Hi SoTired: How are you? Well, I tried the Clonazepam for 5 days. It was good mentally wise 'cause other meds have made me panic, however, I got more dizzy as time went on, my eyes got blurry & they got all bloodshot. On Sat I thought work was going to send me home because I looked like a vampire :eg: It didn't help my swallowing much, which has concerned me of course (about MS again). I called my neurologist who is, of course, booking for July. I asked the assistant to order an MRI again for me because it takes 4 months to get. That will be a year since my last one. I don't expect to have MS, but with my crazy symptoms & the fact they've been watching it for 11 years, it is a valid concern. I am meeting with someone from my church actually tomorrow morning who has had MS since he was 17 (now is like 65). I'm going to ask all my questions! I have a long list! I think it will help me to see either 1. MS can be livable if I have it or 2. My symptoms are not the same, so it must be anxiety. I know you were interested in MS, let me know how you are doing.

Hi Morgan, I noticed the changes after a week on the Clonazepam...at the time I was also taking Lorazepam, which I no longer take....I like the Clonazepam....hang in there...I know a lot people don;t want to go the medication route, but it helps...with the therapy and medication things will get better....I have been dealing with anxiety for a few years now, but have only started taking such medication the last one and half year...with counselling and seeing a psychiatrist....I was a wreck last year and when I look back...I feel that I have come a long way...but there are a lot of bad days...and I try really hard to be strong...but it is difficult...hang in there Morgan things will get better...I am having a terrible night....it is 1am in the UK, and cannot sleep...bad argument with husband and just feel so drained.... Sorry for venting...but Morgan, you take care and keep us posted.... Have a great night! B

Morgan - Your MS info has helped me a lot! I just wanted to thank you for sharing it! I figured MS symptoms would be more consistent, too, rather than moving around and coming and going throughout the day. Did you read anything about whether it tends to be one-sided, or more like, BOTH legs or BOTH arms instead of the right leg and right arm? (hope that question makes sense) My whole MS obsession started with googling my symptoms. At first I was convinced I had hypothyroid. TOTALLY CONVINCED. I can't even remember the very first symptom I researched that gave me MS and hypothyroid pages in Google. I think it may have been "seeing spots" because I have a major problem with seeing spots. But I wouldn't call it a blindness at all, its just spots, like camera flashes, only randomly without the camera! Know what I mean? Then, as I read other MS symptoms, I started to realize I had many of them, and the ones I *didn't* have, I started to *think* I had. And then this cycle started. I got my thyroid tested, and it came back normal. Then I totally freaked and was convinced I had MS. My doctor did some bloodwork, none of it suggested MS or autoimmune disease, and she did some neuro exams in her office. I passed all of it. Well, that wasn't good enough for me. I felt better and relieved of the MS obsession for about one week, then ended up calling a neurologist for a second opinion because I couldn't take the worry and anxiety anymore. He orderd an EEG and sugar test, and I will get the EEG results this Friday. (sugar was normal). Wow... talk about venting, that felt good too. Thanks for listening. And I get it now about your doctor with the joke about MS and not swallowing. You know I had throat and swallowing issues, too, and found out it was Acid Reflux. And I didn't have any heartburn, just throat and swallowing symptoms. I took Prilosec OTC for two weeks, and it was gone. Write back if you want, this is very theraputic. AP

I was taking 1/2 a pill (.25 mg) 1x day for 3 days. Today I started 1 full pill (.5 mg) 1x day for 3 days, then I run out of pills! I don't know what will happen after that. How long did it take you to see your symptoms getting better from the time you took it? A few hours, days, weeks? My doctor seems to think I would have been better the first day. I don't know. I'm seeing my shrink for the 3rd time tomorrow - I think he wants to go the medication route (I've heard they all do). I hate the medication route, but it seems the only way to get a grip on this right now. I'm still concerned with all kinds of cancers, but I am determined to not call my doctor & set up another apt! It was getting ridiculous - I was going to my doctor every couple days. I had to see her on a Friday 'cause I knew weekends would be tough. I have an apt with a specialist in 12 days. The countdown is on. I try telling myself "what is really going to happen between then". This anxiety thing sucks. I thought it was only going to be mind over matter. How long have you been dealing with it?

