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As the article mentions we're largely favoring SSRIs over benzodiazepines now as "first line" medications for anxiety related disorders, but they're being overp
by mrsteveman1 11y ago
As the article mentions we're largely favoring SSRIs over benzodiazepines now as "first line" medications for anxiety related disorders, but they're being overprescribed too, perhaps even more due to not being controlled substances. And patients are just as uninformed about what they're being given.
I could probably pick up my phone, scroll through my contacts and blindly pick a name, and that person is quite likely to know what the phrase "brain zaps" means, and have a horror story about being prescribed SSRIs, or especially SNRIs, without being warned about the potential downsides and indeed the withdrawal symptoms.
- task_queue 11y agoHaving been on both, SSRI withdrawal is terrible but benzo withdrawal is a miserable experience like nothing else. It's completely disabling.
- stuxnet79 11y agoI tried a cocktail of SSRIs for 3 months each and none ever worked for my anxiety. I'm not a fan of benzos given what I've read here and heard in other places. Also, I doubt I'd be able to easily obtain them. Nevertheless, my anxiety is slowly killing me and I'd like to get a handle on it - what other options are there? I recently discovered that MAOIs are great, if you can deal with the dietary restrictions - anybody have experience with them?
- mrsteveman1 11y agoYea, SSRIs actually made things worse for me (and they can be quite dangerous if taken alongside other medications that aren't "obviously" problematic, including some that merely affect liver enzyme levels). You might look at magnesium/calcium/D3 in combination, specifically one of the chelated forms of magnesium.
- stuxnet79 11y agoThanks, I will look into that. Incidentally, I just booked an appointment with my psychiatrist in two weeks - I intend to bring this entire issue up.