Doctors not prescribing anxiety medications

[lifeisflyingaway]

Seroquel 200mg, and gabapentin 1200mg. All that cunt psychiatrist wants to do is keep bumping up the dosage especially on the seroquel which is refuse to do anymore because i don't want to gain a million pounds and realistically i don't want to have a more difficult time coming off of it than i already probably will whenever that happens. I have felt a difference than being on nothing at all, i couldn't imagine how i'd be feeling if i weren't on these, i was crying miserably and these somehow prevent that. I wish i could take even a vitamin that would produce major anxiety relief, it's not really just about benzos only. But the best time i had in my life was when i was prescribed 0.5 xanax and 5mg valium for a week. This was not in america though, and i'm pretty certain if i still was on vacation in the middle east i would have bought tons more, if i knew that i wouldn't be feeling relief. Usually it's mostly people i hear are real anxious because of drug use or are withdrawing, but i know their are normal sober people who might feel the same way. Maybe if they had something where someone can go to a pharmacy and get no more than 2 benzos a week. Let's see what happens when school starts in two days sigh. I've dropped out of college twice before because i couldn't deal with the silence and so many people in a boring class. But at this point in time, regardless of how anxious i feel i have to stay in school i just never imagined, that i'd feel worse being completely sober than recreationally using drugs.

 

[lifeisflyingaway]

I know exactly how you feel as i was like this for many years and still feel like this sometimes now. I sweat terrible in others company if they make me feel anxious, especially at work if someone talks to me who i dont feel comfortable round, on occasions my safety glasses steam up from the massive about of heat that my face/head produces when i get extremely anxious whilst talking to certain people or being in certain enviroments.

For many years it used to annoy me and it would lead to me becoming very depressed as i questioned the reasons why i felt so anxious but more than anything the thing that would depress me the most about my anxiety was the fact that it had such a solid grip on me that it would control every aspect of my life and would lead me to avoid people/places/situations so as to lessen the anxiety but that was what made me ultimately becoming very depressed as i felt i was never able to express myself as i wished and by avoiding things i was not living my lfe to it's full potential.

It's a very fustrating situation to be in, and when i originally discovered Benzos it felt it was what i had always been lucking for, a tool to help me live and express myself without becoming a nervous wreck who over analyzes everything!

But over 3 and 1/2 years later i can honestly say it was better being a nervous wreck who was not reliant on Benzos than being what i have become now...... Which is someone who has spent those last few years using Benzos to escape them feelings yet now being in the situation where i am as much a nervous wreck as ever and who is battling to get Benzos out my system and live life on lifes terms without a false shield from it all.

Believe me i know how desperate you feel (Your user name somes up the feelings very well) but being in the grip of Benzos is the last thing you need. I pray to just be returned to how i felt before using Benzos, that's how bad it can get.

Im 17 days clean of Benzos but still not out the woods yet.

Interesting, well i'm sorry for how your feeling it's probably more worse than i do since i haven't been on them long term. Sometimes if we knew the consequence of what we do in the longer run, we would of wished to have not taken that action in the first place. If i could predict, that i'd get out of control and not take the benzos less than a few times per week i'd probably wish to not be on them either. But if i could predict that i have it in control still, i'd prefer to get them. This is just a vicious battle you know? Doctors want to always prescribe anti-depressants that usually don't relieve anxiety if even depression in alot of cases. If you don't mind me asking did you start to feel more anxious after being on benzos awhile? How do you feel now that you are not on them, what was your dose? Thanks

 

[Swimmingdancer]

I think this thread is ok for now, but I just wanted to remind everyone that we don't allow discussion of what to say to doctors to get specific drugs or advice about doctor-shopping etc. Thanks . I know you didn't specifically ask about that, but since one of your questions is about your doctor not wanting to prescribe you benzos I thought I would mention this so the thread doesn't go into that kind of territory.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Have you thought about stopping the seroquel? That stuff can cause depression and make you more anxious. Frankly if gavapentin isn't doing much for you - it kind of proves its placebo. Gabapentin acts on GABA, in a similar way to benzos.

