Just need to talk.....

[blondeangel]

It is now my 5th day back on Paxil, and I am hating it so much. I was on it 3 years ago, and for 3 years my attacks subsided and were rare and not severe. I went to see a new psychitrist, because I live in a different city than 2 years ago, and he said I should go back on paxil for my PD, as well as continuing to take my clonazapam. I found that the clonazapam worked really well, and the Paxil has been giving me really awful side effects that I don't recall having before. I have been feeling nauseas, and my appetite has gone down (mainly due to the nausea), and I feel really strung out. I feel I can't concentrate well, and feel just gross.
I was studying today for a re-test I am doing tomorrow, ironically for my Abnormal Child Psychology class (I got a B. but I know I can get an A, so I paid to retake it, to keep my high GPA), and I fell asleep in the middle of studying, and when I woke up I just felt gross and strung out like I had been doing dope or something (I used to experiment in my younger 20's so I know the feeling).
I am supposed to see the psychiatrist in a week, and I am really wanting to take something else. I ws hoping to come on here and talk to someone, just to talk about how I feel.
I even told my psychiatrist I didn't want to go back on Paxil, and he said it would be best for me (yeh right), and when I told him that I heard about a lot of negative side effects he said they weren't true. (yeh right).
Anyways... I am just not feeling good at all, and I am worried about my re-test. I want to be functioning fully cognitively, and I don't feel that I am.
I would appreciate any response to this....again I just needed to post this to talk.
Thanks.

[jackie]

GO WITH YOUR GUT FEELING. YOU DEFINITELY NO BETTER THAT HIM. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED HERBAL FEMEDIES PRESCRIBED BY A HERBAL DOC?

IF THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY SIDE EFFECTS AND THE LONG TERM AFFECTS ARE GREAT WITH THE DRUG BUT IF IT DOESNT FEEL RIGHT TO YOU I WOULD REALLY GO WITH THAT
JACKIE

[andrew]

hi blondeangel,

it sounds like the psychiatrist cannot even be bothered to discuss real issues with you - maybe you should remind him who is paying for his time or just look for a different one.

try and stay positive, good luck with the re-test .. tc andrew

[blondeangel]

Thanks for the replies...
I have only seen this psychiatrist once, and it was very brief. I am seeing him again this Friday, and I am going ot discuss the side effects I have been feeling. I have been on Paxil before, but I don't recall having these side effects. Today, when I woke up I ony took half of my Paxil pill. Even though he said it was a low dosage (20 mg), I still think that it may be too high, but my main feeling is that it is not right for me.
Today is my re-test, and I feel like crap (ugh). I am having a hard time concentrating on studying, and this test is really important for me.
Anyways..the more I have been researching Paxil, the more it doesn't seem right for me.
Thanks for the replies...last night I was feeling so crappy and gross, and I just needed to talk about it.

[Ammeg]

Hey angel,
Hope your feeling better!! hope your retest goes/went well!! I think its well worth discussing meds with your doc- as jackie said go with your gut feeling!! you know you better than anyone!!!
Ammegxx

[blondeangel]

thanks ammeg..
Yeh, my gut feeling says that this is not right for me..that is why I only took half of my meds today. I am really looking forward to seeing my psychiatrist, because I want to tell him about my side effects and stuff.
I still feel "out of it" and nauseas, and I don't think I feel much better than last night actually. I don't even feel like leaving my home, and I need to go to my college at the other end of the city. I feel like lying in bed all day...wish I could.

[Ammeg]

sorry to hear your not feeling much better!! :(
What times it in canada? I know the feeling of wanting to stay in bed, I never feel like goin anywhere!!! lol

[blondeangel]

it is late morning here right now.
Actually usually I like to get out of bed and do things..but my side effects are making me want to stay in bed. I just don't feel myself.
I have my test in a couple of hours, so I need to get studying!
Thanks.[:I]

[blondeangel]

thanks for your reply spacecadet..that is EXACTLY how I am feeling right now. But 4 weeks of feeling like this? I have college, and work...argh...how can I concentrate at college like this? Also, as I understand Paxil is supposed to treat depression, but I don't have depression anymore...not in 3 years. I only have my panic attacks right now.
My gut feeling says that Paxil is not right for me right now...I am feeling anxious and shaky, and I can't concentrate...and that is what I was feeling like before.I have found that clonazapam has worked for me, but it doesn't prevent panic attacks.
I am going to continue taking half of my paxil pills, until I see my doctor at the end of the week...I am sick of feeling so...sick!

