anleja

I have a doctor appointment next week to try to get on some sort of medication for my anxiety. I had been talking to a counselor to try to learn coping techniques, but have only progressed so far. I was always a pretty nervous person, but for the past several years it has proven to be quite dehabilitating.

ANYWAY...

Instead of letting the doctor shove at me whatever drug he wants, I am doing some research on some different meds, so I am going into this informed (I had a very bad experience with Paxil in the past). So far, anything I have read about BuSpar has seemed pretty encouraging. It seems mild, which is nice because I don't want anything that will change my entire way of thinking. It seems as if the side effects are mild, as well.

Does anyone here have any comments of this medication, good or bad? I have actually never heard of it until the nurse mentioned it to me over the phone as something I may be interested in researching.

For myself, I like how it seems to deal primarily with anxiety... it seems like most anxiety drugs are also anti-depressants, which I am a bit hesitant to delve into again.

Thanks.

lurkette

I haven't been on buspar myself but my boss was on it - she had a really good experience with it! It's effective at relatively low doses, and has relatively few and mild side effects. Her kids were both going through very rough situations - her daughter had an unplanned pregnancy and was giving the baby up for adoption, son was suicidally depressed, husband had a heart attack, and she was caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting at a mall - all within like 6 weeks! That's enough to give anyone anxiety attacks! The buspar took the edge off in a big way and let her function normally. We work in mental health research so we discussed it a lot, and she did a lot of research before she went on meds. You're right, that any of the meds that treat both anxiety and depression (e.g., paxil) have a higher incidence of side effects.

I don't know what kind of counseling you've been doing, but you might look into cognitive behavior therapy. It's time-limited, and works at teaching you to retrain your cognitive processes. It's shown to be remarkably successful in treating anxiety. You might also look at a book called "Worry" by Edward Hallowell. It's got a lot of good, non-medical techniques for dealing with anxiety, and I found it to be very helpful back when I was having panic attacks.

Good luck!

__________________
"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

- Anatole France

anleja

Thanks Lurkette, it is good to hear from someone with a real-life perspective about this particular drug. I browsed online for a while, and noticed that the majority of health sites were copying the official description literally word for word, with no other input than what the drug company had written.

The counseling did deal with cognitive techniques, it helped somewhat, but it just felt that the issue was so deepy ingrained over years of feeling this way that I think I could benefit from a little relief in pill form... which I hate to say, because Paxil drove me mad and I swore I'd not take another pill again, but it is affecting my 2 year old in the way that I have a hard time even going to the zoo with her.

I'm going to see if my library has that book, thanks so much for the mention of it.

Suzz04

Just for alittle input, I'll tell you a personal experience.

I'm bi-polar. If you don't know what that means, be thankful. I had severe mood swings to the point that anything in slightest would set me off. Unfortunately I had a bad thing with yelling. Not as severe in the other thread about the pyscotic mother over a card needing money.

I've been on Lexapro supposedly to help with the aniexty of going out of the house. I was always a nervous wreck going into a public place and about to have a complete break down at a checkout just trying to get out. It didn't matter about how many people or anything, I just couldn't handle it.

I went to a new pysch this past week and he changed my medication. He said that the ones I was taking (lexapro and something called trazadone supposedly to help me sleep, i was a zombie all the time on that one) would NOT help me with my problem.

He prescribed me Wellbutrin XL 150mg, Trileptal 300mg, and Restoril 30mg. Now, I've only been taking this since Wednesday, (20th) and I can already tell a difference. I don't get angry or irratated nearly as easy. I'm talking a complete change over. I went from being unable to stand repetive noises after 2 mins to being able to stand it for up to at least 6 to 9 hours. I feel great.

I'm not saying that my medications are the right ones for you. But, you may need to try different ones to see what helps you. Taking medication for something like aniexty is nothing to be ashamed or embarassed about. It provides you with the ability to live a normal (I'm not sure what normal is yet :P) life.

I'm quite sure that nobody will know unless you tell them that you're taking medication. Alot of people have asked me why I'm so much calmer. I just smile and go on, leaving them to wonder what change has came about.

Suzz04

snowy

One medication may not be an immediate magic bullet; like Suzz said we're all different and the medications affect us all differently. I'm on Celexa (generic citalopram) for anxiety and depression both.

