Seeing Pdoc today for new med

HI L.S.

I don't have any personal experience to share as far as meds go...but I can encourage you that you are taking all the right steps for your recovery...so keep going!!

The therapy and coping skills that you're working on will all be of great benefit to you...keep making them a part of your anxiety management plan and you will surely start feeling the benefits...so keep up hope.

You will also find the Rx that helps you as well with time and patience. Yes, sometimes it is a matter of trial and error...but don't lose hope. Working with your doctor should bring about the success that you want and need in time.:)

Keep posting here with us as well. We will be cheering you on and offering ecouragement and support!

Talk to you soon,

S.C.

Hi LS,   I was dx in 1982 with anxiety and depression so I have been on a lot of different meds, saw quite a few therapists and just did a tweaking on my current medication cocktail. Meds I have tried. Let me try - My first antidepressant was Elavil  which caused me to have some tachycardia so it was changed to Nortriptyline .  Nortriptyline is the one drug that worked the longest , from 1982 - 2004.  I had some mini-breaks and then my Dr. tried me on Paxil , Prozac and Zoloft which I had side effects from and eventually went back on the  Nortriptyline , however, it never did work like it had the first time around.  I also saw a therapist and my Psychiatrist which joined my care team in 2006. Next came the new generation drugs, Lexapro , Cymbalta ( which worked fairly good for  awhile but I was overdosed on this drug and my BP kept falling so we moved on to Norpramin e which gave me an awful rash all over my body so that was stopped. Along came Serazone - which my Dr. accidently over-dosed me on as he substituted mg per mg and I got a whopping dose, ended up in the ER and an overnight stay in the hospital.  But He apologized. <!--[if gte vml 1]> So on to Seroquel which was way to sedating for a person working full time. By now I had gained weight which I felt was due to the antidepressants so my Psych. Dr. let me try Wellbutrin  and I was literally walking into walls and having severe hand tremors.  Next came Celexa combined with Lamictal ( a mood stabilizer) .  The mood stabilizer worked some but not worth the possible horrible rash a person could develop so I went with Celexa and Trazodone which did pretty good until the information was released that nobody over a certain age should be on more than 20 mg and I was on 40 mg. Of course I was over that age and had to have an EKG and decreasing the med to 20 mg did not work. about this time was when I got sick in January of 2012 and my doctors (2 of them) dx the symptoms as my depression so my Psych. Dr. insisted I needed to be on Zoloft again and ramped up the dose to the max - I never felt good on this med and with   each increase I just felt worse. Finally I said no more Zoloft - I want to go on Effexor XR with my Trazodone ( low dose for sleep)  and Buspar for anxiety. This is my current cocktail and I am  over the recommended high dose of Effexor as I take 300 mg per day. Update:   Due to my depression kicking up I had a bad 12 week run this spring so my Psychiatrist and I agreed to increase my Trazodone to 300mg daily which moves it into the antidepressant range.   I had increased to the 250mg range but tonight I will take my first dose of 300mg.  I feel it trying to work. As far as Benzos , I have been on Xanax, Ativan and Valium .  My DR. had a fit when she saw my PCP had me on 4 mg of Ativan per day so one of the first things we did was wean me off of Ativan very slowly - 6 months - and now I have some Valium to help my anxiety.  In January of 2012 I may have had some depression going on, however, in August of 2012 I was dx with Colon Cancer.  I have no ill feelings re my Drs. as they were only working with what I told them re my feelings.  My number one complaint was severe fatigue to the point I could not get up and do my daily activities. Both of these Drs. are part of my Care Team and I do appreciated them. I think that equals about 16 of the antidepressants/ antianxiety meds and then the sprinkling of the Benzos. I have tried going med free but always crash.................so that is my story. Do not let my story spook you as many people do fine without meds or just one med that helps them but if you are in a position where you cannot function than medications may be your only choice and hitting the right one is a crap shoot.   Kindly, Kitt

Thank you EVERYONE!!! I took no offense at your comments AT ALL & I didn't mean to imply meds are "just" bandaids. I think I'm a "lifer" on them as well. I'm 43 & have now taken them for 6 years. My bandaid comment referred to myself and my coping skills or lack thereof. I'm very hedonistic lol. I don't like to feel pain, sadness, eyc (who does, right lol). But I'm an expert in stuffing it away so for me, I HAVE to have therapy and meds bc I'm prone to this genetically but just as much behaviorally too. For me they go hand in hand.

What I didn't learn in the past on meds that worked right away were the behaviors that were certainly catalysts for my struggles. I've never struggled before now, for more than like a month... This time it's been 4-6 months, the past 4 being the hardest. I've also learned I MUST do the work (while waiting on meds to work/trying new meds), regardless of how I feel. Bc frankly, I haven't felt the good feelings you get by doing things good for you bc of my funk. I'm doing them every single day tho. I may not feel it yet but I've been assured it's imperative AND helpful to do even tho I can't fully appreciate the hard work yet bc of my funky feelings (depression/anxiety).

I truly love you all so much. This is the most intelligent yet down to earth and comforting and supporting forum I've ever visited or been a part of! Thank-you!

-Lisa

I've been on meds for 15+ years.
To me, it's more than a bandaid. :) I can function better on it...it has given me more opportunities to experience life! Without it, I can't do much.

I don't smoke, drink...or need caffeine and chocolate to survive. Instead...I eat well and take my meds. That doesn't sound that bad..does it? ;)

I'll never surrender my caffeine and chocolate!!!

Here is a picture of the last person who tried to swipe my Lindt Truffles....


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S.C.