anyone found a medication that actually works? [Archive]

thoughts and actions

19-10-08, 14:41

hey

dont know what ure background is but i found in social situations i got anxious and my heart started to race etc

I am on propanalol which is a beta-blocker and basically just stops ure heart from racing- i find this helps - or calms me as i dotn think i am having a heart attack

also use rescue rememdy sometimes.

x

bab

19-10-08, 14:45

Hi Pete,

in answer to your question - unfortunately no, although I am on cipralex

charlish74

19-10-08, 17:11

hi diazapan works for me im on only 5mg so low dose 3 times a day short term but when my attacks are bad they do calm me rite down, that and breathing slowly hope this helps x

donrobo

19-10-08, 22:09

im on amitryptline but not for anixety but prolapses.I notice a differece in my mood when i drop my dosage down and seem to get panicky.Dont know whether it is in my head or actually the withdrawel.This taken at a higher dose is for depression and i am now on 100mg per night.
I did try to reduce them down in jan of this year but did it too quickly and ended up haveing some really bad panic attacks.the out of hours dr told me to up them straight up and was really miffed as my own drs allow me to self medicate and hand these tablets out willy nilly.I now think i am addicted and get panicky about having them taken off me.
The only side effects i notice is a dry mouth and swelling to my hands and feet occasionly:D

pete69

20-10-08, 23:43

some different med answers from you all-i was thinking more in terms for social anxiety,i am currently on klonopin and it helps great with my sa,just cant imagine docs keeping me on it for the next 5 years really.

propanolol does nout for me, :blush:
cipralex side effects terrible :blush:
diazepam used to work good but the honeymoon is over:blush:
amitryptline is that an anti-psycotic?

nardil is my last hope if i get it on weds,but i was reading on a site the formula was changed in 2003 by pfizer and its nowhere near as effective as it usd to be -but they still have kept to the same recommeded doses?
anyways good luck all and i think the answer really if im honest lies with cbt and forcing my arse to confront fears without my meds.....:scared15:

cheers

static

21-10-08, 02:15

HeatherMc

21-10-08, 10:37

Hello static

What a reassuring post, I have just taken my first citalopram, hope it works for me as well as it did for you, I think anti-depressants are a bit like the pill or cold remedies ie what works for one may not work for another!

Heres to hope

Love

Heather

Yvonne

21-10-08, 21:09

Pete

Amitriptylene is a tricyclic. You wanna try another one? The Nardil is worth a try it's just the diet restrictions which may be a prob. If the Nardil is no help try Venlaflaxine or Duloxetine.

It would be good if you could stay on the Klonos for life cos they do it for you. I personally would take anything now to live a normal life - gimme benzos gimme whatever as long as it helps.

Yes get some cbt down you, it's hard work and it isn't easy to think differently I can assure you. However, we have to try these things.

Take care Pete x

Yvonne

pete69

21-10-08, 22:27

thanks yvonne,
think im gonna pass if he offers me venlafaxine,have read to many bad storys
on it.really its the nardil or nout-i will probs ask to be signed off and just get my klonos from gp.
i could be on them for the rest of my anxiety days,i know a few good www i have purchased from before so thats not a prob.
just want something ticking away in the background making me confident rather than the obvious effect of a benzo.

its a toughie aint it :wall:

i will post back tomoz and let u know how it went.

kendo59

21-10-08, 23:44

Meds that work? No, not really.

pete69

22-10-08, 09:04

Meds that work? No, not really.

kinda thought that myself-oh apart from benzos which are great fpr anxiety.
but are worse than smoking,drinking,heroin and glue all put together...if you beleive the hype..."take a pill to numb the pain you dont have to take the blame"..cheers robbie i must just do that

joy

22-10-08, 13:36

let us know how you get on at shrinks today

Love joy

pete69

22-10-08, 14:02

ok back...my shrink is a older gentleman and is open to older meds and not stuck in the ssri format.
we disscussed nardil but he really wants me to try a few others first.
anafranil he was surprised i had such bad reactions as this was not reported in 2 thirds of his patients on it...i did ham it up thou as i was just after the nardil,so i said ooo 4 weeks of shaking and feeling anxious was enough.in reality i was on em for 2 weeks and probs didnt give em a chance.

