# Share your experience with a medication or psychiatrist



## Drew (Jan 23, 2006)

Have you undergone treatment for social anxiety with a medication?

Is there a specific psychiatrist you had a positive or negative experience with?

Thanks!


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## Jrock (Dec 16, 2008)

Drew I do like the site. Keep up the good work. I would imagin that running SAS has server cost etc.... Does SAS except donations?


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## Drew (Jan 23, 2006)

The Google Advertisements offset the hosting costs and we don't accept donations, but thanks for your very kind offer! 

Thanks! 
Drew


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## timeout (Aug 29, 2009)

*I am going up to 60 miligrams of paxil per day can anyone respond on this*


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## Stargirl09 (Dec 14, 2009)

I have experience of quite a notable psychiatrist whom I dislike called Dr. Yasmin Hussain. She lives in Leeds but saw me in Bradford after I was referred by my local GP. She has written several books but never really listened to me durng our 6 month sessions, she extended the sessions by a further 6 months but never gave me any feedback, no advice, no diagnosis.

I just think she's in psychiatry for herself, her latest book is called 'Riotous Citizens' and is about the Asian riots which took place in Bradford in 2001. On one hand I respect her ambition, on the other I feel she's making money out of the riots. She's black and most of her work is based on race issues.


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## wii (Jan 20, 2010)

i have never tried any form of legal medication, hahaha i think i should.


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## cristina1226 (Jan 22, 2010)

*celexa*

I have social anxiety and I was prescribed celexa, with in 3 hours i felt down , i kept in sighing and felt like crying for no reason really, and didnt feel like doing anything but just sit and think.when i looked in the mirror besides looking abvioulsy sad my i noticed my eyes were dialated. I felt like a zombie my eyes wide open. I called my phsychiatrist and she said that that shouldin't happen that maybe it was the inderal she also prescribed me along with the celexa. But I stopped both! 2 days later i felt better again, but im just a little jumpy now.will this go away? how long does it take for celexa to completeley come out of me. I tried valium for a week that my reg. doctor prescribed me just for 5 days, it was for family court situation. And i did very well, noside effects i felt like that pill was made specially for me because it took all my anxiety away 10mg is what i took. but psychiatrist is very hesistant right now to prescribe me that. She says people get easily addicted to it, but is it possible to have long lasting effects if i would take it only temporarly? has any one alse had bad celexa experince?


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## timeout (Aug 29, 2009)

*60 mills of paxil*

I have been on 60 milligrams of paxil for about 6 weeks so far its great it has really helped when I was on 20 it wasnt doing anything I thought it was useless a doctor told me to slowly work up to 60 like I said its great


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## timeout (Aug 29, 2009)

*valum*

Hi Cristina1226 I agree with you 100% valum is a miracle drug it takes social anxiety away and it seemed like it was made for me Doctors are very reluctant to prescribe it because it is so addictve I was addicted to it and if you dont have any look out because you wont even be able to leave your house. I get it from a relative and only take it in emergencies I am not addicted anymore I have not tried the drug you were talking about but I have had great success with paxil but you must take 5 mils for10 days then 10 mils for 10 days then 15 mils for 10 days all the way up to 60 this goes for all anti depressants good luck


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## rebuildtheparty (Feb 24, 2010)

Stargirl09 said:


> I have experience of quite a notable psychiatrist whom I dislike called Dr. Yasmin Hussain. She lives in Leeds but saw me in Bradford after I was referred by my local GP. She has written several books but never really listened to me durng our 6 month sessions, she extended the sessions by a further 6 months but never gave me any feedback, no advice, no diagnosis.
> 
> I just think she's in psychiatry for herself, her latest book is called 'Riotous Citizens' and is about the Asian riots which took place in Bradford in 2001. On one hand I respect her ambition, on the other I feel she's making money out of the riots. She's black and most of her work is based on race issues.


I had the same experience! and my insurance supposedly covered this lady, but I had to be pay hundreds for one session, and this woman didn't care enough to ask me how I feel. The first day I went in, she gave me some depression pamphlet, and ask do you feel these things in the bullets. It's like yeah, sometimes I do, but I'm here for something completely different. Then she sent me to a psychiatrist, who didn't even talk to me, and diagnosed me with bipolar disorder. I was so pissed, I left. They tried to put me on anti-seizure medication!! and she's suppose to be reputable?

Now I'm anxious by any and all psychologists/psychiatrists. :mum


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## flapjacker (Nov 30, 2008)

My counselor resigned. Our conversations were just getting good too. We were up to transcendentalism and the really important things in life, and he just quits. 

Now I don't even want to go back. I don't feel like I need to right now.


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## DrGonzo (Mar 16, 2010)

