Opinions - Which Benzodiazepine For Different Sorts of Anxiety? [Archive]

Cajun

23-01-2005, 19:55

I find myself feeling depressed some days which is a real pain, my doctor gave me prozak a few months back which i took for just 2 months before i just decided to come off them myself (there really shit, make u happy but.... we'll i cant even explain. I didnt like them anyway.

Now im looking into using some kinda Benzo, i think i know myself better than the doctor and i can self medicate. I admit that at parties or situations where there are looks of people around i fell anxious and i really hate it.

Also ive quit smoking skunk after 9 years of almost daily use, i quit cold turkey and its been 5 months now, i actually didnt find it all that difficult (but i miss the buzz)

What Benzo will most fit my situation, i am planning on using it in very small dosages just so i fell good each day (throughout the day)

Thanks

hippie_lain

23-01-2005, 22:19

Benzos can be really addictingso watch out for that. But Id with go with what your doctor says. They know what medications to give better than any of us. But if you want to self medicate I'd recomend Xanax for the anxiety but to fell good everyday........nothing but life can do that for you, anyways to fell good Id go with valium. One of the weaker ones but it I hear many good thing about its improving life skillshttp://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/smileys/smiley36.gif

Cajun

23-01-2005, 23:02

I was thinking of Valium and only taking 2mg twice a day, which is supposedly a really small dosage but hopefully this will make a difference.

I want to overcome the anxiety and also have a good feeling without felling spleepy or anything. I dont know much about Benzoo's but ive done a fiar bit of research (as i always do).

ANy input would be excellent.

p.s I got a load of Prozac pills which i got off my friend had them for months but really dont fell like going back on them unless theres no better alternative.

And my doctor is a prick, he doesnt really give a shit 2 be honest, when i originally went on Prozac he gave me 1 months worth and after 2 weeks said "when are you gonna get off these ????"

Fuck sake took 1 week just to feel them starting to work.

jduba

23-01-2005, 23:47

i had to go to the doc for anxiety and duue to past addiction he said
xanax was out of the picturebecause it is supposed provide the most
euphoria or give the best feeling of the benzo family, im sure others
may feel different but from experience have noticed that they make me
smiley and happyhttp://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif. i am on valium
now for 1.5mg twice a day. it helps curve my anxiety but does nothing
for mood. lastly be careful with any benzo cause you will build a
tolerance, some people faster than others, and then need a higher dose
to get same effects. i would suggest trying to find ways or thing to do
in your life to eliminate or at least control your depression then
slowely ween yourself off of the benzo because drug dependancy is a
quite depressing thing.

ToxicMind

24-01-2005, 01:06

iagree you should try out valium. ilove to usevalium for my comedowns, because it doesn't make you too exhaused but you feel calm. xanax makes me really tired so if you want to stay up,i think valium would be a better choice. if you plan to take it everyday, remember to keep your doses small.

newman

25-01-2005, 02:21

jduba

28-01-2005, 02:55

For me it has to be clonazepam http://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/smileys/smiley4.gifMost
benzos just seem to put me in a brainless tired state. But Clonazepam
blasts my anxiety away, Puts a smile on my face, and still lets me
function normally.

Its not that Xanax gives a more euphoric high that doctors try to
shy away from it now. But the fact that it is a killer. Xanax causes
more overdoses and deaths by far than other benzos.

(old)Newman

i agree with the clonazepam they have always put a grin upon my chin
and never put me to sleep or sluggish unless i over did it. as for the
xanax newman is probably right it was probably a way for the doc to
avoid the possiblity of perscribing them but i do know fpr a facts that
in comparision that xanax do have a great bit more "fucked up" feel to
them than most benzos ive tried. if at all possible i would try and get
your hands on a couple different ones and try them yourself. if your
doc is as careless as he sounds ask him for a couple samples (not sure
if docs have samples of benzos) or do a couple weeklong test with small
scripts and see for yourself. im not suggesting anything but see what a
friend may have laying around or friends of friends/coworkers and such.
you never know some people have no clue what helpfull things they may
have in there drawer

