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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Vincent_QC on November 28, 2009, at 16:10:46
Hi Everyone,
Since the last spring, i'm living in a constant panic disorder state with agoraphobia, panic attacks who are trigger by things like driving my car or by my fast pulse rate and sometimes not trigger at all and happen suddenly.At first, I got a bloodwork in july because I was thinking it was not normal at all and had something to do with the hemmorroids bleeding I had...
They found out that my hemoglobin level was LOW... 65, when a normal men of my age his suppose to have around 140-180... and my iron level was near the 0... I was hospitalised for 3 days, they give to me blood transfusions, intraveanous iron treatments... I was able to get out of the hospital with a hemoglobin level of only 74... and a iron level of 2...
They RX to me a med call "Venofer"... it's intraveanous iron treatment... I had it each week and had bloodwork every 2 weeks...
I was thinking that the anemia was linked to the panic disorder state that I was leaving since with less oxygen in the brains, maybe it will be normal to have a rapid heart beat and feel anxious... anyway... I think I was wrong...
I had a surgery call "hemorrhoidectomy" the last 3 november, they remove all the internals and externals hemmorroids I had... It's a lot painfull...even after more then 3 weeks!!!
Now, the constant bleeding and loose of clots when I was going to the bathroom has stop... I don't loose blood anymore... BUT my hemoglobin level is at 126 and the iron level is at 8...
The Doctor RX to me iron dextran injection 1 time each month and I have to take 4 pills of iron for a total of 1200mg a day.
My hemoglobin level and the iron level are getting higher very slowly and I feel just like sh*t...
I don't see any difference between this summer, when I had a low level of 65 of hemoglobin and now at 126...
So what it's the problem???
Maybe I was wrong and maybe the low level of oxygen is not responsible for my panic disorder state???
My Doctor told me this week that maybe my brains are now dealing with a higher level of oxygen and it will take some times before my brains and my body will be use of this higher level... and that's why I continue to feel in bad shape... is it possible???
Anyway, I can't be active at daytime, I just lying in my bed, try to find a little bit of energy to take a shower and get dress before 5 PM!!! And sometimes I get out of the house to see my best friend, that's it...My social life is very limited and I can't drive the car alone for a long ride... Having someone in the car help me... but I can't have someone with me all the times!!!
I was also on 8mg of Rivotril for all the summer and on 20mg of PAxil... The Paxil was wonderfull but only for the panic attack problem... I had a lot of difficulties to deal with the too much daytime sedation and the weight gain and increase appetite... I had only one thing in my head and it was food !!! So I stop the PAxil around september and just stay on the Rivotril (CLonazepam) at 8mg day...
I meet my PDoc 2 weeks ago... I ask him if it was possible to switch the Rivotril to the Valium... but The Rivotril is strong compare to the Valium and RX 160 mg day of Valium is impossible... and anyway, nobody will be able to tolerate such a high dose of Valium... So the PDoc RX 80mg/day... What to say... I'm not able to take the Valium at all... it's completly innefective for the panic disorder and it's give to me a lot of mood swing... and i'm more depress with the Valium...
So I return on a smaller dosage of Rivotril... I try to take only 4mg of it a day... but that's very hard... I think I withdraw it too fast...
Anyway, this is my questions...
The PDoc RX the Luvox (fluvoxamine), regular formula, 25mg x 2 /day = 50mg /day. I fill the RX at the drugstore almost 2 weeks ago BUT i'm scare to start it!!!
Keep in minds that it's the only one SSRI's I never try... and my background in meds trails is very long... I almost try everything on the Canadian market... on and off label!!!
Why i'm scare of the Luvox??? Because I read everywhere that it's the worse of all the SSRI's... increase the anxiety level a lot at first, more than the other SSRI's... giving nausea, headache (I already do a lot of migraine, I have headache all the times in fact...since 2 weeks now... but normally I have migraine or headache 1 day on 2), and I read also that the Luvox make the heart pulse rate faster...who will certainly trigger panic attack on me... Me who was able to drink more than 8 coffees a day the last winter, not I can't drink one cup of DECAFF coffee, I can feel the small amount of caffeine in my system and I my hands and feets get all sweat!!! IT must have something wrong in my brains no???
Anyway, Someone had a succesfull story with the Luvox for panic attacks??? Trigger or not???
Do you think I will improve more on the Luvox than the Paxil?
And for the weight gain... is it more neutral than the Paxil? Do I will have food in my head always?...
Any good reviews about the Luvox and any good advises will be really appreciate!!!
Thanks!
Vincent ;-)
Posted by bulldog2 on November 28, 2009, at 17:27:09
In reply to Luvox for PD and SAD (Long story), posted by Vincent_QC on November 28, 2009, at 16:10:46
> Hi Everyone,
> Since the last spring, i'm living in a constant panic disorder state with agoraphobia, panic attacks who are trigger by things like driving my car or by my fast pulse rate and sometimes not trigger at all and happen suddenly.
