my job covers behavorial health and I'm seeing a shrink, but she doesn't medicate. the behavorial health is under different coverage than my CIGNA medical doctor group.

i think I need a paxil / xanax combo just to make it through this mental breakdown I've been going through for the past year. things are taking its toll and I really need to focus on my career right now. that's why I need the medication.

9/5/2006 3:31:58 PM

you know why you're interesting

it's because you're unbelieveable

and yet, I believe

9/5/2006 3:34:08 PM

Quote :

" you're unbelieveable and yet, I believe "

that's the story of my life, bub. but yeah. i need to get medicated like bad. the therapist helps me out with our sessions, but the sessions combined with anti-depressants would really fix me i think.

9/5/2006 3:36:05 PM

everything about you and everything you say screams LIAR

but the consistency...

[Edited on September 5, 2006 at 3:36 PM. Reason : .]

9/5/2006 3:36:51 PM

your therapist/psychologist should be able to diagnose whether or not you need to be medicated - and typically they work with a psychiatrist that can prescribe medicine...

this is bullshit

9/5/2006 3:38:12 PM

not exactly

there are lots of psycologists who will be dead set against having you go to someone to get you meds

9/5/2006 3:39:16 PM

the problem is I doubt who she recommends would be in my Cigna network. Cigna doesn't have a behavorial health program or at least not my policy.


however, my job does have a slew of shrinks to choose from, but none of them medicate.


i think the drugs would really help me . . . lately, i've been drinking alcohol to numb myself. and I hate it, not because of fear of becoming an alcoholic, but my own vanity. constant alcohol consumption could age me and add pounds to my frame. i think its like 8 grams of fat per ounce or something like that. and then I don't want to do blow - because a) i really like it and b) my job tests randomly . . . , which ended my pot intake.

I'M IN A CATCH 22 IF YOU WILL.

9/5/2006 3:42:17 PM

Quote :

"i think I need a paxil / xanax combo just to make it through this mental breakdown I've been going through for the past year"

you, the voices in your head, or tv?

9/5/2006 3:50:57 PM

Do you not have a regular MD that you see for physicals, etc? They've always been the ones to give me whatever ssnri's, sleep aids, anti-anxiety meds i need. . . Just gotta get on their good side.

9/5/2006 3:59:50 PM

Quote :

"i think its like 8 grams of fat per ounce or something like that"

there is no fat in alcohol. think about that for a second!

you are referring to there being 7 calories/gram of alcohol, as compared to 4 calories/gram of carbs and 9 calories/gram of fats.

9/5/2006 3:59:58 PM

^ you know what I mean. that's the main reason I wouldn't become an alcoholic.

9/5/2006 4:01:01 PM

As a person who comes from a family with a history of extensive mental health problems. . .

1. If you have a drinking problem or any kind of chemical addiction, they will not prescribe Xanax. Xanax is extremely dangerous in combination with alcohol and addictive. In fact, the over-use and mis-use of a drug like Xanax can increase depression, create dependence, and even lead to death. Unless you have a death wish, I wouldn't want for anyone to prescribe me Xanax in a depressed/self destructive state.

2. Unless you have been on this particular medication before and KNOW that it works for you, I wouldn't dare start taking it. I had the worst experience with this medication. Paxil is known to cause increases in aggressive behavior. Unless you plan on taking Paxil for the rest of your life, Paxil withdrawal is a very real problem. It's similar to coming off of an illegal drug addiction.

http://depression.about.com/od/paroxetine/a/paxilwithdrawal.htm

If you would like medication and you are under the care of a therapist, your therapist should be able to recommend someone to see for a prescription. If you make your therapist aware of your insurance constraints, she should still be able to find you someone who uses your insurance. Doctors and therapists are very familiar with insurance constraints and know how to handle them.

As a last resort, you can discuss medication with your primary care physician. Some family doctors are comfortable with prescribing anti-depressants, especially if they know that you are under the care of a therapist and are in contact with that therapist. My family doctor is comfortable with writing refills for psychiatric medication that I have been on for years that was originally prescribed by a psychiatrist that I no longer see. This same doctor also prescribed my mother anti-depressants after having a conversation with her without hesitation. It's all going to depend on the doctor and how well they know you as a patient because not all doctors are comfortable with this (student health for example was not comfortable writing me refills for my medication without having my entire medical history forwarded from my primary care physician).

