Sorry for the inconvenience, but Tripod were driving me nuts.
All identification of individuals removed from articles. (we hope).
Starting tommorow I will be on Xanex and Zolof to see how I do with that hopefully the mood swings stop and I start laughing and enjoying life again. I just had another attack today so I'm in the twiglight and just want to sleep so I don't feel panicky.
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part two
My friends have changed in the last year. I have not heard from the previous roommate which is great. I started Zoloft and Xanex today and had a real bad experience with it. After lunch I started to shake real bad and then got real sick for the rest of the day. Now I'm afaird to take any more even though a doctor (not mine) told me to take xanex. Are these normal side affects.
I made a call to a therpist that can hyptonize me and train me in that again, I used to see a thearpist and had to stop because of money (another stress).
I have let this controll me for the last two years and its not anymore.
the author of this article seeks feedback
by Michelle Puntney
Anxiety & depression in children and adolescents were strongly tied to high conflict levels and lack of emotional bonding at home. Studies found that 14.5 % of Victorian teenagers suffer clinical anxiety and 14.75% suffer clinical depression.
And some parenting methods effectively better prepare children to live in a fascist country than a democracy, it was claimed at the National Early Childhood conference in Brisbane this week. Melbourne child psychologist Candice Boyd said anxiety and depression in adolescence could continue into adulthood if not treated.
Ms Boyd surveyed 1299 Victorian students and found rates of anxiety and depression similar to UK, North America and Asia, but well below southern Europe where 35% of youngsters were anxious or depressed. "Adults who have anxiety and depression disorders report having them in their early years", Ms Boyd said.
Anxiety was marked by worry, nervousness, tension, sweating, rapid heartbeat and social concerns and could induce panic attacks in adulthood. Depression manifested itself in low self-esteem, lack of motivation and lack of positive emotions and in severe cases could be linked to suicide.
After determining the Victorian rates, Ms. Boyd then surveyed 700 students about their family environments. Most reported high conflict levels within the family were the main cause of anxiety, but domineering parents and few chances to express emotions were also factors. A lack of emotional bonding was also a main factor in depression
Mr Frey, from the Queensland University of Technology, said children had to have confidence to express their views without having their thinking ability demeaned. Those who were constantly devalued became submissive and lacked self-respect.
I was diagnosed about eighteen months ago, after years of just *knowing* that I was fatally ill, and making I-don't-know-how-many trips to doctors and ER's with symptoms of a heart attack. I had an EKG (actually several - never believed a'one of 'em), a stress test, an ultrasound, thyroid profiles, chest X-rays, and a whole slew of blood work over the years. I was healthy. (Yeah, right! You quacks!)
The last visit to an ER was shortly after my sister (37) died of "aortic tamponade." My pulse was racing, my chest and left arm ached, I couldn't get enough air, and I was sure I was going to die momentarily. The fear was overwhelming.
The ER doc was different from all the previous ones. He did a bunch of tests, and told me I was probably a sufferer of something called panic disorder, and that having such a young sister die of a heart problem so recently was triggering the fear response and turning the emotional/physical whirlwind into a vicious circle.
I told him he was nuts! It wasn't my head that was sick, it was my heart - something was wrong with me!!! Why was he patronizing me like that???? He told me that if it was my heart, that this medication he was giving me wouldn't have any effect on my symptoms, and that I should return to the ER, but, that if he was right, this pill would have an almost immediate effect on my symptoms and that I wouldn't be so afraid.
I thought he was another quack, just like all the rest, telling me there was nothing wrong. Geez, where could I find a decent doc? But, shortly after I took the .5mg of xanax, ALL my fear was gone. My heart settled down, I could think and concentrate, I could walk and talk steadily (no pun intended, my husband says I NEVER have a problem talking steadily! :D) and I was CALM!!!
Hmmmm..... I repeated the experiment over a couple of weeks, and got the same results every time, and I finally conceded that I could benefit from some therapy. Made an appointment with a psychiatrist, and I've been seeing him ever since. I've tried a lot of a/d's, and am finally doing well on effexor and xanax (prn)
Recently, there is a lot of unusual stress in my life, and I'm having to adjust my dosages up, but, I've been through this before, and I seem to be able to take 2-3 mg of xanax for as long as I need it and then go back to just .5mg at bedtime without any problems.( I've read that people whose GABA is deficient can take a benzodiazepine for a long time without developing a tolerance or becoming addicted, so maybe I'm one of those.)
