Posted by yxibow on December 26, 2006, at 1:47:35
In reply to What is this anxiety that comes out of nowhere?, posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 25, 2006, at 17:26:39
> I never knew anxiety or depression existed until 1997, when out of the blue I was overwhelmed with nervous energy. At first, I thought it derived from concerns over a tightness in my chest, then scalp problems and (most recently) a longstanding dry cough.
>
> However, now I have come to realize those were all masks for anxiety, but for what type of anxiety I do not know. Here is the best way I can explain it: It's like walking through a haunted house, and knowing you are going to get scared, but not when. In other words, I become obsessively worried about worry. I just have this fear ... of fear. It last all day, every day.
>
> Seroquel has helped a little bit in "blunting" the race of fear, but when I am worked up as I am know, the 400mg doesn't seem to help. Can anyone relate to this? Any med suggestions? Any insight on that type of anxiety? My mind just races and races with fear.
Some of it sounds like Somatiform conditions -- especially the cough. Other parts sound like an autonomic nervous system gone full blown, the fear of fear. And there's a tone of OCD to it as well. If the Seroquel is doing something, so much the better, its the weakest of the neuroleptics except for the sleep part which I know all too well.
Perhaps an admixture of a benzodiazepine for a short while -- I know Ativan was mentioned, it does have more immediacy like Xanax, but that's also a problem getting off of it.
Klonopin does not cause depression in everyone, and Valium has an even longer half life. Neither does propranolol cause depression in everyone, but I guess perhaps I have a high tolerance for it and Valium; people with OC spectrum disorders generally have a high tolerance for a lot of medications.
It does sound like you've been through quite a laundry list of medications, but have any of them ever been polypharmacy -- that is, multiple drugs acting for a single purpose as opposed to running through the list and throwing each bottle away. Sometimes a combination of medications is necessary.
Thirdly, while this is a medication board I think there is also a need for some form of psychotherapy to get to the crux of things, because the topic bears a question -- what is the anxiety and where is it coming from? Is it simply innate GAD or the like, or is there more to it?The two work hand in hand, medication will not wash everything away.
Anyhow, just my view
-- tidings
poster:yxibow
thread:716355
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061224/msgs/716413.html