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AnXiEtY meds!

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Sarah A	AnXiEtY meds!		Lead	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 229 05/06/08 10:40 PM	Remove this ad Hi all, I know this has been discussed before, but I'd like to get a fresh poll. 1) How many of you take anti-anxiety meds? 2) What do you take, what's your dosage? 3) Does it help with anxiety? With VS? I'm thinking of going on meds for my anxiety. Anxiety makes both of my problems worse--the Sjogren's/dry eye and the VS. I don't like the idea of altering my mood, but it has come to this because I can't manage my stress at this point. I hope it won't be something I need long term.
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darkprince86		#1	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 351 05/06/08 10:46 PM	I'm currently on 40mg citalopram, didnt want to be but like you stress and anxiety levels just got to be too much. It does seem to have a somewhat small effect on my VS, it doesnt make it go away or anything but it does reduce the rate it moves at, since starting this med its more of a slow static rather than fast paced if that makes any sense. My anxiety is at an all time low now...hasnt stopped the vertigo/lightheadedness though.
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ksomething		#2	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 5010 05/07/08 4:00 AM	I would recommend Citalopram, which is among the SSRIs with the least side effects, and which (in contrast to benzodiazepines) has no addictive potential. It is effective not only as antidepressive drug, but also in panic disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. Dosage usually 40 mg per day
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xFoxxxx		#3	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 187 05/07/08 4:12 AM	None. Medicines may help, but coping when you can is better in the longer run.
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jallad66		#4	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 462 05/07/08 6:52 AM	i agree..i dont take any meds for anxiety even though my GP said i could have some if wanted. I would rather try myself and ignore my symptoms rather than taking extra pills.
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jruddy		#5	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 413 05/07/08 9:50 AM	Citalopram - currently at 30mg on my way to 40 or 50mg - just a little bit of help until this mess clears up. Primarily for Depression but now upping for anxiety. Side effects include some mild nausia at first though it does clear up quickly and ginger ale controls it. Anxiety isn't a weakness, it is part of the condition - if it is at a manageable level, that's great, if it isn't, then by all means, in my opinion, try Citalopram (Celexa). Just realize you may have a bumpy few weeks getting off at the other end, but in my case I'll take a few bad weeks later in exchange for living a normal life now.
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SopuliSusie		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1496 05/07/08 12:29 PM Administrator	I'm on Lexapro (escitalopram), 20mg, for anxiety. It has been awesome for my anxiety and the decrease was quite noticeable. I have done better on the escitalopram than the citalopram, but of course you can't get it generic. For me, its worth the extra $40 a month since the side-effects are less for me on escitalopram (less fatigue). I did not noticed any difference with the VS on either drug. For me, the drugs have gotten me to a point where I can work on my coping mechanisms for anxiety (the cognitive-behavioral therapy and such). Not having terrible insomnia due to anxiety and not being as tired all the time from the anxiety is giving me the energy I need to learn the behavioral changes... Need to cheer yourself up? Watch the Kitty Cat Dance!
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juliedeeinthesnow		#7	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 397 05/07/08 9:17 PM	From what people have told me, both Celexa and Lexapro are really great medicines for both depression and anxiety--cleaner drugs with less side effects and more stable performance.
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jruddy		#8	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 413 05/07/08 10:00 PM	Regarding escitalopram, I can vouch second hand, for it's effectiveness in treating Post Partum Depression and it has very limited side effects. The person in question had trouble coming off of them, though (40mg) I don't know if this is the drug or the person's condition (Wicked mood swings, very quick to anger etc...) so she is back up to 40mg for now.
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Sarah A		#9	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 229 05/07/08 11:54 PM	Remove this ad It seems a lot of people have mentioned drugs that are for both depression and anxiety. I'm not depressed, and I don't want to go on anti-depressants. Are there drugs that are just meant for anxiety?
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ksomething		#10	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 5010 05/08/08 9:03 AM	Not for chronic anxiety. For acute anxiety, you have benzodiazepines, but these are addictive. Antidepressives have many pharmacological properties. They are also used in persons without depression, even in persons without any psychiatric disorder, e.g. in pain therapy. For panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, such SSRIs are the medication of 1st choice according to guidelines in medicine. There is no rational reason to prefer other substances for that indication. Citalopram, in addition, has the advantage of having very few side effects.
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jruddy		#11	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 413 05/08/08 12:11 PM	Regarding benzodiazepines, I've seen what happens when someone misses their regular dose for a couple of days and given the choice I'd rather stick with the Citalopram then even think about going on something like Clonazepam.
