Posted by Racer on September 2, 2004, at 12:31:28
In reply to In hospital, things are bad. Risperdal anyone?, posted by pretty_paints on September 2, 2004, at 11:03:13
I had a weird reaction to Remeron, too, and it's not fun. I'm sorry that happened to you.
As for the rest of it, I wonder if the doctors are trying the risperadol (which I'm sure I'm mispelling) to try to calm you down. The benzos do not calm me when I'm in a state of anxiety, and it may be that they're not doing a great job for you, either.
A very generous friend of mine just yesterday talked to me about exactly this point, so I'll share his generosity with you. Anxiety has two components: psychological and physical. For some people, the psychological upset triggers the physical response, but then there are people who get so slammed physically that the drugs that calm the psychological side just plain don't work. I'm one of them: xanax works great to help me sleep -- as long as I'm not upset. Once the tension starts to build, though, about the only effect it has on me is to increase the whole fight-flight response, and make it all worse because I'm now upset *and* feeling even more vulnerable.
Treatment for anxiety has to be focussed on treating either the psychological side, allowing you to prevent the physical response; or the physical. In my case, I'm hoping my new doctor will look at a way to prevent the adrenaline overload from getting a good start, because once that happens, I'm pretty much a lost cause. (Well, a misplaced cause...) You may also benefit from something that tones down your adrenaline response. The AP that you're on now may be a stopgap measure until your doctors feel you're stabilized enough to work with them more effectively.
I do agree with Emme, though: you should already know *why* they're giving you this drug, and what effects to expect. They should also be responsive to the level of distress you're experiencing on it right now. Being unable to function for more than half the day, and feeling so sick is *not* especially conducive to recovery.
Best luck, and best wishes for feeling better soon.
poster:Racer
thread:385657
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040830/msgs/385692.html