willheal
05-27-2014, 08:26 AM
Getting a doctor to even prescribe this anymore is getting really hard. I know it's not supposed to work long-term either, but here's my thing (long post, sorry, I'll try to make it interesting):
I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety, panic disorder, dissociative disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, high BP, peripheral neuropathy. I've been told I probably have sleep disorders but never completed a sleep study (they said they suspected insomnia, narcolepsy)--they prescribed me valium to help me sleep when I was 16-ish but I never took it because the teensy dosage of Xanax they gave me helped both my anxiety and sleep issues simultaneously.
Now I'm 28 & I've been on Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac with no effect (Well, they reduced my social anxiety but I don't have that anymore). I've given up on SSRI/SNRIs. I was prescribed Depakote and Gabapentin but was afraid to try them since my mother had to be hospitalized after taking them. I suspect one of these would probably work for reasons I'll go into, but *eehhhh*.
The kicker here is: When I take between 0.25mg to 0.5mg of Xanax a DAY (dose depending on severity) literally everything that I listed above does not affect me anymore. Even after just 1 week, the intrusive thoughts from OCD even quiet down, my medical fears vanish, my hypochondria is gone! I feel normal. It's such a stark change.
ALSO interesting is that Phenibut (GABA derivative) provides similar relief in a pinch, but is only effective for a day or so before it starts having the reverse effect. I avoid it now.
The problem is of course Xanax loses effectiveness over time. Over a year I will take 1mg twice per day. I'd been off it for a while now, so 0.5 is more than enough for me. On top of this, doctors don't want to prescribe it because of it's addictiveness. Understandable, I hear it's worse than heroin in some cases. But it makes it so difficult for me to get even temporary relief. Damn the war on drugs.
So my questions:
I'm assuming klonopin or something would probably work similarly and be less addictive, but would a doctor be willing to prescribe this for the long term? Is Xanax XR still around? Is there some way I can take this benzo long-term without the pain of physical addiction?
Also it's hard not to speculate--but all of my conditions seem to be related to my nervous system being stuck in high gear. I'm uncomfortably sensitive to smells, sounds, etc. Have to take lower dosages of medicine that cross the BBB. I have a lot of cases of OCD in my family. My cousin has epilepsy. And the only medication that seems to work so far are these benzos, which all act by lowering the electrical potential of my neurons. Maybe there's a better class of drugs out there for me? Was the doctor on the right track when he wanted me to be on Depakote and Neurontin (usually for seizures)? Is there something less risky for me?
Welp this was a long one but thanks for reading!!
I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety, panic disorder, dissociative disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, high BP, peripheral neuropathy. I've been told I probably have sleep disorders but never completed a sleep study (they said they suspected insomnia, narcolepsy)--they prescribed me valium to help me sleep when I was 16-ish but I never took it because the teensy dosage of Xanax they gave me helped both my anxiety and sleep issues simultaneously.
Now I'm 28 & I've been on Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac with no effect (Well, they reduced my social anxiety but I don't have that anymore). I've given up on SSRI/SNRIs. I was prescribed Depakote and Gabapentin but was afraid to try them since my mother had to be hospitalized after taking them. I suspect one of these would probably work for reasons I'll go into, but *eehhhh*.
The kicker here is: When I take between 0.25mg to 0.5mg of Xanax a DAY (dose depending on severity) literally everything that I listed above does not affect me anymore. Even after just 1 week, the intrusive thoughts from OCD even quiet down, my medical fears vanish, my hypochondria is gone! I feel normal. It's such a stark change.
ALSO interesting is that Phenibut (GABA derivative) provides similar relief in a pinch, but is only effective for a day or so before it starts having the reverse effect. I avoid it now.
The problem is of course Xanax loses effectiveness over time. Over a year I will take 1mg twice per day. I'd been off it for a while now, so 0.5 is more than enough for me. On top of this, doctors don't want to prescribe it because of it's addictiveness. Understandable, I hear it's worse than heroin in some cases. But it makes it so difficult for me to get even temporary relief. Damn the war on drugs.
So my questions:
I'm assuming klonopin or something would probably work similarly and be less addictive, but would a doctor be willing to prescribe this for the long term? Is Xanax XR still around? Is there some way I can take this benzo long-term without the pain of physical addiction?
Also it's hard not to speculate--but all of my conditions seem to be related to my nervous system being stuck in high gear. I'm uncomfortably sensitive to smells, sounds, etc. Have to take lower dosages of medicine that cross the BBB. I have a lot of cases of OCD in my family. My cousin has epilepsy. And the only medication that seems to work so far are these benzos, which all act by lowering the electrical potential of my neurons. Maybe there's a better class of drugs out there for me? Was the doctor on the right track when he wanted me to be on Depakote and Neurontin (usually for seizures)? Is there something less risky for me?
Welp this was a long one but thanks for reading!!