Is there a Doctor that knows what they're doing???

[Irritated7567]

Hopefully there is someone that can help with my issue. This has been a four plus year battle that started by me telling my doctor I was having trouble falling asleep.No doctor seems to be able to help me feel any better. One Doctor say Generalized Anxiety and the other ADD. This list is a short version:

1. Put on Alprazolam to help sleep (didn't realize it was Xanax)
2. After approximately two years started having dizzy spells
3. Was put through the million dollar work up (i.e. – EEG, EKG, Brain MRI with and without contrast, Echo     Cardiogram, Nuclear Stress Test, etc…)
4. “Diagnosed” with G.A.D. (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) since all tests were “Normal”
5. Started taking the Alprazolam twice daily as written on the bottle (was written this way so “I wouldn’t run out”) and dizzy spells went away. (Can you say ADDICTION!!!)
6. Same Doctor then tried me on the following: Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil, and Paxil CR (all while on the Alprazolam).
7. Switched Doctors
8. New Doctor got me off the Xanax and Lexapro and onto Wellbutrin 300mg XL.
9. Wellbutrin started to feel as though it was wearing off mid day.
10. Doctor thought there may be ADD involved and tried me on 18mg Straterra with the Wellbutrin. THIS DID NOT WORK. HAD A MAJOR REACTION.
11. Referred to Specialist who thinks it's ADD as well.
12. Taken off Wellbutrin XL and put onto Focalin XL and Clonazepam
13. Felt no difference
14. Switched to Vyvanse along with the Clonazepam. It's been 4 weeks and I still feel no different.

After all this I still feel the same as I did when I went in for all those tests 3-4 years ago. I also want to mention that I am taking Lunesta to help me sleep. This stuff is a joke. It DOES NOT make me tired. It does however take away the spacey/ disconnected feelings I have all day long. Anyone have ANY ADVICE?????  

[ellua]

are you taking the benzos along with the vyvanse?  if at all possible, benzos just in the PM and vyvanse for the day is best.

[marileew]

If you want to try treating that mild apnea on your own to see if it helps... you could try some of the following (none of them are medicines or anything you'd need a doctors "ok" for, but they are things that an actual doctor might suggest for apnea):

- as long as you don't have back or neck problems, try sleeping on your side. (switching from sleeping on your back to your side can trigger back/neck pain in people who suffer from bad back/neck pain) if you find sleep on your side difficult, there are special pillows you can buy to "encourage" you to sleep on your side... usually these are anti-snoring pillows... and you can usually buy them at medical supply stores that sell other types of special pillows such as cervical pillows... let them know what you're looking for, they'll let you know if they have a product that is suitable for encouraging you to sleep on your side.

- you can also try sleeping propped up slightly... maybe buy a foam wedge and put it under the end of your mattress where your head is. having your head up like that can sometimes be helpful. (off topic... this is also great for anyone suffering from acid reflux... like heart burn... at night time... just in case you ever meet anyone who has heart burn at night time, you can let them know!)

- if you smoke, try quitting or reducing the amount you smoke. many people find that quitting smoking helps sleep apnea.

- avoid drinking alcohol, especially before bed. and avoid any other nervous-system depressants other than ones that have been prescribed to you (some anti-anxiety meds are depressants...) NEVER stop taking a medication without first consulting a doctor or pharmacist (preferably a doctor) as it can be really dangerous... i'm just talking about recreational stuff, like alcohol, and, avoid recreational stuff when and if possible.

- don't take sleeping pills... could actually make it worse! unless a doctor has told you to take sleeping pills. or you find that sleeping pills are helpful. don't stop doing something that is helpful.

- use a saline nasal spray daily. this is non-addictive and won't cause rebound allergies or rebound congestion. it's just salt water in a little tiny spray bottle. you can buy it at the drug store. make sure it's the kind WITHOUT any medication in it!! it should JUST be saline!

- try to get daily exercise. although it looks like Bobbigirl58 already suggested this one and you already let her know that you get lots of daily exercise, so that's really good!!! :)

okay... that's all of the non-medication stuff i can think of...

---

p.s. just want to make sure that anyone else reading this knows that this advice is only for Irritated7567 or other people who have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and told they don't need treatment by their doctors... or, to be used in combination with treatment for others with sleep apnea with consult from their doctors. because sleep apnea CAN be very serious for some people and i don't want anyone to think i'm suggesting that this replaces a doctors visit, diagnosis and regular treatment for anyone who suspects that they may have sleep apnea)

[Irritated7567]

Thanks for the input. After reading your post, I did realize that I had not mentioned that one of the tests I was sent for was a sleep study. The result was mild apnea with no need for treatment. I have inquired about the therapy but it seems like all the specialists where I live want to do is get you in and out. I'm probably going to have to end up driving to a larger city to get a doctor without the small town "I can fix anything" attitude.

