Fire and NG,
I'll just post how I approached taking the A/D because it might help others besides both of you. :roll:
Go backwards to about 2 years ago when I really started suffering physically and mentally with my AF. Not much support from my mother, husband tired of hearing about my butt, etc. Things started spiraling downward. I couldn't sit comfortably; husband drove me around a lot while I laid down in the backseat; basically not much going on in my life except existing.
Went to Mayos in 2008 for the second year in a row and saw the same GI doc. He basically told me that I had become paralyzed by thinking about my AF all of the time and had "made a mountain out of a mole hill." Easy for him to say; he didn't have a sore butt!! But he strongly encouraged me to take some medication for my mental condition (depressed, anxious, etc.) However, he didn't know which one would be best as A/D's are not his area of expertise. Luckily, I found a psychiatrist who was just getting started in our area and was building his own patient base. We tried a couple of different meds, but finally settled on Lexapro, and that's the one that my GP had recommended in the first place (b/4 I went to Mayos in 2008). When I finally got onto my Lexapro A/D regimen, I started telling myself that no matter how badly I felt (blood, pain, whatever) that I would start to feel better as soon as I took my A/D at 10:00. The mind/body connection is very, very strong. You can help make that medicine (Lexapro) work for you to the nth degree if you really believe that it is going to help you relax and feel better!

Cheryl, at the risk of hijacking this thread (with apologies to FireCracker), I've got one quick (promise!) question: you mentioned trying a couple different meds before settling on Lexapro. Any reason the other ones you tried didn't make the cut? Was it because they weren't effective or that they had undesirable side effects?
My personal experience with SSRIs was taking them briefly for moderate-severe OCD in college. I took Prozac and then Paxil. Neither one was acceptable for me because they put me into an emotional void where I was neither happy nor sad. Basically an emotional flatline where I don't care to win the lottery and I also don't fear death. I discontinued after a month or maybe two (long time ago so I can't recall) of use. That was in 1999 I believe. Since then SSRIs have gone through several generations. My current choices are Celexa or Zoloft. My OCD is mostly under control now so I would be taking SSRIs for depression and anxiety. My concern is that emotional black hole. I've read some people's accounts of feeling manically happy after SSRIs, which I wouldn't mind, but both Prozac and Paxil just made me a zombie hence my aversion

Neuro....no apologies needed. Hijack away....we are all here to help one another!!!!! :D

Ok FireCracker since you allowed it: who do y'all think will win the Lakers-Celtics game tonight? J/K BTW if you're thinking "Celtics" don't answer.
<---------- Lifelong Laker fan

My psychiatrist wanted me to get better quickly, rather than just having a gradual improvement. I'll have to look for the bottle, but I think it was Zeprexa or something like that I took for a short while in addition to the Lexapro. I had a racing heart of over 140 one day which scared the s**t out of me. I told him we had to agree jointly on which meds I would agree to take because I had to be compliant, and we had to have a good, honest relationship. BTW this guy is a great psychiatrist, not arrogant or anything. In fact, he asked me if one of his nurses could call me about her son with autism. No black hole for me-just a racing heart!
My GP also likes Lexapro because he feels it has the fewest side effects (it's newer). I stopped taking it because I don't think I need it any longer, and I didn't want to put a chemical into my body (and pay for it) if it wasn't/isn't needed. I'll check the names of those other meds when I have some time to look for the bottles and my notes. Hope that helps!!

Thanks Cheryl. That definitely helps me. I had racing heart from antibiotics before but not SSRIs. My main fear from SSRIs is serotonin syndrome -- usually not fatal but apparently very unpleasant. But it sure would be nice to knock out depression, anxiety, and OCD all in one fell swoop! Looks like there's a drug out there called Zyprexa -- maybe that's what you took...
Anyway thanks again.

Luvox and Zyprexa were the other two meds I tried, some at the same time! I don't know that Lexapro helps with OCD. My son takes Geodon for that one!! I was concerned about Serotonin Syndrome also and asked my psychiatrist about it and also my GP about it. I think there's a risk with anything, including surgery!

I have taken Xanax and Paxil in the past. I just don't like to take new meds. OMG...I am giving myself anxiety about taking an anti-anxiety medication, LOL. It's just mainly side effects that I worry about. I seriously do worry about any new medications that I have to take
cherlyk...Did you have to wean off the Lexapro??? Im assuming that you did. I know in the past when I took Paxil and decided to stop taking it.......I had heart palpitations for a couple of weeks. The MD said it was like going through withdrawl.
Neuro.....How is your little boy??? I hope he is feeling better!!!!!

I remember now that I was tired and had to rest while taking walks when taking the other two psychotropic meds. With Lexapro I had no probs. I'm basically against taking any meds. As for weaning, I took 1/2 dose of Lexapro for 1 week and then stopped completely as per my psychiatrist's direction. I honestly would probably have not been comfortable with taking anything besides Lexapro because my GP was pretty adamant that he considered that one to be the best. Give it a try and quit if the A/D makes you more anxious!

fire: re 13 years--i guess i was just retearing each time and it would heal after a couple days--i only dealt with it a couple times a year up until this last fall--i think that's when it became chronic, but unlike most people who say that the chronic fissure was less painful than the acute attacks, mine got worse...much worse...november--3 weeks of laying in bed on drugs so i could sleep most of the day...and starting in january and getting to the point where i was popping narcotics like candy and still not getting relief--finally had surgery in may--best decision i've ever made re my health...