I've been living in the Hell psychiatric professionals call Social Anxiety Disorder since I can remember. When I was in Kindergarten, the teacher thought I was slow because I was so quiet and unable to function socially. Needless to say I passed with the intellect of a second grade student. I never knew what I was suffering from until I saw a Paxil commercial about 10 years ago (at times I sincerely thought that I was terminally ill). I tried Paxil and unfortunately recieved no result so I began to research this disorder and its tratments for myself. The only way that I made it out of my teens alive was through one thwarted suicide attempt after another. At 18 I was prescribed Klonopin after months of pleading with psychiatriists and was surprised at how well it actually worked for me. It disappoints me that a lot of "them" are so reluctant to prescribe it when it acheives such great results in so many. I've tried Nardil (the other MAOI medication for SAD) and although it alleviated my symptoms, the side effects were almost unbearable. I have way too much trouble with doctors prescribing me Klonopin and this just shouldn't be. If it helps, why not? More or less they're saying, "sucks for you man, deal with it". Little do they know that for me, I can't just "deal with it" and its not just "all in my head". Every doctor I've ever seen is completely uninformed about this disorder and even if they have a clue they insist that benzo treatment is only temporary because of the addictive properties. Fist of all, if its temporary, what do you suppose the sufferer does when temporary ends? What lies beyond that doorway? Do you dangle pain remedys in front of a man screaming in agony while his leg is being amputated with a dull hand saw? Of course not. There have been times that I was so tired of being anxious all of the time and I was depressed, I would wish i was stricken to a bed for life. Either left quadrapalegic or worse. I don't have an explanation of exactly why I wanted this nor do I fully understand, it was just a fantasy. A strange fantasy. If any of you have some insight on this, please elaborate. 
The other thing that aggravates me about uninformed people is how often they use addiction of benzos as an excuse to keep them out of the mix. This is so ridiculous. If you can't get out of your bedroom because you're scared someone may strike up a conversation with you or look at you, you're sick and if you want to feel better, you're an addict. Would it be going too far to suggest that Phizer or some of the other major phamacuetical companys have some pull in this. Do SSRIs produce more of a profit than benzos? Why would they replace such an effective medication with one like "Paxil" that is only effective for a small percentage of people? If they gave a damn they would either advertise the most effective med for SP so that the young kids going through high school (a personal nightmare) won't become suicide statistics. Or, they could develop a medication that will actually do a bit of good for the suffering. "Addictive". This is so ignorant when used in that context. A person who has diabetes needs inculin to survive. Are they... addicted? Likewise with SA and benzos or whatever may work on the case's basis. People- especially psychiatrists- have no idea how awful it can feel, therfore they don't take it seriously. "Addiction". Ha. If something works to alleviate or cure an ailment that you otherwise can't live with, it can't be an addiction. It just doesn't make any sense. They're especially hard on you if you drink at all. I don't believe these doctors are aware of the symptoms of SAD at all. Are they even aware what the effects of alcohol are? Alcohol is a social lubricant. I've never had a med in my life that has compared to the effect that alcohol has on my SP. Its almost nonexistent when I'm drunk. When I'm buzzed its present but the last thing on my mind. Alcohol is addictive, to the mind and body. The Psychiatric Medicinal Complex is almost suggesting that we drink before we take benzos. Its legal. It helps. **** what happens later I want to feel good now. I try to explain this to my doctor every time she drops my dose. Soon, I'll be without and what will I do then? Nothing else helps and I'm sure I've damn near tried everything. I may just have to find another doctor, but what if they're the same? I need advice


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## Montner (Feb 1, 2010)

I haven't been taking *lamictol* as a mood stabilizer for very long. It's been like maybe two months or so? I just recently went up to 50 mg. I have now decided to take myself off of it . I looked up the side effects because I have been experiencing a huge lack in energy and feeling constantly *fatigued*. I have been getting *ear aches*. *Sores in my mouth *and *dizziness*. Guess what? Those are all on there as symptoms. My moods are apart of me. I always feel like a diluted person of myself on meds and I only take one at a time but every new med is a set of new problems and I feel they are usually worse then "problem" I'm trying to treat. At least when I'm not on meds I'm me. I'm done with this but_ I don't mind the prozac for now, it's like the one drug I've had minimal problems with._


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## SAgirl (Nov 15, 2003)

Ive never really focused on exposure. Since exposure has never worked for me. I go into therapy sessions talking about things that are going on in my life. It seems like it is the underlying problems that cause my anxiety so we tend to focus on those. 

I havent been to therapy in months and really dont need it right now. I have been to therapy so many times that I pretty much know how to help myself through a situation. 

I dont take meds due to side effects that I have experienced in the past.


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## rodger1958 (May 6, 2010)

I thought that I would post on here, but it is very hard for me since I am not sure who might read this and think that I am crazy, but here goes...

I am currently taking Paxil (60 mg) once a day, and it does not seem to do much for my anxiety. Everytime that I go to see my doctor he has me come into his office asks me how I am, and then after telling him that I am not getting better he writes a perscription and sends me on my way. I only see him each session anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, and he charges me for 1 hour! What a rip off!

I am suffering and all I get out of my doctor is nothing except a smile and he says that I will get better. I don't see how he can even tell me this as he has not even talked to me long enough to get a good history on me. Maybe my doctor can read minds...I don't know. I just feel lousy most of the time, and it is thru shear will power that I even make it thru most days. I have terrible anxiety attacks at work, and I am deathly afraid to even tell anyone about it because I know they would not understand. Most of the time I am ignored at work anyway, and it is if I am a ghost or something. No one takes me seriously and they mostly treat me like I'm some sort of alien or something. At times I feel so depressed that I just want to die, and I have come very close to suicide many times.

I dont know where all of this is going to end, but if I cannot find someone to help me I think that I will just go away from everyone that I know and just OD or something on my meds. I hate my life in that I am so afraid of people and what they think of me. I try to be positive, but when everyone is talking down to you it is hard to stay positive. What is even worse is that my wife doesn't even understand what I am going thru, and I have talked to her at length about it. She is like everyone else that thinks that you can just snap your fingers or take a magic pill and you will be normal again. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY! I am sorry that I am getting off track here, but I am very frustrated and feel I have nowhere to turn except to others who share my condition.


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## psychcharged (May 7, 2010)

I am into neurontin and manage to cope with acute anxiety - the drug that has helped alot. The thing is that psychiatrists misdiagnose all too often...now try to live with that!


