Anti-Anxiety Meds

[human strike]

What kind of anti-anxiety meds am I likely to be able to get hold of through my GP? What kind of side effects are they liable to have? Are they worth trying?

Any info appreciated. Thanks. :)

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

Depends on what sort of issues you have if it warrants them. I would not recommend them in general unless your symptoms warrant them.

I take them and the withdrawal you get when missing once is quite uncomfortable. They make my thoughts a bit disjointed and I find it hard to concentrate entirely well, and they inhibit somewhat my ability to write coherent narratives, and I am overly easy to distract and I feel my memory has become worse. However, as trying to stop them resulted in a severe anxiety/panic-attack I resumed taking them. I hadn't known such anxiety since childhood.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I've taken a wide variety (alprazolam/Xanax, diazepam/Valium, lorazepam/Ativan, clonazepam/Klonopin, bromazepam, temazepam, etc.) The good things about benzodiazepines is that they will erase your anxiety temporarily, or at least they've always worked for me. They feel good, esp. lorazepam. But, the badside is that they don't "cure" your anxiety, in fact your anxiety often comes back hard when you stop taking them, and there is a risk of addiction/physical dependence...benzodiazepine withdrawal can potentially lead to death, but I think this is only in extreme cases of abuse or when they're used to help treat seizure disorders...

There are some other non-benzodiazepine anti-anxiety drugs like propranolol, a anti-high blood pressure drug that supposedly has some sort of anxiolytic effect and has been prescribed off-label for anxiety, "z-drugs" like Ambien which are GABA agonists like benzos and are sometimes prescribed for anxiety but are mostly used for insomnia I believe, or buspirone/Buspar but I don't know much about that. Rarely barbiturates get prescribed if someone has a physical problem with benzodiazepines. A lot of doctors also prescribe anti-depressants like SSRI/SNRI drugs to treat anxiety disorders now, which are, in my opinion, more fucked up than benzos are, although maybe not with as much potential for abuse.

[Ele'ill]

If you have a history of addiction I would suggest avoiding or being insanely careful with the short acting anti-anxiety drugs.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

If you have a history of addiction I would suggest avoiding or being insanely careful with the short acting anti-anxiety drugs.

The alternative is pretty bad, in my experience, like Buspar? FUCK that, personally I've found I can't really take anything that's not a legit benzo.

I hate pills. Def stay away from Buspar, everyone I've ever spoken to has had bad side-effects or its made thing worse however its non-addictive so a lot of joints like to hand that garbage out. At least around here.

[Ele'ill]

Right but a withdrawal and addiction that's been described as being worse than that of heroin as an alternative is kind of bunk imo

[adipocere]

I was prescribed xanax & clonopin several years ago so that I could do a public speaking class in college. I was on it for several years afterward with my dose always going up. Eventually I was taking a shocking amount, about 20x more than the average dose. I quit cold turkey and spent 3 months in my bed and another 3 unable to leave my house, and another full year too depressed and paranoid to do much besides cry and play WoW. It's really not worth taking even once - they aren't even that helpful to begin with. If it is an occasional thing, like public speaking or something, drink a shot of whiskey before hand instead (just don't start drinking)

If you are really aiming for the prescription drug route, I suggest propranolol - it's a blood pressure medicine, but its very effective at controlling physical anxiety which for some people is half the problem. It's also not addictive nor habit forming and a GP would have no problem prescribing it since it's standard of care.

[Os Cangaceiros]

It's really a thing to determine on an individual basis. For every person who chows down Xanax like they're Sweet Tarts or something, there's someone else like me for whom the medication has real benefits for my quality of life, IMO, and I've never become an addict to benzodiazepines.

[Marshal of the People]

I definitely wouldn't take anything until you have seen a psychologist who will then recommend something to you.

[adipocere]

It's really a thing to determine on an individual basis. For every person who chows down Xanax like they're Sweet Tarts or something, there's someone else like me for whom the medication has real benefits for my quality of life, IMO, and I've never become an addict to benzodiazepines.
I used to say the same thing about my xanax! Look at me, I'm not like those people who get all addicted to drugs - I'm smart and responsible and the drugs are helpful (pleasurable would have been more honest) and I trust my doctor because shrinks go to medical school and are not just script mills and all that bullshit. Eventually it was sort of like chowing on sweet tarts, the clonopin was even sweet.
I didn't realize that I was even an addict until my first seizure two weeks after stopping.

