swtangel
Member
Reged: 07/09/04
Posts: 137
Loc: Delaware
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I was wondering if anyone takes or has any experience with other medication other than benzos for stress/anxiety and sleep problems. I cannot take benzos because a little over 3 years I was addicted to them and had a withdraw seizure when I tried to quit cold turkey. Tomorrow I will be clean 3 years. i used to take them for my anxiety, but after the seizure I started to see a new doctor and I was diagnosed as bipolar. I take depakote, serequel, and topamax. The tomamax is more for my migraines but is does have some calming effects. The problem is the serequel is not working very well, and since I cannot take benzos I don't know what else to do. I though maybe if I got some of your personal experiences I could ask my doctor about them. Thank you. Sorry this was so long.
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cloudy
Member
Reged: 11/07/03
Posts: 163
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Have you tried taking more seroquel?? I dont know what your dosage is now, but I know the dosage can go pretty high. Try talking to your doctor. See what he/she says.
Good luck!
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stevesmith
Reged: 10/01/04
Posts: 431
Loc: Southern
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Quote:
I was wondering if anyone takes or has any experience with other medication other than benzos for stress/anxiety and sleep problems. I cannot take benzos because a little over 3 years I was addicted to them and had a withdraw seizure when I tried to quit cold turkey. Tomorrow I will be clean 3 years. i used to take them for my anxiety, but after the seizure I started to see a new doctor and I was diagnosed as bipolar. I take depakote, serequel, and topamax. The tomamax is more for my migraines but is does have some calming effects. The problem is the serequel is not working very well, and since I cannot take benzos I don't know what else to do. I though maybe if I got some of your personal experiences I could ask my doctor about them. Thank you. Sorry this was so long.
my best friend growing up was diagnosed with bipolar and put on all those exact meds. He is totaly freaked out and stressed and anxiety now. He prolly leaves his 1 room apt. 1 time a week if he has to. I dont know if it's the condition or meds but he's all freaked out now. We lived together for 3 years b4 he was put on those meds and he was a total different person for the better.
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PPL don't argue over ideas or possible solutions, but instead argue to assert their egos and release frustration. Once U realize this, U will neither argue nor take arguments seriously
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AngelWolf13
Enthusiast
Reged: 07/07/04
Posts: 258
Loc: w/ my '91 CE-24 in SoCal....
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hi angel,
once my doctor (psych) thought that i might have sad and offered me a prescription for paxil. he said that it helps with anxiety. i wish that i could tell you how it affected me but i turned it down for a couple of reasons. 1. i don't believe that i have sad, it's just that i would much rather hang out with my dogs than socialize with people, it's a personal decision. 2. at 95 lbs. i really didn't want to add another drug to my system as i have had doctors look at my chart and say things like, "oh my, you're such a small person, and you take all these?" i have since cut out more than half of my daily meds.
but he was one of the best, most caring psychs i have ever had and i trust his choice of meds. you should ask your doctor about paxil. as for sleeping, i find ambein to be effective, but if you had a problem with benzos... i know ambein is not a benzo... well, best to ask your doctor about that too.
good luck!
cheers, c.(angel)
p.s. the depakote is also supposed to help preventing migraines even though you are rxed it for bi-polar. that was another one of the meds that i dropped from my menu.
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"Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps."
Emo Philips.
Edited by AngelWolf13 (10/19/04 11:49 AM)
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stevesmith
Reged: 10/01/04
Posts: 431
Loc: Southern
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Quote:
hi angel,
once my doctor (psych) thought that i might have sad and offered me a prescription for paxil. he said that it helps with anxiety. i wish that i could tell you how it affected me but i turned it down for a couple of reasons. 1. i don't believe that i have sad, it's just that i would much rather hang out with my dogs than socialize with people, it's a personal decision. 2. at 95 lbs. i really didn't want to add another drug to my system as i have had doctors look at my chart and say things like, "oh my, you're such a small person, and you take all these?" i have since cut out more than half of my daily meds.
but he was one of the best, most caring psychs i have ever had and i trust his choice of meds. you
should ask your doctor about paxil. as for sleeping, i find ambein to be effective, but if you had a problem with benzos... i know ambein is not a benzo... well, best to ask your doctor about that too.
good luck!
cheers, c.(angel)
p.s. the depakote is also supposed to help preventing migraines even though you are rxed it for bi-polar. that was another one of the meds that i dropped from my menu.
