My anxiety is extremely high today, so that is one of the reasons why I’m writing this now. Even though, I really can’t think straight. It is an outlet for me. (Long pause)… I can’t take much more of this. This is up there with one of those really bad anxiety days. I physically can’t hold a cup in my shaky hands to take get a drink without spilling it (it’s that bad). It just dawned on me, I think I know why. I have forgotten to take my night meds 2 nights in a row. One of those meds being Zyprexa (anti-psychotic). I’m going through withdrawals. Now, you’re probably wondering, yes, one night is possible…but two nights? I have an alarm on my phone that goes off when I’m supposed to take my meds (day and night). Both nights, I was really busy when the alarms went off, and I shut it off thinking I’ll take them in a minute. Because of Parkinson’s Disease, I forget things really easily. Generally, I have to write everything down if I don’t do it right away.

Zyprexa (Anti psychotic)

Since I mentioned Zyprexa, let’s talk about that med. I’ve been on it for quite a while. In the beginning it helped, but like many meds that I have taken, it stopped working. You’re probably wondering why I’m still taking it if it’s not working? One thing I really hate is taking a new med. I hate the side effects you get in the beginning (or all the time). I have mentioned to my doctor that I don’t think it is working. At any rate, she’s not really listening, so I haven’t really pushed the matter. Please, don’t do as I do! If something is not working, be an advocate for yourself and keep bringing it up to them. I’m going to take my own advice and be adamant when I see her in a week. Although, I did speak to my primary care doctor today and he put me back on Atenolol (beta blocker). I was on it back in June and then it was changed to a different med. See…if you speak up and make sure you are being heard, better days are ahead.

Since being on Zyprexa for a long time, both of my doctors think that my movements are caused from the Zyprexa. Nobody told this to me when I first started taking it. If I would have known, I wouldn’t have started taking it. At least, make sure you know the side effects of the medicines your doctor is giving you. Being that, Zyprexa is supposed to help with the intrusive thoughts anxiety, but it’s not doing its job. I still see and hear things that aren’t there , even though they SEEM LIKE they’re real. I guess because I’m not hurting anybody or myself, do I have to live with it? I mean, I do know the difference between real and not real. What do you think?

Atenolol (Beta Blocker)

My anxiety has finally calmed down (or the withdrawal symptoms left). I’m going to admit something, but I don’t want you to follow in my foot steps. I had some left over Atenolol (beta blocker for anxiety) and I started taking it a few days ago. The anxiety was so bad a few days ago, that I took some and the anxiety went away. Not to say, that it didn’t come back after the medicine wore off, but I had some peace in those few hours. I was taken off of Atenolol back in June of this year. It’s normally used for high blood pressure, equally, it is used for anxiety because it is a beta blocker. I found that the new one he put me on didn’t help as well as the Atenolol. Despite it having a few more side effects than the other beta blockers, it works better (at least for me). The only stipulation is that I have to have my blood pressure taken often, which is fine.

Klonopin (Anti Anxiety)

That’s another medicine I liked, but was taken off of. It helped with the anxiety so much. You’re probably wondering why I didn’t fight for it? Although it is kind of a long story, I’ll summarize it for you: I’m all talk and mostly no show. Meaning , when it comes to fighting for myself, I don’t (to put it point blank). In other words, I’m all mouth! Years of falling into that role (of not defending myself), it became second nature. There are times when I have stood my ground with another individual, at the same time, the stars have to be aligned and my anxiety is really low. When I was on the Klonopin, my anxiety was low. I think, when I see my doctor next week, I’ll bring it up. I like it, you guys are keeping me in check. Besides that, I’m going to start taking my own advice. I shouldn’t talk about things that I don’t follow myself! I have become very laxed in the medicine department.

Trazodone (Anti Depressant and Sleep Aide)

It’s extremely hard to sleep when you have anxiety. Trazodone was another med I was taken off of even though it was really helping me sleep. Despite me liking it, it would sometimes leave me groggy in the morning. Given that, I still liked Trazodone. No medicine is perfect for everyone. I liked the fact that I would fall asleep quickly, instead of laying in bed for hours on end trying to fall asleep. Although, it didn’t really help me with my Depression. I was on Trazodone for years. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some magic pill you could take and all your disorders that you have would just disappear. More than likely, that will never happen, but you can still dream, can’t you. Back down to earth, If, in any way that I ever offend you in some way, I apologize in advance. That was not my intent. Basically, I’m just typing out my thoughts. Back to Trazodone. I have thought about asking if I could go back to Trazodone, however, I am on an anti depressant (Cymbalta) that is working, so there is no need to change.

Cymbalta (Anti Depressant)

Cymbalta is somewhat new. Compared to some of the other anti depressants I have been on, this one has very few side effects. You know I’m not a big fan of side effects (who is). All I know is that it’s doing its job. Like I said earlier, there is no one perfect med for everybody. Although, I found that if you take to high of a dose, it can work against you. Meaning, it could make my movements worse.

Anxiety Support Groups

I know this one isn’t about a specific med, rather support groups. They are very helpful and I just wanted to mention a few:

1. Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) – The ADAA is a non-profit organization that provides education, resources, and support for individuals with anxiety and depression. They offer online support groups, webinars, a therapist directory, and a blog with helpful information and personal stories.
2. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – NAMI is a grassroots organization that provides advocacy, education, and support for individuals with mental illness and their families. They offer a variety of support groups for anxiety through their local chapters, including peer-led groups and groups for family members.
3. Social Anxiety Support Center (SASC) – The SASC is dedicated to providing education, research, and support for individuals with social anxiety disorder. They offer online chat rooms, forums, and articles on social anxiety and related topics. They also have an online directory of therapists who specialize in treating social anxiety.

Conclusion

There is no one rescue remedy for anxiety because we’re all different. I guess my advice in this post is to be careful of the comments you make to your doctor about the medicine. Sometimes they take it literally. Consequently, that is why I am not on some of the medicines I felt were helping me. One such comment was that “my mind is much clearer now”, which got me taken off of Valium (for movements from the Zyprexa). My movements (from Parkinson’s Disease) are less pronounced today than they were almost a year ago. At the same time, I think that is why she took me off of it. Hell, I didn’t mind being on Valium because I was a very mellow person back then. Likewise, as I have stated in past posts, these meds have helped me either now or in the past. Therefore, I’m not guaranteeing that they will help you. I’m just giving you some ideas of some of the meds that are out there, whether you’re dealing with anxiety issues, psychotic episodes, or trouble sleeping. I know, that covers a lot of territory. These are just some of the meds that I like or really liked in the past. I like the phrase “Hey Warrior.” I’m battling against the disorders in order to live a better life. At least that’s how I see it. Everybody has their own conflicts because nobody is perfect. Also, I just wanted to mention that if I ever come across as being a negative person, I’m just the opposite. I am (lately) in a manic mode, so sometimes I might say something that might offend you. That is not my intent. I’m just one person (who likes to be helpful) in a sea of many. Hope you join me in my next post!

Articles

-Depression And Sadness: When To See The Doctor

https://www.webmd.com/depression/depression-sadness

-Schizophrenia Myths And Facts

https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-myths-and-facts

How Do I Know If I Have Generalize Anxiety Disorder?

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/understanding-anxiety-treatment

Have a Good One,

Cindee, One Voice – Unstoppable

“You’re not alone!”