back to today-i have been put on a snri called duloxetine,not familar with it so i will have to wikipedia it and get some answers.i have told him i am going to give it the full 8 weeks and try my best untill we meet just after xmas...more stuff here... http://www.duloxetine.co.uk/

anyways thats me done for today.comments on said drug welcome if you have been on it...no in fact everyone is different and i may hear stuff i dont want to..i shall suck n see for myself.

cheers
pete

....klonopin is kicking in zzz now so i think its time for a nap :winks:

Yvonne

22-10-08, 19:24

Lo Pete

Yes do suck it and see - it's sort of anti depressant flavoured. Me and Joy have had Duloxetine ( well, what haven't me and Joy had!). It may help you m ate and you must try it and you must stick it for at least six weeks I reckon. Please don't say anything bad about Venla you know how I worry!!!!!!!!! I am not bad on it anyway. Have to tell y ou Pete that Duloxetine is snri same as Venlaflaxine - it works in a different way on the brain apparently same chemicals though.

Shrinks will give you anything before they put you on a proper MAOI - they also do love to tell us that "ooh I never heard of that side effect" when we tell them how badly we have suffered on a medication.

My shrink's talking about discharging me in the very near future - trust me to be all confident and assertive when I was with him on Monday then to dip a bit today!!!!!!! Oh lordy just send me to the States where they will give me a huge cocktail of benzos, numerous anti d's and gawd knows what else! Well, the cocktails seem to work well for the Yanks lol.

Take care and keep us posted. xx

Meewah

24-10-08, 06:44

Weed?

As anyone tried it for anxiety?

Mee

pete69

24-10-08, 20:16

weed...not personally but if you want to f**k your mental state up even more on a daily basis then go for it.hardly a drug to trat anxiety with:blush:

on a different note-had 1 duloxetine 2 hours ago an now feel sick in stomach and my head is thumping-yvonne you said u n joy have both tried it-well you have both come off it for a reason..i can see why.
i actually feel like i did when i last was sick from to much booze-my mouth is holding liquid and if i swallow i will chuck it back up.
im very dissapointed in this very early effect. had such a good week on klonopin-my sa is pretty much non existent when on them---why the f**k am i searching searching searching...im gonna knock em all on the head,cant even have a drink tonight now as this stupid med ..ahh i feel so low

This post has been automatically edited by the NMP post filter

milly jones

24-10-08, 20:22

the olanzapine really helps with the aggitated worries, but it makes me sleep so much, and its an antipsychotic for the paranoia. plus u put on weight

still cant get the ad right tho to go with it

pete69

24-10-08, 20:38

the olanzapine really helps with the aggitated worries, but it makes me sleep so much, and its an antipsychotic for the paranoia. plus u put on weight

still cant get the ad right tho to go with it

olanzapine? milly whats that?

milly jones

24-10-08, 20:53

olanzapine is an antipsychotic used for schitzophrenia, but also for extreme anxiety

its helped my hateful worrying no end

pooh

24-10-08, 22:50

I think the problem with just prescribing drug therapy and having to trawl through them in order to find what works is that it doesnt work. I think the kinds of conditions we have need a hollistioc approach to treatment rather than just a physical medical one.
There isnt a miracle cure drug just drugs that should assist to improve your ability to cope and manage and learn skills to allow you to function.
My own personal experience has been of seroxat, prozac, diazepam and propranolol. They all do there job but then ive found two cocodamol just as effective in calming me down as diazepam how strange is that lol.

Pooh x

freakedout

01-11-08, 15:56

Hi Everyone.

I am still searching and am convincing myself that a mood stabiliser might prove more effective. I have tried propanolol, prozac, citalopram, dothiepin, and currently take Mirtazapine regularly'ish and diazepam when needed.

I am a bit sick of taking meds that dont seem to work, but when I quit them I did start to feel much worse again, so resumed taking them. I suppose they must work otherwise I might not have felt worse when I quit.

A frontal lobotamy in the form of a pill would probably sort me out!

I would like to know a bit more about mood stabilisers - anyone??

Ta

Freaky

Yvonne

01-11-08, 17:12

Freaky

You take Mirtazepine regularly ish. You can't do that with anti depressants - anti depressants don't work on an as an when basis. Take the Mirtaz daily for gawd's sake.

My little list of meds tried is as follows; Seroxat (worked well for years but came off it cos I was well) - Seroxat again, Citalapram, Nortriptylene, Sertraline, Duloxetine and now Venlaflaxine. Like you I take the Diazepam on an as needed basis.