DO NOT TAKE PAXIL REPEAT DO NOT TAKE PAXIL REPEAT DO NOT TAKE PAXIL ESPECIALLY PAXIL CR
this si just my experience and everyone else I have ever emt or talked to who wook paxil: is is habit forming. you wont be joesing for another pill, but yer body will be. The withdrawl symptoms come on almost exactly 24 hours after eating the last pill. I started on paxil, theneventually was on CR. it had my head always messed up, my balance always off. If i woudl bend over too fast or even turn my head too fast woudl get sicka dn be in bed ALL DAY. was in bed for 3 weeks with withdrawls when I finaly got off it. Took another few months for the elctronic pulses and for the weird detachment feeling to go away. I cant explain it if you dont knwo what I mean. where you feel liek yer head or brain isnt connected tot he rest of your body. ultimately the side effects were way too much for me and after awhile I built up tolerance and as for anxiety LOL paxil didnt ever help really stop anxiety. I woudl still get anxious and all that just made me lazy and weak and fat.
search the board. there was a good paxil thread week or 2 back where alot others liek me were relating their experiences and feelings towards paxil
EVERY ASPECT of my life was affected and hurt while i was on paxil. relationships, work anything and everything. I wish I coudl get bck that time spent in that "paxil haze"
for me LOTS of excersise fights anxiety just as well as valiums which I do keep on hand for emergencies like if I have a panic attack casued by soemthing serious ya know, not liek how I used to be where i'd have panix attacks over trivial everyday Best if kept off the board.
another word that comes to mind when rem,embering my "paxil haze" SUICIDE. It made me think alot bout killing myself. if anything happened, no matter how minor or major.
i keep coming back editing cause I keep remembering how awful paxil was. it had negative effects on my sex drive and performance, made me sweat like a pig, headaches, diahrea (or however you spell it) memory loss, made me crazy in my opinion really.
JMO
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PPL don't argue over ideas or possible solutions, but instead argue to assert their egos and release frustration. Once U realize this, U will neither argue nor take arguments seriously
Edited by stevesmith (10/19/04 12:40 PM)
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AngelWolf13
Enthusiast
Reged: 07/07/04
Posts: 258
Loc: w/ my '91 CE-24 in SoCal....
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Quote:
DO NOT TAKE PAXIL REPEAT DO NOT TAKE PAXIL REPEAT DO NOT TAKE PAXIL ESPECIALLY PAXIL CR
good thing i "just said,'no'", then.
and may add a 3rd reason to my previous post on why i refused the rx. i don't trust newer meds. i know what works for me and what doesn't and these doctors insist on shoving these new "miracle" pills down my throat like celebrex (cox-2 inhibitor- beware!) and serzone.
as i have never taken paxil, i cannot, in good faith, recommend them personally.
cheers, c.(angel)
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"Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps."
Emo Philips.
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stevesmith
Reged: 10/01/04
Posts: 431
Loc: Southern
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Quote:
Quote:
DO NOT TAKE PAXIL REPEAT DO NOT TAKE PAXIL REPEAT DO NOT TAKE PAXIL ESPECIALLY PAXIL CR
good thing i "just said,'no'", then.
and may add a 3rd reason to my previous post on why i refused the rx. i don't trust newer meds. i know what works for me and what doesn't and these doctors insist on shoving these new "miracle" pills down my throat like celebrex (cox-2 inhibitor- beware!) and serzone.
as i have never taken paxil, i cannot, in good faith, recommend them personally.
