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#1
Apr 03, 2014, 12:50 PM
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All the Drs I have been to are reluctant to prescribe anything for anxiety and I am getting very frustrated with this. I am 32 years old I have never had any issues with drug or alcohol addictions I may have been legitimately drunk a dozen times in my whole life. My mother suffered from the same psychological symptoms and she was treated with Zoloft and Clonazepam. I am currently taking 100mg Zoloft, birth control pills and OTC prilosec. I don't think I would take anxiety meds every day if I had them but it would really nice to know that I had something that I could take if I was caught in the grips of panic or irrational thinking. I understand that the drugs have a risk of dependence but I feel that I have a legitimate medical issues and that it needs to be treated medically. My current Dr gave me a month of ativan after I was having panic attacks when my grandmother passed away but let me know right up front that he would not be comfortable giving me any refills. He suggested that I get more exercise. I am not saying that is bad advice but I feel that I have an illness that is being left untreated and I am upset.
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#2
Apr 03, 2014, 01:07 PM
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I understand your frustration. My mental health facility has a scrict no benzo policy too. Anxiety is new to me the past couple of years. I have had depression my whole life but this anxiety thing I just could not handle. Over the course of a year I begged for something for anxiety. At first they gave me a muscle relaxer and told me only take one as needed. The problem was I had to take three before it would even touch the anxiety. So they said no more muscle relaxer because you are abusing them. Then they gave me hydroxyzine (Vistaril). What a joke. Its an antihistamine like Nyquil or tylenol pm. The first week it knocked me out like Nyquil would, then it didn't do a damn thing.
I have a really good relationship with my pdoc so that helps and he was just following the clinic policy. But finally I went in there all pissed and told him I believed it was unethical for him not to prescribe a med that we will know will work despite the risks. And I am a recovering addict with many years clean and sober and he knows it...so an even bigger risk. He gave in and gave me klonopin and refills. As far as I know he is not going to stop the refills. I take .5 mg in the morning and .5 mg at night to help me sleep. My anxiety is totally gone. I don't take more than that. I know if I take more then I will have to go without because they will only refill it on the day it is supposed to run out. Not like with other scripts where they refill them early and don't really count that close. Lots of us here take benzos and yes there are risks. Do you have a psychiatrist or just a GP?
__________________
The "paradox" is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality "ought to be." -- Richard Feynman Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety Disorder with some paranoid delusions thrown in for fun. Recovering Alcoholic and Addict Possibly on low end of bi polar spectrum...trying to decide. Male, 50 Fetzima 80mg Lamictal 100mg Remeron 30mg for sleep Klonopin .5mg twice a day, cutting this back |
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#3
Apr 03, 2014, 01:42 PM
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I have not seen a psychiatrist, I saw a therapist for awhile but it seemed like we were just covering the same ground over and over. My problem is I don't seem sick enough, I am not out of control but I am unhappy. I present myself like calm and very together person but that does not negate the fact that I have been abused and have some very problematic thinking patterns. I just don't cry hysterically or act out that is just not me.
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#4
Apr 03, 2014, 01:47 PM
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It's weird what doctor you see. I have been given all sorts of pills from various docs but not one doctor would renew something I had been given by another doctor unless they received my medical papers first. I have pills for ADHA, depression and anxiety. I took each one for a few days but the side effects sucked so I stopped taking them. Now I just take vitamins and supplements but that said, I am seeing a psychologist now to aid me understanding if I have an issue and what it might be.
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#5
Apr 03, 2014, 01:49 PM
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Please, beware of the benzos. They sneak up on you till you are caught in their grips, no matter how well meaning you are. I know from experience. Read my thread here under this topic, Killer Klonopin. You'll see what I mean. And I started out at .5 for sleep. This was years ago. If you get them, just be aware of what you are getting into. Seriously.
Good luck!
__________________
"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star" Friedrich Nietzche |
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#6
Apr 03, 2014, 03:20 PM
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Then I have read that alot of people wean off of benzo's without any trouble. Lots of people have a horrible time coming off of effexor and say it ruined years of their life. I have gone off of effexor a bunch of times without any trouble. If I was you I would get a psychiatrist. Get a referral or if not find your own. I am one that is of the opinion along with alot of others here that GP's should not be prescribing psychoactive drugs. That is the job of pdocs.
__________________
The "paradox" is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality "ought to be." -- Richard Feynman Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety Disorder with some paranoid delusions thrown in for fun. Recovering Alcoholic and Addict Possibly on low end of bi polar spectrum...trying to decide. Male, 50 Fetzima 80mg Lamictal 100mg Remeron 30mg for sleep Klonopin .5mg twice a day, cutting this back |
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#7
Apr 03, 2014, 03:28 PM
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Be grateful that your MD isn't giving you benzos. I couldn't be more serious. I've been on klonopin for about 20 years...it was great for about a year, after that I wasn't getting any more positive benefits from it, but I couldn't get off the stuff because my body is so dependent upon it.
There are better alternatives to benzos...Buspar, for example. |
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#8
Apr 03, 2014, 03:40 PM
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Hm... IMO even Vistaril works better than Buspar. Actually even a motion sickness pill works better.
I agree that docs should be careful prescribing meds with high dependency, unfortunately that will include a lot of antidepressants as well.
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#9
Apr 03, 2014, 03:45 PM
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There is another thread about someone who is seriously considering pot for anxiety. I tried it for depression and it didn't work so I quit. I am also a recovering alcoholic addict who used to be a pot head so not a good idea for me. I can see where it would be useful for some for anxiety though.
