• BASIC DRUG
    DISCUSSION
    Welcome to Bluelight!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Benzo Chart Opioids Chart
    Drug Terms Need Help??
    Drugs 101 Brain & Addiction
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums
  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

I'm an anxious freak - please help!

Whipped Dream said:
My supervisor is on Xanax and it works for him. He and I got to talking the other day about how we LOATHE having to take meds to feel normal. Remember when we were in our teens/20's and life was awesome without any drugs whatsoever? WTF happened to those days?


All I know is that I'm sick and tired of ruining all of my shirts from underarm sweat from social anxiety, but also terribly afraid of being chemically dependent on an addictive substance. SO I'll just tread lightly with what works for now....thank you guys for all your input.


BTW Methadone84 - how did you manage to score oxy for anxiety? If I suggested that to my Doc he would laugh first, then blackball me second. That shit's extremely potent.
Click to expand...



Your doctor wont prescribe you any Oxy's for anxiety/depression. Only way you get those is if you have a severe pain problem. The streets have them tho.
 
Last edited:
I also have anxiety issues that have been disabling all my life. I also don't like benzos because they drug/fog my head too much as well as too much sedation, plus a lot of other side effects that make me really dislike benzos.


For stress and anxiety I highly recommend: Meditation (Vipassana & Shamatha), Hatha Yoga & Asana, a good diet, healthy rejuvenating sleep, exercise, eliminating unnecessary aggravating factors (like misuse of stimulants, stressful companions, too much TV & movies, many things misused or not in moderation can contribute to stress and anxiety).

It's said that "virtuous" behavior in daily life (best when practiced with integrity and consistently for some time) is a fundamental contributor to peacefulness, relaxation and being anxiety-free. I've found this is profoundly true in my life. To define my meaning of "virtuous" I point to Buddha Dharma teachings.
I have a "friend" who is severely and chronically afflicted with anxiety and stress. He is the personification of mischievous to downright evil. His life is extreme and over the top, and it's obvious why he's burning out fast. (I'm not implying anything about your life, just sharing everything that is of consideration for stress and anxiety relief)

Loving Kindness meditation (Metta / Maitri) is said to be very powerful for eliminating or reducing anxiety. Again I've personally found this to be profoundly true.

When the body is in poor health or imbalanced chemically or nutritionally it can cause all sorts of horrible effects like anxiety, depression, etc.

When I eliminated TV & movies altogether I found it a powerful benefit in so many ways. My mind became so clear and peaceful. TV & movies are such a powerful drug, people take it for granted how dangerous they are. They produce tolerance and really miserable withdrawals like any chemical drug, along with so many other drug like effects.
The withdrawals and addiction to TV & movies were fairly challenging for me to overcome. But now I'm off of them it's extremely easy to stay clean. The benefits to being clean are so great I have no urge to sit in front of a video screen. Plus it's so boring and lifeless. Real life activities are so much better, for body, mind and happiness.

I put everything I've mentioned here into practice in my life and it really works, perfectly and miraculously. But I'm very consistent and have been applying it for a long time. It takes some time and consistent practice for the best effects to appear. The longer and more consistently everything is maintained the more effective it is, as well as how many of the practices mentioned are incorporated, and how skillfully applied.
 
Last edited:
Dedbeet said:
In my experience, there are no easy answers to anxiety.

Spending some time alone and contemplating it really deeply can be helpful, IME. It's all about facing matters that one has been trying to avoid or get away from (of one sort or another) and that is not easy to do in ordinary circumstances. Get away for awhile and do some real soul searching.

My own experience (and I've had a lot :-/) is that talking to others about it is not very helpful -- it's something that one has to deal with alone and by oneself, in a very radical and fundamental way. Meds can help some, and for awhile, but they don't cure the disease itself.

Enquiry: "What is the fundamental dis-ease here"? There are no shortcuts, but the result is worth it. It is ultimately a spiritual matter.
Click to expand...



I disagree, talking about your problems with others helps alot. Especially on a forum like this one because we dont judge you like a family would.