I wondered about a mood stabiliser as well - apparently they can boost the action of the anti depressant. My shrink doesn't seem to think I need one and m y therapist gave me a long talking to about the side effects of mood stabilisers which put me off a lot. They are lithium and valporic acid as far as I know (may be wrong about the valporic acid) - do a search on mood stabilisers and see what you can ascertain.

I dunno what it is with these meds, they most certainly don't do for me what they should. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't expect to be feeling ecstatically happy all the time but I would expect the low mood to have gone full stop and to feel at least content with my life. This med has helped me with the anxiety and the depression to a degree but it isn't doing what it claims on the can!!!!

I'm like you Freaky, I did stop the meds last year and boy did I go through a rough time. You can't win can you??? Let me know if you do find the miracle drug cos I'll get it.

Yvonne

joy

02-11-08, 11:10

I'm in the same boat as Yvonne, tried many meds and nothing works. Scared to stop, scared to carry on

Joy

ElizabethJane

02-11-08, 15:29

I am on a mood stabiliser lithium which I believe has saved my life. I shall be on it long term inspite of all the side effects. I also take prothiaden and until recently mirtazapine. Psychiatrists usually like to prescribe mood stabilisers to monitor your progress and in my case for lithium to check lithium levels by means of blood tests. Once you are stable monitoring is usually done through your GP.

freakedout

03-11-08, 13:30

Yvonne, I do try to take the Mirtazapine regularly and only miss the odd one here and there, since my attempt at quitting them.

I was told that lithium was an option by my psychiatrist about a year or so ago, but then my psych changed and the current one seems to think my depression is caused by anxiety. I am not so sure, although I am sure anxiety contributes. I was reluctant to take Lithium because of the blood tests, the agoraphobia makes it difficult for me to go to the treatment room so I turned it down. I am interested to know if ElizabethJane, have you noticed a marked change with your mood since taking it? Do you feel more stable? Besides the potential toxic blood levels, what other side effects do you experience? Thanks.

Freaky

ElizabethJane

03-11-08, 15:57

My mood is definitely more stable since taking the lithium. I was on 800mg now on 1,000mg and function very well on that. It doesn't make you immune to depression as I had a relapse last year and went on mirtazapine. I have been lucky and haven't had any changes in liver, kidney or thyroid function. I keep my fluid intake up even in this weather.

Natural Mystic

03-11-08, 17:52

i take 20mgs citalopram a day, no side effects i can feel after taking it for 2 years now.

Before i was on venlafaxine 20mgs for 5 years and that was horrible, sweating, bloated, headaches, severe tiredness etc...

beta blockers sucked and diazepam made me want to sleep all the time too.

Every person reacts differently to thier medicine, what works for me might not for you!
I have tried prozac and seroxat and on both occasions didn't take more after the first ones. I just couldn't handle the side effect, it was just awful and worse than my anxiety attacks.

I have just been to the doctors and he's given me 20 mg per day of citalopram but I'm so so so scared to take one. I am looking at it now :doh:

Yvonne

03-11-08, 19:25

Freaky

Oh sorry I got the impression that you were taking the med on and off sort of - maybe forgetting to take a dose one day etc etc. I apologise.

I think I would be prepared to try a mood stabiliser just to give it a go - have to say I wouldn't fancy the blood tests but if it worked well then I wouldn't worry about having the blood tests I guess.

Elizabeth Jane --- any nasty side effects with the lithium ??

Natural Mystic - If you can get over the first tablet and suffer the side effects then you're one step forward. It's hard I know - the side effects on start up can be awful. However, if you tell yourself that you might feel bad for a max of two weeks but then should start to feel better that may help you to get on the meds. Do try if you can.

Take care all.

Natural Mystic

03-11-08, 19:32

Thanks Yvonne, I'm gonna take it ... I am I am I am

:)

ElizabethJane

03-11-08, 21:08

I have had no bad side effects with the lithium but I have followed instructions to the letter. It works well for me and yes changes with thyroid and liver and kidney function can be irreversible. I have had more trouble coming off mirtazapine. I'm off it now.

pete69

03-11-08, 21:21

Thanks Yvonne, I'm gonna take it ... I am I am I am

:)

you go girl....good luck, i completely understand where your coming from about side effects-worse than the anxiety we initially started taking em for-but as yvonne says 2 weeks and u may feel benefits.
does help if you dont have to work and can maybe just avoid peeps for the first few days..im holding off going bacl on anafranil till xmas then i can give em another shot-winter is my dormant stage!

freakedout

03-11-08, 22:04

Yvonne,
Oh sorry I got the impression that you were taking the med on and off sort of - maybe forgetting to take a dose one day etc etc. I apologise.Please dont apologise, you needn't. What you said is exactly right, but I am trying to take them every day.

