Posted by tina on November 3, 2001, at 17:44:40
In reply to Back to meds for ANXIETY - Advice PLEASE!!! :), posted by dannyboy on November 3, 2001, at 17:02:30
i hear topomax can help with the weight gain side of ADs. have you tried just taking a benzo like xanax or clonazepam for the anxiety?
> Hey Everybody -
>
> I've placed a couple of posts over the last several weeks due to treating my anxiety. I mentioned that I had been prescribed Celexa about a month ago, which I took (10 mg) for 2 weeks. It made my anxiety much worse... I began to have very severe panic attacks on a daily basis, usually at public places but not necessarily. I stopped the Celexa, but the anxiety remains. I've become totally agoraphobic, and have great difficulty functioning. I force myself to go outside every day, but I feel acute distress going anywhere. This has had, needless to say, a depressive effect - I'm beginning to feel more and more hopeless and sad that I can't live my life and do the things that I want to do (and I have big plans for my future -I'm very much in love with life and want to live it!)
>
> I entertained the idea of overcoming my anxiety med-free, with just therapy and developing relaxation techniques, but I think that it will take much too long, and with my anxiety at the levels it now is, it's damn near impossible to focus on therapy of any kind.
>
> I took Paxil for four months about 10 months ago, (only 10 mgs. a day), and had great success. My anxiety was completely held at bay, I felt calm and confident.... however, I stopped because of weight gain (20 lbs in 4 months).
>
> I recognize that I need to take medication again. I am not functional, and need to be able to tackle life again soon. I've taken a week off from work (I'm a third grade teacher) and even without the stresses of my job, my anxiety has not abated.
>
> So, I've been shopping for anti-anxiety medications that might have less weight-gain potential, but they all seem to be even worse offenders than Paxil (i.e. Tofranil, Pamelor, Norpromine, Nardil, Remeron). I've come to the conclusion that, weight gain be damned, I'll have to tolerate that in order to begin living again. It's not as if I'm enjoying my slim body (nor is anybody else :), shut in at home, in a constant state of dread!
>
> Soooooo, after my long rant, here's the question... has anyone had success combining an anti-anxiety med with another agent that has counterbalanced the weight gain of the former? I'm considering just doing Paxil again (as someone here said "If it ain't broke, why fix it?"). Has ANYONE combined anything with Paxil to halt or at least slow the weight gain from this drug and had success? Or taken another antianxiety med with another agent to counter weight gain? I believe that just about anything will cause me to gain weight, as I already have a pretty slow metabolism...
>
> BTW - I really don't have depression, just terrific anxiety - that's what I need help with...
>
> Thanks everybody,
>
> Daniel
poster:tina
thread:83102
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011025/msgs/83104.html