I agree tho with it being a spiritual journey but not everyone is wired the same & it may not work for everyone, hence him going the route of Lortabs.
 
TheLostBoys said:
I disagree, talking about your problems with others helps alot. Especially on a forum like this one because we dont judge you like a family would.
Click to expand...
True, but what happens when the talk stops? Everyone has to be with themselves at least when they go to bed at night.

I remember back in the late 80's waking up 10 or 20 or 50 times a night in a panic, and I am speaking from experience.

Talk with others is good, agreed (and so are meds). And nothing substitutes for learning how to be comfortable alone.
 
I should note that if alcoholism is an issue in your blood line, then phenibut might be an issue. Though it is very mild compared to other GABAergics, it is in the same class of medicine/drug as alcohol and benzos. It works on the GABA B system primarily.

For social anxiety. Which is my main issue. Wisdom / insight into the nature of 'Self and Other', that comes through Buddha Dharma practice is by far the most effective solution. It might be a challenge to achieve, but that is really THE solution imo. Finding a good teacher(s) and good books are key.
 
Inlakesh said:
For social anxiety. Which is my main issue. Wisdom / insight into the nature of 'Self and Other', that comes through Buddha Dharma practice is by far the most effective solution. It might be a challenge to achieve, but that is really THE solution imo.
Click to expand...
Huge thumbs UP!! :).

Buddhism is only suggestive, though... it is about looking into the nature of one's own life and reality directly.
 
TheLostBoys said:
Your doctor wont prescribe you any Oxy's for anxiety/depression. Only way you get those is if you have a severe pain problem. The streets have them tho.
Click to expand...


LOL. "The Streets" are also full of undercover narc agents. With my luck I'd end up behind bars for attempting to purchase illegal substances. It blows me away how almost any high school kid can get access to any street drug, but a straight laced white collar guy like me would be busted on the first try.


I don't do well talking, chanting, stretching, or meditating away my anxiety. My anxiety is a beast and nothing can calm him except high doses of potent meds. I wish it weren't that way, but alas that is my cross to bear.

SSRIs are obscenely nasty. While on Prozac I would do nothing but lie in bed all day staring at the ceiling with no ambition to do anything -- not even eat. Bleh!
 
Whipped Dream said:
I don't do well talking, chanting, stretching, or meditating away my anxiety. My anxiety is a beast and nothing can calm him except high doses of potent meds. I wish it weren't that way, but alas that is my cross to bear.
Click to expand...
I can relate, fwiw.

Try the beta blockers like atenolol, propranolol, etc -- they're very physical and they slow your heartbeat and breathing down, despite any anxiety trying to make it go faster. Helped me a lot.
 
i'm not anxious but nervous and angry more, and escitalopram (ssri) really helped, then the benzos, my favourite anxiolytic was xanax (alprazolam)... but there are loads out there, if xanax was too strong, and valium too weak, maybe try bromazepam (lexomil), or clonazepam (klonopin) or lorazepam (ativan) i'm sure theres a benzo out there for everyone;)...

100mg of Atarax (hydroxyzine) 3 times a day can be great for Generalised Anxiety Dissorder, which is what i would gather u have from the symptoms mentioned...

The problem with lortab is that, yes its euphoric, but your tolerance will go up, you'll need to take more and more to get the desired effects and your doc will eventually (normally) say stop at one point... then you've also got a lortab addiction on your hands... i'm hugely surprised that you got hydrocodone (or any opiate for that matter) prescribed for anxiety... or was it Rx'ed for something else and u noticed it calmed down your anxiety??
 
phatass said:
The problem with lortab is that, yes its euphoric, but your tolerance will go up, you'll need to take more and more to get the desired effects and your doc will eventually (normally) say stop at one point... then you've also got a lortab addiction on your hands... i'm hugely surprised that you got hydrocodone (or any opiate for that matter) prescribed for anxiety... or was it Rx'ed for something else and u noticed it calmed down your anxiety??
Click to expand...


