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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 Mr. Cushing on September 29, 2002, at 23:54:35
Hi, I've been suffering from an unrelenting anxiety disorder now for a number of years. The closest a Doctor has come to diagnosing my disorder is by labelling it as a mild case of Asperger Syndrome. Basically it's the same feeling as having GAD or Social Anxiety except for the fact that I have it all the time. I have panic attacks and also suffer from severe insomnia (like tonight).I've been prescribed first Trazadone which helped me sleep during the night but didn't help me with anything else during the day. Then I was prescribed Paxil with the Trazadone which made me feel like a vegetable all day. Then I switched over to Effexor XR and Trazadone which works great for my anxiety during the daytime but has greatly increased my insomnia. To give you an example of this, I've taken 100mg of Trazadone tonight, 1/2 of a Clonazepam .5mg pill which I've been prescribed for when I get too wound up or am having a panic attack, and I'm still WIDE awake at 2am.
Has anybody else out there been through this? Have any medications helped you out? I'm getting desperate here. My disorder is more than likely permanent since many of my friends and family can trace the roots back to when I was just a toddler. In order to live a normal life I'm going to need to settle on one of these medications. Has anybody tried anything other than Paxil or Effexor which you believe could help me?
I greatly appreciate any time that any of you readers spend in trying to answer my question.
Thanks in advance
Posted by BrittPark on September 30, 2002, at 11:43:12
In reply to Serious Anxiety Disorder, Please Help, posted by Mr. Cushing on September 29, 2002, at 23:54:35
One possibility that you don't seem to have tried is a TCA. Amitryptiline comes to mind as it is the most sedating of the TCAs. I've been taking imipramine for nigh on 20 years, and the one way it has never failed is in putting me to sleep. I take my 300mg dose before bed.
TCAs have a bad reputation for side effects. I found the side effects of SSRIs (nausea in particular) much worse.
Keep plugging. You'll find the right med(s).
Britt
Posted by jaby on September 30, 2002, at 16:31:46
In reply to Serious Anxiety Disorder, Please Help, posted by Mr. Cushing on September 29, 2002, at 23:54:35
If you haven't given it a try, a decent go at the mood stabilizers might be wise. I had GAD something awful and figured it out to be BP II as a result of the meds that worked. Things aren't perfect, but much better. I take neurontin, lithobid, provigil, and lamictal.
Posted by Ritch on September 30, 2002, at 22:42:35
In reply to Serious Anxiety Disorder, Please Help, posted by Mr. Cushing on September 29, 2002, at 23:54:35
>
> Hi, I've been suffering from an unrelenting anxiety disorder now for a number of years. The closest a Doctor has come to diagnosing my disorder is by labelling it as a mild case of Asperger Syndrome. Basically it's the same feeling as having GAD or Social Anxiety except for the fact that I have it all the time. I have panic attacks and also suffer from severe insomnia (like tonight).
>
> I've been prescribed first Trazadone which helped me sleep during the night but didn't help me with anything else during the day. Then I was prescribed Paxil with the Trazadone which made me feel like a vegetable all day. Then I switched over to Effexor XR and Trazadone which works great for my anxiety during the daytime but has greatly increased my insomnia. To give you an example of this, I've taken 100mg of Trazadone tonight, 1/2 of a Clonazepam .5mg pill which I've been prescribed for when I get too wound up or am having a panic attack, and I'm still WIDE awake at 2am.
>
> Has anybody else out there been through this? Have any medications helped you out? I'm getting desperate here. My disorder is more than likely permanent since many of my friends and family can trace the roots back to when I was just a toddler. In order to live a normal life I'm going to need to settle on one of these medications. Has anybody tried anything other than Paxil or Effexor which you believe could help me?
>
> I greatly appreciate any time that any of you readers spend in trying to answer my question.
>
> Thanks in advance
I would add 300-400mg of Neurontin at bedtime with the Trazodone, and boost the Klonopin from .5mg > 1.0mg with it (at bedtime).
Posted by Alan on September 30, 2002, at 22:57:57
In reply to Serious Anxiety Disorder, Please Help, posted by Mr. Cushing on September 29, 2002, at 23:54:35
For GAD/SAD (which I have) the only thing that works for me (and a huge population of other anxiety suffers) is a basic anxolytic like a benzodiazapine in monotherapy. What is preventing you from trying the seemingly obvious first line medication?
Klon at that low a dosage is successful with some but higher doses of Klon or alternatively another Bzd like ativan, xanax, or valium or tranxene would probably give you relief...especially if your condition is indeed chronic and severe as you state....
Alan
Posted by Panic_Attack on October 1, 2002, at 20:28:14
In reply to Re: Serious Anxiety Disorder, Please Help » Mr. Cushing, posted by Alan on September 30, 2002, at 22:57:57
I suggest Remeron. I have severe anxiety/panic attacks as well. I have severe insomnia. The only thing that puts me to sleep is REMERON! A tiny tiny piece does the trick. My problems are caused from a cocaine overdose :( I take Serzone & Neurontin and when i cant sleep i take remeron. its amazing!
Posted by Vince on October 1, 2002, at 21:11:34
In reply to Serious Anxiety Disorder, Please Help, posted by Mr. Cushing on September 29, 2002, at 23:54:35
I have extreme anxiety disorder, just like you've described. I used anafranil (clomipramine) a TCA that completely kept it under control. I didn't even need to use benzodiazapines with it.
