Question:
Does anyone know of a chatroom or some other form of online support for people with anxiety/panic disorder? I can’t always get in touch with my shrink (not that he’s any help!) when I’m in the midst of an attack. It would be nice to be able to hop online and talk to people who at least understand.
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Is there someplace online to go when I’m having an anxiety attack? Thanx, Toni
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Is there someplace online to go when I’m having an anxiety attack?
Hi Toni – there’s an irc channel we have formed, called #anx/pan, which operates from about 7p.m. EST. It’s on the Efnet irc system, by the way. I’m sorry it’s not operational 24 hours a day, but you’d be very welcome there. — Gary Cooper
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I have been suffering from panic attacks anxiety and depression for about a year now. I have been taking zoloft and klonopin for 6 months they seem to help somewhat but I have NO sex life now other simple pleasures have seemed to dwindle as well. does or has anyone had this problem? does anyone know of other meds that still help but let me feel more like myself?
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Many antidepressants cause sexual dysfunction. You may talk to your Dr. about changing meds. When you mention simple pleasures sounds like you still have a level of depression. I have found that in just pushing through the day, doing your normal routine helps lower depression levels. Tim;) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have been suffering from panic attacks anxiety and depression for about a year now. I have been taking zoloft and klonopin for 6 months they seem to help somewhat but I have NO sex life now other simple pleasures have seemed to dwindle as well. does or has anyone had this problem? does anyone know of other meds that still help but let me feel more like myself?
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Hi, I agree with Tim, about pushing yourself through the day. There have been times where I don`t feel like doing my chores or even my hobbies. I have found that making myself do it, many times will change my mood totally. I usually enjoy gardening, but sometimes I am just in one of those moods whether it be anxiety or down in the dumps that I just don`t want to do it. I make myself, all the while complaining to myself that I don`t want to do it, then slowly finding myself getting really into it. Then at the end of the day I feel like I accomplished something and usally feel in a much better mood. Jackie
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If you are currently in therapy – talk to your doctor about these problems. The same thing happened to me on Zoloft, but different meds have different effects on different people. I now take Paxil and Rivitril, and although my libido isn’t the all consuming thing it used to be (laff) it’s there somewhat, and I enjoy a normal sex life. Perhaps a change in meds is in order?? However (and I’m not sure if this applies to woman as well) if you change your meds and your libido returns, you may have a hard time achieving an orgasm. In men, some of these meds will allow one to get an erection, but not have an orgasm. So ask your doc about that as well. Hope this is of some use. Take care Alistair – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have been suffering from panic attacks anxiety and depression for about a year now. I have been taking zoloft and klonopin for 6 months they seem to help somewhat but I have NO sex life now other simple pleasures have seemed to dwindle as well. does or has anyone had this problem? does anyone know of other meds that still help but let me feel more like myself?
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Hi, This is so normal. Depression is not new to me so when you are depressed, you lose interest in all activites you once enjoyed. Too bad. Panic and anxiety are new to me so I went to a doctor. He put me on prozac. One of the side effects is that you lose your sex drive. I’ve been off prozac for 3 months and "wow", It’s back, big time!!! As far as other drugs, I really don’t know. But just hold on to this thought, it’s normal. (by the way, I went on prozac June of 97). Good Luck, Debbie
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I have been suffering from panic attacks anxiety and depression for about a year now. I have been taking zoloft and klonopin for 6 months they seem to help somewhat but I have NO sex life now other simple pleasures have seemed to dwindle as well. does or has anyone had this problem?
I think just about all of us can relate to this on some level. Sounds like depression is taking the helm here. Is really so hard to tell as both depression and anxiety can kill some of the joys we once knew. does anyone know of other meds that still help but let me feel more like myself?
If you don’t think after a year that this is helping you – you should discuss this with your doctor as there are so many other meds out there to try. If this has gotten worse over the year - then a change would seem to be indicated. After that amount ot time, you should be feeling better. If things are *dwindling*, it doesn’t sound like this is working as well as it should. Gwen
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It is the pits isn’t it? When you are depressed and anxious sex is the last thing on your mind. Then when you feel better with your meds it screws (pardon pun) up your sex drive. Oh well guess we have to pick the lesser of two evils. It helps to have an understanding spouse and sometimes just to be able to cuddle is great. My husband is on heart meds so his libido is low too so it has kinda balanced us out. The Lord works in mysterious way.
