Posted by blueberry on November 26, 2006, at 6:56:18
In reply to Anxiety medication, posted by LisaH817 on November 25, 2006, at 21:46:27
> Anxiety – I keep having problems with it on an off and worrying about work, trouble sleeping, etc. I was on Effexor a while back when I was suffering from extreme anxiety and depression. What I’m going thru now is not as severe and I don’t want to go back on the Effexor. I need something I can take temporarily for a short period and/or when I need it. I take Alprazolam currently on occasion, but it’s addicting. My sister takes buspirone, anyone ever been on that? If anyone knows of any medication they’ve had success with, please respond. Thanks.
Buspar works but not for everyone. There have been enough reports here over the years that it poops out that I'm not sure about it. It doesn't work right away, it takes weeks, and in the meantime it can actually increase anxiety.
St Johns Wort is a good natural remedy. For me it worsens anxiety in the first week or two and then turns into calm and peace after that. A brand to start with would be Kira, the one in clinical studies, distributed through Rite-Aid stores. We buy it over the counter here, but in Europe it is a prescription med for anxiety and depression, prescribed more often than other meds. From clinical research it looks like the best brand for anxiety is Remotiv, available only by mailorder from EZIChem overseas. Effexor affects the reuptake inhibition of serotonin a lot, norepinephrine medium, and dopamine a little. SJW affects reuptake inhibition of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and gaba with about equal affinity.
Most other natural treatments are probably not strong enough. Or if you do trial and error to find one that is strong enough, it is common for them to lose their punch pretty fast. And there is no way to know about longterm use or longterm safety. With the exception of SJW, I think most anti-anxiety natural treatments are best for as-needed situations. Just my own experience and opinion though. Mileage always varies.
Magnesium might help. Some people say a bath in epsom salts is helpful as you absorb magnesium. Some people find magnesium helps with depression, but other people find that it causes or worsens depression.
Nothing will compare to the rapid effectiveness of benzos like xanax, ativan, valium, or klonopin. SJW comes close, but takes a couple weeks.
I'm dealing with severe anxiety stuff too, so you and me are in the same boat. Kira SJW worked for me before and I just started it again.
poster:blueberry
thread:707259
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20061118/msgs/707298.html