Finally! a doctor who sat down and listened to me for once..
 

So yesterday i had an appt with an actual doctor, instead of all these other nurses and NP's. I think the visit was a really good visit. I told him everything from the time i was diagnosed with PCS to the time i had one of the NP's tell me there was no possible way of having a concussion unless you lose conciousness (HAHA -.-).

He actually took the time to sit down and go through every symptom i was having and what could be the possible cause. He actually checked my ears and found fluid behind my eardrums which could be the cause of of my vertigo/dizziness. He said unless im dizzy to the point of debilitation, such as severe vertigo, nausea and vomiting, there shouldnt be a reason to worry. When i reach that point, its time to see a specialist.

As far as my anxiety goes, he wanted me to choose what i should do. .5 mg 3 times of ativan a day isnt a lot but im afraid of eventually building a tolerance to that and wanting more before im able to take control of my anxiety. He suggested that i take Buspar 7.5 mg once a day and take ativan as needed and to eventually slowly taper off the ativan because of its addictive qualities.

I understand that Ativan is an addictive drug, but taking SSRI's or even Buspar just really bugs me. The fact that they have a large amount of possible side effects just gets to me. Those are something i just really dont want to be on. I was on citalopram and made it to day 8, ended up in the ER with severe anxiety, heart palpitations, a weird buzzing sensation in my chest, and many other symptoms i cant describe...It was awful.

Now i know everyones different and its been said many many times that one persons reaction to a drug can be completely different to someone else's reaction, everyones different. But considering the side effects of buspar and the fact that it can cause permanent side effects...is this really something i should be taking?

Knowing that these drugs have so many side effects would put my anxiety through the roof, and idk if can bring myself to take them..

The doctor also wanted me to take something like Zyrtec and something with sudafed in it to dry the fluid behind my ear drum.

Has anyone taken Buspar with good results?

I am so glad you had a doctor who sat down with you and listened! That is great!


I have taken Buspar before, and I really didn't have any side effects, it supplemented the Zoloft I was on at the time..



I understand your feelings on SSRIs etc. I am nervous to try them again (pdoc and therapist think I should). I know it would take the edge off of the anxiety/depression that I have, even though I have had experience with them with little side effects (after a few trials and errors, of course.)



My experience with Ativan was not as good. I had hallucinations. But yes you are right, everyone has different reactions! Please let me know what you decide. I am on the fence about it myself.



Again, congratulations on finding a doctor who listens!!! It helps a lot.:hug:

plastic,

Sudafed sounds odd. It is a decongestant. It causes sinuses to drain. An antihistamine is usually used to dry things out. Chlorpheneramine maleate is a common antihistamine and is generic and cheap. Zyrtec is a branded antihistamine and is more expensive. As your local pharmacist which works well without causing problems for someone with a concussion. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is also effective and can help you sleep.

Ativan (lorazepam) is a benzodiazepine. Many caution against using benzos as they can be hard on an injured brain. Some anticonvulsants are easier on the system. Gabapentin, Keppra, and others have been used successfully.

Are you taking any nutritional supplements to help your brain heal?

Glad your doctor listened, that can be a huge relief in its own right.

I have no experience with the buspar, but I can comment on the zyrtec and sudafed for the fluid behind your ear drums. The zyrtec is an antihistimine which is great and may possibly prevent more fluid from forming, but you NEED the decongestant action of sudafed to dry up the fluid. Same idea as drying out your sinuses.

I've been through the fluid behind the eardrum scenario as an adult (not a child) and had to get tubes put in to drain the fluid when regular drug treatments (like above) failed.

Having tubes put in your ears as an adult kinda sucks, they are less likely to put you under (as they do kids) and you just have to lie very still while they make the incision and wiggle the tube in. Hurts a lot! (I had it done on 3 occasions) Then of course, once the tubes are in, you can't get your ears wet, so you must use ear plugs, even to shower! A real pain. You really want to avoid getting ear tubes if possible.

Another thing that can help with clearing the fluid is to try not to lay down as much and when you do, don't lay flat. I know that's counter to getting rest for your brain, but being more upright does assist with getting rid of the fluid.