Since being diagnosed, I've read everything I can find on panic and anxiety, and I meet people all the time who have it in various forms. The fear of being on medicine is something that seems very common - I guess I was lucky, because my fear of meds didn't last long. I did have an aversion to the idea of being on meds for the rest of my life, but, I seem to have beat that.
When I run into this resistance to meds, I usually say, "Well, you wouldn't have a problem supplementing your insulin, if you were diabetic, would you?" and, on the subject of straight cognitive therapy, "You can't usually talk yourself out of having P/AD, any more than you can talk yourself out of having low estrogen. Cognitive therapy alone doesn't work very well on organic issues." What else can I say to someone who is afraid of meds? Any suggestions?
I've sort of taken it as my own personal mission to talk about P/AD in my life - I'm very open and OUT about it, even at work. I have had people come to me and say, "Did you say you have panic disorder? Well, sometimes, I have this very scary thing happen with my heart.........." One person went for help for the first time. I love to help and encourage other people with this horrid thing.
You know you're addicted to the internet when you are confused by the house numbers on the street - they do not appear to be legitimate URL's.
On Tuesday, I went to see a physician, with letter in hand from my therapist, and explained to her that I have been dealing with social phobia/performance anxiety etc. and had reached a point where I thought I could use some chemical assistance...
Then she proceeded to tell me, "Everyone gets nervous, that's normal..." (this is where we all collectively sigh with frustration....) Anyways, after the "Just be prepared and you'll be fine" speech and checking my vital stats she wrote the prescription with the warning that Inderal (sp?) has side effects because it lowers your blood pressure.
Well, my blood pressure is already a low 90/60, so I haven't had the opportunity or cause to try a beta blocker yet - I am thinking I would need to wait until I actually have the physical symptoms of anxiety for the beta blocker to have something to work against, otherwise I might just faint away? With my blood pressure, she advised me to take only 5 mg at a time, but I read here recently that it usually takes about 30mg to be effective for most people? (don't worry, I won't try higher than 5mg without her consent)
Now I am more 'anxious' about the medication than I am about the actual events..
I suffer from both severe panic (or anxiety) disorder and chronic depression. I had a wonderful family doctor (younger-around 30ish) that was working with me before I became pregnant and at the time I became pregnant. He was super! He was willing to work in the "gray area" and help give me and my unborn child the best of what there was to offer.
New doctor's seem to be better at this. After I voiced my concerns to him (pretty much the same as your's) he told me that what it came down to was what was best for both mother and child. Sure we all want to be "medication-free" but is that the best thing- even for the unborn child when the mother is not able to be out in the world, lying in bed day after day, terrified unable to care for herself let alone a new baby that's going to be born, etc...
We all know what effects STRESS has on the already born! Can medication-which hasn't been proven to cause ill-effects on the fetus be more dangerous than the illness the mother suffers from? No one can know for sure, but both my doctor and I opted for "me" being HEALTHY with medicine over me being gravely unhealthy without needed medication.
During my full-term wonderful pregancy, I was taking
Prozac, Effexor(an anti-anxiety medication), and another med. I can't
remember at this time. I delivered a superhealthy boy. He weighed
9lbs.13oz. and was 22&1/2 inches long! I only gained 30 lbs. during my
pregnancy. Yes, we did tests every trimester, nothing major `just double
checking, and had an ultrasound twice (which are nerve racking like
everything when your pregnant-your so scared for your baby, but they are
such an unbelieveable experience).
I am glad to finally find other people who share the same experiences and
symptoms that I do. I happened upon this web site by chance. I was hoping to find out what is wrong with me, I'm starting to think I'm just plain crazy. I have so many symptoms, and I've seen various Dr's.
I've even been to the emergency room several times. Panic attacks (if that
is what I'm having & are the most frightening thing that has ever happened to me. It can happen at any time..... driving along, all of a sudden feeling strange, like I've never been there before, (even though
I've been there hundreds of times.) ... in a grocery store, the florescent
lights kill me, and going down each isle , all of the items stacked in a row, and the check out line, waiting, and waiting, I sometimes feel like leaving my buggy and running out of the store which I have done a time or two.