 

[lifeisflyingaway]

Have you thought about stopping the seroquel? That stuff can cause depression and make you more anxious. Frankly if gavapentin isn't doing much for you - it kind of proves its placebo. Gabapentin acts on GABA, in a similar way to benzos.

From before being on the gabapentin and just on seroquel i noticed a slightly helped with the depression aspect because i didn't feel as emotional. And the gabapentin only became a bit of a relief after just recently having my dosage bumped up. I would use the word that i feel more "stabalized" rather than "cured". For instance if given better situations in life, maybe my anxiety might reduce quiet a bit. But until things get better (hopefully soon) or if they do till then my anxiety is going to be pretty wild especially at certain times more than others. I have no idea how long i'll be on these and do worry a bit about how i will feel if i came off of them.

 

[pally pete]

Interesting, well i'm sorry for how your feeling it's probably more worse than i do since i haven't been on them long term. Sometimes if we knew the consequence of what we do in the longer run, we would of wished to have not taken that action in the first place. If i could predict, that i'd get out of control and not take the benzos less than a few times per week i'd probably wish to not be on them either. But if i could predict that i have it in control still, i'd prefer to get them. This is just a vicious battle you know? Doctors want to always prescribe anti-depressants that usually don't relieve anxiety if even depression in alot of cases. If you don't mind me asking did you start to feel more anxious after being on benzos awhile? How do you feel now that you are not on them, what was your dose? Thanks

Yeah i know it's a vicious circle!

After a short time whatever dose you are on will escelate as your tolerance increases.. (Just as night follow's day.. this will happen) in my case they were not prescribed and i abused them heavily (so i'm at the 'extreme end of the scale) but regardless your dose will need to increase at some point and eventually you will just dose higher and higher until it becomes unsustainable, and then you will have to taper/come off them.

Then... what you will experience is hell on earth, i'm not trying to scaremonger and i dont dismiss the fact that Benzos can help people get through certain periods/situations in there life but 99% of users will usually agree that anything other than very short term/situational low dose useage is best avoided as all your anxiety and a barrage of other symptoms will come back with a vengeance once you have to stop using.

I can't really elaborate on my doses (i have in the past) as they are suicidal to most individuals (infact im very lucky to be alive)

As for 'how do i feel now'? Well during the past 3 - 4 years i've tried to quit on several ocassions (the most i've managed was 7 weeks clean) and right now im in the middle of the 3rd week without using so i know the patterns of how i will feel at what time period, the last week i've had very little-no sleep, but as the week rolls on i expect/hope to sleep some more, my anxiety, sweats, headache, diarrhea is at a level where i can't leave the house, im also getting twiches like crazy but this is all expected..... Im yet to have the severe depression, suicidal thoughts/ideation, derealisation... but im sure they will come.

Then after this the next month is crucial as when i quit before i got near the 2 month mark and just had an overwhelming desire to use Benzos again so i did, but this time i hope to have more willpower and i also now realise that by abusing Benzos i have robbed myself of 3 1/2 years of my life, so this is what inspires me, right now im feeling cautiously optimistic about the future, i started attending NA last august and im sure this is beneficial to me this time.

Starting in June 2011-May 2012 i was prescribed Citalopram then Sertraline and then Venlafaxine and unfortunately none of these helped any so i guessed that medication is not the answer for me.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Frankly if gavapentin isn't doing much for you - it kind of proves its placebo. Gabapentin acts on GABA, in a similar way to benzos.

I don't think that's true. Gabapentin has a different mechanism of action and is metabolized differently. It is common for people to not get much from gabapentin but to get effects from benzos. Gabapentin is structurally similar to GABA and was originally intended to be a GABA analogue, but - despite it's name - it's not in reality. The mechanism of action of gabapentin is very poorly understood, but studies have found it lacks activity at many drug binding sites associated with benzos and other anticonvulsants. Some of its activity may involve interaction with voltage-gated calcium channels, as a study found it to bind to the α2δ subunit [source], but it's likely it also has other mechanisms of action as well. It is a weird drug.

Related reading:
The anticonvulsant gabapentin (neurontin) does not act through gamma-aminobutyric acid-B receptors.

