I need something for my anxiety and I was going to get xanax but it's too addictive so I want something that's similar to it but is not a benzo. I can't go to the doctor because that makes me really anxious and I don't have anyone to help me or go with me.. so is there any pill I could take that would have similar effects but wouldn't be addictive?
-
BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards
Something similar to xanax
- Thread starter lauren12k
- Start date
mrflowers00
Ex-Bluelighter
buspar isn't addicting but most people don't find it effective
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2006
- Messages
- 19,599
Well you could try clonazepam. Yes it's a benzo and yes it's addicting but it's generally not as psychologically addictive as alprazolam as it kicks in alot slower, has a very long method of action of up to 12 hours with 1 dose and has a pretty long half life which makes it much easier to taper off. Valium is another good one but it can cause more drowsiness in some people then alprazolam and clonazepam do.
As for any potential alternatives you could try gabapentin or pregabalin. Both of these drugs are physically addictive despite what any pill pusher may tell you and i found the withdrawals from gabapentin (i was prescribed 3200mg's a day and had been on it for about 7 years) to be more painful then either opiate or benzo withdrawal. It felt kinda like a combo of both actually. You have to take them everyday in order for them to work and tolerance to the minimal anti-anxiety effects build quick. Saying that both gabapentin and lyrica do help some people's anxiety.
I have heard some people say some good things about the muscle relaxant baclofen in treating anxiety. It's a Gaba-B agonist so it works more like GHB rather then benzodiazepines and according to some people i know it feels sort of like GHB for sure. I have never taken it so i can't give any first hand experiences with how well it works.
Besides that you could try a tricyclic anti-depressant such as amitriptyline or doxepin. They do work for some people anxiety and those 2 are about the most sedating of the lot. I think some MAOI anti-depressants especially Parnate are effective in treating some anxiety disorders but as it's a old non selective, practically irreversible MAOI it does have alot of food and drug interactions. Of course other anti-depressants such as mirtazapine and SSRI's and SNRI's are used to treat anxiety but SSRI's and SNRI's don't seem to be very effective for this purpose and they cause as bad withdrawal symptoms as benzos when withdrawing from them.
Certain anti-psychotics in particular seroquel are used for this purpose as well but i don't know if it is very effective and these drugs carry alot of side effects. Olanzapine (zyprexa) is also used for anxiety but it is arguably even worse for causing weight gain and type 2 diabetes then Quetiapine is. I never got any side effects from olanzapine but everyone is different. I was given the old phenothiazine typical anti-psychotic methotrimeprazine aka Levomepromazine (trade name Nozinan) for anxiety and sleep and it did work well for sleep atleast. It's only half as potent as Chlorpromazine (Thorazine/Largactil) in terms of anti-psychotic effects but due to it's very strong anti-cholinergic effects it's so sedating that it makes seroquel look like a Amphetamine. I took it mostly for nausea and vomiting due to pain along with morphine or some other opiate but i also took it for sleep and 10mg's was more then enough to knock me right out for a solid 8 hours and 15-20mg's would knock me out for the night and most of the next day. Thorazine is also used for this purpose and so are a few other typical anti-psychotics but due to the dangers of these drugs i would leave the anti-psychotics for last.
As for any potential alternatives you could try gabapentin or pregabalin. Both of these drugs are physically addictive despite what any pill pusher may tell you and i found the withdrawals from gabapentin (i was prescribed 3200mg's a day and had been on it for about 7 years) to be more painful then either opiate or benzo withdrawal. It felt kinda like a combo of both actually. You have to take them everyday in order for them to work and tolerance to the minimal anti-anxiety effects build quick. Saying that both gabapentin and lyrica do help some people's anxiety.
I have heard some people say some good things about the muscle relaxant baclofen in treating anxiety. It's a Gaba-B agonist so it works more like GHB rather then benzodiazepines and according to some people i know it feels sort of like GHB for sure. I have never taken it so i can't give any first hand experiences with how well it works.
Besides that you could try a tricyclic anti-depressant such as amitriptyline or doxepin. They do work for some people anxiety and those 2 are about the most sedating of the lot. I think some MAOI anti-depressants especially Parnate are effective in treating some anxiety disorders but as it's a old non selective, practically irreversible MAOI it does have alot of food and drug interactions. Of course other anti-depressants such as mirtazapine and SSRI's and SNRI's are used to treat anxiety but SSRI's and SNRI's don't seem to be very effective for this purpose and they cause as bad withdrawal symptoms as benzos when withdrawing from them.
Certain anti-psychotics in particular seroquel are used for this purpose as well but i don't know if it is very effective and these drugs carry alot of side effects. Olanzapine (zyprexa) is also used for anxiety but it is arguably even worse for causing weight gain and type 2 diabetes then Quetiapine is. I never got any side effects from olanzapine but everyone is different. I was given the old phenothiazine typical anti-psychotic methotrimeprazine aka Levomepromazine (trade name Nozinan) for anxiety and sleep and it did work well for sleep atleast. It's only half as potent as Chlorpromazine (Thorazine/Largactil) in terms of anti-psychotic effects but due to it's very strong anti-cholinergic effects it's so sedating that it makes seroquel look like a Amphetamine. I took it mostly for nausea and vomiting due to pain along with morphine or some other opiate but i also took it for sleep and 10mg's was more then enough to knock me right out for a solid 8 hours and 15-20mg's would knock me out for the night and most of the next day. Thorazine is also used for this purpose and so are a few other typical anti-psychotics but due to the dangers of these drugs i would leave the anti-psychotics for last.
mrflowers00
Ex-Bluelighter
there is a very large chance you'll gain a lot of weight and develop diabetes and high collateral from taking anti psychotics i don't find them to be worth it in the slightest
Intenselife
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2013
- Messages
- 382
I think anti psychotics suck for anxiety (seroquel), buspar, lyrica, gabapentin work for some people but again didn't help me at all. My anxiety was to the point where it could only be controlled by a low dose of daily klonopin which i don't abuse so it will retain the effectiveness of maintaining anxiety levels.
Also hydroxyzine/atarax or also called vistaril can help some people with anxiety because it does have mild anxiety related properties, but didn't work for me but just because these things didn't work for me doesn't mean they won't for you, and they are a lot less addicting than benzos.
Also hydroxyzine/atarax or also called vistaril can help some people with anxiety because it does have mild anxiety related properties, but didn't work for me but just because these things didn't work for me doesn't mean they won't for you, and they are a lot less addicting than benzos.
if you have really bad anxiety, bad type, I would recommend klonopin, if you wanted a benzo. with counseling. klonopins don't hit as fast as Xanax, but they do come on once in blood and they last longer. I used to be on Xanax and I got klonopins from the ER and I brought it up to my Dr. and switched to them, as I felt that this would solve the addictive nature of taking Xanax, and it worked. I ended up taking so many Xanax's that I'd run out so I like the klonopins because they last longer, resulting in my meds lasting and not running out/ taking so much.
Last edited: