Billy, Do check out the blood pressure thing. Mine was so low at times that the techs finding it were very concerned. My low blood pressure was due to dehydration - caused by problems swallowing and therefore not able to take in enough fluids. Yes, your problems could be mostly med-related, but it's worth checking out the blood pressure, too. Lani

The alaprazolam is what I take, .25MG 2 times a day. My problem with thinkin I was going bonkers was Ambien. That I trashed and have been fine since. I told the Dr what it was doing and got the OK for trashing it. Hell, I have a split entry home and found one of the shirts I wear to bed, by the front door. LOO I was lucky I didn't fall over the wall to the basement . The 1st time I found it in the laundry basket. THat is some bad stuff.

"Expect the worst and you'll never be disappointed..."

I've been saying that most of my life!!

I have been on anti-depressants for a long time (apparently some sort of basic chemistry problem) and they have been good for me.

Gary, I find myself worrying about stuf all the time (less so with ADs, of course) and I have found it quite helpful to occasionally come to a screeching halt, grab whatever I'm currently worrying about and hold it up in the sunlight for close examination -- If I see that it's really nothing important, then I get on with life and worrying -- If I see that it IS something important, then I do my best to confront and deal with it. Experience tells me that it is seldom anything important.

I've shared that technique with many folks and get a lot of feedback that it's helpful to them also.

Thankls for the replies all. I will get my blood pressure checked also and thanks for that advice. Thank you for the article Gary. It explains alot about the way Im feeling.

Jim, you may want to read the article that Gary left the link to in his post. You are taking Xanax like I was.

Billy

Aprazolam is the generic name for Zanax. I took it all through my Dx and Tx phase and quit when I finished Tx. The only meds I take now are Valium for occasional neck spasms and when the pain is really severe, Codeine.

I like to go target shooting weekly at the pistol range and I find that relieves my stress. To be successful you have to block out all of the other voices/thoughts, ignore distractions of other shooters and concentrate of breathing, site alignment and trigger control. It's not as easy as it looks. In many ways it's like golf - you're constantly trying to improve your previous score.

Sorry about the pity party - November is gratitude month so I will start on my list early.

Post-radiation and weight loss, I found that my blood pressure had dropped enough that my Doc agreed that we should stop all my BP meds except the diruretic. That's been working fine for several years now.

I take alprazolam because it relaxes my esophagus and tends to ease the pain I still have from surgery. Thank you I will read his post Billy. The more you learn the better off you are.

Valium may work as well and not have the same issues as Zanax, although it may have its own issues (it was the "mothers little helper" that the Rolling Stones wrote about).