Stresam

Hi Dr. Nagler,
Wondering if you can tell me please.
I was given Alprazolam 0.25mg tabs which I have only ever taken on an as and when needed basis taking only half a tab at a time.
However I was also given Stresam (or etixfoxine) not to be taken with the alprazolam.
Prior to this T my blood pressure was always on the low side of healthy. Now apparently it is high and must be connected to the constant stress of T. So on a subsequent visit to another general practitioner doc for a knee problem, he took my blood pressure and said it was high. First time ever I was told my bp was high. He went on to say that nothing can be done for Tinnitus and that people end up at the psychiatrist with T. He then prescribed and told me to take Stresam three times a day. I am loathe to take medication and chemicals into my body. Never took even aspirin before. (My T fluctuates and goes from a 10 to a 1 back to a 10 again). I got the prescription. Since then I have taken only three pills over a period of a few weeks. I find it does calm me down. So my question is this........is it okay to take Stresam on an as and when basis like with alprazolam (xanax) or is that dangerous to do. Can it be dangerous for T or hearing or ears? Please can you advise me. I have noticed that the stresam does calm me down but not in such a dramatic way as alprazolam...........seems to be more gentle, when I take one pill it lasts the whole day but doesn't knock me out or make me sleep like alprazolam. (although sleep would be wonderful as cannot ever get more than six hours since this T thing started so always feel tired out).
Really appreciate your input on this as I have no one else to ask (as you know my docs here are pretty much non contactable).
It is like this..............sometimes I wake up (never get more than six hours sleep) and then it is really loud the T and I get panicky and I want to take something to calm me down........so here I am today wondering if I can take a Stresam safely or not.
Please let me know your advice and thank you for all your help.
Thank you

 

Hi Amandine -

There is certainly a lot going on in your post, which means that there is certainly a lot going on with you. I continue to be awed by the strength and character you display daily, especially in view of the magnitude of the challenges you face.

Regarding etifoxine, that drug is not FDA approved and is not available in the US - so I have no experience at all with prescribing it or even with talking to my own patients about their experience when it has been prescribed by others. Now obviously the medical community in your country is very familiar with the drug - so since your doctor is "pretty much non contactable," my suggestion would be to actually make an appointment to sit down directly face-to-face with him. That way you can address your question to somebody who is in a far better position to answer it than I.

One other point. You mention that your blood pressure was recently found to be elevated and "must be connected to the constant stress of T." Well, while I do not have any experience with etifoxine, I do have a tremendous amount of experience treating patients faced with the constant stress of tinnitus. Indeed, those are the only patients I ever see! And the incidence of hypertension in that patient population is not appreciably different from the incidence of hypertension in the population at large. So I would not be too quick to automatically ascribe your high blood pressure to tinnitus-related stress.

All the best -

Dr. Stephen Nagler