Managing Anxiety & Panic Attacks with Clonazepam: My Experience

I have suffered from general anxiety for years, but within the past 6 months, my anxiety has gotten worse and I began to suffer from debilitating panic attacks. Because my symptoms were affecting my daily life, I decided to seek the advice of a psychiatrist to see if there were any treatments that might be good for me. Because of the nature of my anxiety, and because the frequency of my panic attacks was increasing, the doctor decided that I should try taking the prescription medication clonazepam (also known by the brand name Klonopin) to help with my anxiety.

Clonazepam is a fast acting anti-anxiety medication in a family of drugs known as benzodiazepines. While these drugs are extremely effective at reducing anxiety, they also have the potential to cause addiction, so it is very important to follow your doctor's instructions carefully when starting treatment with a drug like clonazepam. Your doctor will likely start you off at a low dose to see how you do, and then increase your dose if necessary. My doctor started me off at a dose of 0.5mg of clonazepam, twice a day. 

I was definitely surprised at how quickly the Klonopin affected me the first time I took it. Within a half hour of taking my first pill, I had a definite sense of calm, and noticed that I had absolutely no anxiety symptoms for the first time in months. The drug also made me feel a little "giddy," for lack of a better word. Based on how good I felt after taking the clonazepam tablet, I could definitely see why there was a potential for drugs like it to be abused and become addictive. 

I noticed a couple of hours after taking the clonazepam that I would become extremely sleepy. The first few days I was taking this anti-anxiety medicine, I found myself napping a lot. Luckily, the sleepiness and the initial "loopy-ness" after taking the pill quickly wore off as I became adjusted to the medication. I've been taking clonazepam daily for a few months now, and I can honestly say that it no longer makes me feel sleepy or "high" after I take it. 

Clonazepam has been extremely effective, however, at helping me manage my anxiety and stopping my frequent panic attacks. I've noticed that I'm much more calm since I started taking this drug, and I've gone from having several panic attacks per week to just one or two per month--a huge improvement for me! Overall, clonazepam has been a "lifesaver" for me, and has helped reduce my anxiety symptoms to a manageable level so I can get on with my daily life without being nervous and worried all of the time. 

Benzodiazepines like Klonopin and Xanax are not for everyone, and only your doctor can let you know if any particular medicine might be right for you. I feel like clonazepam has given me my life back, and I am happy that I found a doctor that was able to prescribe an anti-anxiety drug that worked for me. I don't think I want to take clonazepam forever due to the addictive potential, but it has certainly helped me get through a very "rough patch" of anxiety in my personal life.

Zoloft Versus Lexapro: My Experiences with Two Popular Anti-Depressant Medications

Many people find that they go through a time where they need an anti-depressant medication at some point during their lives, and deciding which medicine to take can be a very confusing and daunting decision. Zoloft and Lexapro are two popular anti-depressant options, and when patients begin treatment with medication, they are often started on one of these two drugs. I have personal experience with both of these medicines, and in this article I'll compare the pros and cons of both Zoloft and Lexapro. 

When I was 16 years old, I experienced my first bout of depression and was prescribed Zoloft by a child psychiatrist. I didn't really know what to expect, and for a few weeks after starting the medicine, I couldn't feel much of an effect at all. After about 4 weeks of taking Zoloft, however, I noticed things were getting better. I moved to a new high school, and soon my depression began to lift. After about 6 months of treatment, I was well enough to stop taking the Zoloft and I figured my problems with depression were behind me. 

A few years later, however, I started my freshman year at college and my depression began to return, worse than before. I sought help at the college counseling canter, and after a few sessions with a psychologist, I was referred to the school medical clinic to get a prescription for anti-depressants. Since I had done well on Zoloft when I was younger, the doctor decided I should give it another try, and I immediately resumed taking a daily dose of Zoloft. 

Again, I didn't notice much of an effect at first, but within a few weeks my depression began to lift. As I continued my treatment with Zoloft however, I began to experience some strange side effects. The first thing I noticed was that I began to feel emotionally numb. Although I was happy that I wasn't hopelessly depressed, I noticed that nothing really seemed to upset me anymore--even things that it would be perfectly normal & healthy to get upset about. I also wasn't feeling particularly happy about anything, even things that were really exciting going on in my life. I really did just feel numb to the world. 

The other troubling side effect I experienced with Zoloft was sexual in nature. (Note to readers: if you don't want the details, please skip ahead to the next paragraph.) Before starting Zoloft, I was your typical 18 year old guy with my fair share of partners, and I never had any trouble having a fulfilling sex life. Shortly after starting Zoloft, however I began to have the frustrating experience of being unable to have an orgasm. No matter how hard I tried (and believe me, I tried), I could not reach a climax. At first, I began to think something was seriously wrong with me and I got scared. I started searching around on the internet, and discovered sexual side effects like I had been experiencing were actually quite common with Zoloft. In fact, Zoloft causes sexual side effects more frequently than many other anti-depressants that are currently on the market. At least I knew it wasn't a problem only affecting me. 