__________________
The "paradox" is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality "ought to be." -- Richard Feynman Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety Disorder with some paranoid delusions thrown in for fun. Recovering Alcoholic and Addict Possibly on low end of bi polar spectrum...trying to decide. Male, 50 Fetzima 80mg Lamictal 100mg Remeron 30mg for sleep Klonopin .5mg twice a day, cutting this back |
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#10
Apr 03, 2014, 03:54 PM
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Quote:
__________________
The "paradox" is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality "ought to be." -- Richard Feynman Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety Disorder with some paranoid delusions thrown in for fun. Recovering Alcoholic and Addict Possibly on low end of bi polar spectrum...trying to decide. Male, 50 Fetzima 80mg Lamictal 100mg Remeron 30mg for sleep Klonopin .5mg twice a day, cutting this back |
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#11
Apr 03, 2014, 03:54 PM
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yeah I tried that too but the idea is for me to be functional and that makes me ....not functional. And smoking is icky.
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#12
Apr 03, 2014, 04:10 PM
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Well, statistically anywhere you look, Buspar doesn't do particularly well. I don't want to take the med away from the one in 20 people it helps, and for them it is good, it's just not for the "masses" and docs usually recognize that it probably will not work.
Not enough effort is spent on anxiety medication research, all compounds that are researched are meant for example depression or psychosis, they are never foremost an anxiety med. I guess no one needs anxiety meds...? Or what the deal really is.
__________________
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#13
Apr 03, 2014, 04:47 PM
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It's my understanding that, overall, Buspar is an excellent med to treat anxiety. I have a family member who was severely ill with anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome exacerbated by the anxiety. She looked like she was going in the direction of dying, quite seriously. She sought psychiatric help, was put on Buspar, and within a week she was improving. That was 2 years ago. She is now very healthy and fully functioning.
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#14
Apr 03, 2014, 04:55 PM
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Yea it is a terrific med. And us it did not help, we're just bad patients.
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#15
Apr 03, 2014, 05:04 PM
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I've also heard of people taking low doses of Seroquel PRN for anxiety. I don't, so I don't know many details.
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#16
Apr 03, 2014, 06:26 PM
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I have to agree with jimi. There is not enough research devoted to it. The benzo's are the most effective and they haven't really developed much else. Some of the SSRI's work for some people. Buspar works for some people. Some people take amitriptyline. Some take propranolol. I demanded a benzo cause I knew it would work and it has despite the risks.
Quote:
__________________
The "paradox" is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality "ought to be." -- Richard Feynman Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety Disorder with some paranoid delusions thrown in for fun. Recovering Alcoholic and Addict Possibly on low end of bi polar spectrum...trying to decide. Male, 50 Fetzima 80mg Lamictal 100mg Remeron 30mg for sleep Klonopin .5mg twice a day, cutting this back |
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#17
Apr 03, 2014, 06:47 PM
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I tried Vistaril, Inderal, Buspar, Dixyrazine and Promethazine for anxiety (none had a good effect) before I was finally given benzos. It took about 15 years that I feel I lost to anxiety for nothing, because there were useful meds that I was denied.
So yea I'm a little biased here.
__________________
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#18
Apr 03, 2014, 06:52 PM
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has anyone had any good results with herbal or natural sedatives ?
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#19
Apr 03, 2014, 06:54 PM
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I am gonna get my benzos if I have to order them online from a Mexican pharmacy, I know what is best for me and I should not have to convince a doctor of that. He may be an expert in the human body but I am expert on MY body I feel the same is you, meds are out there to help me and I should not be forced to suffer needlessly ! |
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#20
Apr 03, 2014, 07:01 PM
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citalopram (Celexa) depression, OCD, panic, PTSD, generalized anxiety
======================================================= I took this one for a few days. Made me feel quezzy and sickly. Not sure if I needed it but my MD doctor thought I needed it or that I could try it and see if it works for me. Still have a full bottle sitting in the cabinet. |
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#21
Apr 03, 2014, 07:15 PM
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Chamomile tea. That is the only thing that got me through drug and alcohol treatment. I broke up two tea bags and drank it herbs and all. I was very tempted to roll it up and smoke it. They couldn't keep enough of it because we were all drinking gallons of it. It works. I am sure in the section on "other treatments" you can find lots of info and expertise. Just post in there and I am sure you will get lots of advice.
__________________
The "paradox" is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality "ought to be." -- Richard Feynman Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety Disorder with some paranoid delusions thrown in for fun. Recovering Alcoholic and Addict Possibly on low end of bi polar spectrum...trying to decide. Male, 50 Fetzima 80mg Lamictal 100mg Remeron 30mg for sleep Klonopin .5mg twice a day, cutting this back |
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#22
Apr 06, 2014, 08:02 PM
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Kava kava always works for me. Not as good as a benzo, but better than nothing.
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#23
Apr 07, 2014, 04:47 PM
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I live in NY and have no problem getting Benzos. I'm actually prescribed a very high dosage of Klonopin, but never need that much.
I would find a pdoc who will give you a benzo, I wouldn't be able to function without it. My anxiety can paralyze me and Klonopin has been a life saver. |
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#24
Apr 07, 2014, 04:58 PM
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Benzos are almost impossible to get in the UK because its so easy to become addicted. Anti depressants are not addictive.
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#25
Apr 07, 2014, 05:14 PM
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Klonopin is what I would prefer I am hoping that it would help me deal with sudden bouts of unmanageable emotions |
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This is an old thread. You probably should not post your reply to it, as the original poster is unlikely to see it.|
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