Misc Replacement for Promethazine

[samadhitrance21]

Hi.

I have been struggling with severe anxiety attacks for over 3 years now. Once I get anxious it is not possible for me to calm down and I could stay in that miserable state for hours. I went to a psychiatrist and she prescribed me Promethazine which has strong sedative effect, and it's the only drug that actually helps. Now I've tried amphetamines, I have tried opiates to get rid of my anxiety but to no effect. My anxiety kicks in every 2 or 3 days, so its not an every day thing.

Now the problem is that theres a manufacturing issue in UK with this Promethazine and I can't get it anymore, anywhere.

Please, do you know any substitutes for this drug that I can get prescribed? Diazepam comes to mind, but Im worried that the doctor won't be willing to prescribe it long term.

Thanks

 

[d1nach]

If your able to tolerate promethazine i would go with that over benzos as a as needed antianxiety because i went from a somedays to all meals and in between with benzos 0.0625 once a month for panic to 4.5 mg daily. I can not even describe the sensation when you run out and the pharm is closed. You dont feel sad i would pace and pace and i felt like i was going insane.

Perhaps hydroxyzine might be more tolerable due to less anticholinergic effects and i believe prometh blocks dopamine receptors. Additionally hydroxyzine i think blocks 5 ht2 receptors which may contribute to its antianxiety effects.

If you are regularly experiencing intense anxiety seroquel and a ssri might reduce your anxiety esp with therapy and exercise over 8 - 12 weeks.

 

[samadhitrance21]

Yea, I dont really feel comfortable having a benzo dependency for my anxiety, mainly because they lose their potency fairly quick as the tolerance builds up.

 

[Drug Truth Aust]

Dear Sama------, regarding your situation.
1. There is only one drug group that is truly effective for anxiety: Benzodiazepines. Anything else is a con. Someone prescribing Promethazine for anxiety? That is just disgusting.
2. You have mentioned a 'benzo dependency'. Actually, benzos are the drug that will give you maximum chance of NOT becoming dependent on a medication. Why? Because you can take them PRN (as needed). Anything you have read alluding to the certainty of becoming physically dependent on benzos at realistic therapeutic doses is basically BS. As an aside, it is completely normal for anti-depressants to induce physical dependency.
3. Benzos are safe, effective and a really 'clean' drug. They are proven by decades of use to be so.
4. There has been a huge and aggressive campaign to unfairly malign benzos. Unfortunately, for people that can benefit from them, it has been very successful.
5. Oxazepam is a metabolite of Diazepam and is a good drug to start with for anxiety. It has a medium length of action. It has no active metabolites.
6. If your doctor won't prescribe benzos for anxiety, try and find one that will.

Hope this helps.

 

[keeping]

hydroxyzine hydro-chloride (brand name attarax) is another first generation antihistamine with anxiolytic properties

 

[stillkickin]

Dear Sama------, regarding your situation.
1. There is only one drug group that is truly effective for anxiety: Benzodiazepines. Anything else is a con. Someone prescribing Promethazine for anxiety? That is just disgusting.
2. You have mentioned a 'benzo dependency'. Actually, benzos are the drug that will give you maximum chance of NOT becoming dependent on a medication. Why? Because you can take them PRN (as needed). Anything you have read alluding to the certainty of becoming physically dependent on benzos at realistic therapeutic doses is basically BS. As an aside, it is completely normal for anti-depressants to induce physical dependency.
3. Benzos are safe, effective and a really 'clean' drug. They are proven by decades of use to be so.
4. There has been a huge and aggressive campaign to unfairly malign benzos. Unfortunately, for people that can benefit from them, it has been very successful.
5. Oxazepam is a metabolite of Diazepam and is a good drug to start with for anxiety. It has a medium length of action. It has no active metabolites.
6. If your doctor won't prescribe benzos for anxiety, try and find one that will.

Hope this helps.

I feel an obligation to reply and call this post garbage. I wouldn't feel so compelled to if it weren't for the self-righteousness of it, but this information is inaccurate about benzos in particular. Benzos are one of the most highly addictive meds. I personally unknowingly had a bad benzo dependence for just taking them PRN or "as needed" and never abused them for euphoria. 9 months of my life trying to kick those and thought I was going insane nearly the whole time. There's plenty of information out there. I just didn't want a naive person to come along, read this post, and go on their way to self-destruction. As with all chems, do your due diligence in research and look out for yourself. Anxiety is very tough to manage, putting a dependence and/or addiction on top of it will only compound your problems.

Feel free to PM me if anyone needs additional information on this topic. It's already been widely discussed on here and the search will provide a ton.

