Hypochondria Support Group

Hypochondria refers to excessive worry about having a serious illness. Hypochondria is often characterized by fears that minor bodily symptoms may indicate a serious illness, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and a preoccupation with one's body. Many individuals with hypochondriasis express doubt and disbelief in the doctors' diagnosis.

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finally was hospitalized

Missmelissamarie
Missmelissamarie
So last week, got sick with a cold and got so freaked out over it that it put me into a mental hospital. Was there for a week but didn't leave my room. It didn't help but I guess I caught up on some well needed sleep. I was so terrified that my asthma was going to kill me. They put me on Prozac and klonopin.. It is day 9 and i'm feeling no relief. I'm also terrified because I read that Klonopin and Prozac can cause respitory depression so now i'm scared to continue my meds. I have really hit rock bottom and don't know what to do anymore. I have a 2 month old and a 3 year old. Any body have any advice or experience with that combo of meds.
CitizenSnips
CitizenSnips
I was very close to being hospitalized myself last year, I actually dreamed of it. It's hard enough to deal with hypochondria, but when you have small children to take care of, it makes it so much more difficult. I went on Zoloft and Klonopin, and I had the same worries as you. While I don't have asthma or a history of any other respiratory issues, I read an article about medications that have this effect, and freaked out. However, what I eventually took from it is that you don't want to become dependent on them and end up taking huge doses, and you don't want to drink much, if at all. I was so scared of taking the Klonopin that I put it off for a while, but it turned out to be one of the best things for me. But it didn't really work very well until my dosage was adjusted. Because it's not as fast acting as some other benzos, I did best taking it on a regular basis (1 mg 2x a day). You need to give the Prozac some time to work (I never did well on that - Zoloft was the fourth antidepressant I tried, and the one that worked best), but the Klonopin should give more immediate results. You might want to talk to your doctor about adjusting it. Really, though, it did wonders for me. It helped me crawl out of the hole I'd fallen in. I never felt "drugged up", though I did feel a little foggy-headed (like really bad pregnancy brain), but it helped control the immediate "fight or flight" response I was having to every little pang and twinge in my body. The one warning I have is that you do build up a tolerance, and it can be hard to come off of it. After about six months, I got to a place where I didn't need it anymore, but it took me 4-5 months to wean off it, which was marked with episodes of nausea and chest pain...which isn't so great if you're dealing with hypochondria.

I have triplets who were about 5 months old when my last really bad episode started, so I know a bit of what you're going through. Please feel free to PM me if you have questions about the meds or just need someone to talk to!