Question:
Hi Jeff I am sure you have already thought of this, but just in case..does your SOP or SOG manual address the issue of taking this class of drug while on duty? I’ve known of emergency services suspending people for not reporting that they were taking them. But it is a Catch 22 – some will put you off-duty when you report it to them. I am talking about the ones that have a requirement to report it any time they are taking antihistamines, barbituates or benzos etc. I have found that Atenolol works well for those times, but of course you have to be sure it doesn’t dump your b/p. If it runs a high any way, it is a good choice. Kaje – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
Response:
Hi Jeff, Welcome to ASAP!! Seems like you have your plate quite full. IMHO, I would try to find another Dr, one who is not afraid to prescribe benzos. I am on Klonopin, a longer acting benzo, and it works wonders for me! I hope you find relief soon. Your post was not boring! We are here to help you, so post away. Again, glad to have you on board! Steph 
Jeff Writes: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
Response:
JEFF POSTED: Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, I would say from what you’ve written there is a very good chance you damaged your Vestibular system or inner ear. The treatment is a lot different and the doctor has to understand that it is related to that. Benzopines such as Xanax show a lot better results in this case. This damage can cause you to have attacks that are set off from audio and visual events and it doesn’t have to be bad ones to do it. If the doctor doesn’t seem to understand find an anxiety specialist that does. Also an eye, ear, nose and throat doctor may be able to help. Motion sickness medication can relieve some of the symptoms but I would ask the doctor first. Fo more info on this go to www.dyslexiaonline.com and look at anxiety disorders. You will find some info there on what might have happened. Good Luck,..John OK everybody grab your partner and dance to the pickin. Howl like a dawg and sqawk like a chicken.
Response:
Hi Jeff, First of all let me say welcome to the ASAP news group. I can tell you that the support you will get from here will help in ways you’ve never dreamed..Please don’t ever feel you are bothering us or just babbling, I felt the same way when I first came here (3months ago) and I t has helped me wonderfully..As for me I take zoloft and xanax, it works well for me so far..As far as the ssr’s are concerned you should start out on the lowest possible dose and wean on them slowly I too had similar side effects when first starting them but I would reccomend getting a doctor that is not benzophobic, as it will help you in the first few months. Remember your not alone we are all here for ya!!!! :) PAUL W/P/B FL.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds?
Be honest with your Dr. about how you feel. 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went.
There are longer acting benzo’s but Your Dr. should be the one to prescribe or say what’s best for you. I don’t know you whole Med history but your Dr should. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy.
Tell me about it! — I don’t think anyone enjoys having to take meds, but if you need them you shouldn’t put any guilt on yourself. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
Jeff, take care of yourself! — Hang in there! * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
Thanks d. I never even thought about the Wellbutrin being a problem until you guys started talking about it. It is something I will definitely discuss with him. As far as the other AD’s go, I have tried all of them with bad reactions at one time or another with the exception of Prozac. Has anyone had any luck with this without totally knocking them out or their sex drive?
I did not have any sexual problems on Prozac, although I did on a few medications, like Paxil and Zoloft. Regards, Janeg
Response:
Jeff – I just wanted to make a suggestion as far as you Ativan problem goes…I’m on the same med and carry the bottle with me wherever I go in my jacket pocket. When it’s too hot to wear a jacket, I either put the bottle in my pants pocket or stick a couple pills in my wallet for emergencies. It’s like American Express…"I never leave home without it." Could you possibly do something similar and keep a couple of pills in the pocket of your Fire Department uniform? As long as you don’t drop them in a fire or something they should be all right LOL. I’ve been on the same dosage of Ativan for 3 1/2 years and still get the same results, so it’s not necessarily "addictive", a term which implies a need for ever-increasing dosages…there is a difference between dependence and addiction which most doctors fail to understand, unfortunately…addiction to benzodiazapines like Ativan is actually pretty rare; sure there’s a small risk, but there are risks with any medication or therapy. BTW, did you have any long-term damage to your lungs from your accident? If so you may want to mention this to your doctors, because a few psychiatric medications can cause mild respiratory depression. For example, I have asthma & have lost about 20-30% of my lung capacity, & can’t take beta-blockers, which can aggravate those problems. Good luck — Steve
Response:
Thank you Philip for your guidance. Unfortunately, I do take the Wellbutrin for Depression. I tried Zoloft and Paxil years ago and "freaked" out quite similar to when I took the Vicodin. Unfortunately, it seems like this entire Northeast has the same "phobia" as you aptly put it that my current Dr. has.
