Anti-Depresents & Anti-Anxiety pills Need some info and thoughts

[Devin2493]

OK, Well heres a short back ground on me, I have been depressed (Very Chronicly) for as long as I remember, I also have major anxiety problems (mosty with social situations) Ive had a few anxiety attacks. I also have OCD, and maybe Bi-Polar (Im getting a phsc eval right now) Ive been on Flouxetine and celexa Niether made ANY difference AT ALL. Ive been lookin into trying to change to either Xanax or Zoloft. Any thoughts on how to try to talk to my phsyciatrist about switching meds... PS Ive had a past of chemical abuse, but I have NO intention for abusing my meds, Im trying to get my life back in order, Thanks for taking the time to read all of this

 

[Devin2493]

PS PS, Forgot to mention the Major insomnia, Ive been perscribed.... Ughhh cant think of the name, but I had huge side-effects from it (I no longer take it) TRAZADONE thats it lol

 

[phatass]

i advise you to stay away from benzos if possible... they are so addictive and hard to stop... so your possibillities that come to my mind are...

Seroquel (quetiapine) for sleep start at 100mg before bed, and slowly go up to 400mg if you have serious insomnia

Atarax (Hydroxyzine) for anxiety 100mg 3 times a day

Lyrica (Pregabalin) for anxiety with a MAXIMUM dosage of 100mg 3 times per day

Ludiomil (Maprotiline) or Effexor (Venlafaxine) for depression (since you've tried SSRI's but not SNRI's...) they are for "Major depression" for Ludiomil you should start at 75mg and up your dose until you're "where you need to be" for Effexor start at 37.5mg and up your dosage bit by bit, it will take 3 to 4 weeks for it to start working... These AD's are meant to help for Major depression, Insomnia and anxiety....

I won't comment on the bi-polar medication since you're not even sure you're bi-polar... and if you were i think you or someone around you would have noticed because bi-polar people have manic episodes, which are hard to miss, your girlfriend, parents or friends would have noticed if you had manic episodes so i doubt you're bi-polar... BUT i could be completely wrong....

suggest these medications to your doctor... do your own research on them... and keep us posted on your progress...

 

[ro4eva]

I'm gonna go ahead and recommend Xanax. It's the one medication that worked for my Panic Disorder. Previous to Xanax, I tried about 8 other medications (SSRIs, neuroleptics, SNRIs but not any benzos) with no success. The best medication other than Xanax for me was Zoloft.

I have been on the same dosage of Xanax for the past 5 years now, and it has not lost its theraputic effect and I have not had to up my dosage.

One Warning - Benzos produce a physical dependency that can be dangerous to withdraw cold turkey from. Unlike opiates, benzo withdrawal can actually kill you.

 

[phatass]

^^one step at a time... if the hydroxyzine SNRI's and pregabalin don't work, then consider benzos, but be aware of what you're getting into.... benzo withdrawl is hell... and it can leave you worse off after benzo withdrawl than when you started anxiety wise

 

[BabyGurl3171]

I won't comment on the bi-polar medication since you're not even sure you're bi-polar... and if you were i think you or someone around you would have noticed because bi-polar people have manic episodes, which are hard to miss, your girlfriend, parents or friends would have noticed if you had manic episodes so i doubt you're bi-polar... BUT i could be completely wrong....

Not saying you're wrong, but I've been diagnosed bi-polar after 10 good yrs, at least, of mania spells and not one fricken person in my family or group of friends ever mentioned it to me or brought it up. Everyone always tried to please me and actually made excuses for me so I wouldn't be held accountable. Just recently I've accepted the bi-polar...okay, well almost

As for the OP: Xanax is a good drug for panic/anxiety. I've been on them a little over a year now. I have had to up my dosage and they're very addictive though. I just recently realized how bad withdrawal from them suck and I hope I never go through it again.

For the depression, I take Effexor XR and Geodon (which also helps with bi-polar).

For sleep I take Neurontin and Trazodone.

 

[grimmo]

i advise you to stay away from benzos if possible... they are so addictive and hard to stop... so your possibillities that come to my mind are...

