Re: Newby-anti depressant!

[Guest guest]

My pulmo dr prescribed- amitryptylin as an antidepressant- back in Jan 09 & it has done wonders for me. It's a small dosage 10mg (of which he's wanted to increase, but i have refused) i take it @ night to help me sleep ( & it does @ least 8 hours straight)..it's also used for pain..of which i still suffer from daily. I was also given xanax but i only took that for a few months & stopped taking that...as well as ambien.

i hope that helps

Dot/uip10/08/42/sa,tx

Subject: Re: NewbyTo: Breathe-Support Date: Sunday, November 8, 2009, 9:42 AM

It's tough when you find you're resistant to the meds. The fact that 2mg of Valium which is a small psychiatric dosage zonks you out showsthat. My similar is that many here take Xanax but it will put mecompletely out, even the smallest dosage. Typically, psychiatrists willexplore different families of meds. For instance, if currentanti-anxiety meds haven't worked, they may try some dueldepression/anxiety meds or different ones such as Cymbalta, Effexor,Lexapro. With anti-depressants, if SSRI's have been problematic, theymay go to Wellbutrin. The other place they might go is to older familiesof meds. This would include tricyclides that they've mostly gotten awayfrom prescribing, such as Elavil and Doxepin.There are also distinctly different approaches to counseling. Yourpsychiatrist might even recommend someone who specializes in a differentschool of thought.Last, maybe you

don't give yourself credit for managing it as well asyou do. You seem to turn to your doctor when you need to and you speakof anxious "days" when nothing seems to work. Many of us will continueto have those "days" but what we're succeeding at it not letting themturn into multiple days or weeks. Sometimes concentrating on how onerecovers from the down day rather than expecting to be able to avoid itall together helps. I will sometimes just accept it but say to myself,I'm going to get up and out tomorrow and its going to be a good day.When I go to sleep tonight, this day is over.One other thing, since the valium appears to benefit you some, justmaybe a bit too much, is to vary the dosage. Maybe even just 1 mg.For me, counseling has been the key. Now, I do take a sleep med, AmbienCR and I also take Wellbutrin XL which we honestly don't even know ifits doing anything. It's just the only

anti-depressant or anti-anxiety Itolerated out of around 25 tried and at one time did seem to help.Ambien CR was after at least a dozen other sleep meds.The problems I encountered were generally stomach, sometimes vision ordizziness or tremors and quite often a med that would have the exactopposite of the desired benefit. But I've had so many strange reactionsto drugs of this nature. I've had them range from one that gave me allthe symptoms of Parkinsons to one that made me sweat profusely to oneanti-anxiety that was like speed to me, to an anti-anxiety that made mesleep for 23 out of 25 hours, to a sleep med that caused vision problemsand a carb craving that could not be satisfied (you think Prednisonecauses weight gains, try that one) to sleep meds that would make mesleep every other night but I'd go 40 hours between sleeping to sleepmeds that would give me two hours per night. Sleep has long

been anissue for me. Last time I tried with no med, I slept one hour in threenights. I've found meds that have typically worked for several years andthen stopped.> > > >> > > >> > > > Hi Gale,> > > >

Welcome to the group, and I am sorry to hear of your diagnosis.When> > > > you said that your pulmonologist gave you a prescription for an> > > > anti-anxiety medication, that got my attention, as I too sufferfrom> > > > depression. There is a great deal of difference between an> > > > anti-anxiety drug and an antidepressant. An antidepressant thatis> > > > suited to you will help you cope more calmly with yoursituation,> > and> > > > in short, be yourself. An anti-anxiety medication will, very> > briefly,> > > > ease your mind somewhat, but won't do anything towards relievingthe> > > > all-day feelings of helplessness you feel.> > > >> > > > Only an antidepressant and/or counseling can help those of us> > > > suffering from depression.

