Opinions - Benzodiazepines Instead of Anti-Depressants

[Powder_Reality]

Swim has been diagnosed with OCD since he was 12, and has been on a variety of SSRI's and anti depressants such as Prozac, Seroquel, Paxil, Celexa, and many others. They've never helped much, in fact sometimes they've made symptoms a lot worse. At one point when SWIM was 16, he had a period of 6 months when the prescriptions just made him extremely depressed and in a state of extreme anxiety. Swim quit going to school and almost never left his house. Swim basically had a complete nervous breakdown at age 16. SWIM never thought that the pills could be making him feel the way that he did, and of course his psychiatrist didn't make the connection, she just kept prescribing new pills and increasing the dosage of the old ones. Eventually SWIM decided to just quit taking the medications because he was sick of having to take them, and didn't notice any positive effects anyways. After an extremely unpleasant withdrawal, SWIM went on with his life and forced himself to face all the OCD symptoms and fears that he had. It was kind of like cognitive therapy. SWIM hasn't been on any prescriptions for a year and a half, but supplements with 5-HTP and Ginko Biloba. Lately SWIM has been having a lot of social and general anxiety symptoms. When he made an appointment with his doctor, he got prescribed Effexor, but SWIM doesn't want to start his anti depressant cycle all over again. SWIM had some left over Librium pills that he got prescribed for panic attacks a year ago, and after researching the chemical for a bit, decided to take a dose and see if it helped his anxiety. For the first time in a long time, SWIM felt calm and grounded, and was able to relax while he was out. SWIM's anxiety almost disappeared for the entire day. SWIM thinks that if he was able to find the right kind and dose of benzodiazepine, it would help him a lot more than any SSRI could. The problem is that SWIM is afraid to ask his doctor specifically for a benziodiazepine prescription, as it might make the doctor suspicious that SWIM just wants to get high. What should SWIM do?

[Fantasian]

Originally Posted by Powder Reality

For the first time in a long time, SWIM felt calm and grounded, and was able to relax while he was out. SWIM's anxiety almost disappeared for the entire day. SWIM thinks that if he was able to find the right kind and dose of benzodiazepine, it would help him a lot more than any SSRI could. The problem is that SWIM is afraid to ask his doctor specifically for a benziodiazepine prescription, as it might make the doctor suspicious that SWIM just wants to get high. What should SWIM do?

A couple of things on this. Firstly be careful, that calm and grounded feeling can quickly turn into a "I need Benzodiazapine" feeling, Benzo's are normally used for short term disorders be it anxeity or sleep or whatever. If SWIFantasian was in the same position as you, he would tell the doctor he had a very severe anxiety attack and was given a Benzodiazapine to intervene with it. Then SWIF would lead on to ask are they effective in treating SWIF as they helped alot this time.

Dont specifiy any benzo in particular and let him work it out, building a relationship with SWIY's doc is important to solving SWIY's medical problem.

Hope i helped, feel free to ask more and remember that i dont know much about OCD so this might not be the best knowledge or ideas.

[Kristy]

Originally Posted by Fantasian

Benzo's are normally used for short term disorders be it anxeity or sleep or whatever.
.

What do you mean by this?

Benzos arent a suitable treatment because the problem is more long term?

[Powder_Reality]

SWIM's problem isn't really OCD, almost all the symptoms have disappeared thanks to cognitive therapy. SWIM only gets OCD symptoms in conjunction with the social/general anxiety symptoms. SWIM would rather take nothing at all and just train his brain to handle the situations, but sometimes the panic attacks can be too severe and he feels like he just absolutely NEEDS something to calm him down. And weed doesn't help him, it just increases the anxiety. Now that SWIM thinks about it, he knows of a doctor in town who has been known to prescribe a lot of different benzos for a variety of different conditions. Do doctors in the same town get notified if a patient switches to the other and gets a different prescription written up? That could possibly lead to complications.

[Jatelka]

Originally Posted by Kristy

What do you mean by this?

