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[Robin]

Hi woodlands.

Thank you so much for your message. A close member of my family has essential tremor and I shake visibly quite badly when my anxiety is bad. The rest of the time the shaking is less visible but I can still feel it. I've read it's hereditary so I'm half expecting that diagnosis at some point.  It's really good to hear that beta blockers are working on both conditions. It's not something I've considered before. I haven't tried citralopam either so I will look into both asap.

I'm sorry to hear you've had some awful life events. It must have been extremely difficult if you were going through the menopause at the same time. It's really good to know that it is possible to find medication that can help along with HRT even when life is throwing dreadful things at you.

I'm in the process of taking a deep breath before I embark on making changes. I have an appointment with a private menopause doctor next month to try and sort my HRT out and I'm researching other medication to work out what to try adding once that's settled (that's me trying to be optimistic 😊). Citralopam and propanol certainly seem worth trying.


Thanks again woodlands
Robin

 

[CLKD]

Tnx Robin.  Instead of waiting these days for the anxiety to ease - which it won't do once I reach a certain point - I take the emergency drug sooner rather than getting in a tizz.   Stops the 'I want to end it all' feeling.

GPs are so much more aware of the possibilities of addiction that they are careful who they prescribe to.  However, in my circle of friends none of us - all aged between 40 and 70 - have become addicted .  I do have an impulsive, addictive, OCD-type personality so am completely aware of the possibilities.

There's no secret racjen  - simply that Meno Brain here can't remember what I swallow every day and 'when necessary': lorazepam : it works between 25-40 mins. so I have never in all these years required 'extra'.  It either relieves the anxiety so that I can get on with the day or knocks me out completely for hours so that my body/brain get relief. Without it I wouldn't be here.

This morning I have background anxiety and had forgotten how bad symptoms might become, including the weak thighs, feeling of faintness ..... all physical.  If necessary I will take that Pill ;-)

[racjen]

OK, that's interesting CKLD. I have to explain here - I've been taking 15mg diazepam every day since my anxiety crisis started last November, and I am most definitely addicted. During the previous peri-menopausal episode I had 6 years ago, I started on diazepam, moved up to lorazepam because the anxiety was so bad and nothing else would control it, and ended up getting addicted to that. Took me two years to wean myself off, horrible experience. So I'm coming from a very different place to youand I don't want this to happen to anyone else x.

[Robin]

I see how that could easily happen if it's taken every day racjen. I would love to take it more often if only it wasn't addictive as it really works well for me but stick rigidly to emergency only. Difficult when things as as bad as they are but by emergency I mean the difference between ending things or not. I'm currently trying to find ways of trying to improve things the rest of the time but as you know only too well it's a minefield when it comes to medication especially for those of us who struggle with many side effects or lack of effectiveness like we do.  If you do find something that works for you I'd love to know racjen.

Robin

[CLKD]

I remember you telling that B4 but where is your GP in all this!  If you have an addictive personality  then the Practice is negligent in continuing with the prescription!!!  and have you tried to stop it.  I had to wean off one AD years ago, it took 9 weeks  but once I realised that didn't get worse after dropping each dose, I kind of coped.  It was the 'what if this makes me feel worse' or 'what if I have to re-start this' that played on my mind. Again, the total physicality of anxiety over-ruled the logic!! Bugga .......


15mg is a huge amount.  Is that 3 x 5mg daily?  If so that's OK but in one swallow  .  I would suggest that you drop one of the pills on alternative days ......... realising that there will be physical repurcussions.  My GP would never prescribe that much without a weekly review. 

I have found relaxation therapy worked, years ago - but found time to practice difficult 

[racjen]

That amount was prescribed for me by the Crisis Team when it was a question of 'Í really don't want to be here anymore and I'm planning my exit'. They recommended taking  it 3 times a day, not just as an emergency measure, so that I'd build up a constant level in my bloodstream. However, because the anxiety is always far worse in the morning I've ended up taking the whole 15mg in one go when I first wake. And I think it now has no effect whatsoever. I haven't tried to reduce it yet, and my GP has agreed that while I'm still doing EMDR therapy for PTSD it's really not the time to start messing with other things. But once I've got through that I will start a very gradual weaning process - in my experience missing tablets on alternate days isn't a good way to go about it, you need to keep up a level dose but reduce it by tiny amounts every week or so. So literally start by reducing it to 2 and 3/4 tablets daily, then after a week 2 and a 1/2 etc. It's a long slow frightening process, because the withdrawal anxiety you get if you try to reduce too fast can be much worse than the original anxiety 

[Abba Fan]

Racjen, I reckon this is why you're having a rough time withdrawing from the Utrogestan. Utrogestan works on the same GABA receptor as benzodiazepines. It's like you're going through benzo withdrawal, google it, there's a ton of info on it. I had a mirena inserted so I could withdraw from my benzo, there's no way I could have gone through progesterone withdrawal every month while cutting down very slowly on the benzos.

