Sedation vs Activation

[ehygon]

I've got a pdoc appointment tomorrow, at 2:30 (10 am pst). I'm mostly concerned right now for how restless I am. My thoughts are racing to the point where I'm getting lost in my own head, and I can barely sit down long enough to type this.

I was wondering, can I get something which will calm my restlessness, but won't sedate me? I've been on seroquel/lithium/remeron in the past, and I really hate them all. I have a problem with being that hungry, and too tired to properly feed myself.

I also have really bad, chronic anxiety (GAD?SAD?both? who knows), so I'm kind of wary of activating drugs. I can barely function as is.

[Fiona]

I was wondering, can I get something which will calm my restlessness, but won't sedate me? I've been on seroquel/lithium/remeron in the past, and I really hate them all. I have a problem with being that hungry, and too tired to properly feed myself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've found Seroquel works a wonder for me, but you've already tried that. How much Seroquel did you take? It is usually quite sedating at lower doses but then not so at higher doses. Did you take enough to get past the sedating, sleepy phase?

I also find Lamictal helpful for some of these things, and not particularly sedating.

Fiona

[ehygon]

I was stuck in the shitty range of seroquel. 25mg at night for a while, to sleep, and then he decided to add another 25 in the morning. So I pretty much smother myself to sleep, and then do it again but instead go to school. I had a very big problem with that, and he seemed to find it unreasonable. Same went for remeron + lithium combo i dropped.

I went to see him today, and he gave me 7 1mg ativan tabs, for the bad days, and started me on lithium. I really didn't to go back, but I was given a choice, lithium or zyprexa. I don't like my body, but I'm too proud to take zyprexa and risk the weight. Plus it's just as sedating as seroquel (he says), which I specifically told him a minute before I had a problem with. The remeron + lith combo was bad enough, I gained 20 lbs and got to the point where i was like "oh my god, 70% of my pants don't fit me anymore, I'm in trouble."

I'd be interested in trying lamictal, essentially to cut to the chase. I've had to discontinue all my antidepressants, because I had "mood swings." I just feel wary of suggesting it to the boob, but I am too shy to suggest it for fear I'll be branded some sort of drug seeker/malingerer/facticious disordered hybrid.

I really need to switch to a female doctor. Men are such morons.

[Velvet Elvis]

I don't get him wanting you take that small a seroquel dose in the AM and still expect you to function.  At that small a dose you're pretty much just taking it for the side effects anyway, ie, sedation.

I've been taking 100mgs at night for a year now for OCD and loved it.  I gained quite a bit of weight though. 

I'm currently trying coming off it for a while to see if I lose some weight, sleep less, and get a couple IQ points back. 

It sounds like you might want to look into abilify.  It's an anti-psychotic which is actually stimulating for a change.  Geodon is another one that is a bit more side-effect friendly. Actualy, any of the APs would be better than zyprexa unless you are really flipped out.  Ie, if you're not violent or majorly psychotic, you can probably make do with something less potent than zyprexa.  Zyprexa is pretty much a chemical straitjacket IMHO.

Rember that your pdoc works for you.  You are the one paying the bill.  If you don't feel like his listening to you and your needs, fire his ass. 

[Dweii]

Yeah, some AP's can be stimulating but still calm down your anxiety. Geodon works that way for me, but lots of people hate it. But look up Abilify and Geodon. Might be worth bringing up with pdoc at least.

And for the love of God, avoid Zyprexa if you can! In my personal opinion, obviously. I know some people like it.