Posted by jay on January 31, 2003, at 0:40:19
In reply to Re: Scared to Hell! Dealing with Anxiety Disorders... » jay, posted by JonW on January 30, 2003, at 21:38:21
> In most cases the best treatment for a severe anxiety disorder is combining an AD with CBT. Paxil is the most established SSRI and Nardil can be a miracle drug if you can tolerate it and are willing to live with the restrictions. I don't know which benzo you take but Klonopin seems to have the reputation as being the best. You may want to try an atypical anti-psychotic. Regardless, don't sell yourself short. If you're not already, get involved with CBT.
>
> JonJon...thanks...and yes, when I get into this outpatient program I am waiting for, both CBT and Interpersonal therapy will be offered for me. I know a fair bit about both, and know they will help big time. I also have some worksheets and charts for my moods I have copied from books which I think are going to be helpful.
I had one little combo once that seemed to help in all ways. It was 150mg of Effexor, 5mg of Zyprexa, and 50mg (2x a day) of Serzone. But, with the 'kiss of death'(for the Serzone) liver-damage warning, I doubt many docs will prescribe Serzone anymore. I am no chemist or biologist...but I think it was the combo of the reuptake blocking action of Effexor, PLUS, all of the other agonist/antagonist action on the many, many receptors that both Zyprexa (especially) and Serzone work on. Weight gain was the only problem, but both sex drive and excellent mood improvement where there. It seems the more receptor types and sub-types we muck around with, the better tailored results we can get. The drug companies still seem to be in the mood to want to soak every dime they can out of the silly "Serotonin Imbalance" 'theory', though. (Which is mostly goobly-gock of course..heh!)
Risperdal is o.k. as a 'dire emergency' med, but the effect dosen't seem to sustain itself. I thought maybe Zyprexa and Buspar may be worth a shot..but the dual dopamine blocking sounds a bit scary. (As weak as Buspar is). I'd maybe even like to try a high dose (say 50-60 mg's) of Buspar, with a benzo and an a.d...but..will have to wait and see. You are right, though, none of us should sell ourselves short...and we should ALWAYS aim for the absolute BEST results..not just 'sorta o.k.' results, as I have in the past, and those type tend to be weak, and break under the smallest bit of pressure.
Anyhow...thanks Jon! I will keep updated on the situation. :-)
Best wishes,
Jay
poster:jay
thread:138264
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030130/msgs/138491.html