Aa
Daily med or not??
I don't usually have daily anxiety. I can have bouts that will last for a couple days and then I'll have days and days with no anxiety and feel quite calm. Right now I have ativan. I'm not sure what to do long term.
Would I be a better candidate for daily meds or stick with the ativan? I'm afraid to go on daily meds because of the side effects. In the past I have tried prozac and buspar and I couldn't tolerate either. I had very bad nausea and that is one side effect I cannot tolerate because of my phobia.
I've been an amitriptylane (spelling??) also and I don't recall side effect with that. It's been too long ago.
Would I be a better candidate for daily meds or stick with the ativan? I'm afraid to go on daily meds because of the side effects. In the past I have tried prozac and buspar and I couldn't tolerate either. I had very bad nausea and that is one side effect I cannot tolerate because of my phobia.
I've been an amitriptylane (spelling??) also and I don't recall side effect with that. It's been too long ago.
Ativan, taken by mouth, will begin to work within 1/2 an hour, it will "peak" 1-6 hours and the duration is 24-48 hours. Half-life is 14 hours.
Compare this to Xanax taken by mouth: Onset is 30 minutes, peaks in 1-2 hours, duration 4-6 hours, half-life 12-15 hours.
Since you have a sensitivity to these types of meds, you will need to discuss this with your doctor. Almost all meds in this class have, as a side effect, drowsiness or a sedative effect until your body becomes adjusted to it. If taken on a daily basis and the drowsiness continues after the first week (possibly two) then your doctor will probably lower your dose and hope it will still control you anxiety without the side effect. Or they can try another med. But you will then have to sort of start all over with adjusting to the side effects of THAT one. Finding the right med can sometimes prove to be a **** shoot, but when you do finally hit on the right one, you'll know it almost immediately. Like your thereapy, don't give up. There IS something out there that can help you.
Everybody has different experiences with different meds, they affect all of us in different ways and what works well for me will do nothing for you. (Refer to "**** shoot") I tried Buspar years ago and I swear it was a sugar pill. After one month on it, I felt absolutely nothing. Others swear by it. Opinions are great, but only your own persoanl experience will give you the answer.
Beware of Xanax. It is a wonderful medication, but it is meant for short term use only. Short term meaning no more than four months. After that time, it will lose it's efficacy to control your anxiety and if you continue taking it, all you will be doing is keepint the Xanax withdrawl at bay. Please be careful if this is the med they prescribe for you. It is usually written for PRN (as needed) use, but some doctors will prescribe it for daily use and again you must be careful here, since it is very short acting........it is completely out of your system within 6 hours, you will need to dose yourself again to maintain anxiety control, and again 6 hours later.......and so on. And it is very difficult to w/d from, even if your dose is low and you've not been on it long.
Because I don't have much faith in the knowledge of PCPs and these types of meds, I would advise you to have a discussion with your pharmacist, who is a DOCTOR of PHARMACOLOGY and really understands these types of meds before seeing my doctor. The pharmacist can give you a list of the meds that would work for you and your situation. He can tell you their side effects, and answer any other question you have about them. Then, when you see your doctor, you will be knowledgeable about the meds that might work best for you. Pharmacologists are so often overlooked as the remarkable resource they are, I urge you to take advantage of their incredible knowledge!
Good luck in your search..........you'll find the right med for you, eventually!
Keep us posted, OK?
Peace
Greenlydia
Compare this to Xanax taken by mouth: Onset is 30 minutes, peaks in 1-2 hours, duration 4-6 hours, half-life 12-15 hours.
Since you have a sensitivity to these types of meds, you will need to discuss this with your doctor. Almost all meds in this class have, as a side effect, drowsiness or a sedative effect until your body becomes adjusted to it. If taken on a daily basis and the drowsiness continues after the first week (possibly two) then your doctor will probably lower your dose and hope it will still control you anxiety without the side effect. Or they can try another med. But you will then have to sort of start all over with adjusting to the side effects of THAT one. Finding the right med can sometimes prove to be a **** shoot, but when you do finally hit on the right one, you'll know it almost immediately. Like your thereapy, don't give up. There IS something out there that can help you.
Everybody has different experiences with different meds, they affect all of us in different ways and what works well for me will do nothing for you. (Refer to "**** shoot") I tried Buspar years ago and I swear it was a sugar pill. After one month on it, I felt absolutely nothing. Others swear by it. Opinions are great, but only your own persoanl experience will give you the answer.
