So, I went to the psychiatrist dude up in Greenville today, and on the way up there I ran into a shitload of traffic, a SEVERE thunderstorm, I was sitting on a really old bridge way up in the sky, and then my mom called to tell me that my grandmother has two abscess thingers growing on her spine and she has to have emergency surgery tomorrow, (pneumostreppo--whatever)!!!! Well, I really hate driving more than anything in the world... in fact, I should probably not drive because I get WAY too shaky and paranoid, but until I can hire a chaufer and I'm rollin' in the cash-money, I'm gonna have to haul my sorry ass up there myself. Oh, and not to mention that this is exam week and I have to prepare for a special, Socratic-style oral exam between two of the most intelligent professors I have ever met in my life! (One of which was head of the philosophy dept. at the University of Chicago! YIKES!!!!). This exam is over a wager that I made with my professor in regard to my constant absence in his class... He told me that he will give me an A for the course if I can read ALL of Plato's works, and then discuss them and their influence of Hellenistic and Neoplatonic philosophy in both essay, and oral format. In case you're lost (like I am right now), I might as well have been told to dig the grand canyon with a broken wooden spoon... I walked into the doctor's office already shaking and choking, and spasming, and then he had the fucking nerve to ask me how I've been... I let that go, and then he sat me down and we had a lil' chat. He decided to take me off of the lexapro and try Paxil instead, and I also told him that the sleep-aid he had prescribed was not really working anymore, so he put me on something called Trazodone, which sounds kinda scary to me, but at this point I'll almost try anything. I've been stressed as hell all damn month, and now I've gotta get this shit done and then wrap up my work on two hopeless paintings TONIGHT!!! Does anyone know if this is actually going to help me, or what the effects of these meds are??? I haven't had time to look on erowid, and quite frankly, I get better results here because I can hear directly from people who have taken things like this.... Anyone out there got a clue???? Thanks, -Mac
do not take any of their poison! these people are motivated by personal gain, specifically financially, and could care less for your eventual healing. find an holistic, or homeopathic, or accupuncture doctor or otherwise take responsibility for your own healtl. love
LostBlackDog -- Don't waste your money on holistic, homeopathic, or accupuncture quacks! Accupuncture to heal depression/anxiety/insomnia/add! Give me a break! Trazodone has been around for a very long time. It is a very safe drug. It was developed initially marketed as an antidepressant. It is similar to Serzone (nefazodone). Trazodone is hardly ever used as an antidepressant anymore, because the newer medications are much more effective. Instead, much lower doses are frequently used to combat insomnia. I suspect he is starting you on 50 mg. In contrast, 300 mg is the dose for it to be an antidepressant. What were you previously on for sleep? Trazodone will definately help you sleep, but it may cause some hangover effect, making it hard to get up in the morning. It can cause stomach upset, so I would take it with food/snack. Another benefit to trazodone, it is relatively inexpensive. If you have an early morning exam, I would wait to take the trazodone until you can sleep in, just in case, to see how you will react to it.
Don't fucking take Trazodone, that shit makes me sleepy forever. (I was on 150mg) Oh, and if you REALLY wanna sleep for a long time, take Seroquel (300mg). Ambien is a much better sleep aid. As far as the Paxil (40mg) goes, it works wonders for me, but everbodys' chemistry is different.
I took paxil for 7 yrs, I still have tremors. As for Trazadone, we take it as a sedative, and I think it's too strong. I took half last night and slept for 12 hrs, and I have felt like a zombie all day. Drugs aren't the way to deal with problems, I felt like I was drugged, I was on paxil from 11-18 yrs old, I felt like I never learned to deal with things, like I really got ripped off, I still depend on drugs and other addictions for my happiness, I know I am old enough to take control of my life now, but it would have been easier if it wasn't what I was taught to do by my family and doctors. Good luck to you though.
BTW, if you have a question about meds for depression, anxiety, etc, you could probably ask me & I would know. I've been on just about everything--I've been battling depression, social phobia, anxiety, etc, for over 17 years.
If anything, Paxil will help you learn to take control of your life. Giving you extra serotonin allows a depressed patient to make better decisions for themself. It helps to clear the brain of the "fog" from depression. It isn't addictive, and it does not hinder your emotional development. Don't give the drugs that much power, because, they are not that powerful! If they were, we would ALL take them!
300 mg of Seroquel is the dose used for schizophrenia! That is WAY to strong to be used as a sedative. . .
