Ativan questions and others.....

[dancer67]

I have been on 1mg of Klonipon, 1 pill 2 X a day now for about a year. I don't feel as if it does anything for me. Anytime I have been to the ER they always gave me Ativan. And it immediately calmed me down.

I know Klonipon is a maintenance drug, and Ativan is a "as needed" drug. But my question is, after that 4 hours is up, and the feeling of calmness is gone, am I going to ramp up again, and feel like I need to take another one? I am allowed 1 pill, 3 X a day. But I don't want to take them unless I am ramped up. Which, most of the time I am. I am a big ball of anxiety. And how addicitive are these, and how do you get off of them?

I have already been on Buspar(gave me chest pains), Effexor XR, Celexa(threw it up couldnt tolerate it), Wellbutrin(did no good at all) and Prozac(gave me bad GI issues). Effexor did me the most good, but it made me gain SOOOO much weight and I have high blood pressure and even with my meds it was not being controlled well, so I had to come off of it. It was he** getting off. I am still suffering from some side effects of getting off Effexor to this day and it has been 8 months. 

She also prescrbed me Lamactil which I have decided NOT to take. Not after reading about Steven Johnsons Syndrome. Although rare, I am not willing to risk my life for it. I have health anxiety so every little itch would throw me into a panic.

I do not seem to do well on SSRI's. I do not know much about the older Trycilic(SP?) meds. Do these cause sexual side effects, weight gain, addiction, or really hard to get off of?

There has to be SOMETHING besides Lamactil(mood stabilzer) SSRI's, SNRI's that can help me with my severe anxiety and depression.  (Without a warning that death could occur like Lamictal).

Has anyone tried 5 HTP(natural) for their depression?

[Irishmanwrites]

Doctors in Ireland are receiving letters just this week from the Irish Medicines Board and the powers that be reminding them benzodiazepines are designed for short term use. Their effectiveness isn't shown beyond that, but sadly the withdrawal symptoms. We have a big problem in Ireland with benzo misuse.

The options that exist are lengthy.

My first suggestion is lyrica. To me it is a wonder drug. It has completely changed my life. Along with lex. You'll read a lot of negative stories, bur personally, I have never experienced a side effect.

It had annihilated anxiety for so many of us.

[dancer67]

Well I have been on Klonopin for a while now. But I know Ativan makes you "feel" less anxious. But still wondering if I take it, will I have w/d symptoms if I don't take another dose?

I will look into Lyrica. I cannot take Lexapro.