[Mari]

Hi,

Normally I see pdoc every four months.
Last month I presented as agitated and jumpy and told him I was anxious and depressed. Then he gave me Lexapro and made things worse.

I have to see him tomorrow for the 1 month follow up.
What should I tell him?
I can tell him I'm fine.
Right now I have low level chest pains and feel pretty wound up about work (phones calls and emailing today).
His meds pretty much stink.


Tdoc thinks that she and my acupuncturist can help me if I keep regular appts (and follow their treatment plans). I see tdoc on Friday and acupuncturist next week (first time since Feb). Maybe I should tell tdoc and acupuncturist to get on the phone with each other and help me. They did a phone convo about two years or three years ago that helped me.

Thanks.


M.

[DiMarie]

Mari,
I am sorry that you are running a marathon of life issues. A team approach with everyone on the same page is the best. Not just you needing to fill everyone in at every visit to each other.

Just my brain storming, thoughts to consider.

I did want to mention something about the Lexapro, well two things.
When I first started for the grief overwhelming me I had some adverse reactions at 10 mg right off the bat. Insomnia, couldn't eat, broken heart feeling. I almost went off it. Then folks on NT told me about some of the early side effects they had. Insomnia, lack of appitite and I remember thinking I had to walk fast somewhere, but not having the energy.Could never find the place I wanted to be. Restless, figity, but soooo exhausted from not sleeping.

The doc had me titter up. I did not take any for a day, the next day I broke it in half for 5mg, took none the next, took 5mg the next day, then took 5mg for 10 days. Then I went to 10 mg one day, 5 mg the next, 10mg etc for 10 days about then I was taking the 10 mg.

I felt it helping by then. I was sleeping for at least 6 hrs straight. I did have the racing thoughts, heart ache we bumped up to 20mg after that. I have remained on that to today,

I tried everything else, paxil, prozac, the effexor. Effexor I had vivid dreams and felt lightheaded if the dose was not exactly on time. When I went off it it took great tittering down, for 6 weeks. Three months later I would still feel a wooz at times.

I know that I was about to give up on Lexapro, but so glad I stuck it out. With all the stress and mind filling obligations I could never do it with out something to help my anxiety.

Second thing; I CAN NOT TAKE TRIPTAINS WITH LEXAPRO.
the side effect some people get are like a heart attack or worse. Scared the begezzies out of me. This is things like Imitritrix etc. Some place there is a med interaction for Lexapro, and several medications are on that list that are known to interact. See if any of your meds are on it.

The doc was going to give me Klonopin instead of the Ativan for panic attacks, because the ativan has short life.....but I take valium for muscle spasms and did not want to give that up. It alleviates the doubles vision, severe trigger points, that Klonopin would not have helped.

So my thought is, have a team on board, consider the tittering the Lexapro, and give it another month. Check for any meds that are interacting.

My neuro knew my meds when he gave me the maxamalt and other migrain med, but I did not take the first dose in his office as suggested. He also considered those with a side effect of chest pain from taking with a Lexapro med so small, I was not warned....Well it was samples from the pharm rep, and I guess doc found from patients this bad mix.

I can not take any of the traditional migrain meds and wear an ID with it on. So from all the NEW meds they tried me on, I found the most reliable were the ones I was use to and not make concoctions and mixes.

I hope you feel better....oh, write what you want to say. Doc the meds on a paper with doses to hold....write the side effects from most troubling to the ongoing one.

I hope you feel better soon,
di

[waves]

Dear Mari

maybe you can just tell it like it is:
- the lexapro exacerbated your anger, gave you chest pain, and was very upsetting overall
- you have discussed with your T the use of accupuncture to help with this
- accupuncture has helped you in the past
- you have made the appointments to get started on that.

if he has something to say about the lexapro - like maybe suggesting a slower titration, hear him out.

if he doesn't say anything convincing you can always reply that you felt much too bad with the lexapro to put it back in the game

if he wants to suggest something else and you aren't up for it you can
- point out that you trouble with meds in general and
- after the recent round with the lexapro you feel too uncomfortable to try something else at the moment

i know. this isn't exactly "clever." (i'm having a migraine, which doesn't really go with clever, so forgive me. ) nonetheless, it seems reasonable to me, and ... isn't it true?

i need to rest now but i'll check in with you again.



~ waves ~

[bizi]

Write out what you said here about your symptoms/side effects that you experienced and read it to him.
that way you get out what you wanted to say and have time to word it just the way you want it worded.
be honest.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

[BlueMajo]

Just say as much as you can, as much as you remember... as much as you can explain (im pretty bad explaining symptoms and distinguish them from "normal" things is very hard for me).

The more your doc know, the better he/she can help you.

Having a group of docs helping you is great but you know, we have to inform one exactly what the others gave us/told us... plus, like I said before, what we feel...

Good luck Mari ! Let us know how it went !

[Mari]

Dear Di, Waves, Bizi, Majo,

I wrote notes during those four days on Lexapro to read to him. They drug failed me.
The last time I felt that frightened and upset I was locked up in the hospital after 6 weeks of Prozac.
I was stupid for even agreeing to the Lexapro. I used to have more sense.


I'm going to tell him what happened during those four days of Lexapro.
I'm going to tell him I did not take any of the Ambien he gave me that visit -- but he knew that I might not take it and was ok with that.
Then I will tell him what is happening now (chest pains, feeling jumpy, anxiety, crying,. ..


M.

[bizi]

I am sorry that you are having these symptoms....
I wish I could help you.
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

[Dmom3005]

I think you answered your own question really good.

Good luck.

Donna

[waves]

Originally Posted by Mari

I wrote notes during those four days on Lexapro to read to him

I'm going to tell him what happened during those four days of Lexapro.
I'm going to tell him I did not take any of the Ambien
Then I will tell him what is happening now (chest pains, feeling jumpy, anxiety, crying,...

yes i agree with Donna - this sounds like a plan, Mari!

i am sorry you are having these symptoms... it sounds like severe anxiety to me... i wonder what he will say.

good luck with your appointment, and let us know how it goes.

~ waves ~

[Mari]

HI,


I told my symptoms to the pdoc. He asked lots of questions.
When I was settled a little he took my blood pressure and pulse (He does that almost every visit.) OK but a little high normal on the bottom number of blood presssure.)

He said that it sounds like "agitated depression" and then started looking through my file for what I've taken in the past.


He and I settled on 150 mgs Wellbutrin.
He wants to see me in 3 weeks or call him sooner if I am having problems.

I explained twice that I could NOT take the common formulation of 150 Wellbutrin. He wrote the script for 75 mgs bid (But said I could take it whenever I wanted) and Name Brand as I asked.
(I hope that my insurance is ok with name brand.)

I dropped off the script at the pharmacy. They said it would not be ready until 7:00. What's that about????


I was on on 300 to 450 mgs Wellbutrin for about 12 years.
I stopped it because I was getting paresthesia that I thought was caused by the med.
Before I started on the Wellbutrin many years () ago, I was having symptoms similiar to what I am having now.


M.