immunosuppressants? benzo's?

Lopez

Lopez

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 21, 2010
Messages
416
i have to take some antibiotics, antihistamines, and of course an immunosuppressant (dexamethasone) for a spider bite (my foot is swollen, red, and purple).

is the dexamethasone NECESSARY, or just a convenience? i went to a mexican walk-in clinic so the doc was in a hurry...

also an unrelated question, i've had SHITTY sleep since college started again and i switched jobs, my anxiety has resurfaced and unfortunately i've been PISSED OFF and edgy all day. i'm 2 weeks into a smooth pct, and can't afford insomnia right now.. i was thinking about going to a clinic and see if i could get klonopin or something for anxiety/sleep. i already tried phenibut, but it's nothing more than a mild muscle relaxant.. i got some xanax from a friend and it seems that .5 mg is the lowest dose i can take to receive some relief without too much sedation, but how addictive is it? i've had past p-docs tell me that there is no tolerance build up to its anxiolytic effects, how come?
 
Tolerance to the anti-anxiety effects of benzodiazepines does eventually develop - but it develops much slower compared to the sedative effects. Daily dosing of benzodiazepines over long periods of time is asking for trouble though, as many other posters on this forum will agree.

What kind of spider bite is it? About two years ago I got bitten by a brown recluse and had similar symptoms (swelling, etc) but was simply given antibiotics (both oral and topical for the bite site). It was gone in 10 days.
 
NeighborhoodThreat said:
Tolerance to the anti-anxiety effects of benzodiazepines does eventually develop - but it develops much slower compared to the sedative effects. Daily dosing of benzodiazepines over long periods of time is asking for trouble though, as many other posters on this forum will agree.

What kind of spider bite is it? About two years ago I got bitten by a brown recluse and had similar symptoms (swelling, etc) but was simply given antibiotics (both oral and topical for the bite site). It was gone in 10 days.
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i knew i smelled bullsh- when my docs used to claim that.... any alternatives? i take it z-drugs are the same...

and not sure, but the doc says i shouldn't worry to much about it. i live in texas so i wouldn't be surprised. no fever or cramping though, just pain when i put my body weight on it.
 
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It's hard to tell exactly what spider it was (my doctor guessed at mine but said its impossible to know for sure unless you actually catch the spider in the act because the symptoms for bites are very similar across spider species).

I have no experiences with immunosuppressants but I can tell you that taking one when your body needs its immune system to fight off that infection doesn't make much sense to me.

Maybe you should seek a second opinion.
 
NeighborhoodThreat said:
It's hard to tell exactly what spider it was (my doctor guessed at mine but said its impossible to know for sure unless you actually catch the spider in the act because the symptoms for bites are very similar across spider species).

I have no experiences with immunosuppressants but I can tell you that taking one when your body needs its immune system to fight off that infection doesn't make much sense to me.

Maybe you should seek a second opinion.
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same thing i thought, i guess he just RX'd it to reduce the swelling and allergic reaction. i'm just going to keep taking the amoxicillin. i'm paranoid about the whole brown recluse necrosis though...
 
Get a second opinion bro and be sure not to break any skin by scratching or even bumping your foot and keep the bite area clean.

Fucking spiders. I hate them with a passion. They should all be purged with fucking hellfire. Luckily I only dealt with one spider this year because I have a few cats in my house. They patrol the area at night and when I'm not home for any spiders that may intrude my dwelling.

And Xanax for sleep and anxiety is not a good idea. It's very addictive and if you end up taking it for long enough the withdrawals will give you the worst anxiety in your life and possible seizures. People have died from benzo withdrawal. You can become so easily dependent on benzos it's incredible.

Try 50mg of Diphenhydramine for your sleep. Give it a shot. Seven years of Heroin addiction and all my mental fucking problems and 50mg of it can put me to sleep until morning unless I wake up to piss. I bet most of your anxiety and irritability is stemming from a lack of rest.
 
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^ dph works wonders. If you can, shoot for a non narcotic approach to anxiety such as valerian root, hydroxizine, etc. Hydroxizine (vistaril/ atarax) worked great for me. Diphenhydramine works well but for me tolerance went up pretty quick (i take it for seasonal allergies too). Buy the generics NOT benedryl and itll save you quite a bit of coin. Clonidine works great too but some people report rebound hyper tension when discontinued quickly. Beta blockers can work as well but some people have adverse side effects to them (indural worked ok for me).
 
