Psycho-Babble Medication | about biological treatments | Framed
This thread | Show all | Post follow-up | Start new thread | List of forums | Search | FAQ

Re: good for you!

Posted by sukarno on August 18, 2008, at 2:38:31

In reply to good for you!, posted by med_empowered on August 17, 2008, at 13:57:34

"Have you given the XR version a go? I think its in generic now, so I would imagine that might be worth considering. Have you tried Serax? Its not nearly as potent as xanax, but it lasts longer and has some mild antidepressant properties."

I don't live in the US, but recently Xanax XR was introduced here and there's no generic for that.
How did you like it? :-)

I was given a Serax capsule in the emergency room when I was having panic attacks. It took a long time to take effect. I remember walking home from the ER and it didn't take effect until 45 minutes later and it took effect very slowly, but also lasted a long time. The walk home was about 45 minutes to an hour.

Psychiatrists over here don't seem to be as forceful regarding medications although they will try to get you on the SSRI bandwagon. When I was still living in the West they would threaten to cut off my benzodiazepines (Valium) unless I was willing to try more SSRIs, despite the fact that I'm allergic to Prozac (rashes on arms and legs and itching in the throat along with upper GI bleeding that landed me in the hospital). Paxil/Seroxat gave me horrible panic attacks and I ended up in the ER with out of body experiences and a few electric shock sensations that were terrifying. Zoloft made me feel a tingling, prickling sensation all over. Effexor, even in a tiny dose (1/4 of 25mg tablet) gave me tachycardia at first, followed by a severe and tense headache. My blood pressure was high, so I quit it and then my BP was back to normal.

I thought that was unethical for them to try to force SSRIs on me by threats of taking me cold turkey off Valium. I had already taken the tricyclic antidepressants, tried BuSpar and trazodone. So many meds... I think I've calculated that I've been on 20 different medications.

A pdoc here once tried to give me a strange combination drug product specially made by the hospital containing Zoloft, BuSpar, Xanax and something else (I think it was Frisium/clobazam), so I "fired" him and went for a second opinion. Remember, the doctor isn't your boss, but you pay his/her salary. I encourage people to be more proactive.

Dr. Stuart Shipko M.D., a famous psychiatrist and neurologist practicing in Pasadena, CA says not to take any psychiatric drug that has been on the market for less than 10 years as there's too much pressure on (and perks for) physicians from drug reps when the drug is under patent, so results from clinical trials are skewed, sometimes deliberately, and the worst reactions show up in postmarketing reports. He even attended "Effexor dinners" paid for by the drug reps who knew his prescribing history, almost chiding him for prescribing Xanax for panic disorder and offering all kinds of perks and misinformation so that he's prescribe Effexor instead.

No one should have to take a medication they don't feel comfortable with. I don't know how things are in the US and Canada these days, but the last time I was there (1990s) they were pushing SSRIs as being a panacea without any withdrawal symptoms or significant side effects (conveniently called "discontinuation syndrome" now, which is the same as "withdrawal syndrome", but with less stigma because of the way it sounds).


Share
Tweet  

Thread

 

Post a new follow-up

Your message only Include above post


Notify the administrators

They will then review this post with the posting guidelines in mind.

To contact them about something other than this post, please use this form instead.

 

Start a new thread

 
Google
dr-bob.org www
Search options and examples
[amazon] for
in

This thread | Show all | Post follow-up | Start new thread | FAQ
Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:sukarno thread:846773
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080814/msgs/846954.html