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

I regularly take Paxil, both for anxiety and for clinical depression. It's actually done wonders for me, but if I miss a dose I am definitely at risk for having a panic attack.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I used to say the same thing about my xanax! Look at me, I'm not like those people who get all addicted to drugs - I'm smart and responsible and the drugs are helpful (pleasurable would have been more honest) and I trust my doctor because shrinks go to medical school and are not just script mills and all that bullshit. Eventually it was sort of like chowing on sweet tarts, the clonopin was even sweet.
I didn't realize that I was even an addict until my first seizure two weeks after stopping.

No, that's not the same thing with me at all. I KNOW I have substance issues, at least according to the medical community, for whom there really isn't any difference between use and abuse of drugs, recreationally-speaking. But benzodiazepines are just not something that particularly excite me drug-wise. I've never felt any sort of physical urge to use benzodiazepines. Anxiety is something I experience on a more-or-less constant basis, but I can usually cope with it pretty well. The only thing benzodiazepines are good for in my case are 1) panic attacks, and 2) situations in which I know I'll be uncomfortable, and can prepare accordingly by taking a dose of anxiolytics. Can I survive such situations without benzodiazepines? Yes, and I do frequently. But if something works in my favor and improves how I experience certain situations, I don't really see any reason not to take it, honestly.

[Orange Juche]

I regularly take Paxil, both for anxiety and for clinical depression. It's actually done wonders for me, but if I miss a dose I am definitely at risk for having a panic attack.

The thing with Paxil is, getting off it is hell. I was carefully weened off it by my Doctor and I still randomly passed out (like fell to the ground), had hallucinations, etc from the withdrawal.

I take Clonopin which works until it doesn't... I find it kind of just works until your body gets used to the dose, then you have to go up and up and up. It still KIND OF works... I dunno.

Breathing meditation helps A LOT. It chills out your parasympathetic nervous system. Highly recommended. And even if it's just closing your eyes when you start feeling anxious and doing it wherever you are, not necessarily in a pose. I'm not an anti-med person, but on this one thing I think for some people it can be extremely effective and is worth a shot.

[Quail]

I've been prescribed diazepam (valium), anti-depressants and propranolol (beta blocker) for anxiety at various times. I think diazepam is good for occasional use. The way I used to use it was, when I was feeling really anxious I'd remind myself that I could use it and it would help and say, if I don't feel better in x amount of time, I'll take a pill and feel better and so on until either I had to take one or the anxiety became manageable. I don't think it's advisable to take benzos every day though. Antidepressants I wouldn't bother with - questionable benefits, horrible side effects and it really sucks if you run out and have to suddenly stop taking them. I also don't find propranolol of much use either. The only time it helps is when I've had too much caffeine and it seems to make the pounding heart etc less pronounced so it doesn't make me anxious.

If you have a history of addiction or substance abuse, the doctor might not feel comfortable prescribing benzos anyway. My doctor refused to prescribe valium and told me the propranolol can be used in the same way, which just seems like bullshit to me.

[Art Vandelay]

Been prescribed SSRI's before, which I hated and had awful side effects (vivid nightmares, increase of intrusive thoughts, decreased libido, yawning all day, etc...) and I will never take them again. I make a point that when I go to the doctor to get meds, I specifically say I will never touch SSRI's again, so if that's all they'll prescribe, I might as well leave. I've never had any issues getting benzos, but then again I have a documented history of anxiety/depression and probably don't look like a stereotypical 'drug seeker' (whatever that looks like) so they never give me any trouble. I've been prescribed lorazapam and temazapam in the past, as well as klonopin's once. I didn't really like the klonopin that much, it was the first benzo I tried and I don't remember it doing much to me. I started buying them from a guy I know, since I lost my insurance when I turned 21, but apparently he doesn't have a connection anymore, so I have to go back to the doc and pay higher prices. I have 3 temazapam left, so I guess we'll see what I get this time.