I felt so good earlier this summer that I went off it. It took about three or so months for the anxiety to return. Then I tried parnate which seemed to help with the anxiety but for some reason made my depression worse. So I've switched back to anafranil. I'm just now starting to feel better. It takes a few weeks to start working. According to my pdoc anafranil is the best AD for anxiety.
hope this helps,
Vince
Posted by chad_3 on October 6, 2002, at 1:41:07
In reply to Serious Anxiety Disorder, Please Help, posted by Mr. Cushing on September 29, 2002, at 23:54:35
Hi Mr Cushing
You still out there. Asperger's is like autism dude. You sound great! Keep up the good work. How's the wife (I remember you from before)?
Are you still on the risperidone?
Chad
>
> Hi, I've been suffering from an unrelenting anxiety disorder now for a number of years. The closest a Doctor has come to diagnosing my disorder is by labelling it as a mild case of Asperger Syndrome. Basically it's the same feeling as having GAD or Social Anxiety except for the fact that I have it all the time. I have panic attacks and also suffer from severe insomnia (like tonight).
>
> I've been prescribed first Trazadone which helped me sleep during the night but didn't help me with anything else during the day. Then I was prescribed Paxil with the Trazadone which made me feel like a vegetable all day. Then I switched over to Effexor XR and Trazadone which works great for my anxiety during the daytime but has greatly increased my insomnia. To give you an example of this, I've taken 100mg of Trazadone tonight, 1/2 of a Clonazepam .5mg pill which I've been prescribed for when I get too wound up or am having a panic attack, and I'm still WIDE awake at 2am.
>
> Has anybody else out there been through this? Have any medications helped you out? I'm getting desperate here. My disorder is more than likely permanent since many of my friends and family can trace the roots back to when I was just a toddler. In order to live a normal life I'm going to need to settle on one of these medications. Has anybody tried anything other than Paxil or Effexor which you believe could help me?
>
> I greatly appreciate any time that any of you readers spend in trying to answer my question.
>
> Thanks in advance
Posted by MJC on October 6, 2002, at 6:59:06
In reply to Cushing - autism or asperger - you do well :), posted by chad_3 on October 6, 2002, at 1:41:07
lol... sorry man, you've got me confused with somebody else. No wife, no resperone.
Posted by IsoM on October 7, 2002, at 3:46:47
In reply to Serious Anxiety Disorder, Please Help, posted by Mr. Cushing on September 29, 2002, at 23:54:35
Mr. Cushing, it may be a good idea to further explore the thought of whether you do have Asperger. I think it will make a difference in how to treat your anxiety.
My 27 year old son has Asperger (fairly mild too). Because of it, he has difficulty interacting with people comfortably, especially in unstructured social situations. It's in these situations that he'll experience panic attacks too, but not when he's at home nor at work where everything's thoroughly familiar & comfortable.
He found that tricyclics were still the best AD to treat his anxiety & depression. Clonazepam was taken daily & helped a great deal too. Because he chooses not to go out much (in social situations) & because he now feels quite at ease in his workplace, he no longer takes clonazepam at all.
If Asperger is the cause of your anxiety, it may prove helpful for you to have coaching in learning to read people by body language & facial expressions. Because that's a major problem with Asperger, not really knowing or understanding what others are thinking or meaning, it's much more likely to trigger anxiety and/or panic when you're among people. Being able to 'read' people & their emotions better will enable you to respond appropriately & feel more at ease in groups. It can do a lot to reducing your anxiety & increasing your self-confidence socially.
Posted by MJC on October 7, 2002, at 8:58:06
In reply to Re: Anxiety Disorder and Asperger » Mr. Cushing, posted by IsoM on October 7, 2002, at 3:46:47
Yes, but that's the thing, I CAN read people fairly easily. Actually, I'm better than most at picking up on somebody's body language. I do have SP but that's not the only anxiety disorder I have. I feel like I'm panicking constantly. There could be absolutely nothing to trigger it off... like at the moment, I've spent the last 4 months living with my Dad with absolutely no outside pressures and I was still having panic attacks till I started taking Clonazepam frequently.My Doctor and I are now leading towards the possibility of being Bi-Polar II fairly severely. Severely enough for the disorder to completely consume my life, but not severe enough that I'm having any psychotic episodes. The thing here is that I suffered from fairly severe depression for about 6 years after my Mom's death. That only went away when I started treating it with Celexa. Then when I came off of Celexa, my anxiety started to really be a problem. Right now my anxiety has been a major problem for maybe 2 years straight. I've always had some problems with it, but not as severe as they are right now.
Posted by SueT on October 9, 2002, at 19:43:27
In reply to Re: Anxiety Disorder and Asperger, posted by MJC on October 7, 2002, at 8:58:06
If you have Aspergers, there would probably be a history of social difficulties, and also probably academic weaknesses in math and written language when you were a child. It is also very common for chlldren and adults with Aspergers to be overfasinated in a particular interest. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Posted by IsoM on October 10, 2002, at 1:34:10
In reply to Re: Anxiety Disorder and Asperger, posted by SueT on October 9, 2002, at 19:43:27
Sue, I'm not sure where you heard or read about academic difficulties with math or language as a child when one has Asperger. I can speak from my grown son's experiences & say he excelled in both areas in childhood & now as an adult too. He's getting a degree in computer science with a minors in math, so it may be true of some but not all. Both English & math are strong fields for him.
This is the end of the thread.
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