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## Inside (Jan 31, 2010)

psychcharged said:


> I am into neurontin and manage to cope with acute anxiety - the drug that has helped alot. The thing is that psychiatrists misdiagnose all too often...now try to live with that!


Neurotin made me suicidal. The gaba drugs can be touchy and vary extremely, a note of caution.


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## psychcharged (May 7, 2010)

Inside - have you had suicidal tendencies prior taking neurontin?


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## Inside (Jan 31, 2010)

psychcharged said:


> Inside - have you had suicidal tendencies prior taking neurontin?


Yeah, and I was doing great for 3 years on stuff. But after getting the right dose of Neurotin to function with, maybe 3-4 months into, the tendencies were different than normal depression. It wasn't the same type of depression/suicide stuff that depression brings with it. Something particular to that formula. It is listed as a potential side effect and a couple of law suits have been filed on it. Here's the source:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601127&sid=alp_Z1XI.5qc
and a short snip from that article " Pfizer faces more than 1,000 lawsuits accusing it of illegally promoting Neurontin for unapproved uses and helping to cause some users' suicides. The settlement comes a week after another Boston jury ordered Pfizer to pay more than $140 million in damages to an insurer over the drug. Pfizer has denied any wrongdoing in connection with its handling of Neurontin. "


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## psychcharged (May 7, 2010)

You say that the tendencies were different that normal depression. What exactly have you experienced?


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## Inside (Jan 31, 2010)

psychcharged said:


> You say that the tendencies were different that normal depression. What exactly have you experienced?


It's hard to explain the difference in a word context but just wanted to share the information. Hate to go into detail about suicide and how it felt different for me. Just wanted to post the info.


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## psychcharged (May 7, 2010)

thank you for sharing this information


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## pixies (Oct 28, 2009)

I have recently finished my course with my psychiatrist. Can't say I am all that impressed by it. I felt like she kind of dumped me prematurely, but I didn't really resist.

At the start, she gave me a book to read about S.A.D and the book explains how this all works. It's also all about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and that was the crux of her solution for me. I basically need to intercept my anxious thoughts with far more reassuring and realistic ones. None of this was possible for me at first, and I felt like I was wasting her time for the first few sessions. I was doing nothing and not getting out enough to try things out, so every time I met with her, I had nothing new to tell.

Things started improving for me, but then I got to the point where I had lots of social events planned, and I totally freaked out. I started having lots of panic attacks and I got so anxious and scared that I didn't even want to leave the house and I ended up cancelling everything and hiding away. At this point I went on Escitalopram. The therapy continued and it started to improve thanks to the drug. With the help of the drug I could do more social things, and more importantly, I was relaxed enough in these situations to spot an anxious thought coming in, and I could just kind of shrug it off or diffuse it quickly. 

When I told this to my therapist she basically said, "TADA! My work here is done", and closed my file. Personally I believe it was the medication that helped me far more than her or CBT. Although I didn't resist her closing my file because I am sure that with this drug I can now start using CBT properly and hopefully try to cure myself deep down with my own efforts to tweak my own thoughts. My plan is to keep improving and get involved in lots of social situations, and then hopefully I can eventually stop taking the pills and see if I can keep going without them.

I am doubtful to be honest, because I find that it's such a medical thing with me. I think it's so much to do with brain chemistry that the pills work miraculously with me, and without them I am a mess. But my psychiatrist insists that it's all in my head and if I can use CBT properly, I will eventually be able to cope without the pills. We'll see.


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## Aya11 (Jun 15, 2010)

Psychiatrists are all the same. They randomly select an antidepressant that "should" work best for you before even getting to know your problems, then they see you every couple of months to see how you are doing, and keep making various changes to the medication... like either raising or lowering the dosages, etc. My psychiatrist doesn't even hear me out when I'm explaining to him how I'm feeling inside my head. He just goes: "Oh, that's just the anxiety." I'm like... someone end me now please. I`m also on zoloph, whatever it`s called, it`s for anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder... which I don`t have. I asked him why I was on a medication for OCD and he said it`s more for the anxiety than anything else. -_-


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## Matt0189 (Jun 22, 2010)

15mg Mirtazapine for about two months. Tired and demotivated ever since. Got fed up, went to my psych and told him I wanted to stop taking it. He prescribed me to 150mg Buprobian XL (Wellbutrin) once a day in the morning. Going to start taking it tomorrow. Kind of nervous.


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## MandyC (Jun 16, 2010)

Adderall IR 10mg 3x per day (for SA)
Klonopin .25 once per day (for sleep)

i've tried just about everything over the past 15yrs; you name it, i've tried it...and adderall is the only med that has ever even touched my SA...in fact, it's so effective, it's now literally impossible for me to have a panic attack...well, so long as i remember to take the adderall that is, lol.

however, unfortunately, i find that adderall causes depression after a while....and i've yet to ever take any antidepressant successfully (Lexapro worked - but also caused a severe skin rash...but it worked *so* well, i was willing to put up with the nasty rash - but my doc said no dice. damn. 

oh well, i've now got a choice between having severe SA and no depression (when not on adderall) or having no SA and moderate depression (<-which is pretty freakin' bad at the moment).


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## VagueResemblance (Apr 17, 2010)

Effexor 75mg
Slight antidepressant effect.

Effexor 150mg
Slight antidepressant effect.

Effexor 300mg
Slight antidepressant effect, fading over next seven weeks to a slight emotional deadening not worth the persistent side effects.. I don't remember what these were. I decide to discontinue Effexor and attempt something else. Pdoc agrees.

Effexor 225mg
Withdrawal sickness. Nausea, vertigo, others. Misery for somewhere around one week.