There are other AD’s. Zoloft and Paxil are closely related within the SSRI-group. You might want to try another SSRI, Luvox maybe which seems to have the lowest side effect profile of all the SSRI’s. Or maybe Prozac if you And then there are the good old TCA’s like *imipramine* which are very helpful for those who can stand the anticholinergic side effects. TCA’s have been quite good to me, better than SSRI’s. I seem to have noticed (but there is no scientific backing-up for this) that people who do well on SSRI’s often do worse on TCA’s and vice versa. And then there are the *newer* AD’s like Serzone, Effexor and what have you but the jury’s still out on these. It *must* be possible to find a non-benzophobic doc. Maybe Margrove knows one in your area – where do you live appr.? I’ve been able to see both sides of the fences between my own experiences with meds and then the pt’s that I treat out in the field. Although you would like to think that the stigma of taking psychiatric meds would disappear, it saddens me to say that the stigma is very much alive in the field of EMS.
In the whole wide world, you may add…. Even though I don’t want to be on another med, I fail to see the Dr’s rationale. When a diabetic has no choice but to take Insulin everyday is he an addict. When a terminally ill cancer pt is taking hundreds of milligrams of morphine a day for pain control is he/she an addict?
You’re quite right of course. This country seems to have a philosophy that the only time that it acceptable to use these type drugs on a daily basis is if you are actually dying. That’s the only time that you deserve to take a med that will make you comfortable.
LOL! Is there a university clinic in your area? That may be good bet. I’m sorry, I’m stressed so I’m venting.
disorder anyway and when we’re not treated in the right way it’s worse. I guess I’m stressed that I don’t know what I’m going to do if my Dr. refuses to give me anything on Wednesday. The other Dr. only gave me a prescription for 30 – 1/2mg tabs. I have quickly found (I’m 200 lbs.) that it takes 1 1/2 to 2 mgs to get through the worst of it. And even though I’m waiting until the last possible minute that I feel I can get away with without passing out, they are not going to last very long. Then I’ll be forced to start taking the Trazadone during the day which totally knocks me out and puts me to sleep. I don’t think that will go over good at work.
Trazadone is best used as a sleeping aid, its track record with depression or (especially) anxiety/panic is not good. Sorry for the rambling, thanks for the suggestions and I’ll let you know how I make out. And by the way, the Pepcid is for Gastric Reflux. (Oh Yey)!
Of course….the famed Dr. Shipko (http://www.algy.com/pdi) advocated the use of *Carafate*. Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: Hi Jeff and welcome to ASAP! You didn’t bore anybody here, I’m sure. I mean, this is why we’re here! 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? You should find another doc asap. Not only is your doc *benzophobic* and withholds you a med that works for you, he also doesn’t know the first thing about PAD or he wouldn’t have prescribed Wellbutrin for you which of all the AD’s is excatly *the one* you should not take for PAD as it worsens anxiety in 90% of the cases. 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. In the same group (*benzodiazepines*) Klonopin is the drug of choice for maintenance although it’s always handy to take some Ativan with you in case of a breakthrough attack. Average Klonopin dose is around 3 mgs. Why exactly do you take the Pepcid? The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Are you also depressed? If so you might want to switch from Wellbutrin to another AD and Klonopin wouldn’t be the first choice med as it can aggravate depression in some in which case you will have to make do with either a shorter acting benzo like Ativan or Xanax or try Valium which may well work too. If you’re not depressed, please skip the Wellbutrin. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Nothing to apologize about. As long as you don’t barge in saying that we are all nitwits and scoundrels there is *no problem* 
) Thanks, Jeff Philip
Response:
