[*Beth*]

For those of you who have the extreme anxiety/rumination that oftentimes accompanies BP, have you found anything(s) that helps treat the anxiety? For the most part I'm familiar with the non-medicinal practices (mindfulness, etc.). What I'm hoping to hear of is experiences with medications that worked (or didn't) for BP anxiety.

[Sometimes psychotic]

Originally Posted by BethRags

For those of you who have the extreme anxiety/rumination that oftentimes accompanies BP, have you found anything(s) that helps treat the anxiety? For the most part I'm familiar with the non-medicinal practices (mindfulness, etc.). What I'm hoping to hear of is experiences with medications that worked (or didn't) for BP anxiety.

My antipsychotic abilify knocks down the anxiety quite a bit...I feel like the anxiety is a direct path to psychosis and this is why this works. It made it treatable by cbt.

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by Sometimes psychotic

My antipsychotic abilify knocks down the anxiety quite a bit...I feel like the anxiety is a direct path to psychosis and this is why this works. It made it treatable by cbt.

I agree - well put. Anxiety is a direct path to psychosis. I've never actually thought it out that way.

[Moose72]

Interesting- Anxiety is a direct path to psychosis. I tried ativan for akathesia and anxiety. I went off it cold turkey and I couldn't stop shaking one night- especialyy legs and hands.I'd rather have psychosis than that ever again!

[~Christina]

I’ve used, Valium , klonopin, Ativan and Xanax.

Xanax for me tends to work better ... I have an underlining run of anxiety all the time, when my pain is raging and Bipolar wise I’ve walked myself into a corner , Xanax usually helps me the most.

Nothing is 100% effective sometimes I just have to wait it out.

[~Christina]

Originally Posted by Moose72

Interesting- Anxiety is a direct path to psychosis. I tried ativan for akathesia and anxiety. I went off it cold turkey and I couldn't stop shaking one night- especialyy legs and hands.I'd rather have psychosis than that ever again!

Yeah never never cold turkey off a benzo if you’ve taken it on a regular basis for more than 3-4 weeks..it can easily cause seizures

[*Beth*]

Thanks for the input. It sounds like BP anxiety is best treated by benzos...and then, benzos are only moderately effective. Klonopin takes the edge off the whirring anxiety, but the Klonopn is mild.

Back to mindfulness, lol.

[all74]

I was started on gabapentin for neuropathy and found that my anxiety went down with it. Not all the way gone but better. Evidently it’s used illicitly for this, b/c it induces relaxation but isn’t addictive. Killed my sex-drive, though.

[Victoria'smom]

lexapro worked well.

[sarahsweets]

I take buspar and its not an as needed med for anxiety. It takes weeks to build up but one day I woke up after taking it for 6 weeks and the crushing weight of anxiety just wasnt as crushing. I have a small script for valium as well. My goal is to be off the buspar and valium because I just got my Med MJ card for pain and anxiety and I think its helping. I dont know enough about it yet to give advice but the MJ does keep me from going into freak out mode.

[downandlonely]

Buspar worked well for me.

[*Beth*]

Thanks for all the input. This is a fairly old thread that was buried, I guess. I'm taking Trilafon, which is a first-generation AP. It's been more helpful for treating anxiety than anything else I've tried. I'm so grateful for it.