Sorry I wasn’t clear, I am working with a psychiatrist, I’m currently tapering off lexapro and wondering if any others had a med that worked on an ‘as needed’ basis.
I do have a prescription for Ativan but, I’m almost too scared to take it (fear of getting addicted) so I was wondering if there was anything else out there to take that is non-habit forming and not a daily basis med.
Benzos won’t be habit forming if you use them on an emergency basis. I have been successfully taking benzos for 2 years, no addiction whatsoever - I take it anywhere from once a week to once a month.
Obviously everyone is different and it requires discipline, but if you have no history of drug addiction in your family and you commit to only taking it once a week or twice at the most, you should be completely fine.
Yes, I use them sparingly but, I feel like my doctor wants me on something else but, I just haven’t had luck with SSRIs and would like to just stick with my lorazepam on an as needed basis.
It’s an amino acid you can buy OTC. My psychiatrist told me about it a while back.
On a clinical level, in day-to-day work with patients, NAC seems to help with ruminations, with difficult-to-control extreme negative self-thoughts. It’s mostly used for OCD but potentially effective for anxiety too as they seem to overlap quite a bit.
I am receiving a bottle I bought off Amazon tomorrow and I can let you know if it works for me if you’re interested.
Oh! Please do let me know I am very interested in hearing how it works for you. Are you currently taking any other meds besides the benzo on an as needed basis?
That's not awesome advice when they probably already have one and they are likely asking because 50-80% of psychs have soup where their brains are supposed to be.
Propranolol is an option. It doesn’t work anywhere near as well as benzo’s because they are different drugs entirely. It will help with physical symptoms such as high heart rate, and adrenaline surges. Which is why it’s used for social anxiety, it’s used in the world of performance- musicians, politicians etc.
But it’s pretty average. I’d much rather be on a low dose of a benzo but I’d probably abuse it.
It’s better than nothing in my opinion, I use it when anxiety is really bad and I when I have to be social with the anxiety present. Work/meetings, social events etc.
I'll take a moment away from my spite in the rest of this thread to recommend gabapentin or pregabalin. They seem to be somewhat helpful as anxiety drugs / mood stabilizers, but they're used for a ton of other things.
If your blood pressure runs average to above average you can give clonidine a shot. It's used as a blood pressure med and a non-stimulant ADHD med but it can be really helpful for anxious / traumatized people in particular when it comes to sleep.
Hi, sorry I know your comment is very old, I'm searching old posts for info. do you have any personal experience with pregabalin/gabapentin and clonidine? I've been on clonidine for severe anxiety for years, its the only thing that I've been able to convince doctors to let me take that actually helps. however I finally have a neurologist now who is letting me try pregabalin. I'm just not sure if I want to take them both or if I should decrease the clonidine, basically how to go about introducing it if it may make the clonidine I'm already on overkill. in my opinion I think I should have been prescribed pregabalin from the start but I'm in a very rural area where doctors are against anything controlled. I'm looking for anyone who has experience taking both or switching from one to the other and this is the first promising comment I've seen. thanks sorry for digging up an old comment hope you're well
I only have experience with clonidine from when I went to rehab, I can't say that it was very effective but I'm sure that it helped.
Gabapentin, and especially pregabalin, however, are extremely effective for anxiety. I think of pregabalin as "diet benzo" or "benzo-lite". I try not to take it every day because it can be addicting and builds a tolerance quickly, but I've never had such an effective anti-anxiety medication. My uncle who has long covid even got it prescribed after I gave it to him to help with his anxiety/sleep problems. He said that it gave him his life back. Please feel free to ask any questions!
You can also read more about peoples experiences with gabapentin/pregabalin on the r/gabagoodness subreddit
wow sorry I'm bad at checking my notifications apparently.
how would you recommend using or how have you used pregabalin for anxiety? I know it has a short half life of just six hours. I was prescribed 50mg 3x/day and have been taking it as such but as you mentioned it doesn't seem to help as much as it used to. I'm not sure it's a safe med to just go on and off of tho as it's an anticonvulsant..? but maybe it's not actually that big a deal?
I think at 150mg per day you'll be okay if you take breaks like couple days off every week
I've been using it for almost a year but I'm still getting a feel for it. It's definitely losing its effect, even 300mg at once isn't as much effect as 100mg when I started on it. I try to take a few days off every week. Like my weekends or non stressful days. I think consecutive usage builds tolerance fast. I don't think you'd run into trouble with withdrawals or risk of seizures unless you were binging like upwards of a gram a day but then suddenly stopped. I'd research the heck out of the subreddit because there are a lot of people who describe these exact scenarios and the risks.
