medication for anxiety

[pheniguy]

if you have any recommandations for anxiety meds, I've been prescribed propranolol but it gave some bad side effects, btw I've refused to take antidepressants as I don't want to take medication for long term, anything with immediate effectivness for short-medium length usage as I desperately need to start work but with my current anxiety I can't see myself leaving the house at all. thanks.

[Agora1]

Hi pheniguy, the immediate effect drug for short term usage is going to be in the Benzo family. Doctors are starting to steer away from prescribing those drugs and using SSRIs which are your antidepressants. The SSRIs work well on depression as well as anxiety. Because it is a slower working drug, it doesn't become as addictive as the benzos.

Talk with your doctor, who may be able to recommend something over the counter and

more natural. Wish you well

[Jojo176]

Hi pheniguy!

What side effects are you experiencing with propanalol?

[pheniguy in reply to Jojo176]

Hi, I'm asthmatic, although I haven't had a severe asthma attack in year's so I guess my doctor thought it would be fine, but I ended up getting breathing difficulties, not that bad but I didn't want to risk taking it again incase it became worse, I also got pain in my chest, also it didn't really help the way I wanted, I still got the same anxious thoughts, and avoided doing the same things as before, btw I have a severe case of anxiety.

[BonnieSue]

Agora1 is right, benzos are your immediate help and can be used long term also but may cause short and/or long term memory loss. Addiction, maybe, I'm not impressed with that threat, I got off them on my own after 20+ years on them because they were making me sleepy at that point. I just backed the dose down until I was taking none...I took my time to watch for daytime sleepiness at each reduction until I had eliminated it altogether. I had absolutely no difficulty. And I never had any difficulty with needing a higher and higher dose to get the job done. Some addiction. What I did have was GAD, which caused a serious level of anxiety and a benzo was a good solution.

But the memory problems made working impossible. I didn't have them until about the 17th year of taking them and my dad still takes them with absolutely NO memory problems. He's also a long term benzo taker like myself and remembers everything quite well...everything! So memory problems aren't a given, aren't a sure thing at all, even in close relatives of forgetful people!

So...my suggestion is to take a benzo if you need fast relief for now, but consider it temporary until you and your doc find a better long-term solution. It takes more time for the usual assortment of other drugs to become effective than for benzos, particularly SSRIs and SNRIs, the most commonly chosen options. Please take good care of you! Blessings...

[pheniguy in reply to BonnieSue]

Thanks a lot !

I never knew they could be prescribed for that long, btw I have actually tried a benzo before, Clonazepam 2mg i split between two day's worked really well except I became a chatterbox lol (got it of my friend), you might be confused as to why I asked about meds is because I didn't want to ask the doctor for benzos because of all the addiction shenanigans which made me scared, but I guess from what you're saying it's not as bad as they say, btw what benzo were you taking? and do you know anything about pregabalin?, it's listed on the NHS anxiety treatment list here in the UK and I've heard it's way less addictive than benzos so I was thinking of asking the doc about it instead of benzos.

[BonnieSue]

I was taking Tranzene/clorazepate for roughly 12 years and then Klonopin/clonazepam about the same. Always 4mg/day until I decreased it myself and told my psych doc what I was doing. I took about 11 months to get to zero. Btw I also had a highly significant decrease in stress which I think contributed to the need for a change. My dad takes a benzo for an arm tremor, not anxiety, and his only symptom of needing to take his benzo is a return of that tremor awhile after it's due. Please keep in mind that every drug can affect each of us differently. I took mine every 8 hours.

Pregabalin/Lyrica at the dose I needed for herniated and bulging spinal discs causing extreme pain and reduced function in my arms made me sleep for many hours and then extremely dopey far into the afternoon and even to a lesser degree into the evening. I took it at bedtime. I couldn't afford that dopiness when I tried it so I had to give it up. I can't say how it might help you at a low or beginning dose or if you gave it a chance to let the side effects wear off. It is considered less addictive than a benzo and I stopped it easily but only took it about 3 days.

Special note about benzos: One of my adult sons also has GAD and takes Klonopin/clonazepam 6mg/day after spending a long time on 4mg/day and still suffering greatly from too much anxiety. He has tried every possible alternative drug to a benzo without success. He reported to his doctor that he was aware there are patients who take more than the 4mg/day limit he was told exists, as much as 8mg/day and more because they really need that amount to be out of extreme or significant anxiety; he again reported his extreme anxiety and his doc then upped his dose. This just manages to keep my son away from the need for hospitalization where higher doses are much more easily given. I say this for the benefit of anyone who needs this higher dosage and isn't getting it. There IS HOPE...find a doctor who has the confidence to prescribe what you need after trying everything else your doc asks of you without success.