Benzos arent a suitable treatment because the problem is more long term?

SWIJ thinks SWIF means that Benzodiazepines are habit forming. A physical withdrawal can result from daily use over as little as 2 weeks, therefore they are only recommended for "short term use". (Correct her if she's wrong SWIF)

@ Powder reality: Has SWIY had CBT targeted at the panic attacks? It can be very effective for anxiety as well as OCD. Biofeedback techniques can also be utilised for panic disorder.

Be aware that "doctor-shopping" is often viewed with suspicion by medical practioners and also pharmacies where SWIY gets prescriptions filled.

[Beeker]

Fixing depression with a downer is close to the same thing as self medicating with alcohol.

I take Klonopin 1 mg only when needed. So usually only on weekends or office meetings.

I have an old friend hopelessly addicted to Xanax in her 40's. One of the last times I saw her was about a year ago and she comes in screaming at her daughter accusing her of hiding the pills. I hate that fiend look and vibe, you know? Anyway she had dropped em in a drawer and within 10 minutes she was all smiles like nothing had happened.

My advice to you for depression is not take an anti-depressant like Zoloft or Paxil. You can get free samples from your doctor and if you don't know in about two weeks move on.

Cymbalta is the one I use currently. Seratonin and Noreprinephrine RI.

Those SSRIs will make you drepressed when your balls get huge because you can't for the love of god bust a nutt!

If you are in the US you can get stimulants for ADD ADHD and depression which can be used threw out the week just make sure you go to bed after you see the sun come up... again.

Generic Retalin is easy to get prescribed usually 2-20mg a day at which point most call in a week later and say, "The Ritalin isn't working!"

Then your on 10mg Addreal 4 salt amphetamine which is way to low for ADD imho. The fuckers added a sweet candy like taste to the generic adderals, evil. try to get on 20mg or more no XR. Generics.

I have ADD so this should tell you something about the last prescription Dextro-Amphetamine 10 mg keeps me up for around 8 hours completely alert and focused. 20mg gives me euphoria.

No other ADD med worked as well for me and if you took 20mg you would not be depressed for at least 6 hours.

If you use them only when needed and not daily then you won't have an addiction problem. Dextro-Amphetamine is a favorite drug to many.
more then likely because it's a known source of pure D-amphetamine, prescription, if you freak out and do all your meds like an idiot you get two weeks of no pills

air force official issue 15g Go-pill Dexedrine! Been called a go pill sense the 40's?

[Powder_Reality]

SWIM has had CBT targeted at his OCD when he was having problems with his fear of germs and constantly counting (very classic OCD symptoms). The CBT helped SWIM better than any medication ever did, although SWIM was taking the meds at the same time as the CBT. When he quit the meds, he didn't get the symptoms back. So maybe CBT is a good idea to target the anxiety disorders. SWIM just feels that he sometimes needs something to calm him down when he is thrown into a strong panic attack. I guess SWIM will just have to be honest with his doctor and tell him exactly what he feels he needs to continue living a normal life; exercise, a balanced diet, maybe some CBT, and something to calm him down when he needs it. Thanks for the advice everybody.

[Beeker]

Off topic, sort of, but panic attacks are the worst f__king thing. They just pop up ! O.o;

You're at work, you take a Benzo but even then it takes 15 minutes to work. :P


My first one I thought I was having a heart attack. -.-;

[Fantasian]

Originally Posted by jatelka

SWIJ thinks SWIF means that Benzodiazepines are habit forming. A physical withdrawal can result from daily use over as little as 2 weeks, therefore they are only recommended for "short term use". (Correct her if she's wrong SWIF)

@ Powder reality: Has SWIY had CBT targeted at the panic attacks? It can be very effective for anxiety as well as OCD. Biofeedback techniques can also be utilised for panic disorder.

Be aware that "doctor-shopping" is often viewed with suspicion by medical practioners and also pharmacies where SWIY gets prescriptions filled.

exactly right...