Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 410990

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Re: anxiety » sgirl58

Posted by jujube on November 6, 2004, at 17:23:00

In reply to anxiety, posted by sgirl58 on November 3, 2004, at 8:29:15

Hi.

If you are looking for an anti-depressant, in the past, I found Paxil to be excellent for anxiety and panic disorder. Of course everybody is different in how they respond to meds, but for me, Paxil was a life saver. It was first prescribed for me 8 years ago, and it put a lid on my anxiety. I made the mistake of stopping it, and a couple of years ago, the anxiety came back in full force. Unfortunately, I did not respond to Paxil the second time around. I did not find it sedating (after the initial start-up side effects wore off), and I never suffered any brain fog or cognitive impairment.

If you are looking for a benzo, the only one I have experience with is Xanax, which I take occasionally. I find it very good. When I experience really bad anxiety, I get very tired and worn out. The Xanax seems to lift me up, and does not make me groggy at all.

Good luck to you.

Tamara

> Hi-have another question here-what have you taken with good results for anxiety? I am currently on celexa and trazodone (For nightime) and they are both pooping out big time. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow. Also what would be a good combo with Celexa, if I stay on it for anxiety and to help with sleeping?
> thanks
> sgirl

 

Re: anxiety Benzo talk » ed_uk

Posted by darkhorse on November 8, 2004, at 7:11:50

In reply to Re: anxiety Benzo talk, posted by ed_uk on November 5, 2004, at 11:57:28

> Wow, that's amazing! Why have you taken so many different benzos? I've taken a few but not nearly as many as you. (I have never taken a benzo long term, just on an 'as required' basis)

Sorry for my dely and here is what I think :

After trying so many ADs I ended with benzos,because they are the cleanest and do not cause weight gain...I guess u might say that I wanted to try all benzos to see the best ones for me,and what helped is that I lived in many countries (Peru,Egypt,Sudan,Austria..etc)and found all those benzos..
>
> Here are my opinions....
>
> Diazepam (Valium). 15mg when needed.... very effective muscle relaxant. Can be mildly euphoric. Maximum effect about an hour after taking a dose. Anxiolytic effect lasts about 3 hours followed by mild residual drowsiness and depressive ideas.

I can not agree more..I had the exact same effect from diazepam,and I guess I might add that taking diazepam long term gives lots of daytime sedation and difficulty in concentration.The only nice thing you get is this nice little buzz you get in the 1st 1-3 hours,but again it does not provide sustained mood without the cost of sedation.
>
> Lorazepam (Ativan). 3mg prn..... Very effective with little drowsiness, max effect after about 2 hours. Lasts about 6 hours for me. Small doses didn't work at all. Overall, my favourite benzo.

I also agree that its effect is more sustained and for me it lasts for 12 hours and 1-2 mg twice a day is all that I need.I can not agree more that it is one of the best.Only drawback is the strong amnestic effect..when I stop it long term,I feel that I can not recall many things,so I always use Bromazepam to withdraw from lorazepam,which makes it very smooth.

>
> Clobazam (Frisium). 20mg......Rubbish, didn't reduce my anxiety at all, infact it seemed to make it worse!

Again,I have the exact opinion.Even though it has no sedative effect at all,it was very bad,it made me more anxious and edgy and artifical..it is the worst BZ,maybe bec it is also chemically differen : 1,5 benzo.


>
> Alprazolam (Xanax)... 1mg prn...... brain felt foggy, wasn't very relaxed. Was very aware of the cognitive impairment it caused

Yes, this is a main difference I got if you compare Ativan with Xanax..with X I "felt" more impaired...however,the advantage of Xanax is that it gives more of a "happy" feeling (euphoria),while lorazepam is more stable...so I sometimes use X when I'm mor to the depressed side,and within 3 days I'm sociable,happy and talkative,but I take the bromazepam road when withdrawing from X.

>
> Clonazepam (Klonopin/Rivotril)... 2mg prn........strangely, Rivotril doesn't seem to make me drowsy, but dose cause me to fall asleep unexpectedly.

Clonazepam : I tried to love this medication because of its reputation for social phobia,mbut unfortunatly,even though it did not make me drowsy, I still felt very tired and what is worse it made me so antisocial and very depressed.. I tried different dose (0.5,1,1.5,2) but nothing..and actually I found alprazolam and bromazepam very pro-social when taken for a few days-weeks (lorazepam does not but gives you this feeling of being content inside yourself with no depressive symptoms!).
>
> BTW, What was you experience with Frisium??