[Edited on September 5, 2006 at 4:29 PM. Reason : ,\.]

9/5/2006 4:26:55 PM

I took a xannie once when I was drinking and slept very well.

9/5/2006 4:31:08 PM

well. i was on a xanax / paxil combo for about 1 month and then 3 months of paxil. i was prescribed due to a high stress level. i got audited, had pending foreclosure on an investment property and got into a car accident all within the the same month. i developed this eye twitching problem, etc (which is the only reason I went to get checked out).


the doc gave me the combo and then straight PAXIL. PAXIL was a motherfucker to get over when I was off. it was so bad that I vowed not to get on it again, but what I remember best is how I was able to deal with all the stress and overcome everything. WHICH IS WHY I WANT TO GO BACK.

i'm aware of how strong those drugs are because instances where i've skiied alot I'd use anti-depressant/anti-anxiety drugs to get over the skii withdrawl symptoms.

9/5/2006 4:34:36 PM

Xanax is probably a really bad call if you're drinking now in place of it. If the combo worked in the past thats good, but there are plenty of varieties and alternatives to SSRIs and benzos that are less likely to cause as many side effects and withdrawl effects as what you were taking. Medications like EMSAM (an MAOI patch) are good for depression/anxiety/ADHD and have virtually no side effects. Klonopin is usually a better benzo for anxiety because its not as intense, and it lasts long enough so that you don't wind up popping them every few hours, leading to addiction. It would be better with no benzo's at all though, since they pretty much all have potential for addiction. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of options for anxiety medication that don't have downsides.

9/5/2006 5:15:47 PM

Buspar is great for the prevention and management of anxiety disorders. Family members have a history of alcoholism, so they did not want to put me on anything like xanax or klonopin. Buspar is something that has to stay in your system in order to work, so you can't just take a few, drink a beer, and pass out. I took it 3 times a day without any real side effects, but saw a significant reduction in anxiety, panic attacks, and greatly improved sleep patterns.

Paxil initially helped, but then became a downhill spiral -- especially trying to quit it. Zoloft on the other hand is my miracle drug. I had very few side effects, saw an amazing improvement in my depression and anxiety, and had no problems with withdrawal when I chose to try life without it.

My personal power combination to treat my problems (GAD & MDD) is Buspar, Zoloft, and Ambien/Sonata. But everyone's body chemistry reacts differently to medications.

[Edited on September 5, 2006 at 5:27 PM. Reason : sp.]

9/5/2006 5:26:09 PM

Real men don't need drugs.

9/5/2006 5:41:21 PM

^

9/5/2006 5:41:53 PM

^^ Masculinity has nothing to do with it. Its really easy to make a generalization about this if you've never experienced it firsthand. I'm not saying that Amsterdam718 neccessarily needs this stuff just because he thinks he does, but there are plenty of people who do need it. Getting treated for SAD has made a huge difference for me, and I'm still manly as hell as far as I'm concerned.

9/5/2006 7:18:12 PM

I was put on a Prozac / Xanax combo for stress and anxiety issues. I don't take the Xanax unless I can't sleep (is that abuse? ). The Xanax is strong and just knocks me the fuck out. I guess I could chop the pill in half/fourths, but I'm doing fine without it.

9/5/2006 7:27:28 PM

ive felt like i needed some kind of AD for a couple of months now. since i quit all the other stuff, ive had to start actually dealing with all the things i was avoiding by getting fucked up. so part of me wants to get on something, but the other part thinks it will be the same thing as i was doing before, only legally.

so im going the sober route and just assuming that it takes time to feel normal again after so many years of all drugs all the time. its not fun most of the time, actually its hell, and very very depressing most of the time -- but its better than being strung out and not knowing/caring whats going on around me. i'd give it some time first before trying the drugs. im sure they will make you feel better, and make you forget what bugs you... but i dont think its the best idea.

