21 replies to this topic

[kathyms3150]

I haven't posted in awhile. Been off C for about 11 months. I've been on Prozac for a few months and it was giving me some relief from the anxiety and depression but it's stopped working. For the past couple weeks my anxiety is worse than ever. The worst symptom is the muscle tension, especially the feeling that my stomach is in a knot. The benzodiazepines have stopped working and the Clonodine and Hydroxizine never really helped. My doctor put me on Soma, a muscle relaxer and it isn't doing a thing. Tried some CBT but didn't get anything out of it. I'm feeling totally hopeless and can't live this way. I feel that my doctor is really trying but is running out of options. I need help.

[thismoment]

Kathy

Hi.

We develop tolerance to medications, so the dosage must be increased to maintain the effect. Did the doctor increase the Prozac and benzodiazepine dosage?

Sometimes the drug itself is changed out to something different.

Very often the patient is taking 5 or 6 related medications and the resulting toxic stew is impossible to analyse with respect to what's causing what.

Sometimes the message is to withdraw from the drugs.

I wish I could help.

[TryinginFL]

Hi Kathy!

 

So happy to hear from you but sorry to hear that you are having such  a bad time. 

 

TM has given you good information...can you talk to your  Dr. about this?  I wish I could help you with this but my knowledge of many of these drugs is nil.

 

Hopefully someone else will hop on soon to give you some new ideas.  I imagine that you have already tried the Benadryl, right?  I'm sorry but I cannot remember what all you have tried.

 

I wish you the best and hope that someone can come on here to help you - there are others who have experienced your anxiety problems.

 

Please keep us posted - we care!

 

Liz  

[Ramona80]

I just visited an acupuncturist for the first time yesterday, and I was amazed at how much it relieved the withdrawal anxiety. I had read really good things about acupuncture helping with this, and I found a reputable place in our area that's been established a long time, that has excellent success stories. 

 

I am going to be going for acupuncture regularly now. It doesn't take away all the withdrawal symptoms, but it balances the systems in your body to help you feel better while you're going through this. Really calms down the anxiety, quiets your mind. 

[fishinghat]

Hi Kathy

 

TM is right. Once the benzos stop working they will change you to a different benzo, sat oxazepam. The ssri are really famous for working for one person and not another. If you have been on Prozac for several months and now nothing, well time to change. Who knows, the next one might work great for years. There is only one way to find out. Be sure they start you on the new one at the same time they start cutting the old one. That is cross tapering and it usually goes pretty smooth. If during cross tapering if you start getting bad be sure and tell the dr. They are use to that. They will increase the new one or slow down tapering of the old one to adjust to the symptoms but as I said it normally goes pretty smooth.

[kathyms3150]

Hi TM,

My doctor increased my dosage of Prozac but that seemed to make the anxiety worse, so I think that she's going to take me off of it. I have no idea what she's going to try next, and I don't think she does either. I've been on just about every AD there is. She did increase my dose of Klonopin, but it's not making a difference. I know the withdrawal from the benzos is awful and I'm terrified of going through it. She hasn't suggested taking me off Klonopin. Even though I don't think it's helping I'm afraid the anxiety would be even worse if I wasn't on it. I just feel trapped in my body and I have no hope of feeling better.

Thanks for responding.

[kathyms3150]

Hi Liz,

 

How are you doing, I hope you're not struggling with this terrible anxiety.

 

I won't be able to talk to my doctor until next Tuesday. She's off today and Monday because of the holiday. Honestly I think she's running out of ideas. I hate meds, they don't work well for me and I'm afraid that the C could be responsible for this anxiety, but there's no way to be sure.

 

I haven't tried Benadryl, but I do have Vistaril (hydroxyzine) which is an anti-histamine. It makes me a little tired, but doesn't help the anxiety.

 

It would be great if someone could come up with something to help.

 

I know that you care, I care about you and everyone here too!

 

Hugs, Kathy

[kathyms3150]

Hi Ramona,

 

That's great that acupuncture is helping with the anxiety you're having from withdrawal. Many years ago I went to an acupuncturist for depression but it didn't help. I'm not sure how reputable they were. I'd be willing to give it another try but right now this anxiety is so paralyzing I just can't do it. Good luck and I hope that you continue to feel better.