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I have been suffering from panic attacks anxiety and depression for about a year now. I have been taking zoloft and klonopin for 6 months they seem to help somewhat but I have NO sex life now other simple pleasures have seemed to dwindle as well. does or has anyone had this problem? does anyone know of other meds that still help but let me feel more like myself? All the SSRIs (Zoloft, Prozac, Luvox, and Paxil) have strong tendencies to cause sexual problems (loss of libido and/or difficulty reaching orgasm, perhaps impotence in men). Luvox may be a bit better than the others in this regard. There are some new non-SSRI antidepressants that are better than the SSRIs as far as sexual difficulties go. These are Serzone, Effexor, and Remeron. However, I’m fairly sure that the data is inconclusive as to how these do with panic attacks. Remeron is supposed to be particularly effective for anxiety, though it causes weight gain. With all three of these drugs, there can be some sedation. One possibility would be to change to something like xanax (a drug similar to klonopin (a benzodiazipine)) for the panic attacks/anxiety and then change to one of the three drugs above for the depression. You’ll want to be careful taking xanax with serzone, as they’re metabolized in the same manner–you’ll basically need less of the xanax if you take the Serzone. Something else to think about, it’s been reported that klonopin can cause some problems with short-term memory when taken for long periods of time (though the SSRIs and perhaps even Serzone have similar, though less severe possible consequences). Now, having said all that, what dosage of Zoloft are you at? You can dose that stuff up to about 200 mg (though if you’re having sexual problems at a lower dose, that may well take care of any remaining sexual drive). The starting dose is 50mg, but you may want to consider taking more for the depression, if you’re able to live with the sexual side effects. If not, you’ll probably want to go off of it. From my own experience, Zoloft causes more sexual problems than does Prozac, though Prozac still makes things tough. Luvox causes few, though I didn’t find this drug very effective. Best of luck to you. Matt
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Michelle There are several issues I think. Firstly, depression itself often leads to lose of libido, plus many of the anti-depressant meds. also have an effect. After 6 months the zoloft should have reduced the depression related lose, however, I wonder I you are taking an effective dose (your: "now other simple pleasures have seemed to dwindle as well" comment suggests that depression is still a problem). As far as the effect from meds, perhaps a change to something else might be appropriate. Often changing to another in the same group works. This is a very individual thing, what works for one doesn’t always work for another. Its very much a suck it and see situation. The latest Harvard Medical Newsletter features the latest treatments for female libido loss. Ask your doctor if he/she has a copy. I haven’t received a copy yet, but I’m told that they recommend small doses of the male testosterone hormone, in tablet form. If changing anti-dep.s doesn’t help then this might. The bottom line is that you really need to discuss this with you doctor. I know this isn’t easy, but I suspect that if you can improve this aspect of your life then your other problems will also be eased. Ian ian<<atdragoncon<dotnet – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have been suffering from panic attacks anxiety and depression for about a year now. I have been taking zoloft and klonopin for 6 months they seem to help somewhat but I have NO sex life now other simple pleasures have seemed to dwindle as well. does or has anyone had this problem? does anyone know of other meds that still help but let me feel more like myself?
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I have anxieties and panic attacks while driving, so now i have a phobia of driving. I take my cell phone with me and i really feel i cannot drive without it, because it is my escape from having a panic attack, it is my life line to help. Maybe if you try havin an escape it might help, i avoid long stretches that i cannot use my cell phone on or freeways, where exiting is hard to to, i take surface streets or back streets near a lot of shopping centers incase i have to stop and call for help or get help…i hope that helps!
