antidepressants...tell me what you know
 

I have been having issues with anxiety. TONS of it! I do this when I am in a flare. It seems that after each flare, the anxiety doesnt completely leave me. With each flare, its like a new layer gets left behind.

My MD said that anxiety is the flip side of the coin from depression. Its depression inside out. He said that there are meds that can not only handle depression, but help prevent anxiety attacks from forming in the first place.

He mentioned Celexa.

I am not big on adding any more meds to my handful that I have already, but its gotten to the point that I may entertain listening to him on Wednesday when I go.

anyone on celexa? Can you tell me about it? Are you on a different drug? can you tell me about it? You know I am miserable if I am considering adding a drug, but I want my life back. I have stopped doing things that give me pleasure, and have become a slug.

Tell me what you know.

Just wanted to add that I take Xanax as needed. he will give me as much as I want up to 4 mg per day. After that, he said he will ask me to switch to something else.

I do yoga, meditation, and I walk. I eat well, and have a good support system. I am NOT in danger. I am just sorta stuck.

I use tryptophan for anxiety. I had a lot of it this summer on vacation. I take 500mg at night. It is a bit sedating at first, but it really works for me. I use NOW brand.

One should not take tryptophan with SSRIs however. Tryptophan increases serotonin synthesis, if one's is low. It works in conjunction with B6 and magnesium.

Celexa is a mild one. I think it is the mildest of the bunch.

Another thought is Buspar. Many people find it useful too.
Buspar is not a benzo and therefore not habituating.

First, I don't know much of anything about ADs or anxiety. MS has introduced severe depression in my life which is very much out of character for me. We determined that interferons are out of the question in my case.

They started me on Zoloft +/- 20 years ago and it up and quit working for me at about the 10 year mark. Then they switched me to Paxil and I've been on it since, it does fine.

My doc Rxs me higher dose pills that I cut in half most of the time but have carte blanche to adjust doses up and down as needed.

I was on Zoloft and Effexor and amitryptelene all at once. Started with the Z which did nothing then switched to E again with no result, then they combined the 2 which helped take the edge off but made me jittery, then they added the A to help me sleep. The A turned me into a zombie, and the other 2 really didn't do much by way of stopping the panic attacks.

The one I am on now, Cymbalta works great on stopping the panic attacks. The problem is, I refuse to take it every day, because I don't feel that I need it every day, and after taking it for about a week I tend to be a real "B" for 2 days after stopping.

Some ADs help with both depression and anxiety. At one time I used Lexapro and at a higher dose it did wonders for my anxiety as well as the depression I was dealing with. I have never used Celexa.

As mrsD mentioned, Buspar can be helpful for anxiety as well as Paxil.

Many doctors will say depression and anxiety go hand in hand. Not always true. I deal with anxiety/panic attacks but there is no sign of depression and hasn't been for several years.

I have not done well with ADs, many actually increase my anxiety. My Doctor and I stay with what works best for me with little to no side effects...Klonopin. I use it as needed, sometimes not using it for weeks at a time. Then there are times, like now, I use it more often and at a higher dose.

The challenge will be finding the right med(s) that help you...trial and error :Sigh:

Buspar and Paxil were my anxiety lifesavers, as well as wiping out my tag along depression. I was on buspar, then paxil for 6 yrs, until the top dose of paxil stopped working.

My PCP switched me to 40mg of Prozac per day, which seems to maintain my good mood.:)

Let's see -- I was on Paxil for one week -- lost 10 pounds and spent all of my time staring at the ceiling. I then tried cymbalta -- was so nauseated. I think I lasted about 10 days on that one. Next up was Wellbutrin (spelling?) -- three days -- resulted in hand tremors that took about a week to go away after I was off of it. I think the next one my doctor wanted to try was either celexa or lexapro, but I said no way.

Anti depressants just made me even more depressed and sick. I do occasionally take .25 mg of clonazepam -- mainly at night for increased spasticity. Doctor will only prescribe 10 (.50 mg )for a 30 day period.

As you may have noticed, everyone reacts to different meds in different ways. It's pretty much trial and error. For me, Paxil took all my emotions away (wierd, I know). Cymbalta made me sick. Lexapro worked for a long time, but needed a change after a while. Effexor worked really well, but since my COBRA is no longer in effect, I had to switch all my meds to generic or stop taking them. Right now I'm taking a generic for Celexa. It works OK.

