did you get the bark collar?
bizi

it hasn't come yet. i just was surfing and found a website where they rehome schnauzers. i hope it doesn't come to that. it will break more of my heart.
hopefully i will get it by the end of this week. he is also afraid of water pistols but haven't tried that yet. i don't want to scare the baby more than i have to. the shock collar really upsets me too but if it works well he will respond rapidly and hardly be shocked. he finally ate the peanut butter out of the kong after he was out of the crate for ten minutes and went back in by himself to retrieve it.
bobby

Dear Bobby,
That sounds like progress.

He needs time. He will get used to your rhythms.

M.

Dear Bobby

well, as for personal accounts, i've read lots, over time, where people report SSRIs causing weight LOSS - which is consistent with the clinical data.

as i said everything is possible. so the odd case may have a little gain. but what is also possible, and very likely, is that people gain weight for other reasons but, because they are taking a new med, attribute it to that med, no matter how unlikely it is to be the med. it's pretty common to do that. don't forget a lot of ppl who take an SSRI are depressed, and SSRIs don't kick in right away. so they could gain weight secondary to their depression during initial treatment, and blame it on the med. also people don't have a habit of being comprehensive in what they post on the internet. they might not notice and/or not tell you if they had other changes (such as a decrease in exercise associated with depression, or other meds started about the same time).

i just hate to see you give up on something that could help you because some people say it has done this or that.

of course it is your call what you take. i am also concerned that you want to up a med that Dr.M. doesn't want you to increase... he must have his reasons.

as for Luc... hearing is plenty, and dogs have acute hearing. the point is he knows you are there. he fusses - it gets your attention, and you reward him by turning up again. i think the roof garden is a good idea. or do you have a neighbor you could visit? it doesn't matter if you don't know how long he is making noise. i think you need to stay away for at least an hour if you can manage it. if you can't that long, then maybe you need to just let the problem be for a while. i think it is better to just stay with him than to hide close enough so you can hear him (then he can SURELy hear you), as i think that will just train him TO make noise. he will learn that making noise gets Bobby to come back.

~ waves ~

i just can't risk gaining any more weight when i am on such a strict diet to lose weight. most antidepressants cause you to gain weight except for welbutrin. i don't see how luc can hear me when i make no noise outside the door as long as a neighbor isn't talking to me and the tv is on and the air conditioner is on. today on his walk his tail was all the way up. he is like velcro. i think the major problem was that he was crated for four months and now that he is free he is just clinging to me instead of rejoicing for his freedom.
i forgot if i mentioned i found a place where they rehome schnauzers if the shock collar doesn't work. the next few days i am hardly going to walk him since the temperature is going to be in the high nineties. it was only in the high seventies when i took him out this morning but the humidity was already high.
i am so shell shocked. my support system took a major hit. my friend told me i should go out in the world and try seven different things. i am sixty six and in lousy health and never been outgoing except for sports. She said i created my world and she seemed to also dismiss the bipolar and generalized anxiety disorder and post traumatic stress. I really feel kicked.
bobby
ps i am really paranoid about these drugs since i gained about 100 pounds

this article
http://www.webmd.com/depression/feat...ts-weight-gain

explains that with SSRIs weight gain can happen with longterm use... which is why it doesn't show up in clinical trials (typically 12 weeks or less).

the stats it gives are about antidepressants in general though, and they are SO NOT created equal. TCAs (e.g. Elavil) are LIKELY to cause weight gain. SSRIs are not likely to but can. (granted, i was exaggerating about the asteroid. :o:rolleyes:) i understand that you're paranoid but most meds you've taken are really much more closely associated with weight gain, and more of it than this one is...

please, please, would you at least discuss these concerns with Dr. M. he has clinical experience with it and lots of women patients have these concerns regardless of health status ... my pdoc has told me has often had female patients refuse drugs because of possible weight issue... they are used to dealing with this. Dr. M knows your health status and that you can't play around with weight so please just talk to him. if he thinks it could affect you that way or even if he sees you are too afraid of it, maybe he will work with you on the wellbutrin... ask him why he won't raise it...

i am not trying to shove drugs down you you don't want, just balance out what seems like a very skewed perspective and also try to get you to keep Dr.M. involved in your choices.

i am sorry about your friend. i wonder if you can interpret her suggestion loosely and still follow it. i am sure she didn't mean rediscover the 7 wonders. maybe you could just do one new thing per week - simple things... stop and look at something you never looked at before. it can be a shop window or a window sill with flowers, or a cloud. stop for coffee at a different place than usual. new things are hard with GAD. it is not a bad suggestion but you have to tailor it to suit your needs, and if you don't come up with anything don't worry about it, just let it go.

i hope you can keep Luc. that is good you found an adoption place as a backup - does that take pressure off?

now that you have found the plan B, though, i would like to see you focus on keeping him... assume you are keeping him... prove by induction. ;) (i know ... math is easier when it's just theoretical!)

love

~ waves ~

that was a good article. i will tell dr m. about lexapro and once again plead for welbutrin increase.
my friend didn't mean that. she meant trying to meet people and connecting with them and doing it through activities. she knows that part of my depression is because of my isolation. i have so much anxiety trying new things and i am not that interested in most things. i don't have much money anyways or energy for that matter. how many new friends have you made in the last few years? it is hard if you are not working and at my age almost impossible. more pressure
yes it is less pressure knowing there is a resource i have in case i need to rehome precious Luc.
bobby

my friend Robert stopped over and told me that dogs have radar and Luc could tell i was outside the door and probably if i was at my neighbor's on the same floor, he could tell i was inside her apartment. he told me when i leave tomorrow for the doctor's to let him free range of the apartment and dont crate him and see how that goes. he also said to use my flip video camera to hear how long he barks for. he tried to teach him the stay command.
bobby

dear Bobby

i understand the disinterest and stress of new things...

but as i said, if you can't get something useful out of what she said, even modifying it, then leave it. do what works. it doesn't sound like she gets anxiety. most people don't if they haven't had it.

i am glad Robert advised you on Luc... radar is a good way to put it hehe.

good that you will talk to dr.M about the Lexapro and Wellbutrin. :) makes me feel better. ;)
:hug::hug::hug:

~ waves ~ the fusspot

she does get anxiety over one issue and bad anxiety. she doesn't have generalized anxiety the way i have it.i really appreciate your concern. my anxiety is so bad lately i can't even follow directions. twice i had to fill out forms on the net and i had to do them about twenty times each because of stupid mistakes. one i didn't enter a password -i totally skipped over that part of the instructions and couldn't figure out why the form wouldn't work and another i entered a whole name instead of the fourth letter of the name=i was so speeded up i couldn't slow down enough again to follow directions...really scarey
radar=really interesting......
love
bobby
http://www.petinsurance.com/healthzo...bout-Pets.aspx found nothing on radar except this which was just interesting but not related