Lady Lee or anyone that knows about meds w/anxiety

by SheilaM 34 Replies latest jw friends

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  LyinEyes

  Sheila,,,,,,,,I have taken lithium for bipolar disorder and I just hate the stuff. But I can tell you it did calm me down.........to the point I wasnt myself. I couldnt write, I couldnt express myself, I couldnt even draw anymore........it took my artist side away,,,,because I didnt want to do anything. I was tired..... sleepy, and had little emotion. There are many who say it doesnt take away their forms of artist expression and do well on it.

  Now,,,,,,,,,I guess it served it's purpose in taking the hyperness I was experience away,,,,,,,but I talked to the doctor and switched to other meds to treat the ups and downs. I take Wellbutrin in the day to hault the depression( it has also been shown to treat mild forms of Bipolar ups and downs) and I take Klonopin at night. I take a very low dose of this , it is very addictive and a powerful drug,,,,,,,it is in the class of drugs like Valium, Xanax, but doesnt work quickly like they do, it is a long acting drug, stays in your body longer. It is also an anticonvulsant , so it always made me wonder since that drug has worked so well for me,,,,,if I stay on it........the connection between seisures, misfiring synapses and mood swings???? I think there is some kind of connection,,,,,,,,definately a chemical imbalance one way or the other.

  Gumby , I read the second Patty Duke book,,,,,,,,,and it was sooooooo informative and that little beige pill as she called her lithium did change her life completely around.

  Way back, in the early 1900's they used to have spa's for people to go to have what ever problem they had physically or mentally addressed.

  One of the theuraputic tools used , was the lithium salt baths. They found that when the people sat in these baths they came out more relaxed,,,,,,,,,and therefore they began studying on what benefit lithium might have on agitated patients. It was a miracle drug,,,,,,,once they figured out how to make it not toxic and get the benefical dosage right.

  Lithium is a naturally occuring salt that we even have in our bodies already. But as others have said, it can be as toxic as any man made substance, and can kill you ,,,even if you have been on it awhile....it can build up and cause severe symptoms, including coma and death. That is why you have to have lithium blood syrum levels done once a month.

  For me the meds I am on are doing good for my mood swings, my anxiety, and I didnt have that terrible of an experience with lithium, I just didnt want to do anything .
• 

  gumby

  and I didnt have that terrible of an experience with lithium, I just didnt want to do anything

  Dede,

  I smoke take somethin that does that sometimes

  Gumby
• 

  jgnat

  Lithium is a metal. It is toxic, so dosages must be carefully monitored. I only know of one condition that responds to lithium - bipolar disorder, or manic depression. Those with bipolar disorder should not go off this medication lightly, but work closely with their doctor to consider alternatives.

  http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-l02.html

  If this woman has an anxiety disorder, lithium should not have been prescribed, IMO.
• 

  Rabbit

  Here's another link I found. A friend of my wife takes Lithium, too. Yeah, it can have some bad side effects, but, to her it is a life saver. But, like Lyin' said, it takes a real toll on her. She too, was a good artist -- she just 'can't' anymore. Same with the lack of emotions...what a human cost there is when tiny brain chemicals don't work -- just right.

  I hope she gets many opinions to keep from being over-medicated. And the only Doctors I would let precribe those medications would be neurologists, psychiatrists or encrinologists they are the true experts. I have Epilepsy from a head injury, that can and did cause a change in Seratonin and other chemical levels and caused major depression in me. I had to absolutely demand that if I felt over-medicated, something had to be done. If you are complacent about your treatment, you don't challenge them do do better for yourself or your charges -- then they may be the same with their treatment.

  http://mentalhealth.nami.org/helpline/lithium.htm

  'Google' lithium or any other drug and you'll come with a lot of good stuff. WebMD.com is good -- they have an interactive Rx look up, you can find out the uses, side-effects and even a graph where you can add different Rx's one at a time to see if there are bad interactions between different drugs.
• 

  seedy3

  When my wife was diagnosed Bipolar, I did a lot of research on the drugs she was taking, at first she was on Lithium, as well as Haladol, and I forget what the other one was (that was 9 years ago), but the one drug she stayed on for a long time was lithium. It can be used for anxiety, but there are much better drugs for that treatment, Paxil being one of them. You may want to check with your Dr about his full Diagnosis of your condition. If he tells you that he feels you are showing some signs of Bipolar disorder, make sure he sets up an appointment to check your blood level as that is EXTREAMLY important, a little too much and it can be deadly, a little too little and it won't do you any good. Depakote is much better, and last I checked there is a new one out for Bipolar disorder, that is even less toxic.

