Back to Square One for Real this time - Update
in [Panic]
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From: MightyJoe36 on 2 Mar 2010 13:47 Okay, so after doing pretty well for a few months (despite some winter depression which I always get), the anxiety/panic attacks seem to be coming back again in spite of the medication. I'm still taking my .5mg of Klonopin 3x a day, and Cymbalta at night. That was working for a long time, but now I seem to be slipping back into the state I was before. The problem is, it's sporadic - that is one day I'll have no problem driving on the highway, an hour each way, through heavy traffic, construction, etc.; another day the mere thought of getting on the highway sends me into an anxiety attack. There are no discernible triggers either. Anyway, I met with my psychiatrist this morning and he seems to think that I'm building up a tolerance to Klonopin. At first, he wanted to put me on a drug that's similar to Lithium (can't remember the name but it's used to treat bi-polar disorder), but I told him I wasn't too wild about the idea. He then suggested that I try therapy, while still staying on my medication. Tomorrow I'm supposed to go for "screening" and then hopefully get a therapy appointment. In the mean time, I'll just keep taking my meds and more when it gets bad. Thanks again for listening, Joe -- ========== Please DELETE this text block when replying! ========== Contact the moderators at: asapm-board(a)stump.algebra.com The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm ========= This notice is added to each approved article ==========
From: margrove2 on 2 Mar 2010 23:56 On Tue, 2 Mar 2010 12:47:27 -0600, MightyJoe36 <mightyjoe36(a)gmail.com> wrote: >Okay, so after doing pretty well for a few months (despite some winter >depression which I always get), the anxiety/panic attacks seem to be >coming back again in spite of the medication. I'm still taking my .5mg >of Klonopin 3x a day, and Cymbalta at night. That was working for a >long time, but now I seem to be slipping back into the state I was >before. anxiety can be and usually is a chronic condition that has ebb and flow-it can get better or worse -we have set backs and growth sometimes together > >The problem is, it's sporadic - that is one day I'll have no problem >driving on the highway, an hour each way, through heavy traffic, >construction, etc.; another day the mere thought of getting on the >highway sends me into an anxiety attack. There are no discernible >triggers either. the trigger is the anxiety itself-if you are afraid to feel it then that becomes the trigger-you fear fear-sometimes more then other times sometimes less. There are many variables that contribute to your better and worse days > >Anyway, I met with my psychiatrist this morning and he seems to think >that I'm building up a tolerance to Klonopin. people don't build up tolerance to klonopin-peole have changing levels of anxiety, they have those variable I mentioned before that influence how they feel and as such, making adjustmenst to ones dose of meds is a method to deal with times when we go through a period of increased symptoms At first, he wanted to >put me on a drug that's similar to Lithium (can't remember the name >but it's used to treat bi-polar disorder), but I told him I wasn't too >wild about the idea. He then suggested that I try therapy, while still >staying on my medication. therapy is a great idea hopefully you can get a good therapist. .5mg of klonpin a day is an "average" dose-not a high dose. You have room to use higher levels with your docs blessing and supervision or using a short acting benzo with it for those days that you have more difficult control over your anxiety-you could also increase your cymbalta dose, or change it out to another ad med-switching to a "mood stabilizer" doesn't make sense unless you require mood stabilization. That's like saying ampicilin didn't work on your skin infection-let's take off your arm or try using real heavy gun iv antibiotics when a simple change to another oral antibiotic may work-bad analogy but hope you get the drift > >Tomorrow I'm supposed to go for "screening" and then hopefully get a >therapy appointment. In the mean time, I'll just keep taking my meds >and more when it gets bad. > >Thanks again for listening, > >Joe -- ========== Please DELETE this text block when replying! ========== Contact the moderators at: asapm-board(a)stump.algebra.com The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm ========= This notice is added to each approved article ==========
From: Worn Out Retread on 3 Mar 2010 08:48 "MightyJoe36" <mightyjoe36(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news:99ab1981-6070-42f3-8ca4-6772918da15f(a)g19g2000yqe.googlegroups.com... > Okay, so after doing pretty well for a few months (despite some winter > depression which I always get), the anxiety/panic attacks seem to be > coming back again in spite of the medication. I'm still taking my .5mg > of Klonopin 3x a day, and Cymbalta at night. That was working for a > long time, but now I seem to be slipping back into the state I was > before. > > The problem is, it's sporadic - that is one day I'll have no problem > driving on the highway, an hour each way, through heavy traffic, > construction, etc.; another day the mere thought of getting on the > highway sends me into an anxiety attack. There are no discernible > triggers either. > > Anyway, I met with my psychiatrist this morning and he seems to think > that I'm building up a tolerance to Klonopin. At first, he wanted to > put me on a drug that's similar to Lithium (can't remember the name > but it's used to treat bi-polar disorder), but I told him I wasn't too > wild about the idea. He then suggested that I try therapy, while still > staying on my medication. > > Tomorrow I'm supposed to go for "screening" and then hopefully get a > therapy appointment. In the mean time, I'll just keep taking my meds > and more when it gets bad. > > Thanks again for listening, > > Joe Joe, I have been back to "square one" a few times. It seems that my body gets used to medications and at some point treats the meds as some kind of "food" digesting it and giving me no benefit. Hang in there. It may take some time to find the right combination of medications for you that will last. Good luck -- Ron P Quick questions rarely have quick answers -- ========== Please DELETE this text block when replying! ========== Contact the moderators at: asapm-board(a)stump.algebra.com The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm ========= This notice is added to each approved article ==========