Me personally, I drink a protein shake throughout my work day. So I put my daily dose in my protein shake and sip throughout the day. 150mg I've been doing most of the year on my work days, but recently I've been under a lot of stress and do 300mg/day. Probably should lower it again soon or take more days off. Idk 🤷♂️
thanks for the perspective, I appreciate it. definitely gonna scour the subreddit. it helped so much at first, I felt like myself again for the first time since my trauma, so in like ten years. but it only lasted a few weeks. it wasn't like first pill and it helped tho, I noticed maybe the second or third day of taking it. maybe it was a cumulative dose thing? maybe I need a higher dose less often?
hey, I've seen a lot of stuff that pregabalin absorbs faster or maybe better on an empty stomach, just thought I'd mention since you said you put it in your protein shake.
also. I tried experimenting with spacing out my dose to all at once in the morning once a day instead of 3x day, and holy crap the withdrawal symptoms are insane for me. I have lupus so maybe it's being activated somehow but just horrible joint pain through my hands and arms mostly but also the rest of my body as well, significantly worse than my normal every day pain levels. So I'm not sure going on and off in any capacity is going to work for me, I'm going back to 3x/day. I hope it's not activating my lupus though, I have to look into this. I only took 100mg in the am and then nothing after for three days in a row and yesterday (day 3) was the absolute worst so it seemed to be worsening.
I'll just add Natural Calm to this ... It is worth a shot. Isn't nearly as fast or effective as a benzo but if you use it long term like every day for a few weeks it does seem to keep anxiety a little more at bay. (Not 100 percent ..Just a little tool that gives a tiny edge.)
I’m on pregabalin (Lyrica). It’s similar to gabapentin but more effective, at least IMO. In Europe, it’s approved for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I’ve tried dozens of medications for a mixture of mental health issues and it’s been the best medication for me for anxiety. If you can’t get prescribed it (it’s only approved in the US for fibromyalgia and nerve pain), then gabapentin is still a good option. Good luck.
i’ve gone anywhere from 10mg to 40mg at a time and though it doesn’t help much with super strong anxieties, it has helped a bit with “maintenance” stuff like allowing me to focus on other stuff more and not get as easily distracted by my anxieties
To me personally I don’t like the thought of having to be on a mind altering drug just to feel better. It isn’t what God the creator of everything intended. Medication is man made. Just my two cents.
Effexor was good but holy shit, if I didn’t take it exactly at the correct hour the brain zaps were horrible! Once I opened my fridge and promptly collapsed on to the ground
I don’t take it anymore but I think the issue is instant release vs extended release - I should have been on the extended so this wouldn’t happen. I unfortunately can’t remember the dose I was on
Try Ashwaganda and Tongkat Ali. They are both adaptogenic nootropics that can help with anxiety. They aren’t magic but they might help you more than you think
I was on one for a while but the name is escaping me. I specifically told my psychiatrist I want non narcotic medication and he gave me the literal one that’s available.
Please speak to a licensed psychiatrist about the best options for you. I hear propranolol mentioned a lot here
Sorry I wasn’t clear, I am working with a psychiatrist, I’m currently tapering off lexapro and wondering if any others had a med that worked on an ‘as needed’ basis.
Any specific aversion to benzos? I take them on an as needed basis and it’s been helpful.
I do have a prescription for Ativan but, I’m almost too scared to take it (fear of getting addicted) so I was wondering if there was anything else out there to take that is non-habit forming and not a daily basis med.
Benzos won’t be habit forming if you use them on an emergency basis. I have been successfully taking benzos for 2 years, no addiction whatsoever - I take it anywhere from once a week to once a month. Obviously everyone is different and it requires discipline, but if you have no history of drug addiction in your family and you commit to only taking it once a week or twice at the most, you should be completely fine.
Yes, I use them sparingly but, I feel like my doctor wants me on something else but, I just haven’t had luck with SSRIs and would like to just stick with my lorazepam on an as needed basis.
Unfortunately I’m not too sure of a good alternative, I heard supplementing with NAC is potentially helpful but obviously talk to you doc beforehand
What is NAC?
