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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Need some advice on medication.

WorldWarMe

WorldWarMe

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
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My mom just lost her car and she has sever anxiety attacks in certain situations like I do. When she gets on a bus she starts to have really bad anxiety attacks and since she has fibromyalgia when people bump into her/the bus jerks around a corner she starts to feel a lot of pain.

What would you recommend her take to help the situation? She's been prescribed Ativan before for anxiety but she stopped when she bought a car. She said the Ativan only lasted about an hour though, but she'll need a much longer lasting benzo (or something else) to take for bus rides (We live far away from stores and other things). She was wondering what benzo would provide strong anxiety relief with the least possible sedation. Does anyone have any recommendations? (Don't worry about daily use since she only takes the bus once a week, but it takes her multiple hours of riding).

She's going to the doctor in a week but wanted a few peoples opinions on what would be good for her along with the doctors opinion.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.
 
Clonazepam (Klonopin) used to work for me and my doc always liked it because it lasts quite a while. Its one of the longer duration benzos. It does take a while to kick in though so thats something to consider.
 
^It can be, when it was "sedating" to me I took it at bedtime... due to its long half life It gave me relief through the next day! Now that I have been on it so long it's not sedating at all... just does what it's supposed too. She might want to look into B12 sublingual tabs.. it helped out alot with my fibro. I am very sorry to hear about your moms health issues if you wanna talk I am here!

Valium I have found to be a godsend because it helps my anxiety and muscle pain. It multi tasks. Fish oil helps alot as well! Good luck and I hope your mother feels better!
 
I def reccomend clonazepam(klonopin). Im prescribed it for anxiety and find it works grreat. Not only because it is one of the longest acting benzo's but because I dont get too much of a sedative effect on it as long as im not taking more than prescribed. Depending on your moms condition she should probably take .5 mg's 2-4 times a day whenever she feels she will be in a situation that causes stress.
 
If you have any more questions at all feel free to PM me and I will be happy to answer.
 
I would say Klonopin fits the bill aside from the fact that it is fairly sedating. For the purpose of what's described here I might suggest .25mg I'm thinking they don't come at that dosage though so you may have to obtain a pill splitter.

Another option to consider might be valerian, though I would try just one capsule rather than the three the bottle recommends.

Hope everything works out well for her.
 
WorldWarMe said:
My mom just lost her car and she has sever anxiety attacks in certain situations like I do. When she gets on a bus she starts to have really bad anxiety attacks and since she has fibromyalgia when people bump into her/the bus jerks around a corner she starts to feel a lot of pain.

What would you recommend her take to help the situation? She's been prescribed Ativan before for anxiety but she stopped when she bought a car. She said the Ativan only lasted about an hour though, but she'll need a much longer lasting benzo (or something else) to take for bus rides (We live far away from stores and other things). She was wondering what benzo would provide strong anxiety relief with the least possible sedation. Does anyone have any recommendations? (Don't worry about daily use since she only takes the bus once a week, but it takes her multiple hours of riding).

She's going to the doctor in a week but wanted a few peoples opinions on what would be good for her along with the doctors opinion.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Personally I think that Lyrica would be ideal for her situation because she suffers fibromyalgia and anxiety, both that Lyrica "greatly" helps with. Also, it has a very long duration and the sedation is less than most benzodiazepines. In fact with all her symptoms, I believe Lyrica would be a better option than benzodiazepines. Although some people just want the benzodiazepines.

If she must, I'd recommend the combination of Lyrica and Klonopin. Works great for my fibromyalgia, anxiety and RLS. Klonopin has some of the least amount of sedation over other benzodiazepines and Lyrica isn't too sedating. The combo is incredible for the type of symptoms that your mother experiences.

I can't emphasis Lyrica enough. Long duration. Low sedation. Great for anxiety (especially social and generalized). Great for fibromyalgia. If you were to listen to the combo I recommended than she'd be started at a low dose range like 100-225mg/daily for the first month. Don't let those doses keep you down. They are low and never effective for anyone, just starting doses. Soon, she should be at 300mg-450mg and those are the shot at doses. Some need up to 450mg but I found that those dose are most effective for my symptoms.
 
Well, obviously, I think your mom should explain all this to her doctor, & that no matter what she should take her doctor's input on the situation MUCH more seriously than anything people tell her on a message board.

But, that said...

I'd say your mom should either try Klonopin or Xanax. I suggest Klonopin due to the fact that it lasts hours longer than any other Benzo [I believe it's supposed to last for eight hours]. & I suggest Xanax because it's definitely the least sedating Benzo, at least for most people. It doesn't last nearly as long as Klonopin, but sure as hell lasts longer than Ativan.

It seems that Ativan is pretty much only good to treat Panic Attacks. &, fuck, Ativan's never done shit for any of my panic attacks unless I've combined it with other crap.

So, yeah, I'd say any other Benzo would probably be an improvement over Ativan.
 
although all benzos essentially can treat panic attacks, only 2 are FDA approved for this I believe...Klonopin and Xanax. Klonopin is a good choice due to long half life and potentcy and minimal sedation at low dose (however past .5 or 1 mg it can be extraordinarily sedating for a few weeks). Xanax now comes in an XR form (extended release) and for cost saving Xanax XR is available as generic as well. Which one wil work best is totally dependent on how your mother reacts to certain drugs. Xanax was the first benzo approved or panic disorder, so perhaps a trial with Xanax should be first, but like I said, try the XR form if possible...immediate release Xanax need up to 4 times daily dosing and even then there can be interdose anxiety (where the drug begins to wear off before the next dose is taken). This can lead to 'clock-watching' ie. pill in hand waiting to take it the exact moment its time. not a good way to live. be safe.

Fletchacet
 
I also think Klonopin may be a good choice for your Mom. Klonopin, in order for it to be the most effective in treating anxiety disorders, should be dosed at least twice daily, regularly, versus being taken prn or 'as needed". Sometimes it CAN work on a prn basis, but due to its long duration, it works better as a maintenece med rather than a med for occasional use.

Everyone reacts differently, some people find it sedating, others do not. The good thing is that even if your mom noticed some sedative type effects, they usually will resolve with continued use.

The second thing I would recommend would be prn Xanax, something to take if your mom gets into a panic situation. This could be instead of thw Klonopin or in addition to it. Those types of meds are best taken sublingually in the event of a panic attack, as it kicks in much faster. My p-doc actually Rx'd them that way for me. Sure, tastes a bit bitter, but it works. Just tell her to have a mint or gum handy.

Does it help if she has someone go with her on the bus? A lot of times having someone along in anxiety producing situations will help to alleviate some of the angst. Maybe you could go along with her when she has to go to the store, etc? Also, tell her that an iPod with relaxing/favorite music and even a "book on tape" would probably be very helpful to her in reducing anxiety. Anything that is distracting helps to reduce the anxiety!

Hope your Mom finds something that works for her. How did she "lose" her car? I'm assuming like a repo? Its a shame, since she sounded like she was doing pretty well having a car. Any hope of getting another?
 
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