Beware of Xanax. It is a wonderful medication, but it is meant for short term use only. Short term meaning no more than four months. After that time, it will lose it's efficacy to control your anxiety and if you continue taking it, all you will be doing is keepint the Xanax withdrawl at bay. Please be careful if this is the med they prescribe for you. It is usually written for PRN (as needed) use, but some doctors will prescribe it for daily use and again you must be careful here, since it is very short acting........it is completely out of your system within 6 hours, you will need to dose yourself again to maintain anxiety control, and again 6 hours later.......and so on. And it is very difficult to w/d from, even if your dose is low and you've not been on it long.
Because I don't have much faith in the knowledge of PCPs and these types of meds, I would advise you to have a discussion with your pharmacist, who is a DOCTOR of PHARMACOLOGY and really understands these types of meds before seeing my doctor. The pharmacist can give you a list of the meds that would work for you and your situation. He can tell you their side effects, and answer any other question you have about them. Then, when you see your doctor, you will be knowledgeable about the meds that might work best for you. Pharmacologists are so often overlooked as the remarkable resource they are, I urge you to take advantage of their incredible knowledge!
Good luck in your search..........you'll find the right med for you, eventually!
Keep us posted, OK?
Peace
Greenlydia
Is ativan supposed to be short lived? How short lived? When I take a 1/2mg. that lasts me all day long. I'm VERY sensitive to meds especially if they have any sedating effect. A dramamine knocks me out.
Alot of people said buspar did nothing for them and it just kept me dizzy and extremely sedated.
Alot of people said buspar did nothing for them and it just kept me dizzy and extremely sedated.
Namaste,
If your anxiety attacks are infrequent, a medication which is quick acting, but with a short lifespan like Xanax. That way you won't need to take it daily. It is addictive as are all the benzos, although I take valium daily and have for 4 years without any side effects.
Paxil, which is technically an anti-depressant does have anti-anxiety qualities and can be prescribed in relatively small dosages without side effects.
When in doubt, talk with your physician.
Michael
If your anxiety attacks are infrequent, a medication which is quick acting, but with a short lifespan like Xanax. That way you won't need to take it daily. It is addictive as are all the benzos, although I take valium daily and have for 4 years without any side effects.
Paxil, which is technically an anti-depressant does have anti-anxiety qualities and can be prescribed in relatively small dosages without side effects.
When in doubt, talk with your physician.
Michael
What about Paxil? There are minimal side effects and it has a small sedative effect also. I have taken both Zoloft and Paxil and I liked the Paxil better. You definately want to discuss daily meds w/ your doctor. Hang in there. Watch your caffeine intake also. I notice that my anxiety is much higher when I am amped up on Coffee and or Energy Drinks.
Hitting walls during therapy is quite normal and I'm happy to hear that you're going to stick with it!
I can understand you wanting to feel "normal" every day, but I still stand by what I said. If taking the Ativan every few days is keeping your anxiety under control, and you feel good the days you don't need it, why get yourself into a situation where you will eventually need to "taper" off a med? But, on the other hand, if, even on your "good days," you are feeling some anticipatory anxiety, then speak with your therapist about recommending your doc put you on a long acting benzo.
Good luck with your therapy..........just like Humpty, one day soon you'll get off that wall, one way or another! (Then you'll be "cracked" like the rest of us!)
LOL
Peace
Greenlydia
I can understand you wanting to feel "normal" every day, but I still stand by what I said. If taking the Ativan every few days is keeping your anxiety under control, and you feel good the days you don't need it, why get yourself into a situation where you will eventually need to "taper" off a med? But, on the other hand, if, even on your "good days," you are feeling some anticipatory anxiety, then speak with your therapist about recommending your doc put you on a long acting benzo.
Good luck with your therapy..........just like Humpty, one day soon you'll get off that wall, one way or another! (Then you'll be "cracked" like the rest of us!)
LOL
Peace
Greenlydia
I'm in therapy right now. I've only been in therapy for about two months now. I like my therapist but we are hitting a wall right now on my anxiety. I'm not giving up tho - I'm going to stick it out. They only reason I ever considered taking a daily medication is because I think of how nice it would be if I could feel normal every day. There are days I wake up full of anxiety - just out of the blue.
If you can get by with taking the Ativan prn (as needed) why consider going on a daily med? You would be wiser to consider some therapy to find out why you are having the anxiety in the first place. Then you can hopefully dispense with meds altogether!
Just a thought.
Peace
Greenlydia
Just a thought.
Peace
Greenlydia
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