[Lola5]

For years, I used to take benzos PRN (1-3 times per month) for when my anxiety got too bad. They would bring the anxiety down to a point where I could function

About a year ago, my anxiety escalated and they stopped working. They won't lower my anxiety at all and just make me sleepy. I'll be in a very high anxiety state where I'm gagging and shaking. I'll take a pill and I'll start drifting off for a few minutes, during which I'll be half-asleep and anxious thoughts are cycling through my head. Then, after a few minutes, I'll wake up shaking and gagging, in a panic. I'll be awake for a few minutes and then fall "asleep" again to again wake up shaking and gagging. This will continue in the same cycle. If I try to stand or walk, I'm too drowsy and dizzy so I have to sit/lie back down.

I have had the same effect with any benzo my pdoc has prescribed:

• 2mg Valium (which worked PRN for ~5 years until about a year ago)
• 5mg Valium (PRN)
• .25 Klonopin (PRN)
• .50 Klonopin (PRN)
• varying doses of Klonopin 4x every day
• .25mg Xanax (PRN)
• .50mg Xanax (PRN)
• 1.0mg Xanax (PRN)
• .5 mg Ativan (PRN)
• 1.0mg Ativan (PRN)

How is it that none of these benzos provide anxiety relief?

[Guiness187055]

two milligrams of xanax or klonopin should do it.

[Sunflower123]

I'm sorry your benzos stopped working. Can the pdoc prescribe something else? I'm on Xanax 2 mg ER and 4 mg of clonazepam and sometimes that doesn't even touch my anxiety. I hope you find something that works.

I'm not sure why they don't work, but are you currently in therapy? Therapy can help you a lot with your anxiety.

That's probably not the answer you're looking for, but medicine sadly doesn't work 100% of the time, so it's helpful to learn some techniques/skills for handling anxiety

Originally Posted by Lola5

For years, I used to take benzos PRN (1-3 times per month) for when my anxiety got too bad. They would bring the anxiety down to a point where I could function

About a year ago, my anxiety escalated and they stopped working. They won't lower my anxiety at all and just make me sleepy. I'll be in a very high anxiety state where I'm gagging and shaking. I'll take a pill and I'll start drifting off for a few minutes, during which I'll be half-asleep and anxious thoughts are cycling through my head. Then, after a few minutes, I'll wake up shaking and gagging, in a panic. I'll be awake for a few minutes and then fall "asleep" again to again wake up shaking and gagging. This will continue in the same cycle. If I try to stand or walk, I'm too drowsy and dizzy so I have to sit/lie back down.

I have had the same effect with any benzo my pdoc has prescribed:

• 2mg Valium (which worked PRN for ~5 years until about a year ago)
• 5mg Valium (PRN)
• .25 Klonopin (PRN)
• .50 Klonopin (PRN)
• varying doses of Klonopin 4x every day
• .25mg Xanax (PRN)
• .50mg Xanax (PRN)
• 1.0mg Xanax (PRN)
• .5 mg Ativan (PRN)
• 1.0mg Ativan (PRN)

How is it that none of these benzos provide anxiety relief?

Are you sure you don't have a health problem? Is it mostly when lying down/sleeping? It could be hyperglycemia or some metabolic problem or vascular if while laying down.

[Nammu]

Propranolol works on the physical affects of anxiety maybe try that.