Posted by Vincent_QC on June 13, 2013, at 19:06:42
In reply to Re: New PDoc RX Lamictal for severe anxiety... » Vincent_QC, posted by gadchik on June 13, 2013, at 16:19:38
> I tapered off of remeron and zoloft a couple of yrs ago because I gained 30lbs and I wanted to feel fit and healthy again. I started out on remeron 7.5mg and clonazepam .5mg. After a month, my pdoc added 12.5mg zoloft and after a couple of weeks went up to 25mg and stayed there. I only need small doses of meds to work. I also did cbt, and reg counseling. I was determined to get well, and I did. After tapering, I lost all the weight. Stayed on clonazepam .5mg. Thats all I take. But I really want to taper off and just use occasionally.
Oh ok, I'm glad to see that you are feeling better and off meds...
I never gain weight on the remeron only, but I gain weight from all the ssri or srni... Lexapro is the worse for the weight gain even if apparently it's the one with less weight gain effect... The Zoloft even at 200 mg did nothing for my anxiety, seem like 25 mg or 200 mg was the same, just had panic attacks from it and worse social phobia...
Benzo are ok for short term or prn...sadly some PDoc don't understand that they can worse the anxiety in a long term view!!! I think a part of my anxiety disorder is linked to the clonazepam but well, since 1 year I decrease my dose from 8 mg to 7 mg and I will not move to a lower dose before another med like the Paxil or Lamictal (if it work on me) will put my anxiety under control... For now it's impossible to see me going on a withdrawal of the benzo... Will die for sure...
I find out that from all the benzo meds on the market, only the Valium at a low dose can be use as a long term help for anxiety... The problem with the clonazepam or Xanax are their strong addiction effect...whatever the short or long half life, for me those 2 benzo are the worse... My goal, when an AD or another no addicting med will control more my anxiety, will be to withdrawal slowly the clonazepam and switch to low dose of Valium... It's the more stable benzo, stay a long time in your system, no rebound anxiety, no interdose withdrawal effects (I have them even on the clonazepam and the half life is long compare to the Xanax)...
One thing is sure, for now I only have some power to help me to reduce my anxiety with better foods habit, stop smoking, and start slowly exercise...
poster:Vincent_QC
thread:1045150
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130527/msgs/1045242.html