[sonjaward809]

What medications have best helped with any anxiety you guys have?

I'm on Hydroxyzine 50mg (as needed) and it doesn't really do anything for me, other than that my doctor uses Lexapro 20mg to help as well but it doesn't keep me calm either. I haven't tried anything else for my anxiety and my doctor seems hesitant on trying anything else. I don't get to see him again until December but I might make a call to the nurse and see if there is something else I can take.

[Misterpain]

Originally Posted by sonjaward809

What medications have best helped with any anxiety you guys have?

I'm on Hydroxyzine 50mg (as needed) and it doesn't really do anything for me, other than that my doctor uses Lexapro 20mg to help as well but it doesn't keep me calm either. I haven't tried anything else for my anxiety and my doctor seems hesitant on trying anything else. I don't get to see him again until December but I might make a call to the nurse and see if there is something else I can take.

Honestly if your practioner has limited the scope of pharmacological therapy agents to antihistamines and SSRI agents , you need to see someone else .
Part of the practice of medicine involves looking at All of the options to accomplish a goal ,and explaing those options to the patient , so you can jointly plan the patients care , inherent in that is a patient giving informed consent , if the provider artificialy limits those options by refusing to prescribe certain things for whatever reason ,there is no informed consent when you are not informed of all your options, the practioner is lying to themselves and the patient about there care and treatment , lying or deception in patient care should never be accepted or tolerated by anyone , telling patients they are dying is uncomfortable and no one really wants to do it but it is done because being less than honest is unethical ,and so is denying the patients access to other medications because they have a potential for abuse , hiding your head in the sand about these agents doesn't make them any better or worse treatment choices, I feel very strongly that practioners that do this need to be run out town on a rail , they are consulting with patients to make educated decisions about there healthcare for compensation , leaving options off the table because you don't want to put the time time or care into the relationship of explaing proper use and potential benefits or weakness of any particular class of agents is at best unethical at worst malpractice.

[*Laurie*]

The only med that truly helps my anxiety is Klonopin.

[Guiness187055]

xanax hands down

[still_crazy]

benzodiazepines are still the "gold standard." they work quickly, they're fairly safe (much, much safer than the barbiturates that were used before...), and most of them "play well" with other prescribed drugs.

problems...long term use, especially daily use, sometimes leads to problems, even if the dosage is kept low(ish). it is what it is. drug-induced memory and cognitive problems, now and then drug induced depression, anxiety inbetween doses.

valium has a bad reputation in the US, but its still quite popular in many other countries. many experts think valium is a better benzodiazepine than, say, klonopin, because it acts quickly, has a long half life, is easier to taper/discontinue, and comes in a wide variety of pill sizes (I think there's a liquid version, too...).

other than that...gabapentin is somewhat popular, 'off-label,' for anxiety. it is not a controlled substance, but every now and then it makes someone feel good, so some doctors are not ok w/ prescribing it.

lyrica is similar to gabapentin, but its more potent, regular use is dosed 2x daily instead of 3x daily w/ gabapentin, and its a controlled substance (Schedule V, less restrictive category than the benzodiazepines, which are in Schedule IV). Lyrica is also currently patent-protected, so its more expensive than gabapentin or the benzodiazepines. stopping treatment after long term exposure requires a slow taper, similar to the benzodiazepines.

adding buspar to an antidepressant sometimes helps. its generic. kind of hit or miss, but that's true of a lot of psych drugs.

low dose tranquilizers--"atypical" and/or the older ones, too--can be used. i see that you currently take 15mgs/abilify. 20-30mgs/abilify can help reduce agitation, (hypo)mania, etc., but...some people do -not- tolerate abilify at those doses. personally, if you think a tranquilizer might help, id ask about increasing the abilify before adding another neuroleptic/tranquilizer.

anticonvulsants ("mood-stabilizers") can calm agitation, anxiety, etc. I see that you take 600mgs/trileptal. Some people take 1200mgs+ trileptal. anticonvulsants often cause cognitive and memory problems, especially when they're first started or after a dosage increase. depending on the nature of your problems, doctors sometimes prescribe 2 anticonvulsants, together. lamictal is popular in mood disorders, and it can also help reduce agitation, anxiety.

hope this helps.

[WildcatVet]

One word: buspirone (BuSpar)

[Misterpain]

Xanax has a faster rate of action which makes it the drug of abuse among those who improperly use medication .

Clonazepam is much slower and longer acting which makes it a favorite for anxiety and panic disorder, 2 mg of clonazepam is roughly equivalent to 10 mg of diazepam ( valium ) and due to its long half life can generally be taken once per day .

[LittleEarthquakes]

Hydroxyzine may help some people with anxiety but it is an antihistamine, and has only ever made me sort of tired. I'm on Lexapro too, it isn't really helping. I take Xanax but the effects of Klonopin last longer and I kind of want to switch.

