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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dr. Bob on October 15, 2002, at 21:38:57
[Posted by MJC on October 14, 2002, at 21:39:03
In reply to http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20020829/msgs/1295.html]
>
> I'm currently taking 1.5mg of Clonazepam (Klonopin) a day. I'm taking this along with Effexor XR, 75mg every 36 hours. It's working well for my anxiety, but, I'm still cycling like crazy. I'll be extremely wired for maybe 2 days, then depressed and feel like crying over nothing for about a day, then I'll feel like I'm on extacy and just coasting and glowing for about a day or two.
>
> My Dr. is suggesting that I try out Epival (Depakote) which I'm going to start on this week.
Posted by d miller on October 16, 2002, at 20:09:28
In reply to Re: Anxiety Disorder -- Please Advise « MJC, posted by Dr. Bob on October 15, 2002, at 21:38:57
> [Posted by MJC on October 14, 2002, at 21:39:03
>
> In reply to http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20020829/msgs/1295.html]
>
> >
> > I'm currently taking 1.5mg of Clonazepam (Klonopin) a day. I'm taking this along with Effexor XR, 75mg every 36 hours. It's working well for my anxiety, but, I'm still cycling like crazy. I'll be extremely wired for maybe 2 days, then depressed and feel like crying over nothing for about a day, then I'll feel like I'm on extacy and just coasting and glowing for about a day or two.
> >
> > My Dr. is suggesting that I try out Epival (Depakote) which I'm going to start on this week.
>
>
I am also taking effexor 75mg three times daily and clonazepam 1/2 of .5mg three times daily. I have been on this regime for about 6 weeks. I started to feel good for the first time in months. I also noticed a feeling a being wired. I would get lots of thing done around the house. This normal good, wired feeling only lasted for less than a month and now I have gone back down to feeling the way I did before. With anxiety and depression. More of the depression, I think the clonazepam is helping somehat with the anxiety. But I am very baffled. I did go back to my pdoc after about 10 days of feeling bad, and he told me to wait it out 3 or 4 more weeks. Then maybe will talk about switching to paxil, which I have never tried. Oh yeah the crying thing, everyday, my husband just expects it now. Don't know if any of this helps, but at least your not alone in how your feeling on these meds.dmiller
Posted by Dr. Bob on October 16, 2002, at 22:56:27
In reply to Re: Anxiety Disorder -- Please Advise « MJC, posted by Dr. Bob on October 15, 2002, at 21:38:57
[Posted by Krysti on October 16, 2002, at 10:56:01
In reply to http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20020829/msgs/1295.html]
> Hi Mike,
>
> I was just recently diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. For the past six years, I suffered from terrible anxiety. It sounds somewhat similar to what you are going through. I spent a lot of time on the internet trying to figure out exactly what I had also. I had even looked up Bipolar and decided I didn't have it because I didn't feel I had the depression side. Not to mention, the thought of it scared me to death.
>
> I finally went on Paxil for my anxiety and ended up having a full blown manic episode. That was when I knew for sure I was Bipolar. Looking back on it I can see that I did have the depressive side also, I just didn't realize it. I would go through times of being extremely happy and talkative, etc. And then through periods of time where I just sat around and did nothing and didn't feel like talking to anyone. I just thought it was the anxiety causing it all. I now believe it was the other way around. I think the anxiety was brought on by feeling so out of control because of the Bipolar Disorder.
>
> My advice to you is if you think you may be Bipolar, pay attention to your moods. One thing you may want to look up is Cyclothymia. That is where you have mood swings, but they are less severe.
>
> Since I was diagnosed, I have been on a mood stabilizer (first it was Depakote, then I switched to Gabitril because of weight gain). I have been completed anxiety free since I have gone on the medication. This is unbelievable as I suffered from extreme anxiety daily for 6 years. I resisted going on medication for a long time because I thought it was a mind over matter thing. Now, I could care less that I have to be on medication. Whatever works!
>
> Good luck to you.
>
> Krysti
>
>
Posted by MJC on October 17, 2002, at 7:58:25
In reply to Re: Anxiety Disorder -- Please Advise « Krysti, posted by Dr. Bob on October 16, 2002, at 22:56:27
Hey Krysti, yep, that's pretty much how it was for me too. Took me a while to trace my cycle back to realize that I was indeed Bi-Polar. I can't believe that the 8 years that I spent with severe depression didn't click in right away when my anxiety started to be the focus of my daily life.So I've started on Epival (Depakote) last night and hopefully this will help me start feeling better. I'm not too worried about the weight gain since I'm already a large guy. Not fat, more like wide, kind of big everywhere. Therefore I don't think a few extra pounds will even really be noticeable. Will probably be distributed somewhere between my butt and my theighs lol... I feel completely sedated though today, and I've got this weird pain in the left hand side of my gut. Neither one is too severe and I know to expect some s/e's from any medication that I'm taking so I'm going to ride this out for at least a month before even thinking about switching.
The only thing that I don't like about my diagnosis though is that it means that I'm probably going to have to take medications for the rest of my life, right? That's a LONG time for me, I'm only 24 at the moment... But I guess I've lived through worse already, just need to get things back to normal, or as normal as they can be in my case.
Thanks for your feedback
Mike
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