Anxiety meds question

[mikeyandBellesmommy]

I recently went to my doc becuase I guess all the crap with my husband and then getting sick and well I am a bad sleeper in general I spoke to him about anxiety meds. I didn't want to make another committment to a zoloft type drug which is more long term so he gave me somethign that begins with an N that is like xanax.. to be taken as needed or at night, that seems to be the worst for me..

anyway.. I started taking it before bed a few times and it has really helped a lot the only thing is it has a Big warning that says addictive withdrawal symptoms will occur. That kind of worries me.. If I take it every night will I always need it. SHould I not take it.. how long does it take to become addictive.. he said the dosage is small does it matter

Does anyone else take anything like this?

Anyway thanks for any help, LOL I am such a freak I guess that is why I never did drugs I was always scared I'd like them too much, LOL! I just love actually sleeping through the night

[LauraNP]

Which drug is it..

In general, the meds for anxiety that are taken every day are very effective and are not addicting. They tend to keep people on an even keel all the time instead of the ups and downs of anxiety, you get down, you take a pill, it wears off and then you're back to square one.

Benzodiazapenes (xanax, ativan, etc) are meant to be used for short term use although a lot of people use them for the long term. They are addictive if taken over the long term (how long probably depends on which drug it is) and in general not a good idea to use all the time. It's the short term fix for a long term problem.

I try really hard not to prescribe those meds because people do get addicted to them and it's hard to get off of them. I have encountered many people who are very dependent on them and don't want it any other way. Taking them on a rare occasion is ok (I have a xanax bottle in my drawer that had 10 pills in it now it has 9) but in general every day leads to problems. You are dealing with a lot of problems right now but if you see yourself needing something for a long time I would definitely consider something like an SSRI or buspar.

Big hugs..

[heartfulloflove]

Hey :)

I took Ativan (a benzodiazepine) for 6 years every night. I realized at some point I didn't need it anymore. I won't lie, the withdrawal sucks, but not as bad as I anticipated. My nightmares are back, but the whole jittery panic issue I started taking it for had resolved and remains so. Night was extremely difficult for me.

My husband takes Buspar, which is a lot like a benzo in how it calms, but does not carry the addiction risk and is much easier to come off of. It's not so long-term like an SSRI, and it is an anxiety-specific medication. It's pretty quick acting too, unlike the SSRI group which needs to build a level.

I wouldn't worry too much about the addictive part, as long as you don't move up your dosage.