crimsongardener18
Newcomer
7 messages
joined Oct 2014
Hey.
Back in my early twenties, I dealt with a constant cycle of headaches, dizziness, and brain fog. It felt like I couldn't catch my breath, topped off with all sorts of psychosomatic nonsense. It always got worse whenever the weather shifted—those heavy, humid fronts that roll through the Midwest. Throw in a touch of mild depression, and you have a recipe for misery. It’s essentially meteoropathy. Everything flared up during periods of stress, whether it was personal drama or professional pressure. For me, even a change in the barometer counts as a stressor. Everyone has their Achilles' heel. Some people struggle with heart issues, others deal with vision problems, blood sugar, or sinus trouble. Then there are people like us, whose weakness lies in our neurochemistry.😁
I’ve been through all of that before without breaking a sweat. It was manageable, and I always identified the root cause. As far as I can tell, plenty of people deal with this kind of stuff. Some struggle more than others, but that's just how it goes.
Every now and then, I’d pop a low-dose Ativan or Klonopin just to get by. That was my routine for years. Then, around 2007, everything hit the fan. The American financial crisis kicked in, and my business started cratering fast. Since my family's entire livelihood depended on that income, the stress was suffocating. It dragged on for about three years. My symptoms spiraled out of control—constant dread, total hopelessness, and the heavy weight of depression setting in. That’s when I finally realized I couldn't handle it alone and decided to seek professional help. 🙂
I just got a recommendation for dr. Brinar.
She’s one of the top neuropsychiatrists and neurologists in the country. She made it clear to me that you can't just willpower your way out of a state like this. I absolutely loathe it when people tell me "it's all in your head"—even my own mother says it—but this is about serotonin levels and chemical neurotransmitters. You can't fix this on your own. I've tried everything: homeopathy, meditation, you name it. Nothing works.
She told me it’s like telling someone with a broken leg to go out and run a marathon.
She put me on Deanxit. I took one 10 mg tablet every morning for about two or three years. Her take was that it’s just a mild way to stabilize serotonin levels.
So now I realize it’s a combo drug—an antidepressant mixed with a sedative.
I felt significantly better after just two weeks. I actually made the mistake of skipping doses here and there without checking in with my doctor first. Huge mistake.😵
Two years ago, I had stopped taking it. I felt relatively fine at the time, but then the symptoms started creeping in. Looking back, I realize they were just early warning signs—precursors to the panic attacks that eventually hit.
One night back in 2012, my head was absolutely spinning—just total mental overload—and then, out of nowhere, it hit me. A full-blown attack. Just like that. 😲😲
It’s a terrifying sensation. You feel like you're losing your grip on reality—total loss of control. Then comes the fear, the panic, that overwhelming feeling that you're actually dying. I ended up in the ER.
Naturally, I’ll be heading straight back to Dr. Brinar’s office after that, just to get back on the Deanxit and a small dose of Celexa.
The panic attacks are gone. Finally.
Back in 2012, the stomach issues started. She told me then they were directly linked to my diagnosis. I’m still on Controloc to deal with it.
Back in August 2014, things were finally looking up. Work was steady, my mood was solid, and I felt like I had everything under control. So, naturally, I made a classic mistake: I came back from vacation decided I didn't need Deanxit anymore. I thought I was cured. I was ready to move on. I had five great days. Then, the hammer dropped. Suddenly, I’m hit with this brutal physical fallout—my stomach went haywire, constant throat pain, massive acid reflux. It was miserable. I went to see my primary care doctor, expecting a quick fix. Instead of sticking me with my usual Controloc, she swapped it out for Ranex. When I mentioned I’d been tapering off Deanxit, she just waved me off, calling it some outdated, heavy-duty psych med. Then she prescribed some Elicea. That was the start of a month and a half of pure hell. Total misery. Intense nausea, followed by the looming shadow of panic attacks. It was exhausting. After six weeks of that nightmare, I decided to stop playing games. I went back to the Controloc for my stomach, and relief was almost instant. Three days later, I tossed the Elicea straight into the trash. By the next day, I was already feeling significantly better. Still, things weren't quite right, so I went back to see dr. Brinar. We got me back on the Deanxit, and within five days, the fog lifted. Everything vanished. I feel excellent again. Lesson learned. 🙏
My next checkup isn't for another three months.
It’s a long story. Maybe someone out there can use it. 🙂