So,for me, I think the worst three were Frisium,Rivotril and Tranxene,while the best are Lexotanil(bromazepam ) : mood-elevating proporties,less sedation and amnesia,pro-social,and easy to withdraw from.Xanax (Alprazolam) : euphoric/happy effects and last but not least Ativan/Temesta(Lorazepam ) : stable mood and anxiety-killer without disinhibition .
> Ed

 

Re: Hi Adam

Posted by ed_uk on November 8, 2004, at 8:42:28

In reply to Re: anxiety Benzo talk » ed_uk, posted by darkhorse on November 8, 2004, at 7:11:50

Hello,
Thank you for your response. I'll add a few more of my experiences....
Diazepam... The funny thing about UK doctors is that they always prefer diazepam to other benzos because it's easier to taper from than other benzos like lorazepam. They seem to ignore the fact that it's generally thought to have a higher abuse potential due to its barbiturate-like effects.

Lorazepam... I like it because I can 'function' on it without feeling like a zombie. The amnesia has never really been a problem since I only take it occasionally.

Alprazolam... I couldn't go to work on Xanax. Feels a bit too much like I'm drunk or something... that in itself is enough to increase annxiety. Don't know why people bother to abuse it though because alcohol is a lot more fun.

Clobazam..... I didn't make me sleepy as such but certainly caused a strong feeling of cognitive impairment. I had a panic attack about an hour after I took the first dose. Yuck.

Bromazepam isn't available in the UK anymore. I guess I'd try it if I went abroad!! It used to be called Lexotan in England.

All the best...
Ed

 

Re: Hi Adam:Benzo talk » ed_uk

Posted by darkhorse on November 9, 2004, at 3:47:43

In reply to Re: Hi Adam, posted by ed_uk on November 8, 2004, at 8:42:28

> Hello,
> Thank you for your response. I'll add a few more of my experiences....
> Diazepam... The funny thing about UK doctors is that they always prefer diazepam to other benzos because it's easier to taper from than other benzos like lorazepam. They seem to ignore the fact that it's generally thought to have a higher abuse potential due to its barbiturate-like effects.
>
> Lorazepam... I like it because I can 'function' on it without feeling like a zombie. The amnesia has never really been a problem since I only take it occasionally.
>
> Alprazolam... I couldn't go to work on Xanax. Feels a bit too much like I'm drunk or something... that in itself is enough to increase annxiety. Don't know why people bother to abuse it though because alcohol is a lot more fun.
>
> Clobazam..... I didn't make me sleepy as such but certainly caused a strong feeling of cognitive impairment. I had a panic attack about an hour after I took the first dose. Yuck.
>
> Bromazepam isn't available in the UK anymore. I guess I'd try it if I went abroad!! It used to be called Lexotan in England.
>
> All the best...
> Ed

Hello Ed,
It is really nice to have somemone who's got very similar opinions.(Benzos &AP)

You know that Austria is the opposite : doctors/pharmacists have valium phobia,while they are much more relaxed to give you any other benzo!,while in Egypt bromazepam and alprazolam are easeier to prescribe, and diazepam is hardly prescribed while Ativan is not found anymore and if you ask for it is like asking for a devil drug !
But in Peru,well you can get ANY medication anytime and benzos are so popular and is easer to get a benzo than an asprin except for triazolam (don't ask me why!).

A question : why Lexotan is not available anymore in the UK...it is a very popular benzo in lots of other countries (Austria,France,Spain,Egypt,Peru,Japan,Malasya,India..personal observations ) except the U.S. where people hardly know it and do not know what they are missing?


Adam
P.S. I'm now on Lorazepam and ,wow, don't I love this medicantion!

 

Re: Hi Adam:Benzo talk

Posted by ed_uk on November 9, 2004, at 7:23:04

In reply to Re: Hi Adam:Benzo talk » ed_uk, posted by darkhorse on November 9, 2004, at 3:47:43

Hello again...