anabolictrio

31-03-2005, 09:58

xanax is an easy way to be happy :>

hh339

17-11-2005, 06:36

i now eat clonazepam 6-8 mg a day, not to get wasted but as medicine. helps me a lot because im a shy person and some times i feel lots of anxeity. diazepam removed the anxiety best, but i got too hooked on those pills and had to stop. there is less anxiety now though, and clonazepam help me to life my life the way i want to. any suggestions on other benzos that might suit me? not: valium or xanor or rohypnol. is there any other ones you could recommend me to try? oh and by the way, i can get extremely aggresive over nothing without my clonazepam (and its not because of lack of clonazepam, i have always been like this). isnt this alittle weird, should you get even more aggressive with benzos?

pharmapsyche

17-11-2005, 07:47

that's strange for you to feel more 'hooked' on Diazepam then on Clonazepam, since Clonazepam is a stronger, and espically if you are taking it from anywhere around 6-8 times a day. What mg's are you taking exactly, and at the end of the day, how many mg's do you end up taking total? There are many different types of benzodiazepines out there, some which you didn't name are...Bromazepam, Chlordiazeposidr, Clrazepate, Estazolam, Halazepam, Ketazolam, Lorazelpam, Temazepam, Triazolam, and more.

I would suggest talking to your doctor about either Lorazelpam or Temazepam. SWIM has seen her friend have 'aggressive'-type behavior before after taken dose's of Alprazolam, but no aggressive behavor that got out of hand, just a little more 'fisty'. So, i could sort of understand that part, but i don't understand why you would be feeling aggressive without the Clonazepam, unless you were going through a type of 'withdrawl', which is total possible.

I hope things go well for you!

Jatelka

18-11-2005, 23:53

isnt this a little weird, should you get even more aggressive with benzos?

This could be an example of tolerance withdrawal, GABA depletion means that long term users often need to increase dose to avert side effects: Vicious circle ensues.

SWIM often comes across as negative on the Benzo fora, don't get her wrong, she loves them but there have been times when she has seen them becoming a problem for her and had to stop for a long time. SWIM has always taken them for recreational value, and has therefore never used them for therapeutic purposes, so perhaps this skews her view somewhat (there doesn't seem to be a "cynical smilie" which would seem appropriate here)

Much Love X

bonghed

25-11-2005, 10:42

isn't 20mg temazepam equivelent to 5mg diazepam? (might be wrong).

Well i'd advise diazepam or xanax from personnel experience but as you want something different, i can only advise you look into the ones mentioned by pharmapsyche.

Donmeka

03-02-2006, 08:38

first SWIM has anxiety.

SWIM smokes bud regularly and does a 4bar of xanax every 2-3 days the past week or so. will SWIM be alright if he continues this or what advice can you brng?

calmascanbe

04-02-2006, 03:04

First you'll find your tolerance going up and if you run out after a few weeks your going to feel REALY bad for 4 to 6 days . This all depends on each person but from personal experience ,I've gone through it and still haven't learned my lesson yet and still occationaly use them at a higher dose. I can't seem to help myself and once or twice a month binge for 2 days and pay for it for at least 4 days. I can't tell you to stay away but they'll hurt you more than they help. My best advice is to use them only once a week . Hope this helps a little.

raven3davis

04-02-2006, 07:02

Well first off SWIM isnt prescribed xanax so he really should see a doctor if you have anxiety problems maybe they will give you a script. Enough of the lecturing though. If you are self medicating yourself with xanax for anxiety probmels then it probably wouldnt be bad to take a pill every few days but maybe you should consider a lower dose.

SWIM has known a few people who were prescribed xanax and none of them took the 2mg bars at once. Many of them had the .2mg and .5 mg which effectively worked against anxiety. Seriously though if you have a problem maybe it is something the doctor could help you with. Xanax is great for anxiety but it is addictive. 3 day breaks should be okay though for the time being.

