M'Kay?

People freak out from meds all the time.

Better to be afraid than freak out.

LW, I don't understand why you would believe combining alcohol with Topamax, your other 'anti anxiety drug' and Klonopin would result in anything except near death experiences.

Do you read the brochure which should accompany your prescriptions? How about where it reads Topamax plus alcohol can result in 'cns depression'. Meaning you could die. Have we learned nothing from the Heath Ledger incident?

I sincerely hope you are seeing one M.D. for your prescriptions, and he/she is aware you 1. combine meds for your targeted emotional state and 2. combine meds with alcohol.

I hope your job doesn't involve big decisions with others' lives...next time, read the inserts with your meds and take them at face value. Don't try to pick 'n' mix with the stuff.

How about acupuncture for your anxiety and trauma? No side effects and been around a helluva lot longer than any of these pills you're popping.

A couple of thoughts: first, I too am on an antidepressant on the regular, and I like a few drinks, and I have a prescription for the anti-anxiety stuff too. Even very low doses of the Klonopin have a very significant effect on me. If it is a family doctor prescribing these meds I highly suggest you see someone more in tune with psychiatric pharmacology.

And, second, I've been in five-point restraints. For a week. A pretty damn traumatic week that I suppose I could say I brought upon myself by voluntarily entering a psychiatric facility to get over some other trauma. I still deal with the original trauma, and the restraint trauma, and all the flawed decisions I've made as a result. That was over a decade ago but I will say that group therapies have worked best for me to deal with my pain and confusion. Everyone responds differently, but talking and sobbing in front of strangers who feel me has been best for this gal.

Good luck, stay strong, and Cary's right - stay off of planes! Screw your boss!

I'm sorry for your trauma but I think you may have received some bad advice about how to treat your anxiety.

You say the last thing you remember is falling asleep. You do not mention if anyone was able to tell you what your behavior was like while you were on the plane, but with the mix of meds you took it could have been behavior deemed unacceptable by the flight crew.

Alcohol should not be mixed with those meds. Please let your doctor know about the incident so you can move forward and get treatment for your anxiety which will not have these unintended consequences.

I thought this was a good answer from Cary.

I have a question about the "daily" pill for flying anxiety. Is this necessary for such infrequent flying? A daily pill? On top of all the other anxiety pills? And wouldn't it be easier to skip air travel altogether, rather than use all these prescriptions that are going to land you in restraints anyway? And, yeah, I completely believe that it's the "meds" that led to the restraints and the freak-out.

Because what happened to you sucked, no question.

Whatever dangerous mix of meds you took, you had apparently done it before with no ill effects. But the point is, you were hospitalized against your will and your body was restricted. Of course you feel traumatized. I would try not to get caught up in anger at the agents who surely did not intend to hurt you. They reacted to a situation that presented itself, and that they probably didn't understand completely. Focus on your own hurt. Accepting hurt is harder than feeling anger at others, but probably more useful.

Finally, I do have to wonder whether you ever saw a CBT therapist. Specific phobias are one of the fastest and most surefire things to cure using cognitive-behavioral treatment only. If the person you saw went right to potentially addictive and harmful meds, you may have been done a disservice.

I just got done taking a powerful antibiotic to combat cellulitis, a staph infection which can be fatal if it spreads and is untreated.

And I was trying to get out of taking even this necessary drug. The reason? The "possible side effects" on the insert, just of few of which are: sharp or crushing chest pain, shortness of breath, severe or persistent stomach pain, suicidal thoughts or actions, seizures, irregular heartbeat...

That people like this LW casually screw around with the fragile and mysterious chemistry of their own bodies for such dubious conditions as flight fright just infuriates me.

Do people nonchalantly taking powerful and dangerous pills for every little quirk and emotion (and then idiotically combine them with alcohol -- I can't tell you how many people I know on anti-depressants who also down the DEPRESSANT alcohol) have any idea what they are being sold? And how they are selling their own health out?

F'in drugs!

what is says on the bottles of all or most medications, is that drinking alcohol while taking the mediation is a BAD IDEA. you were probably in a blackout during the trip and behaved in such a way that the crew felt you were a danger to yourself or others. you were NOT being responsible during your trip. have you inquired about what happend during the flight to cause such commotion? i suggest you lay off the booze while taking your meds. and frankly you sound slightly over medicated at that. topamax is a drug for migraine headaches, but also is used to treat bulimia and some forms of mood disorders. if you are having these kinds of psychiatric problems, please go to the proper doctor to be re-assessed. also try meditation - it will do wonders for your anxiety and also CBT for the phobias. medication is a temporary relief - not a permanent solution. thank god you were only ON the plane, and not flying it.