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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
ANXIETY, WHY DOESN'T MEDS WORK?
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
ANXIETY, WHY DOESN'T MEDS WORK?
by Jenny Wren, Nov 28, 2006 12:00AM
I have been dealing with some really odd feelings for 6 years now. I am truly convinced that there is something wrong with me other than having "anxiety". I am now at the point that I wish someone would take me and have me admitted to a hospital and not let me out til they find out what is wrong with me. I suffer EVERYDAY from weird feelings that go through me body like ice water in my veins, bug crawling sensations, tingling, NO NUMBNESS though, thank the good Lord! My doc has had me on Prozac, 20 mg, and .25 mg of xanax daily, if this is anxiety, why aren't these feelings going away with the meds? Do I need to try a higher dosage? Or what? I just want to be normal again, I worry everyday of my life that I have MS, I twitch, tingle, and chest feels like its vibrating inside. I have been on Prozac for 3 weeks now, I still have no energy, and now I keep getting these real cold sensations that wake me up out of a dead sleep, they will start in my face and then I'll feel them in my legs, it is awful. I had normal brain and c-spine MRI this year, so this is why the doc said NO to "MS". But I have read that sometimes lesions don't show up for years on MRIS. 1. Can Prozac cause these cold flushes/spots on body?
2. Is my other symtpoms common with anxiety? 3. Why aren't the meds working if this is anxiety? I'm sorry for all the rambling, but I am truly at the end of my rope. This worry has consumed me for the last 6 years, and I could let this go, if the STRANGE FEELINGS would just GO AWAY, and STAY AWAY. 4. Could this be "benign fasciculation syndrome" maybe? This all started 6 years ago when I started having anxiety attacks because I was worried about a brain tumor, because I suffer from migraines. The anxiety attacks really messed me up and left me with 3 months of nausea, and I lost 25 lbs. I googled nausea and came up with MS as a cause of nausea. That is where it went down hill, then I started noticing every little thing in my body, and boom, here I am today, still the same after 6 years, and I just want my life back, I have a 10 year old son, a new, beautiful home, and a caring and wonderful husband, but he thinks this is "all in my head", and its not, I feel these feelings everyday, Can you please help and tell me what you think? The only time that I don't have these feelings is when I take a bath, or go to bed, but since starting the Prozac, the cold sensations have been waking me up. PLEASE, TELL ME THE TRUTH IN WHAT YOU THINK, I'M DESPERATE. Thank you for your time and patience, and you have a great holiday!!!!
2. Is my other symtpoms common with anxiety? 3. Why aren't the meds working if this is anxiety? I'm sorry for all the rambling, but I am truly at the end of my rope. This worry has consumed me for the last 6 years, and I could let this go, if the STRANGE FEELINGS would just GO AWAY, and STAY AWAY. 4. Could this be "benign fasciculation syndrome" maybe? This all started 6 years ago when I started having anxiety attacks because I was worried about a brain tumor, because I suffer from migraines. The anxiety attacks really messed me up and left me with 3 months of nausea, and I lost 25 lbs. I googled nausea and came up with MS as a cause of nausea. That is where it went down hill, then I started noticing every little thing in my body, and boom, here I am today, still the same after 6 years, and I just want my life back, I have a 10 year old son, a new, beautiful home, and a caring and wonderful husband, but he thinks this is "all in my head", and its not, I feel these feelings everyday, Can you please help and tell me what you think? The only time that I don't have these feelings is when I take a bath, or go to bed, but since starting the Prozac, the cold sensations have been waking me up. PLEASE, TELL ME THE TRUTH IN WHAT YOU THINK, I'M DESPERATE. Thank you for your time and patience, and you have a great holiday!!!!
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Nov 30, 2006 12:00AM
, Nov 30, 2006 12:00AM
First of all, the doses of both medications are very low and can be increased significantly, so talk to your doctor about incrementally increasing them to a more therapeutic dose.
Secondly, the approach you did not talk about is psychotherapy, to get to the root of your somatic anxiety. I would definetly recommend that as the best thing you can do while increasing the medication level.
Since this has been going on for 6 years,it is extremely unlikely that this is anything other than extreme somatic anxiety.
Secondly, the approach you did not talk about is psychotherapy, to get to the root of your somatic anxiety. I would definetly recommend that as the best thing you can do while increasing the medication level.
Since this has been going on for 6 years,it is extremely unlikely that this is anything other than extreme somatic anxiety.
First of all, Your not alone. I myself was recently diagnosed with Anxiety/depression. I think the key to recovery is 1)Finding a good therapist that you can trucst and relate to. Therapy is very importain. This is not in your head. This is a serious mental issue and in my opinion Congitive Behavioral therapy is great for anxiety issues. 2) If meds are an option then I would find a good psychiatrist that you can trust. Someone besides a GP that knows about pyscotropic meds. There are new meds that are available today for Anxiety and depression. I'm currently on Lexapro which is one of the newere SSRI meds. You mentioned that you have been on Xanax at .25mg. You might need to talk to your psychiatrist about taking a higher dose. There are also other Bezo options out there like Ativan or Klonopin that have a lessor addiction profile.
Good luck Jenny! I know what your going through. I've been there myself. I would start your recovery process by finding a good therapist.
Jimmy
best of luck