Effexor 0mg
Visiting family, I neglect to take along medication for the weekend. Withdrawal symptoms intensify and I leave early to take my dose. Comparing severity of withdrawals when tapering with present state I decide to stop altogether and get the thing over with as quickly as possible. Pdoc agrees.

Effexor 0mg 
A week or two of intense suicidal ideation follows. I hallucinate my violent death by various means. These thoughts are triggered by inconsequential little things like the sound of a phone or a knotted shoelace.

Effexor 0mg
I'm completely sober and have been for years when a mild annoyance - a knotted shoelace, no kidding - kicks me into an altered state of mind, involving full emotional deadening and visual hallucinations. During which I move to suicide. Afterwards, I'll amuse myself by counting this as 1/2 attempt, it being not entirely of my own volition, and besides, I didn't complete the motion; color rushed into the world and emotion returned a moment before I pulled the trigger.
Pdoc never notified due to worry of her calling police.

Effexor 0mg
Over the next months suicidal ideas lessen. That altered state never happens again.


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## VagueResemblance (Apr 17, 2010)

Zoloft 150mg
After taking a morning dose, I notice improved mood in the afternoon. Effect is very pronounced the next day and continues to improve through the week. Crushing, stifling weight has been lifted from my mind. I laugh out loud for the first time in years. I lead a normal life. I work and I play, there are people in my life. I sabotage myself by declining talk therapy, having been disillusioned with three psychologists. When the antidepressant effect fades to nothing six months later I'm left exactly where I started. SSRIs after this are ineffective.


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## creativedissent (Oct 25, 2008)

I'm considering getting a prescription for SSRIs. But to me it appears superficial (that is meds). Might make you happy on the outside but inside it literally tortures you to death.


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## spirowilliam (Jul 23, 2010)

When I was in school I suffered from the malaria. I have concerned to my friend who was the student of the medical and start the treatment immediately. But due to the antibiotic medicines I suffered by the side effects of it. Since that time I have never concern any medical student rather than medical professionals.


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## Lachlan (Jul 3, 2008)

Main message I recieved from a wickedly expensive , supposedly successfull psychiatrist for treating depression and poor social interaction- 
- if you don't change something about your life, your experience of life will not change. If something seems interesting to you, even if it doesn't neccisarily make good logical sense, pursue it, rather than not pursueing anything.

medication: after taking Citalopram, after 4 months of ordinary sized dose. - I felt energized, to the point where most things were not very stimulating for me. one of the few things that seemed intersting was the 'thrill' of looking for a girlfirend. What before seemed dangerous, and made me nervous, became the only thing that was rewarding. An example, was something like rollerblading, where previously the risk of hurting myself had outwayed the thrill of the sport. This balance changed, and the risks seemed a lot smaller for the reward. On the contrary, i felt like i was constantly buzzing, quiet and methodical thought was in a way blocked. I sort of became like an adrenaline junky i guess.


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## ScorpioGirl (Jul 17, 2010)

I am on Zoloft and Xanax. Have been on Prozac, Klonopin, and Ativan in the past.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Experience wise, i would say psychiatrists know how to taper people like me who are addicted off medication or on to new meds much better than doctors do.
My last psychiatrist who was amazing put me on effexor and it was a gradual process as i was on paxil and needed time to come off them and have them replaced by effexor without feeling ill and like i wanted to die which happened to my friend and my mother who were told to just come off the paxil by the doc and straight to the effexor so yeah i would say psychaitrists are much more caring when it comes to personality, social and mental disorders and drugs, in fact i have only known one doctor in my home town who has had depression and anxiety so she knew and understood and was an amazing doctor but where i live now not one doctor has experienced mental illness, well thats what they told me so they seem to think "its easy to chop and change" 
"coming off a drug is good not bad" "take less" and so on

I went from up to 5-6 zopiclone or lunesta per day down to half because my doctor told me it was my own fault for taking so many so he wanted to be tough, however its making me ill, giving me severe nausea and freak out at night, i was hearing voices and all sorts. He also wont adjust my clonazepam either which sux, he knows they work the best and while i am withdrawing off other meds it would be best not to do them all at once

Thank god for rehab facilities and a psychiatrist that understands
if i did not have that to go to this week, i think i would end up in hospital again because the doctor is not listening because as nice as he is he just does not understand sleep or mental illness problems and he has told me that:mum:mum

Anyone else have bad experiences with withdrawals or doctors opinions?


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## nessapheener (Sep 11, 2010)

*Disturbing experience with psychiatrist*

Hey everyone,

I'm not sure where to start with this - it's one of those things that fall into the category of "did that really happen" (yes, it did); and "no one is going to believe he said that" (yes, he did).

I've been seeing this psychiatrist on a weekly basis for about 3 months since my last psychiatrist retired. I've been a bit wary of him, something just hasn't felt right since the very beginning but I thought I'd persist and stick with it (I'd been seeing my previous psych for 3 years so I thought it might be a matter of adjusting to a new person).

This psych likes to talk a lot about himself and our session consist mainly of me sitting there and him talking about himself and his beliefs and his philosophies about psychiatry.

In our last session on Tuesday, we (I should say he), got talking about why he got into psychiatry and his philosophy on life, and he said, quote:

"... I actually life in very little regard. In fact that is one of the reasons I got into psychiatry - to find out why people hold life in such high regard.

I don't know what the purpose to anyone's life is. You can analyse it to the point of futility - we are born, we live for such a relatively short time, and then we die.

At the end of it all, life is not that all important."