Thanks for the input guys! Whoever the hell Scholar Warrior is..... yeah.... let's just say that I've been into all kinds of homeopathic/metaphysical remedies for nearly EVERY type of illness, and I'm sorry, but you really are getting ripped off most of the time. I am a certified Dr. of Metaphysics (don't start laughing yet...), and I WILL tell you that most people out there working to run a legit practice have no clue what the hell they're doing! I just got the degree so that I can legally sign shit as Dr., and also because my philosophy professor told me he would start calling me "Dr." if I actually went out and paid the $30 for it. - Watch the South Park episode entitled "Cherokee Hair Tampons" but please, don't fall for that scam yourself... you might get lice in your vagina. As for the rest of us living in the imperfect, "real" world... I've been diagnosed as obsessive compulsive with severe anxiety.... in other words I'm a quirky motherfucker who goes about certain things with unreasonable, meticulous care for detail. I've tried all my life to stay away from prescription drugs to help me deal with the world, but when you can't sleep more than 3 hours straight and you're waking up crying, with your heart racing, unable to breath, shaking all over, and sweating like a fat kid chasin an ice cream truck..... well then I think it's time to get some shit straightened out upstairs. I've watched my aunt waste her life away on drugs from coke, to meth, and all kinds of pills and shots, and I've always sworn that I would not end up like her. I see drugs as being useful for two things in my life: Health, and knowledge. There are drugs that I need everyday, like allegra and now these anti-depressant/anti-anxiety drugs. Then there are drugs which induce psychedelic experiences and deep insight, such as psilocybin cubensis, lsd, salvia, ayahuasca, peyote, marijuana, and so on. I have NEVER enjoyed simply being "fucked up" like a lot of people do. That's just not the kind of thing I see any meaningful value in. I am open to new experiences and experimentation, but if I cannot foresee the spiritual or intellectual value that a drug may have, then I will not take it for any type of recreational pleasure trip. I bought a good amount of Salvia about two years ago, and I have only touched the stuff twice, for example. I had an amazingly beautiful time under the influence of Salvia, but that is something that is a part of my own spirituality and exploration. I use marijuana in the same way..... a little bit will last me a VERY long time. My rule is MODERATION, and that is simply the way that I know I must live. Everyone has their own rythym to march to in life, and mine is very particular in it's composition and method. Anyways, I have a damn history final at 9am, and I just finished painting for nearly 6 hours straight.... I'm going to crash now, and I shall look forward to seeing how well these new meds will be able to help me. Oh, with this trazodone, is there any sort of like.... I don't know how to put this.... like, my arms and legs hurt like hell because I keep getting really tense and twitching... will it keep me from getting so tense like this??? I feel like I just got my ass kicked! Peace, and thanks. -Mac
I have OCD, I wash my hands so much they bleed, plus my refrigerator is too organized (for most) and I have a whole bedtime ritual issue. Its such a bitch. Lol.
No, your doctor is right. . . that isn't the labeled use, but psychiatrists often use it as a mood stabilizer though. That is a high dose for that use, though. . . Didn't it make you sleep a lot? Although, I guess your mood is fairly stable when you sleep.
You said it, Maggie!!! OCD is one helluva SOB, but it's wonderful to know that people like us have such support and that we're not alone in combating our peculiar habits! I never noticed how much of my life was being lived according to these crazy little "rituals" that I created based on positive or negative experiences. I used to have to wear my camo boxers as soon as my laundry was done, or else I would have bad luck until the next time I did laundry (and if you're like me... it could be a looooong time!).My friend, Corey, can't take a dump without taking a shower immediately afterwards, even when he was a kid in school. He used to get in trouble for trying to wash his ass in the sink, but that was what he 'had' to do, you know? Anyways, the paxil seems to have some sort of effect on my mood today, and this is my first day on it. I dunno if it's the drug or just that this is the first day the sun has shined really well in a while, but I feel like I've had a great day on what should have been the worst day of the semester- as far as work goes, that is. I know that it works in a way similar to lexapro, which is what I was on previously, but I wonder if the fact that I was on another SSRI would have any effect on the time it would take for this one to begin working.... I guess this is a question for the chemistry whiz kids out there, huh? Anyways, it's paper time! -Mac
I am so glad you are getting some releif. Some people do really well on one antidx and not so well on an other. That is one reason there are SO MANY of them. I am praying your symptoms continue to get better. There will be some awful days, especially if you get really anxious, but I hope you get releif. I wouldn't wish OCD on anyone. (The thing about obsesive compusives is our otherwise complete sanity, though! You KNOW those boxers have nothing to do with real life, but you can't help it.) Have you read The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing by Rappaport? EXCELLENT. I actually cried while reading it. Explains a lot, including the fact that you have a neurochemical disease and are NOT crazy!!!! How old were you when your symptoms started? I was SIX! Fear of vomiting started it out. I don't even want to go into all I have been through. Prozac just about cured my OCD, but cause severe headaches and sexual problems (if I can't come, I would rather deal with symptoms of an illness....) My daddy has it, my gramma had it, I have a bunch of cousins on that side of the family who have it. I am pretty good at "streamlining" symptoms. I used to think I was crazy when I was younger. I am pretty intelligent, and KNEW, even from a kid, it was NOT a "defense mechanism." It was a relief to know it is neurological. People with migraines tend to have more OCD, as do Tourette's sufferers (my dh and one of my kids has Tourette's) we are one weird family! I cannot eat off of a blue plate, or wear blue clothes, other than jeans. (Among a lot of other things I don't want to go into.) I KNOW it has nothing to do with how the Universe works, but if I do it, the anxiety is so bad, I feel like I am gonna lose my mind. Dog, do you have the "doorway thing" too? If you do, you will know exactly what I am talking about. (Not all OCD sufferers have the "doorway thing" but many of us do.) Zoloft works OK for me, as well as for my chronic pain. It does double duty, I guess. It has the least side effects of any of the antidepressants I tried. It is nice to be around other "oddly wired" people. HUGS! Love and fellowship, Maggie