Donmeka

04-02-2006, 21:07

thanks a lot for the advice both of you.

SWIM has not gone to higher doses or to a daily basis. SWIM has maintained 1mg-2mg(rarely has it been more than 1) every 3 or so days, it has even gone a week +. it seems to keep SWIMs tolerance low and maintains anxiety.

and thank you calmascanbe for a warning ^^ i always appreciate a warning. SWIM has a very non addictive personality and will do his/her best to keep things in control.

thanks again for he post, much appreiated.

also SWIM is currently talkn with psych about his/her anxiety.

calmascanbe

13-03-2006, 04:33

Donmeka , Your doing the right thing by asking your doc. SWIM switched over to clonazepam to stop the horrible after effects of a xanax addiction.

By thev way ,I still indulge and regret it every time . I guess that makes Swim an addict still.

Riconoen {UGC}

29-10-2006, 00:02

swim was wondering if a doctor could prescibe ativan (he's had experience with it before and it worked like a dream) for anxiety since kpin no longer does anything for swim and he gets panic attacks again. just wondering so swim doesnt look like a druggie ((<) when he asks his doctor for a new anti anxiety med.

Nagognog2

29-10-2006, 04:27

The major concern for any competent physician would be the frequency of usage. Ativan (Lorazepam) is a benzodiazepine, after all, and can cause severe physical addiction in 2 weeks of daily use. So it would depend on how often SWIM would need to take such. If SWIM's anxity attacks were limited to once or twice a week - there should be no problem. If it were a daily event requiring continuous medication, then no competent doctor would prescribe such - unless SWIM was also suffering some terminal disease and addiction didn't matter too much.

Riconoen {UGC}

29-10-2006, 17:28

swim has paranoia and anxiety almost daily and takes his kpin for it daily. he's already ohysically dependant on it and will have to wean himself off of it. he was wondering about ativan becuase swim heard is has a longer half life than kpin and thus owuldnt have to take it as often.

Abrad

29-10-2006, 19:13

he was wondering about ativan becuase swim heard is has a longer half life than kpin and thus owuldnt have to take it as often.
Lorazepam has a shorter half-life to clonazepam.

Riconoen {UGC}

29-10-2006, 19:16

well what has a longer half life than kpin?

Abrad

29-10-2006, 19:38

This thread (http://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16708)should help you with that.

Riconoen {UGC}

29-10-2006, 19:41

alright thanks for the info.

ironmics

17-02-2007, 21:23

Hello all, my friend went to the doctor about his anxiety and stress issues lately. He doesn't really have like anxiety attacks, but people around him can cause a lot of anxiety sometimes. This only lasts for a couple hours maybe, but can kinda build up in him and cause break downs. Is there any benzo that's fast acting and good for just a few hours. His doc gave him ativan which works really well so far for those situations, but seems to last longer than he needs it to. Would a really small dose like .25mg of Xanax maybe be better since he only needs about a half to maybe 1 mg of ativan?

Orchid_Suspiria

17-02-2007, 23:40

From a completely unproffessional point of view SWIM would have to say xanax.It seems to have a very short half life however the effects seem to come on much quicker than valium.

DrMuffy

18-02-2007, 02:35

Well for short anxiety attacks, a short acting one such as Xanax (alprazolam) would be good. There are also many other short-acting benzos (check benzodiazepine equivilance chart). Of course it takes a little bit to kick in so it wont calm your friend for the first part of his attack. Also, since it is short-acting, a rebound effect may happen, which would not be a good thing. Why does your friend want such a short acting one though? Because long-acting ones such as Klonopin (clonazepam) or Valium (Diazepam) can help your friend's anxiety problems all through the day due to their long half-life, so those might be a better choice for your friend.

pankreeas

18-02-2007, 06:54

Here's a chart with a breakdown on the 3 most popular benzo's

V = Valium (diazepam); A = Ativan (lorazepam); X = Xanax (alprazolam)

Indications (Uses):
V - anxiolytic, preoperative sedative, anticonvulsant.
A - anxiolytic, preoperative sedative.
X - anxiolytic, panic disorder.