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SopuliSusie		#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1496 05/08/08 1:14 PM Administrator	I'm not depressed, but the Lexapro works great for the anxiety. To be honest, I haven't noticed any difference in my mood- I'm the same as I always was. Need to cheer yourself up? Watch the Kitty Cat Dance!
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IanKC		#13	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2955 05/09/08 5:09 AM Administrator	I take 4mg of Xanax XR (or generic alprazolam ER) per day. I take the 2mg pills, so I take one every 12 hours. It's the time released format so it has less side effects. I've actually found it to be more poweful than the instant release xanax. So far xanax is the only drug that has managed to reduce my VS symptoms. I'd say when I'm on this dosage of xanax my symptoms are reduced by close to 50%. I've been taking it for 4-5 years now and it's still helping a lot (also helps with letting me ignore the tinnitus). I also started on Celexa 20mg (citalopram) once a day, has had no effect on VS symptoms but does give me more energy. So if you consider lack of energy a symptom of VS then I guess you could say the Celexa helps too. http://www.visualsnow.com \| Lots of information on Visual Snow http://www.iancasey.com \| My blog
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Jodie77		#14	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 60 05/09/08 6:45 PM	I think I've taken every benzodiazepine (anti anxiety meds) except for maybe Valium. Klonopin is great...I took it for several years; I think the dosage was .5 mg. But I never used it daily, only when necessary. I took the dissolvable pills. I'd put the little yellow sucker in my mouth and it would instantly dissolve and immediately go into bloodstream---relaxed me instantly, was great for taking right before bed to get some good rest. Xanax I have been on and off for many years as well (between .25 and .5 mg) Again, never used it daily, only when I had intense anxiety. This drug is the bomb..ha! It is highly addictive like all benzos but it made me feel "heavy" not sleepy. Ativan which I am currently on. Like this one too. I have been taking it regularly for over a month. I take 1 mg per day. I believe this is the most addictive of the benzos and the hardest to quit. I haven't had problems yet. It's very potent I feel. Really calming. I have to admit, every single benzo that I used made my palinopsia (trails, after-images) worse temporarily, until the drug was out of my system.
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ksomething		#15	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 5010 05/10/08 9:54 AM	Jodie77 wrote: Ativan which I am currently on. Like this one too. I have been taking it regularly for over a month. I take 1 mg per day. I believe this is the most addictive of the benzos and the hardest to quit. I haven't had problems yet. It's very potent I feel. Really calming. You take this benzodiazepine since the onset of the recent mild depressive episode and panic disorder. Chronic treatment with a benzodiazepine does neither help against depression nor - in long term - against the anxiety disorder, bur it bears a great ris of tolerance, need to increase dosage, and dependency. You should speak with a psychiatrist ASAP and one should decrease the benzodiazepines and start a therapy with a SSRI e.g. Citaloprame, which helps against bith the depressive episode and the panic disorder. In addition, of course, psychotherapie, best in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy. That would be a treatment according to the "state of the art" in medicine.
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juliedeeinthesnow		#16	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 397 05/10/08 8:32 PM	I agree with ksomething. I was taught that extended exposure to benzos can actually precipitate a major depression. An SSRI or SNRI type medicine might be a much better tool for the job, and less addictive for sure....
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Jodie77		#17	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 60 05/11/08 10:13 AM	ksomething wrote: Jodie77 wrote: Ativan which I am currently on. Like this one too. I have been taking it regularly for over a month. I take 1 mg per day. I believe this is the most addictive of the benzos and the hardest to quit. I haven't had problems yet. It's very potent I feel. Really calming. You take this benzodiazepine since the onset of the recent mild depressive episode and panic disorder. Chronic treatment with a benzodiazepine does neither help against depression nor - in long term - against the anxiety disorder, bur it bears a great ris of tolerance, need to increase dosage, and dependency. You should speak with a psychiatrist ASAP and one should decrease the benzodiazepines and start a therapy with a SSRI e.g. Citaloprame, which helps against bith the depressive episode and the panic disorder. In addition, of course, psychotherapie, best in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy. That would be a treatment according to the "state of the art" in medicine. I will never take an SSRI ever again. It caused palinopsia for me. Besides, I have gone years without using a benzo. As I stated above, I used them only when I had intense anxiety (i.e, flying, the death of my brother, etc). I have been taking Ativan for a month now and that is because my blood pressure has been high due to anxiety because my best friend died. I've never built a tolerance to a benzo, and I've never abused them. I can always stop them without side effects.
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Sarah A		#18	[url]	[-]
Regular Visitor Posts: 229 05/13/08 8:47 PM	Remove this ad My neuro prescribed zoloft. 25mg a day to be increased to 50 if it doesn't help. I'll let you know how it goes.
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