Seroquel (quetiapine) for sleep start at 100mg before bed, and slowly go up to 400mg if you have serious insomnia

Atarax (Hydroxyzine) for anxiety 100mg 3 times a day

Lyrica (Pregabalin) for anxiety with a MAXIMUM dosage of 100mg 3 times per day

Ludiomil (Maprotiline) or Effexor (Venlafaxine) for depression (since you've tried SSRI's but not SNRI's...) they are for "Major depression" for Ludiomil you should start at 75mg and up your dose until you're "where you need to be" for Effexor start at 37.5mg and up your dosage bit by bit, it will take 3 to 4 weeks for it to start working... These AD's are meant to help for Major depression, Insomnia and anxiety....

I won't comment on the bi-polar medication since you're not even sure you're bi-polar... and if you were i think you or someone around you would have noticed because bi-polar people have manic episodes, which are hard to miss, your girlfriend, parents or friends would have noticed if you had manic episodes so i doubt you're bi-polar... BUT i could be completely wrong....

suggest these medications to your doctor... do your own research on them... and keep us posted on your progress...

Very similar to my regime except I have moclobemide instead of an SSRI/SNRI. I have quetiapine to sleep and hydroxizine for dealing with some daytime anxiety.

Today I've added pregabalin to the mix (self medication) at a dose of 450mg and I feel so much better. Alive and not self conscious walking down the street or doing normal things.

I had a script for pregabalin a while ago but the dose was too low at 150mg twice a day. Much more effective in higher doses for me.

I might ask about possible high dose regimes.

 

[drug_FUCKED]

Avoid Lyrica like you would avoid benzos

 

[retard]

Why is Lyrica the new anti anxiety drug? I heard someone saying they are really not better than benzo's. My favorite benzo is clonazepam. Oh and why is Lyrica not hard to stop and benzo's are? It doesn't make sense to me.

Also benzo withdrawal is not hell if you taper off. (like many don't do that)

All meds that produce strong anti-anxiety effects are hard to stop without tapering off. Even Paxil or Effexor.

 

[Soap MacTavish]

I would not recommend jumping head first into the benzo scene at all. They kinda stop working after a very short time and tolerance builds within days or weeks. A couple-few months later and taper down or not that's a nightmare. Especially if you've already proven you have addictive personality type. You might want to try Lexapro. It's a newer and (I think) pretty much the purest best SSRI I have ever tried, I am actually happy on it with very little to no negativism, it makes me pro-social, works on social anxiety and regular anxiety, and I don't have an endless weight of fear soaking into my heart anymore, pretty much a miracle really. And with no Benzo required. I think I may have tried them almost all SSRI's they were all hellish and nightmarish except this one. Well, Remeron wasn't bad but it sure didn't work either. On Lexapro I can still have good sex and orgasms no problem. The first week Lexapro is like speed, then after that it sets in to your metabolism and at the 6 week point you are feeling almost like every day is Friday. I mean, not necessarily euphoric, but yeah, I feel amazingly happy for the first time in my 35 year life.

The answer is always just talking your psychiatrist, hopefully you have a kind-hearted one that can appreciate your viewpoints.

 

[qwe]

^ how long have you been on it?

has anyone noticed the anti anxiety effects of ssri's wane down after being on them for years?

 

[Supeudol]

i advise you to stay away from benzos if possible... they are so addictive and hard to stop... so your possibillities that come to my mind are...

Seroquel (quetiapine) for sleep start at 100mg before bed, and slowly go up to 400mg if you have serious insomnia

Atarax (Hydroxyzine) for anxiety 100mg 3 times a day

Lyrica (Pregabalin) for anxiety with a MAXIMUM dosage of 100mg 3 times per day

Ludiomil (Maprotiline) or Effexor (Venlafaxine) for depression (since you've tried SSRI's but not SNRI's...) they are for "Major depression" for Ludiomil you should start at 75mg and up your dose until you're "where you need to be" for Effexor start at 37.5mg and up your dosage bit by bit, it will take 3 to 4 weeks for it to start working... These AD's are meant to help for Major depression, Insomnia and anxiety....

I won't comment on the bi-polar medication since you're not even sure you're bi-polar... and if you were i think you or someone around you would have noticed because bi-polar people have manic episodes, which are hard to miss, your girlfriend, parents or friends would have noticed if you had manic episodes so i doubt you're bi-polar... BUT i could be completely wrong....

suggest these medications to your doctor... do your own research on them... and keep us posted on your progress...

^^
Excellent post. Couldn't have said it any better.

