# Need opinions about meds



## dreamingoflife (Oct 22, 2006)

I just need opinions about what meds seem to help everyone. I know pills affect everyone differently but I am getting pretty desperate to get rid of this anxiety and panic. I have never dealt with it being this strong the whole 3.5 years I've have dp. I am no longer concerned with getting rid of dp but rather the anxiety and panic I have. Just wondering who has had success with what to get rid of that. I go to the doctor in the morning and want to try someone new. I have been on zoloft, lexapro and celexa recently. I didn't give the celexa a fair shot when I took it because I started getting a little depressed on it so I stopped taking it about 3 weeks in. I don't know what to try next but I know I need something. I'd rather live drugged up on meds than scared of everything and not living at all. Any input is appreciated!


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## dreamingoflife (Oct 22, 2006)

dreamingoflife said:


> I just need opinions about what meds seem to help everyone. I know pills affect everyone differently but I am getting pretty desperate to get rid of this anxiety and panic. I have never dealt with it being this strong the whole 3.5 years I've have dp. I am no longer concerned with getting rid of dp but rather the anxiety and panic I have. Just wondering who has had success with what to get rid of that. I go to the doctor in the morning and want to try someone new. I have been on zoloft, lexapro and celexa recently. I didn't give the celexa a fair shot when I took it because I started getting a little depressed on it so I stopped taking it about 3 weeks in. I don't know what to try next but I know I need something. I'd rather live drugged up on meds than scared of everything and not living at all. Any input is appreciated!


Oh and I take xanax on an as needed basis at the moment, which seems to be a lot lately. I have klonopin but scared to take it. I guess I should give it a shot but just haven't.


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## codeblue213 (Feb 15, 2010)

I switched from Xanax to Klononpin 5 years ago. The Xanax wasn't helping much anymore. Klonopin works better for me. It builds up in your system and lasts longer. I don't feel drugged and my anxiety feels better. It just made me a little drowsy at first.


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## Absentis (Jul 10, 2007)

Stop taking Xanax, start taking clonazepam.


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## codeblue213 (Feb 15, 2010)

Absentis said:


> Stop taking Xanax, start taking clonazepam.


Yes, Good advice.


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## Absentis (Jul 10, 2007)

One last thing. You should start taking paroxetine (Paxil), with or without a benzodiazepine. Paxil is a SSRI antidepressant, although it works well for anxiety disorders. It won't kick it right away, but after a few weeks you'll find that your overall level of anxiety is diminished and you won't need to take as much alprazolam/clonazepam. Paxil doesn't have the potential for dependence, while clonazepam and xanax do. The work together very well, so I recommend giving it a shot.


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## dreamingoflife (Oct 22, 2006)

Absentis said:


> One last thing. You should start taking paroxetine (Paxil), with or without a benzodiazepine. Paxil is a SSRI antidepressant, although it works well for anxiety disorders. It won't kick it right away, but after a few weeks you'll find that your overall level of anxiety is diminished and you won't need to take as much alprazolam/clonazepam. Paxil doesn't have the potential for dependence, while clonazepam and xanax do. The work together very well, so I recommend giving it a shot.


Thanks for all the responses guys. I couldn't see my doctor today unfortunately but I have another set up for tomorrow so I will talk to him about paxil. I did have an idea of bringing up prozac but I am confused all around on what to try. I may start taking the clonazepam just because it lasts longer. I feel like a person with only a head right now because I can't seem to focus on anything but the anxious thoughts swirling around in it. Thanks again.


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## no3one (Feb 23, 2010)

Hi...I can't say that one medication helped me with DP/DR but one that really noticeably stopped my anxiety was risperidone. I have issues other than just DP/DR. On of the major is type 2 bipolar disorder. I figured too much info might be ok. If not I apologize. I was taking lithium, methylphenidate and lamotrigine as well at the time I started ripsperidone that's why I can't say it was just the risperidone. I think I was only on lamotrigine for about 6 months to a year beforethe risperidone so, I don't remember exactly. At the time I just got back into the work force, sort of, in a work program working 4 hours 2 days a week. Being in the real world for only that small amount of time was enough to make it seem like the lamotrigine or lithium weren't working at all. My doc prrescribed a small dose of risperidone and I could feel a substantial difference within the first couple of hours. I've taken a lot of psychopharms over the years and so I have developed pretty good understanding of what to look for when observing how my mind and body react to meds. I was on it for a few days then upped the dose. I thought that I might have been able to get my mind to work better if I had more. It didn't. I started getting most of the listed side effects. I went down on the dose and I didn't get the same relief "feeling" that I did when I first started and a higher dose wasn't working, so I stayed on a "maintenance" dose.

I left it that way for a while and my mind "evened out," that's the only phrase that seems to fit what it felt like. I just started to not be as anxious. I was able to calm down and get a hold of my thoughts and control them for the most part, more than I ever could. My ruminating thoughts and OCD-like behavior was still there but I could manage my feelings about it. It wasn't just the drugs though. I did and have been using therapy kind of things in my treatment. Then it just stopped working after a while (sorry I don't remember how long exactly). It made things wrong but in a different way than they were when I started taking it. I thought that if I went off it the anxiety would come back but it didn't. So I went off it altogether. My doc said that I could take a small dose if I needed to. They sometimes give risperidone in ER's to calm some patients with mental illnesses, so it is possible to be taken without ramping up and someone can just stop taking it without weaning. Remember this is what my doctor and I figured out working together for the past 5-6 yrs. I did all of my tweaking with her approval and guidance. In no way am I suggesting to anyone that this is the course of treatment for them. I haven't had to take it for dang, it'll be a year this around the end of April 2010. I think... Happy hunting...


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## dreamingoflife (Oct 22, 2006)

Just got back from the doctor and he recommended I give Prozac a try so I guess I am going to try this for a bit. He also said that if I start taking klonopin and it helps that he will keep this as my treatment plan. He didn't want to give anymore xanax which sucks but I guess I will have to make due with what I got. I just hope klonopin helps me with this annoying anxiety and panic attacks until the Prozac kicks in. Thanks for the input guys. Wish me luck!


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## no3one (Feb 23, 2010)

dreamingoflife said:


> Just got back from the doctor and he recommended I give Prozac a try so I guess I am going to try this for a bit. He also said that if I start taking klonopin and it helps that he will keep this as my treatment plan. He didn't want to give anymore xanax which sucks but I guess I will have to make due with what I got. I just hope klonopin helps me with this annoying anxiety and panic attacks until the Prozac kicks in. Thanks for the input guys. Wish me luck!


I hope it works out for you. Thank you for letting us know how it went. I really like your quote selection. I agree with that 100%.


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## ChrisPA (Dec 22, 2009)

Paroxetine (paxil) absolutely 100% causes dependence. It took me 3 years to ween off of it.


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