# Back to Square One



## Spider1 (Jan 14, 2002)

Hello all, It is still me SPIDER, I just had trouble logging on so I had to re-register as Spider1. Same Spider, different name.Anyhow, Just an Update for those paying attention....I ended up having to Stop the Remeron. It was making me SOOO tired all day long, and I was sleeping 10 hours a night. Last weekend I went snowboarding and I was so fatigued I had to go take a nap in my car after two runs!!!! Not good. And I was really irritable and crabby all the time (lucky I have an awesome boyfriend). I duked it out for two weeks, but I can't handle "Waiting it out" to see if the "good" outweighs the "bad". I have this thing called MY LIFE that I have to live, and I couldn't bare "waiting" any longer. So I am back to square one, trying to curb my anxiety & IBS. I am also seeing a new doctor tomorrow (my PCP is Moving to San Diego), she is rumored to have experience in "Alternative" (GASP!) medicine as well. I am hoping this is some kind of positive step since my current doctor has been trying to get me on anti-depressants since the day I walked in her office-maybe I should have made the switch 8 months ago. (ahhh..hindsight is always 20/20) .I am also questioning some of what my hypno guy has said. He seems to be in favor of me being on a med to reduce my anxiety, so I can go deeper into hypnosis. But I am not itching to try another one. Shouldnt' he be able to help me work on my anxiety with Hypno??? Back to square one...still in one piece...tomorrow's a new day.


----------



## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Hi Spider:One thing to remember about anti-depressants is that they take some time to work, depending on what you are on. Also, it's very common when you first start taking them for your doc to adjust them up or down for you several times, until you reach which dosage is right for you. It sounds to me like what you needed was a dosage adjustment. Did you mention to your doc you were having problems?JeanG


----------



## Spider1 (Jan 14, 2002)

Yeah, I went to my doc friday and told her the drug had helped me with my anxiety & nausea, but was making me tired and miserable. She said to give it another week at least to see if the side effects go away. I tried taking it through the weekend, and by today (monday) realized I couldn't take it any longer. I don't want to take anything that makes me feel the way I have felt the passed two weeks. I have definatly felt WORSE overall since I stared taking it. LESS of a dose makes you MORE tired, and I have some reservations about taking a higher dose (which would be the highest I could take).


----------



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Spider, I hope your not quiting the remeron without consulting your doctor?Also you may have not really given it long enough to get over the side effects, just a thought. I would have given it another week and something else to know here is you should try to follow and stick with the doc's advise when working on something, as they know things you don't with all this. It is also trial and error in the begining.However, You probably learn somethings here and I wouldn't really call that back to square one, but on to square two.The anxiety your having pre HT might be interfering from you letting go during your sessions which maybe one reason he was trying to calm you before the sessions. Might not be Mike's approach but your doctor seems to be a good one really and know about IBS.As for the HT and IBS/anxiety be patient this takes some time, but try doing something really relaxing before you go to your sessions and that may help turn down the anxiety and let you feel more relaxed and able to "let go" during your session.So what's your next step?Again make sure you talk to the doc about quitting the remeron right away, this is a very serious thing and they should know this right away.


----------



## Spider1 (Jan 14, 2002)

Yeah, I went to see my doctor and since I was only on for two weeks, it was fine to stop all together.What made me nervous about keepin on them was that I have a big trade show happening in Vegas in 1 1/2 weeks that I am pretty much responsible for (booth set up & tear down & be happy marketing chick the whole time). There was no way that I could manage this with the tiredness and sleeping patterns the meds were giving me. I would be leaving the show napping (not to mention the next 1 1/2 weeks of prep stress)I don't know what the next step is. My new doc gave me some dietary supplement ideas to help my C & D which I am starting Today. Hopefully they will calm my bowels and eleviate some anxiety enough to get through the Trade show.When I get back I go for my lower endoscopy a week and a half later. In the mean time I am going to continue the hypnotherapy & some relaxation tapes (meditation).Then I don't know, I guess I could try another Med If I have to or.....?????? ????