9/5/2006 7:30:05 PM

i fought the irs and the irs won

9/5/2006 7:34:33 PM

Quote :

"your therapist/psychologist should be able to diagnose whether or not you need to be medicated - and typically they work with a psychiatrist that can prescribe medicine... this is bullshit "

some shrinks are too arrogant to realize there is actually a biological component

9/5/2006 7:54:01 PM

I would say if there are no psychiatrists in your network then either A. go to a regular ass doctor or B. pay out of pocket, you only see the psychiatrist like once every 6 months or so anyway, and if you have Rx coverage on your medical insurance, they should pick up most of the price on the generics regardless of who they are prescribed by.

9/6/2006 4:47:15 PM

Quote :

"some shrinks are too arrogant to realize there is actually a biological component"

Sometimes they're arrogant. Sometimes they want your money for lots and lots of visits. Other times they actually care and don't wanna just dope you up and send you on your way. Meanwhile there are family docs with very little background in psychiatry/psychology are doling out Xanax, Ambien, Adderall, and Zoloft like it's fucking candy...

[Edited on September 6, 2006 at 4:52 PM. Reason : sss]

9/6/2006 4:51:48 PM

^thats true, I guess it balances out

although I'm just kind of annoyed a couple yrs back when it was obvious my mood was just too low to function and my shrink was busy showing me ink blots and crap

9/7/2006 12:01:08 AM

You need to move out of your exgirlfriend's place. Then the problems will go away.

9/7/2006 12:14:20 AM

I haven't even read the whole thread, but this bit stopped me cold:

Quote :

"Medications like EMSAM (an MAOI patch) are good for depression/anxiety/ADHD and have virtually no side effects"

No side effects?! Yeah, aside from the fact that MAOIs will kill you when combined with certain foods containing tyramine (cheese, wine, etc.).

Most physicians these days balk at prescribing MAOIs unless for severe refractory depression.

9/7/2006 5:29:12 PM

Quote :

"Real men don't need drugs."

OMG bethaleigh FTW

9/7/2006 6:48:07 PM

9/7/2006 7:14:40 PM

Pretty much bottombaby has summed up what I wanted to say.


Since I'm a doctor and I know all your health history I'm going to go ahead and recommend Prozac Weekly. I've been on it for a bit now and I'm startig to really like it. At first I didnt think I would but I've been stable for the first time in a very loooong time and the first thing I noticed was my anxiety starting to be more controlled. I have very different circumstances from you but I'm going to go ahead and recommend you looking into Prozac Weekly- I'm at 90 but am about to increase.

Ask CIGNA for a list of psychiatists in their network- make an appointment- and talk to the doctor. Tell him what you are going through, tell him what prescription you had before and what you want to do now-- I dont understand how this could be hard.

9/7/2006 9:07:36 PM

Quote :

"No side effects?! Yeah, aside from the fact that MAOIs will kill you when combined with certain foods containing tyramine (cheese, wine, etc.)."

Yeah... thats why its a patch. There aren't any dietary restrictions on it. You can have foods with tyramine in it and theres no risk of a hypertensive crisis.

9/7/2006 11:57:22 PM

Quote :

"lately, i've been drinking alcohol to numb myself. and I hate it, not because of fear of becoming an alcoholic, but my own vanity."

Yes, you can get the same effect with benzodiazepines. No calories and no hepatic stress. However, in combination with alcohol they'll get you some place special, but then youll get very sleepy. Its not that addicting, nowhere near opiates. There is no withdrawl unless youre taking way too much, mainly just risk of chronic sedation.

Benzodiazepines have fewer side effects, a smaller risk of dependence, very little withdrawl effects and they have lower half lives then the anti-depressants other people here have been talking about. Withdrawl from klonopin is itchy skin for two days, withdrawl from a SSRI like zoloft can be migranes for two weeks. Benzodiazepines are not as powerfully associated with weight-gain and sexual side effects the way most anti-depressants are.

Drug companies are getting rich off the newer SSRI's/SNRI's, you have to recognize the money motive. People have been safely using benzos for stress for decades. The patents have expired, they are cheap and nobody is getting rich. The manipulation of the clinical data that pharmaceutical companies do for the new drugs is very real, a good example is lexapro. There was massive distortion of its efficacy.





[Edited on September 8, 2006 at 2:06 AM. Reason : 9]

9/8/2006 1:56:17 AM

Some of y'all are just bitch ass pussies who probably think taking meds is the "thing to do."