I often feel like I'm loosing my mind. I can't really tell any body this
because i'm afraid I'll be locked up or something. I sometimes go numb. My right hand and tongue and face. I can't see straight, or talk
right,. I'm totally disoriented. I really need some help and I would
appreciate any I could get.
The Dr's I've been to have diagnosed me with Mitral Valve Prolapse,
Migranes, and too much histamine in my blood. Other wise the picture of health, and sanity. It's been a while since I've seen a Dr about this as I have found no gratification from it. Beer seems to be my only sanctity.
****************
I am author of "Hey this happened to me too."
I have many of the same symptoms that all of you do. However, I seem to
have some that have not yet been mentioned. I have been plagued with these for most of my 36 years, along with my two sisters, and one of my brothers.
I was wondering if anyone has had any of these, and if so I would love to
hear from you.
*Numbness in one arm and hand.
* feeling that one hand or foot is larger than the other.
* blurred vision,
* spots before eyes, waves, riges, flashes , wild colors etc.
* not being able to think straight.
*not being able to talk, or say what you mean . The words come out wrong.
*The floor seems to be tilted or swaying.
*Total disorientation.
* Must lie down and finally sleep it off, then have a dull headache and
spacey, dreamy feeling, for days after.
the author of this article seeks feedback
My panic disorder started about two years agos after I began working in a
chemical plant. At first, the attacks would occur once or twice every six
months and would subside without medication. At that time, I didn't know
what was happening. Then about a year ago, I started having the attacks
after I got home from work, you could just about set your watch by then. I
finally went to a doctor and he saw that I also had some high blood pressure.
He put me on Corgard (Nadalol) 20 mg and Catapress 0.1mg. He told that the
Corgard would also help keep me from having the attacks. Well this worked
for about a month and I was taken to the hospital from work with very high
blood pressure and the "panic" feeling of doom. The E.R. Docs gave me Xanax
1mg to take when needed. Well this helped for awhile and then I lost my job
and the panic attacks increased.
I knew one was coming on when my face, arms, and the center of my back became numb/tingley. The doctor and I felt that the corgard was aggrivating the situation, so it was discontinued. He now has me taking catapress 0.1mg and xanax 1mg every 12 hours as a preventive measure. he also has me taking 20mg odf Paxil in the evenings. This works great and I feel like I have my life back.
I am still concerned with the numbness because it is not listed as a sypmton in the things I've read about panic attacks. My doctor assures me that it is a classic sypmton. Does anyone else have the numb/tingley feeling in their face, arms or back during an attack ? Also if I don't take my meds regularly, I have an attack lasting all day.
the author of this article seeks feedback
Ive been on Klonopin for about 6 months now (.5 mg in the morning and 1 mg
at bedtime). Every thing has been great until recently, I've have a few
mild anxiety attacks. I'm afraid that my body is becoming tolerant to
Klonopin and that it will eventually not work anymore. I'm starting to
need Xanax every once in a while now to supplement the Klonopin (my psych
said I could do this as needed)
I was originally on Xanax .5 twice a day, which I thought worked better,
but it didn't last all day long. Should I suggest to my psych that I try
Xanax 4 times a day instead of the Klonopin?
I'm worried that I'm going to go down hill fast. Am I becoming dependent
on Klonopin?
****************************
it does seem possible that you are building a
tolerance to Klonopin *but* another possibility is that
the natural ebb and flow of your condition could be
strengthening, causing you to need more medication.
IMO (and I'm not a doctor) this isn't so much a case of
dependency as tolerance and it's something you need to
talk about with your physician. S/he might increase your
Klonopin or replace it with Xanax, either way, it's
*always* best to discuss it with a professional.
There is a *strong* causal link between mitral valve prolapse and anxiety
disorders. Unfortunately, MVP has been researched very little and most
doctors will say "don't worry, it won't cause problems". Yea right! Let
them live with an erratic heart which has no consistent pattern to
determine cause.
**************
While I don't have MVP (just a raised heart rate in certain
situations), I'd commented that those with anxiety disorders "do" have a
higher degree of awareness to heartbeats, and thus a comment such as
"don't worry about it" does seem a bit trite. As while medically, there
may be nothing to worry about, it certainly can cause worry, distress,
panic attacks and avoidance behavior in anxiety patients.
