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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Panic_Attack on January 5, 2002, at 7:49:51
I have posted here many times in the past. I suffer from Panic/Anxiety disorder and I dont have insurance so I am not getting any help. I have been to all the local mental health centers, etc... nothing. A Emergency room doctor prescribed me BuSpar since I have such horrible side effects to SSRI's... {Paxil, Zoloft, etc.} so a friend of mine gave me BuSpar and i only took 1/4th of the pill and it made me so Miserable. I was in bed for 2 1/2 days and I missed work and i felt like dying. Is there anything out there that could help without such miserable side effects? Ill be getting insurance from my job in about two months :) I "sometimes" take REMERON at night to help me sleep. And like once in a blue moon XANAX to take away the anxiety. I only take remeron when i really really cant sleep. I actually like remeron.... yah Im sleepy and hungry all day..but its not as bad as all the other "junk" i have taken. Would you recommend me to stick with remeron? Will it help my panic attacks at all? My anxiety? My heart is always racing... i have problems breathing and always feel like im going to die. Im not eating healthy at all... all i really eat is cheese and pizza and junk. And I am a drinker... I drink alot of beer. And the morning after I drink I feel like HELL. Its not a hangover... its weird... miserable. Any advice would really be appreciated. I have cut down 80% of my drinking... what should I do? *Cynthia* 21 F Florida
Posted by CincyJack on January 5, 2002, at 9:27:30
In reply to HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic, posted by Panic_Attack on January 5, 2002, at 7:49:51
I had a few panic attacks when I was drinking but I drank alcoholically. I also suffer from depression and had a MAJOR panic attack in the middle of the night last February. I was put on Effexor at that time and the result has been good. I had been more depressed than I realized.
My feeling is that if you have "abnormal" brain chemistry and you drink, you are not helping matters and you limit the healing effect any med might offer. Drinking away anxiety leads to more anxiety as part of the rebound.
I had to get help for my drinking before I could put anything together for my depression. On Jan. 1 I celebrated 10 years of being clean and sober and my life is much, much improved.
Also, though it can be a challenge, sticking with a SSRI long enough to get over some of the early discomfort (side effects) might helpt to get you to a better place.
Posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 10:42:43
In reply to HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic, posted by Panic_Attack on January 5, 2002, at 7:49:51
> I have posted here many times in the past. I suffer from Panic/Anxiety disorder and I dont have insurance so I am not getting any help. I have been to all the local mental health centers, etc... nothing. A Emergency room doctor prescribed me BuSpar since I have such horrible side effects to SSRI's... {Paxil, Zoloft, etc.} so a friend of mine gave me BuSpar and i only took 1/4th of the pill and it made me so Miserable. I was in bed for 2 1/2 days and I missed work and i felt like dying. Is there anything out there that could help without such miserable side effects? Ill be getting insurance from my job in about two months :) I "sometimes" take REMERON at night to help me sleep. And like once in a blue moon XANAX to take away the anxiety. I only take remeron when i really really cant sleep. I actually like remeron.... yah Im sleepy and hungry all day..but its not as bad as all the other "junk" i have taken. Would you recommend me to stick with remeron? Will it help my panic attacks at all? My anxiety? My heart is always racing... i have problems breathing and always feel like im going to die. Im not eating healthy at all... all i really eat is cheese and pizza and junk. And I am a drinker... I drink alot of beer. And the morning after I drink I feel like HELL. Its not a hangover... its weird... miserable. Any advice would really be appreciated. I have cut down 80% of my drinking... what should I do? *Cynthia* 21 F Florida
Remeron seems to work quite well for panic disorder from what others here have posted. You are going to need to take some every nite though. If you stop and start it a lot you may get "rebound" anxiety from it that might trigger panic. If you are strapped for cash-probably a tricyclic antidepressant could work for you, especially if you tolerate the Remeron fairly well. Imipramine, amitriptyline, nortripytline. Amitripytline (Elavil) would probably seem the most like Remeron to you. It *is* very cheap.Mitch
Posted by Panic_Attack on January 5, 2002, at 11:13:05
In reply to Re: HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic » Panic_Attack, posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 10:42:43
Thanks so much for your responses.... very helpful actually. I think I will begin on the remeron again.... i cant "sneak" some from my moms job. The trial packets.... anyways... I was taking it for a few weeks and i just stopped taking it becasue i wasnt having panic attacks and i was sleepy all the time. But I would rather be sleepy than feeling like death every day. Im at work right now. I cant wait to get off and get drunk! Im am "almost" an alcoholic. I dont drink to cover u p anxiety or anything... i just dirnk cuz i love it.... i been drinking since I was 16 {before I even had panic attacks} and i love the feeling :)~ IM IRISH!! {excuses}..... ne-wayz.. im going to look into the Elavil... im so sensitive to meds... unbelievably bad... i mean REAL BAD.. ne wayz.... PEACE
Posted by jimmygold70 on January 5, 2002, at 12:43:07
In reply to HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic, posted by Panic_Attack on January 5, 2002, at 7:49:51
Well, you should have Klonopin (which is pretty cheap) at hand. This should help you in the short term. What side effects did the SSRIs give you ? What about Serzone, Effexor ? Why not stay on remeron for good ?
