Welcome to the group which has helped me most since being dx with COPD. I have had a number of antidepressants over the years due to dysthymia. When my husband was dx with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, the oncologist put us both on Lexapro and Trazadone for sleeping. They both helped with the stress but the effects wore off for me after a few years. Now I am on Zoloft and that takes the edge off without making me feel like a zombie. It is well worth it for me since I have had lots of adjustments to make since Don died. I only take Melatonin for sleeping now since I like the idea of its being natural and seniors like me need more of it.

Hi twin Sister, The advice given her from these wonderful people is ll good and right on the point.
Different meds work diffrrently in people, and make sur you have the right diagnosis, depression vs anxity, or maybe a bit of both.
Yes they are real problems, and o not evr let anyone say it is in your head, or just et a grip, or what ever !!!
When I am of my prozac, I am bitchy, very anxious and can cry at a drop of a hat, because I worry about everything and everything hurts my feelings , yada, yada...
But I would never take anything that zoned me out. When I wasgetting ready to fly to Australia, I ws bouncing off the walls in my doctors office, worrying about this and that, and she prescribed me xanax to keep me calm....
Well it did, 1/2 pill knocked me out !!! so I never took another one of those, then she gave me prozac because requested it. I had used it years before and it just kept me calm, I could still cry or get angry, I was not a zombie, but I could also have a conversation without crying or worrying.
You need to do research and also work with your doctor, to know what is right for you, and how much. When it works, it works, if i forget my prozac, I can tell, because I feel so sad.
Good luck and hope you get it worked out.
Brenda

redvelvet brought up a good point about counseling. once i found one that worked for me - i went through a couple of them that weren't a good fit - it helped. a lot.

I don't hear anyone mention how these drugs affect your reaction time and hand and eye coordination. Unfortunately I am only 61 years old so I might have to work and drive and drive to work for a few years yet. I shudder to think that there are that many impaired people on the road next to me every day...what I'm asking is ...do these drugs impair driving. Also as a postal clerk I am expected to be no less than 100% sharp especially math wise when dealing with customers.
I'm particularly interested in knowing more about the sublingual drug for when you are having an attack. I'd like to discuss it with my pulmnologist on the 16th. Even if I didn't actually use the drug for attacks I believe just knowing that I had it just in case would be comforting. So far I've never had an attack in public but I live in fear. Came very close though a few times while trying to clean PO and sweep out lobby.

Hi luvly!
I am now taking Paxil 20 mg. and have Xanax for those panic moments. I was embarrassed to ask my doctor for this and he felt guilty that he hadn't suggested them. His words "if you can't breathe well, it does cause anxiety and panic, that's a normal reaction!!". I can get sob just thinking about having to go to the back of the drug store to pick up my medications but force myself so that my husband isn't doing everything!! Hang in there and don't let anyone tell you what is good for you. If it works for you that's all that matters!! Hang in there, Louise

I would like to know more about the sublingual that is used for attacks. I believe it was Zenobiagar who mentioned this. My next Dr. appt. is coming up and I'd love something besides just my rescue inhaler for attacks.

There is a difference between antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. I take both. Started first with the antidepressants, initially because mine, Cymbalta, was also used for pain, and I have chronic back pain as well as COPD. It had no effect on my reaction time, coordination, etc. and, I was still working every day, driving, etc. I don't know whether it was helping with the pain, but COPD is depressing, so I stay on it. I began taking the anti anxiety meds recently, and have taken Xanex, Trazadone (to sleep) and Klonapin. Not sure exactly what Klonapin is. They were given to me to ease anxiety and help me reduce the amount of opioids I take. I do notice that the benzos, like Xanex do make me feel tired, which could affect response time, etc., for me. It may not do the same for others. Wish you luck. The people here are very kind and understanding!

Ilovethekitties -

-sublingual drugs are placed under the tongue and are absorbed mainly through the blood vessels there. The drug will appear in your system much quicker than a pill you swallow more like 10 minutes as opposed to 30+ depending on what you have in your stomach. Also the bioavailability of a drug taken sublingually is higher than for a swallowed pill. Your body will only absorb for instance 60% of a 1mg dose in a swallowed pill, but will absorb perhaps 75% of a drug taken sublingually.
This information was picked up by me about a month ago on wikipedia specifially on the page for lorazepam (ativan) although I would assume it is standard for drugs which have a sublingual option and regular pill option.

