Loratab 5 or Anxiety Med.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-04-2006
Loratab 5 or Anxiety Med.
3
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 1:37am
Please Advise.
I have stopped using Lexapro because of 7 straight months of headaches. The headaches were so bad that I couldn't cope with anything in life. I am now Lexapro free and not one headache. So...now I am starting a new phase in my life, job searching. I enjoy people, and have an outstanding resume. I love communicating but after 4 failed job interviews and sleepless nights. I started reacting by shutting down the emotion and distress of this through taking Loratab 5. Not all the time. Just maybe one Loratab 5 every 2 weeks or so when I get too anxious and Loratab 5 is weak painkiller. If I don't take them, I start to hate myself and wonder why me. One very unprofessional interviewer sighed after every comment; it was like she was prejudging me from my appearance. Please note, I am a good communicator, I look my interviewers right in the eye when speaking. I have great experience. My background includes 3 degrees two in Information Technology and an MBA. My appearance: I am slim with pretty blond hair and the face of a baby doll. I am not conceited but, people, strangers have been telling me such things for years about my appearance. Childhood abuse never let me take the compliments too serious. Anyway…the last interview that I went on, the prospective employer gave me a logic test. The secretary told me that I was the first candidate to get all math questions correct. This being my 5th interview, I did pop a Loratab 5 and felt relaxed and was able to hold my chin up and not listen to the mean voices in my head screaming how much of a loser I am. I guess my question for you all is: Do you all think that Loratab 5 is working like an anxiety medication for me?
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-21-2006
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 5:19am

I'll be the first to say that taking a painkilling drug for the purpose of anxiety is bad news. I can compare that to when I was in high school, and I used to smoke marijuana to calm myself down. It's a bad route to take, and can only result in addiction.

Lortab 5 works in a similar way because it acts on your central nervous system, causes drowsiness and can affect mood and behavior. However taking so much acetaminophen (which it is mixed with) to cope with anxiety is extremely bad for your liver, and can also cause rebound headaches if you take it too often. I suggest talking to your doctor about options other than lexapro. I'm on Ativan as needed, so I don't need to take it on a daily basis (I do anyway)... But getting a medicine especially for anxiety will be better than causing irreversible liver damage by consuming too much painkilling drugs.

I got some information from here - http://www.drugs.com/pdr/lortab_5_500_tablets.html

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 6:51am

Toroia replied with everything I was going to say!

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 8:29am

Welcome to the board. It's good that you found us. I am sorry to hear about the job situation & the distress it's causing you.


Have you been officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder? We cannot do that for you, as that requires a health care professional. There are some medical illnesses that could be the cause of what you're experiencing. That would be my first suggestion is to make sure that you are totally healthy. Research has shown that anxiety is most successfully treated by appropriate meds & therapy (in combination.) Your dr. could suggest a plan of treatment & get you referred to the proper resources. Therapy does NOT mean you are crazy. It doesn't mean you need deep, dark analysis for many years. Perhaps short term therapy to help you cope better with your feelings is all that you require.


Please tell the dr. about your use of the hydrocodone. This is a very addictive drug. Not meant for anxiety. In effect, whether you want to hear this or not, this is drug abuse. That is a very scary situation because people with anxiety disorders have a very high rate of drug & alcohol abuse. Since the loratab effects the central nervous system(a depressant) it may very well be contributing to your negative thoughts. In the long term, depression is a possibility.


It does concern me about the screaming voices in your head. That isn't normally associated with anxiety. We all have an *inner critic* that results from self image or self esteem problems. I cannot say mine ever screamed. Is that what you mean? Please tell the dr. about this, too.


Please take care of yourself. We want you to feel better. Good luck on the job search. Learning to relax & cope with our fears is possible. There are lots of folks here in our community that do it everyday. (((hugs))) jan