Benzos What anxiolytic/benzodiazepine medication(s) have you found to be most helpful/effective for severe anxiety?

[ivorymoon]

I used to take 3 mg of Xanax a day but I moved to AZ and started seeing a new doctor. She isn't willing to give me even a small dose of Xanax. She did, however, prescribe me 1 mg of Klonopin a day (which is the maximum she's willing to give me) but I've found it doesn't seem to be very helpful, even when I take it sublingually.

I'm so fucking sick of suffering and I really want to ask her to switch me to something else but I don't know what.

If it helps to know, I take Suboxone tablets (addiction treatment), Elavil (for sleep), Klonopin (for anxiety/panic), Clonidine (for anxiety/panic), Lamictal (for depression), Lexapro (for anxiety/depression), Vyvanse (for extreme exhaustion/concentration/focus/mood enhancer), and Enskyce (birth control)

I'm hoping to hear particularly from those of you who are familiar with benzodiazepines but I'm truly open to hearing from anyone and genuinely grateful for any and all input.
Thank you.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

Now I don't know your backstory, but my immediate reaction from looking at what your taking is that you should be taking less drugs not more.

What non-pharmaceutical treatments/techniques do you use for controlling your anxiety?

 

[ivorymoon]

Now I don't know your backstory, but my immediate reaction from looking at what your taking is that you should be taking less drugs not more.

What non-pharmaceutical treatments/techniques do you use for controlling your anxiety?

I can't recall the term for this but I've tried many, many, many different medications over the years and they all either caused extreme adverse side effects/reactions (for example, I was prescribed Seroquel back in 2014 and it sent me into a horrific and terrifying year long psychosis) or they straight up provided zero theraputic value.

I hate being on so many medications but this is the closest I've been to finding the right "cocktail" of medications ever since I've been trying to manage my mental health (14 years). I'm actually looking to take something in place of Klonopin, not along with it. I realize that still means I'm on a shitton of meds but I just wanted to clarify. I wasn't sure if you thought I meant I wanted to add another med on top of the kpins.

I utilize breathing techniques, visualization, coloring, journaling, playing guitar/listening to music, and I attend group therapy and 1-on-1 therapy. In my solo therapy sessions, my therapist has been using EMDR sessions.

I'm sort of at a loss of what else to do other than keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully finding an anxiety medication that's more beneficial than Klonopin. I used to be prescribed Gabapentin as well but I recently decided to stop taking it because it doesn't seem to provide anxiety relief in the least.

 

[OpiateKiller]

Now I don't know your backstory, but my immediate reaction from looking at what your taking is that you should be taking less drugs not more.

What non-pharmaceutical treatments/techniques do you use for controlling your anxiety?

This. I hate to say it but if I was your doctor I would be hesitant to write you a benzo script too. If you die from an overdose (which is possible from even just the meds you’re on now) that doctor is potentially liable. Benzos and opiates shouldn’t be prescribed together period. There’s really nothing more to be said about it.

I’m not a fan of antidepressants and I mean don’t you think if you’re on one you shouldn’t need fast acting anxiety relief? Isn’t the whole point of them to help you control depression and anxiety?

I’m not trying to be mean or harsh here this isn’t what you want to hear, but I mean good luck finding a doctor who will, I sure as hell wouldn’t write that script.

you’re better off buying them illegally.. if you really feel 100% you need them and can’t survive without them.

 

[OpiateKiller]

But the most relieving benzo I find to be diazepam, it just sinks with my brain makeup the best.

 

[Iceman1216]

I must agree with what has been said already, that I feel you will have a tough time getting any additional medications prescribed to the cocktail you already have!! I Think you may nee to do a taper and reevaluate your medical treatment from as close to Clean as you can get?? Looks to me that you Fell in to the Hay day of over prescriptions, and less expensive treatments ( give a Pill)

 

[SAT4N_420]

I don't have a lot of experience with benzos, but etizolam is pretty amazing, although depending on where you live you might not be able to get a prescription for it. That said, it would be ideal if you avoided using benzos as a long term solution. Is Lexapro working for your depression? If it's not then trying another antidepressant that works for both your depression and anxiety might be a much better option than having to rely on benzos.