The most important thing here is that you have a meaningful dialogue with your doctor going about your symptoms and your course of treatment. My doctor is one of the few people I am completely open and honest with about my own depression and anxiety; she has been an enormous help.

For what it's worth, my mother has been on both Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro (which is a derivative of Celexa) without problems, and had issues with Paxil. Don't dismiss antidepressants out of hand because of a bad experience with Paxil--Paxil is a very tricky medicine that does not work well with others sometimes

But the most important thing is that you talk to your doctor about this and keep talking That's better than any medicine out there.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

*Nikki*

I am on Lexapro for GAD and I love it. It has changed my life amazingly. Anxiety hardly even crosses my mind, and I am on a low dose.

I gave my cat Buspar at one time because of his Behavioral Urination problem. It worked well, but made him rather drowsey. It is widely used in cats for this problem. That is really the only knowledge I have of that one though.

Elphaba

Anleja, if I remember correctly buspar is a much milder form of an anti-anxiety treatment than is Xanax or Valium, and doesn't have the additive qualities that X & V have. Nor, is there a specific antidepresent element to it.

I would recommend talking to your pharmacist to be more comfortable with your choice. Good luck.

anleja

Hehe, I did read somewhere that Buspar is also given to horses for anxiety. If it's good enough for Smarty Jones...

I just got back from the grocery store, and stated to get "that feeling" where I wanted to just say "screw the cereal aisle, I'm outta here" but the particular thought that helped me out was thinking of the people who responded to this thread... it made me feel like I wasn't alone in my "craziness," that was enough to get me through the trip. So, in addition to people giving their advice, I am also happy that there are people who can simply relate. Thanks, everyone.

lurkette

I know the feeling - after we bought our first house seven years ago I started having panic attacks, and ratbastid says (I don't remember this part, but it doesn't sound too unlikely) I would crawl on the floor of the house so people couldn't see me through the windows...I couldn't even go to the mailbox without having a panic attack. When I found out my aunt had had panic attacks at about the same age it made me feel so much more...well, not sane, but at least not alone. I was lucky I was able to make it through therapy without drugs, at least for about 5 years, but when depression hit, the meds really have taken the edge off so I've been able to unlearn most of those old habits of thought that are so ingrained (still working on a few of the stubborn ones). Be patient with yourself - it took years to build up those habits (and the brain circuitry associated with them) - it'll take some work to retrain your brain, literally. The meds will just help you keep those old pathways in your brain from being etched any deeper while you cut new pathways. Best of luck!

__________________
"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

- Anatole France

*Nikki*

You are definately NOT alone. I remember when I first started having panic attacks as a teenager the more people I told, the more people came forward and admitted they had the same thing happen to them.
My husband is also on Meds (different then I take) for the same type of problems and my own brother does not leave the house for the same type of problems. With my brother though, he won't take meds, so he really hasn't made any progress. I found out later in life that there are a bunch of people on either side of my family that suffer from problems like this. Of course my parents never mentioned that to me when I started going through it.
It really helped to talk to people though and see just how many people knew EXACTLY what I was feeling.
Yeah I have been to the grocery store and almost just left my full grocery cart and walked out.

JumpinJesus

I haven't heard of BuSpar, so I can't offer my perspective on that. I take Zoloft for my panic attacks and anxiety. It has worked amazingly well for me. I felt a little loopy for the first couple days but that subsided quickly. I experienced very few side effects and only for a very brief time. The side effect that I would say was most prominent was the vividness of some of my dreams - to the point that I would wake up in the morning not knowing if I had dreamed something or it really happened.

Either way, I hope you find something that works, because I understand just how paralyzing panic and anxiety can be.

Seconds before the elevator door closed at the Sears Tower, I shoved my way through, yelling that I needed to get off the elevator. I would refuse to ride the subway if I had to stand. I have called 911 because I was convinced I was dying of a heart attack. I stopped driving for 2 months because I had a panic attack in traffic.

All of these things are in the past, now, and I can enjoy all of the things I once detested because of panic and anxiety. I actually enjoy crowds now. Good luck and keep us posted on how things are going.

__________________
"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

Sage

I think that the most important thing to be said here is: if you go on an anxiety med, DON'T stop going to thearapy. There's not a lot known about how and why anxiety/depression medications work, they just "do," so remember that you can medicate yourself back to happiness but it's your brain and someday you're going to have to retrain it. I say this because my brother was/has been on antidepressants/antianxiety meds for a while, and he's not himself anymore. A situation that should have been dealt with six years ago is still going on, unsolved, and he's still on the medication. SO GO TO THEARAPY!! I had a stint with GAD about three years ago, and I was fortunate that thearapy helped. I wish you all the luck in the world- and you're totally not alone!