Equivalent Doses:
V - 5mg
A - 1mg
X - 0.5mg

Approximate Half-life:
V - 100h
A - 10-20h
X - 12-15h

Onset of Action
V - < 1h
A - 1-3h
X - 1-3h

Are Metabolites Active?
V - yes
A - no
X - yes

Metabolism:
V - oxidation
A - conjugation
X - oxidation

Swim suggests trying the Ativan sub-lingual @ 1 mg before trying something like Valium. The sublingual will absorb faster which is what you want for a sudden attack... well either that or you could plug the non-sublinguals for faster onset, but that doesn't work very well in public.

GreatWonder

18-02-2007, 12:39

SWIG realises kick-in is going to differ for all individuals but would not have thought Xanax (Alprazolam) would take 1-3 hours, unless this is the approx time when peak concentration levels are recorded. SWIM usually starts feeling the benefits from Xanax within 20 minutes.

kizevin

18-02-2007, 12:58

From SWIMs personal experience Xanax does kick in faster and has a shorter duration of effect. The only benzo worth a damn to SWIM are 10mg Valiums. Those don't seem to cause quite the amnesia that Xanax and Klonopin do, at least for SWIM. SWIM can take up to 50mg of Valium and still remember what he did last night. However, catch SWIM when he's eaten a Xanax bar and forget about it, he's probably already blacked out.

Psych0naut

18-02-2007, 13:20

Because long-acting ones such as Klonopin (clonazepam) or Valium (Diazepam) can help your friend's anxiety problems all through the day due to their long half-life, so those might be a better choice for your friend.SWIM thought clonazepam was pratically only prescribed as an anti-convulsant. SWIM knows a few people who had a presription for Rivotril and they all had it presribed because of their seizures.

DrMuffy

18-02-2007, 15:32

SWIM thought clonazepam was pratically only prescribed as an anti-convulsant. SWIM knows a few people who had a presription for Rivotril and they all had it presribed because of their seizures.

Well SWIdr is currently being prescribed 1mg Klonopin (Daily) for his GAD (General Anxiety Disorder). Also he has read about several others in DF who were or are being prescribed Klonopin for anxiety, so he would say it's one of the more popular prescribed benzodiazepines for anxiety.

Jatelka

18-02-2007, 19:45

Clonazepam for anxiety is a mainly US thing (as far as SWIJ can work out), she is not aware of Europe using it, except as an anti convulsant.

Psych0naut

19-02-2007, 16:45

Clonazepam for anxiety is a mainly US thing (as far as SWIJ can work out), she is not aware of Europe using it, except as an anti convulsant.That's probaply the reason then ;)

csharpprogrammer

19-02-2007, 23:49

SWIY should try letting the Ativan desolve under his tounge. The onset will be quicker, and the duration should be shorter.

Laudaphun

04-03-2007, 17:12

SWIM has been diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder and has been given anti depressants in the past, which helped somewhat but all had unpleasant side effects. SWIM has a new Dr. who is aware of his past opiate dependance and while cautious, is not totally against prescribing controlled substances. SWIM's symptoms are becoming troublesome again and he has decided that he needs to seek treatment for them again. This is a different Dr. that treated him the first time. SWIM currently has a prescription for librium that helps, however it's a little weak. SWIM wants a benzo that he can take on an as needed basis. SWIM likes the librium because he is not tempted to abuse it like some of the more powerful benzos, but it is probably a little too weak to treat his condition. SWIM doesn't want to take any medication daily, definitely no more ADs, definitely wants to steer clear of benzo dependance, and SWIM doesn't want to be impaired during his daily activities. While SWIM feels that so far librium is the best canidate to meet these criteria, he'd like something a little more effective. The Pharmacist suggested ativan. What are your suggestions?