Well that was the reason for me requesting to go off Hydros for something else (benzos). I KNOW opiates will build a tolerance in your system after a while, and I don't want that to happen. Ultimately what I think I'll do is go on Benzos for 6 months, then Opiates for 6 months and alternate back and forth like that. I only dose up on average 7-9 times a month, so this isn't even close to a daily occurance.

Like I said before, I just told my Doc the truth. If I have found something that works for me and I'm vigilant with my intake and my supervisor and wife are aware of the frequency of use, then I can't see any problem.
 
i doubt your doc would put his ass on the line for you though, he can get into serious trouble, especially if some inspector picked up on the 6months benzos 6months opiates, it just doesn't make sense pharmaceutically/lawfully if u get what i mean...

i don't see a "problem" with it but i doubt in all realistictness that it'l happen
 
phatass said:
i doubt your doc would put his ass on the line for you though, he can get into serious trouble, especially if some inspector picked up on the 6months benzos 6months opiates,
Click to expand...



It already has happened. If he were prescribing Opiates and benzos every other month then I could see him getting into trouble....but twice a year? I highly doubt it.

When a patient reacts adversely to SSRIs what other option does the Doctor have but to prescribe what has been proven to work....as long as intake is vigilantly monitored.
 
SSRIs are nasty, benzos and opiates (if you could find a doctor to prescribe them for anxiety, which I doubt, see the other poster's comments) eventually lead to dependence issues.

I agree with the Buddhist comments, look into your life directly. Drugs are only a short-cut.

That's not to say I don't like having my lorazepam prescription on hand for that very reason...

Edit:

If the doctor didn't go to benzos as the first line treatment option, he will probably go to them as the second line treatment option if SSRIs don't work.
 
Last edited:
Go ahead and try Lyrica (pregabalin). I was prescribed it for social anxiety and I must say that it has been a real life saver. To most it isn't too sedating, although it does have the potential when you first start taking it. It isn't addictive to the extent of benzodiazepines so you don't need to worry about seizures and shit when coming off of it. It has really helped for me, give it a try.

Taking clonazepam with it "as-needed" is a really effective antidote. Give it a try.
 
K'd-OUT-in-AZ said:
Go ahead and try Lyrica (pregabalin). I was prescribed it for social anxiety and I must say that it has been a real life saver. To most it isn't too sedating, although it does have the potential when you first start taking it. It isn't addictive to the extent of benzodiazepines so you don't need to worry about seizures and shit when coming off of it. It has really helped for me, give it a try.

Taking clonazepam with it "as-needed" is a really effective antidote. Give it a try.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna go ahead and give Lyrica a try. Does it's effects last a while? I'll pop 30 - 40mg of Valium for anxiety, which will calm me down and make me sleepy for about 2 hours and then I'm back to normal -- fells like I hadn't taken anything at all. My tolerance to most drugs is really high.
 
Bumpity bump. -- I'm gonna go ahead and give Lyrica a try. Does it's effects last a while? I'll pop 30 - 40mg of Valium for anxiety, which will calm me down and make me sleepy for about 2 hours and then I'm back to normal -- fells like I hadn't taken anything at all. My tolerance to most drugs is really high.

I also had a question about it if Lyrica could be used on an "as needed" basis for anxiety or if I have to pop it daily as you would an SSRI.


Thanks!!
 
^^^^^Bump.

Apologies if I'm coming across as a desperate ass. My appt with my Doc is coming up and I want to be well informed in regards to Lyrica and how it may work for me.
 
If one wants to go the pharmacological route, and there are many reasons why one would take this route (it's partly the route I chose,) what you WERE doing was a very wise decision.

Benzodiazepines really mess with your memory and reaction time, opiates are a much better choice for acute anxiety. You are very fortunate to have a doctor that understands this.

Go back on the lortab if you can, I found that I was a king when in social situations if I took an opiate of some sort. Benzos just made me stupid.

If you are concerned about tolerance, take OTC cough medicine, i.e. dextromethorphan, at approximately 60mg (twice the therapeutic dose) each time you dose with the lortab. That should slow or stop tolerance buildup.

Best wishes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top