Hi AP, Any luck with the Effexor? Let me know how it is going? Take care, B Morgan, How many times a day are you taking the Clonazepam...I am taking it twice a day -- .25mg both times with Zoloft... Hope you are well, B

Hey SoTired: The clonazepam is ok - at least I still haven't had any bad side effects. I do feel a bit calmer. However, I don't know if it's really helping my swallowing & I seem more dizzy now, but that is listed as one of the side effects. Unfortunately that is one of my biggest symptoms I am trying to get rid of! Also, I only have 4 pills left, then I don't know what they are going to give me. I have had optic neuritis 2x's over the past 10 years. The first episode was very scary - I woke up on my 19th birthday completely blind in one eye! Went to 4 specialists that day (never really being sick or going to doctor's before that) to be told I have optic neuritis. I found out a few weeks later that it is almost always followed by MS. 15% of people go on to develop MS right away. I was pretty naive at that point, so I did a lot of research on MS (& got scared), but my MRI scan came back negative! Then 5 years later, it happened again in the other eye. At this point, now I have a 35% chance of developing MS in the future. However, not quite as scared because I've tried to stay naive - the few people I know with it are living normal lives. Again MRI came back normal! I did a follow up MRI this October 2004 because I had some numbness & tingling - again normal! Which is fantastic news because that means my prognosis is very good for it not turning into anything really bad - it will probably stay the same. However, as we all know, anxiety mimics a lot of MS symptoms. So even though I had an MRI in October, all these symptoms have developed & I don't know if they are anxiety or I should have another MRI scan. It seems silly because it is unlikely that I have developed this major MS in 6 months after having a completely clear MRI for 10 years! I think that is why my doctor was being sarcastic with me. The bad news is that the clonazepam, at this point, is not doing much for my swallowing. I don't know what to think. I can't live in a scanner all my life. I took out a bunch of books on MS from the library today. I was scared to, but it has helped me compare the symptoms. I don't believe I have MS at this point. An MRI scan is 25x's more sensitive than a symptom is at finding MS and to have all these symptoms develop suddenly

Morgan, what is Optic Neuritis? How do you know if you have it or not? Also, I wanted to say, I think it is very wrong for your doctor to talk to you like that: "If you continue to have trouble swallowing, you must have MS". I don't know if he/she put it that bluntly, but you can't just tell someone they have MS or something without checking first with tests! SHEESH... if my doctor said that to me, I'd be even more of wreck than I already am. Keep smiling... AP

How are you feeling Morgan? How is the Clonazepam? I really like it...it works well for me...the only thing I find about Clonazepam is that I feel tired...and tend to sleep a bit more...:-) I hope you are doing well.... AP, Have you though about Effexor? A friend of mine is taking it and is liking it...I didn't give Effexor a fair chance...but Zoloft works well for me... I hope you are feeling well.... Best, B

Hi SoTired: Thanks for asking. It's great to have such wonderful support here. The good news is that I haven't (yet) had any side effects. I didn't feel overly panicy - like with Effexor. I wasn't sick, nauseous, etc (hopefully won't). I think I feel a little less dizzy. I'm scared about the swallowing though. I think I've developed a phobia to drinking (like a choking phobia) on top of it all. My family doctor said that if I still can't swallow taking the clonazepam, I have MS. I think she was just playing a mental game with me because I had an MRI in October & ruled that out. But I've had 2 occurences of Optic Neuritis - 35% of people develop MS. However, I'm not as afraid of MS as cancer. I know lots of people have bad MS stories, but I've stayed naive in that area. Unfortunately, I'm sure like many of you, cancer has had more drastic outcomes in my life (mom & aunt passed away). I sure hope the clonazepam works for me. I don't know how long it is supposed to take before it really kicks in. Is it supposed to be immediate? Or will it take a couple days? I only have 5 pills total (right now). Thanks again. It means a lot to me that someone out there is listening.

AP, I know how you feel...don;t give up....it will get better with time...I know it sounds cliche, but there are good days and bad days -- just take one day at a time...as for the period situation -- I am on birth control, but because of my anxiety and all, they still are not regular...it may be the medication...but I think in my case it is the anxiety, the constant worrying, stressing, panicking and becoming do fearful -- these all add up to my irregularities....I hope you are feeling better....Let me know how you are feeling...Take care...