[margypops]

I went through the same thing..I dont take any prescibed meds now as I also had a reaction from 2 drugs , ended in the ER after that fiasco, I decided I was going to go it alone and get myself well, I started to do research, I joined Med Help and have found others help and advice invaluable. I also started on Supplements, I have a great health food store, first I went and read up about feeling anxious, then I started to take 5HTP this did help me however I found that after a few months I was having headaches in the morning and nightmares. They do say give it a break then start again, I then tried Sam-E I found this great it lifts your mood and you feel really good again,they use it a lot in Europe have done for years, you have to take it for a while then stop for a while.  I find the anxiety I had felt has lessened a lot, I am taking Adrenal support supplements ,iodine as I think there maybe some low thyroid going on.I took control of being my own health expert as I had had so many misdiagnos and put onto the latest drug that the drug companies were pushing .I have learnt to relax more and not get stressed out,. I go onto the Complementary Medicine forum here for the latest healthnews , I take differant supplements , Fish oil and Vits  you may want to try it ...

[marileew]

The thing with these types of meds is that it is a trial and error process...

so, it's sort of like, if you do have anxiety or ADD, then the only way to treat it WITH medication is to find a medication that works via trial and error which is what the doctors were doing... sometimes it takes a lot longer for some than others...

now, there are other ways of treating anxiety (and some people believe other ways of treating ADD as well) than just medication... just as behavioral therapy. so, you could try looking into this as well or instead of the medication.

now, it is also possible that you were misdiagnosed.

your original problem was sleep? so... i don't really get why they'd jump to anxiety or ADD unless you were showing other symptoms that really fit those things.

if you don't feel you have ADD or anxiety... and you believe a misdiagnosis was made, i think maybe you should try going to a sleep clinic, since that was your original complaint. a lot of the times... the diagnosis has to do with the type of specialist you go to see. so, you know, if you're having trouble sleeping... it's a good idea to go to the people who know about that the most, which in this case, would be a sleep disorder clinic (ask for a referral from your GP or see if there is a sleep disorder clinic at your local hospital)

if you do think it is possible that you suffer from anxiety or ADD... because you fit the symptoms of either... then therapy would probably be a good thing to start right now in addition to the medication... and it will just take a while to figure out what medication is right for you. i know it is a pain... but, eventually you'll find the one that's right for you. or, maybe you'll find that you don't need the medication once you are in therapy.

hope that helps.

[Irritated7567]

Started with a general physician then found a psychiatrist on my own. He did nothing but switch me from one med to another (for GAD) while at the same time increasing the Xanax. I left him when I asked what other treatments were available and why my appointments were only 15 minutes. Basically long enough to write the new scripts. When I left him I found a new Primary Doctor who was great at getting me off the Xanax and Paxil and onto Wellbutrin. After some evaluation (over a few months) they thought the issue was more ADD not GAD. They tried me on a low dose of Straterra and when I had a bad reaction to that they refered me to my current psychiatrist. He believes the issue is ADD also, however; everything they try does not change the way I feel throughout the day. I still to this day believe that the original dizzy spells that began the GAD treatment and testing was simply the fact that I had become addicted to the Xanax.

I am finding it difficult to trust anything a doctor says anymore. I have always dismissed what alot of people have told me but am now wondering if they may be on to something. Everyone simple says they think the doctors were quick to put me on the drugs and I probably have been mis-diagnosed from the beggining. All I want is to feel "normal" again and find someone to tell me why I feel the way I do.

[Sandman2]

Just curious,  what is the specialties of the doctors you have been seeing?  Were any of them psychologists?

[Irritated7567]

I have been working to lose some weight that I gained when on the Paxil and get on a more regular exercise routine. My job involves a lot of walking and I usually leave at 5am and get home at 6pm. I have improved my diet over the last six months or so, not to say I don't grab the occasional burger. I'm simply getting tired of what appears to be doctors who just spin the medication wheel until they find something that works. Personally I would like to not have to take anything. But if I do....at least tell me why and what is causing it. The most frustrating part is that no one can tell me how I went from Xanax helping me sleep to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and now to ADD.

As far other issues in my life....yea I have stress but who doesn't. There are those much worse off than myself and I try to keep a positive attitude when at all possible.

Thank you for the response.

[Bobbigirl58]

I don't mean to simplify by ANY means but what is the rest of your life like??  Do you exercise?  Exercise can do wonders for the whole person. Running or walking daily gets the endorphins going for a sense of well being AND helps with sleep issues. ANY type of exercise can be beneficial. A good diet also.