You can also use the nasal sprays with decongestant and that will help, but do coordinate all the OTC drugs with the pharmacist. There's a prescription nasal spray that i had some success with for my ears that I can't remember the name of... if it comes to me, I'll post again.

Best of luck, fluid behind your ear drums is annoying and can cause all sorts of problems from dizziness to temporary hearing loss to balance issues and ear pain.

Starr

Thanks for this post first.

I am wondering if maybe this is my problem. Fluid behind my eardrum.

Now I had great luck with the ativan, and I didn't need it 3 times a day.
Even though it was prescribed that way.

And I was told by my doctor that it was okay to just take it as I needed
it.

I usually only needed it 1 or 2 times a day.

I also took cymbalta at the time for depression and fibromyalgia.

So when that really took effect it really helped the anxiety too.

But that is just me.

I still once in a while have a need for the ativan, but very rarely.

Donna:grouphug:

Worth having your doctor peek in your ear next time you're there. Sometimes when you have fluid in your ear, you can hear a crinkling noise, almost like static. And sometimes, you just can't hear at all!!
Starr

at the moment im taking advil cold and sinus, and cetirizine for the antihistamine and sudafed. For supplements i havent been taking anything too big, just a daily multivitamin.

I really wish there was some way i could make the anxiety go down without meds at all, and be able to manage it that way..Because i seriously DO NOT want to get addicted to Ativan.

And to be honest, im just really afraid of taking buspar or any antidepressant..

Any suggestions?

Did you talk to your pharmacist about taking advil cold and sinus AND sudafed at the same time? Do they not contain the same decongestant? Just worried you might be getting too much pseudoephedrine. I *believe* pseudoephedrine can also make you feel jumpy and anxious, especially if you get too much of it.

There are other ways to deal with anxiety than drugs, but they require work, commitment and the help of a counselor or therapist. You can also learn to meditate, lots of online resources to help with that and there are many types of meditation if you happen to be one of the people that believe meditation can not coexist with Christianity. Meditation does not have to be Buddhist meditation, though many Christians do believe that Buddhist meditation CAN coexist with their beliefs.

None of these are quick fixes and may not even totally relieve your anxiety symptoms, but they may make it easier for you to cope with them and not let them rule your life.

Best of luck finding your way.
Starr

im not taking sudafed with advil cold and sinus, i meant that im taking advil cold and sinus in place of the sudafed.

Ahh Whew! I was worried about you!! :hug:
Thanks for clearing that up :)
Starr

PlasticMonkey,
I can relate to your dizziness and anxiety since those are my main debilitating symptoms besides the dull headaches, neck pain, fatigue etc.,

I do take Xanax at times when my dizziness (non-vertigo), headachy, ear pain gets out of control and I have to drive somewhere. It sure brings down all my symptoms (just .25 mg). 2 or 3 times in a whole week.

I don't have to say how much Benzos can be addictive. Few days ago I had a panic attack when I was getting to close doctor's office and thought I was going to die (rapid heart beat, dizzy). :) I took a bit of Xanax in the doc's office and all my symptoms came down for the rest of the day. Doctor thought PTSD.

I still think it is something to do with neck and ear and even my stomach. I don't know. But if I didn't take Xanax that time I would have ended up in ER which proven to be pointless so far. Unnecessary CT scans, EEGs etc., since they don't take risk based on my prior TBI history.

As Starr mentioned there is no quick fix for anxiety. Seems like Dmom had success with an SSRI. Though when I tried Cymbalta I couldn't sleep and got very suicidal!!

My cousin (a psychiatrist) wants me to try Buspar too. I am on Trileptal (anti-convulsant med) and planning to quit first since it is doing nothing (besides it helped smell disorder). Then may be try Buspar. Honestly I am sick and tired of all these meds. Xanax is the only thing worked for me but very concerned about addiction. Seems like Buspar works slightly different way than SSRI but for me only messing around with GABA in brain helps. :winky:

I mentioned before that Neuro-feedback helped me and have to go there again. Cost too much money though so I am postponing. :)

I started Meditation again though I cannot sit in Lotus position (gives me headache), so now I sit in a chair I meditate.

Keep us posted how Buspar worked if you plan to go for it.

Cheers!