Medication question for treating anxiety and depression?
Posted on Nov 17, 2008 under treating anxiety |About 6 months ago, my dr. put me on Zoloft (50 mg. per day) to treat anxiety and mild depression. Unfortunately, I’ve also put on about 20 lb. during that time. She mentioned to me that this might happen when she first prescribed it for me. She said if I would rather, she could give me something to take when I started to feel anxious, but that the drug was habit forming. I opted for the Zoloft, and now I’m considering switching. Does anyone know what type of medication this “habit forming” kind could be? I have an appt. with her Saturday to discuss this, but I’m just curious what it may be. I’d like to research this type of medication before I go see her. Thanks!
Yes.. the habbit forming drung will be a benzodiazapine.
One of many, tamazapam, diazepam, oxazapam, lorazapam. the list goes on, equally as habbit forming as the other.
I have had these before, they work really well, but coming off them is horrible. I was on them periodically for about 3 months. They are habbit forming after about 2 weeks use.
I have had a lot of drugs, both prescribed and not so precribed.
Benzodiazepines are the worst withdrawl I have had in my life. It is on the par of heroin addiction and the like, in fact many heroin users use benzodiazapines as a substitute when they cannot get heroin.
(ps no i havent been on heroin!!!)
It has to be very closely monitored, and is very moreish, and builds up a tolerance quickly so you forever have to increase the dose, which makes the whole addiction worse.
Unlike other dependance forming drugs like amphetamines and the like. Benzodiazapines are addictive in the true meaning of the word.
If you are having success with a non sedative drug even if its resulting in a bit of weight then I would say continuew with it and let the weight gain side effects die down of their own accord.
I am not the type to play down medications, in fact I am all for them in most circumstances, but benzos for anxiety are very open to misuse and often result in such. The experience of sitting in a corner in ters shivers and sweats for 3 days to find myself rumaging through my house for hours to find one small yellow 5mg tablet having been taken off them was horrible.
Bear it serious thought and really have a good chat to the doctor about them.
It has got to the point that I was having surgery on my wiosdom teeth, I was offered sedatives to help through the operation, I turned them down because I know what they did to me.
**Just read that somone said ssri's were habbit forming!? this is wrong, they can form a very slight dependance, but this is not an addiction.. as explained above - ps to person saying that, if you have been on SSRI's for 10+ years I would be very worried you dont know virtually every detail about the drugs you are taking, especially somthing like dependance and addiction** - rant over.
November 13th, 2008 at 7:46 am
i use to take zoloft then i tried to commit suicide
they changed it to paxil and all i would do is sleep
now i take prozac and it works perfectly
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November 13th, 2008 at 7:47 am
ok
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November 13th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Its hard to guess what your doctor wants to prescribe for you, but there are a lot medications for anxiety that you take on an "as needed" schedule that are habit forming. Xanax ( alprazolam ), Ativan ( lorazepam ) and Valium ( diazepam ) are three of the most common ones. Good luck!
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November 13th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Yes.. the habbit forming drung will be a benzodiazapine.
One of many, tamazapam, diazepam, oxazapam, lorazapam. the list goes on, equally as habbit forming as the other.
I have had these before, they work really well, but coming off them is horrible. I was on them periodically for about 3 months. They are habbit forming after about 2 weeks use.
I have had a lot of drugs, both prescribed and not so precribed.
Benzodiazepines are the worst withdrawl I have had in my life. It is on the par of heroin addiction and the like, in fact many heroin users use benzodiazapines as a substitute when they cannot get heroin.
(ps no i havent been on heroin!!!)
It has to be very closely monitored, and is very moreish, and builds up a tolerance quickly so you forever have to increase the dose, which makes the whole addiction worse.
Unlike other dependance forming drugs like amphetamines and the like. Benzodiazapines are addictive in the true meaning of the word.
If you are having success with a non sedative drug even if its resulting in a bit of weight then I would say continuew with it and let the weight gain side effects die down of their own accord.
I am not the type to play down medications, in fact I am all for them in most circumstances, but benzos for anxiety are very open to misuse and often result in such. The experience of sitting in a corner in ters shivers and sweats for 3 days to find myself rumaging through my house for hours to find one small yellow 5mg tablet having been taken off them was horrible.
Bear it serious thought and really have a good chat to the doctor about them.
It has got to the point that I was having surgery on my wiosdom teeth, I was offered sedatives to help through the operation, I turned them down because I know what they did to me.
**Just read that somone said ssri's were habbit forming!? this is wrong, they can form a very slight dependance, but this is not an addiction.. as explained above - ps to person saying that, if you have been on SSRI's for 10+ years I would be very worried you dont know virtually every detail about the drugs you are taking, especially somthing like dependance and addiction** - rant over.
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Benzos were my friend untill that became my enemy. (I have borderline personality disorder) Over the years have been prescribed most anti depressant, anti anxiety drugs and antipsycotics around, plus a few extras.. after 7 years of it i have a fair idea!
November 13th, 2008 at 8:03 am
MOST likely Xanax. I Take 100-Mg Zoloft A Day And 0.5- Mg Xanax PRN. By Taking The Combination I Can Take Less Xanax. It Works Great However It Is Very Addictive So Make Sure You Take It PRN….. Ron
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Experience
November 13th, 2008 at 8:12 am
SSRIs (selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors) are habit forming (read addictive) some moreso than others. I’ve been on the damn things for 10 years and they aren’t that good. Trouble is, once you get on them it’s hard to get off.
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