Posted by thrud on September 1, 2001, at 0:54:24
In reply to Re: Xanax and panic, experiences?-Elizabeth » Thrud, posted by Elizabeth on August 31, 2001, at 14:51:36
>
> It's all subjective. But anyway, I have auras too, and I've never met anybody before who had panic auras.You too huh? You are also the first person I have who have auras with PA. I have them with *all* my attacks.
I know that auras are often associated with epilepsy. It wasn't too long ago when my pdoc tried me on lithium as a long shot: it actually *induced* very severe panic attacks. We were both pretty amazed. I then thought to myself "well, I definitely don't have epilepsy, lithium is supposed to smooth out and suppress overactive brain activity."
Then when I was considering ECT (which was an even longer shot) I found out they have problems performing ECT with people on lithium because it is actually a *convulsant* and can lead to dangerously long seizures during ECT. I think many ADs are also convulsants (especially the tricyclics I think) and began wondering about my generally poor response to them: epilepsy????There must be some part of my brain which goes hyperactive during a panic attack. Call that phenomenon whatever you want. All I know is that there are drugs out there that apparently restrain the offending neural material, but unfortunately, not specifically enough to prevent side effects (maybe my offending neural material is connected or connstructed very closely to that responsible for sexual activity?).
I am only interested in a correct diagnosis in so far as it can direct me towards the correct medication. Since I am already dabbling with benzos and AEDS anyway now I don't even *want* to be sent to a neuro incase he does diagnose epilepsy and I lose my drivers licence for a year! I sometimes worry that my pdoc will send me to a neuro and bang: time to ride the bus.
If benzos and other AEDs work but I keep the diagnosis of PAD, I am much happier.
> I think that's consistent with atypical depression/panic disorder.
Interesting. Where did you read this? I always felt that the *daily* predictability of my PAs were very much against the norm. I read continuously of them coming "out of the blue" or in phobic situations. I've never read about the diurnal variation-atypical depression/PAD connection. Could you direct me to some articles?
> Because tricyclics are supposed to work at least somewhat for PAD.
Apart from Lithium, it stood apart as the singularly worst medication I ever took for PAD.
> Not any worse than SSRIs. But it sounds like you're getting something other than the standard SSRI sexual dysfunction, since a wide variety of meds seem to do this to you.
I think it is time to see an endocrinologist. Apart from thyroid, I have not had any other hormonal chemical examinations. Something may be happening there.
>
> I don't see anything wrong with adding a benzo to the Lamictal.For me, it is not a bad mix.
> Do you remember what level your general anxiety was at pre-Lamictal?
No, because I was tapering off, but still under the influence of Remeron when s-l-o-w-l-y titrating up the Lamictal. As soon as strong anxiety started to kick in I was on benzos. Therefore I have no baseline to compare with.
> It wasn't rejected; the drug company just decided not to try to get it approved.
Was it a non-U.S. company? I hear the FDA throws up special "barriers" to foreign pharmaceutical companies attempting to gain approval for their products. I do not know if that is true or not.
> Well, like I said, your sexual problems don't seem to be the usual sort, so don't rule anything out until you've tried it. (Have you ever taken Tylenol #3 or Vicodin or anything like that, and if so, do you remember any sexual side effects?)No, I have not tried them. As alluded to above, I think I will see an endocrinologist first and see if anything abnormal turns up.
> It usually is, but they can have residual effects on sleep (e.g., making it easier to maintain sleep) after you've become tolerant to the sedation.That is good to know. I wonder how bad my insomnia would be without the 3mg Xanax/day? Lamictal is certainaly a rather "activating" substance.
Thrud.
poster:thrud
thread:76063
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010828/msgs/77218.html