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Antidepressants such as Paxil certainly help some people with anxiety, but the first line of medications is more typically benzodiazapenes such as klonopin, ativan, etc. There are also a lot of other antidepressants out there. Bottom line, if your current medication isn’t working or you can’t tolerate the side effects, it is time under the guidance of an experienced psychiatrist to try something else. I suppose you might also consider cognitive therapy although my personal feeling is that medication is more effective. Good luck, PETER
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R Hi…I’m a 20 year old college student and I have developed a major R anxiety problem. I was in a terrible car crash 3 years ago and have R had major problems since then. I have anxiety attacks while driving my R car and it’s really scary…especially if I’m alone. I have to pull R over a lot and calm myself down. I have made several trips to the ER R because I thought I was having heart attacks. These attacks sometimes R cause my whole body to go numb and it’s very scary. I have a six hour R car drive in two days and I have to make the drive alone. I’m very R very scared. I have been on a medication called paxil which helped R with the anxiety but made me tired all the time. It’s been three years R now and I’m really getting tired of this. Does anyone have any advice? Robin, since you point out that the car crash is when it started, I think this is more that an anxiety problem. Do you get the paxil from your family Dr. or a Pdoc? I urge you to look more into the traumatic event (car crash) and, if you’re under care of your family Dr., ask to be send to a Pdoc (or find one on your own). If this is PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), treatment for anxiety disorder won’t do much good and maybe even agravate things in the long run. Believe me, I’ve been there.. You can also check out www.mentalhealth.com. They have an online diagnosis program for various disorders, incl. PTSD. If you take it, it can give you pretty good idea whether it could be PTSD or not. But note that it’s NOT a final diagnosis, that can only be made by a qualified Pdoc. If your Pdoc doesn’t seem very interested in looking into that traumatic event, bring it up yourself. If he’s still not interested, find someone who will. Bye!
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Hi…I’m a 20 year old college student and I have developed a major anxiety problem. I was in a terrible car crash 3 years ago and have had major problems since then. I have anxiety attacks while driving my car and it’s really scary…especially if I’m alone. I have to pull over a lot and calm myself down. I have made several trips to the ER because I thought I was having heart attacks. These attacks sometimes cause my whole body to go numb and it’s very scary. I have a six hour car drive in two days and I have to make the drive alone. I’m very very scared. I have been on a medication called paxil which helped with the anxiety but made me tired all the time. It’s been three years now and I’m really getting tired of this. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you Robin
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Seth, I tried to respond days ago but my puter was messed up. I have Gad. This coupled with a few obsessive thoughts, gave me a nasty depression type breakdown 4 years ago. I have been taking anafranil,for the obsessive thoughts, Buspar, and Effexor. I was doing fine until recently I started to feel drained and apathetic. The Doc said that it was probably the effexor and she took me off and started wellbitrin. I don’t like the wellbutrin, I started to have depersonalization side effects. I had them bad with prozac… The one thing that I can’t tolerate with this stupid condition is depersonalization or derealization I have heard it called. I feel afraid things look unfamiliar to me. Well, it’s been 4 days since I stopped the wellbutrin and I feel better. Gotta call the Doc
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Seth: I have "bipolar III disorder" (mania on antidepressants without a history of other manic episodes). Effexor XR and possibly Paxil made me hypomanic (the official diagnosis is venlafaxine-induced mood disorder), so it’s interesting to me that you seem to be sensitive to SSRIs too. <excellent info snipped for space
Thanks for the info Elizabeth…..I’ve often thought about asking my pdoc if I could try a mood stabalizer with the ad’s, but was often afraid of the side effects.(ie. lithium=weight gain; tegeratol=blood cell abnormalities…) Even though I’ve heard Depakote works for some, again, there is the "weight gain" side effect. The reason I have stuck with the benzo’s is because they appear to bring quick, safe relief from some of the "hypo" symptoms a.d’s seem to bring on. My pdoc, who is the only one I can see in my city (the other is not taking new patients), is very conservative with meds. Anyways, is this "Neurotin", or whatever it’s called, avialable in Canada?? What kind of side effects does it have? I just wanted to say..I really appreciate your concern..and all of you who have responded…THANKS:-) Seth — City of Angels http://members.tripod.com/~hopeflguy/index.html "Have a drink. Get naked and party. Here’s to rational activity and the Blank Canvas. Here’s to us all. Look Out! Elephant Crossing…." Neil Peart, The Masked Rider, 1996