 

[pasha]

^IIRC it has no direct action on GABA. Calcium channel blockers such as gabapentin and pregabalin dock the release of norepinephrine and glutamate (the anti Christ if GABA) hence why they're effective during benzodiazepine withdrawal. Gabapentin can be effective for anxiety and more so its successor pregabalin. The ceiling dosage for any clinical benifit in psychological symptoms are slightly above the dosage your taking so try discussing pregabalin with your doctor as its more effective for anxiety against benzodiazepines for many patients.

I know i made a post about this in another seroquel thread, about how Astra Zeneca the company that produces seroquel are crooked. Astra Zeneca kept pushing and probing until they got FDA approval for bi polar disorder, and now they're trying to get approval for GAD and depression which is plain criminal.

I read a blog called the carlat psychiatry blog by a well known psychiatrist with a famous book called unhinged about the decline of this medical field. Please read the posts about Astra Zeneca and how crooked they are in manipulating studies and having things their way. The latest post dr. Carlat seems indifferent after getting such resistance from other doctors, but the earlier ones make for an interesting read. Here's the link:

http://carlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com/search/label/Astra Zeneca?m=0

Browse around the blog also there's a lot if interesting reads, and if you like his style of writing I highly recommend you grab his book. Sorry for derailing I thought it would be interesting to share given the OP is taking seroquel.

 

[electrodevo]

SO anywho i'm just curious what is your experience in doctors prescribing benzos?

When my wife went into surgery one time, the doctor gave her some Valium (which I guess is standard practice if someone is very anxious about a surgery or something). It made her... um... feel real good, giddily so. :D

The second surgery, the doctor did not give her the Valium. %)

I actually have a problem with the way doctors give benzo scripts out. Benzos are rather addictive and a "take a pill daily" type of regime is incredibly unhelpful. To me, benzos are real great if you can keep it at a "once in a blue moon" type of level for social anxiety. In practice, a lot of people are not going to be able to do this... this is a problem, because tolerance develops rapidly, and it is too easy to enter benzo withdrawal hell.

Unfortunately, there is no good safe, effective long term medicine for general social anxiety at this time. (Not in my opinion, at least. I hate SSRIs. ) If you have strong panic attacks that are debilitating, the trade offs might be worth it to go on SSRIs, but they are not a free ride. I personally would "prescribe" you a deep breathing exercise like yoga over any chemical given your posts as well. As others have pointed out, your attitude on benzos at this time would probably lead to addiction, which would probably lead to benzo withdrawal, and you would curse the doctor for any prescription you got in the end.

Alcohol also will make things worse. There are some interesting novel chemicals I can think of for helping, but only if you can get off of the mindset of taking something daily. If you are thinking of a daily pill that is a magic cure, well, there is none.

Helpful hint: maybe get off the gabapentin. Is there a reason why you are on this? The Wiki suggests that that gabapentin *increases* the risks for depressive disorders... instinctively, if you are feeling major social anxiety, I have no idea why anyone would prescribe that to you based on what I read there. The only possibility that comes to mind (Wiki knowledge, someone step in if they know more) is that it was prescribed off-label for bipolar disorder. If your issue is less bipolar disorder / mood stability and more debilitative social anxiety, I can't see this helping from what I'm reading, and I can easily see this harming.

 

[Jean-Paul]

well, don't go in there asking for them outright.

 

[RedRum OG]

I'm in the same boat here. Wicked anxiety along with many other issues I've had since I was a kid. Finally around 15 parents brought me to a psychiatrist and they tried me on antidepressant after antidepressant, even though I repeatedly told them I didn't want to be doped out 24/7, just wanted a pill to take when I had the worst of panic attacks. At this point I hadn't ever touched a drug, other than the various medications that were forced on me. But they would never give me any sort of benzo, or anything other than antidepressants. "Theyre addictive" okay so cant you just script me 2 pills a week to stop the panic attacks that put me in ER? "nope".So eventually I said fuck it, you're not helping me ill help myself. Few years later hopped on the heroin needle, took a long ride, hopped off, and now obviously anxiety back in a big way

And of course now there's no way in hell im ever getting a benzo script. But we're just gonna have to learn to cope sooner or later I guess. I've always found regular exercise can make a big difference, and good sleep. Other than that its all just about finding what makes you happy and calm. Good luck

Also, as frustrating as it is, sometimes we should be grateful we don't get benzos scripted easily. Anxiety drives us to over use and abuse them, addiction is inevitable, and believe me you do NOT wanna get hooked on benzos with a pre existing anxiety problem

 

[tomatalli]

I really hope I do not come off as being rude as I truly am sorry for the horrible events that have happened in your life. Your 21 you need to stop letting your parents control you so much, I feel like they are a huge part of why your so anxious and nervous. Your 21 years old yet you are scared to drink because its not approved by them, they hold your medicine etc. You need to take charge bro your an adult.

