I have been suffering from panic attacks and anxiety(some depression as well)for 20 + years. I have been diagnosed with major depression,bi-polar disorder,panic disorder,adhd,and generalized anxiety disorder over the last 20 + years.I have been prescribed xanax,tofranil,welbutrin,paxil,effexor and lastly klonopin.The only thing that ever seemed to help me was the klonopin(2mg 3 times a day) with an anti-depressant.The only problem was the klonopin ended up putting me in rehab(highly addictive).After getting clean and sober the anxiety of course returned with a vengence.I have(over the last 8 months)been put on welbutrin,effexor,celexa,lexapro,buspar,luvox,atirax.None of these drugs did anything but make me feel paranoid and crazy!Buspar is useless,atirax as well.I honestly think that ssri drugs are useless for anxiety treatment,in fact in my case the condition got horribly worse!The only thing that has ever healped is te benzos.There has to be something out there other than a benzo that works.I am at my absolute wits end.Anyone got ant ideas???
Is there anything out there other than benzos that help with panic attacks and depression?
Question posted by marsha79 on 17 Nov 2010
Last updated on 25 October 2021 by DonaldRFuller
16 Answers
Marsha79, I feel your pain. I was on chlordiazepoxide (20 mg, 2X daily) for approximately 30 years. I was diagnosed with GAD and panic disorder in my early 20s and I'm 64 now. I tried just about every medication at the time until I was finally put on chlordiazepoxide (Librium). Every doctor I ever saw over the last 30 years knew as well as I did I'd be on Librium for life. A 3-month (and counting!) shortage of chlordiazepoxide put an end to it. The abject horror of withdrawing from a benzo after being on it so long is indescribable and unbearable! I was prescribed gabapentin 17 days ago. The MD told me it would take approximately 3-4 weeks to really kick in, but all gabapentin has done for me so far is exacerbated my withdrawal symptoms. This is no way to live. In fact, it's not even living; it's basically just existing.
My (rhetorical) question is this: How long can a human be sleep deprived, in a constant state of fight-or-flight, and on the brink of a total mental breakdown before his body finally gives out? The FDA should be ashamed of itself for allowing shortages of benzos. My understanding is that klonopin is also in short supply. I'm starting to get suspicious that benzos are being targeted for elimination. What are people like us supposed to do when we can't find any relief from debilitating stress and anxiety?!
I am having the same problem, I am on percocet, remeron, effector & xanax, I was told I would have to give my pain pills or xanax up, the pharmacy wouldn't do my last script of xanax so for 4 days I was a hot mess, I didn't sleep for those 4 nights, no sleep at all, the sleep deprivation plus my panic attacks made for a horrible experience, I too don't know what to do, I have panic disorder, manic depressant, ocd, severe nerve damage in my neck, no 1 can help because the damage is at my brain stem in my spine so I am desperate, what do I do? ??
I absolutely can't sleep without my xanax, I have been a guinea pig with meds that would probably knock most people out for days but nothing works like a benzo, does anyone else have this problem & if so, any suggestions on a medication to help me sleep, sometimes I feel like I'm alone in this struggle because if you've never had a panic attack and chronic pain then you wouldn't understand, I too was hospitalized thinking I was having a heart attack but it was a severe panic attack, I've been on these med for 10 yrs., how can you choose when this is the only way to function somewhat normally in life, I'm so lost and then the thought of being without my meds just brings on more fear. .. can someone help?
Have you tried using Endep for sleep? It's an old anti-depressant but is still used by doctors, especially as a sleeping aid.
Hi - I am in the same boat , I have a failed back surgery . Which put me in a wheel chair for walking any distance , and being in the car over 30 min I can hardly walk . So I was told I had to give up my pain meds or my Valium . I had to choose to be tapered off my Valium , I have such little quality of life as it is , if I stopped taking pain meds I would have no life at all . I have been this way for over a decade , just the last 2 months I have finally been able to sit in a recliner , and it took me months but I can get in and out of the bed , memory foam we thought it would be great for my back but I could not move or turn over in it , I could get in but not out . Now finally I can . I am here trying to find something else to replace the Valium , we have tried Buspar no good , gabapentin , no good . I hate the panic attacks but with severe chronic pain , there is just no way I could give up pain meds .
Personally I think keeping the pain meds are a better choice , if I panic I can at least take that to calm me down a bit . Also you should be able to still get muscle relaxers , they do help somewhat with panic .
Here is one thing I learned to try to calm down - Smell the roses- then blow out the candles - they always say take deep breaths- this helps you to focus on them easier !
I am blessed with severe anxiety. I have taken a number of ssris but they are useless when an anxiety attack hits. Right now I am on Zoloft and Ativan. I take 4 one-milligram Pills a day. Because I have taken it so long, I have built up a tolerance to it to an extent. One pill when anxiety hits is not very effective so sometimes I end up taking two pills. Lately I have developed a urinary tract problem which has caused super anxiety that I can’t seem to shake so I have been taking about 100 mg of diphenhydramine (Unisom) and sometimes it helps. I don’t want to be taking Unisom, though, because I’m not sure this is good for me. When I take an Ativan, its calming effect doesn’t last very long. I see my psychiatrist in about two weeks and am thinking I might ask him to switch me to Clonapin because I have read that it works longer than Ativan.