Diazepam seems to be the most popular benzo in the UK because in the 1980s the Committee on safety of medicines (a government organisation) handed out guidance to doctors in England about the use of benzos. They stated that diazepam was useful because it is easier to taper than the other benzos available in the UK. They said that it was easier to taper because it has a long half life and comes in 2mg tablets- facilitating a slow withdrawal.

Most doctors seem to be under the bizarre impression that diazepam has a much lower abuse potential than other benzos! Who are they kidding! They don't seem to understand the difference between drug abuse and drug dependence. My pdoc says he never prescribes lorazepam because he is convinced diazepam is much less likely to be abused!

Bromazepam was 'black-listed' by the National Health Service many years ago. It was black-listed because there were several cheaper benzos on the market at the time. This means that it was only available on a private prescription, ie. not on the NHS. As a result, very little Lexotan was dispensed in the UK. Recently, the manufacturer discontinued it in the UK altogether- presumably because of low sales.

Lorazepam seems to be thought of as a dangerous benzo in England because it received a lot of media attention for causing severe withdrawal symtoms. This isn't a good reason not to use it prn though, is it?

Please tell me more about your experience with clobazam...

All the best........
Ed

 

Re: Hi Adam:Benzo talk

Posted by darkhorse on November 9, 2004, at 7:50:15

In reply to Re: Hi Adam:Benzo talk, posted by ed_uk on November 9, 2004, at 7:23:04

> Hello again...
>
> Diazepam seems to be the most popular benzo in the UK because in the 1980s the Committee on safety of medicines (a government organisation) handed out guidance to doctors in England about the use of benzos. They stated that diazepam was useful because it is easier to taper than the other benzos available in the UK. They said that it was easier to taper because it has a long half life and comes in 2mg tablets- facilitating a slow withdrawal.
>
> Most doctors seem to be under the bizarre impression that diazepam has a much lower abuse potential than other benzos! Who are they kidding! They don't seem to understand the difference between drug abuse and drug dependence. My pdoc says he never prescribes lorazepam because he is convinced diazepam is much less likely to be abused!
>
> Bromazepam was 'black-listed' by the National Health Service many years ago. It was black-listed because there were several cheaper benzos on the market at the time. This means that it was only available on a private prescription, ie. not on the NHS. As a result, very little Lexotan was dispensed in the UK. Recently, the manufacturer discontinued it in the UK altogether- presumably because of low sales.
>
> Lorazepam seems to be thought of as a dangerous benzo in England because it received a lot of media attention for causing severe withdrawal symtoms. This isn't a good reason not to use it prn though, is it?
>
> Please tell me more about your experience with clobazam...
>
> All the best........
> Ed

Hello Ed,

I'm not sure I understood this black list issue..is it some kind of monopoly to let Roche buy less and get rid of its product? and isn't Xanax more expensive? I do not understand this policy......


- I fully agree that Lorazepam is being treated unfairly....I also agree that you can taper with other long acting benzos :
in my experience, after taking lorazepam for a long period I switched to Diazepam which was OK,but then as soon as I got to 5mg a day and less it gave me what you mentioned before depressive ideas crying etc...so I switched to bromazepam....with bromazepam one can taper to less than 1.5 mg which is like 2mg of diazepam without having the diazepam sedation and its depression- like effect at lower doses.

- Clobazam : I tried it at 10 mg and felt very bad and so I increased the dose until I reached 80-90 mg just to feel a little better,but soon I found out that I got much worse mentally and that it gave me wired,unpleasan effects...so I stopped after few days...it is a very strange BZ which is very different in its effects than all other BZ...it is also the only BZ that gave me insomnia and no sedative effect at all.

- Another atypical BZ is Tofisopam :at 100mg it gives a stimulating effect not unlike Selegiline,and I think it is more of a dopamine agonist than a GABA agonist....you won't find much about it in the litretaure bec it was invented in the eastern block and sold in eastern countries..even though it is an interesting compound.

Best Regards,
Adam

 

Re: Black listed drugs

Posted by ed_uk on November 9, 2004, at 8:28:09

In reply to Re: Hi Adam:Benzo talk, posted by darkhorse on November 9, 2004, at 7:50:15

In England, certain drugs cannot be prescribed on a National Health Service(NHS) prescription, these drugs are said to be black-listed. When a drug is prescribed on an NHS script we pay £6.40 whatever the drug may be. To be treated with a drug on the black list requires a prescription from a private doctor. If we get a private script you have to pay the full cost of the drug plus an additional pharmacy charge which is worked out using a formula. The black list was introduced to save money for the NHS.
A drug is placed on the black list when it is thought that cheaper alternatives are available, this was applied to the benzos because so many were originally marketed in the UK.