Thank you Kelly. I’ll probably have to take the rest of my Ativan before I see my Dr. just so I can deal with him!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff Hi Jeff, I am Kelly. Welcome to the group. Anyone that has experienced the things that you have would cause stress. I was married to a police officer for 11 years and I know the things he saw stressed me out just being told about them. Anyway, Have you told your Doctor all of the things that you have told us? If he can not help you, maybe you need to find a new DR. Your attacks sound like mine..I was diagnoised with Panic Disorder last year. (not saying this is what it is)I know that its hard but you need to find something that will help you or a Dr. that will! Good luck, Jeff and keep us posted on yourself. Kelly — Free audio & video emails, greeting cards and forums Talkway – http://www.talkway.com – Talk more ways (sm)
Response:
Jeff: Welcome to ASAP, I am glad you found us. And you will never bother us with your postings, that is why we are here. So you can vent, ask questions, or make comments. I am sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time right now, I will say that I give you a lot of credit for being in the field that you are in. Not many of us could do what you do. As far as you meds question is concerned, I take Prozac and it has worked well for me. All the side effects have gone away, and it doesn’t knock me out, and I am not sure if it has effected my sex drive, as I didn’t have a great drive before I started taking it, and I am also a female. I will say that maybe the reasons you couldn’t take SSRI’s is because you took to high of a dose to fast. People with anxiety disorder tend to be very sensitive to how we react to medicines, and SSRI’s are known for causing anxiety when you are first taking them. The best rule of thumb is to start at a very small dose, and make small increases in dosage every week or two to minimize the side effects. I had a horrible time for about 10 days when I started taking Prozac. But YMMV(your mileage may very), We all seem to be affected in different ways by med side effects. There are also some newer SSRI’s that claim to have fewer side effects like Celexa. I am not a doctor, this just things I have learned from research,and this newsgroup. Maybe if you can take one of the SSRI’s there won’t be a need for the Ativan except in emergencies. I take Xanax only when I really need it. I also noticed that you said that you only take the Ativan when you really need it, just before you pass out. This may not be a good idea. In my opinion it is better to take that Ativan when you first start getting the anxiety symptoms. My reasoning is this: if you wait until you are at the peak of your anxiety the Ativan may not be enough to relieve the anxiety. If you take it before when the anxiety is lower you might prevent it from peaking, and also relieve the existing anxiety. This is just an idea, and my opinion, YMMV. As far as your doctor goes just ask him what he thinks. Tell him the Ativan seems to work well for you, and maybe he will agree to give you more. I sure hope this helps you some, I hate to see anyone suffer, when there are good meds out there that can really improve you condition, as they have mine. Take Care, and keep us posted on how thing went at the Dr.’s. Chawk
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks d. I never even thought about the Wellbutrin being a problem until you guys started talking about it. It is something I will definitely discuss with him. As far as the other AD’s go, I have tried all of them with bad reactions at one time or another with the exception of Prozac. Has anyone had any luck with this without totally knocking them out or their sex drive? Hello Jeff, Welcome to ASAP. I am sorry to hear you are going through a tough time right now. About your meds one thing strikes me as a bit strange. For the depression they have you on Wellbutrin. From my experience, and also my doctor’s opinion, Wellbutrin can cause people with anxiety problems more trouble, since it tends to be kind of stimulating. One option you have is to try and change your anti-depressant to something like serzone, Prozac, paxil, Zoloft, etc. As for the question regarding the ativan. It is very common for doctors to be phobic about prescribing a benzo now adays. Whether or not he does it is dependent on what his experience is with these drugs and their independent feelings on these medications. As for a medication that is like ativan, but last longer you may want to look into Klonopin, or Valium. Both of those are in the same class, but last longer. However one thing I would be careful of since you have a history of depression is that those medications can cause depression in some people. I would play it very carefully and try one med change at a time. Of course this advise is kind of subjective so your results might vary, or as we like to say YMMV (your mileage may vary). However the best advise I could give you is to talk it over with your doctor, and see what he comes up with. It seems he has had some success with treating your problems in the past, so I would see what he comes up with. Good Luck! d Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