I never had anxiety attacks before this MS thing took hold, and I quickly discovered I don't like them very much (duh). I hope you are able to find a med quickly that works for you!

I've tried Marinol for pain, water intake, food intake, drive, and smiles.
It achieved all the above but cost is $12.80 each 5mg. Comes in 2.5 for 1/2.
2.5 twice a day or even once mightve done it but the heck with it. So expensive.
Trying 10mg of Prozac now. Been 2 weeks. I was never really depressed, just looking to laugh more. If Alferon (oral in trals for HIV, injection is no longer produced) would get tried for healing MS, We'd probably all get off anti depressents.

marinol isnt available in my state, unless you are in hospice care. The gov signed a bill preventing its use here. Way to go John!

I tend to react like Barb. I am overly sensitive to things. My biggest fear is that I will be a zombie, or nauseous to the point of being paralzyed anyway.

I have taken buspar, and like xanax better. I am not an addictive type person, so I can take xanax for a year, and simply put it down. Most of my family is the opposite. They smell an addictive drug, and are hooked for life!

I have heard effexor, and a couple of others made folks sit on their couches like a zombie till they got adjusted. I didnt see it personally, but I dont want that! Take an anxious girl, and tell her you want to give her pills that makes others not feel well...what do you get? a more anxious girl.

I am thinking IF i allow any of them, I may try celexa. i hear its mild, and prevents anxiety from forming in the first place.

I hate this stupid disease! I have to take one drug to cover another! I swear, its the copaxone that is keeping my anxiety level flying. :o

(((Dej))) It is a trial and error type of thing. I take an AD as part of my pain management regime. They started me on Cymbalta, which worked awesome for pain, but NOT my emotions. I am a passive, calm (unless in pain - then I get anxious) type person. By the 3rd day I was having aggressive type thoughts.:eek: Scared the carp out of me. No more Cymbalta for me.

Next up was Paxil which worked great for a little while. Then my affect went flat.

I now take 5mg - 10mg (alternating days) of Celexa (generic). It works ok, not quite as well as Paxil for keeping me calm during painful times.

Also, there are a few groups of AD's and each work on different synapses and neurotransmitters within the brain. Cymbalta is a SNRI while Celexa and Paxil are SSRI's, which could explain why Cymbalta did not work for me. This is a link to a fairly good article on different ADs and how they work. If you want an more in depth one let me know.

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ult...ntidepressants

Hang in there, Dej and know that we are here to help you through this.:hug::hug:

Celexa
 

I take 40mg of Celexa everyday. It has helped my depression and i cannot tell that it has any adverse side effects so far.

i also take 75 to 150mg of amatriptyline for nerve pain but Doc says it is helping my depression also.

The February 8 issue of Newsweek has a fairly long article about antidepressants.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/232781/page/1

Supposedly you'd get just as much benefit from taking a candy pill. There's another article in the same Newsweek where a doctor disagrees though.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/232782
I haven't had any experience with antidepressants. I'd go with whatever worked for me though.:)

I think since this flair is wrapping itself up, and the anxiety is wearing itself out, I am going to stick with what I have been doing. I simply cant afford mentally to add any more drugs.

Thank you all for your support. Pulic and private. :cool::grouphug:

More Pills
 

I can totally relate to feeling as though mentally-- ya just can't handle being on more pills! Expecially when they are antidepressants....there is something very.....crazy like......to even think we need them. Its one of those class of drugs we don't mention to friends that we take or need!

That being said....anxiety was one of my first problems.....I couldn't figure out where it was coming from! But it darn near crippled me. I bought every self help book and relaxation program on the market....nothing helped. Then I learned that the anxiety came from a place that I could not manage by myself. So I started on Paxil.....weight of the world came off my shoulders! Then Wellbutrin which I felt woke me right up and increased my energy level!

However; many, many people I know go off Paxil because of .......constipation!
I also notice , that Baclofen takes the edge off my jitters too. Remember to switch to DeCaf coffee too. Caffiene and anxiety do not mix.
Regardless of the pills I am required to take, I WANT TO FEEL BETTER! So, I am willing to swallow one more if necessary.

I have been taking anti-depressants for many years, and have gone through many changes over the years. I have been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, and I am frequently anxious. I have been taking 40 mg of Adderall and 300 mg of Effexor daily...I take them both in the AM. When I switched from Serzone to Effexor, I really have been doing much better with my moods becoming more 'stable' and I have really felt a difference in not feeling anxious nearly as much as I had been for many years. My husband and children have also seen a positive change in my moods as well. I feel it was the Effexor that has made all the difference for me.....but everyone will react differently, and this helps me.