[boogiesmash]

It did jack s hit for me. Even for allergies. I had most success with klonopin. Then again everyone varies and it’s what works for you.

[Misterpain]

Originally Posted by boogiesmash

It did jack s hit for me. Even for allergies. I had most success with klonopin. Then again everyone varies and it’s what works for you.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but most people do better on a real benzo than any anti histamine , any anti psychotic or SSRI , but since some how addictionology has been put in Psychiatry's corner alot of doctors are paranoid about using them ,just as many chronic pain patients cant find care if they require opioids patients eith anxiety and panic can't find benzo frequently . Drug abuse and addiction are being falsely conflated with properly cared for patients who take benzo and opioids responsably and correctly , lots of years of evidence and studies prove this out, yet these drugs are unfairly demonized and patients don't receive life changing and life saving care by providers . Sorry for the rant , it's a major aggravating peeve of mine ,medication doesn't help anyone sitting on shelf because providers don't want to learn to use it appropriately or devout the time to patients care .

[Mountaindewed]

I was on hydroxyzine and it made my anxiety so much worse.

I am now on Ativan and it gets rid of my anxiety in 15 minutes and my anxiety stays gone for a couple of days.

It was a year long process trying to get my docotor to prescribe it, but he finally did.

I am dreading asking him for a refill though.

I hope he gives it to me.

[-jimi-]

My Xanax really helps tons. But I had to pay the price. After all those years on it, I can't skip a dosage even if I feel fine. I would so much like for it to exist a med you couldn't get physically dependent on. It feels dumb to have to take a pill even if I don't need it anxiety wise, because otherwise I go into withdrawals.

Benzos are used the best just now and then so there is no dependence. But that can create a problem, for me they were just to survive the worst panic attacks at first and taken as needed. But I was allowed after a while to take them every day because they improved my constant stress, anger, feeling overwhelmed so much my life got so much better on them.

Should I have just kept them to survive or was it right to also start using them to do more than exist? I have no real answers here.

As for being brain damaged, antihistamines has a worse record for that. But docs wont address that. Sure, I admit not to being as sharp as I was. I probably sold a few IQ points for feeling OK and not like in a constant crisis. Was it worth it? No idea.

But for docs to not even mention benzos anymore... not a fan of that. Here they basically stopped all new prescriptions of benzos. So everyone these days who is new to anxiety can only get Vistaril, SSRIs and neuroleptics. Neuroleptics is really popular where I live. (They make me super depressed and I sometimes dissociate on them so no thanx....)

[88Butterfly88]

I take both Xanax and Inderal and both help. Inderal is better for social anxiety than other types of anxiety though. Buspar did nothing for me.

[with or without you]

For me personally - Xanax or Propranolol. I only take them if things get absolutely unbearable.

[Loial]

I was quite fortunate that Citalopram and some therapy helped me get on top of my anxiety. I eventually came off the SSRI, but my anxiety returned worse a year later. I used some Diazepam short term whilst I got back on the Citalopram again.

Now my anxiety is at much more manageable levels. I guess I just got lucky that the SSRI worked for me.

I was meant to try some propranolol but I couldn't because of my asthma.

[WildcatVet]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect...ffect_on_sleep

[Blue_Bird]

Klonopin works great for me

[Rajjing]

Originally Posted by Misterpain

Honestly if your practioner has limited the scope of pharmacological therapy agents to antihistamines and SSRI agents , you need to see someone else .
Part of the practice of medicine involves looking at All of the options to accomplish a goal ,and explaing those options to the patient , so you can jointly plan the patients care , inherent in that is a patient giving informed consent , if the provider artificialy limits those options by refusing to prescribe certain things for whatever reason ,there is no informed consent when you are not informed of all your options, the practioner is lying to themselves and the patient about there care and treatment , lying or deception in patient care should never be accepted or tolerated by anyone , telling patients they are dying is uncomfortable and no one really wants to do it but it is done because being less than honest is unethical ,and so is denying the patients access to other medications because they have a potential for abuse , hiding your head in the sand about these agents doesn't make them any better or worse treatment choices, I feel very strongly that practioners that do this need to be run out town on a rail , they are consulting with patients to make educated decisions about there healthcare for compensation , leaving options off the table because you don't want to put the time time or care into the relationship of explaing proper use and potential benefits or weakness of any particular class of agents is at best unethical at worst malpractice.

Or it could simply be that the doctor is not comfortable prescribing certain classes of psych meds. Depends on speciality and what the circumstances are.

[Camellium]

I wish in antidepressant would help you as well

[stayingafloat]

Valium for me. Been taking it almost daily before work, feel more composed after that. But not very sure if it had increased my body's tolerance to it though..usually if 5mg doesnt work i will take 15mg at most. Does well for anxiety. But i need something long term.

[cool09]

I have taken benzos my whole life. They take the edge off but it's not a cure. Vistaril does nothing for me. Propranolol does little. My breathing is heavily effected by anxiety.