# Medication that might help my case of DP



## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

*This will be a very long read but help is really appreciated.*

First off, I want to state that my dissociative disorder was induced by marijuana usage and I have not felt right ever since. I have had anxiety depression and slight ocd and bi polar most of my life, and I'm sure smoking weed just pushed my anxiety into the extreme and now I'm stuck in this constant feeling of not feeling(that's the best I can explain it). Now it is getting really out of hand though and I can't leave the house without feeling really dissconnected and as if I am going to die or have a panic attack. The only things so far that have seemed to work are yoga and benzos(sometimes they don't do anythin). Now, the problem is it's getting so bad I feel like I'm going insane and I can't even leave the house to go to yoga and my parents have taken me out of school(I'm only 17) until they can find an alternative and until I get myself together. My acid reflux is also getting way out of hand(to the point where now I can only eat 1 or 2 small fist sized meals a day) because of my stress level and because the slightest thing will send me into a panicky/dossociative state. I want to try CBT but the only close practitioners will only accept people who are willing to take medication with the CBT treatment.

I've tried clonazepam and lorazepam and both have worked sometimes, and I will admit when they did they worked very very well and I felt completely normal until I came down, and sometimes they have made me feel like I'm in a manic episode or just really tired without affecting my dissociation at all.

So what I'm dreadfully thinking is, I will have to start some medication to dig me out of this hole or my anxiety is literally going to destroy my digestion and sanity. So what do you guys think would be a good medication combo for me would be?

What the doctor my parents want me to go to now says I should take is Clonazepam and Lexapro. Clonazepam 1mg morning and night for 1 month while taking Lexapro(I can't remember the dosage off the top of my head) every other day for 2 weeks then every day for two weeks then stopping the clonazepam and just take the Lexapro.

I'm pretty scared to take the SSRI route but everyone(my psychiatrist and numerous doctors) says it's the safest and best and my parents are getting pretty fed up with paying for all these alternative things to try, but it seems like every day I read something on how SSRI's are bad for you and how drug companies just want to take our money and really don't care about our safety. I'm also scared by the fact that the FDA claims all these drugs are safe and effective, yet this is the same company that also says artificial sweeteners are safe and I for one can say I know this is 100% pure B.S. from firsthand and from my family members.

I'm sure this has been brought up thousands of times in here, but, I would like to know your opinions on the safety of SSRI's?

Are they safe for people at my age(17) with still developing brains?

Has anyone had personal experiances with an SSRI and dissociation?

I've also read that the SSRI's that are coming out are getting more powerful and powerful and Lexapro being the newest(I believe) would be the most dangerous.

Basically I just want to know what you guys think about the safety of SSRI's or if I should just keep trying with the yoga or what? All of this is starting to make me feel quite hopeless...

Thanks for your time.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

Hey man,

And welcome to our forum. Don't be thrown off by the name........I'm actually a half intelligent guy. hehe. *And* I've had tons of experience with these medications you speak of.

Now, first off...

Like anything, medications have their purpose and can be useful. I first started taking them when i was like 14. It sucked bigtime, and I had no choice, I was sort of forced to take it. But, at the time I was in a severe depression and suffering from extreme obsessions. And I was suicidal. Taking medication at that time was what, I think, saved my life and allowed me to continue school, (i was taking zoloft at that time). I was doing so much better, in fact, that I got off of the zoloft because i thought i didnt need it anymore.

I was good for about another year, and then slowly slipped back into hell. From then on, I was pretty much put on every medication known to man. I couldnt take the zoloft anymore, because it caused horendous sexual side effects. so anyways, ive tried many. AND, ive tried Lexapro.

Lexapro is actually one of the "milder" SSRI's out there. Generally, it is good for treating light to medium depression and is mostly effective. But for an OCD, you will need something much stronger.

I wouldnt worry about medication affecting the normal growth process of your brain. Thats utter bullshit, and it wont happen. The only thing that will happen, is some side effects. But they are temporary. Im not a doctor, and so I think you should speak to a doctor about this, but pick a competant doc, God knows ive had many morons for doctors and that really screwed me up. I learned by trial and error.........and i dont want to see you do the same.