Response:
As far as ad’s go Luvox does not have this side effect for most whom take it. Also Serzone supposedly does not cause sexual side effects either. From my experience, Paxil (20 mg) did cause me some problems initially (delayed ejaculation), but that went away over time for me. If you are concerned about it you can try the Luvox, or Serzone. Another option which I have heard about from my doctor, as well as on the newsgroup is to supplement the AD with Wellbutrin (low dose) or Buspar. The lowering of the Wellbutrin and adding another ad, might be a pretty good option for you, since you are already on Wellbutrin. Hope this helps. YMMV Good Luck! d
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks d. I never even thought about the Wellbutrin being a problem until you guys started talking about it. It is something I will definitely discuss with him. As far as the other AD’s go, I have tried all of them with bad reactions at one time or another with the exception of Prozac. Has anyone had any luck with this without totally knocking them out or their sex drive? Hello Jeff, Welcome to ASAP. I am sorry to hear you are going through a tough time right now. About your meds one thing strikes me as a bit strange. For the depression they have you on Wellbutrin. From my experience, and also my doctor’s opinion, Wellbutrin can cause people with anxiety problems more trouble, since it tends to be kind of stimulating. One option you have is to try and change your anti-depressant to something like serzone, Prozac, paxil, Zoloft, etc. As for the question regarding the ativan. It is very common for doctors to be phobic about prescribing a benzo now adays. Whether or not he does it is dependent on what his experience is with these drugs and their independent feelings on these medications. As for a medication that is like ativan, but last longer you may want to look into Klonopin, or Valium. Both of those are in the same class, but last longer. However one thing I would be careful of since you have a history of depression is that those medications can cause depression in some people. I would play it very carefully and try one med change at a time. Of course this advise is kind of subjective so your results might vary, or as we like to say YMMV (your mileage may vary). However the best advise I could give you is to talk it over with your doctor, and see what he comes up with. It seems he has had some success with treating your problems in the past, so I would see what he comes up with. Good Luck! d Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
Response:
Thanks d. I never even thought about the Wellbutrin being a problem until you guys started talking about it. It is something I will definitely discuss with him. As far as the other AD’s go, I have tried all of them with bad reactions at one time or another with the exception of Prozac. Has anyone had any luck with this without totally knocking them out or their sex drive?
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello Jeff, Welcome to ASAP. I am sorry to hear you are going through a tough time right now. About your meds one thing strikes me as a bit strange. For the depression they have you on Wellbutrin. From my experience, and also my doctor’s opinion, Wellbutrin can cause people with anxiety problems more trouble, since it tends to be kind of stimulating. One option you have is to try and change your anti-depressant to something like serzone, Prozac, paxil, Zoloft, etc. As for the question regarding the ativan. It is very common for doctors to be phobic about prescribing a benzo now adays. Whether or not he does it is dependent on what his experience is with these drugs and their independent feelings on these medications. As for a medication that is like ativan, but last longer you may want to look into Klonopin, or Valium. Both of those are in the same class, but last longer. However one thing I would be careful of since you have a history of depression is that those medications can cause depression in some people. I would play it very carefully and try one med change at a time. Of course this advise is kind of subjective so your results might vary, or as we like to say YMMV (your mileage may vary). However the best advise I could give you is to talk it over with your doctor, and see what he comes up with. It seems he has had some success with treating your problems in the past, so I would see what he comes up with. Good Luck! d Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