:afr

Seriously, what the? I am *not* making this up. I questioned him on this, I was so anxious and nervous about challenging him, but seriously I said to him, how can you say that life is not important or sacred (regardless of your religous beliefs - I am not particularly religious).

I don't think this is ethical nor professional for a pychiatrist to be saying. I am now debating whether to report this doctor to the medical board.

Thoughts, anyone?


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## Canadian4Life (Sep 27, 2010)

I am on zoloft, ritalin and clonazepam. The combo has worked wonders for me. I take ritalin for adhd and have been on it for 6 years. I took clonazepam for social anxiety and the combo worked well..and still does. I have depression though..major depression. I didnt want to take an antidepressant and went for 2 years before trying one. I tried paxil, celexa, mirtazapine and effexor. Within hours of the first dose all of those meds made me feel not myself. This feeling didnt go away even after 6 months usage. Paxil..I don't even wanna go there, Celexa made me dull and lazy..It did help my social anxiety somewhat (making me dull) but it increased my general anxiety level (strange). I gave celexa 8 months and gave up at 60mg. Mirtazapine..made me tired,dull,zombie-like,I gained 35 pounds and I can go on and on with the side effects. It caused me more sexual side effects than celexa actually (and mirtazapines supposed to not dampen libido). Effexor..gave it three months started at 37.5mg and up to 150mg. Made me feel like a different person (and not in a good way either). Made me have panic attacks, pushed my blood pressure through the roof and was the most anxiety provoking drug I've ever taken (and it's indicated for generalized anxiety disorder??). I spent the next year and a half on no meds for depression but It was getting worse. Don't fool yourself into thinking ritalin is in ANY way an antidepressant because it is not. I went for my final attempt and started zoloft 50mg. After I took the first dose I could feel the calmness. I felt relaxed and just good. The craziest part is I felt myself totally. It's been 2 months now and still on 50mg and Its helping alot. I don't feel dulled at all by zoloft. I didn't think it would work but it did. Only ssri that didn't make everything seem so "surreal". It has dopamine reuptake inhibiting properties as well. The effect it has on dopamine is minor and it not thought to be a part of it's antidepressant effect but I definetly know it is. I take ritalin and I take my zoloft in the morning soon as I get up and I can feel that calm, warm and enhanced mental state that ritalin gives. There are alot of studies showing that zoloft is the only ssri that doesn't mess with cognitive abilities and has been shown to actually improve cognition in depressed individuals. So zoloft is the only one that worked for me. It might have to do with my ADHD too who knows but its been a great med.


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## Hello22 (Feb 10, 2010)

I'm on Lustral (Sertraline) for the past week - should it take longer for the meds to kick in? Is there any bad side effects?

Also i was on Mirtazapine a few weeks ago but had to come of it because of my working patterns - i was too tired in the mornings.


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## OleanderLight (Oct 13, 2010)

I started taking Lexapro 4 months ago and I can say I feel sooo much better!I started at 10 mg and now I take 20.It helped me with my panic attacks that came out of nowhere.I heard this medication is one of the best out right now=)


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## Siochana (Oct 17, 2010)

Tey are useless........psychiatrists that is


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## MBL (Oct 5, 2010)

timeout said:


> *I am going up to 60 miligrams of paxil per day can anyone respond on this*


PHEAR

Paxil was one of the WORST drugs I ever ever had.

But everybody responds differently.


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## Christa25 (Oct 2, 2010)

I cannot even put into words how great I am doing on Effexor.
I was on Citalopram, it worked for a bit but then didn't really do anything at all.
I am on 150 mg of Effexor now and I feel like I am a completely different person, but in a good way. I feel like I should have felt this way my whole life. I am so happy and friendly all the time. I have no problem dealing with people, things that would have bothered me significantly before hardly bother me at all now and sometimes I just smile and feel happy for no apparent reason... I just love life. It has literally saved my life.
I heard some horror stories about the withdrawel and I have to admit, one day I forgot to take it... ended up taking it 5 hours late and I was starting to get extremely agitated and fuming...


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## camtrol (Sep 29, 2010)

*All the pills in the world it seems*

I suffer from bipolar disorder 2 as well as SA, which is usually controlled by clonazepam but i sometimes need to push past my prescribed amount and have told my doctor, He seems okay with that as long as it's not every day and not by much.When it comes to the bipolar i have 2 extra large freezer bags filled with tried and abandoned drugs that i've been on over the last 7 years, somewhere between 50 and 70 i'm told. I have even had ECT treatments which robbed me of my short term memory plus a large chunk of years that only show up a twinkles now and then. I am told now that i'm treatment resistant as far as drugs go but i feel we haven't tried high enough doses of the ones that have worked. I suppose they are too close to the breakthrough point and might be nasty after that. My next stop, when they have a bed for me is some fancy psych hospital for coping treatment as well as modified drug therapy. I hope that if it is cognitive therapy that they really teach you how because i couldn't do it by myself when i tried. I really think i should have been sent into the hospital far earlier instead of poisoning me with drug after drug that did nothing and then backing off of the ones that helped me a bit. It really is too much to think i've suffered for so long for no reason if these people can give me the tools to cope and some tricks for beleiving in cognitive therapy. Wish me luck. I wonder what drugs they will put me on or take me off of as the case may be. This could be the best of times or the worst as the saying goes.