After a few more months of taking Zoloft, I decided that the side effects weren't worth it and I soon stopped taking it. I was actually okay for almost two years, but then the intense depression returned and I new it was once again time to seek medical help. I went to a psychiatrist, and after sharing with her my experience with Zoloft, she decided she would start me on a different anti-depressant called Lexapro. I was nervous about Lexapro since the information the pharmacist gave me said it could potentially cause the same side effects, but I needed help, so I decided I would at least give it a chance. 

The first thing I noticed about the Lexapro was how quickly I began to feel better. Within a few days of starting treatment, that all too familiar ''cloud of depression" definitely started to lift. This surprised me since it was always several weeks before I started to feel better on Zoloft. Encouraged, I decided to keep talking Lexapro, but I was still worried that unpleasant side effects could start at any time.

So I waited... then I waited some more. But as the weeks and months went by, no side effects emerged. I kept feeling good and the Lexapro definitely seemed to keep my depression at bay. After doing some research, I learned that Lexapro has a very low incidence of side effects and is very well-tolerated by the majority of individuals. My doctor has recommended that I keep taking Lexapro indefinitely, and while I am a little uncomfortable with the idea of having to take a pill every day for the rest of my life, Lexapro seems to have great efficacy with minimal-to-no side effects, which helps to set my mind at ease. 

While only your doctor can decide which medication is appropriate to treat your depression, I have found Lexapro to be a far superior choice to Zoloft. Lexapro seems to work better and much faster than Zoloft, and it also seems to cause far fewer side effects. If you've experienced side effects while taking Zoloft, you should take the time to ask your doctor if a switch to Lexapro might be right for you. If you're anything like me, your quality of life will improve so much that you'll be disappointed you didn't make the switch from Zoloft sooner.

Are You Depressed or Do You Have Bipolar Disorder?

Millions of Americans suffer from depression. Perhaps you or a loved one have been diagnosed with, or sought medical treatment for depression. Although medicine can help, the right diagnosis needs to be made in order for treatment to be effective. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to tell the difference between depression and bipolar disorder.

In fact, it is not uncommon for people with bipolar disorder to initially receive a misdiagnosis of depression. Even medical professionals have a hard time telling these two conditions apart. Luckily, if you take a little bit of time to educate yourself about the features that distinguish these diseases from one another, you can make sure that you receive the proper diagnosis and you will soon be on your way to recovery.

Bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic depression, is a mental illness characterized by unusual highs and lows in a person's mood. People with bipolar disorder experience periods when they feel tired, down, and just generally depressed. These periods can last for many months or even years, which is why they are often initially diagnosed with depression.

The flip side to this, however, is that bipolar people also have periods known as ''mania'' where they feel unusually good or energetic. During these manic periods, people find that they don't need as much sleep as normal. They will usually be more talkative and outgoing than usual, and may also be more interested in spending money or engaging in sexual activity. The longer that bipolar disorder goes untreated, the worse the mania can get. People experiencing severe mania may suffer from feelings that they are invincible or even hallucinations, either of which could lead to dangerous or suicidal behavior.

It is these manic periods that really make the difference between a diagnosis of depression and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Often, bipolar individuals have periods of feeling "normal" between mania and depression. And since people are much more likely to ask for help when they're feeling bad than when they're feeling good, these manic periods often go unreported when they finally seek treatment.

So, what does all of this mean to you? Well, if you've been feeling ''down" or depressed, I would certainly encourage you to talk to your doctor. But before you do, ask yourself some basic questions. Has there ever been a period of time in your life where you've felt unusually "good," "up," or "happy?" A period where you needed less sleep than normal? Perhaps you were more interested in sex or shopping than normal? Was there a time when you were reckless, or ran up a lot of debt and/or got in trouble with the law?

If the answer to any of these questions is "Yes," be sure to tell your doctor, even if he/she doesn't specifically ask. If you're not sure, ask your doctor point-blank if they think you could be bipolar. Many of the medicines used to treat depression can actually make bipolar disorder worse, so make sure you get the right diagnosis the first time.

Seroquel Versus Zyprexa - a Comparison of Two Antipsychotic Medications

Tens of millions of Americans take psychiatric medicines, and some people need to take a medication known as an antipsychotic (or the older term, "neuroleptic"). Although this may sound scary at first, antipsychotic drugs are prescribed to treat a variety of conditions, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, severe depression, and sometimes even insomnia.

There are several antipsychotic medicines currently on the market, but the two most popular (in terms of market share) are Zyprexa and Seroquel. If your doctor decides that an antipsychotic is right for you, chances are that she'll start you out on one of these. I am bipolar and I have had the chance to take both of these drugs at various times, and I am happy to be able to share my experience with you here.

The first drug that I was put on to help with my manic episodes was Zyprexa, an antipsychotic made by the Eli-Lilly company. At the time I was feeling very anxious & wound up, and I was also having a hard time sleeping. My shrink wrote me a prescription for Zyprexa and it began to help from the very first dose.

