Poll: How much do meds help alleviate your symptoms?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:16 pm

have been onso man y meds. side effects are too much. can't even take clonazepam 0.5 iy was giving me strange thoughts something i really can't put my finger on. besidesi felt like i was in a fog al the time. so much for slowing downthe hearbeat it just made it worse. I have days lke today i could just curl up in a bal and hop everything goesaway. I felt like crap. hurt all over n ot hungry, try to stay busy so i don't feel anything

Ocean · Post by **Ocean** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:58 am

I've been on Celexa for almost 7 years. I've had to gradually increase the dosage over time from 10mg to 50mg and with the exception of a few setbacks, I've been virtually anxiety free the whole time....I'd say about 90%.

I do believe that our meds wear out over time though. I think our bodies become accustomed which is why we have to increase our dosage from time to time when it seems to stop working.

All in all, Celexa has worked miracles for me. When I have anxiety, it's so bad...can't sleep or eat and feel anxious every minute I'm awake. Celexa has allowed me to get back to life. In the past 7 years, I've moved a couple times, ended a bad relationship, and even flew to Hawaii and back (and was okay!). Now my Dad has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and I'm actually coping quite well. I still get upset about it often but I'm not so bad that I can't go to the hospital to visit him, etc.

I know a lot of people with anxiety are afraid of taking meds or just don't want to have to take them to be happy. I had a really hard time accepting that I had to take them in the beginning but, man, am I ever glad I did. Now I'm learning the skills I need to cope with my anxiety on my own and look forward to being med-free one day.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:44 am

hello missgsr,
i read your post, and thats wonderful you have a handle on things sounds like. i am not there yet, i was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. well i have had anxiety all my life. my dr prescribed lexapro low dose 5mg. that was 4 days ago , and its still staring me in the face unopened. why cant i take this med. why am i so fearful. why cant i just take the frkn pill. my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer in april 2008 he to is in stage 4, but doing very well, and responding to chemo very well. he is healthy aside from the cancer his dr says. he is so supportive of me and loves me so much. i should be ashamed of myself for acting like such a baby. i'm afraid if i take the med. i will not have control over my being. do you know about lexapro. i dont want to feel spaced out, i want to be myself just without the anxiety and sadness. do you have any advice or suggestions for me. thank you

Carolyn Dickman · Post by **Carolyn Dickman** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:01 am

Originally posted by cheri885:
my dr prescribed lexapro low dose 5mg. that was 4 days ago , and its still staring me in the face unopened. why cant i take this med. why am i so fearful. why cant i just take the frkn pill.

i should be ashamed of myself for acting like such a baby. i'm afraid if i take the med. i will not have control over my being.

Don't be too hard on yourself cheri. I think it's safe to say that most people with anxiety have a hard time taking the first step towards taking meds. It can be scary and frustrating. I suffered for a lot longer than I needed to but, man, from the first pill I put into my mouth, I felt a sense of relief. These pills were designed to make my anxiety go away and now I'm on my way to feeling better.

We all want to be able to control our anxiety without medication but I've come to peace with the fact that I needed a little help and if you do too, it's okay. It really is. The important thing is that you're doing the program. You're taking the necessary steps to be able to cope on your own. If you need a little medicinal support along the way, don't feel bad about it. That's what it's made for. When you've learned the necessary skills from this program, you can taper off and know that you'll be okay.

Originally posted by cheri885:
my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer in april 2008 he to is in stage 4, but doing very well, and responding to chemo very well. he is healthy aside from the cancer his dr says. he is so supportive of me and loves me so much.

I am very sorry to hear about your husband but quite happy to hear that he's responding well to chemo treatment! You are incredibly lucky to have found that man who will love you unconditionally. You can be there to support each other and that's a beautiful thing.

Originally posted by cheri885:
do you know about lexapro. i dont want to feel spaced out, i want to be myself just without the anxiety and sadness. do you have any advice or suggestions for me. thank you

I'm not all too familiar with Lexapro as Celexa is the only medication that I've ever taken. From what I understand, Lexapro is used specifically to treat anxiety where a lot of other SSRIs are used for anxiety and depression.

My best advice would be to give yourself permission to accept a little help and give the Lexapro a try. Just think, there's a really good chance your anxiety will decrease significantly! Don't worry yourself by looking at the list of possible side effects because they are required to list every little thing that has happened to every single person.

You have nothing to lose!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:09 am

Cheri....I started 5mg of Lexapro 9 days ago. Side effects haven't been bad. Everyone reacts differently and I was scared to do it too, because I hadn't taken Lexapro before. Give it a shot though...it's a low dose and it will probably be fine. I have heard good things about it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:32 am

Originally posted by cheri885:
hello missgsr,
i read your post, and thats wonderful you have a handle on things sounds like. i am not there yet, i was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. well i have had anxiety all my life. my dr prescribed lexapro low dose 5mg. that was 4 days ago , and its still staring me in the face unopened. why cant i take this med. why am i so fearful. why cant i just take the frkn pill. my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer in april 2008 he to is in stage 4, but doing very well, and responding to chemo very well. he is healthy aside from the cancer his dr says. he is so supportive of me and loves me so much. i should be ashamed of myself for acting like such a baby. i'm afraid if i take the med. i will not have control over my being. do you know about lexapro. i dont want to feel spaced out, i want to be myself just without the anxiety and sadness. do you have any advice or suggestions for me. thank you

I take Lexapro 10mg and have since april 2008. I too was scared to take it at first but I am sooo glad I did, I feel soo much better, no anxiety. There are some mild SE in the beginning but it is a generally well tolerated medication, I love it, and it has really improved my life. I take it for PMDD (severe PMS) and anxiety and it has gotten ride of both for me.

mgoldberg · Post by **mgoldberg** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:35 pm

Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. ~Author Unknown
Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which will never happen. ~James Russel Lowell

These quotes are so true...if only I could get myself to live by them.
Anyway, responding to the question about medication...I have been on and off medication since the age of 15. I started taking Prozac, prescribed by my doctor after a dramatic display of frustration and anger in her office. Prozac gave me almost a comatose feeling. I went off Prozac and had a relapse several years later and was prescribed Paxil, which worked very well for me, but caused some weight gain. I felt good so my doctor recommened tapering off of Paxil, which I did. However, about four years ago I had yet another relapse and started taking 10mg Lexapro and gradually increased to 20mg which is where I am at right now. Lexapro has helped me a lot, but like all medications, our body builds up a tolerance, which leads me to my current condition and the reason that I sought out this program. I have learned more about my condition in the first two sessions than I ever have in years of therapy. I have never learned any coping skill for stress or anxiety. I am hoping that with the help of this program I will be able to ween off medication and be able to live a happy and productive life without it.