I hope you find something that helps you. I have been taking AD's for so many years, trying so many different drugs, and I truly feel that I have found a combination that finally works for me.

Good luck Dej!

I take low dose Lexapro (10 mg) each morning and it works great. I also take a very low dose of Trazodone (25 mg) at night and this keeps me functioning, along with all of the others. :) ;) :cool: :lookaround:

Dejibo marinol not allowed in your state sheesh. Ah its hard on the short term memory anyway (if you want a bright side). Besides its mainly scribed for loss of appetite. Pitty :)
The 10mg Prozac/day might be helping me ever so slightly. I just need a smidge. Not really depressed. This is what I was delt so I deal with it. Sucks though! :)

I had my appointment, and it was agreed, that since the anxiety is calming, I will hold off. I was told i just need to make one phone call and celexa can be called into the pharmacy for me. For now, I am gonna wait. I HATE adding new pills. I have enough to swallow right now.

I find this also quite surprising. Marinol, like Nabilone (Cesamet) that I take has no 'street value', due to it's cost and the fact that it's nowhere near the level of 'euphoria' produced by smoking the plant (both the above are lab-made THC, as you may already know).

Sounds like a real 'winner' who voted that one out, seriously. :cool: I find Cesamet helps with pain where other options, including some ADs, didn't at all.

With that said though, I don't find Cesamet as effective as treating said pain than going for the real stuff.. my pain doctor also never discourages that, other than he doesn't want to hear about anyone smoking anything.

Shame my insurance doesn't cover Sativex, because I would have liked to try it to find out if it's results were better than the pill form.

Anyone notice increase in perspiration with Prozac? I started 10mg approx 3 weeks ago. Ive been sweatier then usual day & night. Curious.

Not me...I loves my 40mg. :eek: :D

I have heard that some have that, though, I think it goes away, when your body geys used to it.

Stopping the light dose of Prozac as of today because as I type this, my sweatpants are soaked with sweat. I know being a paraplegic that sitting still and not relieving pressure off your bottom can do it but I havent changed a thing other then Prozac. This is approx day 30. We'll see a month from now if it persists. Pitty because Prozac does seem to brighten mood a smidge.

I edited this to keep it to the point.

Sorry to hear that, Eddie. Maybe try another AD..:hug:

Well I took the Prozac for 1 month then started having sweaty episodes early afternoon. Stopped the Prozac 4 months ago and I'm still getting the sweats. They go away if I get out of wheelchair which could mean they're pressure related but somethings telling me my bowels may be playing a part. I'll get a colonoscopy. Anyway I enjoyed the Prozac (made me a believer) plus it could possibly prevent MS lesions so back on P I go. I've been moody lately and i'm usually an easy going guy. CCSVI frustrates me because nobody in my area is familiar or even heard of it till I started spreading the word and if something as simple as a narrowed vein is taking my feeling away, boy does that bother me. I'll get it figured out but something so simple frustrates me! Prozac my friend, here I come. Like I told my dr, a happy patient is a good patient :)

The only one of the above which I can take is Klonopin. I take a very low dose, 3/4 of a .5 pill per day, broken into three parts usually. If very anxious or spastic I take another l/4,
making it a total of .5 a day. I was on a dose three times that to start, many years ago,
but brought it down. I had bad reactions to all of the other drugs mentioned (that is, the ones I actually tried). Prozac put me into extreme spasticity and sweat after one pill. Xanax--I was in clinical trials for that, and became semi-paralyzed after 2 small pills. My sensitivity is due, for the most part, because I have Porphyria, and no one knows for sure where the porph blends into the MS. All one ball of neuro reaction, but
spasticity and pain are my worst symptoms rather than, usually, paralysis. I HAVE had
periods of very clumsy hand use and eyes "double" and blind spot but those things are not present now. My clumsy feet is mostly due to neuropathy which is permanent in the feet, and caused me to fall down stairs and break my knee.

What worked for me yesterday when my anxiety was at a roaring peak with spasticity
was acupuncture. This is too expensive for use all the time, but it really worked. I had a whole day and a half not depressed or anxious, even though big problems are still around. Thank God for that and may it beocme a more common remedy--no side effects!