Posted by Elizabeth on June 30, 2001, at 17:47:37
In reply to Re: Addictive meds » Elizabeth, posted by Alan on June 30, 2001, at 1:00:55
> The partial problem is that the shorter acting Ativan is needed at about 5 MGS on only 3 - 4 days per week for performance anxiety (eves.)while the other days it would be too much.
>
> To keep from being overmedicated on the other days, only 3 MGS are needed. This is where the Nurontin comes in to mediate.Huh. So it doesn't work to just take the Ativan as needed -- 5 mg on the days you need that much, 3 mg on the other days? I can see how that could cause some ups and downs -- Ativan is pretty short-acting.
The Neurontin idea might be worth a try. It's kind of short-acting too. I've heard of some people taking the entire dose at bedtime, but I don't know how well that would work for your purposes. My other thought would be to use a small dose of a long-acting benzo (Klonopin, Tranxene) -- not enough to cause sedation, ataxia, or other unwanted side effects -- in the "background," and take the Ativan on top of that as needed. That might smooth things out.
> It's kind of a special social anxiety subcatagory that I have not been able to treat any other way.
Can you tell me more about that? Have you tried antidepressants? That might seem like overkill, but some of them (phenelzine especially) can be extremely effective for social anxiety, especially if you take benzos along with them.
> Alan (a fellow Chicagoan!)
Oops, didn't mean to mislead. I'm afraid I'm not from Chicago: I was recommending it as a place to find good doctors in the Midwest. Our own Dr. Bob, for example. < g >
best,
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:1356
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010625/msgs/68517.html