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Please Check out the website http://www.navicom.com/~patty try button BPD an see if you meet the criteria. If A-D’s make you manic you may have cyclothmia. You could use tegretol to battle the mood swings. YMMV Uh, Tim? Where did you get the idea that Seth is borderline? I don’t see anything he said that suggested that. Tegretol is probably the worst-tolerated of the anticonvulsants used for mood disorders, BTW. Seth: I have "bipolar III disorder" (mania on antidepressants without a history of other manic episodes). Effexor XR and possibly Paxil made me hypomanic (the official diagnosis is venlafaxine-induced mood disorder), so it’s interesting to me that you seem to be sensitive to SSRIs too. If you find an antidepressant that works, but it causes you to "switch" to mania, you may want to add a mood stabilizer (Depakote, Lamictal, Neurontin, and lithium are used as well as Tegretol), but it’s probably better to use an antidepressant that doesn’t make you manic if there is one. Have you tried Serzone, Wellbutrin, Remeron, Effexor, or BuSpar? They’re not SSRIs. Wellbutrin has a reputation for being less likely to cause mania than other antidepressants; Effexor is probably similar to the SSRIs in this regard, and Remeron and Serzone are poorly studied. Remeron is the only one of these that is likely to cause weight gain (via increased appetite). Wellbutrin often makes people lose their appetites. It can also cause increased anxiety, though. (It’s related to the amphetamines, only for some reason it is an effective antidepressant where they are not.) Serzone and Remeron seem to help with generalized anxiety, and they don’t interfere with sleep. BuSpar is approved for generalized anxiety, but higher doses (60-90mg/day) are also used for depression. There have been reports of BuSpar making people manic, but this is quite rare. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (Nardil and Parnate) also work, but they do cause weight gain (Nardil is extremely likely to do this, Parnate sometimes doesn’t and might be worth a try). For unknown reasons, tricyclics don’t seem to work as well for people who have mixed depression and generalized anxiety ("atypical" depression) as other antidepressants do (although they are effective for panic disorder). It sounds like benzodiazepines and you just don’t get along. I’d keep experimenting with antidepressants, maybe try Neurontin or Lamictal (Neurontin helps some people with anxiety as well as manic-depressive mood swings, Lamictal may help with depression). If you have problems sleeping, you might try using a Ambien or low doses of trazodone or even an antipsychotic (Seroquel is probably best – again, you use a low dose, not the same dose as someone with psychosis would use). -elizabeth
Elizabeth, YOU GO Girl! You sure know your psych meds. Have you done a lot of self-study or are you a medical professional? Mel
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Please Check out the website http://www.navicom.com/~patty try button BPD an see if you meet the criteria. If A-D’s make you manic you may have cyclothmia. You could use tegretol to battle the mood swings. YMMV
Uh, Tim? Where did you get the idea that Seth is borderline? I don’t see anything he said that suggested that. Tegretol is probably the worst-tolerated of the anticonvulsants used for mood disorders, BTW. Seth: I have "bipolar III disorder" (mania on antidepressants without a history of other manic episodes). Effexor XR and possibly Paxil made me hypomanic (the official diagnosis is venlafaxine-induced mood disorder), so it’s interesting to me that you seem to be sensitive to SSRIs too. If you find an antidepressant that works, but it causes you to "switch" to mania, you may want to add a mood stabilizer (Depakote, Lamictal, Neurontin, and lithium are used as well as Tegretol), but it’s probably better to use an antidepressant that doesn’t make you manic if there is one. Have you tried Serzone, Wellbutrin, Remeron, Effexor, or BuSpar? They’re not SSRIs. Wellbutrin has a reputation for being less likely to cause mania than other antidepressants; Effexor is probably similar to the SSRIs in this regard, and Remeron and Serzone are poorly studied. Remeron is the only one of these that is likely to cause weight gain (via increased appetite). Wellbutrin often makes people lose their appetites. It can also cause increased anxiety, though. (It’s related to the amphetamines, only for some reason it is an effective antidepressant where they are not.) Serzone and Remeron seem to help with generalized anxiety, and they don’t interfere with sleep. BuSpar is approved for generalized anxiety, but higher doses (60-90mg/day) are also used for depression. There have been reports of BuSpar making people manic, but this is quite rare. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (Nardil and Parnate) also work, but they do cause weight gain (Nardil is extremely likely to do this, Parnate sometimes doesn’t and might be worth a try). For unknown reasons, tricyclics don’t seem to work as well for people who have mixed depression and generalized anxiety ("atypical" depression) as other antidepressants do (although they are effective for panic disorder). It sounds like benzodiazepines and you just don’t get along. I’d keep experimenting with antidepressants, maybe try Neurontin or Lamictal (Neurontin helps some people with anxiety as well as manic-depressive mood swings, Lamictal may help with depression). If you have problems sleeping, you might try using a Ambien or low doses of trazodone or even an antipsychotic (Seroquel is probably best – again, you use a low dose, not the same dose as someone with psychosis would use). -elizabeth
