Posted by Thrud on August 29, 2001, at 7:55:08
In reply to Re: Rick: alt.panic(Caution: REAL babbling within) » Thrud, posted by Rick on August 28, 2001, at 21:40:59
Hi Rick.
>.. and because the SSRI makers have spent zillions touting the safety and low side effects of their meds, while benzos still have that damn stigma attached to them! It’s amazing how long it took for it to become widely known – and for SSRI’s to start admitting – that these drugs cause mucho sexual dysfunction.
I started out taking SSRIs as soon as they came out all those years ago, starting with Prozac of course. I had been on a tricyclic before that. (Believe it or not, it was *worse* than an SSRI!)
I simply could not relate the pain I was feeling to the comforting words of "mild" side effects which should "disappear" that the brochures and docs were saying.
Profound sexual dysfunction, insomnia, restless legs, racing thoughts, weight gain, fatigue,dizziness,headaches,impaired concentration....I had them ALL and they NEVER went away. The same applied to all the other SSRIs. (I wonder if they qualify as "cruel and unusual punishment"!) AND..most were not very effective at all against panic! I quit my first 2 pdocs because they did not believe what I was reporting to them and demanded I take my medicine like a good little boy and start getting well. (I certainly did take my medication exactly as instructed, I just didn't get well..)My third pdoc is absolutely great and we work together as a *team*. He takes my feedback seriously and acts accordingly. In turn, I obey his instructions exactly and try to make it an enjoyable session for him. I tell him exactly how I am feeling but I never whine or insinuate that my problems are in some way his fault. We often joke and chat about things more general than my particular situation and he seems genuinely happy to see me when my appointment comes round. In terms of reducing my personal suffering, we have made enormous progress in less than one year compared to the 10 preceeding years while I was without him.
It is a pity I only met this guy earlier this year; for many years I just researched the literature myself, went to a PCP and asked for another AD. They just wrote out the prescription, then "next please!". Only after running out of conventional ADs did I try a pdoc again. I was very lucky with this one. Even working with this guy, I don't expect ever to feel "well", just "better", and maybe that's good enough.
Sorry about my ramblings...maybe I have OCD as well! Or is it ADD? Maybe I'll blame the cognitive side effects of Xanax again.
> I don’t want to “mental malpractice” you (a phrase Christian Scientists use) into a bad reaction, but 10mg/day of selegiline would likely be very anti-Xanaxic in terms of PD therapy. For someone with an anxiety disorder, just 5mg/day is A LOT of selegiline! Believe me, I learned the hard way when I was using it (pun not intended but appropriate). The activation stays with you a l-o-o-n-g time. Maybe you could start at 5 mg, but after a few weeks 2.5 mg/day would probably be MORE than enough! I can’t emphasize this enough.Thanks very much for that. I don't know how much my pdoc knows about selegiline, but I will ask him to start me at 2.5 mg/day unless he suggests otherwise.
Thrud
poster:Thrud
thread:76063
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010828/msgs/76794.html