AboutDr. Ravindra Bhaskar Ghooi Expertise I can provide information on drugs and medicines, their actions, uses, interactions and adverse effects. To avoid confusion, generic names of
medicines may please be provided. I am a pharmacologist, having worked
on animal and human pharmacology, and presently I am the Dean of Bilcare Research Academy, where we teach courses on clinical research. We dont work on saturdays and sundays, hence questions reachng me on these days will be replied on Monday, please bear with me.
Question I'm not really sure where else to go about this, so here goes. All of my life (I'm 43), whenever I've had a physical problem, Dr.'s have told me that it's anxiety related. I never wanted to believe this, but so many different Dr.'s can't be wrong...right? In any case, long story short, I have mitral valve prolapse with regurg, HSV-2, and I have these 'attacks' where even if I stay completely calm, my heart is pounding out of my chest, my hands are shaking, I'm cold, white, and dizzy. My EKG's come up ok though, so the only answer is 'anxiety disorder'. Ok, I'll bite. One problem. I am petrified of taking meds. I don't know why (other than the fact that my adopted Mom took truckloads for diabetes and other stuff), but I practically choke just thinking about it. I need to figure out a way to feel safe enough to take them. I am typing this with 3 med bottles sitting in front of me. I wake up every morning with anxiety symptoms and my Dr. has prescribed .5mg ativan and 150 mg of wellbutrin. I also have a bottle of Valtrex, I have no problem taking those as they don't seem to bother me and they DO work! The outbreaks only occur when I'm so stressed and run down that my body can't handle it anymore. I want to help my Dr. to help me, but I question every drug that he gives me and I don't want to frustrate him further as I know that I'm just being a spaz about it. I don't like to feel weird or shaky and that's why I opt out of meds. But I don't like to feel weird or shaky from anxiety either! Darned if I do, darned if I don't...what will these pills do to me if I take them together? I have a friend who takes wellbutrin and he practically vibrates across my floor after he takes them. I'm hoping that someone out there can help to put my mind at ease about this so that I can get back to my life!
Answer Hi Sue,
Firstly you are not the only one in this world to worry about medicines. There are many sensible people lke you. My worry is about people who pop pills without giving them a thought.
By and large I do not advice people to take pills for such life style disorders, but when they are essential one cant do without them. The reason why I discourage people from taking medicines is because most of these disorders are due to the social setups and their treatment is changing the way we live in.
Of course there are situations when we will not be able to make changes in the society around us, and we may have to resort to medicines.
What you have described appears to me too as a clear cut case of depression/anxiety. In these situations the levels of a neurotransmitter named serotonin reduces. We need to push up these levels in order to improve yor condition. This can be achieved on with drugs. I agree that exercise does imrove the levels but that effect is mld and takes long. You should take these medicines and I am sure that you will find no adverse effects. This may prompt you to continue the medication.Wellbutrin and ativan are routinely used to treat cases like yours, most patients have found benefit with them, and I am sure you too will find.
My best wishes
Ravi Ghooi