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Please Check out the website http://www.navicom.com/~patty try button BPD an see if you meet the criteria. If A-D’s make you manic you may have cyclothmia. You could use tegretol to battle the mood swings. YMMV Tim;) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ok..here goes…I suffer from GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and unipolar depression. I have tried pretty much every med; all SSRI’s available in North America; and most trycyclics. I also take klonipin to taper the anxiety. The problem is, the klonipin seems to get me real down, but I take an a.d, and I become aggitated and manic( esppecially the SSRI’s) I have spent years trying different combo’s, and the thing that ticks me off, is it seems my pdoc doesn’t think I have depression!!! (Even though I tell him about the apathy, and the crying spells..) Another, is years ago, when I first went on a.d’s, I was put on Amitryptiline, which caused me to GAIN a large amount of weight (after spending two years losing so much weight and being happy aout my body!) It seems the anxiety/depression combo is the worst….benzo’s bring you down, wherea’a a.d’s make you fly into mania, without the control of benzos. Anybody else suffer these two things, and no some ways to help it WITHOUT the weight gain and "depersonalization" side-effects?? Please get back…thanks… Seth — City of Angels http://members.tripod.com/~hopeflguy/index.html "Have a drink. Get naked and party. Here’s to rational activity and the Blank Canvas. Here’s to us all. Look Out! Elephant Crossing…." Neil Peart, The Masked Rider, 1996
– When you hear hoof beats, think of horse’s, not zebra’s.
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Ok..here goes…I suffer from GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and unipolar depression. I have tried pretty much every med; all SSRI’s available in North America; and most trycyclics. I also take klonipin to taper the anxiety. The problem is, the klonipin seems to get me real down, but I take an a.d, and I become aggitated and manic( esppecially the SSRI’s) <snipped for space
Hi Seth, First, take a deep breath and calm down. I know where you’re coming from. It’s really frustrating to have a doctor who just doesn’t understand. First thing, have you considered finding a new doctor who might be more caring and actually listen to what you are saying? Second, have you ever tried just straight Xanax? It has a good antidepressant effect along with great ability to control anxiety. IMO, that would be the way to go. If your doctor won’t give you this med, try another one who will. Everyone is different in how they respond to meds. Some of us do well on the SSRIs and some of us only take the benzos or maybe the tricyclics. It’s sometimes frustrating to have to go through so many different meds to find a good fit. With all the meds that are out there, I have to believe that one of them will be the right fit for you. Hang in there, and consider dumping the doc and finding a new one. Best Wishes, Jen
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Ok..here goes…I suffer from GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and unipolar depression. I have tried pretty much every med; all SSRI’s available in North America; and most trycyclics. I also take klonipin to taper the anxiety. The problem is, the klonipin seems to get me real down, but I take an a.d, and I become aggitated and manic( esppecially the SSRI’s) I have spent years trying different combo’s, and the thing that ticks me off, is it seems my pdoc doesn’t think I have depression!!! (Even though I tell him about the apathy, and the crying spells..) Another, is years ago, when I first went on a.d’s, I was put on Amitryptiline, which caused me to GAIN a large amount of weight (after spending two years losing so much weight and being happy aout my body!) It seems the anxiety/depression combo is the worst….benzo’s bring you down, wherea’a a.d’s make you fly into mania, without the control of benzos. Anybody else suffer these two things, and no some ways to help it WITHOUT the weight gain and "depersonalization" side-effects?? Please get back…thanks… Seth — City of Angels http://members.tripod.com/~hopeflguy/index.html "Have a drink. Get naked and party. Here’s to rational activity and the Blank Canvas. Here’s to us all. Look Out! Elephant Crossing…." Neil Peart, The Masked Rider, 1996
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