Antidepressants make me stutter

[betheny]

Went to my family doctor, I finally have a good one (Only took what, 10 years?) She drew complete labwork, my thyroid levels are all right. She sent me to my endocrinologist, who did an ultrasound of my thyroid. It is slightly enlarged, no big deal for a person w/ Graves disease.

Aside from being too skinny, and oh yeah an incomplete quad, I'm a perfect physical specimen LOL.

I've tried several antidepressants. Zoloft is working out the best. It's enabled me to try living again, I have been majorly depressed and overwhelmed since my husband suddenly died w/ no will and a jillion messes to clean up.

The only thing is, now I stutter. Celexa was worse. The only thing that stops the stutter is xanax, which my endo says is a pretty darned good treatment for ppl w/ thyroid issues. Celexa gave me huge panic attacks, zoloft doesn't.

I'm afraid of xanax, though. I'm off pain meds, have no desire to start the cycle w/ benzos. Dependence or addiction, it's all the same in my eyes. It sucks.

Does this happen to anyone else, or is it just my insane life catching up to me? (I am chronically anxious, it's always something.)

[Gunnslinger8]

Betheny we meet again.How are you?I came to the topic,because it made me laugh,please don't take offense.I tried zoloft a long time ago...Hated it.It made my spasms worse.I'm taking Paxil not because I'm depressed,I have OCD,that was hard to say.I didn't tell anyone or admit it until 6 yrs ago ( only Dr ) but I'm starting to say it more often.it's funny you said that it made you stutter,because zoloft made my spasms worse and my eye twitch.can you imagine a conversation between the both of us,you stuttering and me twitching.LOL don't laugh but the last time I took Xanax,I fell asleep and pissed myself...that stuff is too strong for me,makes me feel drunk; I quit drinking at 19.I know the feeling I always feel like the walls are crumbling down on me.I don't know what it's like not to have anxiety.I feel like my mind isn't right as a matter of fact I know it. Hope you feel better. Email me anytime. Gunnslinger8

[betheny]

Gunnslinger-I have forgotten my email password. Gawd, I can't tell if I'm old or crazy or both. I know how to create an email acct., but NEED INTO my old one!

Part of the depression, and breaking 3 computers in a year...from having these good old Brown Sequard fingers.

I sent you a PM last week. Sorry about the OCD. We would be quite a pair, as I am whatever you call the polar opposite. Sloppy.

[Gunnslinger8]

I'm goin to come out the closet and tell everyone including friends( about OCD don't misunderstand I LOVE GIRLS ) and post a topic.Im crazier than a shithouse rat ( whatever that means ) I feel your pain.I'm so use to having B.S.S...I forgot what it's like not to,you know what I mean?

[Gunnslinger8]

Have you ever been to the cuckoo Dr.?You don't have to say.I'm just saying it might help.I will talk to you tomorrow after school and Dr. App. Gunnslinger8

[Le Todd]

Betheny, I've been on Xanax for 5 years with no change in regimen. If you don't abuse them and use them as needed, it's fine.

[betheny]

My dr. wants to not up the xanax, and switch me to lexapro. Damn, I'm feeling good, got up today, went to McD's, the bank, the car wash and gassed up the van (an ordeal), and the pharmacy, for a new bottle of zoloft.

This is all just drive-up stuff, except for getting gas, but made me feel productive.

And I can hardly speak, and I'm going to run out of xanax too soon.

I haven't been to the cuckoo dr., other than marriage counsellors required to survive 27 yrs. w/ the same man. The ones that supposedly take Medicare don't return phone calls. I went and saw one counselor, like at the county mental health facility. She did recommend a shrink that could prescribe drugs. Basically passed me on, maybe I overwhelmed her? I was grieving pretty hard at the time.

I guess I could persist for the shrink, just haven't had the mojo lately (or ever LOL.)

What does a nervous breakdown look like?

[Gunnslinger8]

A nervous breakdown?don't know,guys just break s..t when they lose it.Did you go to my topic about apt.?
Gunnslinger8. Will reply during break between classes.Glad your feeling better,sounds like it.

[marycsm77]

I was going to ask you before I finished reading this if you tried Lexapro, as it can be given for depression and anxiety. Wouldn't have to worry about the benzo dependence if that's an issue. I would recommend going to a psychiatrist as they are the best at diagnosing emotional/psychiatric issues. It's a sort of peeve of mine, pcp's playing shrink, it irks me.. He should start you on something and then give you a referral to a psychiatrist, that is their specialty and if you find a decent one, they do it best. Also combined with some therapy with a therapist is the best way to go. I also take a small does of xanax prn but not for anxiety, i get some weird burning sensation in my neck and it helps relieve it quickly.

nervous breakdown is just a lay term and if he's recommending lexapro then he is probably diagnosing you with clinical depression/general anxiety disorder.

never heard of stuttering being a side effect of anti-depressants etc. I would think it would be much more likely to be the anxiety you are experiencing. I have had this happen to me in the past when under extraordinary stress.

[betheny]

Well, she considered the Lexapro, decided it is too molecularly similar to Celexa, and prescribed me Paxil.

They put my rehab roommate on Paxil, she was C2 on a vent, broke, waiting on a big settlement, severely depressed and underweight and missing her kids for months on end. Just lying there watching me go off to rehab, basically, it was so sad. Paxil did perk her up tons.

My best friend has been telling me to see a shrink forever, we come from incredibly similar backgrounds, except in her family they willingly go to see a shrink. In mine, not so much. Looking back, in my family nobody sought help until they were in lockdown, usually but not exclusively due to substance abuse.

Looking back, that was sometimes too late. Mom tried to off herself when I was 5 or 6, the year the Easter bunny forgot us. And then there were my brothers. And Dad, the most functional alcoholic since...I don't know, were there ever any really driven, successful, self-made functional alcoholics? That was my Dad.

He was Don Draper, if you ever watch Mad Men. Not so family oriented as one might desire.

We had some GREAT years, don't get me wrong. Just always too much drama and chaos, and I married a man w/ his own (he was newly divorced, w/ a 2 yr old son.) I realize now that he was a bit of a chaos addict himself-nobody else would have married me!

Does my PCP have to refer me to a shrink, for Medicare purposes?