I know I'm gonna hear, "Oh, but Bridget, these are real problems and medicine helps. Blah, blah, blah..."

I was in talk therapy with a psychologist from age 8 to age 21. I was medicated for some of that time. I could talk all night about how fucked up I am and have been since I was a young child. My most recent therapist moved away last October. I got referrals to a few new doctors, but I was turned down twice because I'm on a registry of people who have been committed. So I stopped trying and went cold turkey off my Zoloft--250 mg/day to nothing. During withdrawal, I felt extremely ill for over a month; I was too dizzy and feverish and exhausted to notice any change in mood.

And I'm okay now. I'm absolutely miserable sometimes, but I'm surrounded by people who love me. I probably should be in talk therapy again, but I'm not ready to go back to that just yet. And I'll admit that life would be a lot easier if I was medicated, but fuck that shit. I'd rather deny myself relief than be lumped in with a bunch of self-centered cry babies who can't get over their parents' divorce or the fact that they just aren't fucking good enough for whatever it is they fucking think they want. I know a few people with actual problems that require medication...the rest of y'all are just bitches.

[Edited on September 8, 2006 at 5:32 AM. Reason : sss]

9/8/2006 5:28:59 AM

Quote :

"Yeah... thats why its a patch. There aren't any dietary restrictions on it. You can have foods with tyramine in it and theres no risk of a hypertensive crisis."

Only at the lowest dose (6 mg/24 hr). The higher doses still have those restrictions.

9/8/2006 8:34:27 AM

Sedatives can help people who responsibily take them. They can manage a panic attack and help people with insomnia. Unfortunately, someone who is depressed cannot always be trusted with sedatives. I had to take a former roomate to the emergency room after she consumed a great deal of alcohol and then swallowed a hand full of klonopin. It's just not safe in the hands of someone who is depressed, self destructive, suicidal, easily confused, or prone to alcohol abuse.

I don't think that medication is always the answer, but it is helpful for people who have genuine chemical imbalances and it can ease some people through rough and troubled times. Not everyone is able to handle things on entirely their own power. I do agree that a majority of American's are over medicated by doctors and made to believe that they require medication by drug company propaganda.

^^I'm sorry that you had trouble coming off of Zoloft, but that's what happens when you try anything cold turkey. I suffered from headaches and dizziness when coming off of Zoloft, but it was far easier than what I went through coming off of Prozac and Paxil.

[Edited on September 8, 2006 at 8:42 AM. Reason : ^s]

9/8/2006 8:42:27 AM

And another thing: benzodiazepines DO create dependence. This is well-established.

The interesting thing about BZDs is that people don't necessarily have the classic tolerance, where you have to take more and more to get the same effect. Most people develop a dependence on their regular dose and just require that. Some people, however, do have to take increasing doses. The dependence isn't a long-term side effect, either; it can develop within the first week or two of taking the drug.

This thread in general is full of misinformation, though. Talk to a psychiatrist, or at least some kind of licensed physician.

[Edited on September 8, 2006 at 8:51 AM. Reason : ]

9/8/2006 8:50:07 AM

some of you need to handle your stress better

being stressed out is not a reason to jump on drugs, it's a reason to start exercising more and relaxing better.

drugs to reduce stress should only be used in the most dire of circumstances, not just b/c you 'feel' better on them...

depression is another thing entirely and comes in several forms

9/8/2006 9:20:05 AM

Quote :

"And another thing: benzodiazepines DO create dependence."

Nobody here ever said they did not.

9/8/2006 1:17:56 PM

i can't believe you guys actually believe Amsterdam718.

9/8/2006 1:45:28 PM

^^Exactly. Theres a risk that goes along with taking any kind of medication, especially ones for mental health. I wouldn't suggest anyone take medical advice from a forum post without doing their own research, but I think you need to do the same thing with any psychiatrist you see too. If you're in the doctor's office filling out a form and you notice that the pen, clipboard, and clock on the wall are all stamped with "Lexapro", its not hard to figure out that their opinion might be a little bit biased. There are plenty of credible and more or less unbiased places online to find information about these medications that will tell you things about them that a doctor never would. crazymeds.org FTW.

[Edited on September 8, 2006 at 1:45 PM. Reason : ]

9/8/2006 1:45:36 PM