Meds? Advice Appreciated

[lindsay]

Hi,many thanks for the welcome here! I was just wanting to ask about meds and their effect against,extreme stress,panic and flashbacks. I have an appointment to see a doctor in a few weeks time and so thought that this would be the place to ask. For many years i have struggled to accept the use of medications/drugs in any situation,(my background, being told that drugs are for the weak minded etc!!!) and i realise this may sound stupid,so,my apologies. However if there is some form of med that could supress the worst of the attacks, i would be very grateful of any advice!! Many thanks.

 

[Deleted member 541]

HI lindsay,

Medication is a personal choice. There are many that don't do the meds, and many that do. If one chooses to do meds, sometimes getting the right balance, dosage, or combination may be a bit of a process, as it takes time. There is no one med that fits all.

There is no med that will help with all of the problems we have with PTSD. There are Anti depressants that can help with depression, and sometimes they can help with anxiety, but if the anxiety is to bad, then they will put you on something for anxiety.

Many times the meds they give you can also cause side effects, so they either try you on something else, or give you another drug to try and combat the side effects.

I would suggest that you talk with your Dr, and become very informed about the process, before hand. The biggest worry is not taking the meds, it's trying to come off of them later down the road.

Good luck!

 

[2quilt]

I have been on different antidepressants for 16 yrs. I personally am not able to function without them. I can't deal with people, my anger gets out of control, I want to be violent, I am not able to run my life when I am not on antidepressants.
Getting on to one does not cause pain.

Getting off them has to be done by tapering, and there is sharp pain shocks, stomach upset, lack of sleep, anxiety, an real bad depression. My brain hates being on it's own.

Now, if you think you can't manage your life and PTSD or depression without help, seek help in the form of therapy, and maybe meds. This is a good place for you to get opinions from thousands of people who know.

Talk to the therapist about your options. Read about the ones he or she thinks would work for you. If you do try one, give it two weeks or so before you decide if it's helping you, unless of course the med makes you sick or makes you have wild thoughts or you have the shakes or some obvious side effect. Paxil, for example, made me so warped that I could only think about the ceiling fan. I could not concentrate on any other idea. And I could not sleep and I shook. I was on it just 4 days.

On the other hand, I have now been on Effexor XR for 3 weeks and I am happy, calm, able to talk myself down from confrontations, energetic, motivated, and all is right with my world.

That being said, if the first choice of meds does not make you feel steady and "normal" toward the people around you, try a different drug. There are many classes of drugs, and in those classes are drugs with slightly different ingredients that make them unique.

Don't give up. We are a resource if you want to talk, get opinions, information, or feel like you are among understanding friends.

 

[skye]

Just wanted to know if anyone knows anything about adderall and its effects on PTSD.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

There are so many different drugs out there that you can try. I've been on antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiety medication, etc.

It's hard to recommend a certain medication because two people can react very differently to the same drug. For example, I can't tolerate antidepressants very well, however, I know that they are a lifesaver for many people with PTSD.

Sometimes it does take a long time to get on the right medication for you. It can be frustrating, but I urge you not to give up if the first drug that you try doesn't work.

But one word of advice based on personal experience. If your doctor puts you on a benzodiazepine, I urge you to do much research about it. I was on a benzo for a year and a half and developed a dependency without even knowing it. I didn't know how addicting the medication could be because I didn't do any research about it. When I tried to taper off of the drug, I had anxiety that was ten times worse than anything else I'd ever experienced and didn't sleep for more than an hour at a time for over 3 weeks. Yes, benzos can be good for stopping anxiety, however I would hate to see anyone else have to go through what I did. That's why I urge anyone who takes these drugs to become informed.