 

[phatass]

half the benzos have already been taken off the market here, i talked to a doc who said they were going to get rid of all benzos, i was like "hmmmm ok, but what are you going to use instead, hydroxyzine and alimenazine lol"... at least when luudes went there were barbs, and when barbs went there were benzos, maybe they're working on something new.

And reading the last post i don't know about gabapentin, but gaba-ergics like benzodiazepines tend to increase depression i have been told. And i've tried gabapentin once, it did nothing, pregabalin on the other hand is a lot more benzo-like

After reading a few more posts i have to agree that many people take benzos constantly when they don't necessarilly need them, I have a legitimate need for benzos both anxiolytics and hypnotics, i've been off them for a few hellish months so far and if i can find other ways to cope i'm all for it. That being said taking 0.25mg xanax before speaking at an event (not having drunk prior) or other stressful situation makes sense. The abuse potential for benzos is huge. And the amount of people who are not only dependant physically but rather addicts is also very high imo.

 

[tomatalli]

phatass - where are you from if you dont mind me asking?? hopefully not the USA?

 

[Psychonauticunt]

I have found help from benzos for my sometimes quite crippling panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, but problems have always ensued when I've used them longer than 2-3 months (or in larger amounts than necessary).

The standard treatment for anxiety is usually an antidepressant, but a benzo is often prescribed for 2-3 weeks as the antidepressant takes a while to build sufficient plasma levels, and may also initially be anxiogenic.

I've benefited most from treatment with alprazolam (0,25mg 3x per day for 2 weeks), clonazepam (1-2mg per day for 8 weeks) and lorazepam (1-3mg per day for 8 weeks). Alprazolam seemed to lose efficacy quickly as my tolerance rose, and larger doses were both too intoxicating, slightly amnesic, and likely to cause paradoxical effects. It is also quite abusable, in my opinion. Lorazepam has the worst withdrawal symptoms of any benzo I have tried by far - potent anxiolytic/muscle relaxant/anticonvulsant/sedative/hypnotic, relatively short half-life, no active metabolites.

If you find adequate relief from hydroxyzine, I fully recommend that, and oxazepam if you must take a benzo (as it is not very addictive), but as long as you take them for a short period of time so you can adapt to either new medication, therapy, or both, they may be a viable option.

Do NOT start taking benzos and think "problem solved". It's procrastination.

 

[lifeisflyingaway]

I really hope I do not come off as being rude as I truly am sorry for the horrible events that have happened in your life. Your 21 you need to stop letting your parents control you so much, I feel like they are a huge part of why your so anxious and nervous. Your 21 years old yet you are scared to drink because its not approved by them, they hold your medicine etc. You need to take charge bro your an adult.

If i could i would, my parents are muslim and not modern ones they have become very religious from when i started causing trouble. I will get kicked out of the house real quickly if i live a "normal" young adult life such as the freedom to go out with random people, bars, etc. Yes they have triggered my anxiety quiet a damn bit, but i just really need to get my first degree fast so that i can get accepted into a university in another state so that way i'll have freedom and their financial support to fund me till i finally get my profession. If not for them, i have a dark ass future lying ahead.