Jimmy
Posted by geno on January 5, 2002, at 19:26:37
In reply to Re: HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic, posted by Panic_Attack on January 5, 2002, at 11:13:05
> Thanks so much for your responses.... very helpful actually. I think I will begin on the remeron again.... i cant "sneak" some from my moms job. The trial packets.... anyways... I was taking it for a few weeks and i just stopped taking it becasue i wasnt having panic attacks and i was sleepy all the time. But I would rather be sleepy than feeling like death every day. Im at work right now. I cant wait to get off and get drunk! Im am "almost" an alcoholic. I dont drink to cover u p anxiety or anything... i just dirnk cuz i love it.... i been drinking since I was 16 {before I even had panic attacks} and i love the feeling :)~ IM IRISH!! {excuses}..... ne-wayz.. im going to look into the Elavil... im so sensitive to meds... unbelievably bad... i mean REAL BAD.. ne wayz.... PEACE
Skip elavil. I was on remeron, "gave" elavil a try. I totally threw me off wak, and gave me anxiety. Although the was at a high dose. Remeron calms me down in 1 hour, then i drift off to sleep. If you still find yourself with next day aniety, add xanas at .5mg. This should wipe you any aniety.
geno
Posted by OldSchool on January 5, 2002, at 20:40:23
In reply to HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic, posted by Panic_Attack on January 5, 2002, at 7:49:51
> I have posted here many times in the past. I suffer from Panic/Anxiety disorder and I dont have insurance so I am not getting any help. I have been to all the local mental health centers, etc... nothing. A Emergency room doctor prescribed me BuSpar since I have such horrible side effects to SSRI's... {Paxil, Zoloft, etc.} so a friend of mine gave me BuSpar and i only took 1/4th of the pill and it made me so Miserable. I was in bed for 2 1/2 days and I missed work and i felt like dying. Is there anything out there that could help without such miserable side effects? Ill be getting insurance from my job in about two months :) I "sometimes" take REMERON at night to help me sleep. And like once in a blue moon XANAX to take away the anxiety. I only take remeron when i really really cant sleep. I actually like remeron.... yah Im sleepy and hungry all day..but its not as bad as all the other "junk" i have taken. Would you recommend me to stick with remeron? Will it help my panic attacks at all? My anxiety? My heart is always racing... i have problems breathing and always feel like im going to die. Im not eating healthy at all... all i really eat is cheese and pizza and junk. And I am a drinker... I drink alot of beer. And the morning after I drink I feel like HELL. Its not a hangover... its weird... miserable. Any advice would really be appreciated. I have cut down 80% of my drinking... what should I do? *Cynthia* 21 F Florida
Cynthia, the FIRST thing you need to do is to totally cut out all booze! Cut out the remaining 20%. That beer is making your anxiety worse without you realizing it. Sure while you are drinking it you might feel momentarily better, sedated or knocked out or whatever. But over time booze just makes anxiety and depression worse. Booze is the worst depressant drug there is. Trust me...first things first cut out all booze completely. None.
Drinking beer can also cause insomnia, believe it or not. Hard to describe but it can really mess up your sleep in some cases.
Next of all you should seriously consider to start taking the Remeron every night EVERYDAY. You wont get a good anti-anxiety effect from it if you dont take it everyday. Youve gotta take it daily, religously and not miss doses. Remeron is an extremely good drug to treat anxiety with...its a calming relaxing antidepressant. Its great for both depression and anxiety.