>
> At first, I got a bloodwork in july because I was thinking it was not normal at all and had something to do with the hemmorroids bleeding I had...
>
> They found out that my hemoglobin level was LOW... 65, when a normal men of my age his suppose to have around 140-180... and my iron level was near the 0... I was hospitalised for 3 days, they give to me blood transfusions, intraveanous iron treatments... I was able to get out of the hospital with a hemoglobin level of only 74... and a iron level of 2...
>
> They RX to me a med call "Venofer"... it's intraveanous iron treatment... I had it each week and had bloodwork every 2 weeks...
>
> I was thinking that the anemia was linked to the panic disorder state that I was leaving since with less oxygen in the brains, maybe it will be normal to have a rapid heart beat and feel anxious... anyway... I think I was wrong...
>
> I had a surgery call "hemorrhoidectomy" the last 3 november, they remove all the internals and externals hemmorroids I had... It's a lot painfull...even after more then 3 weeks!!!
>
> Now, the constant bleeding and loose of clots when I was going to the bathroom has stop... I don't loose blood anymore... BUT my hemoglobin level is at 126 and the iron level is at 8...
>
> The Doctor RX to me iron dextran injection 1 time each month and I have to take 4 pills of iron for a total of 1200mg a day.
>
> My hemoglobin level and the iron level are getting higher very slowly and I feel just like sh*t...
>
> I don't see any difference between this summer, when I had a low level of 65 of hemoglobin and now at 126...
>
> So what it's the problem???
>
> Maybe I was wrong and maybe the low level of oxygen is not responsible for my panic disorder state???
>
> My Doctor told me this week that maybe my brains are now dealing with a higher level of oxygen and it will take some times before my brains and my body will be use of this higher level... and that's why I continue to feel in bad shape... is it possible???
>
>
> Anyway, I can't be active at daytime, I just lying in my bed, try to find a little bit of energy to take a shower and get dress before 5 PM!!! And sometimes I get out of the house to see my best friend, that's it...
>
> My social life is very limited and I can't drive the car alone for a long ride... Having someone in the car help me... but I can't have someone with me all the times!!!
>
> I was also on 8mg of Rivotril for all the summer and on 20mg of PAxil... The Paxil was wonderfull but only for the panic attack problem... I had a lot of difficulties to deal with the too much daytime sedation and the weight gain and increase appetite... I had only one thing in my head and it was food !!! So I stop the PAxil around september and just stay on the Rivotril (CLonazepam) at 8mg day...
>
> I meet my PDoc 2 weeks ago... I ask him if it was possible to switch the Rivotril to the Valium... but The Rivotril is strong compare to the Valium and RX 160 mg day of Valium is impossible... and anyway, nobody will be able to tolerate such a high dose of Valium... So the PDoc RX 80mg/day... What to say... I'm not able to take the Valium at all... it's completly innefective for the panic disorder and it's give to me a lot of mood swing... and i'm more depress with the Valium...
>
> So I return on a smaller dosage of Rivotril... I try to take only 4mg of it a day... but that's very hard... I think I withdraw it too fast...
>
> Anyway, this is my questions...
>
> The PDoc RX the Luvox (fluvoxamine), regular formula, 25mg x 2 /day = 50mg /day. I fill the RX at the drugstore almost 2 weeks ago BUT i'm scare to start it!!!
>
> Keep in minds that it's the only one SSRI's I never try... and my background in meds trails is very long... I almost try everything on the Canadian market... on and off label!!!
>
> Why i'm scare of the Luvox??? Because I read everywhere that it's the worse of all the SSRI's... increase the anxiety level a lot at first, more than the other SSRI's... giving nausea, headache (I already do a lot of migraine, I have headache all the times in fact...since 2 weeks now... but normally I have migraine or headache 1 day on 2), and I read also that the Luvox make the heart pulse rate faster...who will certainly trigger panic attack on me... Me who was able to drink more than 8 coffees a day the last winter, not I can't drink one cup of DECAFF coffee, I can feel the small amount of caffeine in my system and I my hands and feets get all sweat!!! IT must have something wrong in my brains no???
>
> Anyway, Someone had a succesfull story with the Luvox for panic attacks??? Trigger or not???
>
> Do you think I will improve more on the Luvox than the Paxil?
>
> And for the weight gain... is it more neutral than the Paxil? Do I will have food in my head always?...
>
> Any good reviews about the Luvox and any good advises will be really appreciate!!!
>
> Thanks!
