Anxiety alternatives to benzos.

Hi, all,

right now, I have a bottle full of this antihistamine called Vistaril that's being used off-label as as anti-anxiety. I take it as needed and for a decent amount of time, it worked okay. It took the edge off of the jitters I was having before. My pdoc also recently upped my Trileptal to 450 mg at night to help, but it doesn't seem like it's working as it should. I've been dwelling a bit more then is healthy on "what if" scenarios like my kids dying in car wrecks, etc. Anxiety has always been in the background all my life, but most of the time I've managed to keep it at bay.
Due to problems with substance abuse in the past, my pdoc and I feel it wouldn't be a great idea for me to take any benzos. I'm attempting to self-talk my way out of this, but in case I need a bit more.. does anybody know of any non-habit-forming meds that are primarily used for anxiety? If you take anything like that, how is it working for you? right now, I'm on 750 mg of Trileptal for mania, 300 in the morning and 450 at night, plus 50 mg of Latuda for depression. My pdoc doesn't want to try any antidepressants due to my mixed episodes. Any suggestions? lol

Thanks for reading.

That's a super tough one...I just got a health coach a few months ago...one of her suggestions was that I cut down MAJORLY on my caffeine intake. I gradually cut down on the coffee and diet soda. I hafta say...my pulse used to ALWAYS be at least 140...now it's usually below 100. AND...I don't wake up in the morning w/ the feeling of my heart pounding out of my chest. Also, don't drink caffeine after like 4pm. I know it's not a pill...more of a lifestyle change...and I don't even know if you consume large quantities of caffeine (like I used to)...but I have to say, it made a world of a difference for me.

Buspar but I am not sure how effective that is turning out to be.
The AAP's seem to be real popular with pdocs these days even for depression and anxiety.
Chamomile tea
Kava Kava
Meditation
CBT
Relaxation techniques.
Mindfulness. very helpful if you can do it and I know it is hard.

I found vistaril useless.

I've only had luck with benzos, but I take benadryl at night for anxiety and it helps significantly, though typically only half the night. My sister is bipolar, more severe than myself, and has substance abuse issues, so I sympathize. I watch her struggle and her strength makes me feel like a wuss, but that example helps me a lot managing anxiety without meds.

Buspar takes at least a couple weeks to have its full effect. This has been my experience with the med.

I've always had luck with antidepressants ( SSRIs, anyway) as long as I'm taking a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic with it so I don't become manic.

I have three comorbid conditions which must be treated individually.

I have been taking .5 mg of xanax twice a day, but that's about to be reduced to as needed, and hopefully, none at all.

I'm sorry to hear your worries and anxiety are so severe. I took klonopin for 13 years and thought I couldn't live without it. But my pdoc wanted me off it and at the hospital I go they were very suspicious of prescribing benzos because of their potential recreational use. So, Buspar it is!! I love it. It has a weird common side effect, about 30 minutes after taking it you can get this weird buzz in your head, I've heard it referred to as a "brain buzz." However, it goes away pretty quickly and the beneficial effects of Buspar are well worth it to me. Keep us posted!

Oddly enough, Zyprexa helps me a lot in the anxiety department. My current life situation is such that I would ordinarily be having panic attacks, but I haven't had a single one in the 8 months I've been on "Vitamin Z". I also take one 0.5 mg Klonopin tablet at bedtime and that too is helpful. Unfortunately I've been on benzos since my mid-40s and I don't see me ever coming off them.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions, folks. I'll be discussing things in more detail with my pdoc. Maybe the hightened anxiety is a result of a few changed in my life recently such as the new job, so, I don't know. I swear, the amount of time we spend trying to figure out what's what.. triggers, life changes, what out baseline is, etc.

I've been using Sensoril (ashwagandha root extract) and Suntheanine (L-Theanine) to help manage the extreme benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms I have been experiencing. Hyperattentiveness, paranoia, fear, spikes of epinephrine at the slightest trigger - my resting heartrate is 50-54, but sometimes I would manage to literally think my way to 100+, then just as easily take steps to calm down due to those supplements. Some people use them specifically to help deal with anxiety. There is also L-Taurine, but it's usefulness is limited, as chronic administration can lead to a tolerance to its anxiolytic effects. It also must be taken on an empty stomach.

Personally I've found that while Ashwagandha and L-Theanine have some calming effects they don't force a change in mood like benzos do. I think they would be most useful for someone who wants to change how they respond to things. In that context one needs to be bothered, to feel some anxiety, and for this to be able to grow intense enough to be distressing, but at the same time have greater control like....extending the length of a lever. That's kind of what it's been like on these. I can still get worked up by things, but I'm also better able to monitor and mediate my responses.

Of course people vary in their response to substances so be sure to discuss using any of these with a pdoc. It's especially important to do this as supplements like these can interact with psychotropics. For example, ashwagandha has been observed to increase the effect of benzos and other substances which bind to GABA receptors, which could lead to potentially dangerous conditions if not taken into account.

That's tough. How long does the visteral last? My doctor put me on lexapro which helps with the anxiety but that's an antidepressant. It is such a difficult process figuring out what meds to take and what works. I wish there was just one pill that worked for all of us. Feel better

You know..I'm not sure how long it lasts! When I take 50 mg it starts to take effect in about a half an hour. Then I just go on with my day until bedtime, lol.