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Re: When are benzos justified? -- UPDATE

Posted by detroitpistons on January 11, 2006, at 20:57:04

In reply to When are benzos justified?, posted by detroitpistons on January 3, 2006, at 15:21:05

Well, the last think I expected was to come home from my pdoc appointment with a sample box of Lamictal in hand...

I went in and basically told him that I wasn't deeply depressed anymore, that the Effexor had basically taken care of that. But then I told him that I've still been feeling anxious, that the GAD was still present. I went into some detail, telling him that I just felt agitated and nervous. I described it as "directionless energy." I also mentioned that I'd been experiencing racing thoughts and that I've had a really hard time focusing and concentrating, and at times have felt somewhat hyperactive (lately I've been wondering if maybe I've got some mild form of ADD -- just searching for answers). If anything, I was expecting him to suggest Klonopin or maybe even Strattera.

Instead, he said that it sounded like I was in a kind of hypomanic state. I was pretty surprised by this. My uneducated impression of hypomania is that you feel euphoric and grandiose. Euphoria and grandiosity are far, far from what I've been feeling lately.

So I just took my first 25 mg dose of Lamictal, and I'm hoping for the best, but it's just kind of a shock to me. I hope the doc is right.

I don't know anything about Lamictal. Anyone care to comment on this? Does it seem right that I'm taking this? How long does it take Lamictal to work? The first 2 weeks are 25 mg, then 50 mg for the next 2 weeks, and then 100 mg the 5th week. I go back to see the doc in 2 weeks.

Marc

> I've been thinking about starting Klonopin, but I just wanted some feedback from other benzo users. I take small amounts of Xanax and I can feel better by taking as little as .25mg. However, it can make me depressed and lethargic.
>
> I'm on Effexor XR 225 mg, and it has not totally relieved me of anxiety, although it picked me up out of a depressive episode. I'm familiar with the pro-benzo vs anti-benzo debate. I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: How bad does anxiety have to be in order to justify taking a benzo? I realize this is a very difficult question to answer, but I just wanted to hear some other people's thoughts.
>
> I can generally function without a benzo (or even an AD for that matter)...I can leave the house, go to work, be in social settings with people I don't know (although rarely comfortably). In short, I can get along with life, but I never feel quite right. I feel like everything is forced. I feel like I'm operating at 75%. I probably wouldn't regard my anxiety as severe (not agoraphobic, for example), but I do think it interferes with my life and prevents me from being all I can be.
>
> Where is the line? When is taking a benzo justified? I've always been scared to overmedicate myself. In fact, it took me a good amount of pain and suffering before I broke down and tried an AD. I've never liked the idea of taking 1 psych drug, much less 2 or 3. Sometimes I feel like I'm "cheating," like the only people who should really be on meds are the ones who can't get out of bed in the morning, can't leave the house, can't go to work, etc.
>
> Can anyone relate to this sort of "psych med reckoning" I'm going through?
>
> And back to the original point, any thoughts from benzo/Klonopin users? The first and only psych med I took that worked was Effexor, and it seemed like a godsend at the time (for both anxiety and depression). Now I tried it again, and it just doesn't seem to be working as well on the anxiety. I think my condition(s) may have worsened over the past couple of years, and quite frankly, it feels like the meds may have contributed to that (e.g. caused a permanent change in brain chemistry--which I know sounds very paranoid).
>
> Any thoughts?


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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:detroitpistons thread:594786
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060108/msgs/598124.html