Lehendakari

04-03-2007, 19:06

SWIM had good results with both alprazolam (xanax) and clonazepam (rivotril, klonopin). He takes them for social anxiety and tries to keep his tolerance low, he avoids taking it 2 consecutive days and no mor than 2 mg at once.

SWIM isn't experienced with lorazepam but it seems it is more sedating than the two above.

ironmics

05-03-2007, 18:17

SWIM takes lorazepam for this exact reason and has pretty good success with it. He does not find it very sedating, but everyone is different. He also cycles it with gabapentin, which also produces reasonably good effects, and it is not sedating whatsoever.

Sickpup

11-03-2007, 20:04

SWIM says if you can handle anxiety to a certain lvl,then if it gets too high you want to extinguish it.Xanax is the ticket,although ativan may work SWIM always aims high.Ativan is rated 1/2 as strong as xanax,and in some people even less effective.Klonopin is a long buildup always on effect,makes you zombie like after 3 months.SWIM always preferes to manage anxiety/depression with fast acting short half-life meds.Librium is an oddball thing to get out patient.It's usually only used in hospitals as a precaution vs siezures in OD patients who are on a regular unit.or detox centers also use it.I doubt that doc would write xanax.your SWIM is gonna prolly have to settle for either ativan or clonopin.mg for mg,cause he aint gonna say well ,you can have 4mg ativan or 2mg clonopin.hes gonna most likely start you on .5 klonopin bid.and max it at 1mg bid,maybe after 2years tid.anotherwords play along stay functional,look for a doc that will write,and transfere that diagnosis to that doc.Then you can get 60 bars per month.don't have to use em all,just keep a reserve.

fizzle

11-03-2007, 20:28

I have a script to klonopin for socical anxiety. works great. definitely wouldnt want xanax for long term anxiety relief.

Sickpup

11-03-2007, 20:56

Its all a matter of preferance,xanax vs klonopin debate ,is like arguing who makes a better truck ford or chevy.but as you say fizzle for long term,and i would venture to add constant.imo klonopin is long,term and constant.It's not an ideal as needed med.SWIM tried them for that and they weren't working,the next day the build up was so high SWIM was have loss of motor control in legs and could barely walk.SWIM knows if the doc aint gonna write Xanax ,settle on klonopin.Technically Klonopin is stronger and has a way higher build up in you then xanax.But the docs feel better writing it.And the new on is when someone asks the p-doc to switch to xanax,he says hes using Klonopin as a mood stablizer,which is hard to argue since it was/is originally an anti-covulsant and thats where most mood stablizers come from.

Sickpup

15-03-2007, 18:16

The FDA in the US recently approved Klonopin for GAD.The fastest acting benzo thats practical to obtain in the US,from SWIM firsthand trials.Greenstone made generic Xanax.They can hit in 20 min like a truck.Some may argue halcion,but the script wont give you enough.Tablet midazolam isnt available in the US and SWIM has to much anxiety to carry around unscripted c IV's which are a felony in most states.

Laudaphun

09-06-2007, 17:18

SWIM is making a followup post now that 3 months have passed...

Anyways the Dr. gave SWIM Cymbalta for his G.A.D and a script for 30 25mg librium (no refill)... then mumbled something about trying klonopin twice daily next time if this didn't work. It was horrid... SWIM even tried to follow the Dr.s orders and give it 30 days to work and arrrrgggg.... SWIM said it was horrid. SWIM didn't take the librium while on the Cymbalta because he didn't want to think the Cymbalta was working when really it was the librium.

30 days later...
SWIM is back at the Dr. office for his follow up. A newly hired young, and actually quite attractive Dr. was there as opposed to the one SWIM had seen last time. SWIM said exactly what he said in his post above in regards to his scripts from the previous visit. She gave SWIM Paxil... SWIM did not request a benzo script, therefore did not get one, but he still had a bottle of librium at home so no biggie. SWIM took the Paxil for 3 days and side effects were just the same as the Cymbalta, zoloft, lexapro, effexor, and every other anti-depressant some Dr. had tried before to treat his G.A.D. When SWIM side effects being the same, he meant in general... of course a few are a little worse than others, some like Cymbalta caused nauseau which SWIM had not noted with other ADs... 3 days of Paxil and SWIM threw it in the garbage and started taking his librium, which might work, but his supply was too limited for him to take enough.