Do you think that is what I should do? I would really like to get off the benzodiazepines altogether, but I don’t know what else is out there for my severe anxiety at this time. Any help would sure be appreciated.
I too am blessed severe anxiety. I have been taking xanax for 30 years along with trying every antidepressant out there. I found relief with effexor. Really reduced frequency and severity of the attacks. Now I have another big problem as my back is giving me serious pain i have been taking hydrocodone. This works better than any other medicine. My state just passed a law that will not allow prescriptions of both of these drugs. I do not not know what to do and am in serious pain. I do not think i can drop the xanax so i am having to live with serious pain. Any suggestions would be great.
How could severe anxiety ever be considered a blessing, rather than an affliction to be corrected? It can be debilitating...
I have to tell you, you may be having bad anxiety if you got off benzos too quickly. Dr. Heather Ashton says reduce by 5-10% every 1-2 weeks. When you get to 20% of your original dose, reduce 5% every 1-4 weeks. You will have to use a compounding pharmacy (liquide compound is available) to get off more easily. That being said, sometimes rebound anxiety and depression last weeks, months and in some cases years after getting off. Some ideas to help are the drug Mirtazapine, or Gabapentin, or Klonopin, and nausea pills if you are sick to your stomach. Many people say Zoloft works. The truth is you have to find a good psychiatrist that understands benzo withdrawal because it looks a lot like the need for Benzos. I know Benzos are a fast relief, but try to stay off them if you can. Try everything else before going there. I'm with you, I'm reducing from Lorazepam and it is the most painful thing I have ever done. But I know it will be good in the end. Brain function will return with time and support medication.
The auto correct got it wrong DO NOT TAKE KLONOPIN to get off benzos, it IS a benzo. You can use it to more easily taper, but if you are already OFF benzos I was recommending clonidine for a Beta Blocker. Thanks for reading this and hearing the correction.
Marsha did u ever get help?
There's also a drug called Vistaril. I was also on Xanax for years and when I was hospitalized to get off of the Xanax (the worse experience of my life thus far) besides the barbiturate taper they also gave me Vistaril and I now use it in place of the Xanax as needed. Works well for me. Good luck to you!
I realize this thread is old. However people go back and read these threads.
Vistra is seriously amazing. And it’s actually in the antihistamine family. Much safer and works very well. I’ve been on some heavy meds and my anxiety seems to never go away. With the Vistra I kinda felt like woah, I should be in full blown panic right now, but I’m not! It’s like my body couldn’t register the anxiety. I recommend trying this. I know it seems so weak in compassion, but it really works!
I have suffered with severe anxiety and major depression for 25 years. Nortriptyline has helped me with depression but the only answer for my anxiety has been a Xanax. Have tried several times to stop it and every time my symptoms come back with a vengeance. I know not what else to do. I take the medication as prescribed and it works okay but there is nothing else that even comes close. I've tried everything I've read through my doctor and he has been very accommodating in letting me try these drugs, but as I said it looks like I'm stuck with the benzodiazepine for life. I don't like it but I don't know what else to do. If anyone has anything new and let me emphasize new please let me know. Thanks in advance for anyone who has any advice.
Hi! The herb Valerian Root always worked for me. I take a 500 mg capsule, or two if I'm "over the top." I have read that the action in the brain is similar not the same) and in the same places in the brain, as a benzo.
The best thing that happened to me in this regard was when I mistakenly left the Valerian home when I went away on a weekend. Was I scared of withdrawal symptoms! But I had none! At all!.
To be honest, Valerian is a bit weaker than Klonopin, but it works. Ask me if you have any questions.
Hello I have very bad anxiety which just hit me out of nowhere. I am 42 years old. My dr put me on Paxil and hydroxyzine. The first time I took the Paxil a few minutes later I begin to have an anxiety attack. I went to the ER only because it scared me so bad and the dr there put me on xanax but told me that the Paxil couldn't have caused me to have an anxiety attack. So they gave me Ativan at the ER and sent me home. Here I go again today I took the Paxil and a few months after I had an anxiety attack what the heck is going on? So I took a xanax and still no relief. Am I tripping? I just need relief this is such a scary situation for me and I feel helpless can somebody please tell me something?
Hello I have very bad anxiety which just hit me out of nowhere. I am 42 years old. My dr put me on Paxil and hydroxyzine. The first time I took the Paxil a few minutes later I begin to have an anxiety attack. I went to the ER only because it scared me so bad and the dr there put me on xanax but told me that the Paxil couldn't have caused me to have an anxiety attack. So they gave me Ativan at the ER and sent me home. Here I go again today I took the Paxil and a few months after I had an anxiety attack what the heck is going on? So I took a xanax and still no relief. Am I tripping? I just need relief this is such a scary situation for me and I feel helpless can somebody please tell me something?
