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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2007, at 12:13:02
Okay this has been going on for too many years. Yes I Have a messed up thyroid now but I have to do something about this depression/anxiety. As you know I've taken benzos for years and for sleep okay but not for during the day as I can't motivate myself to do a thing and fear everything. And I sleep from 1-2am till l0am and then feel like I'm dying. What is wrong with me? Any ideas on meds as I've tried so many granted not long trials as the side effects were intolerable to me with most. So I stick with the 50mg of luvox, valium. .5 of xanax and lunesta 3mg at night. Fish oil vita C 2000mg, CA+Mg and separate l25mg of magnesium. Then I make force myself to ride my bike and that's my day. I can't read during the day as my eyes won't focus and get too tired. Thanks I know I'm a pain. Love Phillipa
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on January 28, 2007, at 12:47:27
In reply to What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates these sy, posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2007, at 12:13:02
Hey....I wish I could make it all better for you! I don't know what to suggest - I haven't personally had anything that's helped except SJW. I hope someone more knowledageable will help.
Kind regards
Meri
Posted by meAgain on January 28, 2007, at 12:56:40
In reply to What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates these sy, posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2007, at 12:13:02
You are not a pain phillipa ..you have helped so many people in this forum. I know you have helped me alot!!! Dont give up the hope on a better life...it is still there for you...I can tell its in your heart and unwilling to cease.
sincerely,
meAgain
Posted by blueberry1 on January 28, 2007, at 15:14:48
In reply to (((((((Philipa)))))))))), posted by Meri-Tuuli on January 28, 2007, at 12:47:27
Hugs hugs hugs Phillipa! I so look forward to your posts and appreciate you as a friend even though I've never met you. I wish I knew some great drug or some magical way out of the hell.
I could only think of one possibile strategy. That is, no matter what you take for a new drug, start it at miniscule doses. When we can't tolerate side effects in the early going, we potentially miss out on a drug that might have been beneficial. We all know that most of those early side effects will diminish or disappear in a couple weeks. (as I'm hoping my cymbalta ones will, fingers crossed) The trick is to get that far. If it means taking miniscule doses, so be it.
I actually do have a drug in mind that I think would help you, that you could tolerate,that you could take in miniscule doses to test, and that works in days instead of weeks. You would probably friek out if I told you what it was. So I'll save it unless you are curious.
Hey, babblemail me anytime.
blueberry
Posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2007, at 18:54:12
In reply to Re: (((((((Philipa)))))))))) » Meri-Tuuli, posted by blueberry1 on January 28, 2007, at 15:14:48
Blueberry 1 I babblemailed you about the med well if I freak out it won't be the first time. Let's all hear it. Love Phillipa
Posted by meAgain on January 29, 2007, at 0:02:16
In reply to Re: Med » blueberry1, posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2007, at 18:54:12
cymbalta definetly started working for me and I have been on a long list of SSRIs but since cymbalta is a SSRNI i think it worked more effectively, it seems to work better with Lamictal--brightend my outlook on life an improved my motivation!! good luck!!
Posted by gardenergirl on January 29, 2007, at 14:34:17
In reply to What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates these sy, posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2007, at 12:13:02
> Okay this has been going on for too many years. Yes I Have a messed up thyroid now but I have to do something about this depression/anxiety.
How is your thyroid doing now? When do you go back for another blood level?
> As you know I've taken benzos for years and for sleep okay but not for during the day as I can't motivate myself to do a thing and fear everything.
What does this fear look like and feel like? Physical symptoms? Emotional symptoms? Thoughts? What happens when you try to do something and the fear kicks in?
> And I sleep from 1-2am till l0am and then feel like I'm dying.
What do you mean like you're dying? Is this a physical feeling? Mental? It sounds like it's awful just by the words you use. (((Jan)))
> What is wrong with me?
I certainly can't and am not making a diagnosis, but you describe experiences which are similar to Anxiety Disorders and perhaps Agoraphobia. In my admittedly limited experience, the best approach is therapy and meds together. And the therapy takes a fair amount of work. It's not about exploring the past issues so much as it is about developing "tools" for dealing anxiety symptoms in the moment, for reframing maladaptive thoughts which increase anxiety feelings, and working on baby steps in getting someone to do the things that they are currently avoiding due to anxiety. This is a CBT approach. Doing more emotion-focused and dynamic work is also helpful, but I find it's useful to have practical and effective strategies in your "tool box" before doing uncovering type work.