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## starlite19 (Dec 11, 2010)

*Never again...*

I've seen about 5 or 6 different psychiatrists. Every time I went the first thing they do is try talk me into taking medication. I did end up trying a few but each time they made me feel like an anxious zombie. 
The first one called Paxel gave me a huge panic attack only after the second day. I ended up at the hospital because I couldn't calm down.
With the other ones my my pupils were dilated and I felt very anxious and twitchy to the point where I had to take my Ativan 
I refuse to take any medication now. At this point I don't think it will do any good. 
Thats not the only bad experiences I've had with psychiatrists though. I was telling the last one that I don't go out much, only to walk my dog or go out with my mom. So she then tells me that I was going to be a "shut in" (someone that's afraid to leave their home) when I'm older if I don't treat myself with medication now. It didn't end there. 
After my session with her ended she called my mom into the room to talk. Im 19, I thought there not allowed to talk to the parents?? I didn't say I was gonna do anything to hurt myself or whatever so why would she need to do that?? I was so angry and upset at that point, it felt like she wasn't even listening to what I was saying to her before.
When they both came out of the room she says that shes ending the sessions with me, I only saw her 3 times.


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## alone33 (Oct 3, 2009)

*psychiatrist, meds*

i've seen 1 psychiatrist for the past 15 years. i take abilify, lexapo and clonapin. There is basically no thereapy with my psychiatrist which i understand. what sucks is I THINK. is that he/ subscribed clonapin and it makes me groggy in the morning I THINK wanting to smoke cigs as soon as i awake, it also makes me tired hrough the day. hoping to cut back on the clonapin slowly


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## house bound (Dec 13, 2010)

ggggggggggggg


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

I've seen 3 psychiatrists in my life so far and they've all been the same. They talk to you for about 5-10 minutes (maximum of 10 minutes mind you) and they think they've got your problem all figured out and then they start pushing the drugs down your throat. I've never felt like any psychiatrist I've ever seen really gave a crap about my actual problem so much as they were concerned about getting me on some addictive medication to keep you coming back. You have to realize that these people are making upwards of $150 for your 10 minute visit off your insurance company...you think they really give a crap about you? Get 'em in, get 'em addicted, get 'em out...that's the psychiatrists credo I've experienced thus far.

I unknowingly went to one psych who was running a freaking pill mill like something you'd see on a 48 hour special....it was unbelievable what happened. I was there for alcohol withdrawal and this psychiatrist had upwards of 40 people in various waiting areas of his practice (and I use that word very loosely). When I was called in for my session the doctor had his little 1 page checklist and asked a few questions here and there...then right in the middle of our 10 minute session (which I'm sure was billed as an hour), a drunken "patient" just walked into the room and interrupted our session asking how much longer it was gonna be till he got his meds. The doctor asked him to leave and ultimately this person had to be escorted from the building. I have never in my life seen a pill mill until that day...they bring you back every 2 weeks to refill your meds so they can charge your insurance company again and again and again and again rather than just put a refill on the original script. I felt like I needed a shower just to wash the feeling of filth off my body from that experience and needless to say, I never went back. 

By the way, have any of you noticed a predominance of Indian ethnicity in the psychiatric profession? 9 out of 10 psych in my health care providers directory are indian...I have nothing against anybody of any ethnicity but I'm still trying to figure out why the predominance exists in the psychiatric field but not in any other field of health care service. Who knows....

I almost forgot to summarize my thought here...in my experience you have to do your own research before taking ANY medication a doctor prescribes you b/c in their hurry to get you out of their office in that little 15 minute window that they charge your insurance company an hour for....they don't have time to discuss side effects, withdrawal effects, long term effects, etc...and so forth. And to tell ya the truth, I don't think they freakin care so long as they cover their liability end of things.


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## Akira90125 (Jun 12, 2009)

I have an awesome psychiatrist. If anyone here has opportunitys to choose psychiatrists and you're not comfortable with your current one i recommend the site vitals.com and a search for a good pdoc in your area. There's a thing called "patient's choice award" based on a patient's choice website where consumers rate doctors they've seen based on how they deal with patients, how much time they spend with you and so forth. 

it sounds silly, right, patient's choice award like "really?" but through that i found a doctor who listens to me, answers my questions and listens to treatment suggestions. someone i can actually work with, rather than someone who's judgment i don't trust for the mere fact that i'm told what to do without explanation. the site also shows you what their treatment specialties are and where they got their education and patient reviews.

the doc changed my dx from depressive to bipolar, he was the only one out of several other doctors id seen that picked up on the mania in my written case history, which prevented inapropriate long term treatment


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## Scarlet89 (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. I've tried medications such as Lexapro, which made me lie awake for full nights on end and lost my appetite for a while after too. Lustral, Did somewhat ok with them. Cipramil, Gave up on taking meds with this. Made me feel wierd for being the one in my college class that had to take her meds cause she's a nutcase kinda thing. Tried CBT for a while and that was a dead loss to me. Woman handing me sheets. Read through them with me and basically says take them home and have a read through them again. I've very little concentration and focus so doing this was of absolutely no benefit to me. My last check up with my psychiatrist showed that my Social Anxiety(which is still going strong) has now turned to Generalized Anxiety. She told me to take a drug called Lyrica. This is doing a lot better for me than any other meds but I'm not fully ok with them. I've recently begun driving and I'm a nervous wreck with it. I'm unemployed and am worried about the fact I'll have to look for a job and converse with people. Had a real downer of a day the other day! Dont know where I stand with anxiety. Its taken over my life and I really dont know whether these so called "professionals" have any clue on what they're doing or talking about. Hopefully people have better luck with their health systems in other countries that have done nothing but fail me.


