benzos vs. ssri: vote

[esthergreenwood]

I know there are pros and cons to both and that neither should be used without a doctor's supervision, but I am curious what people on this board have had more success with- benzos, ssri's, or a combination? And which drug(s) specifically?

[waterbill]

my doctor started me on benzo's till the SSRI kicked in. Stareted my SSRI at low dose for about a week, had some stomach issues, but they went away. It's been about 6 weeks on both and he will probably try to wean me off the benzos sloooooooowly. I've done it this way in the past and it was not a problem getting off. Hope it works as well now.

[Bama21]

I've been taking a low dosage benzo for a couple of months, now as my SSRI kicks in.  I only take it once a day as needed...most recently to counteract anxiety with some newfound side effects of the SSRI.  I have been playing with my SSRI dosage (with doc's approval) so that I can stop using the benzos completely.

I did go for about 5 days without taking any benzo's and didn't notice any problem.  My biggest issue right now seems to be insomnia...and a small benzo dose at night seems to help with that.  I'm trying to eliminate that, as well.

[cubmanben]

Well, you're comparing apples to oranges for one thing. SSRI's are used to treat depression and anxiety through helping the uptake of seratonin in the brain where benzos are used to calm the central nervous system and regulate GABA flow.
Benzo's have a tendency to work on a short term basis only for the most part and require a regular increase in dosage as your body builds a tolorance as is typically the case with Xanax or Valium for example.
SSRI's on the other hand are approved for more long term use, say more than a year for example. But, as the other two have posted, they don't tend to get to full effacy until 4-6 weeks down the road, so enter the benzo to help.
In my case, I think both have been incredibly helpful. Klonopin is a long acting benzo with a 36 hour half life, so it's not supposed to be as habit forming as Xanax or as addictive. I've been on the same dose for 9 months and have noticed no changes and it helps aide the SSRI with the anxiety, as most SSRI's are used mostly for depression as opposed to anxiety.
As far as specific drugs... that's why you don't use them without a doctors recommendation. They're all vastly different and as your doctor talks to you and tries to understand your underlying issues, they can try and best determine the course of medication for your needs. There's not a hundred different anti depressants out there for a reason! 

[FeelingOptimistic]

I was given Xanax and Ativan until my SSRI (citalopram 10 mg) kicked in.  I resisted taking them, and found relief with the citalopram rather quickly with little side effects so I've never taken them.  They are in my purse, though, just in case.  Simply having them there is a comfort.

Good luck!

[Bama21]

I was given Xanax and Ativan until my SSRI (citalopram 10 mg) kicked in.  I resisted taking them, and found relief with the citalopram rather quickly with little side effects so I've never taken them.  They are in my purse, though, just in case.  Simply having them there is a comfort.

Good luck!

So true about having them there as a comfort.  For me, it helps give me confidence on days where I DON'T take them.  It also feels good and is a boost when you go for a few days or more without taking them. 

It should be a great positive for you that you never had to take the Ativan or Xanax.  Pat yourself on the back!

[eduk8or]

There are more side effects to taking an SSRI vs a benzo and since I'm having problems with my SSRI right now, I'm not exaclty a neutral party. I've alos resisted taking my clorazepam because I'm afaid of the addiction part, but the couple times I have taken it, it has helped me a lot.

[WiSp]

I've been taking a low dosage benzo for a couple of months, now as my SSRI kicks in.

How can you take benzos for so long without losing the effect?? 0.25mg of xanax does nothing to me after 2-3 days, and now I'm fighting to avoid to take 0.5 to not be stucked in the need to raise it again.

[Bama21]

I don't exactly know WiSp.  I assume that people's bodies respond differently to benzo's.  It could also be a mental thing.  As in...I just automatically begin to relax when I take one...even before it's really had a chance to take effect.

[WiSp]

Oh...look like psychological then? for me, even after swallowed it...it takes at least 40-45min to start feeling something. In any cases, I guess the result is what matter the most.

[Bama21]

Oh...look like psychological then? for me, even after swallowed it...it takes at least 40-45min to start feeling something. In any cases, I guess the result is what matter the most.

Yeah...a psychological thing. 

When I take the benzo, I believe that it's GOING to work, even before it actually starts working.  Therefore, I start to relax right when I take it.  That puts me at an advantage.  I didn't do anything to make myself handle the situation better.  I just happened to have had good past experiences with benzos.

For you, it sounds like after you take the med, you are on pins and needles sitting there waiting for something to happen.  You are MORE anxious right after you take it.  This probably doesn't help with the effects.

[WiSp]

Actually xanax at 0.25 does nothing anymore, and I tried Ativan today, but at a similar dose and it doesn't helped much, but a bit anyway. However I got midly nauseous for about 15 minutes. I get used to it too fast with benzos, and Ativan seems hard on the digestive side. Xanax never done this. It was like feeling a mini volcano in the belly. I will have to try seroquel again, because those benzos will never help me much even if I loved the first tries.