Posted by Shortstop on May 1, 2007, at 12:14:21
In reply to Re: Sorry about your panic episode » Shortstop, posted by UgottaHaveHope on May 1, 2007, at 10:16:02
For the past couple of years I've been taking .5 Klonopin every night before bed. Klono stays in your system a long time, so this way I'm not tired the next day, having slept through the "peak" period, but I do get the calming effects of having it in my system. As needed I'll take a .5 Xanax during the day, or a beta blocker, or both, depending on what I have going on. My hope is that the Emsam will gradually let me wean off the benzos for the simple reason that I can't see taking both. If I were full-blown agoraphobic I would throw everything I can at this thing, but as I said, I'm high functioning -- just living in a constant state of semi-agitation and feeling on the edge of a panic episode.
There are some real good cognitive-behavior-therapy resources out there and they help as well even if they don't cure the condition, as some promise (the Lucinda Bassett tapes, for example, promise total remission). Probably my favorite is The Panic Attack Workbook by David Carbonell. I need to revisit it often when stress is high. It's as good a coping tool as any drug. Exercise helps a ton, too. I'm a big outdoor walker when the long days are here. Thank God they finally are!
You know, a decade or so ago, when all this started with a massive out-of-the-blue panic attack (in my mid-30s), I never could have imagined that panic and anxiety were anything other than "all in your head." I'm sure I would have said as much to anyone who told me they had such a condition. I know better now. Barring a miracle, I'll be managing GAD for the rest of my days.
Thanks again for the kind words of encouragement, Michael Hope. I can see you're blessed with a real spirit of encouragement; on this board you're giving good support to a lot of people you don't even know. God bless you!
> SS: Are you taking any other meds with Emsam? My pdoc approved up to 4mg of Klonopin and that really helped. Plus I took 100mg of Seroquel at night, which also seemed to help.
>
poster:Shortstop
thread:754646
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070426/msgs/754908.html