Call1900Daniel
10-21-2006, 03:35 PM
***Please read! I would like to give you my mini-anxiety history before I get to the main point. I would really like to hear what you guys have to say about your experience with medications***
I was diagnosed with GAD when I was 19 (in 2003). In 2002 I had a little bit too much fun my senior year and partied a lot with drugs. Also in that year there was a lot of major battles with friends and a lot of emotional and psychological pain came about out of that, to many people involved. In 2003 I quite all those bad habits and got my life back together. However in 2003 I suddenly started to feel anxious all the time. I could NEVER feel relaxed. I ALWAYS felt my heat heating whether I was relaxing and it was at a normal pace, or (obviously) when I would exercise. I began to react very negatively to caffiene and exercise... Anything that would stimulate me physiologically caused physical anxiety.
Anyway... In 2003 I was put on Lexapro 10mg. I was told to no longer drink caffiene (which I did and still have been doing). Note also that I do not smoke or anything like that.... Anyway. I had no side effects whatsoever. I stayed on Lexapro for about 2 years. It really didn't take my anxiety away or treat it like I would have hoped but it did help a good bit. Near the end of my treatment I started to feel emotionally numb and thought that the Lexapro could be the cause of it and my doctor agreed. So I was taken off of it and for a couple months Lexapro free I felt decent.
Well in late 2005 another traumatic emotional event happened and it crashed me again. My Anxiety came back and in all regards it was worse. I consulted my doctor and he put me back on Lexapro BUT strangely enough I experience sexual side effects (which I never did before) and it made me really moody and on edge. So I stopped taking it and switched to a new doctor, a Psychopharmacologist.
She worked with me and we chose Remeron as a treatment. It had the least sexual side effects (which I was most concerned about in regards to side effects) but it had the potential to gain weight, but I'm very skinny so I didn't mind that at all.
I have been Remeron since May of 2006 and have been up and down with the dosages. I started at 15mg and moved gradually (as directed) up to 60mg. At 60mg I started feeling REALLY tired throughout my day and suicidal thoughts randomly popped in my head... So I started to take myself back down and am now at 30mg. I take my Remeron at night before bed (because it knocks you out) and I'm still complaining about me not having energy throughout my day. I don't feel emotionally happy. My axniety isn't really being delt with like it was with Lexapro. I am also on Klonopin 1mg as PRN.
So... The other day I went back to my doctor and discussed my issues. #1 Was that I wanted more energy #2 I wanted to feel happier #3 Although I like Klonopin (much better than Xanax in my case) I wanted to try something different. So she gave me the following instruction:
Remeron 7.5mg (at night)
Lexapro 2.5mg (morning w/ food) < the thought being the low dose may not cause sexual side effects
Ativan 1mg (as needed)
Well... I started to doubt my doctor when I went to my Pharmacy and asked the Pharmacist the differences between Klonopin and Ativan. I had asked my doctor and she told me that Ativan was longer lasting, and the same strength. WELL the Pharmacist (and the research I did online) told me the opposite, that Ativan is shorter acting than Klonopin and is weaker in strength. So I am gonna try it anyway and see how it affects me.
***NOW ONTO MY POINT***
There are two parts to my question (well 3 actually)...
#1 - Obviously medications affect people differently than others. But I was wondering which Benzodiazapines you have found to be the best in the treatment of generalized anxiety (not during panic attacks, doesn't really apply to me). Please include information like: If you were able to function (your mind felt clear and you didn't feel out of it), and what dosage you were on and how you took it (PRN, daily...)
#2 - Which SSRI's/SNRI's/Beta Blockers/etc... Have you found to not only treat your anxiety the best but also have lifted your mood and have given you energy.
* Note on #2: Anything that stimulates me seems to cause anxiousness for me. My doctor talked about Cymbalta or Effexor, and even Provigil (which is for Narcolepsy... but in my case would be used to help with energy during the day). Anyway... the reason she opted to stay away from drugs that act on Dopamine and Norepinephrine is because for some anxious people (such as myself) those medications stimulating effects may cause more axniety. So...
