Which benzo is the usually the best one for people out there?

I have been on xanax, ativan, valium, oxazepam and now on 1mg 3 times per day of Klonopin which won't knock out the anxiety quickly like xanax but takes longer to work and lasts much longer. Maybe see if you can get an increase with the Klonopin. My dr writes me 1mg up to 4 times a day but I just take 3 and sometimes 2. Remeron caused me anxiety and crazy side effects, that could be your issue. eman10375 really gave you the BEST answer so I couldn't really add anything other than my experience and that Klonopin works good for me at 3mg per day and able to skip a day or 2 sometimes.

Well, I believe Xanax is one of the worst benzodiazepines to take not because it’s not effective (it typically has a fast onset which is one reason it’s more abused than many others). However, its duration of action is relatively short, meaning you usually need several doses per day and your blood levels go up and down throughout the day. That can cause rebound anxiety between doses. It’s also hard to stop. Personally, I would recommend Klonopin for most people. It has a slower onset ( and less euphoria/addiction risk than Xanax), however, it has a long duration of action, usually twice daily is sufficient without the ups and downs between doses. It may feel less effective because you may not feel it starting to work quickly. Also, being a few hours late on a dose won’t bother you much like missing a Xanax. I’m assuming from your question you are prescribed this as a scheduled medication daily, not as needed once in a while. The fact that you’ve been on it a long time may also mean you’ve developed tolerance to the medication and it may not be as effective as when you started. However, increasing the dose can become a viscous circle of developing tolerance and wanting to increase again. There is only so high you can go without dangerous side effects, more difficulty stopping if or when that happens. I know you said you’ve been on many drugs, but many times an SSRI antidepressant like Paxil, Zoloft, or Lexapro can greatly help anxiety, not just depression. (Prozac can be stimulating for some people so I would try another one first). As for myself, I found Paxil to be the most helpful at making me feel calm and sleep better. You mentioned Lamictal. Make sure Bipolar Disorder is ruled out because that complicates the medication decisions more. There’s really not one right answer for this. Doctors often start with what guidelines recommend and their experience, but often it’s trial and error until you hit the right combination. A final thought: don’t dismiss or fail to try therapy. Sometimes a good therapist can help us change our thinking and behaviors until our brains actually change. You automatically think and act in a new way with repeated practice and therapy sessions. If this can help you get through situations, you can build some resilience and may not need as much meditation. Therapy in combination with medication has greatly improved my own anxiety and depression. Good luck to you.