>
> Vincent ;-)I took it years ago at 50 mg. I'm med sensitive and it worked well at that dose and I found it the easiest to tolerate in terms of anxiety at that dose. so at 50 mg it worked for depression and anxiety. I've heard when you go over 100 mg it has sides like any ssri.
Posted by Phillipa on November 28, 2009, at 18:28:27
In reply to Re: Luvox for PD and SAD (Long story), posted by bulldog2 on November 28, 2009, at 17:27:09
Vincent same as me but I did get to 250mg with ativan and felt great no side effects at all. Pooped out after a few weeks I almost felt hypomanic and asked the pdoc she said I just didn't know what it felt like to feel good. As you know still on the 50mg. Weaning off the benzos another story. Love Phillipa ps luvox the most sedating of the SSRI's where did you read it causes anxiety?
Posted by Vincent_QC on November 28, 2009, at 22:36:13
In reply to Re: Luvox for PD and SAD (Long story), posted by bulldog2 on November 28, 2009, at 17:27:09
> I took it years ago at 50 mg. I'm med sensitive and it worked well at that dose and I found it the easiest to tolerate in terms of anxiety at that dose. so at 50 mg it worked for depression and anxiety. I've heard when you go over 100 mg it has sides like any ssri.
Hi !
Ok... but 50mg is a very low dose... I mean, to be effective at least for panic disorder, you need to take 150mg... that's what the PDoc say...I agree that some peoples need less med to have a good answer to med and an improvement of their problems... but 50mg seem to me like a very low dosage...
I was not med sensitive before my Parnate experience... always took the maximum dosage allowed for an AD's... especially the newer ones like the SSRI's and the SRNI's (Effexor-XR)... or even the Nardil or all the off-label meds like Lyrica or Neurontin... Never had fear of trying a new med before the parnate... Now, that's another story... since only a loud sound who will surprise me, will start a panic attack and make me anxious for 1 hour... i'm more then sensitive... i'm overreacting...
Maybe i'm suffering from too much benzo meds in my system... paradoxal effects??? Even if I decrease the amount of the Rivotril a lot since 2 weeks!!!
But what I fear the most it's the panic attacks that taking the med can trigger on me... Since I will take it a bedtime, I don't want to have insomnia and panic attacks for a long night!!!
What I hate the most about starting a new med when you have an uncontroled panic disorder problem is the fear of having side-effects... you always ending by having side-effects but in fact they are not caused by the med but by the anxiety !!! And that's so frustrating because I know all of this ... but I can't shut down my brains... they will start panic whatever I will think or do... that's so stupid...
I learn over the years to, at least, keep the same level of control over my fear of having fear, I mean panic attacks... I never was able to control my social phobia...I was able to control the panic attack and prevent them for years... but with time, all those tricks that you learn in therapy fade away... or stop working... that's another story but CBT is not doing miracles also... like meds who are not doing miracles also!!!
But thanks for sharing your experience... will maybe try it at the low dosage... will think about it... have to find a day where I will feel stronger and less anxious... I hope it will happen before I meet the PDoc the next 8 december...
For Phillipa... Hummm just read the side-effects list on a lot of website... you will see by yourself... fast pulse rate and hypertension as well as increase anxiety and worse panic attack are in the list... BUT the side-effects who are the most important are nausea for 37% of the peoples and headache!!! I can deal with the nausea... will eat less... can deal with the headache, since I already have it... but can't deal with the increase pulse rate of the increase anxiety... even if it's only in the begining of the treatment... i'm already overstress... I Can't imagine being more anxious... I will just run to the psychiatric emergency if that happen!!! And you know that it's the last place where I want to go !!! Trust me on that!
Posted by Phillipa on November 29, 2009, at 19:27:36
In reply to Re: Luvox for PD and SAD (Long story) » bulldog2, posted by Vincent_QC on November 28, 2009, at 22:36:13
Vincent I think maybe the side effects listed are for luvox alone and you do take the benzos. Love Phillipa
Posted by mtdewcmu on December 4, 2009, at 8:08:37
In reply to Re: Luvox for PD and SAD (Long story), posted by Phillipa on November 29, 2009, at 19:27:36
> Vincent I think maybe the side effects listed are for luvox alone and you do take the benzos. Love Phillipa
I have also read that Luvox is the worst of the SSRIs. I could not tolerate Paxil due to its gastrointestinal side effects (nausea, abdominal cramps), so I would not be surprised if I could not tolerate Luvox. The anxiety caused by SSRIs will usually go away after a while. (Not so the restlessness/akathisia.)
Posted by Phillipa on December 4, 2009, at 19:57:13
In reply to Re: Luvox for PD and SAD (Long story), posted by mtdewcmu on December 4, 2009, at 8:08:37
It's wierd none have ever effected my gastrointestinal tract? Luvox for me no side effects at all. Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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