using anxiety medication as needed

[Ema]

I was thinking of going to my doctor to see if I could get a perscrition for anti anxiety medication to use as needed. There are certain situations that I'm so nervous to do, so I avoid them or if I do them I'm very nervous or have a panic attack, so I would like to take something to take the edge of at these times. Does anyone use the mediction this way, also I'm even nervous to go the doctor to ask him for help one of my fears.

[aberaxis]

I was warned to avoid benzodiazapines. Ask your doctor for information on Neurontin as these are non-addictive and I use them regularly for anxiety upsets.

[kstevenson32]

When I first started having panic attacks, my doctor prescribed me prozac and I was too scared to try it, so she gave me a xanax prescription to take as needed. The only problem is that it was strong and made my body feel weak, but my thoughts would still race and I would have panic attacks because I didn't feel I could stop them while on the medicine. I started doing it without medicine, but I also have problems only occasionally. I went back to my doctor and she prescribed me hydroxyzine which is in the same family as xanax, but not as strong and it works so far. The only thing I notice is that it makes me super drowsy 4 hours after I take it. Hope that helps!

[brookflower]

I would never give anybody advice on medication, you should talk to a doctor that you trust, and when in regards to disorders involving the mind, I would only talk to a psychiatrist that is up to date on what is new as well as the long-time standards. However, I am willing to tell you what I have seen. Not every medication works for everybody and not every medication has the same affect on everybody. As far as benzodiazepines go, I have seen people who seem to have great results with klonopin, ativan, or xanax (there doses were not all the same.) I have seen people dependent on or possibly addicted to xanax and possibly ativan. I'm not an expert. Let's face it there are people who are more apt to become addicted or dependent; and there are those who use medications to escape reality. Only you and your doctor should decide what is best for you. It is important to do your own research from reliable sources and write down your questions and concerns, so you can address these with your doctor. If you start taking a medication and have an undesireable side effect, you should call your doctor and ask questions such as, "will this side effect go away, should I try taking less to avoid this side effect, should I try a different medication." Hydroxizine and Xanax are in the same functional class, which in your case means they can bboth be used to as antianxieties; but they are definitely in different chemical classes with xanax being a benzodiazepine, as well as a narcotic and hydroxyzine being a piperazine derivative. I noticed that you asked about prozac in the chat; I took prozac a long time ago and it worked for my depression, however, I don't remember how long it took before I noticed that it was working for me. According to the Mayo clinic some antidepressants can take 8 weeks or more to reach full effect. It doesn't necessarily mean that it will take that long, but you should be prepared to give it time. Be aware of side effects that you need to report to your doctor. Remember, this is not medical advice; medical advice should only come from a doctor, anyone else giving medical advice would be a quack. Others can give facts and opinions or experiences. I trust my psychiatrist and wouldn't hesitate to contact her for medical advice for myself, but as I stated earlier, I would do my research, have my questions and listen carefully to what she told me.