I think I would be willing to try a mood stabiliser as I feel that anti-depressants are not effective really for me. I think Sodium Valproate is used as a mood stabiliser, this is an anti-epileptic med, and one of the side effects of this are thinning of the hair. I am not sure whether my psych would prescribe a mood stabiliser as I dont have bipolar.

Natural Mystic, I really couldnt tolerate prozac, despite several attempts, it irritated my stomach and gave me a lot of pain. On the other hand, Citalopram was fine to take, with no real noticable side effects.

Thanks Pete for posting this, and sorry if you think I have taken over a bit. I didnt intend to but it is a topic that I have thought about for a long time.

All the best to everyone

Freaky

Natural Mystic

04-11-08, 11:42

you go girl....good luck, i completely understand where your coming from about side effects-worse than the anxiety we initially started taking em for-but as yvonne says 2 weeks and u may feel benefits.
does help if you dont have to work and can maybe just avoid peeps for the first few days..im holding off going bacl on anafranil till xmas then i can give em another shot-winter is my dormant stage!
Well once again it was just too awful. I cannot cope with the side effects, think I might if I weren't alone with my son all night.

SSRIs just ain't doin it for me, they are hell on earth after just one.

ElizabethJane

04-11-08, 16:00

To Freaky: I dont think you need to be bi-polar to take a mood stabiliser. I'm not bi-polar (at least I dont think so) and take lithium. Mood stabilisers are used in severe recurrent or treatment resistant depression. Anti psychotics are also used sometimes too.

freakedout

04-11-08, 17:47

Thanks for that ElizabethJane.

Natural Mystic, just wondered what kind of side effects you have? I often read about people having raised anxiety when first starting meds, luckily I suppose, I haven't but when I very first started anti-depressants I was so highly anxious that I was close to spontaneously combusting so I probably wouldn't have noticed.

I wish they worked for you. I wish they worked for us all. Maybe I put too much hope in medication, but after years of refusing to take them I have reached a point of feeling they are one of my limited options, and the fact they don't help enough just makes me feel at a loss.

:sad: Freaky

Natural Mystic

04-11-08, 18:17

Hi freaked out

Well I can only explain it like this;

the side effects I have had on 3 types of SSRI's (and only one tablet) and after 2 hours or taking them are 10 times worse than my original anxiety moments/nights. It's so awful

freakedout

04-11-08, 18:35

Natural mystic

Poor you, it sounds bad. What are you going to do then? Have you another appointment booked with your Doctor? Have you tried other anti-deps?

Freaky

cpiotrowski

04-11-08, 18:40

Hello All,
I am so glad there is a place to talk about this. Yes XANAX helps with the quick unexpected symptoms. My big problem is numb face and tingling checks. I have had the MRI"s, MRA's and all that is left is for my actual nerves to be analyzed in some other MR*&^% whatever. The scans were clear and there is no evidence of shingles, blah blah blah. IT"S ANXIETY..

I have been through the whole speal. After I had my daughter I had a major hormone imbalance which greatly contributed to my anxiety. Low levels of testosterone and estrogen and even progesterone can promote anxiety. They found out I was low so I went to a naturopath and got some herbs that helped with that. Still though my anxiety manifest in so many ways, I have to admit that it is NIGHT and DAY since I have had my hormones regulated. I would recommend everyone have there levels tested by a naturopath, not a regular doctor. Although.......
I am grateful for my prescription to Xanax. I am looking into getting some psyche help with this.

Natural Mystic

04-11-08, 18:45

Natural mystic

Poor you, it sounds bad. What are you going to do then? Have you another appointment booked with your Doctor? Have you tried other anti-deps?

Freaky
Ive tried prozac, seroxat and last night the c one (lol). ALL 3 had exactly the same effect.

To be honest I'm going to look into more herbal stuff for now. SSRI's obviously don't do it for me :doh:

pete69

04-11-08, 22:50

Ive tried prozac, seroxat and last night the c one (lol). ALL 3 had exactly the same effect.

