[TicTacGo]

Say you deal with anxiety and commonly use benzos. (which I hear from a friend of mine quite often)

What happens when you become dependent and they don't want to prescribe them? What drug is typically used for anxiety?

You get horrible withdrawal that lasts for months. Oftentimes your anxiety skyrockets and you may even become suicidal because withdrawal can cause moderate to severe depression.

You have to taper off very, very slowly. But even then, you still may get withdrawal symptoms.

A common non-benzo med of choice for anxiety is gabapentin. There is also propranolol, buspar, and antidepressants, although I've heard mixed reviews on buspar. For some people, buspar works great, but I've seen a lot of people on this forum say it doesn't work for them.

[*Laurie*]

Your question is exactly why I am tapering (slowly) off Klopnopin. I've been on it for 20+ years and I'm terrified of withdrawal sickness if the Klonopin should stopped being available to me.

Withdrawal from benzos can be truly disabling. I mean, really bad.

[greentires4me]

my pdoc totally crippled me when she took me off of Ativan I was self medicating I was up to 5mg a day she fought with me and said I didn't have social anxiety and I was like I was diagnosed at 17. "B word!"

Finally when she got to know me she started to see my social anxiety and my anxiety then I took an anxiety group since then I have learned how to control my attacks without the use of an benzo.

But I do take a benzo for night time and it does f up my sleep I do find, if she screws up the dosage drastically.

[ofthevalley]

Hydroxyzine can be used for anxiety without the use of a benzo.

[still_crazy]

Tapering Klonopin was hell on earth. I also didn't realize how depressed the ongoing Klonopin use had made me until long afterwards.

I dunno. Some people can take these drugs long term, no problems. I'm glad I'm not on a benzodiazepine, personally. It took about 18 months +/- for my brain to "reset" to living without Mother's Little Helpers. Not fun.

On the plus side, taken strictly PRN, they're usually safe and effective. My big problem with bzd drugs is that you can easily end up worse off once you taper than you were before you started taking them. I'm beginning to think that's true of most psych drugs, though.

[still_crazy]

Originally Posted by TicTacGo

Say you deal with anxiety and commonly use benzos. (which I hear from a friend of mine quite often)

What happens when you become dependent and they don't want to prescribe them? What drug is typically used for anxiety?

hi. Doctors can be merciless tyrants, especially psychiatrists. Some doctors will use lyrica or gabapentin in place of benzodiazepines. Some use the antipsychotics/tranquilizers, which is not the best idea, but...hey, they're shrinks.

Hydroxyzine is an option, sometimes. Antidepressants. BuSpar (usually with other stuff on board...). Anti-seizure drugs can ease bzd tapering and help anxiety. They can also help agitation and mood issues that can fuel bzd dependence.

Other than that, I've found relief through supplementation. Orthomolecular. Its massive doses of vitamin c, b-complex, vitamin e, and niacinamide (that's the form of niacin I take, since it doesn't cause a flush). I also take a high dose of l-theanine, the "Suntheanine" brand (when possible, I use trademarked, patented versions of supplements. It costs a bit more, but I think its worth it, for getting some quality control).

Hope this helps...

[with or without you]

I am currently dependent on Xanax XR. I have no history of drug or alcohol dependence or abuse. This whole unfortunate saga started for me when I went on a MAOI called EMSAM 18 months ago and its activating side effects caused insomnia (especially middle of the night wake-ups) and major panic attacks in the morning. Melatonin, trazodone, and lunesta didn't work, so my former pdoc put me on Xanax XR at bedtime. Guess what? I needed more and more of the drug as time went on. My new pdoc has been very empathetic and has told me to keep taking it until I can get on a med that has better anxiety-controlling properties. He won't cut me off because the instant cessation is dangerous. he will help me wean off the benzo once we see how my new meds work. But for now, at the state I'm in, he has given me permission to take the max amount per day because he doesn't want me to suffer from panic.

I will say immediate release Xanax does its job when I go to the dentist because I have always had severe anxiety there. But overall, I want to get off the daily use of Xanax XR because I don't believe it's healthy.

[-jimi-]

What do you mean by dependent? If the person is prescribed the med once a day for infinity basically, there will be dependence. They don't just let you have it for as long as you're not dependent and when your body gets used to it they take it away. Not the way it works. You will simply stay on the med and be dependent to it.

The problems that can occur is if it is not prescribed for daily usage, but PRN and say max twice a week. Then physical dependence is almost impossible. But say the patient is in such bad way that they take it daily anyway. They become dependent. The doc gets mad and takes the med away because the patient abused it.

Or, the patient has the type of body that develops tolerance, so dosage has to be increased and dosages are really getting up there. Then it might and might not be the norm to taper out and try something else.

Also if the patient clearly abuses the med to get high, it will also be taken away.

But a person that has no trouble with taking the med, no abuse issues, no tolerance, just help from a daily pill, the doctor will most likely just understand that that is something that helps the patient function better. Some docs are cruel and cold turkeys patients and some patients die because of it, but it is not what should happen.

So either, the doc decides on a daily dosage you're allowed, and allows dependence, or gives the med PRN with a limit of this or that many pills a week.

The other meds that can help anxiety, should have been tried before benzos!

I had doctors that allowed a low dosage benzo daily for a decade. Then I got a new doc who was anti benzo and took my med away. The right way would been a very slow taper. She did it the wrong way, cold turkey. They aren't even that cruel in prison! I nearly died from that so it wasn't a very good idea (my body reacted by shooting up my blood pressure to stroke levels).

There needs to be clear communication between the doc and the patient, the doc must be very clear with what is allowed and what the patient needs to do if running into problems, meaning be open about it and then the doctor should not have a punishing attitude but they should work it out together. In the best of worlds...

[ECHOES]

Originally Posted by TicTacGo

Say you deal with anxiety and commonly use benzos. (which I hear from a friend of mine quite often)

What happens when you become dependent and they don't want to prescribe them? What drug is typically used for anxiety?

What has your doctor suggested for your anxiety? There are many helpful drugs out there to help.

Common Anxiety Disorder Medications: Types & Side Effects

[PMAD]

I'm on 1 mg of klonopin per day and have been for 10 years,it works and I've never had to increase the dose however I am scared of being in a situation where it won't be prescribed and being pulled off cold turkey! It happened a couple years back when my clinic had a fill-in doc,he was way anti benzo and treated me like a dirty drug seeker! Anyways he was soon replaced and I got my refills but I'm trying to taper slowly but I'm afraid I'm going too slow,,just scared of the withdrawal symptoms, the anxiety,brain fog,insomnia, intrusive thoughts, etc,hydroxizine?made me more anxious, SSRI's make me fat and have weird impulsive behavior, this is gonna be a long road