The way I used to use it was, when I was feeling really anxious I'd remind myself that I could use it and it would help and say, if I don't feel better in x amount of time, I'll take a pill and feel better and so on until either I had to take one or the anxiety became manageable.

This is actually a really good idea. I'll probably start trying this.

[consuming negativity]

I'm actually currently fucking with these, so here are my experiences. SSRIs have an extremely negative rap but they really aren't bad unless you miss a dose. Citalopram helped my anxiety modestly before it stopped. Xanax was fantastic but I can totally see how someone could get addicted to feeling that awesome. Buspar is alright but it doesn't hardly work and it gives you side effects out the ass. Tl;Dr hope you don't have anxiety issues because there is no easy fix.

[Sasha]

Make sure that your anxiety problems are actually the root problem and not a symptom.
I was almost put on a pretty heavy regiment of anxiety meds when I myself came up (based on my own experiences with recreational illegal drugs) that my anxiety disorder was just an symptom (co-morbid disorder) of my untreated ADD. So instead of anti anxiety meds I started on a far less intensive Ritalin regiment which worked wonders.
Apperently quite a lot of people, esp adults, who get diagnosed with anxiety disorders or stuff like OCD have in fact unrecognized AD(H)D problems.
So yeah, maybe read up on comorbid disorders a bit is my suggestion.

Edit; http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/apa2012/anxiety-disorders-and-adhd-comorbidity-rule-not-exception

[Landsharks eat metal]

The alternative is pretty bad, in my experience, like Buspar? FUCK that, personally I've found I can't really take anything that's not a legit benzo.

I hate pills. Def stay away from Buspar, everyone I've ever spoken to has had bad side-effects or its made thing worse however its non-addictive so a lot of joints like to hand that garbage out. At least around here.

That's weird; BuSpar did absolutely nothing, good or bad, for me. But that's how it's been for most drugs. Never tried benzos though. So far the only thing that has helped me at all was getting out of the shitty situation I was in, but anxiety is still negatively impacting my life in a lot of ways.

[Don't Swallow The Cap]

I was on citalopram (celexa) for my anxiety/depression. Apparently SSRIs which are generally anti-depressants, are now being used to treat anxiety as well.
The first week was absolute hell. Terrible abdomen pains and I mean fucking TERRIBLE!
Insomnia was also prevalent. After that week was over It wasn't too bad. It caused a quite the strange transition though. Instead of insomnia, I couldn't be bothered to get out of bed. It really just turned me into an apathetic sack of shit. I've read of others who it helped though. I suppose It's a matter of body chemistry. :)

[The Feral Underclass]

Have you lot tried taking 5HTP? If not, you should try it, it might be helpful.

Also, for those who don't find medication useful, it might be worth considering that your mood problems are not the consequence of a chemical imbalance.

[human strike]

Have you lot tried taking 5HTP? If not, you should try it, it might be helpful.

Also, for those who don't find medication useful, it might be worth considering that your mood problems are not the consequence of a chemical imbalance.

I've heard of people taking 5-HTP for depression but does it work for anxiety? I have some and take it occasionally, usually on comedowns, but I think actually for it to have any effect it needs to be taken regularly.

[The Feral Underclass]

It has a broad range of uses including for anxiety.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I don't know if you've read this or not, maybe you have, but I was just reading through it recently. It's supposedly from one of the foremost experts on the subject of benzodiazepines, you might find it useful/interesting:

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm

[Os Cangaceiros]

Make sure that your anxiety problems are actually the root problem and not a symptom.
I was almost put on a pretty heavy regiment of anxiety meds when I myself came up (based on my own experiences with recreational illegal drugs) that my anxiety disorder was just an symptom (co-morbid disorder) of my untreated ADD. So instead of anti anxiety meds I started on a far less intensive Ritalin regiment which worked wonders.
Apperently quite a lot of people, esp adults, who get diagnosed with anxiety disorders or stuff like OCD have in fact unrecognized AD(H)D problems.
So yeah, maybe read up on comorbid disorders a bit is my suggestion.

