Should i go on anxiety meds?
 

So had no idea where to post this because it's not interfering w/my weight.

But i suffer from free floating anxiety (probably due to many causes) and sometimes outright panic attacks. My mom is due to spend 4 days w/us over the Christmas holiday which is causing underlying anxiety. Not because of her at all but it's just so far out of my norm to have her actually stay here. I could do very well or very poorly, i cannot predict. I am also severely bipolar.

A few on another forum i'm on mentioned how much meds like Valium or Xanax have helped on those times when they need the edge taken off. i have no idea of course how they'll affect me and i'm wondering if i should make a doctors appt especially before my moms visit and see... any input?

I had extreme anxiety attacks when I was 19, and I was prescribed clonazepam to take on an as-needed basis. I took it a few times, but it can be difficult to tell when you need it, and I'm not sure the effects were noticeable. By which I mean, I didn't have any attacks during the times I took pills, but I'm not sure if it's a result of the pills doing their job, or if just having them around made me more confident, or if I was getting better anyway. They didn't have a noticeable calming effect for me.

However, my anxiety was acute and likely related to specific event (I have congenital heart problems and was finding out I will need open heart surgery at some point. Also I was scheduled for a pacemaker implantation, and there was plenty of home drama going on without my medical issues... so lots at once and I didn't handle it well). I do not know if it would work similarly for you, either on an as-needed or ongoing basis.

Are you on other meds for your bipolar condition? If so, I don't think it would be good to take anxiety meds as well.

Personally, my thought is that it's usually a bad idea to take medication in an effort to deal with life events, because there's a risk of dependency involved. You don't know how a drug will affect you.

This is how people become alcoholics, for example - they drink to make social events easier, or to not care as much about difficult parts of their lives, and soon it becomes an option to drink in more and more situations. Can you be sure that taking valium will be a one-time thing? Will you then be more anxious next time your mom visits, if/because you don't have valium available that time? It may become harder to deal with the same situation on short notice.

I realize you have a condition that can make certain aspects of your life more difficult than they may be for others. But, I think you really need to identify whether you're making yourself better and healthier if you plan on taking something. If you're not, I'd say don't do it.

(Although, take what I say with a grain of salt because I don't practice what I preach. I'm perfectly happy to use alcohol as a social lubricant. I don't plan it ahead of time to make specific events easier, sure, but it sure seems like a grand idea once I arrive!)

Thanks for your reply!

Well, i'm 52 and have "toughed it out" all these years and i also know that one can suffer needlessly.

I am on bipolar meds, i can only handle about 1/3 of what the average dosage is as i'm a sensitive and i plan on taking these anti-anxiety meds (if i am rx'd them) only on an AS NEEDED basis. Like you, they may help just HAVING them in the house and i really believe there's nothing wrong with that, after all, bipolar is a medical condition that won't heal itself and anxiety can certainly fall within those parameters... i have to use coping mechanisms also with bipolar despite meds. I guess i just don't want to suffer needlessly at certain times if i don't have to but i certainly will not take them daily, i don't have the need! :)

This most likely will be of no use to you whatsoever but I will put it out there for others who are dealing with anxiety and want to try things before going on meds.

I used to suffer from anxiety quite badly. Two things really helped: exercise, specifically running (which I know you cannot do ReillyJ) and....believe it or not...eating a lot of fish, especially oily fish. I kid you not. A can of sardines, salmon, mackerel...you name it....and my anxiety decreases substantially.

I used to self-medicate with alcohol to help my anxiety on bad days. I don't need to do that any more. Which is great.

Ironically, perhaps, I have more going on in my life now to feel anxious about than I did when I had anxiety and yet I am less anxious.

That's a strange feeling.

That's really interesting, Ian!

I DO find exercise helps, my CFS/Fibro doesn't help matters any, i suffer from viral flares constantly with any exercise but i still do it!