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## Zukiman (Feb 21, 2011)

I was given Paxil at first. Sex is out of the question when you take it. Wellbutrin does not have the side affects like Paxil does. As a male, if you don't want to have children, take Paxil. :um


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## foxy (Jul 3, 2010)

*crap*

Most shrinks are in need of a shrink themself. How can someone who has never had depression tell you how you feel, think obout it. :sus


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## upndownboi (Oct 7, 2010)

the page for sharing your experiences with a psychiatrist doesn't seem to be there. it just shows a front page about social anxiety(?)


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## concernedmom (Apr 12, 2011)

My son is definitely living in a state of delusion. We have really reduced his fear and anxiety with natural treatments, but his delusional world is stopping his life from progressing. We have tried 3 atypical antipsychotic medications and they all affect him very badly. His anxiety increases, he is restless and often angry (normally he is _happily_ out of reality) and this restless/anxious state can suddenly switch to him sitting in one spot repeating the same thing over and over for hours.........and then back to rapid pacing etc. With all of these meds he stops sleeping. I have asked his doctor to try a low dose of one of the older meds that doesn't target so many receptors in the brain, but she is resistant.

Has anyone out there experienced these types of reactions to the new antipsychotics, or can anyone tell me what this type of reaction might indicate. I am very worried about these repeated assaults on his brain..........


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## Orangedude (Apr 29, 2011)

Which specific medications is he using. Definitely report this to his psychiatrist and/or psychologist as it sounds like the medication is either having unwanted side effects or aggravating the situation.
If the psychiatrist is very resistant go get a second opinion from another psychiatrist if you are really worried.



concernedmom said:


> My son is definitely living in a state of delusion. We have really reduced his fear and anxiety with natural treatments, but his delusional world is stopping his life from progressing. We have tried 3 atypical antipsychotic medications and they all affect him very badly. His anxiety increases, he is restless and often angry (normally he is _happily_ out of reality) and this restless/anxious state can suddenly switch to him sitting in one spot repeating the same thing over and over for hours.........and then back to rapid pacing etc. With all of these meds he stops sleeping. I have asked his doctor to try a low dose of one of the older meds that doesn't target so many receptors in the brain, but she is resistant.
> 
> Has anyone out there experienced these types of reactions to the new antipsychotics, or can anyone tell me what this type of reaction might indicate. I am very worried about these repeated assaults on his brain..........


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## foxy (Jul 3, 2010)

What is the illness your son has, Has the doctor given it a name or is she stabbing in the dark. something is not right here


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

I have severe Social Anxiety disorder. I took Lexapro 15 mg for about 4 years. It helps with depression and some anxiety, but it didn't help my SAD at all. Recently, I started taking generic Paxil 20 mg - I've only been on it for 1.5 weeks, and I feel it is helping my SAD. Paxil is the only med , I think, that is FDA approved for SAD. So, I would advise anyone with SAD to try Paxil.


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## chloebear1998 (May 26, 2011)

I have been on klonopin for a little over four years now. I researched the disorder (just as you did) because I knew that there was a reason for why I was like I am. Klonopin, although it is a highly addictive benzo, has had a tremendous impact on me. The key is finding the doctor who will prescribe it...I use an Internist as my primary care physician. I went into her office, described my symptoms, told her what I wanted, and BAM, she gave me what I need...and here I am. Am I a social butterfly, of course not, it's not who I was meant to be, but I'm not paralyzed by fear in social situations as I once was.


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## A Sense of Purpose (May 8, 2011)

Argh. Frustrated.

Waited 3 weeks to see the pdoc and finally today the time came to go and see him.
He said its complicated and will need to think before he can suggest a treatment.
On one hand im glad he doesnt seem to just throw meds at people, but on the other hand i see him in another three weeks time which feels like a lifetime away. oh well


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

The meds are a joke; please if you do decide to take meds do your research first than decide. I've been on them for a few years and it was hell; I thought they were working but they were just making emotionless zombie. IMHO psychiatry is a joke.


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## mcmuffinme (Mar 12, 2010)

my p-doc is pretty chill. he's a big guy that looks and dresses like brett michaels. it's amazing. 

he has me on effexor right now, and he just upped my low dosage by four because i said effexor was sucking. it's still not doing anything for me. damn.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I'm seeing another doctor hopefully he or she can give me something else besides an ssri


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

mcmuffinme said:


> my p-doc is pretty chill. he's a big guy that looks and dresses like brett michaels. it's amazing.
> 
> he has me on effexor right now, and he just upped my low dosage by four because i said effexor was sucking. it's still not doing anything for me. damn.


When I was on the meds that same thing happen to me the psychiatrist increasing my dosage because it wasn't working for me. Increasing my dosage just made it worse; thank god I've been off the meds for many years. You might want to reconsider taking your meds, however the choice is yours.


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## Lynnie78 (Jun 2, 2011)

*Too many medications and still haven't found the one!*

I'm a 25 year old female who has been dealing with depression,anxiety,panic attacks,trichotillomania, and most recently chronic pain from endometriosis. In the past few years before the pain became an issue I had tried 1) celexa-made me feel like a zombie,I couldn't sleep; 2) Zoloft- I was on the max dosage of zoloft for only a few months. In addition to the zoloft I was taking motrin800's for daily pain. The combination of those 2 medications shut down my liver at 18. If you or a loved one is taking zoloft please have blood tests done regularly to avoid the months I spent in the hospital on a transplant list. Needless to say I had to come off all medications for a long time. June of last year I lost my job,lost my car and was diagnosed with endometriosis. I felt like my life came crashing down. As a redult of the pain I was put on tramadol that I had many side effects from. Then came gabapentin- careful with this medication!! It stopped me from urinating (very rare side effect-my pharmacist and primary care had never heard of thhe side effect. My pelvic specialist is the one who told me she had many patients with that same side effect. Because of the lack of urination I backed up my bladder into my kidneys that caused perminent damage to them. I was taken off that and put on Nortriptyline- not a bad medicine until you stop it suddenly. About 4 days after stopping the medication I was beyond adjetated and full of rage! As soon as I got my refill I was fine again. My psychiatrists recently put me on Luvox for the hair pulling, WORST medicine ever!!!! DO NOT take LUVOX! Never once did I believe these medications could actually make u want to kill yourself. My emotions were a minute to minute rollercoaster, I wanted to drive off the Tobin bridge so many times I lost count and I couldn't go out and socialize. I stopped that and started Lexapro, so far so good, but I haven't seen a change in my hair pulling or my anxiety/panic attacks. If you have ant suggestions for those problems please email me! I'm at the point where I can't deal with this suffocation, panic attack feeling! Hope I gave some insight into my experiences with medications, looking forward to hearing yours!


