OliverB Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 Sometimes I get confused and then I experience sudden severe anxiety and stress that turns the confusion into deorganization, troubles thinking and knowing what is real and what is not, so basically it triggers psychosis. The only benzo I have is clonazepam -klonapil-, that takes 1,5-2h to kick in and has a really long life, so it's only helpful when I am having a stressful day. I am going to ask my pdoc for a quick acting benzo with if possible short half life, but I wanted to know your experiences with this kind of situations since we work me suggesting some meds and he chosing the ones he thinks would be better for me -I am studying a degree in pharmacy, but I am just a student, without experience beyond books-. So for you what it the best quick acting benzo for extreme and sudden anxiety? Note. antipsychotics don't work really well at preventing the psychosis, they just help once I have reach that point, I just want to avoid getting that bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Xanax ODT works excellent for me. The ODT kind work in an instant right after you put them under your tongue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooster Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 lorazepam as a rescue med plus DBT skills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtac Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Xanax or Ativan if you want fast-acting, relatively short half-life anxiolytic properties. I've been on Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin, and I find Xanax to be the most efficacious at quickly knocking out anxiety. My SO has Ativan, and it works well for her when she has sudden anxiety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 Thank you all, I think I will be given Xanax -alprazolam- on Wednesday since Lorazepam didn't help me when I tried it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooster Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 And how about some skills to help reduce the impact of anxiety when you notice it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, Wooster said: And how about some skills to help reduce the impact of anxiety when you notice it? I already use my skills with mild and mild to moderate anxiety, with moderate anxiety they don't work that well but I can bear it for some days and be OK, but if it lasts more than few days it is not good for my health. I can't control extreme anxiety that end up triggering psychosis because of the stress it causes, I have already tried so many times and failed... because when psychosis begins my skills stop working and I enter in a cycle of more anxiety that worse psychosis and more psychosis that worse anxiety... Edited October 31, 2016 by Bixo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilemma Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 It's been awhile since I've been on benzos, but Xanax was much more fast acting that the others. I could even physically feel it kicking in in about 20 minutes. Once I got over the panic-like anxiety, I switched to Klonopin for my constantly running mind at night so I could sleep. It also worked well, but I really missed that feeling I got when the Xanax kicked in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unstrung Harp Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 I agree that Xanax is the way to go for quick relief. I also have a Clonazepam prescription to take at night if I need it and I haven't take xanax already, as the Clonazepam is longer acting and Pdoc's thought is that is might have some benefit into the next day. But as you said, it's not so great for quelling anxiety or panic quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted November 2, 2016 Author Share Posted November 2, 2016 I was given Xanax to take as much as I need up to 2mg. Since I don't take an antipsychotic I need to avoid stress as much as I can. Thank you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 1 hour ago, Bixo said: I was given Xanax to take as much as I need up to 2mg. Since I don't take an antipsychotic I need to avoid stress as much as I can. Thank you all. I hope this helps you with the stress. Also helps with anxiety for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted November 2, 2016 Author Share Posted November 2, 2016 3 hours ago, melissaw72 said: I hope this helps you with the stress. Also helps with anxiety for me. I took 2mg and felt nothing. I am a bit disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtac Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Just now, Bixo said: I took 2mg and felt nothing. I am a bit disappointed. Wow that is crazy! I would be disappointed too. But people tolerate meds differently. Klonopin and Valium don't do much to me, even at 2mg and 20mg respectively, but 1mg of Xanax is enough to nearly knock me out. I usually take 0.25-0.5mg of Xanax and I'm good, anxiety is leveled. Maybe you're just under a lot of stress at the moment and Xanax alone isn't enough to pull you out of it. I know when my stress and anxiety peak, it takes a lot to bring me down to semi-normal again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 By chance ... did you have food in your stomach when you swallowed the xanax? I find that when I was on the swallowing pills (now on ODT for both), they worked so much better. Also, this tastes terrible, but if you put a xanax pill under your tongue (the regular pill kind), it works faster than if swallowed (I got this advice from pdoc, and least for me he was right). After it has dissolved, I just got a drink of something else to get the taste out of my mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted November 2, 2016 Author Share Posted November 2, 2016 4 minutes ago, melissaw72 said: By chance ... did you have food in your stomach when you swallowed the xanax? I find that when I was on the swallowing pills (now on ODT for both), they worked so much better. Also, this tastes terrible, but if you put a xanax pill under your tongue (the regular pill kind), it works faster than if swallowed (I got this advice from pdoc, and