Posted by 4WD on January 18, 2006, at 21:54:24
In reply to anxiety / breathing problem update, posted by pseudoname on January 18, 2006, at 10:19:28
> About 10 days ago, I had breathing problems at night. My GP said I was physiologically fine, but took me off the buprenorphine opioid I was taking for depression, thinking it might be the cause.
>
> We (Babblers, me, my pdoc) think the problem was anxiety and NOT the buprenorphine at all. I think the anxiety was brought on by the lifting depression.
>
> I've been off the bupe for 10 days, and the breathing problem has continued. However, the depression has NOT returned! Not once. That is stunning. I seem to have flipped from being depressed to being anxious. I think the anxiety was always there, just neatly suppressed by depression.
>
> My pdoc now seeks to treat me for anxiety and OCD-spectrum symptoms, which I now realize I have always had, bigtime. Despite not being depressed, I still have vague, bizarre anxieties that make many normal behaviors impossible. A lot of this was just covered up by the overwhelming depression.
>
> To start, she prescribed Metadate CD. The original Ritalin worked well but briefly for me a decade ago, but the after-crash was terrible and tolerance developed quickly. Maybe this newer methylphenidate release will be better. Maybe if now it doesn't have to overcome the depression as well as the OCD-like anxieties, I won't have to use as high a dose or develop tolerance so quickly??
>
> The breathing troubles are more mild and mostly at night, but I've been losing a fair amount of sleep. Ed suggested antihistamines for sleep, but since I know they only work for a few days for me and on them I wake up exactly 4 hours after falling asleep, I'm saving them for more urgent situations. It's good to know they're there.
>
> Interestingly, a chest X-ray ordered by the GP showed "nodularity in both apices" probably from "previous granulomatous disease exposure". I'll probably follow up with a pulmonologist.
>
> Based on my experience, I encourage anyone to consider buprenorphine (Subutex) for treatment-resistant depression, if you can get it and use it carefully.
Have you been tested for sarcoidosis? Can cause breathing problems (especially if your chest xray shows nodules). I think it can cause some mood issues as well.Marsha
poster:4WD
thread:579345
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060115/msgs/600545.html