[Wanderlust90]

Anyone taking or taken stelazine (trifluroperazine) at low doses (2mg) for anxiety/agitation?

[theenemywithin]

Yes, very long ago, as an anti-psychotic (AP). I had to take it in conjunction with a drug called, Cogentin, for side effects. Stelazine was the second AP used after Thorazine put on the market. I cannot tell you how often it is used today, only that many other medications are available for anxiety/agitation. I have tried both drugs, probably in a much higher dose and neither was a good experience for me.

[Wanderlust90]

I've been rx it at 1mg BD for anxiety/agitation. The ADs we tried (pristiq & Prozac) caused even more severe agitation/anxiety. I'm not allowed benzos due to substance abuse. Lithium helped the agitation but I had intolerable side effects. The big issue at the moment is the agitation/irritability/restlessness/anxiety. The depression lifted with Prozac but hasn't come back since stopping. So the question is is it anxiety or bipolar (dysphoric hypomania)?

[theenemywithin]

You do not have dysphoric hypomania, if you do not have symptoms of depression.
If medication is not working but only subdues the anxiety some, try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Your thoughts may be responsible, as they trigger emotions (anxiety), which may result in undesirable behavior.

[Wanderlust90]

I didn't do a great job of explaining how I feel. When I said the depression lifted with Prozac I mean the severe apathetic/anhedonic/dissociated feelings & intrusive suicidal ideation improved significantly. I stopped self harming & threw away my means for suicide.

I still have what I might describe as an agitated depression, or simply lingering depressive symptoms & really bad anxiety? I don't know, neither does my pdoc. I do still have urges to self harm & do still have some suicidal ideation. I want to give up but I'm not serious about giving up like I was when I was really depressed.

I keep asking for a referral for CBT but pdoc keeps saying we need to stabilise mood & behaviour first before its of much benefit. I might even benefit more from DBT?

[Ocean Swimmer]

My first time in a mental hospital over 30 years ago the Pdocs were using Thorazine. We called patients on the drugs having the thorizine shuffle.
Same with Stelazine. A very old drug.
In those days you could refuse medication in California. So I did. It just took more work on my part and more time to stabilize.
They did drug me upon admission. I lost ability to speak.
I woke up and couldn't move my legs. At all.
I was there for 30 days. I don't think insurance companies will agree to pay the bills for that much intense treatment anymore.

[Wanderlust90]

I defiantly haven't been encouraged to continue taking this drug by many here at psychcentral but perhaps most have taken higher doses meant for psychosis, 10-20mg. I'm only taking from 2ng to a max of 4mg.

Extra pyramidal symptoms are a very frightening reality but I want to know if anyone has actually had EPS on 4mg? I'm pretty sure the shuffling gait & all those side effects are stelazine is known for were when they were administering high doses. I'm getting scared away from it & I'm probably going to contact my old pdoc for his opinion on the matter now. I would do my best to damage the reputation of my current pdoc if I were to develop EPS, if I developed TD I think I would probably want to do much much worse to him for being negligent & overprescribing.

Just give me the damn benzos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I were going to become an addict I would have done it by now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Moogieotter]

Hey,

I know a PC chatter on Stelzazine. I'll see if she will share her experience with you. My dad took it in the late 80s. I stole one and took it for goofs as a teen and it knocked me out.

moogs

Hi there, wander.
I take 6mg of Stelazine as an add on to my other antipsychotic.

I sometimes take 4mg when I'm anxious and it works alright.

I can't find too much information on Stelazine, like how old it is or how its been developed. I think as an anxiety med its usually used only as short term because it has a very high risk of tardive dsykensia or however that's spelled.

I like it a lot as an antipsychotic. I've had no side effects from it and it does a good job of keeping my more troublesome symptoms away.

[Wanderlust90]

Originally Posted by Moogieotter

Hey,

I know a PC chatter on Stelzazine. I'll see if she will share her experience with you. My dad took it in the late 80s. I stole one and took it for goofs as a teen and it knocked me out.

moogs

Thanks heaps moogie!