 

[Quickfixgrrl]

It took me a long time to find complete anxiety relief. I was taking various pills in the hopes of finding some relief; my anxiety and depression was extremely debilitating; I could no longer work and when my world came crushing down (I believe I had a nervous breakdown) I swapped and changed meds as nothing seemed to work. I was suicidal.
Finally my doctor and I found the perfect combination.. I swapped my SSRI (Lexapro and then Zoloft) to Efexor (an SNRI). We added a low dose mood stabilizer, Quetiapine and I take 1.5mg of Clonazepam a day. This was in the midst of one of the toughest emotional periods of my life. I literally went from being unable to leave my bed, having full blown anxiety attacks where my entire body shook and I needed to be physically held for relief, crying all day and dry heaving from the sheer severity of the mental torment to feeling like a human again. It only took 2-3 weeks of starting this new combo to feel almost 100% better.
Best of luck. I feel you, it's horrendous.
The 1.5 Kpin helps keep me level most days, but I do find 2mg a better dose. I'm lucky enough to have a few spare each week (I'm dispensed 25 tablets every 7 days) for when I'm not responding to my presribed daily dose.

 

[Quickfixgrrl]

EDIT: sorry, I missed the part about your bad reaction to Seroquel. Have you looked into Mirtazapine?

 

[ivorymoon]

This. I hate to say it but if I was your doctor I would be hesitant to write you a benzo script too. If you die from an overdose (which is possible from even just the meds you’re on now) that doctor is potentially liable. Benzos and opiates shouldn’t be prescribed together period. There’s really nothing more to be said about it.

I’m not a fan of antidepressants and I mean don’t you think if you’re on one you shouldn’t need fast acting anxiety relief? Isn’t the whole point of them to help you control depression and anxiety?

I’m not trying to be mean or harsh here this isn’t what you want to hear, but I mean good luck finding a doctor who will, I sure as hell wouldn’t write that script.

you’re better off buying them illegally.. if you really feel 100% you need them and can’t survive without them.

No, I know you aren't coming from a malicious place. I truly appreciate you being very matter-of-fact. Yeah, it would certainly be ideal if the antidepressants I'm taking actually completely alleviated my symptoms but they don't. It almost makes me wonder whether or not I should even keep taking the lexapro. I've continued to take it though because it did seem to help my anxiety, though it was extremely minimally, and it helped my depression a bit but it wasn't helping enough on its own so that's when the Lamictal was added. The lamictal helped a great deal, it's kept me from falling into severe, deep bouts of depression but it doesn't help my anxiety at all.
The Clonidine seems to work pretty well in sync with the Klonopin but my anxiety is still at a debilitating level. I HAVE to get a job ASAP but I'm absolutely terrified of doing so because the last time I worked was 2016.
When I fell into psychosis, I tried SO hard to continue working but it got to the point that I would have a severe panic attack at the end of every shift (luckily I closed the store down by myself) and I lost all cognitive functions so I couldn't figure out what order to do things in due to losing all sense of logic/common sense and I couldn't manage to count the register and do a cash drop at the end of my shift. It was just BAD. I managed to hold down a few jobs after I lost that job but never for long. Shit doesn't doesn't come easy to me anymore so I feel incredibly incompetent which only adds to the anxiety I already have.

Sorry, I didn't mean to pour out a novel on you. I'm just so desperate for help and so scared.

 

[MJ420]

Don't listen to strangers online and stop any of your drugs. Your doctor put you on them so these people saying you're on to much don't know what they are talking about

 

[MJ420]

This. I hate to say it but if I was your doctor I would be hesitant to write you a benzo script too. If you die from an overdose (which is possible from even just the meds you’re on now) that doctor is potentially liable. Benzos and opiates shouldn’t be prescribed together period. There’s really nothing more to be said about it.