From: MightyJoe36 on 3 Mar 2010 09:56 On Mar 3, 8:48�am, "Worn Out Retread" <newdover...(a)yahoo.ca> wrote: > "MightyJoe36" <mightyjo...(a)gmail.com> wrote in message > > news:99ab1981-6070-42f3-8ca4-6772918da15f(a)g19g2000yqe.googlegroups.com... > > > > > > > Okay, so after doing pretty well for a few months (despite some winter > > depression which I always get), the anxiety/panic attacks seem to be > > coming back again in spite of the medication. I'm still taking my .5mg > > of Klonopin 3x a day, and Cymbalta at night. That was working for a > > long time, but now I seem to be slipping back into the state I was > > before. > > > The problem is, it's sporadic - that is one day I'll have no problem > > driving on the highway, an hour each way, through heavy traffic, > > construction, etc.; another day the mere thought of getting on the > > highway sends me into an anxiety attack. There are no discernible > > triggers either. > > > Anyway, I met with my psychiatrist this morning and he seems to think > > that I'm building up a tolerance to Klonopin. At first, he wanted to > > put me on a drug that's similar to Lithium (can't remember the name > > but it's used to treat bi-polar disorder), but I told him I wasn't too > > wild about the idea. He then suggested that I try therapy, while still > > staying on my medication. > > > Tomorrow I'm supposed to go for "screening" and then hopefully get a > > therapy appointment. In the mean time, I'll just keep taking my meds > > and more when it gets bad. > > > Thanks again for listening, > > > Joe > > Joe, I have been back to "square one" a few times. It seems that my body > gets used to medications and at some point treats the meds as some kind of > "food" digesting it and giving me no benefit. Hang in there. It may take > some time to find the right combination of medications for you that will > last. > > Good luck > > -- > Ron P > > Quick questions rarely have quick answers > Thanks Ron. On a positive note, I got myself an appointment with a therapist on Monday morning. Good luck to you too. Joe -- ========== Please DELETE this text block when replying! ========== Contact the moderators at: asapm-board(a)stump.algebra.com The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm ========= This notice is added to each approved article ==========
From: MightyJoe36 on 3 Mar 2010 09:56
On Mar 2, 11:56�pm, margro...(a)optonline.net wrote: > On Tue, 2 Mar 2010 12:47:27 -0600, MightyJoe36 <mightyjo...(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > > >Okay, so after doing pretty well for a few months (despite some winter > >depression which I always get), the anxiety/panic attacks seem to be > >coming back again in spite of the medication. I'm still taking my .5mg > >of Klonopin 3x a day, and Cymbalta at night. That was working for a > >long time, but now I seem to be slipping back into the state I was > >before. > > anxiety can be and usually is a chronic condition that has ebb and > flow-it can get better or worse -we have set backs and growth > sometimes together > So you think this is something that isn't going to go away? Just something that gets better or worse over time as situations dictate? Sounds disheartining. > >The problem is, it's sporadic - that is one day I'll have no problem > >driving on the highway, an hour each way, through heavy traffic, > >construction, etc.; another day the mere thought of getting on the > >highway sends me into an anxiety attack. There are no discernible > >triggers either. > > the trigger is the anxiety itself-if you are afraid to feel it then > that becomes the trigger-you fear fear-sometimes more then other times > sometimes less. There are many variables that contribute to your > better and worse days > That makes sense. I don't think situations make me anxious, I think it's the anticipation of another panic attack that makes me anxious. > > >Anyway, I met with my psychiatrist this morning and he seems to think > >that I'm building up a tolerance to Klonopin. > > people don't build up tolerance to klonopin-peole have changing levels > of anxiety, they have those variable I mentioned before that influence > how they feel and as such, making adjustmenst to ones dose of meds is > a method to deal with times when we go through a period of increased > symptoms So I've been told by others on this group, and I tend to agree. That's another problem: I don't want to keep upping my dose to the point where I'm taking a ton of Anti-anxiety meds just to stay "normal." > > �At first, he wanted to > > >put me on a drug that's similar to Lithium (can't remember the name > >but it's used to treat bi-polar disorder), but I told him I wasn't too > >wild about the idea. He then suggested that I try therapy, while still > >staying on my medication. > > therapy is a great idea hopefully you can get a good therapist. .5mg > of klonpin a day is an "average" dose-not a high dose. You have room > to use higher levels with your docs blessing and supervision or using > a short acting benzo with it for those days that you have more > difficult control over your anxiety-you could also increase your > cymbalta dose, or change it out to another ad med-switching to a "mood > stabilizer" doesn't make sense unless you require mood stabilization. > That's like saying ampicilin didn't work on your skin infection-let's > take off your arm or try using real heavy gun iv antibiotics when a > simple change to another oral antibiotic may work-bad analogy but hope > you get the drift > I agree that switching to a mood stabilizer is a bad idea, which is why I told him I didn't want to. I hope I can find a good therapist. If yesterday is any indication, I'm in for a long haul just trying to find a therapist period. My insurance sucks. The only therapists they cover are worse than useless (I've tried a a few). I'm trying to get an appointment on base (I'm retired military), but being retired, it's space-available only so I have to call every morning to see if there's a cancellation. I may just give up and try to find a good one on my own and just pay for it out of my own pocket. > > >Tomorrow I'm supposed to go for "screening" and then hopefully get a > >therapy appointment. I went yesterday for a "screening." Never made it to see the therapist. That's another story in itself. Once again, thanks for listening. It helps to have a place to vent about this. The only one who knows about this (besides my doctor) is my wife, and though she's been very supportive about this whole thing, I hate to keep burdening her with it all the time. Thanks again, Joe -- ========== Please DELETE this text block when replying! ========== Contact the moderators at: asapm-board(a)stump.algebra.com The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm ========= This notice is added to each approved article ========== |