I wish i could afford salmon or canned salmon-- i love it in salads but i'd also have to overcome my somewhat added fat phobia--i could displace my avocado when i add salmon in my salad and that would help. I do take fish oil, maybe i don't take enough.

re:
 

I was on Zoloft for about 5 years. It definitely helped 'take the edge off' off, and taught me how to handle those things on my own eventually.

I also put on well over 60 lbs on it and my cholesterol shot up sky high, which are known side effects of those types of medications.

Was it worth it? Probably at that time since it saved my marriage, but it definitely has a price.

I'd really think it through and talk to a doctor before making a decision. Be careful, many doctors are very quick to prescribe without discussion possible side effects.

Edited to add: you can't just come off those cold turkey really either (thx brain zaps) so if it's just something you need help with occasionally, might want to think that over.

Ugh. Descriptions of "brain zaps" are the reason I didn't accept prescriptions for depression meds when I had depression. I ended up taking St. John's Wort, which is arguably less safe, but at least it didn't terrify me.

But I have to agree that meds can really help if you do your research (which includes talking to your doctor). St. John's Wort almost definitely helped me out of depression. I didn't mean to suggest earlier that anyone should suffer needlessly. Only that we need to be careful about our reasons for taking things, and think of the future effects they could have.

Honestly I'd say go talk to a doctor. You're the one that knows you best. Depression and anxiety often have different root causes for different people, and medication works for some while not for others.

Personally I'm a fan of my own medication, largely because I've had depression since I was around 14 years old (I'm 29 now). I did fight it with therapy up until a little over a year ago. For me, therapy taught me to deal with the depression, but never made it go away. On meds it actually feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders most the time, though I do still have bad days.

Talking to a doctor won't hurt though, and not all doctors will try to push meds on you, so you don't have to wait until you know you want them or whatever to just get more information.

I feel for you! I've had times with terrible anxiety and it's no fun at all. It can actually be debilitating. I recently went to the dr. and got some meds. They didn't help me at all. I have memory problems so I actually don't remember exactly what the side effects were, but it doesn't matter, since they do help some people and not others.

What has helped me is an herb called Ashwaganda. It has been used in India for about 300 years. Look it up on Amazon and see what people say...you can also find info online regarding this herb. I take one in the morning and one at night after a meal. Perhaps you'll need more or less but it might help you. I just thought I"d throw it out there in case you or anyone else is interested. Oh and a lot of people like valerian root. You can probably do valerian root (the liquid is best) and combine it with Ashwaganda.

Best of luck to you or anyone else who's suffering from anxiety.

I don't have any advice on the topic of meds, but if you aren't interested in the all-fish diet, I'd suggest adding fish oil supplements if you aren't taking them already. I've been taking them for years, and I think they improve my joint health. I keep hearing about new benefits from getting adequate omega-3s (longevity, brain, heart, etc). I hadn't heard about their effects on anxiety before, but a quick google turns up lots of references.

If you are not seeing a psychiatrist I would definitely recommend it, just find yourself a good one! Angie's List is great for that, I use it all the time to find good doctors.

I'm actually not a huge fan of meds, but that's because I have my own issues. My mom was always trying to "fix" me as a child because I was incredibly socially anxious and depressed (because of the situation at home having a Narcissist Dad and Borderline Mom. I was my dad's scapegoat, and my mom, well, she has her own issues too). Anyway, to make a long story short, mom took me to about 4 different professionals (one that identified the problem as an unhealthy dynamic between me and my mother, and man, she bad mouths him to this day, she had me out of there in the blink of an eye) but settled on a psychiatrist that said I needed to be on lexapro and wellbutrin for the rest of my life. It helped with the anxiety to a certain degree, but made me so apathetic that I nearly failed out of college and didn't care. I didn't care about ANYTHING. I eventually got off the meds after about 3 yrs, and while I cried for about a week straight, It felt so much better to be able to feel anything again. Now I still deal with stress and feel anxious and depressed sometimes, but appropriately. The only times I feel overwhelming stress and anxiety is when I have to deal with my mother, which is why I've recently joined the forum "out of the fog" and am finally fully confronting those issues. I'm also currently looking for a therapist (cognitive or EMDR) to help me to overcome these issues in my life so that I don't end up like my mother, and deal with my own unhealthy coping mechanisms. I'm determined to stop the cycle of crazy in my family. I will avoid meds if at all possible. I've always seen meds as a bandaid covering a bullet hole (at least for me) I won't heal until I deal with the issues. However, I know plenty of people that have been on meds forever, and it works for them. It really depends on what you and your doctor decide. It's okay to try a few things and figure it out, as long as you're being monitered by a doctor. I would just be very wary of doctors that throw pills at you to get you to go away, because it's easier for them than to actually help you. I will say, my husband and I recently bought some 5 HTP (over the counter) and we will take it if we are incredibly stressed (which my husband has been the last few weeks) and it helps take the edge off. But again, it's not meant to be used more than 12 weeks at a time.