[Meg]

It would have been better if your psch had also discussed som other form of treatment with you as well as meds.

It is not suprising that you are struggling with the extra worry and studying.

SSRI are notorious for settling in and getting off symptoms and paxil does have a reputation for being difficult.

It seems a real discussion about all the options available is called for when you next meet.

Take a list of questions and do not be fobbed off.


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[sal]

Thining of you and hope it all works out. You havent given in at all and that is a great attribute to you. I admiere your stength as so many of us would have given in but you havent. That speaks volumes.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".

[blondeangel]

thanks to everyone who has replied...and sal who made me blush. Wanting to help people and part of what keeps me going is wanting to help myself and others. I have not had a perfect life.
Actually my new psychiatrist that I saw prescribed paxil and clonazapam...and if it wasn't for the clonazapam I would be feeling really really awful right now. Earlier before my test I was feeling so gross, and I took one of my clonazapam because I was feeling so sketchy and wired, and it helped a lot. I was feeling a bit tired, and yawned numerous times on the bus on my way to school, but I was feeling better. I know that psychiatrists and physicians are reluctant to prescribe medications like valium, lorazapam, and clonazapam to people who have severe anxiety and/or panic, but they really help, as long as you don't abuse it and use them all of the time. They will talk about how addictive they are,and then prescribe meds like Paxil that you have to take every day....so what is the difference, really??
I have decided to only take half of my Paxil until at least I see my psychiatrist this friday, and talk about what has been going on. I am not going to sacrifice my college, that I pay for, just to get my body used to a drug that MAY help me.
I am wondering if anyone knows about Xanax? I know it is prescribed for anxiety, but don't know much about it.
It is funny...I have taken numerous psychology courses, and am currently taking abnormal child psychology (my test today was on that), but we don't learn much about meds. You mainly learn about those if you go to med school.
Anyways...I do feel better now, and I am hoping that tomorrow I feel better...even though I am on March Break, I have studying and homework to do.
Thanks for the replies and words of encouragement!!:D

[andrew]

hi blondeangel

so how did your test go? enjoy your break .. tc andrew

[blondeangel]

hey..
I think it went well..I knew most of the questions, but my professor is really exact with how she wants her answers, so I hope I hve been thourough enough for her. I was a bit nervous going in because I had a rough morning with the Paxil side effects, and it was difficult to study, but when I got into the test room, I felt better. Afterwards I felt way better, and I am just glad that it is over. I feel I did a good job....I just need an A. It was a re-test where I had gotten a B, but I knew I could do better, and I need my 4.0 GPA to get an academic award, to help with college costs, since I am paying for it, and my parents don't have enough money to contribute....anyways..I am babbling...so yes I think I did well...thanks for asking.

[Meg]

Hope it did go well for you. Do let us know how you got on.

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[blondeangel]

hey everyone..
I had a real scare today...I actually had a really bad panic attack in the morning..and I know that much of it is due ot the stupid Paxil side effects...so I took the rest of my clonazapam, and was still worried. I was lucky to find a doctor to prescribe me my med until I see my psychiatrist...and hopefully next time i will be able to tell him more.
So right now I have taken my meds and I have had some wine...so I am VERY relaxed...finally. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I am feeling better about it because I know that if I have Paxil side effects that I will have some back up///clonazapam.
Anyways..just getting by this week with no homework or studying done, which is unusual for me, but my PD has really gotten in the way....but I always perservere.
Can't wait till Friday...maybe I can get off Paxil and go on something else. It seems like I have been getting every side effect for the medication.
Hope everyone eles is doin well, and thanks for caring:D