Response:
Thank you Philip for your guidance. Unfortunately, I do take the Wellbutrin for Depression. I tried Zoloft and Paxil years ago and "freaked" out quite similar to when I took the Vicodin. Unfortunately, it seems like this entire Northeast has the same "phobia" as you aptly put it that my current Dr. has. I’ve been able to see both sides of the fences between my own experiences with meds and then the pt’s that I treat out in the field. Although you would like to think that the stigma of taking psychiatric meds would disappear, it saddens me to say that the stigma is very much alive in the field of EMS. Even though I don’t want to be on another med, I fail to see the Dr’s rationale. When a diabetic has no choice but to take Insulin everyday is he an addict. When a terminally ill cancer pt is taking hundreds of milligrams of morphine a day for pain control is he/she an addict? This country seems to have a philosophy that the only time that it acceptable to use these type drugs on a daily basis is if you are actually dying. That’s the only time that you deserve to take a med that will make you comfortable. I’m sorry, I’m stressed so I’m venting. I guess I’m stressed that I don’t know what I’m going to do if my Dr. refuses to give me anything on Wednesday. The other Dr. only gave me a prescription for 30 – 1/2mg tabs. I have quickly found (I’m 200 lbs.) that it takes 1 1/2 to 2 mgs to get through the worst of it. And even though I’m waiting until the last possible minute that I feel I can get away with without passing out, they are not going to last very long. Then I’ll be forced to start taking the Trazadone during the day which totally knocks me out and puts me to sleep. I don’t think that will go over good at work. Sorry for the rambling, thanks for the suggestions and I’ll let you know how I make out. And by the way, the Pepcid is for Gastric Reflux. (Oh Yey)!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: Hi Jeff and welcome to ASAP! You didn’t bore anybody here, I’m sure. I mean, this is why we’re here! 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? You should find another doc asap. Not only is your doc *benzophobic* and withholds you a med that works for you, he also doesn’t know the first thing about PAD or he wouldn’t have prescribed Wellbutrin for you which of all the AD’s is excatly *the one* you should not take for PAD as it worsens anxiety in 90% of the cases. 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. In the same group (*benzodiazepines*) Klonopin is the drug of choice for maintenance although it’s always handy to take some Ativan with you in case of a breakthrough attack. Average Klonopin dose is around 3 mgs. Why exactly do you take the Pepcid? The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Are you also depressed? If so you might want to switch from Wellbutrin to another AD and Klonopin wouldn’t be the first choice med as it can aggravate depression in some in which case you will have to make do with either a shorter acting benzo like Ativan or Xanax or try Valium which may well work too. If you’re not depressed, please skip the Wellbutrin. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Nothing to apologize about. As long as you don’t barge in saying that we are all nitwits and scoundrels there is *no problem* ) Thanks, Jeff Philip
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions:
Hi Jeff and welcome to ASAP! You didn’t bore anybody here, I’m sure. I mean, this is why we’re here! 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds?
You should find another doc asap. Not only is your doc *benzophobic* and withholds you a med that works for you, he also doesn’t know the first thing about PAD or he wouldn’t have prescribed Wellbutrin for you which of all the AD’s is excatly *the one* you should not take for PAD as it worsens anxiety in 90% of the cases. 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went.
In the same group (*benzodiazepines*) Klonopin is the drug of choice for maintenance although it’s always handy to take some Ativan with you in case of a breakthrough attack. Average Klonopin dose is around 3 mgs. Why exactly do you take the Pepcid? The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy.
Are you also depressed? If so you might want to switch from Wellbutrin to another AD and Klonopin wouldn’t be the first choice med as it can aggravate depression in some in which case you will have to make do with either a shorter acting benzo like Ativan or Xanax or try Valium which may well work too. If you’re not depressed, please skip the Wellbutrin. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have.
