Posted by Rick on June 5, 2001, at 20:49:15
In reply to TO SALARMY AND ELIZABETH THANK YOU, posted by gilbert on June 5, 2001, at 15:09:35
Gil -
It's not at unusual that a given med could alleviate some kinds of anxiety for you while having minimal impact on others, in this case OCD.
(Of course, there are dosage and length-of-trial considerations as well.)I know that my own med cocktail + weight loss works wonderfully for my social anxiety but does nothing at all for my obsessions and compulsions. In a lot of ways, my situation parallels yours. My knowledge of social anxiety as a disorder came at about the same time as my discovery that I needed to make some changes to protect my physical health. , but the results of my first thorough health screening finally kicked me into action. Ironically, this decision was cemented by a nervous and headachy visit to a health-screening clinic at our office complex two years ago, and the results came back pretty darn bad on just about all the major risk factors. I had known for years that I needed to lose weight, but had never had the importance of this driven home until getting back the lab results. After losing 50 pounds (in a gradual, non-gimmicky way that still allows me to eat whatever I want Fri-Sun), and initiating med treatment for my anxiety, everything's changed physically: My blood pressure, which I hadn't even realized was high, has plummeted; my HDL is great, Triglycerides great; LDL down from very high to borderline high; and blood sugar well within the normal range. (In addition to the effects of weight-loss and anxiety-reduction, I think that Serzone and Klonopin both have a direct blood pressure-lowering effect for me, and Serzone seems to lower and smooth out my blood sugar some.) And, despite the fact that weight loss alone doesn't usually get rid of sleep apnea completely (so I've read), it apparently did the trick for me. Now, I'm by no means slim...I'm probably still a good 10-20 pounds above ideal weight, but I'm not trying to lose any more. I sleep great now even though I never take meds after mid-afternoon. For awhile I took a tiny dose of the beta-blocker pindolol (to double as a heart-rate/BP reducer AND calming agent). I liked it a lot but I can't take it today because I'd become hypotensive.
And this all happened without significant exercise...I'd clearly be doing even better both physically and mentally if I added that into the mix. I'm going to try to emulate your efforts on that count.
BTW, in your later post you did mean ".5 mg" Klonopin three times a day didn't you. If it was really "5 mg" three times a day, I would imagine, yes, that you would be impotent!!! I'm just curious -- how long did you take Klonopin? If it was just a short time, it's *possible* you would have later gotten past the impotency. There are quite a few med, herbal and even physical antidotes for different kinds of med-induced sexual dysfunction. Just a handful of examples would include Gingko (maybe better for women --and check with doc if you're already taking aspirin for blood thinning); the anti-anxiety med BuSpar, Wellbutrin or low-dose selegeline (but may increase anxiety some, and the latter is potentially dangerous in combo with some other meds); and Viagra, especially for impotence. These "remedies" are ususally prescribed for sexual problems induced by many AD's, but -- and this is just conjecture -- I don't see why some of them wouldn't work with some kinds of benzo-induced sexual problems. If you try any "natural" substances, be sure to to tell your doctor, because of possible physical risks. E.g., Yohobomide (sp???), widely sold over-the-counter, can raise blood pressure.
Good luck to you. It nice to hear that you've got your head screwed on straight re expectations.
Rick
> Thanks tons for all the info and suggestions. I am going to go off the prozac only been on it for 6 days at 5mg. and I am on the ceiling really agitates me and I need to do more xanax then as if I were not taking it. I do so well on the xanax 5mg twice a day that I hate to screw with what works....my agoraphobia and panic are non existent since starting this drug 2 years ago. Is there something I could add to the xanax to dampen the OCD. I am going back to therapy in hopes I can treat the OCD without meds because my obsessions seem to relate more to mdiecal issues and medicine issues.....I spend a little too much time on the internet searching out drug options. I never seem to find solutions just more doubt which then increases my searching kind of little thinking loops. I have also obsessed with trying meds but am so hypersensitve to the meds it seems like any of the antidepressants I try give me panics....even the so called sedative ones like paxil and luvox tweeked me. I spend about 2 hours per day involved in this activity. My panic and agoraphobia are being held at bay. I am wondering since OCD is usually anxiety driven if I still have some anxiety I am not feeling physically and if possibly an increase in xanax would alleviate this. I have not tried that either.....and as you mentioned there is remeron but I have put 20 pounds on in 2 years...not good for my blood pressure and I don't want remeron to add more weight and more cholesterol which I read occurs in as much as 20% of remeron users therby increasing my BP and adding to my dilema my Internist wants my weight down so I don't have to increase my dose of Zestril. P.S. I was on beta blockers for the tachycardia and my pulse went to under 40 beats per minute the doc did not like it.....me either. I run for exercise and I run around 25 miles per week my normal resting pulse is around 50 because of all the road work I put in. The xanax keeps my heart nice and relaxed and helps keep the BP down too so I am getting pretty good coverage from the xanax. Like I have said before maybe this is a good as it gets which is cool too. There sure are alot of great people who come to this site.
>
> Gil
poster:Rick
thread:65478
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010605/msgs/65501.html