Medication for stress & anxiety

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
gabriel4097
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Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by gabriel4097 » Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:29 am

I have been suffering from mental stress and a friend of mine suggested “prozac”. Does anyone have information on prozac for stress relief?

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cakmon
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Re: Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by cakmon » Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:15 am

Prozac is and SSRI medication. In theory it is supposed to increase the levels of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin deficiencies are implicated (not proven yet) in Anxiety and Depression. They are not completely sure how the mechanism works but really love to give out prescriptions for it. Many times it isn't the stress that is the problem but how we have learned to deal with stress over the years. You may want to look at some counseling for how to manage stress differently and try some yoga classes, meditation, walking, mindfulness practices and just taking care of yourself. Do you have any symptoms of Sleep Apnea? Not getting proper sleep can intensify the stress response because the hormone levels and other chemicals in the body are supposed to revitalize during proper sleep. I am not a doctor but have researched many topics related to stress relief. Just my thoughts.

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sleepydoll
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Re: Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by sleepydoll » Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:44 am

This thread will give you the information you might need.
http://chealth.canoe.ca/drug_info_detai ... ame_id=369

In this factsheet:
How does Prozac work? What will it do for me?
How should I use Prozac?
What form(s) does Prozac come in?
Who should NOT take Prozac?
What side effects are possible with Prozac?
Are there any other precautions or warnings for Prozac?
What other drugs could interact with Prozac?

Although you may start feeling better within a few weeks of treatment, the full effects of the medication may not be evident until several weeks of treatment have passed.
Keep us posted!
D.
Experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want!
The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.

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Bluebonnet_Gal
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Re: Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by Bluebonnet_Gal » Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:26 pm

I've tried several different medications for anxiety and depression. I've found that for me, Prozac works best. Different anti-depressants work better for different people. I'm not knocking counseling and other ways of dealing with anxiety and depression, but I think some of us have some type of chemical imbalance in the brain that anti-depressants can help relieve. If you try one thing and it doesn't work, don't give up! Not all anti-depressants are alike!

I'm not a medical professional - just my 2 cents!

Gail

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nate fry
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Re: Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by nate fry » Wed Dec 24, 2008 1:24 pm

It doesn't hurt to try these medications as long as you are under a doctors care. It does take two -three weeks for these to work. I take a little paxil and it helps me shut off my mind when I go to bed. Also I have a stressful job and it makes it lots easier to tolerate the individuals I have to deal with. But like the one lady said they are all a little different and you just have to find the right on. If your taking someething and it isn't helping ask your doctor to try something else. Prozac is one of the early drugs and there have been lots of new ones since,although I heard it works pretty good. I'm not a doc either but someone with a stressful job and a mind that likes to run all night.Don't give up, if you find the right one you'll be as happy as a lark. If you get too happy (and you can) you can ask your doc to cut back the dose. Sweet dreams !
Nate

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roster
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Re: Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by roster » Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:41 pm

gabriel4097 wrote:I have been suffering from mental stress and a friend of mine suggested “prozac”. Does anyone have information on prozac for stress relief?
Are you aware that sleep disordered breathing is the leading cause of anxiety and depression?

Are you using cpap? How long? Is it effective, i.e., do you have tools for monitoring leaks, AI and HI?

My three docs prescribed that s*** Prozac, then Paxil and then Effexor. Horrible results. Then I left the docs and eventually figured out I had sleep apnea. Once I had a good cpap therapy going for a few weeks, the anxiety and depression went away.
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jnk
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Re: Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by jnk » Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:59 pm

rooster wrote:. . . Are you aware that sleep disordered breathing is the leading cause of anxiety and depression? . . .
Not breathing while asleep can certainly be a cause of anxiety and depression. And effective use of PAP therapy can help that with time.

But, THE leading cause? I would have guessed "mother-in-laws," myself. Or maybe "the holiday season."

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sleepycarol
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Re: Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by sleepycarol » Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:03 pm

There is a strong family history of depression and mental illness in my family. My mother was bi-polar and had some major issues besides bi-polar.

A few years ago I had a mental breakdown and spent a week in a stress unit to help me cope and get on the road to recovery. I now take a low dose of Zoloft daily. I really feel that our chemical levels play an important part of mental illness and it is not necessarily something that "one can snap out of". I did go to counseling for a year, which helped tremendously to learn coping skills to deal with all the jerks in the world without internalizing everything everyone said to me.

Personally I don't think Prozac, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Paxil, and other antidepressants will take care of stress issues -- unless other issues are playing into it as well. These are not "happy" pills and will not make you "happy" unless there are chemical imbalances that became stabalized with the drugs.

For me Prozac made me very jittery and nervous feeling. Paxil didn't appear to have any effect on me. It can take time to find one that works for you and then it can take several weeks to actually start feeling the benefits.

For short term stress and anxiety Xanax may be a better choice. These can become habit forming and can be addictive.

Check with your doctor for a plan of action if you feel that you might be a candidate for meds.

I am not a doctor or in the health field -- these are my opinions.
Start Date: 8/30/2007 Pressure 9 - 15
I am not a doctor or other health care professional. Comments reflect my own personal experiences and opinions.

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junie
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Re: Medication for stress & anxiety

Post by junie » Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:57 pm

After my hubby died my doctor put me on Lexapro 20mg. It works great for me, It's been since
2003. I'm still having problems With day time sleeping,
Judy