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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by adamie on November 26, 2001, at 18:06:30
hi. I did not end up getting an off the counter anxiety med because today at the hospital I was able to get myself prescribed Ativan. i am dealing with severe depression along with anxiety.
do benzo's really work in a short period of time? can ativan be taken along with say remeron, paxil, or lamictal? i may be trying one of those soon. currently i am not taking an AD. I dunno if it's just a coincidense but there seems to be a bit less mind torture now. 1.5 hours after taking ativan. though my mood can sometimes have many tiny ups and downs.
i really need a med for my depression so with most meds is it safe to take them with an anxiety med like Ativan?
and does ativan provide more relief the longer you use it? does it work well for sleep? very very hard for me to sleep.
also can Ativan make depression worse? I dunno what it is with the AD's but almost all of them have caused far more mind torture. The least of such an effect was from paxil which is supossed to work for anxiety as well as depression. Same with low dose zyprexa. it didn't seem to have much of a worsening effect until afterwards when i felt gradually worse. then a dose raise made me MUCH worse. so i had to stop it.
any other info regarding Ativan and my situation would be appreciated.
also since my problem is depression along with anxiety... which med may be helpful? is there something other than AD's which can help? Maybe Lamictal? Regarding AD's I was thinking maybe of trying Remeron if it doesn't cause day time sedation, i would always be sleepy on zyprexa. i am scared of the worsening effect of AD's though.
Posted by benzapp on November 27, 2001, at 0:27:08
In reply to I have Ativan, please give me info and experiences, posted by adamie on November 26, 2001, at 18:06:30
Ha. Is this the same person suffering from "mind torture"? Ativan is not going to help with your cognitive deficits and memory problems, so be careful. Ativan frequently causes amnesia and impaired cognition. Taking it with alcohol virtually guarantees you won't remember a thing from the night.
You apparently have taken a wide variety of medications, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-anxiety drugs, and undergone ECT. You have pretty much sampled all that modern medicine has to offer those experiencing mental illness. If none have helped you thus far, I would consider taking a break from them.
> hi. I did not end up getting an off the counter anxiety med because today at the hospital I was able to get myself prescribed Ativan. i am dealing with severe depression along with anxiety.
>
> do benzo's really work in a short period of time? can ativan be taken along with say remeron, paxil, or lamictal? i may be trying one of those soon. currently i am not taking an AD. I dunno if it's just a coincidense but there seems to be a bit less mind torture now. 1.5 hours after taking ativan. though my mood can sometimes have many tiny ups and downs.
>
> i really need a med for my depression so with most meds is it safe to take them with an anxiety med like Ativan?
>
> and does ativan provide more relief the longer you use it? does it work well for sleep? very very hard for me to sleep.
>
> also can Ativan make depression worse? I dunno what it is with the AD's but almost all of them have caused far more mind torture. The least of such an effect was from paxil which is supossed to work for anxiety as well as depression. Same with low dose zyprexa. it didn't seem to have much of a worsening effect until afterwards when i felt gradually worse. then a dose raise made me MUCH worse. so i had to stop it.
>
> any other info regarding Ativan and my situation would be appreciated.
>
> also since my problem is depression along with anxiety... which med may be helpful? is there something other than AD's which can help? Maybe Lamictal? Regarding AD's I was thinking maybe of trying Remeron if it doesn't cause day time sedation, i would always be sleepy on zyprexa. i am scared of the worsening effect of AD's though.
Posted by Noa on November 27, 2001, at 16:19:14
In reply to Re: I have Ativan, please give me info and experiences, posted by benzapp on November 27, 2001, at 0:27:08
This board is for mutual support, but to me, what you have said here seems hurtful:
> Ha. Is this the same person suffering from "mind torture"?This makes it sound like you are enjoying hearing about his suffering.
>You have pretty much sampled all that modern medicine has to offer those experiencing mental illness.How do you know that? What an awful, gloom-ridden, pessimistic thing to say to someone! It is extremely unlikely that you know the extent of all the therapies he has tried, and I feel quite certain that you don't know what other options might be available to him.
Posted by Noa on November 27, 2001, at 16:35:54
In reply to I have Ativan, please give me info and experiences, posted by adamie on November 26, 2001, at 18:06:30
Adam,
I just started taking ativan to help with sleep. My sleep problems are for the most part induced by at least one of my antidepressants (effexor). Serzone helps to counteract the overactivating effects that I have from the effexor, but not sufficiently. I end up with restless legs that wake me up. I had tried sonata (presciption sleep aid) but I found that increased my depression. Klonopin worked, but it wouldn't wear off by morning, and I had an awful time trying to wake up. So, I recently asked my pdoc to try ativan. I take a very small dose (1/4 of a 1mg pill) because I seem to be very sensitive to benzos (the highest I took of klonopin was 1/2 of a 1/2mg pill). So far, so good. I am sleeping at least 6-7 hours, usually straight through.
I think some people are more prone than others to becoming addicted to benzos. I don't seem to be prone, because they wipe me out! On the other hand, I could see myself getting addicted to adderall (although a recent test with incrasing the dosage caused sweating and rapid heart beat, so that scared me off!).
I think it is plausible that for some people, benzos could increase depression. But that is something you figure out by trial and error, unfortunately. Talk to your pdoc and Go slow.
Are you continuing to work with a psychopharm since leaving the hospital? It is important to be open and tell your pdoc how you experience each medication so you can work together collaboratively.
Perhaps you have already been over this info before, but if not, what medications are you on right now? What have you tried? What are the adverse effects from each? Maybe people here can help you figure some things out.
Posted by Mark H. on November 28, 2001, at 18:40:12
In reply to Re: I have Ativan, please give me info and experiences » adamie, posted by Noa on November 27, 2001, at 16:35:54
Hi,
Lorazepam tends to be one of the more addictive of the benzodiazepines, and in myself (and a number of other people I know) it can promote wakefullness rather than sleep. I'm not sure why.
One person said to me, "I was really tired when I got on the plane, so I thought I'd take an Ativan and just sleep. But once it took effect, I felt so good and relaxed that I sat up and got four hours of work done instead."
In about the 2mg range, it is common for people to start having memory problems. When a friend of mine was hospitalized for anxiety and dehydration, she was given 2mg of Ativan twice a day. She could not remember that my wife and I had visited her 2 hours before. Memory loss is not necessarily a bad thing if you're traumatized, but it can interfere with the activities of daily life.
For sleep, clonazepam treats me much better than any of the benzodiazepines except perhaps Valium, which I try not to take too often because it too is highly addictive.
I find .25mg of clonazepam (Klonopin) before bed just right for promoting sleep and calming my tendency to thrash around all night.
I have had Ativan increase my depression at times in my cycle, while at other times it helps alleviate it. So be aware of changes in your body. If your depression is cyclic, as mine is, then the same med may treat you differently at different times of year.
Best wishes,
Mark H.
This is the end of the thread.
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