Posted by Kate on April 20, 2000, at 23:08:54
Hello, all,
I have already learned a lot just reading over your posts and hope to find some help from you for what I am dealing with.
Three months ago I was hit out of nowhere with symptoms of vertigo, which then resolved to constant light-headedness/imbalance. It took four agonizing weeks for me to get a diagnosis from the doctor(s), who told me I had a viral infection of my inner ear. After several more weeks passed, I got an appointment with the ENT whom I had initially wanted to see, and her take was that my symptoms are completely stress-related. Not only had I gone through an incredibly difficult time in my home life over the past eight months, but the anxiety of not being diagnosed for four weeks had spiraled out of control (and it still is out of control).
A psychiatrist has since diagnosed me as being mildly depressed and anxious, and initially put me on Paxil. (I had been on Ativan for the dizziness and it seemed to help the anxiety as well, but they wanted me off of it and I got completely off this week.) I gave up after three days -- couldn't take the side-effects (nervousness, muscle twitching, increased light-headedness/dizziness, etc.). Now I am on Remeron. Started off at 7 mgs. which I am supposed to do for four days and then up it to 15 for four more, eventually getting up to 30. Took my first dose last night and today has been awful. I am extremely light-headed -- more than usual and felt like I couldn't talk properly (feeling of being drunk) earlier today. On the other hand, I am not having the crying jags I have been having every day and my anxiety seems to be a little more under control. I should mention that I have lost 20 pounds over the past several months and I was not overweight to begin with.
What should I do? Could the weight loss have made me so sensitive to these medications? Has anyone else experienced these kinds of physical symptoms (the inner ear thing) and had them chalked up to "stress"? Will my body adjust to the Remeron? Has anyone else experienced this with this drug?
Thanks in advance.
poster:Kate
thread:30778
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000420/msgs/30778.html