cheers, c.(angel)
yeah thats what DR said "There's a new one out called Paxil" I unfortunately said yes. I was originaly sufferinf from social anxiety and depression. both were directly related to my weight which the paxil actually increased lol. Now that i've gotten healthier anturaly excersising as much as possible and all that I dont have any social anxiety really anymore. I still get depressed here and there (it runs in my family anyways) but now I just make myself jog or find soemthign to keep my mind off being depressed. I am just trying to elarn to deal and live with psych things without serious mind altering drugs like paxil ya know. it sounds stupid to alot fo ppl but controlled breathing techniques and excersise can really change and do alot. A healthy active body really helps the brain. excersise releases those chemicals that make you feel good like "runner's high" ya know. this si just me and my experience but I am trying to keep my mind as pure and untainted as possible (drugwise anyways) lord knows I get tainted and unpure enuf as it is lol
all these miracle pills wernt around until the last 50 or so year if that. But somehow humans survived until now ya know. so it can be done lol
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PPL don't argue over ideas or possible solutions, but instead argue to assert their egos and release frustration. Once U realize this, U will neither argue nor take arguments seriously
Edited by stevesmith (10/19/04 12:49 PM)
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swtangel
Member
Reged: 07/09/04
Posts: 137
Loc: Delaware
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Quote:
Have you tried taking more seroquel?? I dont know what your dosage is now, but I know the dosage can go pretty high. Try talking to your doctor. See what he/she says.
Good luck!
Yes I have actually, my dose right is 200mg. The thing I hate most about the drug is the one side effect of it causing awful dreams. It confuses the balance of reality and my dreams. I lived like for the first 3 months of my being on the 100mg dose and then again when I went up to 200mg. The medicine just does not work well enough do go through that again to go up to 300mgs. And as far as Paxil goes been there done that too. I cannot take anti-depressants of any kind really because they all make me manic (that is just a risk I take by taking them). Ambien (sp?) does work well for me in the sleeping dept. but my doc will only give it to me in one week scripts if I have been manic over two weeks, she will not give me a running script for it. Thank you all for your advice.
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unidenbearcat
Enthusiast
Reged: 12/12/01
Posts: 234
Loc: Great lakes
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One thing you could try is a drug called Vistaril or also known as hydroxyzine. It is a non controled med used for anxiety. I don't take it but it works for some people. Ask your DR. about this med if you have not yet. Good luck.
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Daeshay76
Board Addict
Reged: 03/22/04
Posts: 376
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i was diagnoised with panic attacks at the age of 14 (i am now 28) and was put on Tofranil for about a year and was taken off at the age of 15 and several years went by and maybe had one panic attack every other week...well at the age of 22 i started the panic attacks all over again but they were worse...i had them everyday maybe 2 to 3 times a day i felt as if i was about to die and when someone would talk to me it sounded as if they were in a tunnel and their voiced echoed and i also felt as if i were "out of my body" this went on for a few years and then i finally went to a doc about this and he rxed me Lexapro which is helping me very well...and this doc even gave me some pointers on how to control these attacks and stop them quickly....so i will tell you guys and maybe when you have one you can try this at home...he told me once i felt one comming on to go to the bathroom or anywhere that has a mirror and just stare at myself in the mirror and keep telling myself i was going to be fine, that nothing was going to happen to me and after looking at myself in the mirror and seeing myself and know i wasnt dying it would go away...after doing this many times the less i would have them and when i did have them they lasted no more than 5 min...now i havent had a panic attack in about 3 years and if i feel myself working myself into one i will relax, and either go sit somewhere quite or do my little mirror thing...the doc pretty much told me that me,my mind could over power those horrible panic attacks and he was totally RIGHT!!! i can and still do...so please try this to all of the panic attack suffers and let me know how it goes....sorry for the long post and i know it was off topic but if you can try and do "mind of matter" its a heck of alot better then taking meds...good luck!
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PanicAttacks
Newbie
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 28
Loc: Florida
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I have to say, this is a really great thread.
THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed.
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Thanatopium
Newbie
Reged: 04/22/04
Posts: 46
Loc: The Howling Wastes
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Captodiamine, a non sedating, non benzodiazepine... Here is a good link for info...
http://www.psychotropics.dk/usr_view_molecule.asp?
