markneil- I did have ativan that I used for the first two weeks. It just seemed to make things worse for me. I would just pass out for 2 hours and wake up in a panic. I tried xanax too and it did the same.

mark in idaho- It's my husband, father and sister that want me to stay on meds. My mom is a little more understanding. I think they believe with these meds that I'll return to normal function level, but I'm just not as of right now.

I couldn't believe some of the billing offices wouldn't work with me a little more. Frustrating to say the least as I am probably one of the few without insurance that is actually trying to pay a debt.

I have no idea about the trust fund. Where would I find that information?

The inpatient stay was a "no other option" type of thing. I went 17 days without eating more than 500 calories a day, lost tons of weight and didn't sleep for more than two hours a night. I guess I had a nervous breakdown of sorts and told my family I couldn't go on living anymore like this. It's like my body got stuck in fight or flight mode, hence why I found that fight or flight therapy and it gave me some hope.

I still feel that way now. It subsided for a short spell, but even as I type this I am shaking and a nervous, panic stricken wreck for no reason. I just wake up like this and battle it all day long. The internal struggle of trying to convince myself I'm okay is wearing me so thin.

Thank you for continuing to help. I need all the help I can get.

I'm sorry it's so hard for you still.
It really makes me sad to read how bad you feel.

It appears Alabama does not have a brain injury trust fund. They do have an agency that supports people with traumatic brain injury http://www.rehab.alabama.gov/individ...injury-program

I lost 30 pounds in 6 weeks. The Klonopin was the first med to be able to break that cycle. I was also put on Zyprexa. It appeared to make a difference even though it was only for a short time.

As I said, your family has not been inside your head. Please do not let their well meaning but ignorant comments stop you from finding the right meds.

I see you have tried Ativan and Xanax. Klonopin is slower and longer acting and many find it does not cause the jittery feelings the other two may cause. A .25 mg dose may be just enough to take the edge off. A normal dose is up to 1 mg. Worth a try in my opinion and experience.

You could also try taking a GABA supplement. You can also add L-Glutamine. 500 mgs of each two times a day would be a good start. They are over the counter, safe and affordable. A vitamin shop will have them. I know there is a form of GABA that is better but I don't know what it is called. Maybe MrsD knows.

It's PharmaGABA. I got some after reading about it on the forums from mrsD but my daughter ended up using it.

You can do a forum search for PharmaGABA and also Inositol. There is a lot of info. that mrsD has posted as well as others. I've been using the Inositol for anxiety issues, but the PharmaGABA seems to help some people better.

PharmaGABA

Here's info from the iherb encyclopedia on
Inositol
Don't be put off by the dosages mentioned. It's a powder. I use about a gram a day. 1/4 teaspoon = 600mg

Another medication that is helpful for treating anxiety is Propranolol. It's a beta blocker and used for a number of different conditions including migraine. It's prescribed in very, very low dosages for people with anxiety.

Are those supplements listed safe to take with the SSRI or should I wait until I wean off it? I know I will have to stay on the Mirtazapine at night so I will check the drug interaction with it.

They are safe to take while you are taking an SSRI. My doctor (psychiatrist trained at Duke) addressed this issue directly.

St. Johns Wort is one that would not be taken with the Zoloft or the Mirtazapine

I've been asked by a member to look at this thread.

I'll say right up, that I am not an expert on TBI ...but I know about drugs and supplements.

Some people just do not do well on Zoloft. It can be quite agitating, even at the low doses.
The Remeron has this postulated activity in the brain:
from http://www.rxlist.com/remeron-drug/c...armacology.htm
Remeron is often given to help with sleep, because it has sedating qualities/side effects.

The suggestion to use a Benzo like Xanax or Clonazepam would address this anxiety issue. You could do this over the counter with PharmaGaba...more safely and gently however.
Benzos and PharmaGaba work on the inhibitory nervous system, which balances us against the stimulatory system which is activating. The neurotransmitter GABA works here, and neither drug you take affects it. The RX drugs that work on GABA receptors are quite habituating, but the PharmaGaba is not. You can find this at iherb.com or Amazon
Not all GABA supplements work orally, but PharmaGaba does. I've used it myself. 100-200mg a day often works for many people. You can take it before bedtime to calm you for sleep.

Some people just naturally have lots of serotonin, and using SSRIs for these people is just too agitating. You should trust your feelings and resist any dose increase. The mildest SSRI is Celexa, and that is because it is not a pure drug, but a mixture of active and inactive molecules so the SSRI actions are much weaker. (Its cousin Lexapro however is the purified form and much stronger).

I hope you feel better soon. Please keep this site informed about the fight to flight response. This particular body reaction happens with other medical conditions as well. My fight to flight response is engaged with auto immune problems. AT least that is what Mayo clinic discovered.
This type of therapy would benefit. I hope there are studies on it. ginnie

Mark in Idaho, Lara, Mrs. D, and ginnie-
Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to this thread and the wealth of information given. We have a health and food store in our area that is wonderful and luckily has 10% on their vitamins/ supplements on Sunday! So I will be making a trip there today.

I just wanted to say that without the help of you guys (along with my family, of course) I would probably have given up on this and lost this fight. The support and time that people are willing to take to help someone in need is in one word amazing. So THANK YOU, each and every one of you!

Here's to a better week and I hope everyone enjoys this Sunday. God bless.