Does anyone know what can help with anxiety and depression.
Ever since lyme flare i have lost all of my confidence in doing things. I hate being put on spot i get panic attacks....and i always feel anxeous speaking front of people or being center of attention. I was never like this before...but now i dwell on it.
Does anyone take meds for depression along with abx?
Thanks!
Posted by Nicole_Denise (Member # 20620) on :
If you want to go the natural route, my naturopath recommended "Rescue Remedy" for anxiety. I've heard great things about it, but haven't yet tried it.
Have you talked to your doctor about it? Anxiety and depression are common with Lyme.
Hugs I hope you find something that helps!
Nicole
Posted by LisaS (Member # 10581) on :
My Dr just gave me a script for Paxil, but I'm too scared to try it. I hate the side effects I get from everything! I hope more people chime in here.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I take Xanax for anxiety. I find that if I can keep the anxiety at bay, then I don't get that depressed. I have bad reactions to anti-depressants.
Posted by Healing in Santa Cruz (Member # 7798) on :
Pyroluria may be lots of people's problem. Do a search here on Pyroluria,Krytopyluria and KPU. Also google betterhealthguy.com Scott has lots of info on it, including and article by my md and Dr K. Along with anxiety and depression it can cause many symptoms and keep you from detoxing.Healing Blessings Joyce
Posted by eshorediva (Member # 20483) on :
I know how anxiety can be impossible to tolerate.
I'm just trying to hold on even if my heart is going 90 miles an hr.
Please think about going on Paxil. It can work but it is impossible to wean yourself off of.
Posted by Kreynolds (Member # 15117) on :
To be honest with you, I suffer from extreme anxiety from the Lyme and TBD's.
I have tried most all anti-depressants and with every one, including Paxil, I had to go to the ER because of a reaction.
I look at it like this. A person with Lyme has a "different" brain and chemical activity than someone who is just depressed or anxious.
We will react to the RX differently than someone who is perfectly healthy and suffers from depression/anxiety.
It's just my opinion, what works or doesn't work for me may work for you.
As far as Anxiety meds, I take Valium and Klonopin. There is studies that support that Klonopin actually helps protect the brain.
I know what you are going through with the anxiety. I have REALLY bad panic attacks to the point where I am basically housebound.
After taking the Valium and Klonopin, I am able to be out in public.
I feel for you and hope you recover soon!
Posted by losferwrds (Member # 19741) on :
quote:Originally posted by LisaS: My Dr just gave me a script for Paxil, but I'm too scared to try it. I hate the side effects I get from everything! I hope more people chime in here.
My exprience with Paxil is this. You have to ramp the dosage up slowly over a few weeks, don't start at 20mgs right away cause intially it will give you anxiety.
It will allieviate anxiety and depression, all most too much, you may find your self becoming overly impulsive, and extremely selfish, I did. But I have to say, I felt on top of the world.
In my case I got side effects, sleeping 10+ hours day, put on 20-30lbs, destroyed libido and ability to have an orgasm, at first the side effects did't bother me, it literally was a "happy" pill, I didn't have a care in the world but then after 4 or 5 years it stopped working and I was left, fat, tired and sexually dysfunctional, not impotent, inorgasmic.
I've been tapering off it for a year and half, extremely difficult to get off of for ME, the withdrawal magnifies the initital depression and anxiety I used it for in the first place.
Everyone is different so you may be fine with it only a small percentage end up like me,some people can go on and off it like its pez but judging from the other people on the paxil withdrawal boards alot of people that have problems with it seem to have undiagnosed lyme or or something else compromising their cns, so it may not be the drug as much as the condtion leading you to it that causes the withdrawal syndrome.
There are alot of natural serotonin boosters, 5HTP is one, you can google it, there are tons of non-ssri routes to go that you may want to try first if you are apprehensive.
I don't want to discourage you by any means it was a wonder drug for me for about six years. Then I ended up like Charley in flowers for algernon. So its was like a blessing and now a curse for me.
The poster above has a good point with the pyroluria, I stumbled upon that in looking for a way to reduce the withdrawal from paxil, of found taking P5P a form of B6 50mg and 50mg of zinc does wonders for my brain, very calming.
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
Lisa, I know that some people have success with Paxil, but it made me and my daughter suicidal, and my friend lost her son on it. I think it loses it's effectiveness too quickly. It's a stepping stone drug.
My daughter's first indication of illness was anxiety/depression/OCD. She landed on a combo that works for her, but it takes trial and error, and a great relationship with a psychiatrist. The General Practitioners are pretty limited.
It's not worth living this way. IMO
Posted by wantabe (Member # 14703) on :
Klonopin works for me. I'm taking a small does daily and increase when times get tough.
wishing you well, wantabe
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
Lisa, I know that some people have success with Paxil, but it made me and my daughter suicidal, and my friend lost her son on it. I think it loses it's effectiveness too quickly. It's a stepping stone drug.
My daughter's first indication of illness was anxiety/depression/OCD. She landed on a combo that works for her, but it takes trial and error, and a great relationship with a psychiatrist. The General Practitioners are pretty limited.
And, as far as weaning off. My daughter has transitioned on and off several medications finding the right one for her. It's not pleasant, but it is possible. When you find the right one, the world opens up.
