randy butternubs
03-02-2017, 08:45 PM
Hi everyone, some quick background info
I have had GAD and panic attacks for about a little over a year now. My biggest problems are ruminations. The first thing I think of when I wake up is "if I feel normal". The busier I am the better things are but the second I have any down time my thoughts go right back to "how am I feeling" and I cant stop thinking about it. If i get any little weird sensation or feeling my mind starts thiking that I have some sort of systemic illness or disease. I tried to handle things on my own but decided that it was too much so I went to my PDOC and was prescribed Klonopin and Lexapro 10mg. The side effects from lexapro were pretty awful at first and I did not use Klonopin because I am not allowed to work and be on a Benzo. After about 4-6 weeks I felt a lot better. I had some bad days but absoloutley no panic attacks and just some GAD here and there like feeling off balance and like my motor skills were a bit off. Not every day just every now and then. If i had to put a number on it I would say I was about 75%-80% normal again.
I then decided that maybe Zoloft would be better after talking with my doc and my wife who has been on Zoloft for years. I was switched to 100mg of Zoloft and it really hasn't been that great. I had some start up effects, (i imagine from the dose increase) and then they sort of tapered off for a while. I still have the klonopin and some days I felt like I couldnt make it without the klonopin. For almost 2 weeks I felt pretty good and then bam, back to the GAD and on the verge of full on panic attacks which I have not had in a long time. Not to mention some weird things I have been feeling that Im not quit sure if its the anxiety manifesting into physical symptoms or the meds causing the symptoms. I have been having muscle twitches randomly on different parts of my body and its almost like my sense of time is off which is very weird. I have terrible insomnia and I even switched from taking them at night to the morning with no difference.
Well I talked to my PDOC again and we discussed going back to 10mg of Lexapro which I am fine with since I did feel much better on. He gave me a dosing schedule of taking half of my Zoloft (50mg) along with 10mg of Lex for 3 days and then stopping the zoloft completely and continuing with the 10mg of lexapro.
So I am looking for some reassurance on this dosing schedule and also if there are any success stories on going back to lex from Zoloft. I know from reading on these forums that a higher dose is not always the answer even though to me it makes sense that if you are on a certain dose and feel a little better, a higher dose would make you feel even better.
I have an appointment to start CBT also but have not yet BTW.
Sorry for the long first post, I just needed to get all this out. Lately I have been feeling like I am barely holding things together. I feel like I should also mention that I have never had depression or thoughts of suicide and that my klonopin dose is pretty low (.5mg X2 a day as needed). I have never taken a whole .5 at once. Thanks for reading.
I have had GAD and panic attacks for about a little over a year now. My biggest problems are ruminations. The first thing I think of when I wake up is "if I feel normal". The busier I am the better things are but the second I have any down time my thoughts go right back to "how am I feeling" and I cant stop thinking about it. If i get any little weird sensation or feeling my mind starts thiking that I have some sort of systemic illness or disease. I tried to handle things on my own but decided that it was too much so I went to my PDOC and was prescribed Klonopin and Lexapro 10mg. The side effects from lexapro were pretty awful at first and I did not use Klonopin because I am not allowed to work and be on a Benzo. After about 4-6 weeks I felt a lot better. I had some bad days but absoloutley no panic attacks and just some GAD here and there like feeling off balance and like my motor skills were a bit off. Not every day just every now and then. If i had to put a number on it I would say I was about 75%-80% normal again.
I then decided that maybe Zoloft would be better after talking with my doc and my wife who has been on Zoloft for years. I was switched to 100mg of Zoloft and it really hasn't been that great. I had some start up effects, (i imagine from the dose increase) and then they sort of tapered off for a while. I still have the klonopin and some days I felt like I couldnt make it without the klonopin. For almost 2 weeks I felt pretty good and then bam, back to the GAD and on the verge of full on panic attacks which I have not had in a long time. Not to mention some weird things I have been feeling that Im not quit sure if its the anxiety manifesting into physical symptoms or the meds causing the symptoms. I have been having muscle twitches randomly on different parts of my body and its almost like my sense of time is off which is very weird. I have terrible insomnia and I even switched from taking them at night to the morning with no difference.
Well I talked to my PDOC again and we discussed going back to 10mg of Lexapro which I am fine with since I did feel much better on. He gave me a dosing schedule of taking half of my Zoloft (50mg) along with 10mg of Lex for 3 days and then stopping the zoloft completely and continuing with the 10mg of lexapro.
So I am looking for some reassurance on this dosing schedule and also if there are any success stories on going back to lex from Zoloft. I know from reading on these forums that a higher dose is not always the answer even though to me it makes sense that if you are on a certain dose and feel a little better, a higher dose would make you feel even better.
I have an appointment to start CBT also but have not yet BTW.
Sorry for the long first post, I just needed to get all this out. Lately I have been feeling like I am barely holding things together. I feel like I should also mention that I have never had depression or thoughts of suicide and that my klonopin dose is pretty low (.5mg X2 a day as needed). I have never taken a whole .5 at once. Thanks for reading.