Nothing to apologize about. As long as you don’t barge in saying that we are all nitwits and scoundrels there is *no problem* ) Thanks, Jeff
Philip
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
Hi Jeff, I am Kelly. Welcome to the group. Anyone that has experienced the things that you have would cause stress. I was married to a police officer for 11 years and I know the things he saw stressed me out just being told about them. Anyway, Have you told your Doctor all of the things that you have told us? If he can not help you, maybe you need to find a new DR. Your attacks sound like mine..I was diagnoised with Panic Disorder last year. (not saying this is what it is)I know that its hard but you need to find something that will help you or a Dr. that will! Good luck, Jeff and keep us posted on yourself. Kelly — Free audio & video emails, greeting cards and forums Talkway – http://www.talkway.com – Talk more ways (sm)
Response:
Hello Jeff, Welcome to ASAP. I am sorry to hear you are going through a tough time right now. About your meds one thing strikes me as a bit strange. For the depression they have you on Wellbutrin. From my experience, and also my doctor’s opinion, Wellbutrin can cause people with anxiety problems more trouble, since it tends to be kind of stimulating. One option you have is to try and change your anti-depressant to something like serzone, Prozac, paxil, Zoloft, etc. As for the question regarding the ativan. It is very common for doctors to be phobic about prescribing a benzo now adays. Whether or not he does it is dependent on what his experience is with these drugs and their independent feelings on these medications. As for a medication that is like ativan, but last longer you may want to look into Klonopin, or Valium. Both of those are in the same class, but last longer. However one thing I would be careful of since you have a history of depression is that those medications can cause depression in some people. I would play it very carefully and try one med change at a time. Of course this advise is kind of subjective so your results might vary, or as we like to say YMMV (your mileage may vary). However the best advise I could give you is to talk it over with your doctor, and see what he comes up with. It seems he has had some success with treating your problems in the past, so I would see what he comes up with. Good Luck! d
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
Response:
Hi, My name is Jeff and I just found this group. I apologize for being so rude as to post this the very first time to visit the newsgroup but I am desperate. If I violated any rules or offend anyone, please accept my apologies. I guess a little history is in order. I am a professional firefighter (I hope this doesn’t make you think any less of firefighter’s now) and have been for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in that time period and was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back in relation to a triple fatality that I worked at. I had a very big battle on my hands (intense suicidal thoughts, total shut-down of emotions, etc) which I finally got a handle on with some medication and a lot of therapy. Just when things were looking up in 1996, I experienced a cold-water near-drowning while doing rescue training in the icy water. Long story short, I got some ice water into my lungs which instantly gave me bronchial spasms. I could suck in air but instead of it going into my lungs, it went into my stomach. Needless to say, this isn’t a good feeling. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and that was that. Although I knew that deep inside this bothered me, I have been functioning without many problems for three years, until now. Before I go any further, this is what I am on for meds: Wellbutrin – 150 mg 3x/day Trazadone – 150 mg @ night Pepcid – 20mg 2x/day Allegra D – 2x/day Flonase – 2x/day 3 weeks ago, I had to go in for sinus surgery. Afterwards, I had dissolvable packings in my nose for 2 weeks so not a whole lot of air has been getting through my nose. Because of swelling I’m still not getting all I should through. The day after my surgery I took my Vicodin (pain reliever) as I was supposed to and about 1/2 hour later started having difficulty breathing, even with my mouth open. I would take a breath and it was like I got nothing. After about an hour, and almost calling an ambulance, the feeling started to subside. I figured I was probably having a reaction to the Vicodin so stopped taking it and managed my pain the best I could with just Tylenol. I was ok for a couple of days and then I started having these "little attacks" every so often. It started out as a couple of times a day, now it’s pretty much constant throughout the day unless I’m busy and my mind is occupied with something else. I went to see my Psychologist and she was able to get one of the Doc’s from upstairs to come down and prescribe me some Ativan. Needless to say, when I take the Ativan things get much better. I don’t like getting into the habit of popping a pill to control these anxiety attacks because they’re not always going to be available to me (Ie at an emergency scene, etc.) But, I also can’t keep going through this everday. Now I’m getting chest pains when it happens. (The Dr.’s checked my heart and ran an EKG and all was fine. My regular Meds Dr. that manages my Wellbutrin and Trazadone (from the same practice) wasn’t in that day so they made me an appt to see him on Wednesday. I know for a fact that he does not like prescribing Ativan and similar class drugs as he see’s them as being addictive. I don’t know how to deal with this on Wednesday. After boring you all to tears I guess these are my two questions: 1. How do I deal with a Dr. that feels this way about these meds? 2. Is there a different longer lasting drug that I could take with the same effect as Ativan that I can take a couple of times a day so that I wouldn’t have to worry about always having Ativan with me wherever I went. The last thing that I need is to be on another med, but I feel that I need something to help me through this until I can learn to fully deal with this through therapy. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. And I’m sorry again for the length of this and for "barging" into this newsgroup like I have. Thanks, Jeff
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