It sucks that where I am in Canada (Redneck Alberta) there is no pharmacy that even stocks 2mg Alprazolam (Xanax) bars. I had to get this one pharmacy to order in the 1mg (muave) APO footballs for me and they were the only supplier in AB that did, and plus it wasn't even covered on insurance. Getting benzos scripted to you if you live in Alberta is hard as hell. And if you do end up getting a benzo scripted to you in Alberta, you will most likely either get a) Ativan (Lorazepam) at a very low dose, or 1mg. or b) Clonazepam at a dose of 0.5mg and no higher. c) VERY VERY rarely xanax, maybe if you run into a really good doctor that actually knows the differenes in the benzos. Still most docs would only prescribe you 0.25mg or 0.5mg of alprazolam (Xanax) where I live in Canada. It sucks in Alberta, and I can't wait to fucking move to a more liberal province, either Ontario or BC. I probably will be moving to BC because it is a lot more liberal and those higher dosage benzo's are actually available to people that actually have SERIOUS SERIOUS anxiety/panic attacks and NEED the medication for them.
A lot of the docs in Canada do NOT understand this, it works the same god damn way if somebody has diabeaties and needs insulin. Or a pain management doctor prescribing pain meds to a person in Chronic Pain.
Docs famous lines for not prescribing benzo's are this: "They are way too addictive and are shit drugs" - They just say that because they get way more $$ off of scripting an antidepressant like Effexor XR or even the new one out called Cymbalta.
"They will not work for you" - How the fuck do you know doc if I have never tried them..
Now I've been on all kinds of SSRI's, SSNRI's and none of them really work. I think it is mainly placebo effect. I know that benzodiazepines *DO* INFACT work because I've used different ones when I've ordered off the net before, or even when I was scripted them, and they work right away, instead of having something that has like a ~35% chance of working or not working on you like an Antidepressant, especially for people with Severe Panic & Anxiety like me..I don't understand why a doctor can't prescribe me like 60 pills of a benzo a long with your daily antidepressant intake as well. We would see much better results. Fuck the addiction part to benzo's, getting yourself really addicted to Benzo's requires years and years of daily use before you get yourself into REAL shit -- compare how much weaker benzodiazepines are to Alcohol.. like right there you go... Becaue they both act on some of the GABA receptors in the brain, except Alcohol acts on dopamine & Serotonin as well, while most Benzo's don't.
Off the top of my head, the #1 Benzo for a severe panic attack or severe anxiety would be Xanax (Alprazolam). Secondly I would recommend Lorazepam S/L (Sublingual) because they work really fast. Bromazepam is also another benzo to try as well, ask your doctor about that.
Oxazepam sucks and hardly provides any relief, very crappy benzo. Clonazepam in higher doses is probably the best benzo still kickin' because of its duration and medium-long half life. Clonazepam prescribed in 1mg, and in 2mg tablets is an excellent benzo if you have that all day "kind of generalized anxiety". Clonazepam is a lot stronger than Diazepam, and Diazepam I would not recommend as a good benzo at all, but it is a good benzo in higher doses like 40mg/day or 60mg/day but good luck trying to find a doctor to prescribe that to you in Canada. On the other hand though, Diazepam is an excellent benzo for weaning yourself off Benzodiazepines completely. And it can be done without much torture at all.
