Posted by hyperfocus on September 12, 2011, at 16:41:11
In reply to Antipsychotics Increasingly Prescribed for Anxiety, posted by herpills on September 9, 2011, at 21:47:22
The dosages of AAPs used to treat anxiety are much lower than typical neuroleptic dosages. Risperidone for example might rarely get over 1mg. So the risk of EPS and for weight gain and developing diabetes is less, but still greatly heightened.
When I took benzos for my anxiety I never felt that anything more than the surface anxiety symptoms were reduced. Like my body would relax and my startle response would decrease, and there would be a lot less sweating and trembling. But it's like the thoughts themselves would still be whirling around in my head. Only on ADs and AAPs have I ever felt that the thoughts themselves were decreasing. Also I never felt like I was getting 'better' on benzos; if I missed one or two doses the anxiety would be bad as ever. Withdrawing from years-long use was not fun. But still, after almost ten years of untreated anxiety Xanax felt like a miracle first-time I took it. It just didn't pan out as a long-term solution
For some anxiety conditions like panic attacks benzos should be first-line treatments, as well as for people with untreated debilitating anxiety. But for certain people with stuff like social phobia with the abnormal paranoid thoughts and neurotic (old fashioned term I know) thinking, APs might produce a better long-term response.
C-PTSD: social phobia, major depression, dissociation.
Currently: 300mg amitriptyline single dose at night.
Also: Allegra, 1000mg Vitamin C.
Improving.
poster:hyperfocus
thread:996329
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110902/msgs/996569.html