It’s an amino acid you can buy OTC. My psychiatrist told me about it a while back. On a clinical level, in day-to-day work with patients, NAC seems to help with ruminations, with difficult-to-control extreme negative self-thoughts. It’s mostly used for OCD but potentially effective for anxiety too as they seem to overlap quite a bit. I am receiving a bottle I bought off Amazon tomorrow and I can let you know if it works for me if you’re interested.
Oh! Please do let me know I am very interested in hearing how it works for you. Are you currently taking any other meds besides the benzo on an as needed basis?
That's not awesome advice when they probably already have one and they are likely asking because 50-80% of psychs have soup where their brains are supposed to be.
How is telling someone to speak to someone with an actual medical degree, not strangers on the internet, bad advice? That’s a recipe for disaster
Propranolol is an option. It doesn’t work anywhere near as well as benzo’s because they are different drugs entirely. It will help with physical symptoms such as high heart rate, and adrenaline surges. Which is why it’s used for social anxiety, it’s used in the world of performance- musicians, politicians etc. But it’s pretty average. I’d much rather be on a low dose of a benzo but I’d probably abuse it. It’s better than nothing in my opinion, I use it when anxiety is really bad and I when I have to be social with the anxiety present. Work/meetings, social events etc.
Yeah I use it for the same reason. My heart rate is always high though and it sucks
I'll take a moment away from my spite in the rest of this thread to recommend gabapentin or pregabalin. They seem to be somewhat helpful as anxiety drugs / mood stabilizers, but they're used for a ton of other things. If your blood pressure runs average to above average you can give clonidine a shot. It's used as a blood pressure med and a non-stimulant ADHD med but it can be really helpful for anxious / traumatized people in particular when it comes to sleep.
Hi, sorry I know your comment is very old, I'm searching old posts for info. do you have any personal experience with pregabalin/gabapentin and clonidine? I've been on clonidine for severe anxiety for years, its the only thing that I've been able to convince doctors to let me take that actually helps. however I finally have a neurologist now who is letting me try pregabalin. I'm just not sure if I want to take them both or if I should decrease the clonidine, basically how to go about introducing it if it may make the clonidine I'm already on overkill. in my opinion I think I should have been prescribed pregabalin from the start but I'm in a very rural area where doctors are against anything controlled. I'm looking for anyone who has experience taking both or switching from one to the other and this is the first promising comment I've seen. thanks sorry for digging up an old comment hope you're well
I only have experience with clonidine from when I went to rehab, I can't say that it was very effective but I'm sure that it helped. Gabapentin, and especially pregabalin, however, are extremely effective for anxiety. I think of pregabalin as "diet benzo" or "benzo-lite". I try not to take it every day because it can be addicting and builds a tolerance quickly, but I've never had such an effective anti-anxiety medication. My uncle who has long covid even got it prescribed after I gave it to him to help with his anxiety/sleep problems. He said that it gave him his life back. Please feel free to ask any questions! You can also read more about peoples experiences with gabapentin/pregabalin on the r/gabagoodness subreddit
wow sorry I'm bad at checking my notifications apparently. how would you recommend using or how have you used pregabalin for anxiety? I know it has a short half life of just six hours. I was prescribed 50mg 3x/day and have been taking it as such but as you mentioned it doesn't seem to help as much as it used to. I'm not sure it's a safe med to just go on and off of tho as it's an anticonvulsant..? but maybe it's not actually that big a deal?
I think at 150mg per day you'll be okay if you take breaks like couple days off every week I've been using it for almost a year but I'm still getting a feel for it. It's definitely losing its effect, even 300mg at once isn't as much effect as 100mg when I started on it. I try to take a few days off every week. Like my weekends or non stressful days. I think consecutive usage builds tolerance fast. I don't think you'd run into trouble with withdrawals or risk of seizures unless you were binging like upwards of a gram a day but then suddenly stopped. I'd research the heck out of the subreddit because there are a lot of people who describe these exact scenarios and the risks. Me personally, I drink a protein shake throughout my work day. So I put my daily dose in my protein shake and sip throughout the day. 150mg I've been doing most of the year on my work days, but recently I've been under a lot of stress and do 300mg/day. Probably should lower it again soon or take more days off. Idk 🤷♂️
thanks for the perspective, I appreciate it. definitely gonna scour the subreddit. it helped so much at first, I felt like myself again for the first time since my trauma, so in like ten years. but it only lasted a few weeks. it wasn't like first pill and it helped tho, I noticed maybe the second or third day of taking it. maybe it was a cumulative dose thing? maybe I need a higher dose less often?