I think the docs are saying not to worry in a medical sense, but not understanding what you seem to be saying, such as "live in my body
and then tell me." :) I'm not certain that the docs are taking that aspect into consideration? I don't know, as it's not something I've ever had to address.
Oh, there were meds to treat PD in the
70's, as some of the meds still used today were available then, *but* PD
wasn't given a handle until 1980. Hard to put a med with a disease when
there was no recognized disease to treat :)
Author: Ehlers A; Breuer P;
Abstract: Palpitations are among the most common symptoms of panic
attacks. The present review addresses the question of whether systematic
differences in heartbeat perception exist between patients with panic
disorder and control subjects. Paradigms involving the comparison of
heartbeat sensations with external signals such as discrimination task
have failed to find group differences. Recent improvements in methodology
may give clearer results in future studies.
The majority of studies using
the mental tracking paradigm have shown that panic disorder patients show
a better heartbeat perception than controls. Discrepant results are
probably related to different instructions and
differences in sample characteristics such as the inclusion of patients on
medication affecting the cardiovascular system. More accurate heartbeat
perception, may, however, be restricted to those patients who show
agoraphobic avoidance behavior.
It is also conceivable that group
differences in the mental tracking paradigm are due to attentional biases
or a tendency to interpret weak sensations as heartbeats rather than
differences in perceptual sensitivity. More ambulatory studies are needed
to test whether the results can be generalized to the patients' natural
environment.
So far ambulatory studies have established superior heartbeat
perception only in the subgroup of panic disorder patients with cardiac
neurosis. A 1-year prospective study showed that heartbeat perception as
assessed with the mental tracking paradigm predicted maintenance of panic
attacks. This supports the clinical significance of the findings.
Increased cardiac awareness may increase the probability of
anxiety-inducing bodily sensations triggering the vicious cycle of panic.
Laboratory and ambulatory monitoring studies showed that panic disorder
patients respond with anxiety when they think that their heart rate has
accelerated. Increased cardiac awareness may also contribute to the
maintenance of the disorder by motivating the patients to avoid situations
in which these sensations occur.
Recently (about two months ago) I started having panic attacks. I feel
that I have really only had two of them. But, ever since having those
two full blown panic attacks, I feel like I am in a state of dreaming.
I feel as though I am not all here, etc. It is hard for me to sit alone
and just think because then I begin having catastrophical thoughts. I
feel that these began happening because I am just plain bored. I am a
school teacher and this is the first summer that I have done absolutely
nothing. About three weeks ago my doctor put me on Zoloft.
I do still feel as though I am dreaming constantly.
My husband is totally un-understanding and says that I should be "strong
enough" to make it through this without medication. I just wanted to
know from someone else whether or not this dreamy feeling will go away
or is it something that I will just have to learn to deal with. Please
write back and give me your thoughts and opinions
the author of this article seeks feedback
Gonna make this quick. Took 10 mg after waking.....only side effect noticed
in the 8 hours since is blurred vision. I can DEFINITELY live with that. I
did notice a very slight reduction in what I call Background anxiety...
always feeling not quite right. That small change made me feel a little
anxious , not having "that" feeling around. I also noticed a reduction in
bodily tension..it is a little strange to be a little more relaxed at all
times.
This is a big deal for me as I HATE to start any medication....I can't tell
if the side effects are anxiety or the meds, so I usually avoid the meds
and just fight it out with the usual crappy feelings.
First of all, I am PaxMan soon to be RemMan, a slight variation of
your Paxilman..but that's ok...I don't have a patent...If you can
remember, I was Benzo Man at one time!!
Anyway, if this is your first day on Paxil, good luck. I felt a little
anxious the first day too. And also remember, it takes a while for the
stuff to kick in to reap any benefits from it. If you are feeling
"relaxed" now, don't get discouraged if you feel crummy after a few
days. It MAY happen...not always, but in my case, I developed some
agitation and sleeplessness the first week.
After about two weeks, I upped my dose to 20 mg./daily and went through the symptoms all over again. Then after 4 weeks, I really started noticing a change in mood. My outlook on everything changed. I became very busy and could
concentrate better. I felt happy and communicated better with others. I
still had anxiety but that gut feeling of despondency and darkness was
gone.
