Posted by wzlong_D on September 17, 2010, at 2:08:05
In reply to Falling asleep in class, posted by ambidexter on September 1, 2010, at 10:55:42
Once I was taking Seroxat for Generalized anxiety disorder, and got exactly the same problem as you do: I was hopelessly sleepy 45 minutes after the class began, and didn't want to get up even the class was over, and no matter how long I slept, I didn't feel refreshed, but only wake up to get a fogged brain.
I think it's very natural that anxiolytics can cause hypnotic effect, because most of them are GABA agonist, which causes anxiolytic effect at a low dose, and hypnotic effect at a higher dose, or may cause death if overdosed .
My suggestion is: go off all mental meds as soon as possible!!!
I know SA is miserable: I was so shy and I was always flushing my face, I was feared to meet strangers, I didn't dare to raise my head while walking, I didn't dare to watch at the blackboard in class...worst of all, the anxiety had severely disturbed my sleep, I coudn't fall asleep because I was afraid I could't sleep, or even I was afraid that "I would be afraid I couldn't sleep", and I finally got neurasthenia after one stressful year's preparation for the University Entrance Examination. After 1.5 years struggle with neurasthenia , I was finally forced to see PDoc for insomnia, and he put me on Seroxat.
So I started to take Seroxat 3.5 years ago, and stopped it 1.5 years ago. The dose was: 1 tab per day for about 6 weeks, then reduce to 1/2 tab every other day for about 1 year because it made me too sleepy , and even less for the next 1 year as I was feared of its side effects , and then totally stopped it as I gradually got cognitive problems .
What's the final result ? It does help a bit with my anxiety as it blunted my brain , whhile makes my sleep even worse ! And worst of all, Seroxat has ruind my brain ,making me an idiot that is kind of Alzheimer's disease !!!Had I had the chance to choose again, NEVER would have I take down this road...
I used to be very smart. How smart ? I got admission to a top University in my country (in USA, it's like getting admission to MIT or UC.BERKELEY ) with a score ranked at 178 in more than 300,000 examinees, and remember that I was already suffering from neurasthenia at that time ...Now, 5 years have passsed, I'm nothing but a wreck, whose IQ is not enough to lead a normal life ...
You must have been scared , haven't you ? I'm really sorry, but what I say are all true . I just don't want the same tragedy to happen again. I see that you are taking a different med, but since they are both anxiolytic affacting GABA system , I'm afraid they may cause similar side effects...
Anyway, there are still lots of alternatives to medication. Personally, I believe SA can be effectively cured through no-med ways, such as group psychotherapy. Meds may help at first, but what you get is not worth what you loss. If you are going to carry on with meds, I suggest that you'd better find someone who are comparable and has already been cured by meds first.
I would endure the agony however miserable the anxiety is rather than taking mental meds to help my anxiety...
I'm now a graduate too, 24 years old.
poster:wzlong_D
thread:960938
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100908/msgs/962701.html