Serotonin101 said:
^ dph works wonders. If you can, shoot for a non narcotic approach to anxiety such as valerian root, hydroxizine, etc. Hydroxizine (vistaril/ atarax) worked great for me. Diphenhydramine works well but for me tolerance went up pretty quick (i take it for seasonal allergies too). Buy the generics NOT benedryl and itll save you quite a bit of coin. Clonidine works great too but some people report rebound hyper tension when discontinued quickly. Beta blockers can work as well but some people have adverse side effects to them (indural worked ok for me).
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I forgot about Beta-blockers! They are great but like Serotonin101 said, some people have adverse reactions to them. Doctors hand them out like candy over benzos for anxiety. Actors, public speakers, musicians, politicians, billiard players, professional golf players, and poker players use them and you don't have to fear getting strung out, getting sedated, suffering an CNS depression, or getting addicted.
 
i'm about to sound like a 50 year old lady but.... i'm freaking out over the possibility of deep vein thrombosis.

it might just be my OCD, but seriously it's a freaky thought....

woke up and don't feel as much pain today but swelling is the same.

i'm taking chlorpheniramine the doc gave me and it helped me sleep as well, but it really makes you drowsy... i decided to take the day off, my leg is really psyching me out...
 
Lay down in bed or on the couch and elevate you foot with a pillow. Turn on the TV or watch some movies. Drink plenty of water.

Stay off your feet when you can and avoid lifting. Also don't step in any dog shit with your bare foot.

If it doesn't get better and stays the same go see another doctor and if it gets worse go to the ER.
 
-Guido- said:
Lay down in bed or on the couch and elevate you foot with a pillow. Turn on the TV or watch some movies. Drink plenty of water.

Stay off your feet when you can and avoid lifting. Also don't step in any dog shit with your bare foot.

If it doesn't get better and stays the same go see another doctor and if it gets worse go to the ER.
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will do. it's just all in my head i suppose, what with all the shitty sleep i've had lately and all the stress ...
 
Hey Lopez, did you end up using the dexamethasone? Corticosteroids are great for relieving swelling, so that's most likely what you were prescribed it for. In itself, dexamethasone can cause anxiety, and sleeplessness do perhaps some of the troubles you are experiencing might be exacerbated a little by that drug. If your wound starts to smell, changes colour, begins to discharge anything, or it's just starting to look funky, make sure you go back to a doc. Don't want to risk an infection =S
 
Lopez said:
hard not to when they give out stronger meds and only charge ~4$ for the consultation lol
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This alone should say something about the overall quality of the "doctors" and "pharmacists" that work there.


As for your other question, plan your schedule out and fill up empty time slots with studying or work. Don't make bodybuilding a priority during classes. Your grades will suffer and your wallet will be drained. By all means train at night and eat right by day, but remember why you're there in the first place. When is your first class? Go to bed earlier and avoid staying out too late at parties. As a matter of fact, don't even show up in the first place. A half an hour just to stop by and see what's up usually always turned into going to bed at 3am when I was in school, even with no alcohol involved. Don't go med chasing, especially not to this decadent shithole you described earlier. Setting up a good sleep schedule is totally possible with a little planning and perhaps some Valerian root. With benzodiazapines, there will be a tolerance build up and there will be an addiction. Your REM sleep will be suppressed, so your gains will be hindered and you will be a total mess when it comes to academics. Klonopin? Do you have any idea how long the half-life for that drug is? I'll be amazed if you can manage to wake up in time for class at all. Not that Xanax is much better. With how quickly that drug is in and out of your body, you'll be one of "those guys" faster than you can snap your fingers.

Doctors are criminals. They will literally try to bullshit their way into selling you these dangerous and expensive medications because it will put money in their wallet.
 
-Guido- said:
I forgot about Beta-blockers! They are great but like Serotonin101 said, some people have adverse reactions to them. Doctors hand them out like candy over benzos for anxiety. Actors, public speakers, musicians, politicians, billiard players, professional golf players, and poker players use them and you don't have to fear getting strung out, getting sedated, suffering an CNS depression, or getting addicted.
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Beta-blockers directly suppress melatonin secretion, so I definitely wouldn't advise them for sleep.


Also, you can absolutely suffer CNS depression which in turn can result in actual depressive symptoms from chronic beta-blocker use.
 
Thats for some people though. Many use them with little to no adverse side effects. There is no remedy that is "absolutely safe" with no possible negative side effects. Also supplementing with melatonin can aid with the suppression of endogenous melatonin production. Though i slept just fine on high dose beta blockers for my blood pressure.
 
Voxide said:
Doctors are criminals. They will literally try to bullshit their way into selling you these dangerous and expensive medications because it will put money in their wallet.
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They get kickbacks for pushing certain medications. My old doctor was a fucking dick and handed out brand name anti-depressants like crazy and fucking charged a crazy amount of cash for Suboxone treatment.
 
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