Medication Questions

[CyclePath]

@vikingr24 hang in there Brother. You're way smarter than me at this, but your situation reminded me of one of my first major run-ins with the beast (other than nightmares and stuff). Figured i'd share it.
Thought I was having a heart attack back in 2009, went to medical, Doc told me I was having a panic attack and told me to go to mental health. I told him to GFY and that I would not go there. So, he wrote me a scrip for celexa and xanax.
Took the celexa for six months and stopped, but I kept taking the xanax as needed. Ended up taking 600 xanax over four years and they cut me off. Told me to go to mental health if I needed more. My response, GFY.
Less than two years later I went to mental health. LoL. Fortunately I haven't gone back to the BZD's...yet. thought I was close last month. Had that shaky feeling for about a week. Figured I was gonna have a full on panic attack at any moment. For whatever reason it stopped, through no conscious effort of my behalf. I guess I'm not that in tune with this shit yet.
Not sure if I have a point here, but I know that feeling sucks. Hopefully your doing better.

 

[Grizzly]

Something must be in the air. This morning on driving my way to a major meeting I had my first f*cking panic attack since 2015. I saw som dead roadkill deer all mangled into hamburger and I immediately triggered. I'm not sure why all the sudden. And I've been messed up all day since. All I wanted to do was fight today.

For the first time in several months I picked up a 6 pack in an attempt to try and unf*ck the day.

 

[CyclePath]

Yeah, severely smashed deer can sometimes remind me of clearing portions of H-80/8 back during Storm. It wasn't pretty.

 

[vikingr24]

I was in the hospital for about 4 hours of observation. The doc wa actually glad I took the ativan. It helps [prevent seizures which I knew were coming while I was in bed. I did manage to drive myself to the hopsital. They found no pathology and seriously considered inpatienting me. But I showed them the bottles of drugs and my counts were right. They said they always worry when a vet shows up and is having the symptoms I had. I am not the suicide type but I certainly underestand someone who would take his life when the pain gets so intense.

Then I get a call from work. Mainframe down. The DBA hosed about 1.4 million records. Get to conference call immediately if you can.

No slerp for 36 hours. 11 hours of downtime. Customers are real happy.

Still recovering. I still got it. Still in the fight.

 

[Ed B]

This is fascinating stuff. I would not have thought that stimulants would even be safe for someone with PTSD. I have learned recently that cognitive deficits have been noted on assessment for individual with PTSD. Part of this is the problems with focus and paying attention. Interestingly enough, this has been seen for some time, so, maybe the overlap is why this is helping. I like the part where you said that with improved cognitive function, you are able to process this stuff better.
One thing to remember about any substance you put in your body. Your body always wants to go back to where it was, so, there will be either up or down regulation to any chemical over time. This is true in the body as well as the brain. Just some food for thought

 

[vikingr24]

Well, now I have joined the tramadol club. My leg exploded with pain from the damn little 9mm grazing wound. Pain was just unbearable and right when we were going on vacation to patch up our marriage. I had a hard time keeping up but the tramadol worked. Made me dizzy and sleepy but I am used to that -- as all of us are. I hope it is just an episode.So I won't have to keep taking it.

 

[Deleted member 43454]

Well, now I have joined the tramadol club. My leg exploded with pain from the damn little 9mm grazing wound. Pain was just unbearable and right when we were going on vacation to patch up our marriage. I had a hard time keeping up but the tramadol worked. Made me dizzy and sleepy but I am used to that -- as all of us are. I hope it is just an episode.So I won't have to keep taking it.

Did you accidentally fire off your weapon while cleaning it or something?

 

[vikingr24]

I got it and to the other leg a thru-n-thru trying to rescue a pilot in Cambodia. It was not my weapon but from about a squad of NVA just waiting for us.

 

[Deleted member 43454]

Did you get hit by a makarov or something? I thought you meant it was more recent.

 

[vikingr24]

I made the incorrect assumption that you knew I was in Nam. I have no idea what hit me, even if it was a 9 mm. Just that the doc later said it did not have the velocity of a rifle. The NVA used 9mm handguns for the most part. The left leg was definitely an AK. I am avoiding a "there I was story" but I was really pretty lucky although my partner, well, shot himself to avoid capture. I carry that scene with me all the time.

Could have been a Makarov or even something like a chrome plated, pearl handled S & W I got off a dead Chinese officer. It was a rare piece and wish I had not sold it.

 

[Deleted member 43454]

Ah damn, I knew you were in Nam'. I just was curious as I didn't know the NVA used 9mm is the only reason I asked.

 

[vikingr24]

They used whatever they could get early on, especially the VC. (Lot of SKS and captured M-14's.) Your instincts are right, they rarely carried pistols except for officers usually. A pistol is extra weight. But later when the NVA took over after Tet, they became the main opposing force. They were decently equipped by the Chinese and Russians. I am so glad the Chinese grenades were mostly duds. But the RPG's weren't. I didn't see much of RPG's but I saw what they did when I worked in surgery. Damn things.

Funny. A lot of SF guys would get Mossberg 12 gauges and used them with great effectiveness. I am a shotgun man but carried two 45's which I still consider to be a great gun. Easy to clean and load. And it let them know you are coming. But really inaccurate. We were issued old WWII 45's and I still like them.

I do not like the M-16 but they were the prevalent rifle there. I liked the AR-15 better. More accurate, at least for me, and some of the older guys were 7.62 instead of the 5.56 that became the standard.

I guess we all could talk guns and favorites. But the topic is meds.