Any Advice on Medications?

[Maisey1]

Hi- I"ve posted here recently and have really enjoyed reading this forum. I will be seeing my first psychiatrist next week with anxiety and grief. The anxiety is worse than the grief right now! Two and half years ago 4 weeks after the birth of my daughter my dad was dx with ALS. I started taking Sarafem, which seemed to work for a year, then went off. Xanax for the anxiety. Come to find out from my family and friends I was a little 'bitchy' while on the drug. Does anyone have ANY suggestions for another. I am doing my research, but would like to know from personal experiences.

I just know I will be going down that road again....my anxiety is I seem to manifest symptoms of ALS when all this is going on. Well, really just twitchy all over and weak. I  know it's my anxiety, but it's all in my head....you know the drill. I can't believe it has 'taken over' my body and life.

Anyway, please throw out some suggestions for me...I would greatly appreciate it.

[RubyWitch]

We've already named Scott "SnazzyPants," so I think the pant theme is wearing thin. I'll accept Greenymeany, but much prefer QueenLydia. I AM wearing a tiara.

And if we can't have fun on this forum, then I want to get off. We are all dealing with some very serious %$*@ here and a good giggle now and then is, as we say at the hospital, the best medicine!

HairlessKat..............how very brave of you. I tip my tiara to your courage.

Peace
Greenlydia

[Jennifer375]

Rolfamo,, are we supposed to have this much fun on an anxiety forum? hahaha

*winks, would you preffer Mrs. Greenpants?" Nah,, I like mine better. :0) Thats okay, on anouther forum I go by the nickname "HairlessKat",, I used to raise sphynx kitties, so when chemo balded me out, it seemed appropriate somehow. Big grins... love ya gf. :0)

*With a great apprication for the smile*        Jenn

[RubyWitch]

Did you just call me "Greenymeany?" I AM TOO!

Hey, wanna be my friend? I love people who recognize my genius!

Sign up list below...............

(ROFLMAO)

Greenlydia

[Jennifer375]

Your with and sense of humor always give me a smile,, not sure how well it works for your 'patients' hahahaha,, but it sure makes me feel better.

I agree wtih Greenymeany though ,, shes right. You need something be it medicine or distraction to help.

With live and deep respect*  Jenn

[RubyWitch]

You do NOT have ALZHEIMERS!!!!!!! You are worn out with the new baby, the anxiety, the horrible news about your father and now you are heading into the wasteland of hypochondria. A very common side trip when someone we love gets a DX of something bad. I myself have had several types of cancer, strokes & heart attacks...........and that was just THIS week! Next week I may be blind, crippled and crazy.

You are suffering from severe burn-out! Is it any wonder your mind is going at warp speed! You need to find ways to get some peace in your life while you wait for your psych. meeting next week. You can, if you really put your mind to it. Perhaps you could call your doc and ask if you could up your dosage of Xanax by a smidge until the appt. to help get you through this week. BUT JUST A SMIDGE! You CAN do this. You WILL do this, because you are intelligent and self-aware and because, well, you have no choice. Chin up and press on. This too shall pass.
Greenlydia  

[Maisey1]

Thanks for your comments! Wow--when I read them, you put things into perspective. My mind is a racehorse right not and for me to read something that makes sense is a welcome feeling. I went to the 'dark side' once and found my way back. I will start composing my 'shopping list'--great idea!  When I do take my Xanax, the twitching is less, which leads me to say over and over...."if this was ALS, it wouldn't be subsiding".  I am right there aren't I? :)   I have met someone on the ALS forum page who is going through the same issues and it has been good to talk about.

Thanks for your advice!

[shelzmike]

greenlydia has said it very well. Everyone has their own experiences with different medicines. I am one of the damn-Paxil-to-hell-xanax-is-wonder drug people. However, she did make a great point also about waiting until your psychaitrist talks with you to recommend (if any) medicine. The if any part is key. I decided to get off my dailies and simply take xanax as needed. I wanted to kick this things tail (which is possible) without many drugs - otherwise I feared I really would be taking them for the rest of my life. Especially since my gp told me that I "Would probably be taking this for the rest of [my] life" and that "You will have this problem for the rest of your life", which I know now is not true. Good luck - and stay off Google! It is almost directely linked to manifestation anxiety :)

[RubyWitch]

Good Morning Sweetie,
Welcome to the forum! We're glad you found us!
Fluoxetine can create an entire boatload of reactions in different people. I don't have any persoanl experience with it, but there are many folks here who will either sing it's praises or damn it to hell. That your friends and family found you a tad "bitchy" while on this med is an oft heard side effect. It apparently did you SOME good, but not enough for you to continue. There are many other anti-depressants you could try, I could list them alphabetically for you, which would do you no good at all, and you say you are doing your own research, but, in my humble opinion, since you will be seeing your psychiatrist next week, I would advise you to hang on as best you can and let him/her advise you as to which med, if any, you should/could try next. None of us is a doctor and we'd be remiss to recommend any drug. We can share our experiences, but it remains in the hands of the professionals to prescribe for you. You are still on the Xanax, which is good for right now, but I hope you have a talk with the shrink about that med as well. It's a wonder drug for some of us, a nightmare for others.
That you seem to be manifesting symptoms of your fathers DX I think is very common, especially if you have an anxiety monkey on your back to begin with. Yet another issue to discuss at your therapy session. Being "twitchy and weak all over" can certainly be caused by anxiety. Try your very best, thru exercise, yoga, deep breathing, getting out with some friends, whatever you can do right now to get your mind off these problems, if only for a few hours, will give your nervous system time to decompress and regroup.Grief and anxiety often go hand in hand. Take your Xanax as scheduled, make a list of all the things you want to talk about when your appointment day arrives. (Funny how 55 minutes can just fly by......nothing wrong with a shopping list!)
Congratulations on the birth of your lovely daughter, and I'm very sorry not only about your fathers DX but that it had to come so soon after such a happy event. Life can be very unfair at times.

I hope this was a little supportive for you. But again, my best opinion is to hang on for the next week, enjoy your baby and let the grief come when it may, and take all these worries and concerns to your doctor. My guess.............you will be feeling better right after that first appointment, not because all your worries or symptom will be gone, but because you are being proactive in your own care and knowing you are doing everything you can to help yourself. Finding a support group for families dealing with Alzheimers might be in the near future for you. There is no reason to travel a road alone when there are hundreds of people on the same journey.
Keep posting my friend. Take care of yourself. Let us know how you're doing.
Greenlydia