least for me he was right). After it has dissolved, I just got a drink of something else to get the taste out of my mouth. I take it after eating some pasta and under my tongue.... but nothing, absolutly nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 11 minutes ago, Bixo said: I take it after eating some pasta and under my tongue.... but nothing, absolutly nothing. I'm sorry to hear that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted November 2, 2016 Author Share Posted November 2, 2016 (edited) 2 minutes ago, melissaw72 said: I'm sorry to hear that. I am going to ask for clorazepate, tranxilum, which even if it has a long high life it is fast acting, as well as diazepam. Or maybe gabapentine..... Edited November 2, 2016 by Bixo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 2 minutes ago, Bixo said: I am going to ask for clorazepate, tranxilum, which even if it has a long high life it is fast acting, as well as diazepam. Or maybe gabapentine..... Actually, the ODT xanax works instantly. Could you ask you pdoc if she'll prescribe it? I am on it and it is great for instant release/relief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted November 2, 2016 Author Share Posted November 2, 2016 (edited) 10 minutes ago, melissaw72 said: Actually, the ODT xanax works instantly. Could you ask you pdoc if she'll prescribe it? I am on it and it is great for instant release/relief. Weh, here Xanax doesn't exist, I have the generic version, alprazolam, I only can get this one. Edited November 2, 2016 by Bixo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 4 minutes ago, Bixo said: Weh, here Xanax doesn't exist, I have the generic version, alprazolam, I only can get this one. FWIW ... the ODTs are alprazolam also (also generic). Says it on the back of the pill bubble pack. But I understand you only have the pill form where you live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted November 2, 2016 Author Share Posted November 2, 2016 4 minutes ago, melissaw72 said: FWIW ... the ODTs are alprazolam also (also generic). Says it on the back of the pill bubble pack. But I understand you only have the pill form where you live. I have checked it but here there are not ODT alprazolam -generic-, anyway, the normal ones desintegrates too inside the mouth, it is not the same, I tried to put it under the toungue so It acted quicker but it didn't work. I am getting bad anxiety everyday and I don't want to take a benzo everyday, maybe I need something less dangerous like gabapentin, I will talk with my pdoc to see if we can try it for anxiety, it might work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikl_pls Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Just throwing this in there, it's not a benzodiazepine, but rather a first-generation antipsychotic... trifluoperazine (Stelazine). Low dose trifluoperazine worked wonders for my anxiety, especially when combined with a benzodiazepine (oxazepam in my case) and hydroxyzine pamoate (Vistaril). It was a marvelous combination for my anxiety that got me out of the house when I was trapped inside afraid to leave the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverB Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 On 4/11/2016 at 6:41 AM, mikrw33 said: Just throwing this in there, it's not a benzodiazepine, but rather a first-generation antipsychotic... trifluoperazine (Stelazine). Low dose trifluoperazine worked wonders for my anxiety, especially when combined with a benzodiazepine (oxazepam in my case) and hydroxyzine pamoate (Vistaril). It was a marvelous combination for my anxiety that got me out of the house when I was trapped inside afraid to leave the house. Thank you, but I am highly sensitive to antipsychotic and get bad and sometimes life-threatening side effects from them, I can't take most. -Haldol almost killed me-. On 4/11/2016 at 6:41 AM, mikrw33 said: Just throwing this in there, it's not a benzodiazepine, but rather a first-generation antipsychotic... trifluoperazine (Stelazine). Low dose trifluoperazine worked wonders for my anxiety, especially when combined with a benzodiazepine (oxazepam in my case) and hydroxyzine pamoate (Vistaril). It was a marvelous combination for my anxiety that got me out of the house when I was trapped inside afraid to leave the house. Thank you, but I am highly sensitive to antipsychotic and get bad and sometimes life-threatening side effects from them, I can't take most. -Haldol almost killed me-. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikl_pls Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 On 11/6/2016 at 4:06 PM, Bixo said: Thank you, but I am highly sensitive to antipsychotic and get bad and sometimes life-threatening side effects from them, I can't take most. -Haldol almost killed me-. 1 Whoops! That's not good! Sorry to hear that! Forget the trifluoperazine recommendation then... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 On 11/2/2016 at 1:29 PM, melissaw72 said: Also, this tastes terrible, but if you put a xanax pill under your tongue (the regular pill kind), it works faster than if swallowed (I got this advice from pdoc, and least for me he was right). After it has dissolved, I just got a drink of something else to get the taste out of my mouth. I have tried this before and (a few times actually) it never worked. I just wasted a pill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquarian Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 On 11/2/2016 at 2:29 PM, melissaw72 said: Also, this tastes terrible, but if you put a xanax pill under your tongue (the regular pill kind), it works faster than if swallowed (I got this advice from pdoc, and least for me he was right). After it has dissolved, I just got a drink of something else to get the taste out of my mouth. The xanax (or valium) under the tongue always seems to work well for me too when I've had occasion to need it to kick in quicker. And I agree, xanax tastes pretty awful. Valium just tastes plain and chalky IMO so it's less unpleasant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 7 hours ago, aquarian said: The xanax (or valium) under the tongue always seems