[CLKD]

NOPE! I was advised to stop gradually.  When taking 3 each day I was told to stop the lunch-time dose on alternate days for 5 days.  Then stop it completely.  It doesn't last in the system very long apparently which is why people grab for the next dose.  Then it was stop the evening dose on alternate days ........ because my worst time is anytime after 4.30 a.m.  .  My GP had access to smaller doses than usually prescribed which was sued as necessary.  After 9 weeks ..........

My brain kept whittling at me though  .  I don't know if I would be mentally stronger now but currently my regime keeps me stable.  I never thought that I would be in this place back in the 1990s.

[racjen]

CKLD, I don't understand -  that's not stopping gradually, it's a pretty brutal way of doing it. What I'm suggesting is far more gradual and unless you're in a huge hurry for some reason why put yourself thru that kind of stres? I don't really understand your comment.

Abba Fan, I'll certainly look into that - it's not a connection I know much about. Don't really want a mirena though, as I seem to be so progesterone intolerant generally (I mean even before the benzos started) I'd be terrified of having it in my system all the time.

[CLKD]

No wonder you have to keep taking them racjen R U scared to stop   -   how would you describe gradually?  I did a gradual withdrawal under the supervision of my GP and it worked.  These medications have quite a short 'shelf life' in that the system disposes of the drug within 72 hours generally.  My problem was my brain suggestions 

I was scared that eating or taking medication would make me feel worse when I was already 'worse' than I had already felt    . I never want to feel that ill again.

[jillydoll]

Hi all

Does anyone have any experiences/suggestions for anti anxiety meds?

I am not depressed but am fed up with anxiety and all the symptoms it brings.

I have managed to get an appointment with GP in a couple of weeks and would like to hear about others experiences good or bad.

Many thanks

Sue

Hi sue.

I take benedryl for my anxiety. Had bad experience when on vanlafexine and Prozac
A few years ago so won't go back on any perscription drug again too scared.
I started on cetrizine benedryl but after a while started to experience dizziness which can be a
Side effect, so changed to another type of  benedryl and been ok up to now on that one
And been on that for ages now.. also the good thing about this particular one is you can take
3 a day if you need to. I've only ever needed up to 2 on a bad day,they seem to work good for me.
Also I tend to get a good nights sleep with them too, Not every night but most nights.
Like I say, I won't go back on  perscription drugs..The other thing is with the cetrizine ones
I only had to take half a tablet at night because they made me too tired in the day so half a one was enough. But sadly had to change because of the dizziness.
Hope this helps..

Jillydoll x

[tgisue]

Thanks for that jillydoll

I do occasionally take anti histamine at night to help get a good night sleep.

I have had palpitations for 30 years on and off, but the last 2 weeks have had them daily hence the doctors appointment next week. I have been offered Propanolol in the past for headaches/migraines and with my worsening anxiety I am seriously now considering them.

Thanks again

Sue

[CLKD]

Don't do what I did though: buy a 'non-drowsy' anti-histamine  [maybe that should be in the 'doing stupid things' thread]

[racjen]

CLKD, I'd describe withdrawing gradually as reducing your daily dose very very slow and consistently. So in my case, reducing from 15mg to 14mg a day, giving that a couple of weeks to  settle, then reducing again by 1mg a day, giving it a couple of weeks etc. etc. As you whittle down the dose you have to also reduce the amount you're reducing by so it stays in proportion ie once you're down to 5mg you'd reduce by 0.5 mg at a time. That's the way that's usually recommended, it's  what I did before and yes, it took a long time but it worked. No way would I do it the way you're suggesting, and I've never heard that recommended by a health professional.

[EnglishRose]

I think you have to bear in mind that this is an area in which we're all completely individual, and also that there are some members of this forum who have suffered from anxiety as a lifelong problem, so their anxiety is  a completely different thing to the hormonally induced anxiety most of us are referring to. There are many different ADs available and everyone will give you a recommendation for the one they tried that worked,but there is absolutely no guarantee that that's going to work for you.A lucky few hit on the right one straight away, for many it's a long process of trial and error, and for the unfortunate few (myself included) they simply don't work or give intolerable side-effects. I've tried 8 different ADs and beta-blockers,all caused terrible depression. Currently trying pregabalin which some people here swear by, so far it's done nothing for me. And CKLD, I'm sorry but i still feel your advocacy of benzodiazapenes (Diazepam (valium), lorazepam etc.) is dangerously misguided - you may be able to take them on an even basis over many years, but for most people these are horribly addictive drugs which should only ever be used as a short term emergency measure. Tolerance increases quickly and withdrawal is very difficult - I know, I've been there. And why all the mystery around the 'émergency drug' you mention in these posts but will never name? Why is it such a closely guarded secret?

I agree. You do NOT want to become dependant on ANY benzo I did and in ignorance stopped taking it after 8 months nightly use and spent 3 years with severe mental and physical withdrawal symptoms. I had to go on sickness benefits and I was only 30. My life has never been the same nor has my health.