Now, you may ask, why am I going off Paxil?? Good question. Remember
the old adage.."A hard man is good to find"?....Well, my wife was
climbing the walls the whole time I was on Paxil. Seemed that in all my
bliss and "reconstruction" period, I forgot one thing....how to have
sex!!! My peter was "petered out"...Not only would Mr. Johnson not
respond to stimuli, I wouldn't even turn my head to look at a pretty
girl!! It really sucked!! And not only that, I was having insomnia! So
now I could stay up all night and NOT think about sex.
I don't mean to put a damper on your med-life, but anorgasmia and
insomnia may be in the cards as a side effect. Again, like everyone
around here stresses....it may be different for you...I hope so.
You may have panic disorder if you experience one or more of the following feelings or symptoms.
spontaneous attacks of anxiety, panic or fear characterized by accellerated heartbeat, persperation, shortness of breath and/or a sense of dizziness, detachment, immobilization or "de-realization".
attacks of anxiety, panic or fear associated with:specific events or types of events; places or types of places; objects, animals or people.
an overwhelming urge to flee a situation which might cause anxiety, panic or fear.
ongoing avoidance of certain situations, events, people, places and things.
feeling you are the only person who feels this way and unable to ask for help.
ongoing feelings of depression, frustration, anger or hopelessness with your fears. an inability to seek help or support from even your closest friends or loved ones for fear of being embarrassed or ridiclued.
a sense that noone understands how real your fears are and how they affect you.
an overwhelming urge to simply withdraw from daily life, quit your job, stay at home and avoid contact with others.
an overwhelming feeling that all eyes are on you in certain situations and a fear that something awful is going to happen to you in front of them.
ongoing fear of some catastrophic occurrence (commonly referred to by panic sufferers as "the BIG ONE"). Typically "the BIG ONE" includes fear of a heart attack, going insane, fainting, extreme embrarssament, inability to talk, move etc.
I am a former senior executive, currently self-employed as a management consultant. My panic centered on boardrooms, senior meetings, certain social situations and training courses - the very settings and situations which characterized my work environment. My panic occurred daily for over five years. At its worst, I was unable to meet one-on-one with my own staff. I was unable to even enter certain boardrooms in the building where I had worked for 20 years.
I could not attend certain social events even with the same people with whom I had worked all day. I was unable to meet certain people on the elevators or in the halls (particularly senior people) without breaking into a sweat, trembling and losing the ability to utter a complete sentence. I offered on several ocassions to quit my job or to take a demotion (which, thanks to my boss and staff at the time, never had to happen).
I organized business conferences and was either unable to attend myself or reduced to sitting in my hotel room in tears while the conferences proceeded. I sat in large auditoriums with my colleagues simply listening to a speaker and was compelled to literally run out in panic.
I was scheduled to read a passage at the wedding of my best friend. Despite weeks of practicing, I fled from the church moments before the reading. I flew to Winnipeg to give a presentation and flew right back the same day without being able to enter the presentation room.
This is just the short list. I could write pages and pages of stories about how fear, panic and anxiety crippled my life, destroyed my self-confidence, and caused countless nights of sleeplessness and depression.
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Note from Webmaster - This article for info only - this site is not sponsored by the author or publisher.
I HAVE PANIC DISORDER AND I TAKE IMIPRAMINE, BUT STILL HAVE
ANXIETY SYMPTOMS SOMETIMES. I DO BELIEVE THAT MEDICATION IS THE ONLY
ANSWER BECAUSE I HAVE TRIED THERAPY, SUPPORT GROUPS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE
BEFORE I STARTED MEDS. I FEEL THAT MY PANIC DISORDER IS FROM CHILDHOOD,
THOU NOTHING TRAUMATIC HAPPENED EXCEPT ALOT OF FIGHTING BETWEEN MY
PARENTS.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE REALLY KNOWS WHEY WE PANIC, SO I GUESS
WE TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT ON OUR OWN. MEDS HAVE HELPED ALOT, BUT HAVEN'T
CURED IT ALL TOGETHER. NOTHING HELPS MORE THAN TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE
WITH THIS DISORDER. THATS WHEN YOU CAN FEEL A REAL CONNECTION. I HAVE
MET A LOT OF NICE PEOPLE THRU THE NET AND HOPE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO. I LOOK
FORWARD TO GETTING MAIL FROM OTHER PANIC SUFFERERS.
the author of this article seeks feedback
I'm so glad I found this site! It's wonderful to see other people
talking openly and honestly about anxiety and panic attacks, both of which I
have experienced myself...with devastating results. Although I had my first
full-blown panic attack at 16 (18 years ago...!) I have found that, except
for my husband, I can't really talk about it to friends or family. The few
times I've tried, I found they really just don't understand. And, my attacks
have, in the past, led to bouts of severe agorophobia...even more difficult
for someone who hasn't experienced that to understand!