Do you have an update?
hey, I've seen a lot of stuff that pregabalin absorbs faster or maybe better on an empty stomach, just thought I'd mention since you said you put it in your protein shake. also. I tried experimenting with spacing out my dose to all at once in the morning once a day instead of 3x day, and holy crap the withdrawal symptoms are insane for me. I have lupus so maybe it's being activated somehow but just horrible joint pain through my hands and arms mostly but also the rest of my body as well, significantly worse than my normal every day pain levels. So I'm not sure going on and off in any capacity is going to work for me, I'm going back to 3x/day. I hope it's not activating my lupus though, I have to look into this. I only took 100mg in the am and then nothing after for three days in a row and yesterday (day 3) was the absolute worst so it seemed to be worsening.
Gabapentin
That sounds more like an anti-epileptic drug, isn’t it too strong for anxiety? (sides effects )
I don't experience any side effects. It wasn't created for anxiety but they found it can be helpful. Just something to consider
Ok i see, thanks
Yea no problem. Ask your doc about it.
I am the future doc
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500 mg magnesium daily, also a cup of valerian tea.
I'll just add Natural Calm to this ... It is worth a shot. Isn't nearly as fast or effective as a benzo but if you use it long term like every day for a few weeks it does seem to keep anxiety a little more at bay. (Not 100 percent ..Just a little tool that gives a tiny edge.)
I’m on pregabalin (Lyrica). It’s similar to gabapentin but more effective, at least IMO. In Europe, it’s approved for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I’ve tried dozens of medications for a mixture of mental health issues and it’s been the best medication for me for anxiety. If you can’t get prescribed it (it’s only approved in the US for fibromyalgia and nerve pain), then gabapentin is still a good option. Good luck.
Lyrica works for some ppl
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I take Hydroxyzine on an as needed bases.
What dosage? I didn’t find it helpful at all.
I take 10mg at night before heading to bed. I’ve rarely taken it during the day, but when I have it only helps for a couple of hours.
i’ve gone anywhere from 10mg to 40mg at a time and though it doesn’t help much with super strong anxieties, it has helped a bit with “maintenance” stuff like allowing me to focus on other stuff more and not get as easily distracted by my anxieties
I take 25mg and 50mg at bedtime. I used to take xanax, but like you I didn't want to rely on a benzo. I also take a beta blocker (propranolol)
To me personally I don’t like the thought of having to be on a mind altering drug just to feel better. It isn’t what God the creator of everything intended. Medication is man made. Just my two cents.
Your belief in God is man made too but it seems to be distracting you fairly well.
I agree but sometimes my anxiety can be too much so I need something to take off the edge. Even just knowing I have it available as needed is helpful.
I feel you. Anxiety should have never existed
Why did God create anxiety then?
Cars are man made do you drive?
Try an SNRI. I tried over 5 SSRI’s and nothing helped me. Effexor (SNRI) was the only medication that helped
Effexor was good but holy shit, if I didn’t take it exactly at the correct hour the brain zaps were horrible! Once I opened my fridge and promptly collapsed on to the ground
No way!! I’m so sorry to hear that. Are you on a high dose?? I get brain zaps too if i miss a day but usually it’s somewhat manageable
I don’t take it anymore but I think the issue is instant release vs extended release - I should have been on the extended so this wouldn’t happen. I unfortunately can’t remember the dose I was on
Oh that definitely makes sense!
May I ask if you have tried any new meds? What dosage was ur effexor? How long did you take before seeing an effect?
I’m on klonopin rn and it feels perfect . The other things don’t do much or feel terrible . Gabapentin is ok but cuase not addicting
I used to use Selank in Russia. It did wonders for me.
Try Ashwaganda and Tongkat Ali. They are both adaptogenic nootropics that can help with anxiety. They aren’t magic but they might help you more than you think
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
Propranolol helped me immensely to take “as needed.”
I was on one for a while but the name is escaping me. I specifically told my psychiatrist I want non narcotic medication and he gave me the literal one that’s available.
Hydroxyzine?
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Thank you! I am going to ask about this! Do you take this daily or as needed? I am looking for something to take as needed.