Finally, after you cut out the booze completely and start taking the Remeron everyday you should start a program of regular aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise helps greatly to fight anxiety. It burns off those "fight or flight" chemicals that build up in your body when you have bad anxiety.
take care,
Old School
Posted by Panic_Attack on January 7, 2002, at 17:24:00
In reply to Re: HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic, posted by OldSchool on January 5, 2002, at 20:40:23
Old School... Thank You so much for the advice. I seem to only be getting these "horrible" attacks the morning after I go out drinking. When i dont drink... my panic attacks are no where NEAR as bad. SO you honeslty think I should stay on the remeron? I love it. I just hate the tiredness all day. Oh well.... Thanks so much for everybody advice... Yesterday i ended up in the hospital again... HORRIBLE panic attack... it was a weird one though.. i was weak, i fainted and i was shaking. having convulsions and very dizzy.... ne wayz.. thanks everybody
Posted by OldSchool on January 7, 2002, at 20:17:42
In reply to Re: HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic, posted by Panic_Attack on January 7, 2002, at 17:24:00
> Old School... Thank You so much for the advice. I seem to only be getting these "horrible" attacks the morning after I go out drinking. When i dont drink... my panic attacks are no where NEAR as bad. SO you honeslty think I should stay on the remeron? I love it. I just hate the tiredness all day. Oh well.... Thanks so much for everybody advice... Yesterday i ended up in the hospital again... HORRIBLE panic attack... it was a weird one though.. i was weak, i fainted and i was shaking. having convulsions and very dizzy.... ne wayz.. thanks everybody
Panic Attack...by all means cut out the booze totally! Alcohol makes both depression and anxiety worse. I cant tolerate booze anymore since becoming depressed...it just brings me down down down more. If I drink now, I get real bad insomnia for a day or two. I just cant tolerate booze like I could before depression.
Where before major depression, booze made me feel good and I "thought" it made me sleep better, like it would knock me out. After depression, I found out that booze makes insomnia worse...much worse.
One thing you should know is that severe anxiety problems and depression are similar in some ways. Where there is some severe anxiety, there is probably some depression also. Many of the drugs originally developed for depression, are now being used heavily for anxiety and panic. For example all of the SSRIs are used for panic attacks. Paxil just got FDA approved for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Serotonergic antidepressants like the SSRIs and Remeron are all good for panic and generalized anxiety.
Do what your doctor tells you to do...if they think you should remain on the Remeron then do that. What did the hospital doctor tell you to do? Stay on Remeron?
Old School
Posted by sid on January 7, 2002, at 21:15:06
In reply to Re: HORRIBLE Anxiety/Panic, posted by Panic_Attack on January 5, 2002, at 11:13:05
Hi Cynthia,
first, if your drinking affects your life and your health, as you seem to imply it does, and you continue drinking anyway, then you are an alcoholic. Consult any AA brochure, you will likely recognize yourself.Second, you are so young, why risk your health this way? Your body and your brain need to last the rest of your life, and soon it will all start to decline, quite fast with that. You need to be at your best in your 20's so your chances of a healthy and long life are maximized. I think it is time for you to cut the booze and learn to REALLY take care of yourself.
Third, stop self-medicating. See a doctor, be honest with him/her, and follow what they tell you to do. In an informed manner, not blindly (there are quacks out there!), but if you manage to find a good doctor, then you will be in a much better position than by self-medicating from time to time and drinking, even though you know the panick attacks are linked to your drinking.
Becoming an adult = taking care of oneself, as a caring parent would do, i.e., not indulging yourself, but rather using tough love and discipline for your own welfare.
I hope you find your way in all this.
> Thanks so much for your responses.... very helpful actually. I think I will begin on the remeron again.... i cant "sneak" some from my moms job. The trial packets.... anyways... I was taking it for a few weeks and i just stopped taking it becasue i wasnt having panic attacks and i was sleepy all the time. But I would rather be sleepy than feeling like death every day. Im at work right now. I cant wait to get off and get drunk! Im am "almost" an alcoholic. I dont drink to cover u p anxiety or anything... i just dirnk cuz i love it.... i been drinking since I was 16 {before I even had panic attacks} and i love the feeling :)~ IM IRISH!! {excuses}..... ne-wayz.. im going to look into the Elavil... im so sensitive to meds... unbelievably bad... i mean REAL BAD.. ne wayz.... PEACE
This is the end of the thread.
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