ID=1529&backurl=Alphaindex%2Fview%5Falpha%2Easp%3FStartchar%3DC&backur
lname=Alphabetical+index&historyline=&Catalogtype=A
Just delete the spaces so it comes up, I did not want a 3 monitor thread...
I KNOW it is available online, and in one of my 100,000 bookmarks.
It is truly an anxiety drug, not a sedative.
Did anyone mention busipirone... It works for SOME people...
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Bathil
Journeyman
Reged: 11/03/03
Posts: 74
Loc: California
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Kinda of off topic but can you mix Wellbutrin with Lexapro. I know I can it up but I would like personal experience.
Wellbutrin is really helping my depression/smoking ( I swear I don't inhale I use these smoke tab things=p..honest)
However, I still have horrid anxiety. I have tried all alternative routes. Yoga, writing, therapy, relaxation. reflexology you name it. Bottum line I have anxiety, used to have it very bad 15 years ago and they had me on something I don't recall. I did not stay on for long.
I only ask this as I have a great doctor who would presribe Lexapro if I asked but I want to make sure its worth it first.
Bathil
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stevesmith
Reged: 10/01/04
Posts: 431
Loc: Southern
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Quote:
I have to say, this is a really great thread.
THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed.
YEAH I AGREE great thread everyone!!!!!!! this right here should be the "flagship" thread for DB to showcase it's usefullness, compassionate & experienced members etc. etc. etc. lol
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PPL don't argue over ideas or possible solutions, but instead argue to assert their egos and release frustration. Once U realize this, U will neither argue nor take arguments seriously
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swtangel
Member
Reged: 07/09/04
Posts: 137
Loc: Delaware
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Quote:
I have to say, this is a really great thread.
THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed.
I also agree, this is exactly why I am so glad I found this board. Yes, it helped me find places online to get my meds, but this right here is what I love. I needed help and advice and knew that I could count on my fellow DB'ers for it. Thank you all for posting your advice and comments. Now I have some info to take to my doctor's appt tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes.
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Even God doesn't have a plan to judge man till the end of his days, why should I? -author unknown
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stevesmith
Reged: 10/01/04
Posts: 431
Loc: Southern
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Quote:
Quote:
I have to say, this is a really great thread.
THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed.
I also agree, this is exactly why I am so glad I found this board. Yes, it helped me find places online to get my meds, but this right here is what I love. I needed help and advice and knew that I could count on my fellow DB'ers for it. Thank you all for posting your advice and comments. Now I have some info to take to my doctor's appt tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes.
Yeah I feel same. Sure, there's links to meds but for me, It's 99% about the community here and the help and sharing experiences and being there for each otehr and all the info and caring people that keep me on DB!!!!!!!
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PPL don't argue over ideas or possible solutions, but instead argue to assert their egos and release frustration. Once U realize this, U will neither argue nor take arguments seriously
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AngelWolf13
Enthusiast
Reged: 07/07/04
Posts: 258
Loc: w/ my '91 CE-24 in SoCal....
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hi thanatopium,
haven't seen you post for a while. good to see you again! is everything ok?
Quote:
www.psychotropics.dk/usr_view_molecule.asp?
ID=1529&backurl=Alphaindex%2Fview%5Falpha%2Easp%3FStartchar%3DC&backur
lname=Alphabetical+index&historyline=&Catalogtype=A
Just delete the spaces so it comes up, I did not want a 3 monitor thread...
that cracked me up. i never thought of that, putting a couple of spaces in to keep the window small. lol, i did that once, stretched the window about 3 monitors long. only once, though, learned my lesson. but if you hit URL in the instant UBB code box then you can make the link smaller like this . 
interesting data, btw, thanks for posting. don't be a stranger!
cheers, c.(angel)
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"Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps."
Emo Philips.
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tenor42
Stranger
Reged: 10/02/04
Posts: 8
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Howdy all,
This is my first post although I have been around for a while. I'm really loving this site. Great info.
