Posted by Shell on September 2, 2006, at 23:40:07
In reply to Help with anxiety, posted by mattye on August 29, 2006, at 12:37:12
> Hi- I'm currently being treated for depression (the agitated kind) and anxiety. I started with remeron, which wasn't helping much so another doc added on lexapro. Well, the lexapro initially aggrivated my anxiety, but then I guess it helped a little. Unfortunately, all SSRIs are essentially chemical castration to me, which wouldn't be so bad if I weren't in a loving relationship right now. I went off the lexapro, and the doc put me on wellbutrin, and so far this is day 3 at 150 mg with not much change. So right now I am at 60 mg of remeron and 150 mg wellbutrin.
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> My depression has subsided, but I find the anxiety difficult to live with. I feel like the volume in my head is just turned up too high and I want to quiet it down a notch. I manage to hide the panic attacks from other people, but inside I am terrified. I am tired of living my life in fear.
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> I think I would do well on Klonopin, but the problem is that I am a recovering opiate addict. No doc in their right mind would give me a benzo. I used heroin and pain pills to self-medicate my symptoms. Due to a recent binge on percosets, the doc is putting me on naltrexone to control the cravings and to prevent me from getting high. I haven't started taking it yet.
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> Is there anything I can do? I don't mean to sound whiny or anything, but some days are real rough. My heart races, and my chest gets tight. When I am feeling so anxious, sometimes the only thing I look forward to is taking some pain pills on the weekend. Argggh!I have both GAD and ADHD and I find that there are only two kinds of medicines that do anything for the anxiety: benzodiazepines and Concerta or Ritalin. I have always found it odd that the Concerta (for me at least) is as calming as taking daily Klonopin. It seems to tune out all the background noise that most people ignore -- and noise drives me insane!
Unfortunately, many doctors are as skittish about prescribing Ritalin and Concerta as they are benzos. My doctor gives me Klonopin, but won't give me Concerta -- go figure. He thinks my anxiety is the larger issue, though I disagree with him. I'm sure I could drop the Klonopin if I got the ADHD under control.
poster:Shell
thread:681177
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060901/msgs/682531.html