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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by XanyADDam on February 1, 2007, at 2:28:13
I take 2 mg a day of Alprazolam (Xanax) for anxiety..as far as I know, Xanax is just about the strongest anti-anxiety drug on the market. Anyone care to prove me wrong? With regard to the fact that I'm an insomniac, I take 10 mg of Ambien at bedtime. Ambien, in my opinion, is without a doubt the strongest sedative-hypnotic on the market. In addition to taking an antidepressant (Paxil CR), I have found that Amphetamine (Adderall) helps with the depression. Adderall's gotta be the strongest CNS stimulant on the market, and with regard to my ADD it works like a charm. Am I wrong about these drugs? Can anyone recommend other meds that would have a significant impact in treating my anxieties, insomnia and/or depression?
Posted by Quintal on February 1, 2007, at 4:16:06
In reply to A cocktail for anxiety, insomnia and depression?, posted by XanyADDam on February 1, 2007, at 2:28:13
Klonopin and Xanax have roughly equal potency but Klonopin has a longer half-life and is usually more sedating. Xanax seemed to have almost no effect so I'd say Klonopin is the 'strongest' benzo for me.
Ambien is regular strength sedative/hypnotic with a short half-life but most people seem to find it fairly mild. Adderall is a mixture of amphetamine salts, so it's hard to compare to other amphetamines, but methamphetamine (Desoxyn) is certainly stronger.
>Can anyone recommend other meds that would have a significant impact in treating my anxieties, insomnia and/or depression?
Are all these meds no longer working?
Q
Posted by Phillipa on February 1, 2007, at 9:26:22
In reply to Re: A cocktail for anxiety, insomnia and depression?, posted by Quintal on February 1, 2007, at 4:16:06
Valium has a long life too. Love Phillipa
Posted by XanyADDam on February 1, 2007, at 9:40:27
In reply to Re: A cocktail for anxiety, insomnia and depression?, posted by Quintal on February 1, 2007, at 4:16:06
> Klonopin and Xanax have roughly equal potency but Klonopin has a longer half-life and is usually more sedating. Xanax seemed to have almost no effect so I'd say Klonopin is the 'strongest' benzo for me.
I've taken Klonopin before. I found it to be very mild and yes, very sedating. It didn't "hit" me the way Xanax does, probably because it does have a longer duration of action. I'm sure the withdrawal isn't nearly as bad as when I'm coming off of the Xanax, but I like the fact that the Xanax is fast-acting. I didn't care for the sedative effects of the Klonopin, which are nearly absent with Xanax.
> Ambien is regular strength sedative/hypnotic with a short half-life but most people seem to find it fairly mild. Adderall is a mixture of amphetamine salts, so it's hard to compare to other amphetamines, but methamphetamine (Desoxyn) is certainly stronger.
In my own experience, Ambien has a better track record than Lunesta or Sonata. It's much more likely to put me to sleep. I'd have to agree that methamphetamine IS stronger than Adderall, but good luck finding a doctor that will prescribe it. I dunno how Adderall compares to Dexedrine. It's certainly a strong psychostimulant.
> Are all these meds no longer working?
The problem with these meds is that, over time, most people develop a tolerance to them. With the exception of Adderall, I feel the need to up the dose of both Xanax and Ambien. My psychiatrist won't go for that so I'm stuck at 2mg and 10mg, respectively.
Posted by XanyADDam on February 1, 2007, at 9:42:25
In reply to Re: A cocktail for anxiety, insomnia and depression?, posted by Phillipa on February 1, 2007, at 9:26:22
> Valium has a long life too. Love Phillipa
True. But for whatever reason, the only benzodiazepines that seem to be able to keep my anxiety under control are Xanax and Ativan. I've tried Valium, and I can't say that I noticed much of an effect.
Posted by JayBTV on February 1, 2007, at 10:16:43
In reply to A cocktail for anxiety, insomnia and depression?, posted by XanyADDam on February 1, 2007, at 2:28:13
Remeron always gets me to sleep and has done a pretty good job on my depression. Also unlike most of the SSRIs it's actually helped on the sexual front. The big turn off for a lot of people is the munchies that it causes. However, if you're taking Adderall it probably won't increase your appetite all that much.
Some people really don't like Remeron but you can usually tell w/in the first week. It's been one of the best meds I've been on. Trazodone is another SSRI that'll knock you out - so you may want to read into that as well.
Cheers,
-Jay
Posted by dbc on February 1, 2007, at 13:08:47
In reply to Re: A cocktail for anxiety, insomnia and depressio, posted by JayBTV on February 1, 2007, at 10:16:43
Adderall is infact quite weak compared to dexedrine considering its a racemic mixture. Which does two things, it makes it less safe of a drug from a physical standpoint and makes half the drug (the L-amphetamine component) about 1/6th as effective of a CNS stimulant.
Adderall is/was banned in canada for quite some time due to some unexplained deaths.
Dexedrine is not even the most effective stimulant on the market desoxyn is but absolutely no one gets a script for that. So for a pure d-amphetamine product dexedrine will have to do.
This is the end of the thread.
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