Are you on benzos?

I was on Ativan and Xanax separately for 6 years. I’m 26 and since my last hospitalization I’m only on .5 of Ativan and I only get 15/month. Should I switch doctors? My anxiety is high and so is the akathisia… what are your benzo experiences?

I take ativan when needed, I try to take it a little as I can

I take clonazepam once or twice a day as needed

I was on 0.5mg clonazepam for about a year. It was very difficult to come off it. Withdrawals lasted months after I’d stopped.

Benzos stop working after a while, they’re only a short term solution.

I take L-theanine now to help with anxiety and it keeps it manageable.

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I was on Ativan for years,

Always liked having it more than taking it.

It was nice to know I had something in the event of a panic attack, but hated the way it made me feel when I actually had to take it.

Benzos are really a last resort, if you need more than 15 monthly, you probably need your APs adjusted.

Ativan should not be used to control symptoms, more for breakthrough or emergency treatment.

Especially not for an otherwise healthy patient.

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I’m hoping starting on Zoloft will take away the need for clonazepam

I take .5 mg, sometimes 1 mg of klonopin as needed. I was on 1 mg of Ativan a couple years back for a year. I used Ativan regularly and became tolerant to it so it didn’t work as well so now with klonopin I only take it if I really need to and it works well for me.

Yes, an old one called oxazepam.

Works OK.

How long are u on it. .???

Couple years, but I take it 3x a week as needed.

Better than xanax and less addictive than valium.

I have to say though, the days I take it are usually productive days and the other days are often consumed by fear and anxiety.

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Yeah my new doc won’t give me benzos or my Ambien. So I have anxiety and insomnia great combo

I’m on 1mg Ativan when needed. It never makes me feel better, just stops the feeling from escalating further

I was on Valium but didn’t like it. So the current doctor. Put me on ativan and for two years I took only .5 mgs then he recently raised the dose to 1 mg

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Daily or as needed?

2mg Ativan prn, I’ve been getting 20 per month. Some months I have lots left and some months I run out.

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I’m not on benzos any more but would prefer if I was. I found them helpful without really getting any side effects

My one of my counselors told me benzos are starting to be highly regulated and docs are not prescribing them as much. I am on ativan half mg twice a day as needed. The akathesia is what you should be worried about. I would try to switch aps if you can. Also my pdoc says if a.nxiety is bad then meds besides benzos are needed.

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he said he prefers daily but i want to take them as needed

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I’m prescribed 0.5 mg Klonopin twice a day PRN, but that’s only because anything less than 2 mg is pretty useless to me, but my doctor refuses to prescribe more than .5mg pills, so he tells me to take what I need, within reason, but that’s my months supply. I almost never take it. I use it more for insomnia than anxiety.

Benzos shouldn’t be a daily thing. If you need them to be you should have your other meds adjusted.

I do not take benzos but on my previous visit to the pdoc he brought up the subject and possibilities, but I declined his offer for fear of addiction.