Edit; http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/apa2012/anxiety-disorders-and-adhd-comorbidity-rule-not-exception

I did a little science experiment with this today. I still had a 30 mg d-amphetamine XR capsule leftover from a couple months ago, and I decided to wash it down with a couple cups of coffee and go to school. I had a really good experience with it, I had all the self-confidence of benzodiazepines but without the haze that they'll sometimes give you (esp. the more hypnotic-heavy benzos). I wandered into the building like I owned it and everyone in it...usually I'll have to drag myself to class. Plus I had a number of great conversations with random people.

But I'll do that when I've been high on coke in the past too so maybe it's just because I was on drugs. I still feel pretty good though, I made a list of things I need to do & am ruthlessly checking them all off. I've had long arguments with some people in the past over whether ADD is actually a "thing", but if the drugs work for you and you experience a net gain in quality of life w/o the detriment of addiction or negative experiences, hey, why not. I look at the symptom list for ADD and I fit pretty much all of the criteria but I've never felt the urge to talk to anyone about it, I doubt they'd prescribe anything for me anyway because there's probably a sticky-note somewhere in my medical file with "SUBSTANCE ABUSER" double-underlined in red pen. That's what I get for being honest with doctors.

[G4b3n]

I smoke Marijuana, generally in a pretty large quantity to sooth my anxiety. I generally smoke less for recreational purposes, but I have found that a hefty amount of THC does wonders for my anxiety, I can not speak for everyone though.

Also, no matter how much you use, there is generally very little affect in stopping completely. You might get that "awe man I'm out of weed" feeling, but nothing more than that.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I smoke Marijuana, generally in a pretty large quantity to sooth my anxiety. I generally smoke less for recreational purposes, but I have found that a hefty amount of THC does wonders for my anxiety, I can not speak for everyone though.

Also, no matter how much you use, there is generally very little affect in stopping completely. You might get that "awe man I'm out of weed" feeling, but nothing more than that.

I enjoy smoking marijuana by myself for anxiety. I think some strains are better than others for that but I'm not exactly sure.

I've had really negative experiences smoking marijuana around other people, though, or at least consuming very large amounts of THC. It makes me extremely paranoid and anxious.

[Quail]

Maybe I'm an anomaly, but I find that using cannabis more than a couple of times a week makes my anxiety so much worse I just don't use it that much any more. Guess drugs affect different people in different ways.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I think that most street weed is cultivated to maintain a high-level of THC, that's what consumers tend to want, that's what gets ya high, and I think THC is a GABA antagonist. I think they've found in some studies that CBD may be a GABA agonist, though. So indica strains of cannabis would probably be better for anxiety. But people's brains are different, as you said. They'll probably be able to dial it in good once marijuana enjoys fully-legal status (as it already has in some places) and research won't be as restricted.

[Ceallach_the_Witch]

related to this thread: I'm finally considering antidepressants after a particularly bad patch over the last month, but I don't know much about them and I am still very cagey with my GP over my depression (e.g last year I said for the time being I wanted nothing to do with antidepressants for a number of reasons)

My family and the majority of my friends (save two - one of whom lives in lincoln) are unaware - theoretically at least - of my depression so I likewise would appreciate some advice on how common antidepressants affect your personality etcetera. Understandably I'm also worried about how it might affect my academic performance (fingers crossed not worse than being too demoralised to commit pen to paper)

[Quail]

My family and the majority of my friends (save two - one of whom lives in lincoln) are unaware - theoretically at least - of my depression so I likewise would appreciate some advice on how common antidepressants affect your personality etcetera. Understandably I'm also worried about how it might affect my academic performance (fingers crossed not worse than being too demoralised to commit pen to paper)

I think citalopram is a common first antidepressant. When I started on it I went to the supermarket with my mum, started feeling dizzy and had a panic attack. I think most antidepressants can make anxiety a lot worse in the first week or so, so it might be worth having someone you can call or text, especially if you want to hide it form your family.

[human strike]

I have been using weed to help with my anxiety but a few times this has gone very badly when something unexpected has triggered an especially bad attack of anxiety being stoned has only made it a lot worse. Also, I don't want to be stoned all the time, I'm already having enough problems concentrating and remembering things and I think it's important that I stay active right now. Also it's expensive and I'm poor.