I do not have any experience with buspar but i do know it is a realativly new (or this is a new use for an old drug?) drug for anxiety. It is not a benzo and you need to take it like an SSRI (that is you have to ramp up and it isn't active right away). You don't take it as needed like one might take a benzo...it functions more like an SSRI that way. I think a lot of people who can't take benzo's for one reason or another use this. Also I think sometime Neurontin is prescribed for anxiety....but then N is a bit controversial....using it for anxiety is an "off-label" usage encouraged by the drug comapany but not officially/initially ok'd by the FDA for that use.
As for Lexapro and Wellbutrin I have been taking them together for quite a long time (well over a year). And I find they work well together. I take 10 mg of Lexapro (used to take 20mg) and 400 mg of Wellbutrin (buproprion) immd. release per day. The immd. release Wellbutrin is cheaper for one and I take a higher then normal dose and it is easier to take the immd. for that reason. Even though the maker suggests the does of 300mg per day as a Max. it is ok and I have learned more effective at the slightly higher dose. (I did a lot of research about it send me a note if you'd like more info about it)
I am also wondering how drug suppliers are put on this list? I'll read the FAQ probably there....
tenor42 
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AngelWolf13
Enthusiast
Reged: 07/07/04
Posts: 258
Loc: w/ my '91 CE-24 in SoCal....
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 Re: What about Buspar (also Lexapro and Wellbutrin) [Re: tenor42]
#196407 - 10/26/04 06:05 PM Attachment (2 downloads)
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i remember being prescribed buspar in the latter part of the 80's so i know it's not a new med. i believe that it was fairly new when i was taking it. so i did a little research and this is what i found....
Quote:
Buspirone (BuSpar) Patent protection of this drug expired November 22, 2000. To hold off generic competition, BMS filed for patent protection for the chemical produced inside the human body when a person ingests BuSpar. This was a new legal strategy, but it could have blocked entry of generics (expected to lower the price up to 75%) until the year 2020. On March 14, a federal judge ordered the FDA to approve generic BuSpar.
this is from Bristol-Myers Squibb. evidently the patent was supposed to expire in 1998 but they got a 2 year extension. i'm not sure if they got another extension after that but it was attempted (is being attempted???)
it's been so long since i have taken that i don't remember how effective it was for me. may be of interest to the original poster, however, might be something she could discuss with her doctor.
lexapro, i am not familiar with. wellbutrin (also immediate release), i was taking 400mgs/day now i'm down to 300mgs/day. as it contains amphetamine-like derivatives i do not think that this would be effective for her.
the patent extension i have attached is for the buspar.
congrats on your first post, tenor. it was a very good one. looking forward to more.
cheers, c.(angel)
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"Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps."
Emo Philips.
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pecan
Enthusiast
Reged: 09/09/03
Posts: 264
Loc: KINDA N.W.
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just get some buspar, it's not habit forming and i guess it works, i have only been on it for 1 mo. so i'm not sure yet.
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pecan
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colbycheese
Journeyman
Reged: 02/17/03
Posts: 71
Loc: U.S.A.
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SWTAngel
Let me just throw in my two cents, and you can take this with a grain of salt (as much as any of the other reccommendations) since I'm not a doctor.
I do however play one on TV. Just kidding. Honestly, I never had any luck with the Seraquel (sp?). It's something that works for some and from what I have heard absolutely failed others.
From your post it sounds as if you're trying to treat too many symptoms with one drug. That may work if your only problem is anxiety related, but if you've got depression and anxiety you may have to get on two drugs for each of the two symptoms.
I think you'd do best with a combination of low-dose Lexapro (the least side effects of any of the anti-depressants), and something like Buspar which is an anti anxiety drug, as some have already pointed out.
I think it's best to get this type of treatment from a Psychologist, but then again who am I to tell you this?
Just a suggestion........
Colby
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...unfortunately we live in a place where substandard care has become standard operating procedure.....
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tenor42
Stranger
Reged: 10/02/04
Posts: 8
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Hah,
Guess what? I was just prescribed Buspar and I am really happy about it...i know it has to build up in your system but I think I feel better in a few short days....
took my own advice...
tenor42
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