Spasmodic Dysphonia Bulletin Board

2 days in the ER
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Posted by: Heather ®
04/11/2006, 16:24:32
1st Post: My name is Heather Kozar and I have recently spent 2 days in the Emergency Room. I had a lot of trouble speaking. It felt as if I could not breath when I would try to talk. When I was not talking I would breath fine. I described it to my family as: When I speak it feels as if a muscle is not working that is needed to push the air out as I talk. It was very scary and we worried if I might have had a stroke, etc… I also had other problems – confusion, tremors, muscle tension and weakness in my legs especially – I would look like a zombie – I could not close my mouth or hardly respond to anyone at times. I could hear them and understand – but I could not respond. The doctors in the ER ran blood work and did a cat scan. They could not find anything wrong so they would not admit me. By the second visit to the ER they had me visit with the Psychiatrist on duty. This was very upsetting I have had problems with depression but I know this is not associated with it. I feel lucky that the Psychiatrist that I spoke with did not seem to think it was a psychological problem instead she made a appointment for me to see an internal medicine specialist.

I have been taking Zoloft for about 4-6 months with no problems – but we noticed while I was in the hospital I missed a dose of Zoloft and the following day I got better. The next day I realized I forgot to take my Zoloft so I took it then I got bad again – unable to speak very well. My family and I have done some searches on reactions to Zoloft on the internet and found dysphonia listed as a rare side effect. When I visited your site – read and listened to the audio on your site – I felt both scared and releaved that I might have a explanation. I still am worried that the Zoloft could just be drawing attention to something that may be in my future. But I have not taken the Zoloft since and have had no more problems with my speech or my muscle weakness or confusion. Please contact me with more info. I do not know if this is something I should worry about for the future or not. I will be seeing a Internal Medicine Specialist April 19th and I would like to have as much information for them as possible. It still scares me a lot.

I do have a history of Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. I don’t think this has anything to do with it.

Thanks,
Heather
heather.kozar@psiusa.com




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Re: 2 days in the ER
Re: 2 days in the ER -- Heather Top of thread Archive
Posted by: christine ®
04/12/2006, 08:28:11
Hi Heather,
That sounds so scary. Do you have a psychiatrist who is monitoring your Zoloft? I think it will be very important to talk about the side effects you have been experiencing and to make sure the medication/dosage is appropriate. It might also be helpful to get a referral to an ENT who specializes in dysphonia. There is a list of doctors on the NSDA website.

I wish you the best, please keep us updated.
Christine




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Re: 2 days in the ER
Re: 2 days in the ER -- Heather Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Susan L. ®
04/12/2006, 08:57:29
It sounds like you had a terrible experience. I'm so sorry for you. You may want to talk to your psychiatrist and have him put you on a different type of depression medicine and see what kind of results you have with different medication. Good luck If you hear that different types of depression meds do affect SD, please let us know.



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Re: 2 days in the ER
Re: 2 days in the ER -- Heather Top of thread Archive
Posted by: mdubovick ®
04/12/2006, 10:46:54
Hi Heather. I went to my prescription drug provider web site which is Medco Health. Medco, a division of Merck is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. That speaks to their credibility; however, it also speaks to their precautions when describing the side effects of drugs. As you know, drug companies tend to be over-caution of warnings. With those caveots, I give you the Medco Drug Interactions to Zoloft and the Side Effects as well. The following is a direct copy from the Medco Healthcare website of which I am a member:


DRUG INTERACTIONS:
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or if you are planning to take any over-the-counter or prescription medications with antidepressants. Doses of one or both drugs may need to be changed or a different drug may need to be prescribed. The following drugs and drug classes interact with antidepressants:

cimetidine (eg, Tagamet)
clozapine (eg, Clozaril)
diazepam (eg, Valium)
disulfiram (Antabuse) (oral concentrate only)
flecainide (eg, Tambocor)
hydantoins (eg, phenytoin)
lithium (eg, Eskalith)
MAO inhibitors (eg, phenelzine)
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (eg, ibuprofen, celecoxib)
pimozide (Orap)
propafenone (Rythmol)
sumatriptan (Imitrex)
tolbutamide (eg, Orinase)
tricyclic antidepressants (eg, amitriptyline)
warfarin (eg, Coumadin)

SIDE EFFECTS:
Every drug can cause side effects, but most people have no, or minor, side effects. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following occurs:

Circulatory System: Pounding in the chest; chest pain.

Digestive Tract: Changes in appetite; constipation; diarrhea; indigestion; nausea; stomach pain; vomiting.

Nervous System: Drowsiness; tremor; dizziness; agitation; sleeplessness; worsening of condition; mania; seizures; withdrawal syndrome; headache; abnormal skin sensations; nervousness; anxiety; decreased sensitivity to stimulation.

Other: Dry mouth; back pain; muscle pain; weakness; muscle stiffness; weight loss or gain; decreased sexual interest; impotence; excessive sweating; pain; rash; fatigue; general body discomfort; ejaculation failure; runny nose; vision problems; decreased sodium levels; decreased glucose levels; ringing in the ears.

Precautions:
Do not use in the following situations:

allergy to sertraline, any of its ingredients, or any other SSRI

disulfiram (Antabuse) therapy, concurrent (oral concentrate only)

monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO) inhibitor (eg, phenelzine)

use, concurrent or within 14 days pimozide (Orap) use, concurrent

Use with caution in the following situations:

alcohol use
attempted suicide, history of
bipolar disorder, history of
elderly
illness (eg, heart disease)
latex sensitivity (oral concentrate only)
liver disease
mania
pediatric/adolescent patients
pregnancy, third trimester
seizures, history of
volume depletion

Withdrawal syndrome: Discontinue drug gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

END.




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