Taking an antidepressant (in my case> > > > Imipramine) helps me feel normal and takes the edge off ofeveryday> > > > life. You will be surprised at how much better you can feel with> > > > adequate help. Take care of yourself.> > > >> > > > Jerry/;Mississippi/ 54/IPF/dx April 05> > > >> > > > Who believes that hard times help us appreciate the good timeseven> > more.> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >> >> >>

[Guest guest]

Dorothy

Amitryptylin is a tricyclide too.

I do have a question. Why is your pulmonologist the one to prescribe

psychiatric meds? I know many disagree with me but I think if one is

going to take psyciatric meds on anything over a very brief period they

should get them from a psychiatrist. I'm not going to a psychiatrist to

evaluate and prescribe for my lungs. Just a personal opinion.

Now, it would be common for you to have to increase the dosage of

amitryptylin until you found the most effective dosage. But if the

dosage you're on is working, then no need to increase.

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > Hi Gale,

> > > > > Welcome to the group, and I am sorry to hear of your

diagnosis.

> When

> > > > > you said that your pulmonologist gave you a prescription for

an

> > > > > anti-anxiety medication, that got my attention, as I too

suffer

> from

> > > > > depression. There is a great deal of difference between an

> > > > > anti-anxiety drug and an antidepressant. An antidepressant

that

> is

> > > > > suited to you will help you cope more calmly with your

> situation,

> > > and

> > > > > in short, be yourself. An anti-anxiety medication will, very

> > > briefly,

> > > > > ease your mind somewhat, but won't do anything towards

relieving

> the

> > > > > all-day feelings of helplessness you feel.

> > > > >

> > > > > Only an antidepressant and/or counseling can help those of us

> > > > > suffering from depression. Taking an antidepressant (in my

case

> > > > > Imipramine) helps me feel normal and takes the edge off of

> everyday

> > > > > life. You will be surprised at how much better you can feel

with

> > > > > adequate help. Take care of yourself.

> > > > >

> > > > > Jerry/;Mississippi/ 54/IPF/dx April 05

> > > > >

> > > > > Who believes that hard times help us appreciate the good times

> even

> > > more.

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Dorothy

Yes, I've heard of it. It's a tricyclide much like Doxepin and Elavil

and many others. Been around forever and still help many. Amitryptylin

is the most prescribed of all of them. It also does help chronic pain.

The psychiatrist is for prescribing of psychiatric meds which you were

talking about three different ones, not for counseling. Counselors can't

prescribe meds, nor can Pastors. Many are quite comfortable with other

doctors managing these items. I have just witnessed too many incidents

of primary physicians and others prescribing psychiatric meds and

keeping a patient on a med long term that probably wasn't best for them.

But, what you're getting is working for you so thats fine.

> > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Hi Gale,

> > > > > > Welcome to the group, and I am sorry to hear of your

> diagnosis.

> > When

> > > > > > you said that your pulmonologist gave you a prescription for

> an

> > > > > > anti-anxiety medication, that got my attention, as I too

> suffer

> > from

> > > > > > depression. There is a great deal of difference between an

> > > > > > anti-anxiety drug and an antidepressant. An antidepressant

> that

> > is

> > > > > > suited to you will help you cope more calmly with your

> > situation,

> > > > and

> > > > > > in short, be yourself. An anti-anxiety medication will, very

> > > > briefly,

> > > > > > ease your mind somewhat, but won't do anything towards

> relieving

> > the

> > > > > > all-day feelings of helplessness you feel.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Only an antidepressant and/or counseling can help those of

us

> > > > > > suffering from depression. Taking an antidepressant (in my

> case

> > > > > > Imipramine) helps me feel normal and takes the edge off of

> > everyday

> > > > > > life. You will be surprised at how much better you can feel

> with

> > > > > > adequate help. Take care of yourself.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Jerry/;Mississippi/ 54/IPF/dx April 05

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Who believes that hard times help us appreciate the good

times

> > even

> > > > more.

> > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>