30 days later....
Before SWIM saw the Dr. while talking to the nurse(an ex-Ativan addict) he mentioned that 2 visits ago klonopin had been mentioned... She scoffed and said that the Dr. didn't make note of anything like that on the charts. A different Dr. yet is in the office and SWIM told her just what he said in the previous paragraph, so she concluded that my seretonin/norepinephrine receptors apparently weren't what needed tweaking. She gave SWIM buspar, which made SWIM happy, because he'd come to loath(substitute stronger word here with same meaning if you can think of one) anti-depressants. She asked SWIM how many libriums he had left, SWIM replied, "not many" thinking she was gonna give him more ... Now this is the only funny part of SWIMs story, instead of writing him a script for more she just replied, "alright, its ok if you take them with the buspar." SWIM immediately asked if he could have more and she eyeballed him... and told him she'd give him only 10 more of them, while she wrote it SWIM continued to talk instead of the dead silence thing while she wrote out the script that he had to ask for. She ended up writing it for 15. SWIM thanked her over and over for sending him home with a script for something that was NOT an anti-depressant. As we walked out the door, she told SWIM ...and if you find you still need something for inbetween, next time we can give you some klonopin. That statement doesn't make sense to SWIM, "in between"? Does she mean if SWIM needs something in between his 15mg buspar x3 daily? Or maybe she meant "on top of" the buspar. Another thing that SWIM is confused as hell about is that she was really hesitant about giving SWIM anymore librium (which is weak as hell and SWIM doesn't see much abuse potential in it), however less than 2 minutes later she was talking about putting him on klonopin. Perhaps SWIM is missing something here. This Dr. is conservative, but not one of those Dr. who will give you ibuprofen if you go in and ask for something for pain(unless of course she thought that you were lying).

SWIM is about 2 weeks from his followup. SWIM is able to tolerate the buspar unlike the antidespressants, however he's not sure if it is a placebo effect or not but it seems as if I feel a little better(just a little better mood)... however it has helped little with my anxiety so far.

Sickpup

17-07-2007, 04:29

Busbar sucks,all the docs know that.They usually give it to patients who are dumb enough to say they drink or get high.Klonopin is best 24/7,Xanax as needed.

roserjoe

12-11-2007, 08:43

SWIM has a moderate case of social anxiety, and has recently acquired 10mg of diazepam and 10mg of diazepam. In the past he has used alcohol and codeine at parties to ease the anxiety and make him more chatty. Well he is planning on asking this girl out who he has liked for a while, and as you may know this can be very nerve-racking especially which someone with social anxiety. He has talked to her a few times in the past and enjoyed every conversation immensely. So he was thinking of taking some of the benzo's he has, to make him a bit more chatty and ease the anxiety etc. when he asks her out/goes out with her. He really likes this girl and would like to just be himself without anxiety holding him back. So SWIM wonders what sort of dose he should take to gain these effects. He was even considering mixing in 200mg of codeine or something. Any suggestions? Or should he just brink it without the drugs and hope he can overcome the anxiety. Are there any benzo potentiators apart from codeine/alcohol? because he doesn't have very many benzo's.

piddleton

13-11-2007, 21:44

Diazapam - although I like to consider myself something of an expert on drugs, professionally speaking, of course, I'm not convinced that I know enough about the effects of diazapam on the nervous system.

SWIM bought diazapam from an online pharmacy, a business that has its origins in Egypt.

He recently took 15mg of tablets, the effects were immediate: dizziness, drowsiness; clumsy, always bumping into things; a blinding headache. But after feeling very strange, drunklike, the symptons started to clear and the transformation was apparent, to anybody that knows him, the confidence suddenly set in and he became more social, virtually free from those normal but very dehabilitating inhibitions that hinder conversations with another human being.