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

I've seen dozens of doctors. I've been on almost every psych drug there is. I know what works for me and what doesn't.  It took 6 years to find the right combination of medications for me.


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## LadyDarkness (Jun 5, 2011)

Right now I am on 100 mg Seroquel XR, Klonopin 3 mg and Paxil 10 mg. The Paxil I just started about 3 weeks ago, but the stupid Dr won't let me increase it yet, which makes me mad.


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

jonnynobody said:


> I've seen 3 psychiatrists in my life so far and they've all been the same. They talk to you for about 5-10 minutes (maximum of 10 minutes mind you) and they think they've got your problem all figured out and then they start pushing the drugs down your throat. I've never felt like any psychiatrist I've ever seen really gave a crap about my actual problem so much as they were concerned about getting me on some addictive medication to keep you coming back. You have to realize that these people are making upwards of $150 for your 10 minute visit off your insurance company...you think they really give a crap about you? Get 'em in, get 'em addicted, get 'em out...that's the psychiatrists credo I've experienced thus far.
> 
> I unknowingly went to one psych who was running a freaking pill mill like something you'd see on a 48 hour special....it was unbelievable what happened. I was there for alcohol withdrawal and this psychiatrist had upwards of 40 people in various waiting areas of his practice (and I use that word very loosely). When I was called in for my session the doctor had his little 1 page checklist and asked a few questions here and there...then right in the middle of our 10 minute session (which I'm sure was billed as an hour), a drunken "patient" just walked into the room and interrupted our session asking how much longer it was gonna be till he got his meds. The doctor asked him to leave and ultimately this person had to be escorted from the building. I have never in my life seen a pill mill until that day...they bring you back every 2 weeks to refill your meds so they can charge your insurance company again and again and again and again rather than just put a refill on the original script. I felt like I needed a shower just to wash the feeling of filth off my body from that experience and needless to say, I never went back.
> 
> ...


I couldn't agree with you more on your last paragraph. Always do your own research before taking any medications. I made the mistake of not doing that when I was younger and I really regret it. Good luck.


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## RoseAngel23 (Jun 2, 2011)

I have dealt with social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, bi-polar II disorder, PTSD for most of my life ever since I was like 8 or 9. I am now 23. I have been on several different meds but I am definitely not a fan of taking them, or seeing pschys. I have had really bad reactions to several medications. I was taking paxil and my Dr. decided we needed to increase it and I got some really bad side effects( severe mood swings, random bouts of deep depression, stomach aches) so we went back down on the dose and I ended up developing an allergy to it and had hives all over my body for three months. Since then I have been taking Prozac. The side effects are getting worse the longer I take it. I have: headaches, stomach aches, nausea, dizziness, feeling very faint, trembling constantly, tenitis(ringing in the ears), heartburn, very high highs and low lows. I am currently weaning off of it and hoping to manage my disorders without meds. I have been reading some awesome books, and beinning to learn meditation, and everything is going more than wonderful so far.


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

RoseAngel23 said:


> I have dealt with social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, bi-polar II disorder, PTSD for most of my life ever since I was like 8 or 9. I am now 23. I have been on several different meds but I am definitely not a fan of taking them, or seeing pschys. I have had really bad reactions to several medications. I was taking paxil and my Dr. decided we needed to increase it and I got some really bad side effects( severe mood swings, random bouts of deep depression, stomach aches) so we went back down on the dose and I ended up developing an allergy to it and had hives all over my body for three months. Since then I have been taking Prozac. The side effects are getting worse the longer I take it. I have: headaches, stomach aches, nausea, dizziness, feeling very faint, trembling constantly, tenitis(ringing in the ears), heartburn, very high highs and low lows. I am currently weaning off of it and hoping to manage my disorders without meds. I have been reading some awesome books, and beinning to learn meditation, and everything is going more than wonderful so far.


I feel that exact way you do. These meds have been harmful for me and that is good that your finally getting off of them and trying other methods like exercising, meditation and such. Good Luck.


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## julieandrea (Jun 7, 2011)

I haven't found any of the legal meds that work anyway !! lol


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## Lionking92 (Apr 6, 2011)

*Mirtazapine*

I'm currently on Mirtazapine 30 mg for 25 days now. The first 4 days i slept 24/7 i'd only get up to eat. After the first week of being on this new medication i found my attitude had changed everyday. One day i'd be super hyper the next day i'd be very depressed next i'd moodless, next i'd get aggravated easily, next i'd be angry and screaming alot. Everyday is a new surprise. I find on my days of depression or anger my body would hurt alot and i felt very tired. Other then that my anxiety is still high and some days i become extremely paranoid. Hopefully these daily mood changes stop sometime soon 

hope this helped someone.


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