Posted by Margaret on August 30, 1999, at 13:33:04
Hi
I am writing about my husband who has had panic disorder for about 10 years now. He does not suffer from any other psychological disorder, except for recently, agoraphobia.
He has developed a dependency problem with benzodiazepines, as a result of being treated by a psychiatrist who believed that dependency issues were not real. He has tapered from a high of 2.5 mg Xanax + 6 mg Rivotril to 2.5 mg Rivotril and has suffered greatly.
He has tried antidepressants twice out of desperation. The first, Tofranil, produced a five hour panic episode. I flushed the pills down the toilet. The second trial was with Paxil, which produced either hypomania or Serotonin Syndrome along with severe shock to his nervous system, leaving him in a constant state of anxiety. (no one will tell us for sure what happened there and his new psychiatrist's only concern seems to be getting him off the benzos, as he is unwilling to address any of his concerns)
He has recently begun taking Atenolol for an elevated heart rate and blood pressure, with excellent results in that area. It also seems to help with some of his panic symptoms as well. (less intense)
So, my question is "Where do we go from here?". We live in a relatively small city with few psychiatrists. Is there anybody out there that's been through a similar situation and found relief?
Thank You in Advance
poster:Margaret
thread:10809
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990829/msgs/10809.html