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anleja

Everyone here is so awesome.

I am certainly not expecting the meds to be a cure-all, but I am hoping it will at least give me a new perspective about why I feel as I do when I am panicked.

Maybe I am a bit of a pessimist, but I am going to certainly keep with counseling due to the off-chance that I may be forced to cope WITHOUT the pills (for any reason from the med companies going out of business to me being kidnapped and dropped from a plane onto a deserted island, sans meds. Well, not really those examples, but I do see it as a tool to get better... not the entire solution).

JumpinJesus (haha, it is kinda strange to call someone by what is definitely not their birth name), your examples are pretty much things I am dealing with, it is good to hear that it is possible to get past these problems. I think I am getting to the point where the things I feel I must do to avoid anxiety are affecting how I relate with people and get through life. For example, right now I do anything I can do to avoid being in the passenger seat of a vehicle, as opposed to driving... the feeling of no control drives me crazy... it is so bad I sometimes bribe the driver with money or cigarettes to let ME drive (this is made worse by the fact that a just a few years ago I could comfortably ride as passenger in a car from West Michigan to Chicago, a 3.5 hour drive). This is only one thing on a long list of issues, but really... it is good that you and others here have been able to cope with this disorder.

*Nikki*

anleja that is EXACTLY the problem I had, not only did I HAVE to be the driver of the car, there was no way in hell I wanted other people in the car with me. Having other passengers made me feel like I was going to die with them being so close to me, and forget going on a long trip! The med I am taking has pretty much cured me of this and I have been in a car now many times with three other people while I was not driving. It is still not my favorite thing by any means, but now I can at least handle it.

Suave

Have you tried therapy as opposed to drugs?

__________________
"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato

genuinegirly

I know this thread is to help anleja, but dang - it has helped me too. You are so honest and comfortable sharing your struggles with anxiety. It's something that I never knew was so prevalent.

Last year I finally felt comfortable informing my mother about my anxiety and depression. It is something that I have kept to myself, never thinking that someone else could face the same concerns. That decision to share with my mom has been so rewarding, as she has felt alone with similar anxieties. With a more open dialogue in the home, we have worked out systems to help one another. Still, the road isn't easy and only my closest friends know I face anxiety. I tend to keep to myself, retreat to my bedroom when the anxiety hits. I have walked out of stores, failed to attend classes (therefore failing them entirely), and even was determined not to drive because the learning experience was so anxiety-ridden and disheartening. I have backed out of otherwise healthy relationships, walked out of jobs, and refuse to share my art (piano, voice, dance, watercolors) because of the anxiety associated with its presentation.

In my hesitation to tell people you can guess that I have never mentioned it to a doctor, never been medicated nor gone to therapy. I couldn't imagine bringing something as "minor" as anxiety to a doctor until I started reading of your experiences. Doctors have always been for broken limbs, illnesses sinus infections, and serious disorders like bi-polar and epilepsy. There's counseling out there for anxiety? And it helps people? WOW.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! for your openness and honesty - for being willing to share such personal and difficult experiences. You're not just helping anleja. You're helping me, and the lurkers who have read this thread without response.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

JumpinJesus

I agree with how essential therapy is. I refused medication many, many times because I did not want to feel like a zombie. I first tried Paxil and stopped after 4 days because I literally would not speak for hours at a time, instead just staring off into space without a single thought in my head.

After years of trying to cope without medication, I finally relented when my doctor suggested I try Zoloft. He is a great doctor and was fully aware and supportive of my desire to stay away from medication. He suggested it for 6 weeks as a trial and if I didn't like it, he would wean me off. Once I noticed a difference with the medication, I decided to stick with it. Therapy is essential, yes, but I find that the medication helps me focus enough on what my therapist is telling me to make it effective.

I'm reminded of a scene from The Sopranos when Tony is talking to his therapist about not making any progress and hating being on medication. His therapist equated his inability to make any progress because he's spending so much time putting out the fires of panic that he isn't able to focus on preventing them in the first place. That's what I feel the medication has done for me. It's allowed me to quit constantly putting out fires and focus on techniques to prevent them from happening.

