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Doctors Lounge - Psychiatry Answers
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Back to Psychiatry Answers List
| JoeCal
- Thu Aug 27, 2009 10:16 pm |
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I'm a 22 year old male in overall very good health.
Last year I began having very bad anxiety and panic attacks (would feel very nauseous and like I was going to pass out). My doctor prescribed 5mg of lexapro once a day, which I've been taking ever since and have felt pretty well.
The other night I was drunk and smoked one "hit" of marijuana (I used to smoke it all the time but stopped for about 2 years and never had this happen to me), to which I ended up taking a sleeping pill (melatonin) to sleep that night because it had caused extreme anxiety in me. Ever since then, I've been taking 10mg of the lexapro because my anxiety is heightened at all times. My heart feels like it's racing, I feel constantly "itchy" and I can hardly sit still. I've also been waking up in cold sweats and although I get 8 hours of sleep (due to the melatonin I'm assuming), I've been always tired and napping at least once a day, while still being fatigued. I also have heightened social anxiety; I was perspiring and had trouble swallowing/loss of appetite while I was in the cafeteria and out to lunch today.
I also feel like I have a head cold, but I highly doubt that's contributing to it.
I'm going to go home tomorrow (I'm away at school) but my doctor will not be around until the early week, is there anything I can do prior? Also, is a trip to the emergency room going to be helpful at all? My mom's insurance is an HMO so I cant see just any doctor...
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| Faye Lang, RN, MSW
- Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:08 pm |
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 Hello JoeCal,
I apologize for the length of time it has taken to give you a response, and I hope things have resolved for you.
Using marijuana or any street drug in combination with prescribed drugs is playing with fire. We each have individual responses to medications, which is why some people can take large amounts without effect, and others can only take small doses. That is why psychiatrists titrate one's dosage. Marijuana effects can be prolonged, causing the heightened problems as you describe. I am also concerned that you doubled you medication dosage - I am hoping that was recommended by your doctor. Your best solution is to see your doctor if possible, or another doctor if it's not possible. You may require a short course of an additional medication to regain some stability in your symptoms. I am in great favor of having persons such as yourself keep a daily log of symptoms and feelings, along with what you were doing at the time. It can show patterns, or lack of patterns, that can be very helpful to your doctor in making treatment decisions.
Good luck to you.
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