I also read with much interest (but no great surprise) the posts from
people who have been abandonded by their "doctors" (personally, I think the
term "health care" is an oxymoron) since that has just recently happened to
me. After being on 2mg. of Xanax for more than a year my "doctor" decided I
should stop taking it. He put me on a very quick taper (.5 mg. decrease every
three days) then said he wouldn't prescribe any more but informed me there
was a very nice inpatient program for *substance abuse*, which he just
coincidently happened to be the head of.
I couldn't quite handle that fast of a taper and was left without any medication and going "cold turkey." Not a pleasant condition to be in. My "doctor" not only refused my calls, but "banned" me from being treated by any of the other "physicians" in his entire clinic. Which, in a very small town, effectively left me completely without access to any medical care. Thankfully, a friend, who works for a doctor's office came to the rescue with a new prescription. I've also discovered "doctors" will prescribe Xanax for my husband like candy...so he has been the one to get new prescriptions for me. A federal crime I think...thank goodness this is anonymous!
I resent having to resort to those kinds of things to get a medication I feel I need (at least for now). The suggestion of an inpatient program for substance abuse (for 2mg. a day of Xanax..I mean really!) simply added insult to injury. Of course, I have excellent insurance and an inpatient program runs about $3,000 a day. I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here.
My attacks happen to come in acute "phases" with years of no symptoms in
between. This is my first experience in seeking professional "help" and it
hasn't been helpful at all. It has been detrimental. I was always able to
overcome all symptoms and phobias within a year or so the first two times it
happened (no meds...just lots of excercise, avoiding caffeine, gradual
desensitization to phobias, etc.). Now I'm going on three years with this
episode with no noticable improvement.
It's actually gotten worse...to the point I have about a 1 mile radius "comfort zone." And, I'm "addicted" to, or rather physiologically dependent upon, a drug I must depend on others to prescribe at their discretion. For me, the anxiety of "Will he continue to prescribe or not?" and the dependence on a moron who happened to make it through med school, has hampered my progress and has not been worth the minimal relief the Xanax has provided. Yes, the benzos are great, until you are left without them, many times with no warning.
Whew! So that's my story (Reader's Digest version, anyway). I also want
to add an *IMHO* comment or two to all of you who have panic attacks and
phobias. Forget about the "it's because you're weak" "just get out and do it"
comments (which I have gotten from my own mother, one of the few people I
have told about this). No, we are NOT weak. In fact, (IMHO) we have to be
much, much stronger people to get through life with this additional burden,
along with all the other things life throws at everyone. Not many people have
to face and conquer this level of fear every single day or deal with the lack
of understanding from others. Weak? No, I don't think so.
I'll stop rambling now. Thank you to the people who have shared their
experiences that have given me (and I'm sure many others) at least the
comfort of not being the only one dealing with this condition.
I read an interesting post the other day about a possible link to
aspartame (Nutrasweet/Equal..etc) to severe panic/anxiety attacks, as well
as a worsening of phobias.. I check out as much info on the internet as i
could find...I was amazed!!!
There is page after page of the hazards of
this sweetener which I have been ingested larges amounts daily for
years...Aside from possibly contributing to my severe panic problems,
there are plenty of other terrfying side effects listed...
I have 2 reason for posting this:
1> to help others possibly learn more about something that may be causing
them unnecessary suffering
2> i had decided to eliminate TOTALLY any products containing
aspartame..and see what happens...imagine if all my suffering has been a
result of a few diet cokes a day? can it be that simple? I would like to
hear ANY stories of others who may have helped themselves by removing this
poison, or who know more about the subject.....both good and bad
stories....
If even half of what I have read is true, then this needs to be seriously
looked at..I won't go into great detail here, just look up sites using key
words like "Nutrasweet","Equal"," or Aspartame" and LEARN and judge for
yourselves.....