But go talk to a doctor about this.......and If i HAD to give a recommendation......for an SSRI, I would most likely say try Prozac. Its safe, its powerful, and its effective. And its been around for awhile, so plenty of clinical studies to back it up. People will talk about all these new drugs and how they are better because they are new.....listen....just because something is new, doesnt make it better. So remember that, and dont be swayed.

Stick with the yoga, I have been doing some simple poses too, and Im sure you will be doing fine with this situation.

If you have any more questions or concerns or anything man, just hit me up (PM me).

Peace

Eric


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Sssri's are safe and they do work for some people but not everyone. Lexapro is one of the newer ones and seems to have less side effects. As far as ssri's go paxil is probley the most dangerous mainly because of its god awful withdrawal syndrome.

If you are bipolar you should not be taking lexapro or any other ssri without a mood stabilizer because that is just asking for a manic episode. And usually it's a dysphoric mania when it's induced by serotonic drugs such as ssri's.

As far as the clonazepam goes it is the best drug ive tried for anxiety and dp/dr. It has litterly changed my life for the better. I take 2mg's a day. I understand where you are coming from saying that being on clonazepam feels like mania. I got this when i first started taking it because i had so much energy and became alot more motivated when my anxiety and dp/dr went away. This lasted for about 2 weeks then i got used to feeling that way.

I am also a suspected bipolar and am waiting on a proper diagnoses. I fit the criteria but i have other circumstances that complicate things.

As for your medication combo i say it would be perfectly safe if you werent bipolar. If you are diagnosed as having bipolar and you shrink doesent put you on a mood stabilizer with the lexapro i would consider seing another shrink. Thats just dangerous and asking for trouble. Clonazepam is somewhat of a mood stabilizer but it's generally not used as a first line treatment.


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## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

Thnaks for the feedback guys. Just started the lexapro today along with the clonazepam and I do feel pretty good but the clonazepam is really making my memory bad and i cant really fosut too much. is this normal?


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

^^^ Yes clonazepam and and any other benzodiazepine can screw your memory up. It's one of the most common side effects of this drug. I never experienced this side effect but alot of people do.

It might be a good idea to lower your dose a little if the memory problem doesent improve within the next few days.


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## jeremy (Apr 28, 2006)

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## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

i would say at this point any bad effect is better than my stress/anxiety level.

i think id rather have a few side effects than stress

stress can make everything worse and can cause just about anything


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## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

by the way my acid reflux hasnt bothered me since my last does of clonazepam...goes to show just how may things anxiety can effect

the dissociation is stil with me, but i dont seem to be scared about it....very odd for me


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## jeremy (Apr 28, 2006)

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## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

well if the lexapro works i have to take it for a year


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## jeremy (Apr 28, 2006)

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## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

thanks alot dudes

anyone else have some input?


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## stevesteve (Aug 16, 2006)

metalhead said:


> thanks alot dudes
> 
> anyone else have some input?


keep us up to date.

I am considering Lexipro myself.


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## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

well lexapro for depression, all the people i know have said it helped them extremely and they feel like new people


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## F'd (Apr 9, 2005)

I took lexapro and it did do squat for me


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## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

I'm taking the clonazepam and lexpro now. the dissociation has gone away completely and this is just the first week. the only thing that worries me is on the days i take lexapro i feel really tired and depressed.


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## kdogg1976 (Mar 15, 2006)

i have been taking lexapro for 6 weeks now 10 mg and for the first couple a weeks i felt great now my disociation is so bad i dont know if its the lexapro but 6 weeks and im depressed as all hell i also take clonazapam and have bad memory problems so they put me on ritalin to help my concentration a lil better hmmmm an anti anxiety med with a stimulant do these people even know what there doing?

Dogg

Let me know how the lexapro treats you metalhead i am thinking about switching my dosage around but keep me informed please


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## metalhead (Aug 4, 2006)

the lexapro made me really depressed, to the point where i didnt even want to get out of bed and i was having suicidal thoughts so I'm off of that...my psychologist thinks it was a bad choice and thinks maybe i have a more serious bi polar disorder then once thought. I think the next med I'm going to try is trileptal but i have stopped the klonopin because it makes me irritable and have memory problems so the dissociation is back :? ... i hope the trileptal helps the dissociation...


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