to work well for me too when I've had occasion to need it to kick in quicker. And I agree, xanax tastes pretty awful. Valium just tastes plain and chalky IMO so it's less unpleasant. I just wanted to add that I am now on the ODT kind (oral disintegrating tablets), and they taste like mint. If you take, say 2 xanax ODT, before sleeping, your mouth will taste bad when you wake up. But it definitely is better than the pill form under your tongue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL9000 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 19 hours ago, melissaw72 said: I just wanted to add that I am now on the ODT kind (oral disintegrating tablets), and they taste like mint. If you take, say 2 xanax ODT, before sleeping, your mouth will taste bad when you wake up. But it definitely is better than the pill form under your tongue. Xanax under the tongue. The taste may alone break up the anxiety. You will be so busy retching... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 1 hour ago, HAL9000 said: Xanax under the tongue. The taste may alone break up the anxiety. You will be so busy retching... If it is ODT xanax, it actually tastes like having a mint. The regular pill kind of xanax it what tastes horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 why does Xanax taste so gross, when clonazepam/klonopi taste a lot like 'mint' ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) 30 minutes ago, 2Spirals said: why does Xanax taste so gross, when clonazepam/klonopi taste a lot like 'mint' ? We are are talking about xanax only. The ODT kind of xanax (dissolves under tongue within maybe 15 seconds) tastes like a mint, while the actual pill form of xanax under your tongue tastes terrible. Edited November 11, 2016 by melissaw72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Yeah, the clonz give me a minty feeling, too. I choked on one of them as it was going down and it left my throat "minty". I thought all benzos in pill form would be like that...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) 7 minutes ago, 2Spirals said: Yeah, the clonz give me a minty feeling, too. I choked on one of them as it was going down and it left my throat "minty". I thought all benzos in pill form would be like that...? I was talking about xanax, not clonazepam. The ODT klonopin tastes terrible, but the xanax ODT tastes like the mint. 1 minute ago, melissaw72 said: I thought all benzos in pill form would be like that...? I don't remember what the pill forms for xanax and klonopin taste like anymore. Actually, I remember putting the xanax in pill form under my tongue, which tasted awful. Otherwise haven't taken them as a pill in a long time. Just the ODTs of both. Edited November 11, 2016 by melissaw72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Just now, melissaw72 said: I was talking about xanax, not clonazepam. The ODT klonopin tastes terrible, but the xanax ODT tastes like the mint. That's interesting, how they wouldn't be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 1 minute ago, 2Spirals said: That's interesting, how they wouldn't be the same. Idk why they both don't taste the same ... maybe because of their chemical make-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 That could be. And while the clonz taste like minty goodness, they don't work well under the tongue, in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 3 minutes ago, 2Spirals said: That could be. And while the clonz taste like minty goodness, they don't work well under the tongue, in my experience. I agree that klonopin does not work well under the tongue as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 1 hour ago, melissaw72 said: I agree that klonopin does not work well under the tongue as well. How do you go about getting ODT clonazepam (iof they make such a hting)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 3 minutes ago, 2Spirals said: How do you go about getting ODT clonazepam (iof they make such a hting)? My pdoc prescribes them both, klon ODT and zanax, and Yes, clonazepam ODT is real and is made. I know because I take it every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Just now, melissaw72 said: My pdoc prescribes them both, klon ODT and zanax, and Yes, clonazepam ODT is real and is made. I know because I take it every day. Well that is a good way of know it to be true, definitely! lol.... how did you get it, was it asked for? The reason I ask is, sometimes the onset can be 30 minutes if lucky (last night with food was 20 minutes) but sometimes, when anxiety is through the roof, it can be about 40-5 minutes. I don't want to trouble my pdoc when I see her in January if it is not something that is usual/prescribed readily. I"m not sure how available at the pharmacies that they would have this type. (on a side note I am at wrk and just accidentally farted loudly. Oh god!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 25 minutes ago, 2Spirals said: Well that is a good way of know it to be true, definitely! lol.... how did you get it, was it asked for? The reason I ask is, sometimes the onset can be 30 minutes if lucky (last night with food was 20 minutes) but sometimes, when anxiety is through the roof, it can be about 40-5 minutes. I don't want to trouble my pdoc when I see her in January if it is not something that is usual/prescribed readily. I"m not sure how available at the pharmacies that they would have this type. (on a side note I am at wrk and just accidentally farted loudly. Oh god!) Actually pdoc volunteered it ... I didn't know they were even made in the ODT form until he said something about them (both the xanax and clon). I take the Klonopin ODT on a schedule, so I don't know how long it takes to work. But with the xanax ODT, it take about 15 SECONDS to feel an effect. I'm not sure how often pdoc prescribes these meds. Actually I think I needed a prior auth to get them. When they were denied, pdoc appealed them both and they were covered. I don't think it would bother your DR if you asked ofr the ODTs. Worse thing is that pdoc says no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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