Posted by Ritch on June 8, 2003, at 16:06:49
In reply to xanax » Ritch, posted by judy1 on June 8, 2003, at 13:08:27
> I don't know if it's out yet, but there is supposed to be an extended release form of xanax. (since you had mentioned it worked well for you briefly). But if ativan is your benzo of choice, I'm glad it works well. wow, 20 day cycling, that must be awful. I read somewhere that BP2 is a lot harder to treat then BP1, more depressions, mixed episodes, etc. As nuts as I have gotten, I guess I should be greatful I have the 1 form. take care, judy
> p.s.- my pdoc said in his experience that manic/panic is closely related to epilepsy- have you been tested for that?Oh, I'm not taking Ativan right now (taking clonazepam .5mg hs). I tried Ativan when I was flying (back in the 80's) when I was given Xanax and Ativan samples, and I noticed it wasn't as depressing as Valium or clonazepam. Valium is VERY depressing for me. I just wonder if I switched to Ativan (from clon) if my sleep would be better, have just as good antipanic effect, and be less depressogenic (lots to ask for!).
Twenty day cycling- It isn't really that awful, but I can track it very easily. I'm pretty high for a couple of days, and feel like crap for a couple of days, the remaining days are mixtures of euthymia, sleep disruption, tiredness/inattentiveness, grouchiness, you name it. Just a mild chronic smorgasbord which goes through the same "colors" in pretty much the same sequence, which gets a little tweaky on the high side a couple of months a year, and turns into moderate major depression for two months twice a year or thereabouts year after year after year..
The Epilepsy thing.. Well, my Mom used to have nocturnal tonic-clonic seizures for about ten or fifteen years or so. They put her on a max dose of Dilantin and they finally went away. She used to get auras during the day before she had the seizures the night before. I've had symptoms of partials, but the neuro I saw didn't catch it on the standard EEG, evoked potentials stuff,etc.. He was wanting a 24-hr ambulatory sleep-deprived EEG, but my lousy insurance was paying diddly and I thought he was trying to milk me for tests that I didn't really need. I wished I would have followed through now. SOMETHING happens to disrupt my sleep (I snore some, but not a lot), and I have these awakenings at 4 and 5am and I am not the least bit tired-and my thoughts are churning about some dumb problem I have been working on in the last several days, and I can't get back to sleep. Then I am tired and completely wiped out mentally ALL DAY the next day. OK, this is a weird thing. We tried adding 500mg/day of Keppra to my Depakote, and my sleep got MUCH better, and my thinking got MUCH clearer, BUT, the stuff starting making me more and more depressed and anxious AND listless. I don't mind taking AED's, I just don't want to take stuff that is going to make me real depressed or make my mind total mush.
poster:Ritch
thread:231713
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030604/msgs/232439.html