The thing that struck me as the most ironic is that almost no one actually
loses weight with these products, and many actually GAIN weight as an
unwanted side effect...amazing....
in the meantime, please READ and LEARN about this, I think you will be as
amazed as I was...
I've been a somewhat frequent contributor to this amazing newsgroup and
I figure it's about time a shared my full experience with anxiety. All
my life prior to about 8 months ago I had what I would call minor
intimations of some sort of disorder. Until I had a full-blown panic
attack, I really never considered my difficulties to be anything with
which I should overly concern myself.
Anxiety problems, at least for myself, are not (sorry to discount all the "experts") something which is
brought on through inappropriate thinking, or crazed thoughts of the
many risks to which one is prone. In my experience with doctors I have
tended to find that they really don't know what the hell they're doing.
I am grateful to my own GP for readily prescribing Oxazepam (a benzo,
which I find to be a Godsend).
I think the problem is that this sort of a disorder falls in the unfortunate category of "you think there's
something wrong with you but there really isn't." Doctors tend to be
understanding but I've never had one who has actually experienced this.
I had my first MAJOR panic attack when I was in Korea teaching. I was at
work and I thought I was going to die (but, typically, at the same time
I knew I wouldn't) and I had my boss bring me to a doctor ASAP. The good
doctor checked me over, and immediately told me in broken English, "This
is emotional problem". He then had his attractive nurse inject me with
valium.
I now thank that doctor. The valium didn't help a lick. I went home
and paced back and forth between rooms for an hour. I could not sit in
one spot. I hear stories of people who have panic attacks which last for
15 minutes and then they're gone. Mine tend to last until I get to my
discovered remedies. At that point it was booze. I finally went down the
steps of my apartment to the store and bought some beer. Beer is sold in
very large bottle in Korea (about the size of the average Western wine
bottle), and I quickly struggled to down a couple.
This was a particularly brutal experience because it was my first full-blown attack
so it was particularly difficult to calm myself. But, anyways, within an
hour I was listening to music and playing darts in my apartment. My
roommmate who taught at the same school as I called to see why the hell
I was rushed to the hospital. By this time I was feeling fine. Well
enough to go back and teach, aside from the fact that I was getting a
little tipsy. I told him that I was having breathing difficulties, and
that I'd had some sort of overload of stress.
The thing with an anxiety disorder is that so few people can relate.
I mean, what do you say to a person to whom you must explain this??
"Well, I didn't have a heart attack but I really felt like I was going
to, even though I'm 25 years old and in good physical health." I often
think to myself what I would say if I didn't have this affliction and I
was in company of someone who did. I'd say, "well, Christ, don't worry
about it. Just relax. There's nothing wrong with you." And this is what
I surprisingly haven't heard too often. Most people understand, which is
great.
Anyway, before I babble on (too late), I rushed home from Korea (as
much as a person can RUSH home from Korea and that's another story in
itself). I drank my head off the whole way home to fight anxiety. I met
my girlfried at the local airport with a bottle of whiskey in my hand. I
was drunk out of my mind but still not quite as happy as I should of
been to be home and to see her. I went to her house and things were fine
until the booze wore off and I had (of course) another major bout of
panic. It's ironic that my girlfriend is a social worker who does group
and individual therapy for panic sufferers. She hasn't been able to help
me. The only thing that has is benzos.
I'll never forget the day I finally took an Ativan. My girlfriend, Kim, took me to emergency. I was
dying, and the doctor looked at me calmly and gave me Ativan. Not unlike
most people, I was a little fearful of even taking it at first. I
suffered for about two or three more weeks, going without sleep for 2-3
nights at a time (literally). One day I finally broke down and cried in
front of my mother. I said "I cannot take this anymore". And after that
I went to my room and took an Ativan.
Within 1 1/2 hours I felt the best I'd felt in months. The anxiety
was gone and I felt human. I now see a therapist. I've done so much reading on this disorder
that it seems he's just saying what I've already read. Breathing and
relaxation exercises don't help. Meds do. I have no problem swallowing a
benzo when I need it. To get to the EFFEXOR, when I first saw my family dr. the first thing
he said to me after I described my problem was that EFFEXOR was the
latest craze for this type of thing. I find that it does help in terms
of general mood betterment, but it does not block anxiety symptoms. My
main, and almost exclusive, symptom is choking sensations and associated
breathing difficulties. My doctor wants to take me off the benzos and
keep me on EFFEXOR (which, I should mention, is a new SSRI
anti-depressant).
