Posted by Elizabeth on August 26, 2001, at 9:47:27
In reply to Re: Xanax and panic, experiences?-Elizabeth, posted by Thrud on August 24, 2001, at 18:34:06
> > > 2mg t.i.d.
> >
> > That works okay for you? I would think you'd wake up early in the morning feeling jittery.
>
> I do. But you know, after being on so *many* drugs that make me feel like a sloth in the morning I actually don't mind the heightened morning activation (as much).It doesn't sound pleasant to me regardless -- I would really hate feeling like I was being yanked back and forth between extremes of agitation and sedation.
> > Anticipatory anxiety, or general anxiety?
>
> General. I've had so many PAs that there is very little anticipatory fear left. Like those old escape tests using dogs: after they get shocked enough instead of trying to escape they just lie down and cop it sweet (welcome to my world! I think I'll change my name to Learned Helplessness!)Generalised anxiety + spontaneous panic attacks is a more common combo than people realise, I think.
Just getting a diagnosis and finding a treatment that worked virtually eliminated my anticipatory anxiety. You know? It was like, wow, there's a name for this and it's treatable. PAD has been much easier for me to deal with than depression (it started a lot later, too).
> Did you notice much of an antidepressant effect with Xanax?
I only ever took Xanax in isolated doses (when I notice that a panic attack is coming). I don't find Xanax or other benzos mood-elevating in a single dose, and Klonopin (which I've been taking at 4 mg/day for about 2 weeks because desipramine doesn't work as well for PAD as Parnate did) doesn't seem to be much of an AD, either. (Xanax is supposed to be a better AD than the other benzos, anyway, except for adinazolam of course.)
> I do, but it is not really very strong or activating (not enough to counteract the AD depression). The antidepressant effect is why, at the moment, my pdoc is sticking firmly with Xanax.
That makes sense to me. I'm glad he's not a benzophobe.
> > I think there are differences that aren't taken care of by transsexual surgery and hormone therapy. :-) I guessed that you're a guy because it seems like sedatives tend to have that effect on men but not on women (if anything, they have the reverse effect on women).
>
> Hmmm. Maybe I should peddle some of my stuff as 'Viagranax' ;)I feel really dense, like there's a joke that I'm not getting. (Explain?)
> > Wellbutrin helped with panic disorder??? That's weird.
>
> It didn't.Okay, that's a relief. (My entire world view was crashing. < g >)
> I was using it as an adjunct to try and counter the sexual dysfunction of serzone(!). It made sex, mood, everything worse!
That's pretty scary -- it seems like all different sorts of ADs do that to you. Have you ever tried a stimulant, like Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine, Cylert, or Provigil?
Wellbutrin was icky for me. It made my depression worse -- I was anxious and constantly ruminating, I was waking up in the middle of the night feeling miserable more often and it was harder to get back to sleep, I was on edge and easily startled, I stopped eating altogether.
> With the exception of the amphetamines, I believe your suggestions would induce sexual dysfunction (the viscious cycle begins again).
That's why I thought Parnate would be the MAOI for you to try. Selegiline is tricky and can cause agitation, but Nardil and Marplan seem to cause more sexual problems than the other MAOIs do.
It would be interesting to see how the combination of a stimulant and Xanax would work.
> Have you tried inositol by chance? I have come across one or two studies suggesting it is better against panic and depression than prozac. Since it is not a patentable material, I do not expect to find much more about it.
I've heard good things about it. I never tried it myself.
> After more than 10 years of this merry-go-round I am tempted to adopt a "Darth Maul" costume, accept my bitterness and wreak revenge on an innocent world!
< giggle fit >
> I guess why I am saying this is that I have spent a decade trying to both feel well *and* save my sexual function. Comes a time you've gotta let go. Know what I mean?
Yes, I sure do.
> How can one distinguish the hypersomnia and fatigue associated with atypical depression with what I've heard called "nervous fatigue".
Good question. I don't know. Panic and anxiety are so common in atypical depression that it's really questionable whether there is a difference.
> Apparently in nervous fatigue your energy levels are supposed to return when the panic stops. If this is true, how long after the panic has been treated could I expect my energy to return?
I don't know.
> If it does not return, how do I differentiate this aspect of atypical depression with the sedative effect of Xanax?
Well, think about whether you felt tired before you were taking Xanax.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:76063
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010822/msgs/76445.html