 

[Devin2493]

So its been awhile since Ive posted this but I was FINALLY perscribed Effexor, but I have extreme nausea after taking it BabyGurl3171 how do you prevent the nausea after taking it?
Its my first week I was started at 75mg once daily for 1 week then one tab twice daily I think its working so far Thanks for keeping up on this guys

 

[pr0d1gy]

Lyrica withdrawals are just as bad as Benzodiazapine withdrawals, not like you would actually get prescribed lyrica for anxiety.

Seroquel will probably end up fucking you up more then benzos long term (once again no one prescribes seroquel for anxiety)

SNRI's probably won't do much good either not to mention that in my opinion they too are no better for you then benzos.

Xanax maybe the thing for you, but taking benzos chronically obviously will take you to a bad place. Wellbutrin is not to bad i hear, I have no experience with it but it is supposed to be good for anxiety and have less side effects than SNRIs and SSRIs

 

[unsettled]

EVERYONE responds differently to all of these medications, after years of self medicating (I still self medicate, just not as much) I finally went to a Psychiatrist and tried a bunch of different meds until I found the ones that work best for me.

SSRI's never worked for me, Effexor didn't help me either it made me worse actually. Wellbutrin worked amazingly for almost a year.

I ended up Klonopin, for anxiety, Ritalin for depression/ADD issues and Ambien for sleep. I was already addicted to benzos prescribed to me by my GP before I saw they Pdoc, otherwise I would have tried to avoid them. However Klonopin works well for me when I stay on a consistent low dose.

If you find that you need medication for depression and anxiety issues I've found it's best to find a good psych, be completely honest with them and realize that it's a process that may take awhile. Also always do your own research regarding meds.

 

[Lazyscience]

i dont really think there is a chemical solution to the problem. i think you have to get to the root of your problem and change your life accordingly.

 

[ro4eva]

Well there isn't a chemical solution in terms of something that will cure you. For me (for example), Xanax is just (and I may be Mr. Obvious over here) a 6-12 hour band-aid. I will say one thing though about addiction to Xanax. I have been on it for about 5 years now and have been able to properly dose myself. There have been a couple of times when I ran out because I forgot to call my Doc before he went on vacation to call my pharmacy for refills. Due to the fact that I ran out, obviously I went through withdrawals which are horrible. To get back to my point though: There is a difference between dependence and addiction. A person who legitimately has severe anxiety and/or panic attacks and properly takes his/her medication should not be branded an addict but someone who is dependent on the drug. At the same time though, be careful because Xanax and other benzos can cause abnormal drug seeking behavior and unwarranted dosage escalation of your prescribed benzo, however, if you legitimately need the drug, this is not common. If you don't need it, yes it is common to abuse it. That's the only reason I'm still on Xanax after 5 years, because my pharmacy and doctor have seen that I don't call in for early refills or run out too soon. And no I don't buy any off the street.

 

[Devin2493]

Im doin alot of thing to change my life, and besides the nausea I thing the Effexor is helping too.

 

[Lolie]

Im doin alot of thing to change my life, and besides the nausea I thing the Effexor is helping too.

A lot of common side effects pass after the first few weeks - that and the fact that most anti-depressants take several weeks to give their full benefit is one reason why doctors won't switch you to different meds for a while.

The benefits/side effects experience for each individual person on different meds is often radically different. What works for someone else may not work for you and vice versa. And every medication has its trade-offs.

One thing to remember when it comes to treatment of things like anxiety is that the aim of treatment isn't that you should never feel any anxiety again - it's to reduce your anxiety to normal, manageable levels and to teach you how to handle uncomfortable emotions.

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

I am prescribed Lyrica for my anxiety and it works very well. I take 75 mg three times a day.

It is completely different than Benzodiazepines. It sets you body up to reduce noradrenaline, and substance P. It also strengthens the process in which GABA is made.

Benzodiazepines only affect the Benzodiazepine receptors on the GABA-A receptor strengthening the response of GABA on these receptors.

Lyrica does not work as a positive allosteric modulator, it acts as a production enhancer of GABA. This means it enhances the amount of GABA produced, indirectly enhancing response not though activation of an allosteric site on the protein like benzodiazepines.

So only naturally since it causes more GABA to be made. It enhances ALL GABA activity within the brain.

It gives a similar response to direct GABA injections in the brain, without injecting of course.