[andrew]

hi blondeangel,

nice to read your relaxed. sometimes its nice just to doss about and not do anything. enjoy your birthday. tc .. andrew

[willy]

hi blondeangel!

i have had problems in the past too with psychiatrists.
i was put on lithium last year by a pshchiatrist.
i suffer from depression and gad. im not manic depressive.
can you believe it?
just rememeber your the one who has to swallow that pill every day, not the doctor.
so if it does not agree with you, be firm with the doc about how you are feeling on the medication.
go with wat you feel is rite.
hope ur feeling better soon.
willy

[blondeangel]

thanks everyone..
today is my birthday, and I actually feel pretty normal! It is so nice to feel normal....well my appetite is still off a bit, and I feel still a little out of it, but it is pretty close to normal..yeh!
Willy...I see what you are saying. But if you were manic depressive, which is now called bi-polar (they are the same), you would have bouts of depression and bouts of mania. I have a friend that is bi-polar, and when he is depressed he is really depressed, and he will binge drink, do drugs and go into a pretty bad state. Then when he is feeling mania, he goes to they gym, doesnt drink or do drugs...his mood is so different.
But tomorrow I go see the psychiatrist, and I am going to tell him about my side effects. THey have not been so bad since I starting taking only half my meds.
Thaks I am feeling better...:D

[sal]

Happy Birthday hun hope you have had a good day considering and great to hear you feel a bit normal today.

It will get easier and we will all help you. You have inner strength i think you cant even see but reading your posts it just leaps out at you.

All the best.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".

[blondeangel]

thanks..
a lot sal...that was really nice to hear.
It is funny now that I am thinking about it, that I am spending my birthday at home...I was going to go out, but with my week I have had I felt it would be good to relax at home, eat a home cooked meal my by bf, watch "The Fog"...I heard is scary...I love scary movies, and then I am going to get a good sleep. This weekend I have to catch up on my studying and homework, that I have been neglecting, because of my stupid side effects and all that crap...oh well...I know I will get it done...sometimes I do better when I cram (I have another test on Monday for my law class).
Thanks to everyone here for their replies, input, and support.:D

[sal]

Just like me when i was studying with the council it was the night before and can see the same pattern coming with Sam my daughter. You just have a great night regardless of anything. Everybody has the right to spend their birthday how they want and hope you do enjoy it.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".

[blondeangel]

hey everyone...
I am now on Effexor, and I feel pretty good. I have not felt any side effects yet, and I am glad that I am on a new medication. So, hopefully it will work out for me..the meds...I was on it before and liked it better than Paxil.
Things are ok...had a relaxing birthday, and now it is time to study for my law test tomorrow.

[andrew]

hi blondeangel, glad to read the med change is working out ok, good luck with your test tomorrow .. tc andrew

[nomorepanic]

Hi Blondeangel

Great to hear that things are picking up for you at last.

Good luck with the law test tomorrow as well.

Nicola

[blondeangel]

thanks..
I think I did well on my test...but I may not find out in a while what I got, because there is a teacher strike that just started today..and I don't know how long it will last. Mostof my profs prepared us for in case it happened with research papers and stuff, so I should still get some learning done. Plus, I am beginning to feel some side effects from the effexor, but not nearly as bad as the paxil. And I can get in some more work hours...I just hope the strike doesn't last too long.
Anyways, that is what is going on now. I am glad that I made the med change...and hopefully I can go off them again sometime at least for a while, like last time.

[sal]

Pleased you think you did well i am sure you did hun.

Thinking of you and hope it all works out for you how it should. Keep in touch hun.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".