 

[lifeisflyingaway]

I'm in the same boat here. Wicked anxiety along with many other issues I've had since I was a kid. Finally around 15 parents brought me to a psychiatrist and they tried me on antidepressant after antidepressant, even though I repeatedly told them I didn't want to be doped out 24/7, just wanted a pill to take when I had the worst of panic attacks. At this point I hadn't ever touched a drug, other than the various medications that were forced on me. But they would never give me any sort of benzo, or anything other than antidepressants. "Theyre addictive" okay so cant you just script me 2 pills a week to stop the panic attacks that put me in ER? "nope".So eventually I said fuck it, you're not helping me ill help myself. Few years later hopped on the heroin needle, took a long ride, hopped off, and now obviously anxiety back in a big way

And of course now there's no way in hell im ever getting a benzo script. But we're just gonna have to learn to cope sooner or later I guess. I've always found regular exercise can make a big difference, and good sleep. Other than that its all just about finding what makes you happy and calm. Good luck

Also, as frustrating as it is, sometimes we should be grateful we don't get benzos scripted easily. Anxiety drives us to over use and abuse them, addiction is inevitable, and believe me you do NOT wanna get hooked on benzos with a pre existing anxiety problem

Yeah, i'm just hoping life situations improve and probably my anxiety will go down. The dose of the gabapentin im on and the seroquel finally has me thinking a lot less and reducing getting majorly anxious.

 

[lifeisflyingaway]

When my wife went into surgery one time, the doctor gave her some Valium (which I guess is standard practice if someone is very anxious about a surgery or something). It made her... um... feel real good, giddily so. :D

The second surgery, the doctor did not give her the Valium. %)

I actually have a problem with the way doctors give benzo scripts out. Benzos are rather addictive and a "take a pill daily" type of regime is incredibly unhelpful. To me, benzos are real great if you can keep it at a "once in a blue moon" type of level for social anxiety. In practice, a lot of people are not going to be able to do this... this is a problem, because tolerance develops rapidly, and it is too easy to enter benzo withdrawal hell.

Unfortunately, there is no good safe, effective long term medicine for general social anxiety at this time. (Not in my opinion, at least. I hate SSRIs. ) If you have strong panic attacks that are debilitating, the trade offs might be worth it to go on SSRIs, but they are not a free ride. I personally would "prescribe" you a deep breathing exercise like yoga over any chemical given your posts as well. As others have pointed out, your attitude on benzos at this time would probably lead to addiction, which would probably lead to benzo withdrawal, and you would curse the doctor for any prescription you got in the end.

Alcohol also will make things worse. There are some interesting novel chemicals I can think of for helping, but only if you can get off of the mindset of taking something daily. If you are thinking of a daily pill that is a magic cure, well, there is none.

Helpful hint: maybe get off the gabapentin. Is there a reason why you are on this? The Wiki suggests that that gabapentin *increases* the risks for depressive disorders... instinctively, if you are feeling major social anxiety, I have no idea why anyone would prescribe that to you based on what I read there. The only possibility that comes to mind (Wiki knowledge, someone step in if they know more) is that it was prescribed off-label for bipolar disorder. If your issue is less bipolar disorder / mood stability and more debilitative social anxiety, I can't see this helping from what I'm reading, and I can easily see this harming.

The gabapentin has helped more than not being on it. It just dulls my brain and blocks out excessive thinking.

 

[lifeisflyingaway]

The seroquel and the gabapentin have me feeling real dreamy and foggy. Most people complain about how much it slows them down in a bad way in terms of thinking etc. Since i'm overly energetic, hyper, and at times anxious it has not made me feel like a living corpse, but sometimes things don't feel as "real" as they used to. I don't really mind it, but at times it bothers me its just like your not their you don't feel present. But atleast my thinking for the first time now has slowed down, i don't have random thoughts flying through my head like asteroids. I think my appointment for the doctor will be on tuesday so in a few days, i will be either slammed down or surprisingly answered a yes. But i just know in the back of my head, that even if i got any prescribed it wouldn't be for long because some doctors have no compassion and randomly cut people off without tapering, but i'm not worried about that because i do not want to take "as prescribed" because that will create dependency, i'd rather take a few here and their. I also don't like binging because if you feel worse than in the first place it defeats the purpose

 

[Jabberwocky]

Lol, I've read some of your first posts on this forum. You complain about benzo depression, and state you took 11 .5 Xanax at once, then decided to do the same again. If you get benzos, you're at gods mercy. They will eat you alive. We can't help you when that happens. All I can say now is good luck, and I hope you don't get prescribed them for your own good.