So maybe the diazapam was good after all, just the initial side effects were something of a surprise to the two of us.

Now can somebody tell me a little more about how often and how many diazapam tablets you should take a day, and for how long because I'm all too aware of the addictive properties of such a powerful drug and I wouldn't for him to take too much.

Now I know that some of you are from America and your situation probably is a little different - in the UK the culture among medical professionals is still a little backwards in terms of adminstering pyschotropic drugs for treating common disorders and most of the time the burden usually falls upon a psychiatrist rather than a general practioner to make that decision and this could take months and months of being on a waiting list and there is no quarantee that seeing a pyschiatrist will even lead to treatment. Many patients are turned away.

Personally I believe this to be a complete waste of time and would rather consult a GP over such a minor and easily solved issue; leave the complex mental health problems to the pyschiatrists. We have so few working in the NHS and the waiting list is much too long, it can take up to several months to be seen by a physiatrist and even then very few consultations end with just the one session, there is usually a few follow up appointments, which could add another month or two to the process. I know that we should grateful for our free healthcare sytem and for the most part I am but if only things would speed up a little, it is our health we are talking about and every day that zaps by is another 24 hours lost from our lives when we could be doing something worthwhile and meaningful and not hindered by social anxiety or problems of a similar kind.

Mankind is naturally imprisoned by fear - when we talk about freedom we mean at a superficial level only; absolute freedom is an illusion because it is fear that prevents him from following his impulses, from living the life he so desires hungers afer but people with social anxiety or some other type, whether it is generalised anxiety or performance relaxed, are in a considerably worse position than the average person; prisoners of their own insecurities, men and women who cannot relate to each other because they fear taking the next step and open themselves up to rejection, reproach and whatever else that assaults their minds; because they surrounded themselves with an impenetrable suit of armour, that is designed to do one thing only, protect their feelings from being hurt and thus ultimately protecting their opinon of themselves because it is that which we endeavour to maintain in the highest possible regard.

fnord

13-11-2007, 21:55

15mg is a lot!try 2mgs 3 times a day and you wont have those side effects you spoke off,starting out at 15mg would easily cause teh problems you spoke of.

Antianxiety

• PO (Adults ): 2-10 mg 2-4 times daily • IM, IV (Adults ): 2-10 mg, may repeat in 3-4 hrs as needed • PO (Children >1 mo): 0.12-0.8 mg/kg/day 3-4 times daily • IM, IV (Children > 1 mo): 0.04-0.3 mg/kg/dose q 2-4 hr to a maximum of 0.6 mg/kg within an 8 hr period if necessary

piddleton

13-11-2007, 22:12

I hadn't realised - his tablets are something like 5mg each. So in theory could probably go up to 10mg each, 2 to 4 times a day.

He is about to go through an exam, a painful practical exam akin to putting your balls in a grinder and slowly turning the handle. Even a sado would wince at the thought of that.

SWIM is a little concerned that if his anxiety attacks return during the resit he will fail again and end up on his bottom, with no career and a $60,000 university loan to pay back. It makes no difference that SWIM's academic grades were very good, this practical exam counts for everything.

Under the circumstances SWIM has very good reason to be anxious. And therefore he will probably need to be very careful when choosing the appropiate dosage - too low and he might panic again, too high and he might not able to gather his thoughts together.

bloot

13-11-2007, 22:16

Yes, in theory one could use 10mg two to four times.. but this is not a dose to start out on.

fnord

13-11-2007, 22:22

try 2.5mgs(or probably less!) 3 times a day and see how it works out for you before you start taking super high doses. most people i know aren't on more then 6mgs total for the day.remember that benzos interfere with memory so you don't want to go to high or all your studying will be in vain.

trptamene

13-11-2007, 22:27

^^What type of exam is it? Many graduate level exams can be taken more than once.