 

[Slow_Mobius]

Dear Sama------, regarding your situation.
1. There is only one drug group that is truly effective for anxiety: Benzodiazepines. Anything else is a con. Someone prescribing Promethazine for anxiety? That is just disgusting.
2. You have mentioned a 'benzo dependency'. Actually, benzos are the drug that will give you maximum chance of NOT becoming dependent on a medication. Why? Because you can take them PRN (as needed). Anything you have read alluding to the certainty of becoming physically dependent on benzos at realistic therapeutic doses is basically BS. As an aside, it is completely normal for anti-depressants to induce physical dependency.
3. Benzos are safe, effective and a really 'clean' drug. They are proven by decades of use to be so.
4. There has been a huge and aggressive campaign to unfairly malign benzos. Unfortunately, for people that can benefit from them, it has been very successful.
5. Oxazepam is a metabolite of Diazepam and is a good drug to start with for anxiety. It has a medium length of action. It has no active metabolites.
6. If your doctor won't prescribe benzos for anxiety, try and find one that will.

Hope this helps.

I'll also say that this is bullshit. There's no reason to take benzos if you can control your symptoms with less addictive alternatives. Benzos are one the most addictive drugs you can take with the some of the worst WD in terms of physical symptoms.

I do think they have a place for controlling anxiety, but it's irresponsible to say that they're the only real option for treating anxiety. Every one is different, and different people respond differently to different medications....

If OP had good luck with promethazine, they should probably try other antihistamines. I second Keeping's suggestion. Hydroxyzine would probably be the most logical alternative

 

[Jabberwocky]

Some people even use diphenhydramine to control their anxiety.

 

[incal]

I use it for sleep all the time. It is not a prescription only medication. In UK promethazine is available OTC as Sominex. If you are lucky even the generic variety can be obtained OTC it is hayfever season!. Also it is readily available on the many online UK pharmacies just keep changing the online vendor some will sell one pack of 56 others multiple packets, just google it.
Kind regards

 

[Drug Truth Aust]

I'll also say that this is bullshit. There's no reason to take benzos if you can control your symptoms with less addictive alternatives. Benzos are one the most addictive drugs you can take with the some of the worst WD in terms of physical symptoms.

I do think they have a place for controlling anxiety, but it's irresponsible to say that they're the only real option for treating anxiety. Every one is different, and different people respond differently to different medications....

If OP had good luck with promethazine, they should probably try other antihistamines. I second Keeping's suggestion. Hydroxyzine would probably be the most logical alternative

For a moderator to refer to my post as "bullshit" is not good behaviour on the part of a moderator in my opinion. The two posts criticising mine on the basis that benzos are 'addictive' unfortunately show that writer's misunderstanding of the subject. Benzos are not in any way more likely than other medications to induce physical dependence. As I said, anti-depressants are almost guaranteed to induce physical dependence. Nobody rants and raves infinitum about this. It is one thing to uncritically accept how a drug is portrayed in the media and another to think critically about the reasons why a medication might be portrayed in an undeserved fashion. Benzos are safe and effective for anxiety and have been proven as such over decades of use. They obviously work on the correct receptor system. To recommend or encourage drugs that are not appropriate and not truly effective for anxiety is irresponsible. To portray a safe and effective drug as anything else, is also irresponsible. A drug other than a benzo will only ever be a hoax in terms of treating anxiety and quite likely impose many unwanted side-effects on the user. As regards 'stillkickin's alleged experience, in the vast majority of cases the following is what occurs. A person with an anxiety disorder takes benzos and they are effective. They hear before or after commencing the medication about a supposed exaggerated (incorrect) capacity of the medication for inducing physical dependence. They then cease the medication. The pre-existing anxiety returns, but is it incorrectly attributed to withdrawal from benzos. This incorrect theory is then enthusiastically disseminated via internet forums. Multiply many times and thereby, an enduring myth is perpetuated. And who ultimately suffers? The person that cannot get correct anti-anxiety medication prescribed (benzodiazepines).

 

[Kaden_Nite]

Moderators have just as much right to call bullshit as anyone else. If you are going to make misguided and potentially dangerous claims then it would actually be irresponsible not to challenge your claims and I would consider bullshit to be the correct nomenclature.

In my opinion, your username and posts both seem to indicate an agenda and a sense that you know something others don't. There are lots of educated and experienced posters on Bluelight and you might just be able to learn something if you choose to listen.


Good day.

 

[spacejunk]

The reason benzos are dangerous is not that they are especially addictive - it's the fact that withdrawing from them can be extremely dangerous - even fatal.
As a former benzo addict who has suffered terrifying seizures and psychosis from abrupt cessation of benzodiazepines, i recommend people stay away from them wherever possible.
They are addictive, and it's a nasty addiction indeed.
There are large chunks of my life - from my benzo period - that i have no memory of. They're not benign drugs, and people talking about how risky they are to use regularly are not perpetuating a myth or spreading false information.

 

[Ignio]

There are different antihistamines similar to Promethazine: Clemastine, Diphenhydramine, Meclizine and Hydroxyzine.
However, they are not exactly like Promethazine but you can see if they are available to you and if they help on your anxiety.

Are you in therapy to address the reasons for your anxiety? Medication alone is not enough.

 

[samadhitrance21]

I've haven doing Mindfull Aproach Therapy, I've been doing CBT therape or just a general chat with my psychologist. Currently I'm on Lorazepam, that's what they gave me instead of promethazine. I'm also on Sertraline 200mg a day.