I’m not a fan of antidepressants and I mean don’t you think if you’re on one you shouldn’t need fast acting anxiety relief? Isn’t the whole point of them to help you control depression and anxiety?

I’m not trying to be mean or harsh here this isn’t what you want to hear, but I mean good luck finding a doctor who will, I sure as hell wouldn’t write that script.

you’re better off buying them illegally.. if you really feel 100% you need them and can’t survive without them.

I've been on benzos and opiates for years. Only dangerous if you take to many. Good thing you're not a doctor because alot would suffer

 

[chrispche]

But the most relieving benzo I find to be diazepam, it just sinks with my brain makeup the best.

Agreed, it's long acting. Less addictive and packs a long punch. No other Benzo's have come close to providing me relief from my anxiety. I take about 30mg every two weeks or so. I don't feel the need to dose up every day. When I tried Alprazolam it was like, what I assume to be the Benzo equivalent of crack. Far too moreish and very very short acting. I'd never recommend it. It's not even on the NHS here in the UK. It's not considered safe.

 

[OpiateKiller]

I've been on benzos and opiates for years. Only dangerous if you take to many. Good thing you're not a doctor because alot would suffer

Are you stupid? Clearly offended and unintelligent.

I’d be a great doctor you dumbass, I never told her to stop taking anything.

To the OP - I’m sorry you’re going through this. Your doctor most likely will be willing to change to diazepam it’s long acting and less addicting. if you think you can taper off the lexapro I would suggest it! But only if you’re ready.

I want to suggest you try some natural supplements like magnesium chelate, 4x the recommended dose. Works wonders for anxiety.

 

[MJ420]

I found clonzep

Are you stupid? Clearly offended and unintelligent.

I’d be a great doctor you dumbass, I never told her to stop taking anything.

To the OP - I’m sorry you’re going through this. Your doctor most likely will be willing to change to diazepam it’s long acting and less addicting. if you think you can taper off the lexapro I would suggest it! But only if you’re ready.

I want to suggest you try some natural supplements like magnesium chelate, 4x the recommended dose. Works wonders for anxiety.

Why stupid? A lot of people are prescribed both at the same time. You would make people suffer needlessly by being scared. Natural don't work. Don't be a medical doctor. Sell herbs because you're very uneducated on both being prescribed. I would have to take a weeks worth of both to come close to an od . You really don't know what you're talking about.
As a doctor you would have me on natural shit that would do nothing for my anxiety. Don't go into the medical field so ignorant

 

[MJ420]

Are you stupid? Clearly offended and unintelligent.

I’d be a great doctor you dumbass, I never told her to stop taking anything.

To the OP - I’m sorry you’re going through this. Your doctor most likely will be willing to change to diazepam it’s long acting and less addicting. if you think you can taper off the lexapro I would suggest it! But only if you’re ready.

I want to suggest you try some natural supplements like magnesium chelate, 4x the recommended dose. Works wonders for anxiety.

And i guarantee I know more on this subject than you so don't call me uneducated when it's you who is wrong

 

[OpiateKiller]

I found clonzep



Why stupid? A lot of people are prescribed both at the same time. You would make people suffer needlessly by being scared. Natural don't work. Don't be a medical doctor. Sell herbs because you're very uneducated on both being prescribed. I would have to take a weeks worth of both to come close to an od . You really don't know what you're talking about.
As a doctor you would have me on natural shit that would do nothing for my anxiety. Don't go into the medical field so ignorant

you sir are an absolute dumbass.

“natural doesn’t work”

does that fucking weed plant you smoke get you high? I wouldn’t be scared dumbass I would prescribe whatever i deemed necessary.

I don’t listen to the FDA bullshit advice on prescriptions, I make my own.