I'm thinking I'm going to continue with my counseling (I've always responded really well to it and I should be able to continue for as long as I need it) and work on strategies of coping without drugs. What I've always done in the past to cope is use people, but this is problematic for a number of reasons and I'd very much like to learn to cope without being dependent on one person - in the long-run it's often only caused me worse anxiety.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Yeah, if you can deal with your mental problems without the use of drugs, that's probably the optimum solution.

[human strike]

Gonna try my best. :)

[argeiphontes]

Also, for those who don't find medication useful, it might be worth considering that your mood problems are not the consequence of a chemical imbalance.

From my experience with my own, (formerly) crippling social anxiety, I've found what Jung said to be true: anxiety always means that something is wrong. The trick is finding out what that is, maybe in therapy, and, hopefully, changing it. (Depression means that psychic movement must take place.)

Otherwise, I would recommend drugs if you are suffering and need some way to function in the mean time. I've been on Paxil, which I never had any real problems with, and was able to stop taking completely after my therapy experience. Propranolol is definitely helpful, as is weed, especially eaten if you don't want that intense high so you can still operate heavy machinery.

(And yeah, mood problems are not caused by a chemical imbalance. If anything, a chemical imbalance is caused by mood problems. Your beliefs may vary, of course.)

[G4b3n]

I enjoy smoking marijuana by myself for anxiety. I think some strains are better than others for that but I'm not exactly sure.

I've had really negative experiences smoking marijuana around other people, though, or at least consuming very large amounts of THC. It makes me extremely paranoid and anxious.

Yes, some are defiantly better than others, not radically or anything, but noticeably. I used to get paranoid around others, not like Stalin paranoid or anything just enough to be uncomfortable, but that sort of faded away with more casual use. Now I can pretty much function normally and concentrate on whatever task is at hand, I just enjoy it a lot more.

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

From my experience with my own, (formerly) crippling social anxiety, I've found what Jung said to be true: anxiety always means that something is wrong. The trick is finding out what that is, maybe in therapy, and, hopefully, changing it. (Depression means that psychic movement must take place.)


Jung's full of shit, deranged old bag. Depression and anxiety is the natural state of anyone not half-blinded or worse to the reality of the world and ones place within it.

[argeiphontes]

Depression and anxiety is the natural state of anyone not half-blinded or worse to the reality of the world and ones place within it.

Exactly. Something is wrong, just as Jung said. :grin:

[Art Vandelay]

My family and the majority of my friends (save two - one of whom lives in lincoln) are unaware - theoretically at least - of my depression so I likewise would appreciate some advice on how common antidepressants affect your personality etcetera.

Take this with a grain of salt, cause I can only speak from personal experience, but if you have any close friends that you really trust, I'd maybe just be honest with them about what you're going through and tell them to keep it to themselves. I know that when things were bad for me, people were already thinking 'whats going on with 9mm lately,' and having people you can turn to (or who can keep track of changes while on anti-depressants) is a big help. As for how anti-depressants effect your personality, I can't exactly say for sure although there are definitely many side effects, but it probably doesn't change your personality anymore then depression already does.

[The Feral Underclass]

Depression and anxiety is the natural state of anyone not half-blinded or worse to the reality of the world and ones place within it.

No it isn't.

[Nakidana]

Why don't you discuss these things with your doctor, bro? Obviously you're not satisfied with the current regiment, you should describe your symptoms and worries to him. He'll be able to properly diagnose you and together you can find out how to better your treatment. This is a much better way of proceeding than asking people on a message board. Your doctor knows you and your history and thus can provide individualized care.

Whatever you do don't start self-medicating. All the best.

[human strike]

Why don't you discuss these things with your doctor, bro? Obviously you're not satisfied with the current regiment, you should describe your symptoms and worries to him. He'll be able to properly diagnose you and together you can find out how to better your treatment. This is a much better way of proceeding than asking people on a message board. Your doctor knows you and your history and thus can provide individualized care.

Whatever you do don't start self-medicating. All the best.

My doctor is a woman... To be honest they don't know me very well at all. But yeah, obviously. My question in the first place though was what might my GP (i.e. my doctor) prescribe me. And thanks.