Mental Health Stelazine (Trifluoperazine) 15mg. Is it good for anxiety?

[raccoon1988]

Hi fellas, i have the following problem. I will try to keep the post short. The last 2-3 months I've been extremely suspicious everyday on the road. I believe that people will attack me or rob me. When i see big crowds downtown i'm afraid that riots will begin (i live in Greece, so riots are quite common). Today, i saw two guys with their faces painted white and i thought they were about to rob me (inside the subway). Another day, a beggar threatened to beat me up because i told him to leave and let me do my job(i was delivering flyers outside the subway) and my heart went to 200 BPM. I must mention that i've been under extreme pressure and stress everyday because of the college and work. Too much work to do, in too little time with deadlines approaching. Besides general anxiety, i suffer from approach anxiety with the opposite sex. (i'm male 30 y.o). Many times i believe that if i approach i girl i like she will offend me badly. I know its all in my head but there is no way i can calm down and live a normal life. I'm tired of being afraid to go out.

Question #1) Regarding ALL things i mentioned before , do you believe it is anxiety or psychotic symptoms?
Question #2) I have a few Stelazine pills, 15mg controlled release. Do you think they will help me calm down? I have read that Stelazine causes many extra-pyramidal symptoms and i dont have Akineton to neutralize these symptoms.

P.S, If there is anyone here with any experience regarding Stelazine, i would greatly appreciate any information or advice

 

[CFC]

Question #1) Regarding ALL things i mentioned before , do you believe it is anxiety or psychotic symptoms?

You're describing paranoia, and that can result from either, both or neither. No one can diagnose something like that over the internet based on a few sentences of typing though unfortunately

Question #2) I have a few Stelazine pills, 15mg controlled release. Do you think they will help me calm down? I have read that Stelazine causes many extra-pyramidal symptoms and i dont have Akineton to neutralize these symptoms.

It 'works' in the sense it is prescribed for GAD, can be helpful, and has been demonstrated to work versus placebo (eg here and here for general reviews). You're right to think of the side-effects though, not just extrapyramidal but mostly lethargy and somnolence.

I think you would do better going to a doctor, getting your symptoms properly assessed, and then seeking treatment with something more modern with fewer sides than an antipsychotic.

 

[raccoon1988]

I think you would do better going to a doctor, getting your symptoms properly assessed, and then seeking treatment with something more modern with fewer sides than an antipsychotic.

I took a pill and felt a bit better, i fear less than before. I will soon have Tavor ( Lorazepam ). Its a quite modern anxiolytic. Do you think it would work better than antipsychotics? My doctor said, i suffer from anxiety, not psychosis. However, i have been through two psychotic episodes because of ketamine and weed. He said that it was a toxic emotional disorder and not schizophrenia or psychotic syndrome. He wants to put me OFF every medication i currently take. I take Abilify 10mg and Lamictal 100mg. I will see tommorow how suspicious i will be on the street. Also, tommorow i have an apointment with my doc. I will tell him everything !! Thanks for the quick reply mate

 

[CFC]

Yeah, I think you need to work with your doctor/specialists on this mate. You seem to have quite a bit going on mentally given your medications. You're already on one antipsychotic (aripiprazole); it's not usually a good idea to take two at the same time.

Lorazepam may work very well for your anxiety but it is physically addictive and comes with its own set of long-term dependence issues that can be a nightmare to deal with.

You may find something like pregabalin (a gabapentinoid), which causes less physical dependence, a little more useful if you require long-term treatment.

Also therapies like CBT have been shown to be helpful, especially in cases of thought disorder/paranoia, so that might be valuable to pursue at the same time as receiving drug treatment.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I took a pill and felt a bit better, i fear less than before. I will soon have Tavor ( Lorazepam ). Its a quite modern anxiolytic. Do you think it would work better than antipsychotics? My doctor said, i suffer from anxiety, not psychosis. However, i have been through two psychotic episodes because of ketamine and weed. He said that it was a toxic emotional disorder and not schizophrenia or psychotic syndrome. He wants to put me OFF every medication i currently take. I take Abilify 10mg and Lamictal 100mg. I will see tommorow how suspicious i will be on the street. Also, tommorow i have an apointment with my doc. I will tell him everything !! Thanks for the quick reply mate

The lorazepam (tavor) will help.

 

[raccoon1988]

Thank you guys. In a few hours im seeing my doc. He might prescribe me a different benzo. Im sure it is about social phobia and general anxiety. I have to go out to see if i still fear ! Ill be back in the afternoon with news

 

[raccoon1988]

Hi everyone, im back from the doctor. He told me that Stelazine would work better than benzos as it is not addictive, and in such dosage (15 mg) its anxiolytic, not antipsychotic. However, im wondering whether i should take it in the morning or before bed time. Have you guys got any idea?

 

[Limpet_Chicken]

'because it isn't addictive' does NOT mean 'will work better' at ALL, thats just horse shit because doctors don't like scripting benzos. An antipsychotic is a downright rotten choice for anxiety IMO. Something like pregabalin (better than gabapentin, because there isn't a ceiling on absorption via the stomach). Any antipsychotic is a totally shite choice.

 

[CFC]

If your doc's reasoning is to replace the abilify with stelazine since you're on an antipsychotic anyway, then it would certainly be worth giving it a go. You can always go back to your doctor and try other options if it doesn't help.

I'd take morning personally, but see how it feels.

 

[d1nach]

Im not a doctor but i thought maybe this might be worth asking about because it seems to my college dropout brain 15 mg is a theraputic dose for schizphrenia

"Usual Adult Dose for Schizophrenia
Initial dose: 2 to 5 mg orally 2 times a day
Maintenance dose: 15 to 20 mg/day
Maximum dose: 40 mg/day

Comment:
-Most patients should reach therapeutic levels in 2 to 3 weeks.

Use: Management of schizophrenia

Usual Adult Dose for Anxiety
Recommended dose: 1 to 2 mg orally 2 times a day
Maximum dose: 6 mg/day
Duration of therapy: Up to 12 weeks"

Source drugs.com

Sooooooo

 

[CFC]

Yeah this is why us discussing this is a bit pointless really. He clearly has other issues or wouldn't already be on the meds he's on. He may have schizo, bipolar, or any number of things that his GP knows and we don't.

Either way, these are all issues for him to discuss moreso with his GP than us.

I'm going to move this to Mental Health as it's more appropriate there.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

It's a so-called "typical" antipsychotic, meaning largely that it's not a 5-HT2a antagonist, which is theorized to help with negative symptoms and make antipsychotic medication more tolerable.