Afraid that adding another medication will throw me off....

[xxprincessxx]

I'm not entirely sure where this post fits, but I'll put it here since it deals with "mental health" more so than being "depressed or anxious."

So the past two weeks, I felt like I was going to die and I was consumed with that thought process 24/7, except when I was sleeping, which was very rare and when I did fall asleep, I would either sleep really really late, or wake up every hour.

So, I went to the doctor who put me back on my old anxiety meds that he previously took me off of, (cold turkey) because he said that since I was only on them for 2 months, I should be find, and he didn't like the choice that my previous doctor had made by putting me on them. But alas, he was wrong, and I was having withdrawal symptoms, so I'm back on them, and he wants to taper me off of them. But the thing is, their the only drug that I seem to can function on. I couldn't function before, I would lay around and do nothing because I felt SO sick. I called off work, and when I went to work, I made so many mistakes because I couldn't think straight. But now, I'm doing better at work, I haven't called off, I can go out and do stuff again. I still have some symptoms of anxiety, but it's not nearly as bad.

He was going to take me off of them because they are supposed to work for 12 hours and frankly they weren't, but now they usually are. Unless I'm particularly stressed about something, then they don't. But I don't want to be taken off of them. He also prescribed me prozac, but told me not to take it for a week. I really don't want to start it. I like where I'm at right now. My friends are all happy that "I'm back to my old self again." I don't want to get screwed up again.

I haven't really be overly depressed, anxious, and I haven't had thoughts about self-harm in awhile...I want to keep it that way.

I don't know what to do? Any ideas. I want to keep making progress.

[PSY]

What anti-anxiety medication are you currently taking? It is very, very common for people with anxiety disorders to be prescribed anti-depressants. Oftentimes, it's safer to go with the anti-depressant, because the side effects for anti-anxiety medication can be brutal (not to mention that benzodiazepines can actually cause depression in some people - I'd be curious to know what your official diagnosis is [if there is one] and whether the anxiety or depression came first [or simultaneously]).

I can understand your hesitation to try something different, because things seem to be going well at the moment, and you don't want to mess with that. It can't hurt to try, though - maybe Prozac will target the issues even more effectively than the medication you're on right now. Also, I'm glad your doctor is tapering off the medication this time, vs. going "cold turkey." Did he provide an explanation for going "cold turkey" before? Because that's something you generally shouldn't do, unless there's a life-threatening side effect that warrants getting off the medication immediately.

[Ghost On The Highway]

The only time I've ever gone cold turkey off a psychotropic drug was when switching between different SSRI's, like celexa to prozac, etc. It's a bad idea to stop benzodiazepines abruptly, and many antidepressants that cross-list for anxiety have withdrawal symptoms as well. Everyone's different, but I found prozac was like a sugar pill, the only thing it did was give me insomnia. If the drug you're on now helps, I don't see why you should stop taking it, unless it is addictive (like benzodiazepines).

[xxprincessxx]

Originally Posted by PSY

What anti-anxiety medication are you currently taking?

Also, I'm glad your doctor is tapering off the medication this time, vs. going "cold turkey." Did he provide an explanation for going "cold turkey" before?

I'm taking Clonazepam at the moment.

Also, he said that he stopped me cold-turkey because I had only been on the medication for two months, and that I should have been fine. But that obviously wasn't the case.

[Ghost On The Highway]

Clonazepam/klonopin is only rarely prescribed as an "every day" med. When I was on it, I was only supposed to take it as needed. The problem with taking it long term is that you eventually develop a tolerance to it, rendering it less effective. Also, it does cause withdrawal symptoms and physical dependence, in addition to potential adverse effects on memory and cognition.

[xxprincessxx]

Yeah, it wasn't working for me. I actually switched doctors, and the doctor that took me off cold turkey was actually really mad that my doctor would prescribe it to me. But he assumed since I was just on it for such a short time, that I would be fine. Especially if he started a new anti-depressant right away. So he put me on Paxil (at that time) but I ended up getting sick, which we now know was because of the withdrawal symptoms from the Clonazepam. But he switched me over to Prozac just in case it was the Paxil playing a part as well.

I just know that I'm functioning okay right now with just the Clonazepam, and I don't want to add in another medication and be sick. I can't miss more work, I'm already behind on my rent. And quite frankly, I haven't felt this okay in years. Which is strange.

[Ghost On The Highway]

Mental health treatment is a funny thing. Sometimes it seems like a matter of blind luck when a medication works for you, or the cruel hand of fate when a previously effective treatment stops working. I feel better now than I have in years, but I don't know why. It could be that I'm not drinking or smoking weed as much and that my brain has "recovered" from damage. Or maybe the antidepressants I take caused some kind of neural adaptation for the better. Maybe it's just my situation, or outlook, or the results of meditation. Who knows? You're almost my age and have probably been through worse situations. I think you should make your own decision on the prozac, though it's very important you tell your doctor. As for the clonazepam, have you told him how you feel on it now? It could be the right choice to stick with that line of treatment, provided the dose is low and the side effects and withdrawal aren't too bad. Withdrawal is one of those "deal with the Devil" type things. You (and I) know it's going to suck when we have to stop taking these pills, but sometimes it seems best to sacrifice the future for the sake of a happier present.