  Seedy
• 

  little witch

  I just wanted to opine about doctors and mental illness, from my experiences.

  Many people who are suffering from depression etc are not ready to go to therapy and will simply go to a GP (general practition doctor) in order to find a quick remedy.

  GP's are not specialists, and I suspect too willing to "fix" things by prescribing a too powerful or inappropriate drug.

  A witness who is vulnerable and leary about phsycology may be especially fearful and go to a GP.

  Depressant meds are in and of themselves tricky, some are slow to have effect, and usually they must be evaluated and changed over time.

  A GP is more likely to give out the most powerful and send you on your way, vs. a phychiatrist who monitors and evauluates the patients well-being and reaction. They are specialized in the field and therefore probobly a better prescriber.

  Just my opinion of course.

  I wish your SIL well Sheila and you also. Depression sucks.
• 

  Thunder Rider

  I appreciate everyones cautious suggestions. My sister is the typical unhappy DUB. Her husband is controling and overbearing. She has guilty feelings about every aspect of her life. She is the kind of person who wouldn't say $#!^ if she had a mouthful. As with myself and all of my 11 brothers and sisters, she has been trying any and all treatments to put a smile on her face and some joy in her heart, fightingdepression.
  
  My problem with the situation is she has turned the responsibility for her treatment over to the doctors. That is never a good idea. My older brother did this and has been a reclusive shutin for the past 20 years. He takes so many different meds that the bottles cover half of hiskitchen table. I wonder how many of them just treat side effects of the others, and which one is actually treating the underlying problem?
  
  Doctors make their money perscribing drugs. Drug companies pay doctors on the side to push their drugs and no matter what might be working for you they will always recomend and then perscribe the "newest" thing.
  
  I spent 10 years on anti depressants. All I have to show for it is chronic plurisy and a heart murmer.
  I ditched the meds cold turkey. Its amazing how you can learn to cope when you don't have health insurance. I removed from my life all things that caused me anxiety, not the least of wich was the JW religion, and made a consious effort to do things that were personally fulfilling and enjoyable.
  I let go the guilt and walked away never looking back.
  
  I don't suggest that anyone follow my lead by any means. My depression was situational and not physiological. My thinking processes needed to be changed not my brain's chemical balances.
  
  Sheila and I are not taking any kind of antidepressants now. She does take the SeaSilver and I might join her after seeing the improvement she has experienced.
  My sister is goingto get a second doctors opinion and investigate alternative treatments.
  
  Thunder ===]>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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  little witch

  Thats good news Thunder, I feel she should get another opinion.

  You are so right about the over-prescribing problem. Did you know that doctors get all kinds of perks (Hawaiian vacations, etc) for prescribing a certain amount of new meds? It is true.

  And that conflicts with their ability to do the right thing as to the patient.

  I agree also that there is the situational aspect as related to anxiety and depression. Sometimes a persons lifestyle and situation bring on symptoms that can be aleiviated by changes in lifestyle.

  My stars, I didnt know there were 12 of you siblings! Wowser!
• 

  blondie

  Good comments, LW.

  But Sheila did say in her question:

  No suicidal thoughts, no depression per se????

  Under those circumstances, no suicidal thoughts or depression mentioned by the patient, I'm surprised that lithium would be the first choice.

  It would be good to seek out another doctor to get a second opinion. Lithium is not like anit-depressants or drugs for anxiety. It works best with people who are bipolar, a special kind of depression.

  The harmful effects of using lithium when it isn't beneficial....besides the fact that no beneficial medication is being administered.

  Lithium is not a cure-all for people with depression, but works best with bipolar conditions. (Depakote is good too for bipolar but has its own family of side effects.)

  Comments about GPs not being the best source of information are on the mark. Remember that psychiatrists are medical doctors and that is what they concentrate on in regard to treatment, not talk therapy.

  Blondie
• 

  Thunder Rider

  Blondie,
  
  My sister says she isn't depressed, but how can anyone that is afraid to even go out of the house not be.
  
  Her insurance is paying for all the new meds but won't pony up for a shrink, and I think that might be the missing piece to the puzzle.
  
  Thunder ===]>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>