Benzos on the Black List....
Bromazepam (Now discontinued in UK)
Alprazolam (Hardly anyone in UK has heard of Xanax!)
Clorazepate dipotassium
Flurazepam

Hope this is an ok explanation! People always talk about the health system in the US in this forum and I don't understand at all!

Ed

 

Re: Black listed drugs:Thanx for the info Ed (nm)

Posted by darkhorse on November 9, 2004, at 8:40:04

In reply to Re: Black listed drugs, posted by ed_uk on November 9, 2004, at 8:28:09

 

Re: Black listed drugs:Thanx for the info Ed

Posted by paulbwell on November 10, 2004, at 21:46:05

In reply to Re: Black listed drugs:Thanx for the info Ed (nm), posted by darkhorse on November 9, 2004, at 8:40:04

Hi Darkhorse

You sound like you have travelled alot. I was wondering which countries, you have been to, where someone can simply walk into a pharmacy, and purchase these Benzos? Opiods? Stimulants? (sans script or pre doctor visit)

Cheers

 

Re: Black listed drugs:Thanx for the info Ed

Posted by darkhorse on November 11, 2004, at 4:16:22

In reply to Re: Black listed drugs:Thanx for the info Ed, posted by paulbwell on November 10, 2004, at 21:46:05

> Hi Darkhorse
>
> You sound like you have travelled alot. I was wondering which countries, you have been to, where someone can simply walk into a pharmacy, and purchase these Benzos? Opiods? Stimulants? (sans script or pre doctor visit)
>
> Cheers

Well I lived for short periods in USA,UK,Japan,Malasya,Spain,Canada,Lebanon.
and for longer periods in Peru,Sudan,Qatar,Austria and Egypt.
The clue is : when pharmacist know that you are a foreigner they tend to be much easy to give you what you want as long as you are willing to pay . However in Peru,things are really easy,anyone can get what he wants ,but I must tell you that what I bought was mainly from benzo,AD , AP family + some stimulants (in Peru) : Ritalin,Fenproporix,Mazindol,Ditheylpropion,psedoephedrine....but I never asked for a medication that contains Opiod derevative....my Major Psychotropics were always what is labeled a benzo or Antidepressant.

Adam.

 

Re: To Adam

Posted by ed_uk on November 11, 2004, at 9:11:12

In reply to Re: Black listed drugs:Thanx for the info Ed, posted by darkhorse on November 11, 2004, at 4:16:22

Hello!
I just wanted to ask whether your anxiety/depression is under control at the moment? Hope so.

All the best...
Ed

PS. Why have you lived in so many different countries? You've been almost everywhere!

 

Re: To Adam: benzo psychlogic dependence? » ed_uk

Posted by darkhorse on November 12, 2004, at 4:46:17

In reply to Re: To Adam, posted by ed_uk on November 11, 2004, at 9:11:12

> Hello!
> I just wanted to ask whether your anxiety/depression is under control at the moment? Hope so.
>
> All the best...
> Ed
>
> PS. Why have you lived in so many different countries? You've been almost everywhere!


Hi Ed,

Thank you so much for your care....Happily I did not have another episode of major depression for the last 2 years (in mycase they come out of the blue and in episodes),but residual anxiety I sure have plenty of ! so right now I take Lorazepam (Temesta)and I keep packs of tofranil& prozac just in case I get depression..

I have a question :

I do not know why I keep taking other benzos from time to time even though I know that lorazepam bromazepam and alprazolam are the ones for me....but I feel that I have the desire to have an oxazepam,diazepam,prazepam,clonazepam..etc pill from time to time....

do you think I'm psychologicaly obsessesd/dependant on benzos...because I know that those other benzos are not for me and I do not like their effects,and that the other 3 are more than enough,and when I get rid of a box of clonazepam for example,I go and buy another box within 2 weeks,even though I have 10's of packs of Lorazepam,Xanax and Lexotan ????