To be honest I'm going to look into more herbal stuff for now. SSRI's obviously don't do it for me :doh:

they do exactly the same to me mystic after 1 tab,a few hours later im shaking in my hands,my muscles arwe rigid,im yawning a lot,headaches,and this is just 2 hours in! and im supposed to take em for 2-3 weeks as these awful side effects may lessen...sod that im never having another ssri .
as u say stick to the herbal and u may find something that works-personally they are a bit weak for my needs.

to freaky....no worries on hijacking my thread,it was raised to see who salutes it so ....

i was actually trying to find a med for social anxiety specifically other than ssris and benzos that i would take and not get to many side effects and gain confidence..but i accept now that you cant take a medication that will alter such a major part of your "makeup" without it having some side effects.

freakedout

04-11-08, 23:56

Pete

i was actually trying to find a med for social anxiety specifically other than ssris and benzos that i would take and not get to many side effects and gain confidence..but i accept now that you cant take a medication that will alter such a major part of your "makeup" without it having some side effects.Its a bummer, but yes, meds seem limited in their effectiveness. I have tried CBT, relaxation, deep breathing exercises, facing the fear etc.. etc.. and I find that old habits, avoidance behaviour and self-deprecating thoughts are extremely difficult to change and too well ingrained in my "makeup"

Ahh well, tomorrow is another day!

Bye

Freaky

Natural Mystic

05-11-08, 08:15

they do exactly the same to me mystic after 1 tab,a few hours later im shaking in my hands,my muscles arwe rigid,im yawning a lot,headaches,and this is just 2 hours in! and im supposed to take em for 2-3 weeks as these awful side effects may lessen...sod that im never having another ssri .
as u say stick to the herbal and u may find something that works-personally they are a bit weak for my needs.

to freaky....no worries on hijacking my thread,it was raised to see who salutes it so ....

i was actually trying to find a med for social anxiety specifically other than ssris and benzos that i would take and not get to many side effects and gain confidence..but i accept now that you cant take a medication that will alter such a major part of your "makeup" without it having some side effects.
Mine is health anxiety, following a diagnosis of skin cancer. Might also have something do with my being perimenopausal. Hard to tell really but the severe stuff started a month after my diagnosis although I'm sure I have had signs previous, just nothing that worried me or stopped me functioning.

I'm going back to the doctors today and will not listen to anything about SSRI's or trying again. Someone I work with suggested I try Amitriptyline, apparently the majority of people take that ok and the side effects aren't as deep as with SSRI's. Will speak to the doc this morning.

Aside from the odd day or too that are dark I function well on most days, still holding down my job and being a mum. It's the night times, the quiet times that gets me, and I just wish I could sleep.

DJ Trace

05-11-08, 11:58

Hi Pete,

I started Off When first diagnosed As agoraphoic with panic attack disorder on Diaz and propanol but unfortunatley i became addicted and have to fight then to get my life back from the drugs.

Since then i developed a drug phobia so tablets can no longer be an option for me.

now i use a mixature of alternative therapies to help when i go out.

My worse fear was having a heart attack during these episodes so i always wear a crystal around my neck called Dioptase as its said you can never have a heart attack while wearing it so for me it helps me believe I will be ok.

I Also Used To oils that i mix together on a tissue to carry in my pocket to smell if i get too scared.

They are ylang ylang and lavender about 3 drops of each on the tissue.

These help stop palpitaions and have a very relaxing feeling.

I am also a big believer in Finding the root cause of what yoour trigger is so for me NLP Helped More then CBT.

I Hope that Helps alittle.

I not a Dr Or Medical Professional Just A Fellow Suffer Of 20 Years, But always willing to share any help i found helped me over the years.
Stay Safe and Well.
Love Trace XX

EdwardP

24-11-08, 22:33

When I was first diagnosed with Panic Disorder ten years ago I was put on Prozac and within hours of taking my first one I had a massive panic attack due to the side effects. My mouth went dry, I felt like I was losing my mind, the balance in my legs went and I was accused of being on illegal drugs. I went back to my Doctor and he switched me to Prozemal, then to Zispin, then to Seroxat and finally to a combination of Diazepam and Ciprimal. Unfortunatly, one week when my depression and anxiety reached an all time low I overdosed on the Diazapam with Vodka and passed out by the fire and my jumper went up. If it wasn't for my mother walking into the room at that very moment I would have been burned alive. I am now off all medication because I believe that it makes me worse sometimes and want to find a way to be relaxed and feeling happy again without the use of medication.