I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you can find what you need to help you to feel better in your life!

Vex I agree about how the meds can take the edge off, and brain zaps as well. My mom (after being to one to get me on the meds in the first place) had me go cold turkey off them after taking them for 3 years. Talk about traumatic. I cried for about a week straight after I went off them. I remember looking at my water glass, and just became overwhelming emotional and started bawling. It's kind of crazy. But, the way I saw it, was that my body was doing some serious readjusting in my brain chemistry, and honestly, it felt better to cry constantly than to be the zombie I had been for 3 years. It leveled out after a couple of weeks.

It's up to you! If your insurance makes it affordable, you can get a prescription for benzodiazepines and only use them in case of emergency, like you said. Sometimes just knowing you have the option is very helpful. :)

I was going to suggest supplementing with Suntheanine and 5-HTP, but 5-HTP will not play nicely with SSRIs or SNRIs.

I just thought I'd add my two cents in here, in response to both this comment and my own from earlier in which I mentioned St. John's Wort:

Herbal remedies are NOT regulated the way other over-the-counter medications are. This means they don't have the same requirements to post side effects, and they have lower levels of quality control. That doesn't mean they're not helpful, but it does mean you have to be careful what brands you purchase, and keep an eye on the expiry dates.

Personally I think it is best to go with big-name brands. But from what I understand, LOTS of companies producing herbal remedies and supplements use reduced quality control for those items. Tests have shown that the amount active ingredients in a given sample can vary widely between batches and might not be what is listed on the packaging.

I was okay with this for St. John's Wort because I felt like I'd done my research, I chose a big brand, checked expiry dates, and took a low and constant dose (and St. John's Wort takes weeks to start working, and relies on a buildup of doses rather than acting directly). But there was an element of risk I still had to consider.

That said, I've had tea with Valerian in it. David's Tea makes one called "Mother's Little Helper" and I actually feel a noticeable calming effect from it. It doesn't last long, but it's a pleasing feeling. It has other things in it like Chamomile so perhaps all the ingredients work in tandem.

You mentioned being on bipolar meds, so I would assume you already have a psychiatrist? If you have a physician and you know that person is not quick to prescribe, definitely talk to your doctor. In your case, if there's only a few scenarios where you feel anxious, a pill that you can use as needed may be ideal. It is definitely worth discussing!

I also don't think we give enough credit to dietary changes in helping with health conditions, especially mental health. If you drink coffee or other forms of caffeine, it may be wise to significantly decrease or eliminate your intake around the time of your mom's visit. There are tons of lists of anxiety-easing foods available online as well, though I'm not sure of the short-term effects, it may be worth incorporating.

I'd be careful with supplements, for reasons mentioned above, though I did successfully use Valerian Root in the past to help with temporary anxiety.

You also mentioned canned salmon being too pricey, but I have to wonder how much the cost of adding that to your diet a couple times a week would be compared to the co-pay for a prescription? Obviously it wouldn't work in the same way and you don't personally know how it affects you, but just putting the thought out there.