What is my problem,and how can I get rid of this situation and be thankful that the 3 benzos mentioned are very effective??
Thanx a lot
Adam .
P.S. I lived in all those places because of my job.

 

Re: To Adam: benzo psychlogic dependence?

Posted by ed_uk on November 12, 2004, at 8:03:33

In reply to Re: To Adam: benzo psychlogic dependence? » ed_uk, posted by darkhorse on November 12, 2004, at 4:46:17

Hello!

I'm very glad to hear that you're not depressed at the moment. It's funny how much you remind me of myself. I've always had a tendency to take tablets that I don't really need, sometimes even tablets that I don't like the effect of. I think I do it partly because I'm not entirely satisfied with the way I'm feeling, so I take a pill so that I'll feel different- even though I know that I'm unlikely to be satisfied with the effects. Maybe you are a little bit obsessed with drugs, but so am I so I can't really say anything!

 

Re: anxiety Benzo talk

Posted by ed_uk on November 12, 2004, at 9:14:16

In reply to Re: anxiety Benzo talk, posted by darkhorse on November 5, 2004, at 5:29:18

Adam, what was your experience with tofisopam (Grandaxin). What effects did it have? Apparantly it's a Hungarian drug.
Ed

 

Librium vs. Valium

Posted by Lazarus on November 12, 2004, at 20:18:32

In reply to Re: anxiety Benzo talk » ed_uk, posted by darkhorse on November 8, 2004, at 7:11:50

I have taken both Librium and Valium.

Librium, 10 mg, gives you an anti-anxiety feeling without drowsiness.

Valium, 5 mg, gives you a greater anti-anxiety effect but with some "dullness". It also has a stronger muscle relaxant effect (librium has almost none).

Overall I prefer Librium but I take whatever my pdoc feels is best for me.

Lazarus

 

Re: anxiety

Posted by violetskyye on November 30, 2004, at 14:02:49

In reply to anxiety, posted by sgirl58 on November 3, 2004, at 8:29:15

I'm a long-time reader, 1st time poster. Have suffered over 20 years with severe anxiety, OCD & panic attacks. I have tried Xanax and Ativan, and have the following observations:

Xanax, even .25 mg, puts me to sleep. On .5 of Ativan [Lorazepam], it calms me down but allows me to function with a clear head. I'm a trial lawyer [yeah, I know, great profession for someone with anxiety and panic, but I'm pretty good at it], and took an Ativan the other day on my way into court, aand was fine.

By the way, also take 15mg of Remerom at night and 100mg of Wellbutrin SR in the AM. The Remeron has left me fatigued and hung over every day, but since I haven't had a severe panic attack in quite some time, I'm afraid to stop it. Anyone else take Remeron for anxiety?

 

Re: anxiety

Posted by ed_uk on November 30, 2004, at 14:58:55

In reply to Re: anxiety, posted by violetskyye on November 30, 2004, at 14:02:49

Hi!

I also find lorazepam less sedating than alprazolam. I've never tried Remeron for anxiety myself but many people have. I presume you've tried an SSRI (... probably lots of them!)

Do you find that the Wellbutrin makes your anxiety worse?

Regards,
Ed.

 

Re: anxiety

Posted by violetskyye on November 30, 2004, at 18:50:43

In reply to Re: anxiety, posted by ed_uk on November 30, 2004, at 14:58:55

Re: >Do you find that the Wellbutrin makes your anxiety worse?

Regards,
Ed.

When I first started on Wellbutrin, and when I first went to 100mg, it made me jittery, and my ears rang, but it dissipated with time, and now I think it has the least side- effects of the many meds I've tried.

Going up to 150mg in the a.m. tomorrow, so we'll see how I do. If I get the jitters, I'll try to control it with Ativan till I get used to it. I'll keep you posted.

Violet.

 

Re: anxiety » ed_uk

Posted by corafree on December 1, 2004, at 0:25:44

In reply to Re: anxiety, posted by ed_uk on November 30, 2004, at 14:58:55

Hey, it's winter now, huh?

Glad to find your post here; facing difficulty with sun-up-to-down anxiety and less frequent, panic attacks (prob' because I have been so agoraphobic).

I've sat across from a new P shaking his finger at me, hurrily blurting out unrecognizable words, about my wanting to destroy my life, when I discuss benzos. No, I won't be with him much longer.

