water Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 My medical Dr. put me on ativan to help my anxiety and I am slowly losing it. My depression has worsened, my anxiety has worsened and I have these awful rages. Today I started hyperventilating in the closet after I blew up at my SO. I have NEVER done that before. It scared me. I was only taking .25 twice a day. It seemed to work only for the first half day. I've stuck to it because I know some of these meds may take time to work, but this is too awful to bear. I took .5 mg. twice a day for the last three days. I am depressed, anxious, emotional, and very sad. I've read alot about this drug and I don't want to keep upping the dose. It's been a little over a week since I started. I tried to find a pdoc who takes my insurance. Failed at that. However a one called me back who knows a friend of mine, and this pdoc actually spent some time with me on the phone. He does not like ativan, which I expected. He strongly suggested I combine an SSRI (Lexapro) with my Wellbutrin. I am fearful of SSRI's because of their side effects but perhaps taking them for anxiety is different? (I did try buspar over the summer. It was great, very low key, but after three months I could not shake the dizziness so I had to go off the drug.) Does anyone take Lexapro for anxiety? Does anyone take Lexapro with Wellbutrin? Can anyone recommend an anxiety med to combine with Wellbutrin? Has anyone experienced an increase in anxiety from ativan, which then went away? Sorry for all the questions. Thank you in advance for any help anyone can give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
water Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 Thank you Susan for the quick reply. I think my body loves the Wellbutrin. I had many side effects at first but they have all retreated. I started with a very low IR six months ago, then SR, then 150 XL. I upped to the 300 XL about a month ago. My paralyzing, deadening, awful depression has pretty much left me alone so I am reluctant to lower the dose. I do know WB can increase anxiety, but my anxiety is an old friend (enemy?) who has been around my whole life. It is possible the wellbutrin is increasing the anxiety, but I don't think by much. You suggest keeping the benzo dose at a minimum. Would that be 1mg. 3 times a day? I drink coffee only in the morning, a small cup of espresso. It would be really hard to give that up. I was in intense CBT therapy for years, just graduated a couple of years ago. I could go back, find another tdoc, but I just think this current situation is escalating due to some major life happenings (mostly good stuff). I just started wondering a few weeks ago about taking a med for my anxiety. I never thought about doing that before. Anxiety is something I've always lived with (like my depression) and handled in some effective (exercise, yoga, music, etc.) and non-effective (recreational drugs) ways. Excuse my ignorance, but what is an AP - anti-psychotic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Ativan doesn't make me anxious, but it has made me batshit (as in, really, really suicidal) in the past. If you think it's making you crazier, it's a possibility. Oh yes, and that was at 0.5 mg twice a day. Might not be what's happening in your case, but it's something to think about. Personally, I'd take the SSRI or an anti-psychotic. I did in fact take both of those, but I haven't been on Celexa long enough to give you any help there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Yeah - I love the Quel for anxiety. It's good stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepster Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Ativan doesn't make me anxious, but it has made me batshit (as in, really, really suicidal) in the past. If you think it's making you crazier, it's a possibility. Oh yes, and that was at 0.5 mg twice a day. Might not be what's happening in your case, but it's something to think about. Personally, I'd take the SSRI or an anti-psychotic. I did in fact take both of those, but I haven't been on Celexa long enough to give you any help there. Tryp- I agree with you on the point that Ativan can make one "batshit"! I hated it. However, klonopin has been a wonder drug for me for about 7-8 years now....small dosage....never more than 1.0mg/day. I'm not sure where you are coming from comparing Celexa to Lexapro, though, unless you are just comparing them as "SSRIs", i.e., being the same class of med. Celexa was a SSRI that almost killed me....at least I thought I was dying daily, and finally went into a two day epsisode of psychotic hallucinations.....not pretty. With Paxil, I really did fine after the initial SEs, but it finally drove me into self destructive hypomania.....Euphoria can Kill!<wink>. Anyway, back to the OP, klonopin has a very long half-life, and may be a better option over other anx meds. Eventhough I also take Pristiq now, klonopin has been the only thing that has seemed to help with my anx/panic/agorophobia issues. Regards, Deepster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
water Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 You might want to add in a third dose there if you can or consider trying Klonopin, another benzo. Most docs only want you on benzos short term until another med (usually an SSRI) kicks in. I would definitely try Lexapro. I wondered if that was the problem, that I was actually taking too little. My web reading on lexapro was a bit overwhelming, some seem to swear by it, others completely hate the drug. I do get that if something works, it's worth the side effects, but some women seem to really really hate Lexapro. It stopped working and they had a terrible time weaning off. anxiety has always been something I can deal with at some level, unlike depression and mania. It seems to be the last thing I ever get addressed. I think my anxiety triggers my depression. It has been such a constant in my life, as has the depression. They are tied together. Yeah - I love the Quel for anxiety. It's good stuff Doesn't it also make you sleepy? I mean, do you (or others) take it for anxiety, like in the morning and not as a sleep aid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Elvis Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I've always sworn by some variation of the Wellbutrin + SSRI combo, though I did take remeron in there for a while as well. The meds really do help round out each others side effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepster Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Lexapro and Celexa have the same active ingredient except lexapro has only one enantiomer and Celexa has both. Basically, the idea is that Lexapro is a purer, cleaned up version of Celexa. The idea is that Lex causes fewer side effects and is better tolerated than Celexa. Thanks Susan! Though I have been on these meds for years, I'm still seemingly spending a lifetime of learing the "little/or not" differences. Each post gets me more informed! Now I have to go educate myself about "enantiomers"! Deepster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I hate to rain on Deepster's Klono parade, but that made me batshit too, at the amazingly micro quantity of 0.25 mg Of course, as Susan said, my reaction to benzos was a) fucked up and b) probably pretty damn uncommon, so it's nothing to really worry hardcore about. I only mentioned it because the OP seemed to have the idea that the benzos might be making things worse, and apparently they sometimes can. About the Quel - I do take it at bedtime because it helps me sleep, but I think even the one dose at bedtime can help with overall anxiety, and there are people who do take it in the daytime and find the sedation manageable. It's all a matter of finding the right dose, I guess, with a side of YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepster Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I hate to rain on Deepster's Klono parade, but that made me batshit too, at the amazingly micro quantity of 0.25 mg Of course, as Susan said, my reaction to benzos was a) fucked up and b) probably pretty damn uncommon, so it's nothing to really worry hardcore about. I only mentioned it because the OP seemed to have the idea that the benzos might be making things worse, and apparently they sometimes can. Yes, Tryp, I have concede this point. I have known a few people who just simply could "seemingly" not tolerate any form or quantity of benzos. I have always been somewhat baffled by that as they seem to be a silver bullet for me. But, as we say, YMMV! This is a good reason to remember that we are all chemically different and my silver bullet may the the death knell for another. Thanks for your observation. Deepster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
water Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 I really think you should take the plunge and give Lex a whirl. Well, I plunged. Just took 5 mg. (split the 10 mg. in half) a few minutes ago. I already feel dizzy but not too much. Hopefully it won't interfere with my noon yoga class. Thank you everyone for the comments and support! I'll definitely let you know if any wonkiness sets in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Oh good Let us know how it goes I just started Celexa this week, and I didn't have any nasty startup effects except for maybe a little nausea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
water Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 It's not going too well. I can't sleep. I am getting headaches. My whole body shakes in the morning. I am only taking 10 mg. It has only been two weeks, but I am not sure I can go on like this. My anxiety is a bit better but it seems as if I am never really sleeping. My sleep is never deep except for the night I took Advil PM. I wake up all night long with more hot flashes than ever. I never feel like I slept at all and it takes me forever to fall asleep no matter how tired I am. A little headache seems to follow me around and I already suffer from headaches. Do I stay with this? I am not sure this is worth it no matter how much it helps my anxiety. I had even more side effects from the wellbutrin, but I never really seemed unable to deal with them. This morning when I woke up once again really groggy, headachy and shaky I just wanted to stop this pill once and for all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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