Not that there's anything wrong or bad about therapies which focus more on talking through feelings and past experiences. But what the literature says and what I've seen works best for the kind of problems you describe is a more practical, here and now, active approach.
One way you can get started on this yourself, until you get a therapist you feel you can work with, is to get this book: "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition". It's chock full of information and exercises for those with anxiety to start facing down those fears and getting anxiety under control. Also, if you wish, you can babblemail me your city, and I can try to get referral info for you. No promises, as I'm still trying to find someone for someone else, but I suspect your geographical area might have more options than the other I'm working on.
> I can't read during the day as my eyes won't focus and get too tired.
Have you had your eyes checked recently? Perhaps you've had vision changes which contribute to this.
There's still hope, Phillipa.
namaste
gg
Posted by Phillipa on January 29, 2007, at 19:01:06
In reply to Re: What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates thes » Phillipa, posted by gardenergirl on January 29, 2007, at 14:34:17
GG wow a lot to remember. Blood level checked by endo again today. They keep lowering my synthroid as my levels have become hyper from hypo for some reason. Eye check in a month as I had lasix surgery so had to wait for one of them. It's a racing of my eyes across the page like it can't read fast enough. No the dying feeling is mental. As I can't think of a thing to do with my life as nursing is over (another story).The feeling mentally is that I want to just sleep. No enthusiasm for a thing. And I agree about the agoraphobia. When I go out I just do it and crumple later inside. And feel guilty for feeling the way I do as I get criticized for it. love Phillipa
Posted by valene on January 30, 2007, at 8:00:08
In reply to Re: What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates thes » gardenergirl, posted by Phillipa on January 29, 2007, at 19:01:06
Phillipa, I do like gardenergirl's advice re: CBT to acquire tools to handle things in the now rather than start by focusing on past as this is what I am currently doing with my new psychologist, I am finding it quite helpful, and you know it is also giving me a feeling of accomplishment that I am proactively doing things, however small they may be, to help myself feel better. I was skeptical of CBT once too, but with a skilled therapist it is extremely helpful for me. And I agree that it can be beneficial to go over past but as gg said, having tools first = much better success at interpreting the past. Hopefully soon you find the right therapist for you. Love, Val
> GG wow a lot to remember. Blood level checked by endo again today. They keep lowering my synthroid as my levels have become hyper from hypo for some reason. Eye check in a month as I had lasix surgery so had to wait for one of them. It's a racing of my eyes across the page like it can't read fast enough. No the dying feeling is mental. As I can't think of a thing to do with my life as nursing is over (another story).The feeling mentally is that I want to just sleep. No enthusiasm for a thing. And I agree about the agoraphobia. When I go out I just do it and crumple later inside. And feel guilty for feeling the way I do as I get criticized for it. love Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on January 30, 2007, at 19:08:16
In reply to Re: What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates thes » Phillipa, posted by valene on January 30, 2007, at 8:00:08
Valene that's great to hear so there is hope? Love Phillipa
Posted by valene on January 30, 2007, at 20:14:16
In reply to Re: What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates thes » valene, posted by Phillipa on January 30, 2007, at 19:08:16
> Valene that's great to hear so there is hope? Love Phillipa
There is definitely hope Phillipa.
Val xx
Posted by KayeBaby on February 3, 2007, at 13:20:56
In reply to What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates these sy, posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2007, at 12:13:02
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/thyroid-depression-mental-health/
If you haven't seen this site already, please have a look. I think you may find some help there.
Peace,
Kaye
Posted by Phillipa on February 3, 2007, at 13:44:41
In reply to Re: What Kind of Depression / Anxiety creates these sy » Phillipa, posted by KayeBaby on February 3, 2007, at 13:20:56
Kayebaby thanks so my daily forced 7.5 miles of bike riding I shouldn't do? As this is what gives me a sence of feeling normal and then I crash. I'm seeing an endo and the thyroid is fluctuating lowing the synthroid first at .08 now up to 4 with lowering the synthroid. This is an endo I'm seeing and hes done the antigen test which is positive free T4 I know he's done which was low the last time too. And he did the one time blood test for adrenals. Which was normal. Thanks will bring this to him. Love Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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