[blondeangel]

hey...
I am doig much better now. My effexor had way less side effects and I have not been getting panic attacks at all..but some anxiety. I feel like I am beginning to feel more normal.
But, I really hurt myself when I was on my Paxil. I was really clumsy and out of it...and I twisted my foot and ankle a few times. I didn't swell or hurt too much so i thought it was just a sprain. But a few days ago I realised that I was losing feeling in my ankle and the top of my foot that i hurt...If I rubbed it I could not feel it at all..so I was scared of nerve damage. Plus I could not move my ankle..it was like it was paralized. I went to the hospital and they told me it looks like nerve damage, and I just have to watch to see if the numbness spreads..and it hasn't. I neeed to see a neurologist next week. So my ankle is screwed up and the teachers are on strike for my college and other collleges...so things are a bit weird now.
But I am doing ok..but I think I need to go...I am on painkillers for my ankle and meds for my pd and i am beginnning to feeel weird..and I can't type right at all..I keep going over my typing.
But.... I know I will be ok....hopefully my ankle will move soon....it is weird....it is like it is paralyzed cuz it won't really move. Gotta go...i need to sleep.

[sal]

Hi Hun

You are donig ok and that is great to hear. Thinking about you keep in touch babe.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".

[blondeangel]

hey everyone...
my ankle is not really doing much better. I have not received a call from the hospital yet to see a neurologist, but I hope I do soon. The only good thing I can see from this is that if the injury is serious, I can possibly get money under my college insurance plan. But I still would rather have my ankle working. I can't do my rock climbing, because of my foot injury, which sucks.
The teacher strike is still on and I have not really done much of my homework I need to do. I have been feeling very unmotivated and have ben feeling nauseaus a lot...and have not been eating as much as I usually do. Also my memory really SUCKS...I have been forgetting things I normally won't forget, and it is really getting annoying...mainly my shirt term memory. I have read that these are part of the side effects of the medication, and I hope it wears off. Has anyone else had major effects of their memory due to meds? It is SOOOOOO annoying. I hope it weras off my the time the teacher strike ends and I go back to school...in fact i hope it ends soon! Plus because my ankle doesn't work right I can't run///I limp if I run.....things are going not all that great right now...but I know things will get better. But last night I talked to 2 of my little cousins on the phone, and that made me feeel really good. One of them was a big inspiration for my first book which I competed in January this year, and have sent of to 7 publishers so far. When I told her this she was so excited...she is one of the main characters too...and it really made me feel good. I am very determined to get it published and when it does you all will know. I just need to start back on my second book, which I have been working on simultaneously...but have not worked on for a couple of months. I would be great to become a famous author.....and I know if I did make money from my writing I would dontate some to research on panic and anxiety. Oh yeh...I have also entered a writing contest...I entered one short story and an academic essay. Wish me luck!!!
I am so glad I am not on Paxil anymore...my side effects are less...but I still get them off and on....what is most annoying is my memory. When I was at the drug store the pharmacist told me I should not take ginseng or gingo biloba with effexor...and I have been taking ginseng for the pst month....but I want to take something natural that will help with my memory...I can really tell my meds have been affecting it and it is really really really annoying and I don't want it to interfere with my school work. Anyways....just had to talk.

[Meg]

Not sure where to post (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3583)
Anxiety and how it effects your memory (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6089)



Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

proactiveness, positivity, persistence, perseverance and practice = progress

[andrew]

hi blondeangel,

good luck in the writing competition.

im not on medication and sometimes my short term memory is struggling, when it gets like that i just write things down that i need to know or act on.

hopefully your foot will just repair itself with you taking it easy. get your homework sorted lol .. tc andrew

[blondeangel]

thanks andrew...
yeh I do write things down lots...I have my planner that I can't live without and I have sticky notes everywhere...plus my calendars are scribbled with all kinds of messages...but it still is annoying.
My foot and ankle are still messed up, and I need to phone the neurologist in the morning to book an appointment. This happened on March 1st, and it is still the same....so I hope it gets better. I can't work because I teach rock climbing....so I can't do my job. It sucks.
As far as the competition goes..thanks. :D

[blondeangel]

I'm tying a different colour....
Anyways...had my first coujsellling session...went well...was emotiomal...but I hope it helps.
Mu ankle is still the sme and I see a neurologist next week. I took my meds not long ago and I am feeeling sleepy...yeh....cuz I have not been lately...sO I am going to go and get some sleeo. nite all or good morning...whenever it is when you read this'.