#3 - For those of you who are like me and react anxiously to caffiene and other stimulants, have you tried any medication that acts on Dopamine or Norpinephrine and have it NOT cause anxiousness.
I was diagnosed with GAD when I was 19 (in 2003). In 2002 I had a little bit too much fun my senior year and partied a lot with drugs. Also in that year there was a lot of major battles with friends and a lot of emotional and psychological pain came about out of that, to many people involved. In 2003 I quite all those bad habits and got my life back together. However in 2003 I suddenly started to feel anxious all the time. I could NEVER feel relaxed. I ALWAYS felt my heat heating whether I was relaxing and it was at a normal pace, or (obviously) when I would exercise. I began to react very negatively to caffiene and exercise... Anything that would stimulate me physiologically caused physical anxiety.
Anyway... In 2003 I was put on Lexapro 10mg. I was told to no longer drink caffiene (which I did and still have been doing). Note also that I do not smoke or anything like that.... Anyway. I had no side effects whatsoever. I stayed on Lexapro for about 2 years. It really didn't take my anxiety away or treat it like I would have hoped but it did help a good bit. Near the end of my treatment I started to feel emotionally numb and thought that the Lexapro could be the cause of it and my doctor agreed. So I was taken off of it and for a couple months Lexapro free I felt decent.
Well in late 2005 another traumatic emotional event happened and it crashed me again. My Anxiety came back and in all regards it was worse. I consulted my doctor and he put me back on Lexapro BUT strangely enough I experience sexual side effects (which I never did before) and it made me really moody and on edge. So I stopped taking it and switched to a new doctor, a Psychopharmacologist.
She worked with me and we chose Remeron as a treatment. It had the least sexual side effects (which I was most concerned about in regards to side effects) but it had the potential to gain weight, but I'm very skinny so I didn't mind that at all.
I have been Remeron since May of 2006 and have been up and down with the dosages. I started at 15mg and moved gradually (as directed) up to 60mg. At 60mg I started feeling REALLY tired throughout my day and suicidal thoughts randomly popped in my head... So I started to take myself back down and am now at 30mg. I take my Remeron at night before bed (because it knocks you out) and I'm still complaining about me not having energy throughout my day. I don't feel emotionally happy. My axniety isn't really being delt with like it was with Lexapro. I am also on Klonopin 1mg as PRN.
So... The other day I went back to my doctor and discussed my issues. #1 Was that I wanted more energy #2 I wanted to feel happier #3 Although I like Klonopin (much better than Xanax in my case) I wanted to try something different. So she gave me the following instruction:
Remeron 7.5mg (at night)
Lexapro 2.5mg (morning w/ food) < the thought being the low dose may not cause sexual side effects
Ativan 1mg (as needed)
Well... I started to doubt my doctor when I went to my Pharmacy and asked the Pharmacist the differences between Klonopin and Ativan. I had asked my doctor and she told me that Ativan was longer lasting, and the same strength. WELL the Pharmacist (and the research I did online) told me the opposite, that Ativan is shorter acting than Klonopin and is weaker in strength. So I am gonna try it anyway and see how it affects me.
***NOW ONTO MY POINT***
There are two parts to my question (well 3 actually)...
#1 - Obviously medications affect people differently than others. But I was wondering which Benzodiazapines you have found to be the best in the treatment of generalized anxiety (not during panic attacks, doesn't really apply to me). Please include information like: If you were able to function (your mind felt clear and you didn't feel out of it), and what dosage you were on and how you took it (PRN, daily...)
#2 - Which SSRI's/SNRI's/Beta Blockers/etc... Have you found to not only treat your anxiety the best but also have lifted your mood and have given you energy.
* Note on #2: Anything that stimulates me seems to cause anxiousness for me. My doctor talked about Cymbalta or Effexor, and even Provigil (which is for Narcolepsy... but in my case would be used to help with energy during the day). Anyway... the reason she opted to stay away from drugs that act on Dopamine and Norepinephrine is because for some anxious people (such as myself) those medications stimulating effects may cause more axniety. So...
#3 - For those of you who are like me and react anxiously to caffiene and other stimulants, have you tried any medication that acts on Dopamine or Norpinephrine and have it NOT cause anxiousness.