It's not worth living this way. IMO
Posted by losferwrds (Member # 19741) on :
quote:Originally posted by wantabe: Klonopin works for me. I'm taking a small does daily and increase when times get tough.
wishing you well, wantabe
I agree, Klonopin works well for anxiety, if you take it daily you will get addicted/dependent but I was able to slowly taper off of it twice in matter of months. I tried taking it as needed but eventually you get into a yoyo with rebound anxiety so thats the rational for just taking it everyday. Like Paxil there will be people that call it the devil and some that will say it the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I think of benzos as crutches, some people are strong enuff to tuff out treatment, I personally am not, I hate having free floating anxiety and air hunger, this stuff helps that trememdously for me, it may not be for everyone, and there are natural alternatives like Chamomile and Valerian Root that have some effect too.
Benzos for me, they work well but there is alway a price to pay, you have to be aware of that upfront and accept the fact you will get dependent and eventually you will need to wean off of them unless you have tremedous self control to take them as needed, I don't.
Posted by Kreynolds (Member # 15117) on :
[QUOTE]Originally posted by losferwrds: I agree, Klonopin works well for anxiety, if you take it daily you will get addicted/dependent
Thats not necessarily true. I was on Xanax for 2 years straight at a high dose and stopped one day.
I take Klonopin and Valium and somedays I forget to take them......
It all depends on the person. Not EVERYONE who takes it daily becomes addicted....
Posted by Leelee (Member # 19112) on :
I have horrible anxiety and depression.
My psychiatrist prescribes Lexapro and Trazodone for me.
It works okay, but last winter when my anxiety was at its worst I had several other medications as well. I'm sorry I don't remember the names of them.
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
The thing that has really worked for me is antibiotics over the long-term. The anxiety and depression I had was caused clearly by lyme and babesia, and their treatment greatly diminished these symptoms.
Shorter-term, xanax can help, but can also be addictive.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Supplementing with magnesium and fish oil can help to ease anxiety and depression.
I was addicted to valium yrs ago. I took it for anxiety and my thyroid was over active.Going threw withdrawels was hell. When I got through that which took a long time,lyme and co,heavy metals,parasite symptoms reared its head.Finally got tested for Pyroluria and it was high positive. This problem has a lot to do with detox,serotonin. Its either genetic or caused by stress,infection,toxins etc.Please everyone look into it before doing drugs, I don't want peeps to go through 27yrs of hell like me. Healing Blessings Joyce PS I was also on different antidepressants.
Posted by Clarissa (Member # 4715) on :
Paxil was the single most horrifying experience I've ever had with an anti-depressant, so, personally, I would avoid that one.
Any of the benzos (Xanax, Klonopin) are very good for panic attacks but they do not stay in your system more than 4-6 hours.
150mg of LUVOX got me through my horrific Bart herxes (along with xanax). I had no side effects on Luvox except some initial lethargy which I welcomed compared to the racing heart, thoughts and anxiety.
I agree that Lymies react differently to psychiatric meds than "normal" people so your LLMD should be in on the decision as opposed to just seeing a psychiatrist who doesn't understand the dynamics of a Bart/Babs/Lyme brain.
Rescue Remedy made me calm but didn't nearly hit me as positively or as strongly as the Xanax.
Posted by blaze (Member # 16838) on :
My "anxiety" was really a severe reaction to the cell phone and wifi tower and antenna boom, coupled with Lyme and my coinfections.
Allergie Immune Therapy cleared my anxiety and depression, as well as my daughters. It is experimental, but we experimented...and so far so good.
Posted by Rambler (Member # 18794) on :
Antidepressants make me anxious and irritable.
Can't live without the antidepressant, though.
Rescue remedy is a very subtle flower essense. It can help to take the edge off, but it's no sedative. It can help to tip the scales back into your favor, energetically speaking.
I take an herb called Ashawaghanda, suggested by my LLMD, to help with anxiety (daily).
B vitamins help with raw nerves.
There are a million herbal concoctions out there to help with anxiety. Some names of mixes I use: De-Stress mix, St. Johnswort Supreme, Calms... Many of them have valarian, skullcap, poppy, padicularis, and other calming herbs.
Doesn't seem like anybody on this site uses herbs or if they do, they don't talk about it much.
Herbs are just so much more gentle than the chemical lab versions of the same thing. Valarian is the natural form of Valium. These herbs desreve respect, too- you can over do it.
I've got a shelf full of mediactions from the pharmacy, but I'd rather use something more gentle, if possible.
Anyway... This is the 21st century, right? There have got to be herb stores in other states besides California, I'm thinkin'. But then again, you can walk into a retail marijuana store in California and buy what ever flavor suits your fancy... I realize we're kinda different Out West.
Don't get me wrong, here. I'm not advocating marijuana use. It's perfectly legal in California when you have a "medical use" card. Wierd, huh? I can still hardly believe it.
Posted by Rambler (Member # 18794) on :
I just want to be clear about the marijuana thing. In my opinion, it is not a good idea to use it if you have problems with anxiety and depression. It can really agrivate these symptoms.
Bottom line: Be careful, be gentle with yourself. Just because it came from the pharmacy doesn't mean it's good or even close to being OK. We all know that.
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I hope you find something that helps!