At any rate, I say benzos forever. Without them I would be in grave
trouble.
Doctors from Prince Henrys Hospital said transcranial magnetic stimulation in trials overseas had produced an anti-depressant effect when applied repetitively to the left side of the brain. They tested the method in chronically depressed patients who did not respond to drugs.
A coil generating a magnetic pulse is held near the head and the pulse stimulates the surface of the brain under the coil.
interesting stories indeed,
my problem lies a lot in the speed factor some say i am angorphobic i
think i am just plain crazy.
when i am in a car in above 50 miles per
hour (give or take) I get extremely anxious can't breathe and have to
pull off the road to pop a xanex to calm me down.
My question is, is there anybody out there who is has had an alcohol
problem, is sober, even familiar with AA and their beliefs, and is
able to take these medications safely and without guilt and the problem of
addiction?
*********
In the course of my recovery from addiction (alcohol and drugs) and
because of a serious illness it has been necessary for me to take
medications that have addictive properties, including benzodiazepans and
narcotics. I was told by my sponser that I needed to check out where I
am spiritually and to ask myself if I was taking this medication for
health reasons or to avoid something life threw my way.
Because of a chronic depression and the physical problems I have I
regularly take an antidepressant, and have periodically taken medication
for anxiety like xanax and ativan. I am still sober and consider myself
so (thought die-hard AA'ers may disagree).
I believe it is possible to take these medications safely when needed for health sake. Anxiety is a real and definite health problem and can be devastating without medications for people. Just make sure your mind and spirit are in the
right place when taking your dose!
*******
You have very real concerns. Many people who have trouble
with addictions should avoid taking benzodizepines, such as Ativan.
However, it is difficult to know if you are one of these many without
knowing a lot more about you than can be learned online.
When I read what you wrote, I wondered if you drank to take the edge
off of the anxiety. Many people with anxiety disorders self-medicate
with alcohol. It, of course, isn't a good choice, since alcohol tends
to heighten anxiety on the day after. This can lead to a cycle of
using alcohol to dull the anxiety that was caused by the alcohol.
I believe that you have to check inside yourself to know if meds can
create a problem for you. Working with a physician you trust will
also help. IMO, knowing why you drank will give you much insight into
your question on if you should use anxiolytics.
You also wrote that you didn't want to take antidepressants because
depression wasn't a problem. Unfortunately, certain classes of meds
got pegged with the name "antidepressants" even though they are used
for a variety of problems. Many people with anxiety disorders,
particularly panic disorders (PD) do well when taking certain
antidepressants. Paxil and Zoloft are most frequently prescribed for
PD these days, but there are a variety of antidepressants that can be
used.
If you choose the med-free route, you aren't alone. There are many
behavioral therapies that have been shown to be effective for treating
PD. Deep breathing and relaxation techniques, exposure therapies,
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and personally-tailored daily
programs (IOW, things you discover help you personally) work for many
people. There are books written on the techniques that can help you
work on getting better.
I hope you are able to work through your concerns to find something
that works for you. I understand your concerns, and feel that if you
feel meds are not okay for you, then you should avoid them.
If you decide to avoid them, perhaps it would be helpful to scout around for
a psychologist or counselor with experience in working with anxiety
disorders. There are many treatment options available, and they may
be able to help guide you in the right direction.
darrenro@ozonline.com.au
Fax +61 3 9228 - 2494
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HEY THIS HAPPENED TO ME TOO
CORGUARD & CATAPRESS & PAXIL
TOLERATING KLONOPIN
MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE
HEARTBEAT AWARENESS
CATASTOPHIC THOUGHTS
NEW PAXIL USER
EX PAXIL USER
DO YOU HAVE PANIC DISORDER ?
A PANIC DISORDER BOOK AUTHOR
IMIPRAMINE WORKS
ABANDONED BY DOCTORS (YET ANOTHER CASE)
NUTRASWEET ALERT
KOREAN BEER vs VALIUM vs ATIVAN
MAGNETIC PERSONALITY
FAST XANAX
ALCOHOL & ADDICTIONS
NOTE FROM WEBMASTER
Darren Robinson
Australia
Cheer up ... You're not alone ... others have this problem too !
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