I have anxiety, tremors, and panic attacks. PTSD, borderline personality, very agoraphobic lately; am in dialectical behavioral therapy.

Was on Xanax for a long stretch in the past. Then, I decided to get off it and checked in to detox. I did. Well, they took it as a sign of weakness I guess; was really trying to better myself for my now passed away Dad. Since then they've been pushing Klonopin at me, in miniscule amounts, threatening to d.c. any benzo. I belong to a state health program where my chart follows me, and can't afford to go outside it.

Why do you think I have never been offered lorazepam (Ativan)?

I did not abuse either of the priors.

Sounds Ativan is safer and more effective.

Too small a dose of alprazolam (Xanax .5 mg), feels like, triggers panic. And, like you all discuss, clonazepam (Klonopin 2mg x3 day) makes me weary and unable to take care of my ADLs properly.

This P wants me to pick one or the other. Says I cannot be on both.

Klonopin is ineffective for panic. Xanax is ineffective for GAD, as is 'in and out' of my body within an hour. Neither really works. He will not allow me both.

Would be nice to hear back. I see this P for the second to last time Friday!

THANKS, cf

> Hi!
>
> I also find lorazepam less sedating than alprazolam. I've never tried Remeron for anxiety myself but many people have. I presume you've tried an SSRI (... probably lots of them!)
>
> Do you find that the Wellbutrin makes your anxiety worse?
>
> Regards,
> Ed.
>
>

 

Re: anxiety » corafree

Posted by ed_uk on December 1, 2004, at 8:21:58

In reply to Re: anxiety » ed_uk, posted by corafree on December 1, 2004, at 0:25:44

Hi corafree :-)

Lorazepam (Ativan) isn't any safer than any of the other benzos in general....... but I do prefer it personally. Everyone who has tried a variety of different benzos seems to have a favourite one....... I prefer lorazepam but other people might prefer alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, bromazepam etc. I also prefer diazepam (Valium) to Xanax.

Since you don't seem to have responded very well to Xanax or Klonopin I suppose your pdoc is wary of giving you a different benzo. Perhaps you would see a greater improvement with a different type of medication altogether!

Regards,
Ed.

 

Re: anxiety » ed_uk

Posted by corafree on December 1, 2004, at 11:39:22

In reply to Re: anxiety » corafree, posted by ed_uk on December 1, 2004, at 8:21:58

Ed, Eff-XR is the only AD that has ever helped my anxiety. Prozac increased my anxiety.

I look way back and see anxiety before the onset of depression. I mean anxiety began earlier in my life than depression.

I'm so in an unhoho way this season; don't think there's any drug to help. I've been on 'em all! Only choice is to pray for some life change and try something else, maybe again; a time when I am closer to at least one person. Pretty on my own here. I'm going to ask P about Ativan anyway. Tks cf

> Hi corafree :-)
>
> Lorazepam (Ativan) isn't any safer than any of the other benzos in general....... but I do prefer it personally. Everyone who has tried a variety of different benzos seems to have a favourite one....... I prefer lorazepam but other people might prefer alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, bromazepam etc. I also prefer diazepam (Valium) to Xanax.
>
> Since you don't seem to have responded very well to Xanax or Klonopin I suppose your pdoc is wary of giving you a different benzo. Perhaps you would see a greater improvement with a different type of medication altogether!
>
> Regards,
> Ed.

 

Re: anxiety

Posted by DynaUnity333 on December 3, 2004, at 16:28:51

In reply to Re: anxiety » ed_uk, posted by corafree on December 1, 2004, at 11:39:22

If you look at this subjectively it would make sense to hypothesise that your anxieties are related to norepinephrine abnormalities more than anything else.

Owing to the fact that your anxiety doesnt respond to benzos you can safely count gaba deficieny out.

Prozac is likely to cause anxiety at first because it actually agonises serotonin at one of the receptors and blocks the reuptake of it, this is why Prozac (along with Zoloft but for other reasons) has the worst potential for anxiety related issues at start up of the SRRIs. the dramatic increases of serotonin and its blockade at the reuptake pump often causes anxiety if not full out panic with prozac upon intitiation, so its fair that you found it to cause anxiety.