I felt crippled for so many years because of this. It's hard for those who don't experience it to fully understand how frustrating it is. We realize there isn't any iminent danger, yet we react as if there is. This causes us to become frustrated and think that there must be something seriously wrong if our bodies are reacting this way for no apparent reason. This inability to understand why we have these attacks or fears only seems to aggravate the problem. It's not like having an injury where the focus of the pain can be found and quickly treated.

If the fears seem irrational to those of you not suffering from them, imagine being the person suffering from them. They're irrational to us, as well, but they're still just as real, which makes it even more aggravating.

What I've always found odd is that what helps me a lot is knowing there are others out there who feel the same way I do. It's nice to know I'm not alone. Even though I would never wish this on anyone, I'm glad there are those who understand what I've been through.

__________________
"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

denton

I just wanted to mention that I have had anxiety problems, and had my doctor give me Inderal for the heart palpitations. It is a "beta-blocker" for high blood pressure, but is a miracle worker if you have a racing heart problem. It works great if you know ahead of time what situations can cause panic. You only take it when you need it, and it seems to work great for most people. It only cures physical symptoms, though. Seems to be pretty harmless and it's cheap. Anyone with such problems should look into Inderal (propanolol is the generic)

anleja

Thanks, I'll keep this in mind when I see the doctor tomorrow.

anleja

Well...

I started taking half-doses of Buspar just over a week now, with the full 15 mg doses starting 3 days ago.

The thing that bothers me the most is that I am very dizzy for about 1 or 2 hours after I take this. Sometimes I wake up very early and take the first pill of the day so I can go back to bed to sleep off the dizziness. From what I have heard, this will pass... it can not pass soon enough.

I think it is too early to tell if there are any benefits to this, but I also heard it takes a while, 2 or 3 weeks, for it to reach its full effect. I am noticing little things, like... I can go into a store and get through the entire trip without feeling I need to dash out. Now I have to take baby-steps and try visiting the huge supermarket instead of the little store I normally frequent... I think that will be the first major test.

So, as of now, I think it may work, but time will tell...

tecoyah

Hmmm...I just started Welbutrin to quit smoking (like eight hours ago for the first pill), and Damn.....feeling all kinds of happy/dizzy/stoned. I sure as hell hope this feeling calms as my body gets used to the Meds.

__________________
Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

anleja

The first pill of Buspar I took was the worst, as far as dizziness. That was a 7.5 mg dose. After a week, when I started with a 15 mg dose, the dizziness was not as bad as I expected, so I think my body IS getting a little used to it. I hope it goes away for you as well with the Welbutrin... someone told me that if I am laying in bed and things are spinning to put one foot on the ground to stabalize things. It kinda worked...

ryfo

I(Mrs Ryfo) started Lexapro early this year and it has been great. I still have anxiety, but I dont constantly 'what if, what if' and I am able to cope with most situations. Just wanted yo let Anleja know that my side effects passed within about 6 weeks, the worst being headaches and funny tummy. Good luck and hope your prescription is the right one for you.

JumpinJesus

While the dizziness sucks, it's a good thing that that seems to be the only side effect you're experiencing. It's also good to hear that you were able to go into the grocery store and complete the trip. You will notice a gradual abatement of the feelings over time. I think for me it was about 5 or 6 weeks before I felt fully back to "normal".

I kept a daily journal of how the pills affected me so when I went back to see the doctor, I could remember everything about the effects when he asked.


Trust me, if you see an improvement, you'll likely tell the doctor, "They're great! Nothing wrong at all!"

Again, good luck and thanks for the update.

__________________
"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

*Nikki*

Damn, I don't think I could deal with the dizziness. Being dizzy makes me vomit almost immediately. I have no tolerance for it at all.

I guess I am lucky in that the side effects I had when I started Lexapro were mainly "mental". I felt like I was "deeper in myself" or "I had more layers" as I told the doctor and he said those were very common. I must admit it was kind of a neat feeling. It went away though. The only side effect I am left with after taking the medicine for about 5 months is decreased sexual desire (common) and it is harder to reach orgasm (common). To me though, I would rather have these things wrong then to have the anxiety.

Anyone who has had anxiety knows what I am talking about!

JumpinJesus

Oh yeah, I forgot about the sexual side effects. However, the delayed orgasm effect can definitely be a plus for someone like me.

__________________
"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses