she wants me to take antipsychotic medication, and its gotten me a bit worried.

I think its the one called Clozapine, if there is such a tablet? She wants me on antidepressants also but I have tried and failed with them as my body will not tolerate them and the side effects are really bad.

So, do I really need an antipsychotic? Even the word puts me off, and I dont want to be taking a tablet that is going to render me zombie-ish whilst I try to recover. Or is this tablet just something that helps with anxiety, which is what I need?

Does anyone have any experience with this? I want to do everything I can to help myself because eating/drinking at the moment is very bad, Im lucky if I can manage the odd piece of toast these days, and drinking is also not good. Its a case of feeling anxious about swallowing thats got me, and I need to sort it out, but Im just not sure antipsychotic medicine is the way to go?

Thanks for your help!!

Daz

[Mark13]

I was prescribed an anti-psychotic when I had a mental "breakdown" (acute depressive episode / suicidal thoughts). Only took one capsule as it made me feel like a "zombie". The suicial thoughts went away, so I suppose it worked though :)

I recovered with the help of anti-depressants instead (doxepin, no longer prescribed, it was nearly 20 years ago).

The only anti-psychotic that I'm aware of that can be prescribed for anxiety is quetiapine.

Clozapine is a drug for schizophrenia, but I presume your Pdoc wants to prescribe it "off label" (means for a condition it's not officially licenced for but has proven effective in).

Obviously it's your choice, your body, but if it were me, I'd follow Doctor's advice. If the Clozapine doesn't agree with you just discuss alternatives with them.

I wish you all the best.

[maximus1975]

take the medicine my friend it was made for a reason im on quaetiapine and im sure its helping me a bit, i didnt like the sound of it when it was suggested but sometimes if your that unwell it has to be done go with the pro's advice

[Dazza123]

Thanks for the advice, I am speaking to my doctor on Friday so will see what she says, I need her to confirm exactly what it does, if any of its side effects are anxiety then Im not touching it because I dont need a meltdown at Christmas time, Im bad enough as it is without more anxiety added.

I think its just a case of the unknown, and it got me worried but am willing to give it a try, just hope it does some good. It would be great to wake up one morning without a level of anxiety, I wont know myself and may have to check the mirror just to make sure its really me :ohmy:

[Emphyrio]

Antipsychotics seem to come with a lot more risks than antidepressants. When you say you have tried antidepressants and failed on them, what do you mean? Do you mean a particular class of antidepressants (like SSRIs) or have you tried the whole range? People who don't respond to SSRIs may respond to a different class of antidepressant like Mirtazapine, Lyrica, SNRIs, or trycyclics.

[Dazza123]

Hi

I tried Mirtazapine for 2 weeks, I slept about 18 hours a day, felt brain dead when I was awake, but although felt that way, was more anxious than I had ever been.

SSRI's just push me over the edge, I have tried all types, they make my anxiety go from 0 - 60 within an hour and I cant cope with them, they seem to have a lifting effect, which is great for some people, but for me they lift me too high, I feel manic and have gotten almost hysterical on them, thats with the lowest dose, and then trying the highest dose, they just dont suit me. I even tried diazepam with them to take the edge off but it didnt help.

The only one I have ever been able to tolerate is Dosulepin, this is because it gives a sedative effect and is taken at night, however, when I take these, they relieve anxiety, but make my swallowing problem worse somehow. I took these a few years ago for quite a while and at the time id swear by them. I was on them again earlier this year for a few months, then wasnt able to swallow them due to my problem, I then found eating a little easier whilst not taking them, though this was after my first epiode of choking. This second episode of choking feels much worse than the 1st time it happened and I again attempted the Dosulepin, but it doesnt help me at all.

I have been advised to not take this tablet at all anymore because it has been proven to cause heart problems later in life, and as my Diabetes also eventually damages the heart at some point, the risk isnt worth taking because any possible short term relief now (if they started to work) is going to bring quite serious future problems.

This is my problem, I really want to help myself and get better, but I do not want to take an antipsychotic if its going to bring me more problems. The upgraded dose of Diazepam should help me, the Psych said she will recommend 20 or 30 mg per day. I think on 30mg it would make quite a difference, but my doctor is worried about me becoming addicted to them and im sure she will push for 20mg a day. I have been taking them for 5 years for panic attacks, so as and when needed, and daily now since March. I show no signs of addiction, but to be honest id rather be addicted to them and be able to eat/drink without problems, then slowly be weaned off them, than carry on the way I am. I basically panic as soon as any food or drink is in my mouth, and that is a lot worse than being weaned off Diazepam.

I can and do eat toast, and drink water or tea, but in doing this, its so distressing that it affects me for hours afterwards, so I will eat a piece of toast, get very stressed, and not be able to swallow saliva etc for 2 or 3 hours. Its a very weird situation, but I know in myself that if I can get rid of the anxiety about eating, I will get better and learn that eating and drinking is safe to do so.