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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Waterlily on March 2, 2002, at 10:39:15
I have been on Wellbutrin for several years and have tried several meds to offset the generalized anxiety. Yesterday my pdoc prescribed Serzone to decrease the anxiety and I took 100 mg. last night, as prescribed. I had a very hard time getting to sleep and had anxiety. I woke up this morning with sweaty hands and feet and very nervous (this is markedly more than my normal level of anxiety). I am also feeling a bit weird and light-headed. Luckily it's Saturday because there's no way I'd drive feeling this way. I called my pharmacist because I wanted to take Ativan but noticed the warning against taking Xanax while on Serzone. He said it would be okay to take a low dose, so I took .5 mg. about 15 minutes ago. Hopefully it will help.
Has anyone else had this experience? If you did, did it go away after a few days of being on it or did you stop taking it? I'm wondering if maybe tonight I should take only 50 mg of the Serzone and go up on the dose more slowly than my doctor recommended. He said that it's okay to go up more slowly, but not any faster than 100 mg x 3 days, followed by 200 mg x 3 days and then up to the maximum dose of 300 mg until I see him again in three weeks. I just hate feeling this way. I'm not sure if the anxiety is a direct result of the Serzone or if it is a psychological response to the feeling of lightheadedness and inability to function normally. I just know that I will not be able to go to work on Monday if I'm still feeling this way. I want to stick with Serzone for long enough to see if it works, yet at the same time I do not want to endure this anxiety for days/weeks.
Posted by Joy on March 2, 2002, at 12:12:43
In reply to Serzone = INCREASED anxiety???, posted by Waterlily on March 2, 2002, at 10:39:15
I would go to the 50 mgs for 3 or 4 days before trying the 100 mgs of Serzone, if you really want to try this med. 100 mgs may be too high to start for you. Good luck.
Joy
Posted by beardedlady on March 2, 2002, at 13:39:55
In reply to Serzone = INCREASED anxiety???, posted by Waterlily on March 2, 2002, at 10:39:15
If I were you, I would call my doctor.
Posted by JohnX2 on March 2, 2002, at 19:21:14
In reply to Serzone = INCREASED anxiety???, posted by Waterlily on March 2, 2002, at 10:39:15
There may be some start up anxiety, you can
go slower to alleviate this. After a week or 2
you hopefully should notice a reduction in anxiety and
improved sleep.I have been on Serzone for 8 days. I started with
a pretty strong dose because I tolerated it. For the first
5 days, It made me feel strung out and I actually had a bit of insomnia.
But then I started to have nice dreams and my sleep
improved substantially. Yesterday my anxiety dropped
substantially. I have taken the medicine twice with
the same results. The last time I took it, I stopped
taking Klonopin almost cold turkey because I was so at ease
on Serzone.The medicine takes a little time to "down regulate"
i.e. tweak some brain receptors that will help you to
feel less anxious and sleep better.Take it slow and you'll do well. Keep in touch with
your doctor.Best wishes.
John> I have been on Wellbutrin for several years and have tried several meds to offset the generalized anxiety. Yesterday my pdoc prescribed Serzone to decrease the anxiety and I took 100 mg. last night, as prescribed. I had a very hard time getting to sleep and had anxiety. I woke up this morning with sweaty hands and feet and very nervous (this is markedly more than my normal level of anxiety). I am also feeling a bit weird and light-headed. Luckily it's Saturday because there's no way I'd drive feeling this way. I called my pharmacist because I wanted to take Ativan but noticed the warning against taking Xanax while on Serzone. He said it would be okay to take a low dose, so I took .5 mg. about 15 minutes ago. Hopefully it will help.
>
> Has anyone else had this experience? If you did, did it go away after a few days of being on it or did you stop taking it? I'm wondering if maybe tonight I should take only 50 mg of the Serzone and go up on the dose more slowly than my doctor recommended. He said that it's okay to go up more slowly, but not any faster than 100 mg x 3 days, followed by 200 mg x 3 days and then up to the maximum dose of 300 mg until I see him again in three weeks. I just hate feeling this way. I'm not sure if the anxiety is a direct result of the Serzone or if it is a psychological response to the feeling of lightheadedness and inability to function normally. I just know that I will not be able to go to work on Monday if I'm still feeling this way. I want to stick with Serzone for long enough to see if it works, yet at the same time I do not want to endure this anxiety for days/weeks.
Posted by Waterlily on March 2, 2002, at 21:47:14
In reply to Re: Serzone = INCREASED anxiety??? » Waterlily, posted by JohnX2 on March 2, 2002, at 19:21:14
Thanks for your replies. I think I'm going to stick with the 100 mg and then take it up every three days in 50 mg increments instead of 100 mg increments until I get to 300 mg. I was reading some stuff on this site about Serzone that was very interesting. It was about the interaction of SSRIs with Serzone causing anxiety, but that this resolves quickly. I took one month of Prozac, but stopped about 13 days ago. The stuff I was reading recommended a 5 half-life wash-out of the SSRI before starting Serzone to avoid this. Best I can tell, Prozac has a 4 day half life and its metabolite a 7 day half life. Which means I would need at least 20 days off Prozac to avoid the anxiety. I'm going to stick with .5 mg of Ativan to offset the anxiety for now and hope for the best.
This is the end of the thread.
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