![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by MGOLDW on December 16, 2005, at 11:49:44
Hi,
I have been on Lexapro 10mg for 18 months with good results. Unfortunetly, I had a tragedy in the family this week and I am felling that I am going down! This happened only 3 days ago, but instead of felling a little better each day, things are going the other way. I am taking a little Xanax for anxiety. I am scared that my ship is taking water and I am sinking.
Any advice?
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 16, 2005, at 12:30:42
In reply to Scared! Help......, posted by MGOLDW on December 16, 2005, at 11:49:44
> Hi,
> I have been on Lexapro 10mg for 18 months with good results. Unfortunetly, I had a tragedy in the family this week and I am felling that I am going down! This happened only 3 days ago, but instead of felling a little better each day, things are going the other way. I am taking a little Xanax for anxiety. I am scared that my ship is taking water and I am sinking.
> Any advice?A tragedy in the family is a pretty good reason to feel not so happy. An antidepressant that is good for you, matches up well with you, will not prevent you from reacting appropriately to sad events.
My advice is reassurance. All is as it ought to be, so far. Grieving, sadness, they're part of being alive.
I'm sorry for the sadness, but please don't fear it.
If a couple of months go by, and things are messed up, you might want to revisit medication issues. Until then, reach out, talk about what's happening, how you're feeling. There's a grief board, a relationship board, a faith board. Lot's of people who care, and who will be with you through this time.
Lar
Posted by MGOLDW on December 16, 2005, at 12:37:43
In reply to Re: Scared! Help...... » MGOLDW, posted by Larry Hoover on December 16, 2005, at 12:30:42
Thanks for your answer, everything helps.
Regrads,
Martin
Posted by Glydin on December 16, 2005, at 14:44:59
In reply to Scared! Help......, posted by MGOLDW on December 16, 2005, at 11:49:44
I am sorry for the difficult time you are experiencing.
Grief and sorrow are things we need to be able to work through and deal with as they are part of life. Just speaking for myself, I have experienced times that the real difficulty was my ability to cope AT ALL with the situation or the aftermath. My responses, feelings, etc. felt inapproiate to me. I had a difficult situation that happened just months after I began Lexapro. I began at 10 mgs. also. Increasing the dose to 20 mgs. was a help for me. This was not to numb me from the situation but it did help me be better able to approiately handle the challenges I faced. Speak with your doc as that might be a plan to consider for yourself.
Posted by Phillipa on December 16, 2005, at 21:50:40
In reply to Re: Scared! Help...... » MGOLDW, posted by Glydin on December 16, 2005, at 14:44:59
Both the above answers are viable options and make sense. Run both of them by your doc. But it's true you should feel and not be numb. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on December 16, 2005, at 21:52:37
In reply to Re: Scared! Help...... » MGOLDW, posted by Larry Hoover on December 16, 2005, at 12:30:42
Lar please find Jeroen he's looking for Ed wanting to decrease seroquel and stop restoril. Not sure whic board he's on. But he needs you
Ed's not here. Thanks Fondly, Phillipa PS sorry to hyjack your thread.
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 17, 2005, at 0:12:13
In reply to Re: Scared! Help...... » Larry Hoover, posted by Phillipa on December 16, 2005, at 21:52:37
> Lar please find Jeroen he's looking for Ed wanting to decrease seroquel and stop restoril. Not sure whic board he's on. But he needs you
> Ed's not here. Thanks Fondly, Phillipa PS sorry to hyjack your thread.No proplem, hon. I answered Jeroen. I wouldn't have realized Ed wasn't around.
Lar
Posted by Racer on December 17, 2005, at 13:09:41
In reply to Scared! Help......, posted by MGOLDW on December 16, 2005, at 11:49:44
I gotta agree with Larry, who is a smart fellow. Tragedy is going to hurt, and the only way to heal that hurt is to get through it. (Sorry, the communication centers in my brain must not be working today -- can't think of how to write that idea clearly.)
For what it's worth, during tragedies in my life, it has always seemed as though the first few days -- or even weeks -- are a downward path. The first day after, for example, a death seem as though I can get through it. It's only after the first few days that things start getting worse, as the reality of the situation sinks in, and the pain solidifies.
Yes, I'd agree that talking to your doctor would be a good idea -- depending on what sorts of practical things you have to do, how much support you have to do them, and what your specific symptoms are, there may be meds that could augment things for you. Or maybe increasing the Lexapro might help. My guess, though, is that the best thing you can do for yourself is to collect all the social support you can, and be aware of your own needs so that you don't get overfaced by this.
I'm very sorry for your pain. I hope things improve very soon.
Posted by tarabara on December 18, 2005, at 16:24:19
In reply to Re: Scared! Help...... » MGOLDW, posted by Racer on December 17, 2005, at 13:09:41
i too agree with the previous posters. tragedy is awful to deal with especially if you are already struggling. however, being this upset is perfectly natural. do you have access to a bereavment (sp?) counselor? i also agree that you should keep your doctor up to date on your mood. he can make an assessment on whether your mood is tied to the awful experience you are going through or something biological. hang in there. if your mood was somewhat stable before this tragedy, you can rest assured that you will get that back. take the time and let yourself hurt. i know, easier said than done. please be good to yourself.
i actually read an article recently that says that stress hormones are released through tears. my therapist gave it to me and told me that it was all the more reason to cry myself to sleep. he was being sarcastic and serious at the same time. let yourself grieve. i know it's hard.
Posted by ghostshadow on December 20, 2005, at 8:27:31
In reply to Scared! Help......, posted by MGOLDW on December 16, 2005, at 11:49:44
this is still way too soon after any type of tragedy to worry that you're not feeling "better". the problem with the human mind is that we remember, and want to keep the good things we had. it hurts terribly when we lose those things, and the soul can heal quite slowly. take strength from those around you, and share your feelings. time heals, but not overnight.
Posted by Sebastian on December 23, 2005, at 16:42:37
In reply to Scared! Help......, posted by MGOLDW on December 16, 2005, at 11:49:44
I saw a freind die. I later on found that zyprexa was the best medicine for all the feelings and emotions I was experiencing. In fact it made all the pain go away. I still take it. Guess I didn't deal with the pain, so I still take the med. Sort of wished that I had delt with it but the pain was realy too much. Anyways that is my suggestion.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.