I really do not think benzo's are the answer to this...maybe take them when one is really feeling anxious (in a non-test setting). This will allow swiy to "feel" what it is like to rid of the anxiety. Benzo's are usually only a temporary solution that simply shows someone how to not be anxious...popping a pill everytime one gets anxious creates a dependency (and a bad one w/ benzos)...popping a pill only when it is necesary and learning to work through the rid oneself of the anxiety in the process is a better solution.

If one did good in the academic courses, they have the knowledge to make good scores on the test. It is a matter of preparing correctly and incorporating good test taking strategies.

I do this too when testing...particularly timed test...sometimes at the beginning my mind goes blank and starts to freak...then sometimes during the middle when the clock is ticking. It is important to remember this is no help at all...a lot of time the body/mind gets anxious so that it will be prepared for the physical work its about to go through (like going and speaking in front of dancing in front of people).

On a test, the body kind of fools itself by doing this...instead of helping it actually hurts. This must be kept in mind. Iwill take a few minutes before the test and just close my eyes and concentrate on taking deep breathes (in through the nose like smelling flowers, out through the mouth like blowing out a candle (softly!)). Do this for a minute and bring the heart rate and breathing rate down. Remind yourself that you DO KNOW the material...it is in YOUR brain, you just gotta fish it out and regurgitate it.

I also will do this in the middle of the test...it sounds crazy but have found it is more harmful to try to work through it with the anxiety than to take 60 seconds and get a little reality check.

In particular, don't get bogged down with a question that one doesnt know...guess or leave it blank and move on. Sometimes these come in multiples (3 or 4 questions one doesnt know in a row). When this happens it can be difficult to remember that you do know the stuff...for written tests its not so bad because you can skip and come back...but on computer tests it can really knock one off track. One needs to simply realize they just hit a patch of a few question they didn't study in the academic setting (probably of nearly the same subject matter).

Also...they usually do not expect you to know every question. Different Universities focus on different things in the field that they feel are important, and nearly all of the Universities don't cover everything broad-spectrum.

Keep these things in mind and prepare adequately for the test and one should do fine.

piddleton

13-11-2007, 23:11

This exam is divided upto into several different stations, lasting 5 to 6 minutes each.

Each exam tests a different part of your medical skills. E.g neurological tests, audiometry, CPR, etc.

You perform the procedures on mock patients and at each station an examiner will be present to scrutinise your performance.

It is the most terrifying exam you can encounter because you know how badly or how well you have done at each station and that can either enhance or drain your confidence.

A few bad stations in the beginning can throw your mind into a panic!!

I'm okay with normal examinations, no worries, completely calm and peace with myself. It is being assessed on the spot that I need to work through - where is sigmund freud when you need him

Jatelka

14-11-2007, 10:25

From the rules (http://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/announcement.php?f=35&a=1):

• Use descriptive Topic Subject. This will help others find what they want to read. Topics with bad Topic subjects may be deleted! - there's nothing more annoying than looking at all those stupid "A stupid question" subject lines. I mean, I'm damn lazy, but how hard is it to type "A stupid question about (insert something here)"? As a rule of thumb, most thread titles should include the full name of the drug discussed.

A rule many tend to forget will cause a mass of warnings soon... (http://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=23289)

Thread title edited

Dead Head Altair

15-03-2008, 17:01

SWIM has had GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) for the past couple years, and recently went to a shrink to get help. SWIM was prescribed 20 mgs of Prozac each day two months ago, which has done nothing but make the situation worse. He has since stopped taking the Prozac as of two weeks ago and has felt marginally better, but still has lots of anxiety problems.

The next appointment with the shrink is in a couple days, and SWIM wants to know what the best benzodiazepine is for anxiety, in SWIY's opinion. SWIM's shrink has told SWIM that he will prescribe what SWIM thinks is best for himself, but he recommended that SWIM starts out with a 0.5 mg dose of Xanax to start with. So, SWIM's question is: What, in SWIY's opinion, is the most effecive benzo for managing anxiety?