----------



## norbert46 (Feb 20, 2001)

Spider, I think you are following the best path and what you are doing sounds right. The hypnotherapy take some time to kick in good but please have faith and follow the schedule with positive enthusiasm. I tried all the meds and they never really helped, just made me a mess with a Xanax addiction to get over. I did it "cold turkey" but wouldn't wish that horrible time on anyone. Maybe others will suggest other helpful advice. Good luck, NorbPS: The Remeron put me asleep for 24hrs on the lowest dosage, the MD said let's double your dosage and I said "NO WAY"! I may never wake up?? I know I overreacted but I wouldn't take it and my wife said "over my dead body, you are like a zombie"?


----------



## shyra22f (May 9, 2000)

Hey Spider,Sorry to hear the Remeron wasn't working for you. I'm not exactly sure if you were taking it to help control your IBS symptoms or not but have you talked to your doctor about Celexa? It's also an antidepressant but is known to cause fewer side effects than other antidepressants.I started Celexa back in October and my anxiety has pretty much vanished. I'll admit, every now and then I still have my anxious moments, but I can cope with it _much_ better than before (it feels like mild anxiety and doesn't turn into a panic attack). I also did Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for a couple of months as well and that helped me aquire the tools I needed to gain some control over my anxiety. The combination of the two have given my life back.My psychiatrist explained to me in laymens terms that unlike other antidepressants that target parts of the brain that don't need to be targeted, Celexa targets only the sites in the brain it needs to, therefore causing very few side effects. The only things I noticed the first few weeks on it were bad dry mouth and insomnia (both went away gradually).Most people take a few different kinds of antidepressants before they find one that works for them.. so don't dispair! I sincerely hope you find something that works. IBS is bad enough itself, but suffering from anxiety on top of that makes it that much worse.Take Care.


----------



## Spider1 (Jan 14, 2002)

Thank for getting back with me. I know what you mean Norb, about being a ZOMBIE, It has been three days off the pills and I can already feel my concentration and energy coming back. I am actually going out at 9pm tonite to the bar!!! Hopefully I don't pass out in my Peppermint Tea. LOL My doctor actually did suggest Celexa after Prozac killed my appetite completly (which is no good b/c I have lost a ton of weight already). But then we decided on the remeron. The only thing I worry about Celexa is the Sexual side effects. Me & my boyfriend have a very healthy sex life (and relationship) and I am kind of concerned about that being jeopardized. I am going to go with the hypno for some time longer. I am concidering getting the Mikes Tapes so I don't have to commute to My hypno doctor.Thanks so much for all your responses. All of this doesn't seem as overwhelming when I have people to talk to about it. Yay for the BB!!


----------



## shyra22f (May 9, 2000)

Hey Spider,Glad you're feeling better







Not trying to push the Celexa on you at all... just wanted to comment on your post...With the limited amount of side effects you shouldn't experience a decrease in sexual desire, so for future reference, if you're considering going back on antidepressants I would _highly_ reccomend Celexa.Good luck with the hypnotherapy as well!


----------



## norbert46 (Feb 20, 2001)

Spider, I think you're going to find good things happening for you and let me offer the following. Get Mike's hypnotape program and follow the schedule to get the positive benefit, if you will listen at bedtime thru headphones it will not interfere with your schedule at all. Shyra has experience with Celexa, which is one of the newest AD meds and it is not a SSRI medicine which means it will most likely NOT harm the libido responses. To my knowledge and research Celexa has few bad side effects and it will either help you or have no effect. Just stay away from the Benzo drugs if possible and you can take the Celexa to see if it helps and do the hypnotapes with no conflicts, the hypnotape program will not conflict with any other treatment but will augument and if it helps you like my success you will eventually not need any medicines at all. Good luck, Norb


----------