[kathyms3150]

Hi fishinghat,

 

I've been on Klonopin for about 10 years. Since coming off the C last year my doctor switched me to Valium and then Xanax. Neither of them seemed to help as well as Klonopin. Lately I feel that the Klonopin isn't doing anything. I've never heard of oxazepam but will ask my doctor about it. I'm afraid that nothing is going to help. My body is very resistant to meds.

Last week my doctor did mention taking me off the Prozac. I don't know what she's going to put me on since I've been on just about every AD out there. She did say something about a new AD but since my experience with C I'm afraid to try anything new. Thanks!

[fishinghat]

Don't worry about the benzo. When the time comes I have a couple tricks to help you out. It can be done with few symptoms but it is slow.

[kathyms3150]

Hi Fishinghat, do you think it's possible that my body has become resistant to all benzos, and even the ones I haven't tried won't work? Then I'm really in trouble. There has to be something to stop this. I'm really scared.

[fishinghat]

Hi Kathy

 

It does happen. I have been on and off of them for 12 years. The last time I needed help was when I was in withdrawal from Cymbalta. They tried 3 different one on me with little effect. I ask the dr if he wanted to try another one and he said no. Probably just wasting time. On the other hand I know people that have 3 different benzos they use and they rotate to a new one every year with great success. The only thing you can do is try. The lack of success with benzo is what led me to lean more on clonidine, atenolol and hydroxyzine. But each of us are different in our sensitivities. They can try the old fashion tricyclics as well. Don't give up hope.

[kathyms3150]

Hi fishinghat, I looked up a list of benzos and there are quite a few I've never tried, or heard of. It's frightening to think that I may not respond to any meds. I wish the clonidine and hydroxyzine helped, but they just make me a little tired. I've never tried atenolol. Last year my doctor had me on a couple of the old tricyclics with little success. This is no way to live, my family is together today for a barbeque and I'm stuck home because the anxiety is making it too uncomfortable for me to go out. 

[thismoment]

Kathy

 

I have great empathy for you. I too suffered great anxiety and it's the most undermining, destabilizing, and demoralizing mind-state I know.

 

 Anxiety, of course, is a symptom.

 

While the meds knocked the anxiety down on the short-term, it always came back when I developed tolerance to the medication. The greatest help I got for my anxiety was via therapy.

 

Take care.

[fishinghat]

Kathy, you can avoid the grogginess/sleepiness/tired feeling with clonidine by starting very low dosage and working up.

 

Clonidine 0.05 mg at bed for 1-2 week

                0.05 mg at bed and 0.05 mg at breakfast for 1-2 week

Continue to slowly work your way up until comfortable with the anxiety or reach full dosage according to your prescription.

 

The same procedure for hydroxyzine but substitute 25 mg for the 0.05.

Your body will adjust to the lethargic sleepy feeling in most cases.

[kathyms3150]

Thanks TM,

 

Great description of what anxiety does to us.  It's making me feel powerless, hopeless and like I'm in hell with no escape.

 

I know the benzos are like a band aid and only get rid of the anxiety temporarily. I'm so desperate for relief though, I hope my doctor can give me something that helps.

 

I was going for CBT but had to stop because I'm just not able to get out.

 

Glad that you were able to get rid of this monster.

[kathyms3150]

Hi fishinghat,

 

I thought that Clonodine and Hydroxyzine would relieve the anxiety right away. I'm sorry, are you saying that you have to take them for a certain period of time before they start to reduce anxiety? Thanks for your help.

[fishinghat]

No Kathy. The clonidine should kick in in about 1 1/2 hours and the hydroxyzine in about 30 minutes to an hour. At least that is the case for most people. The reason most people stop taking it is the sleepiness/grogginess but that can be avoided by the slow start up I recommended. If you have tried these at normal dosage and there was no relief from the anxiety than you happen to be one of the few that simply don't respond to these medicines. Rare but it does happen.

[kathyms3150]

Hi fishinghat, That's what I was afraid of. All I feel when I take them is some tiredness, but no relief from the anxiety. I'm at a loss as to what to do. I'm waiting for my doctor to call but I have a feeling she's not going to have any answers. I just know that I can't go on feeling like this.      Thanks.

[thismoment]

kathy

 

Do you see a therapist about your anxiety?

[fishinghat]

TM is right. A good therapist can teach you a lot of control techniques which will help. Finding a good one is difficult but it can be done.

[kathyms3150]

I was seeing a psychologist for CBT, but then the anxiety got so bad I had to stop going. I'm not able to drive with the way that I'm feeling. Thanks guys.