I believe that I allow things to happen in my life.Emphysema was welcome in my life door wide open with smoking.No regrets.
When I was first diagnosed I was devastated(too young for this)Dr
offered me happy pills to relax
I get anxiety sometime and I get very sad but those emotions are
NOT WELCOME in my life.
I am no taking antidepressant not yet .
If I get anxiety ,I do some special Chi Kung,just a few minutes then
I say :GO AWAY I DO NOT NEED YOU(some F words as well)
Maybe in the future I will take road ahead of me is not easy.
Take care all of you this COPD is evil.

i think that with all medications you should work closely with your dr & do not drive on them if they affect your reaction time.
COPD has made many changes in my life over the past 4 years.
as my COPD has advanced and worsened i have had to start taking inhalers, more antibiotics, anti-anxiety medication etc.
example;
Spiriva (which i take daily) i can drive after i take it.
Albuterol i WOULD NEVER take and drive! (but i still only take that when in an exacerbation)
in 4 years i have gone from tossing everything (including dogs & their needs) into a vehicle & taking off for 4 days to see my son for a weekend; to now there are days i wonder if i can get a bath safely today.
in 4 years i've gone from living my life normally, to wearing 02 24/7, to shopping online.
i have good days & bad days.
i live alone and i want to keep my independence so i have learned to keep going, but to pace myself.
for many people this disease moves slow.
for others it seems to move faster.

one thing i have learned in life is "never say never"---the minute i do, it seems like i'm put in a position to learn different.
i never thought i'd be on 02, let alone taking a anti anxiety pill!
i don't know what comes next, but i have a dr i trust to hopefully get me thru it comfortably, safely and with my dignity.

:)

luvly -

- Prozac is an SSRI, selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitor. It works on the principle that people who are depressed have shown to have less seratonin in their brains than the non depressed and seratonin is a medium which facilitates the electrical impulses, like grease on a wheel, in the area of the brain that effects emotion. They can not make the brain produce seratonin faster but they can slow down the uptake process which results in a larger amount in the brain. Prozac was the first of these new antidepressants like zoloft etc and is still the most presctibed anti depressant in north america. It worked really good for me when I was on it. There is a very rare person who has some side effects from it, you can read about that all over the net but they are very very rare. I mean if 999 people in 1000 get relief from it, some even get their lives bacl. but 1 in 1000 has bad results....well I feel for the 1 but I'd still it's the drug is a ripping success.

I have found in recent years that most doctors are quick to promote one drug or another, especially if they are new drugs and they (doctors) get something from the drug reps, like a cruise, or other perks, just for pushing the new drug on their patients, Notice, each time a new drug comes out, the doctor will be saying, let's try this, and will always have samples because the rep left an entire box full !! Sometimes it works out great, like when I went and said advair was not working, and was changed to symbicort, which so far does great.
As for as my prozac, yes I have tried others, but this works, and I have never had a side effect. I read somewhere, I think it was readers digest, about how the doctors and drug companys work togeather for a profit for both. It also said if possible, go for the drug that has been on the market at least 10 years. If the drug is still around after 10 years, then it works. That is like prozac. It has been tried and passed the tests. The new drugs that have only been around for a year or to, have not really been tested except a few studies, ad if there ill be any serious side effects, they will show up within a year or two. Look how many new drugs have been recalled because of serious effects that started happening, and are no longer on the market. Anything you put in your body needs to be the best you can get so be careful, and ask for an older drug, one that has already been established as working and safe. I do the same with my blood pressure meds. My insurance company has sent me several letters over the years to change to this other BP med because it is cheaper!! Well, mine works, so I am not changing....
Just saying.....

I understand completely about how subligulinal meds work and how fast. That is why I wanted to know the name of the sublingulal drug taken at onset of an attack that was refered to in an earlier post. Some of my attacks scare the hell out of me and actually the fear of having one in public pretty much limits my life to work and home.
What would that drug be?

Lorazepam (brand name Ativan) is the subl used for panic most often. enough gets in under the tongue to settle you pretty quick while I guess the rest gets into you after making it's way down to your stomach after a time.

Hi there! The celexa does not impair my driving at all. The only side note to that is the very first couple days I took it I felt weird while I got used to it. So start it on a day off to see how you react. The xanax is another story no driving on that one. Unless Ijust had a major panic attack and took half. Then Iam fine..because of the adrenaline from the attack, which I couldn't drive during an attack either the buspar I was fine also, but took half after awhile when my anxiety got better. When the anxiety gets better the meds start to make you feel a bit loopy but its gradual and you have time to get off them. Hope you feel relief soon!

Oh and if I take a xanax at night the next morning I'm fine. :) hope this helps!!!