I was put on some of the same meds you speak of due to me having severe panic/anxiety disorder, none worked only made it worse, then I changed doctors and he told me that meds such as Wellbutrin, effexer and such meds in the ssri group will make my anxiety worse so he put me on Pamelor. It worked great. It took a few weeks to kick in, but well worth it. I hope you find relief soon. Also try to stay away from the benzos. I was addicted to xanax for 25 yrs. Very addictive. Talk to your dr. about Pamelor.
Best of luck!
I don't know about the new drugs for depression, but my wife did real good on
Nortriptyline for 23 years. Which is generic for "Pamalor".
I'ed say that's a pretty good track record !
Good luck !
Neurontin, the generic is gabapentin, is an anti-epileptic medication but was prescribed to me by my psychiatrist for anxiety and panic attacks. I have been taking it for almost a year with excellent results. The only side effect that I have experienced is occassional drowsiness. Talk with your doctor but I definately suggest giving it a try. I wish you the best of luck. I know how horrible and debillitating anxiety can be but do not ever give up. Also Effexor didnt help my anxiety at all either.
Bethmed, I'm glad the gabapentin is working for you. I was on chlordiazepoxide (Librium) for approximately 30 years (20 mg, 2X daily). About three months ago, there was a shortage of chlordiazepoxide (which continues to this day) and I came off it cold turkey. OMG, what a hellish nightmare I've been living for 3 months running now, and I can't wake up from it! The rebound withdrawal symptoms have been and continue to be, even after 17 days on gabapentin--severe insomnia (I'm typing this at 4:30 am), PROFOUND anxiety, brain fog, a strong sense of disequalibrium, heart rate and blood pressure that jumps up and down, intermittent blurry vision, extreme irritability, stomach pain, and the list goes on and on.
The gabapentin (100 mg, 3X daily) has actually made my withdrawal symptoms worse! These symptoms (especially the anxiety and irritability) are starting to affect my relationship with my wife and co-workers (going off on a faculty member as chair of an academic department is not a good thing!). This is absolute HELL without the fire and brimstone, but hell nonetheless! I'm starting to lose hope that I'll ever be back to the way I was 3 months ago. I would never commit suicide or harm anyone else, but if God took me from this world,, I'd be more than happy to go. The chlordiazepoxide was working just fine and then BAM! Brick wall with lead reinforcement. I wouldn't wish this on anyone, not even Brandon!
On benzos for 17 years, Christina? What was the highest dose you reached?
Also, everyone, please, do you have severe anxiety gut aches, which can apparently move up into the stomach and upper stomach. These I can normally stop with .50 alprazolam but not always. The fact that these 'iron butterflies' move means, I hope, that there is nothing organically wrong with any organs in the abdom area.
I have been on Klonopin for about 13 years (Benzo). Have you tried Sucralfate before? It seems to really calm the stomach down. It is usually used for ulcers, but it works great when I get the feeling that you are.
Dilantin is also a great mood stabelizer, anxiety, pain, and adhd med. and is not a narcotic. It also helps you sleep.Antideppresants gave me more anxiety also. To much mood stabilizer did the same. I started on a small dose and build up. Good Luck!!
Hi Marsha,
I've been on Klonipin for a long, long time. I was on Xanax for a while, but the doctors I deal with now won't prescribe it because it's so addictive. (Not that the others aren't, don't know why exactly other than that). I have taken Valium, um, nope, didn't work... it made me irritable, angry, I snapped at people. And I really apologize for not remembering, but I was on Ativan also, one of the two, either the Valium or the Ativan, caused me to be achy, have flu like symptoms. I had to stop both of those and go back to the ole Klonys.
Get another doctor. Xanax is a perfectly respectable drug when used as directed by a doctor.
Get another doctor. Xanax is a perfectly respectable drug when used as directed by a doctor.
It sounds to me that you have already tried many different anti-deppresants.There is one I can personally recommend and it's called lexapro also have you tried any anti-phycotics because according to your post you only listed mostly anti-deppresants and not any anti-phycotics.Please keep me informed I am also very paranoid as well.So just know that you are not alone my friend.If I could be of any other help just PM me.PS-I added you to my friends list 2 by tha way.
I've bern on xanax for a few months now my dosage is .5 3x a day but i think it make me bipolar my mood swing are bad and something at night my legs feel look light that i cant sleep!
I get head aches all the time .. Is it the xanax??
My doctor prescribe xanax to help with my blood pressure but i think it not working i feel depression and get bad mood swings!! Help please !!!
My doctor prescribe xanax to help with my blood pressure but i think it not working i feel depression and get bad mood swings!! Help please !!!
Related topics
paxil, tofranil, xanax, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety and stress, night terrors
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