If you took it for a prolonged period of time and still experienced anxiety then it would be safe to say that serotonin levels are probably not the cause of your anxiety problems, or that the blockade of the uptake pumps won't help you because you don't have enough serotonin in the first place to make blocking the pumps worth it.

It would make sense if you got relief using effexor to look into the norepinephrine medications,

although before doing that it might serve you well to check into the possibility of a low level serotonin issue, one that just blocking the reuptake of your current levels wont help out.

The amino acid l-Tryptohan is the best way to determine whther your problems are caused by a low level of serotonin.

I was suggesting 5-HTP until last week when i started reading literature to suggest that 5-htp raises blood serotonin levels rather than brain serotonin levels which would not help someone with anxiety due to low levels of brain serotonin, in fact the use of 5-HTP itself is starting to be questioned because consistent high levels of blood serotonin is being linked to heart problems.

l-Tryptophan is relatively easy to obtain and used with folic acid, B6, magnesium and niacin (a good multi-vitamin basically), very easily crosses the blood brain barrier and raises brain serotonin levels quickly but gently, and of course there is no blockade so the natural process the brain wants to go through is still avilable. It would be fair to say that if no relief was achieved after three weeks (or no noticeable improvement, no matter how small) that your anxiety has nothing at all to do with serotonin.

I would then look at pure norepinephrine medications

I don't know what you have tried before though in your history so this message could be redundant.

regards.

The Big D.


> Ed, Eff-XR is the only AD that has ever helped my anxiety. Prozac increased my anxiety.
>
> I look way back and see anxiety before the onset of depression. I mean anxiety began earlier in my life than depression.
>
> I'm so in an unhoho way this season; don't think there's any drug to help. I've been on 'em all! Only choice is to pray for some life change and try something else, maybe again; a time when I am closer to at least one person. Pretty on my own here. I'm going to ask P about Ativan anyway. Tks cf
>
> > Hi corafree :-)
> >
> > Lorazepam (Ativan) isn't any safer than any of the other benzos in general....... but I do prefer it personally. Everyone who has tried a variety of different benzos seems to have a favourite one....... I prefer lorazepam but other people might prefer alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, bromazepam etc. I also prefer diazepam (Valium) to Xanax.
> >
> > Since you don't seem to have responded very well to Xanax or Klonopin I suppose your pdoc is wary of giving you a different benzo. Perhaps you would see a greater improvement with a different type of medication altogether!
> >
> > Regards,
> > Ed.
>
>

 

Re: anxiety

Posted by violetskyye on December 4, 2004, at 14:40:33

In reply to Re: anxiety, posted by DynaUnity333 on December 3, 2004, at 16:28:51

> Prozac is likely to cause anxiety at first because it actually agonises serotonin at one of the receptors and blocks the reuptake of it, this is why Prozac (along with Zoloft but for other reasons) has the worst potential for anxiety related issues at start up of the SRRIs.

I was prescribed Zoloft for anxiety, and it immediately caused my mind to race and terrible panic attacks. Prozac also made me so anxious, I could barely leave the house or drive. I couldn't stay on either for more than 1 week, though I often wonder whether, if I had stuck it out, they would have been effective for me.

Remeron has not cause those side effects. Your hypothesis may explain that.

 

Re: anxiety » violetskyye

Posted by corafree on December 4, 2004, at 16:36:37

In reply to Re: anxiety, posted by violetskyye on December 4, 2004, at 14:40:33

Yep, I recall Prozac causing anxiety. When I was first prescribed it by an OB-GYN, he also prescribed Xanax to accompany it. cf

 

Re: Black listed drugs:Thanx for the info Ed » darkhorse

Posted by Pluto on February 1, 2005, at 0:42:54

In reply to Re: Black listed drugs:Thanx for the info Ed, posted by darkhorse on November 11, 2004, at 4:16:22

Hi Adam,

In India, you can buy any benzo over the counter except valium. Even Indian psychiatrists hesitate to prescribe valium, because they consider it more habit forming. Now they are more careful to prescribe alprazolam too but funny, you may get it from any pharmacy without a prescription.
While I was in Lebanon, I asked the pharmacist whether they have any sleeping aids.
"we have valium sir, pharmacist replied. How many tablets you want?
It was thus easy. But don't write off all the countries in Middle East like this. In Gulf countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia etc you need a triplicate prescription to get your hand over to any benzo.
Oh proud world!


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