I was instructed to take the Zyprexa at bedtime, which is good because it knocked me out within 15 minutes. Although I hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in months, my first night on Zyprexa I slept a full 9 hours. Within a few days of starting the drug, I began to feel much calmer and less anxious. Things were definitely getting better.

After being on Zyprexa for about a month and a half and doing pretty well, some other things started to happen that weren't so good. The minor problem was that the "knock out'' effect the drug originally had for me was stating fade, and I was beginning to have problems sleeping again. But the much bigger problem (no pun intended) was that I was starting to gain weight. A lot of it--to the tune of almost 30 pounds in just two short months.

The Zyprexa made me ravenously hungry and a little bit tired a combination which almost assured my weight gain. Concerned, my doctor decided that I should stop taking the Zyprexa and try something else. So, she put me on Zyprexa's main competitor: a drug called Seroquel.

The first night that I took the Seroquel, the first thing I noticed once again was how quickly the medicine put me to sleep. I also noticed that, while I still felt calm and relaxed during the day, I wasn't nearly as hungry as I was with Zyprexa. In fact, during my first 2 months on Seroquel, I only gained 4 pounds, which is much more acceptable than thirty.

The only downside I found with Seroquel as opposed to Zyprexa was how much of the drug you have to take. My dose of Zyprexa was just 5 milligrams per day, or one small pill. The equivalent dose of Seroquel for me was a whopping 600 mg, which was 3 much larger pills. My doctor tells me this is normal. She also tells me that although I haven't gained a whole lot of weight on Seroquel, weight gain is an issue for most people taking any antipsychotic and is something that I'll need to keep close tabs on.

In closing, it is very important to note that only your doctor can decide which antipsychotic drug, if any, is right for you. Each individual will react to these drugs differently, and what works for me might not necessarily work for you. However, you should keep in mind that if one antipsychotic medication isn't working for you or is causing unwanted side effects, there are other drugs on the market which may work better for you.

During my treatment with antipsychotic medication, I found that Zyprexa and Seroquel are both extremely effective medications for bipolar disorder. Both initially, helped me sleep better, but this effect wore off after time with the Zyprexa. Also, although both drugs made me gain weight, Zyprexa caused me to gain significantly more. Overall, my life has been much better since I started taking bipolar medicine, but I am certainly happy my doctor switched me from Zyprexa to Seroquel.

Tips on Making the Decision to Stop Taking Anti-Depressant Medication

Depression is a serious problem in this country. According to some reports, nearly 11% of women and 5% of men in the United States are currently taking one or more anti-depressant medications. These medications can truly be life savers, helping people get through some of the most difficult times in their lives, and there is certainly no shame in seeking a little help to get through a challenging period.

However, most people are uncomfortable with the idea of taking a mood-altering, prescription medication for their entire lives. Some people are concerned about the potentially unknown, long-term side effects of anti-depressants. Others just want to experience life naturally, without any drugs. There are several factors you need to consider before you make the decision to discontinue anti-depressant therapy.

First off, ask yourself if your depression really has gotten better. How has your mood been, generally speaking? Has your appetite returned to normal, or are you eating considerably more or less than you normally would? Are you sleeping better? How is your social life? Make sure that your depression really has lifted and that you haven't just learned to live with the symptoms of depression.

If you've been "stable" for at least six months, are feeling confident, have a good support system in place, and have the desire to stop treatment, it may be time to ask your doctor about stopping your anti-depressant therapy. It is very important that you do not just stop taking your medicine. Your body has gotten used to your medication and abruptly stopping it could cause serious withdrawal symptoms, including dizziness, nausea, fainting, and even a return of your depression.

Your doctor will likely "wean" you off of your medicine by gradually lowering your dose over a period of time, usually a few weeks to a few months. This can be frustrating for some people who see depression as a chapter in their life that they are eager to close. However, by following your dose reduction schedule carefully, you will minimize your chances of having any unpleasant side effects.

During this time, be sure to keep your doctor informed about how you are feeling. If you experience any of the side effects mentioned above, be sure to let your doctor know as soon as possible. It is likely that you are reducing your dose too fast and you may be able to stop any undesired side effects just by slowing down a little bit. Also, be sure to tell your doctor if your feelings of depression return, or if you start to show any symptoms of depression, such as a sudden change in your eating or sleeping patterns.

Finally, don't be discouraged if you can't successfully "get off" anti-depressants the first time you try. Many people don't realize just how much their medication has helped them until they try to stop taking it. You may need some more time to work on the root causes of your depression. Just because you couldn't stop the first time you tried doesn't mean that you won't be able to stop taking anti-depressants in the future.

Other people may find that they have very real chemical imbalances that require a lifetime of treatment. This is perfectly OK, too. As with all medical conditions, the key to good treatment lies in doing your research and staying in close communication with a doctor you trust. Together, you and your medical team can make the best decisions for your personal situation.