 

[d1nach]

I also have large parts of my life i have no memory of from xanax 3 mg per day.most of highschool is a blur.

 

[Drug Truth Aust]

The reason benzos are dangerous is not that they are especially addictive - it's the fact that withdrawing from them can be extremely dangerous - even fatal.
As a former benzo addict who has suffered terrifying seizures and psychosis from abrupt cessation of benzodiazepines, i recommend people stay away from them wherever possible.
They are addictive, and it's a nasty addiction indeed.
There are large chunks of my life - from my benzo period - that i have no memory of. They're not benign drugs, and people talking about how risky they are to use regularly are not perpetuating a myth or spreading false information.

Benzodiazepines are not 'risky' to use regularly at genuine therapeutic doses and thousands of people with chronic anxiety rely on this medication class to make their lives bearable. This and other forums are littered with people that are taking or have taken a benzo and mis-attribute anxiety symptoms (when they have not taken sufficient medication) or the return of anxiety symptoms (on cessation of the medication) to 'withdrawal'. They do this in part due to having read misinformed and false accounts alleging benzo's propensity for 'addiction' and subsequent 'withdrawal'. It snowballs from there. You have no basis or right to 'recommend people stay away from them wherever possible'. 'Seizures' are possible on abrupt cessation of extreme alcohol or benzo use. This and other forums commonly have people conveying their worry about having 'seizures' from low dose therapeutic use. This is an indication of the corrosive effect of anti-benzo propaganda and other such misinformed comment.

 

[Jabberwocky]

To make benzodiazepine use out to be totally unproblematic is not very responsible or accurate though. It's a potent medication after all, with a very serious withdrawal syndrome. I'm not speaking to their efficacy when used properly, because no doubt they are a huge benefit to many people. But it's no panacea, just as it isn't as forgiving as something as cannabis.

 

[JohnDoe35]

Benzodiazepines are extremely addictive medicines and the withdrawals are worse than with opiates IMO.

Have you tried taking propranalol for when you have anxiety attacks? It works by reducing your physical symptoms, heart racing etc and is part of a group of drugs called beta blockers. They are very safe and are the best non addictive medicine to be used for attacks.

 

[stillkickin]

For a moderator to refer to my post as "bullshit" is not good behaviour on the part of a moderator in my opinion. The two posts criticising mine on the basis that benzos are 'addictive' unfortunately show that writer's misunderstanding of the subject. Benzos are not in any way more likely than other medications to induce physical dependence. As I said, anti-depressants are almost guaranteed to induce physical dependence. Nobody rants and raves infinitum about this. It is one thing to uncritically accept how a drug is portrayed in the media and another to think critically about the reasons why a medication might be portrayed in an undeserved fashion. Benzos are safe and effective for anxiety and have been proven as such over decades of use. They obviously work on the correct receptor system. To recommend or encourage drugs that are not appropriate and not truly effective for anxiety is irresponsible. To portray a safe and effective drug as anything else, is also irresponsible. A drug other than a benzo will only ever be a hoax in terms of treating anxiety and quite likely impose many unwanted side-effects on the user. As regards 'stillkickin's alleged experience, in the vast majority of cases the following is what occurs. A person with an anxiety disorder takes benzos and they are effective. They hear before or after commencing the medication about a supposed exaggerated (incorrect) capacity of the medication for inducing physical dependence. They then cease the medication. The pre-existing anxiety returns, but is it incorrectly attributed to withdrawal from benzos. This incorrect theory is then enthusiastically disseminated via internet forums. Multiply many times and thereby, an enduring myth is perpetuated. And who ultimately suffers? The person that cannot get correct anti-anxiety medication prescribed (benzodiazepines).

Benzos ARE in fact IMO the most effective medication for treating acute anxiety. That I don't believe is being argued at all here. The dangers of benzos is what you're catching trouble for as you're minimizing it, which should NOT be done. Sure, I guess it's fair to say my "alleged experience", but it still comes off as condescending. The way the brain so rapidly changes to regulate GABA when you introduce benzos to your regular diet is what makes them so problematic beyond the mental addiction side. My story with benzos is not one of abuse, but strictly following (albeit very poor) advisement from doctors primarily for insomnia.

I do not advocate the use of benzos beyond trying to manage acute anxiety symptoms, and not for any type of prolonged use. Talking a couple weeks at max, in which case I still believe you'll be at a significant risk for rebound anxiety if not a bit of actual w/d symptoms. This class of drug is nothing to be trifled with. The general consensus of countless members who have walked these roads personally agree. I think that speaks volumes in contrast to anything you've submitted for review.

For the record, I still maintain a script for alprazolam for "just in case" scenarios. Any more than 1-2x/week has proven to be problematic as far as kindling effects from past dependence. I (unfortunately) very much know the difference between rebound anxiety and a physical dependence withdrawal.

Sorry to bump a thread that's been inactive for almost a week, just hadn't been logged on in a bit and when I'm referenced by name, I at least need to respond.