I have had depression anxiety for year now , on 225mg venlafaxine xl and 30mg mirtazipine , I've only been on these higher doses of antidepressants for 6 weeks as was put on lower doses and changed antidepressants a few times, I have been on lorazepam on and off for times anxiety bad which is generally when I wake up and taken 1mg every other day for past month, I've told the doctor the day I dont take lorazepam seem very low and can function almost normally when on them, the doctor says take 0.5mg one day and 1mg the next and this is a very low dose , I am just worried not gonna get better but I have before I had hyperparathyroidism 2 and half years ago and after I had the benign tumour operated on my depression went away and I come off all tablets, worried about lorazepam long term and these antidepressants not working , I constantly burst into tears too, I was suffering insomnia last year so mirtazipine sorted that out but then gives me massive appetite sweet stuff, anyone have any advice please let me know , there is no reason the depression come out of no where again , thinking a chemical imbalance as had blood tests , my vit d was low last year I take a supplement now and take biocare b vitamins and star flower oil
Any advice please if lorazepam 1mg sm... - Mental Health Sup...
Any advice please if lorazepam 1mg small amount to take
Hi - Sorry to hear about your medication difficulties. I also take Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine - the so called "California Rocket Fuel" combination - Doesn't really have that much of an effect on my depression - I'm classed as Treatment-resistant.
I too have anxiety, and take Pregablin for it - it's actually a anti epileptic drug, but with secondary use for anxiety. It actually works really well for me - I take it spaced out during the day, but also have Lorazepam 1 or 2mg, which I just take as needed (PRN).
I also find it helpful for any particularly potentially anxiety provoking situation.
I know there is a lot of hype and scare stories about "Benzo" addiction, tolerance building etc, but have a good Psychopharmacologist, and he's of the opinion that if you are up against the wall and really not well, then there is a case for using drugs which have been proven to help, and trying not to worry too much about the long term, if they help you get some improvement.
Anyways, sorry I have lost the ability to be concise! Hope some of this might help - I do also use Mindfulness meditations which can also be a big help with anxiety.
Keep safe and I hope you find some useful information.
Jon
Thanks for your reply Jon, appreciate it, nice to know someone else's opinion.
I saw the psychiatrist one off in January and he mentioned california rocket fuel, I wondered what he was on about lol, I've been told I'm treatment resistant before too ! That's right whatever works and gets you thru it, have you been taking your meds that long? (Dont mind me asking)
Take care
Avs
It sounds like your Anxiety is causing you to worry about the medications you take.
Your mental Health team and chemist have given good advice and that should make you feel more positive as you seem to have nothing really to worry about.
Take your medication, remembering your Doctor and Specialists are in partnership with you as far as your health concerns are concerned.
Remember it is not only your medications that will make you feel better, it is also you as in the future you will move on
BOB
Antidepressants generally don't stop working after X months or X years, normally what happens is people come off them and then try to go back in them and the system rejects them or worse you get side effects that you just can't cope. I was on citlopram 40mg for 15 years, came off them, big mistake. Then upon trying them they didn't work and the side affects were so bad they put me on esceitpram which instantly almost 1 day stopped the anxiety. Most suffers of anxiety suffer pain from being tension, I found amitriptyline was the best drug for that, since it treats nerve pain from tension and gives you an awesome nights sleep. Dosage is different for everyone but 50mg at 7pm is my sweet spot. For days the anxiety is so bad I can't cope I take 5-7mg dizapram, for me, I can go a week or two without it then for no reason it can come back. If I'm going somewhere which lasts for many hours I take it in advance at a lower dosage. You want your body to forget about the anxiety because then you panic in fear of anxiety. I do expose training as much as possible. Dosage is normally low on lorazepam and dizapram because of addiction but as long as you try not to take it as much as possible it's actually hard to become addictive. If your vit d is low then it's likely your not getting enough sun or anxiety exposure treatment. The sun is one of the best natural antidepressants and with exercise, even better. Hang in there, stop worrying about the drugs, there's so many you can switch if req.
Thanks so much for advice, I'm taking mirtazipine 30mg for sleep and it makes me crave sweet stuff badly I've put on weight since on it , I wonder if switching to amitriptyline like you mentioned might be better, I seen to take lorazepam 1mg one day 0.5mg next day been doing for few weeks
Take care
Avril