medication for anxiety?
#91879 - 07/20/04 04:37 PM
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rosiechica
Reged: 08/22/03
Posts: 200
Loc: Wisconsin
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I just went to the doctor today, I haven't been on any medications, but anxiety is my main problem. What are some that I should be asking about? My main ibs is abdominal pain with occasional diharrea...
My sister is taking something that starts with an L? can anyone help me?
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RC, why do you want meds? Why not fix the problem without them?
Have you considered the hypnotherapy program? I had the WORST anxiety you can imagine -- I was totally home-ridden; even hubby had to do the grocery shopping -- until Heather turned me onto Michael's incredible Audio 100 IBS hypnotherapy program. Before the 100 days were up, I was not only going to the grocery store, but on short shopping trips 30 miles away -- and making it back without having to have a potty stop!
You can read my success story in the hypnotherapy board, as well as a lot of others' great stories.
Truly, for the price of a few meds (co-pay), you can get the CD program and rid yourself of the anxiety -- and with NO side effects!
Give it a thought.
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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No anxiety meds I know of come to mind that start with an 'L'... are you on an antispasmodic for your IBS? I am on librax, it is also a tranquilizer, I recently found out. I only take it occasionaly, but I remember someone on the board saying that daily use can help with anxiety. I can't remember who it was, and I haven't asked a doctor about it.
Paxil is commonly prescribed for anxiety, but I don't know how it would affect IBS, especially if you have D. There have been alot of recent posts on it, do a search. i used to be on it, but that was pre-IBS so on that aspect I can't comment.
Xanax (sp?) and Klonopin I would not recommed, because they can be addicting. (I was on Klonopin pre-IBS in addition to the Paxil for "as needed" situations)
Zoloft I beleive is more depression-related, I was also on that pre-IBS, but did not notice a difference in anxiety or depression with it.
I hope this was somewhat helpful, I haven't been on meds since I was in my mid-teens, I now prefer to deal with things mentally than to alter my mind. I do not look down on pills, just rather not take them. Who knows, someday I may even go back to them.
Good luck!
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-Sheri
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The only "L" drug I can think of is maybe Lexapro, its a SSRI, which is used more for depression. I used to have awful panick attacks and depression. I have been on Zoloft, Lexapro, Prozac and Wellbutrin. I liked the Lexapro the best, although it had the most side effects when I started and stopped it. I am currently on the Wellbutrin and I do find it does help with the anxiety. I also have some Xanax. As someone mentioned, it can be addictive. I have known people who take it everyday for anxiety and than there are people like me who just take it on a needed basis.
If you decide to try any of the SSRI's, it can take a couple of weeks or longer for you to really feel better and you may have some side effects in the beginning but they usually go away. The Xanax will work right away, in about 20 minutes. The Xanax can make you sleepy.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Hi,
I take Librax which helps relax you and relax your stomach. You take it 30 min before a meal. It has really helped me.
Also, Xanax once in a while on really bad days.
Barbie
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... I couldn't remember who had said they used librax for anxiety. I am on the generic for librax (clinidium), but my doctor never said it could help for anxiety! he knew I had a history of it, so he should have thought to say something!
I also asked him if any anxiety meds would help my IBS, and his exact answer was "I wouldn't suggest that, those drugs are addicting and may not help." This was my gastroentologist, not GP.
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-Sheri
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I am taking nortriptylene anti-depressant for my ibs. It didn't really help with my anxiety so my GP put me on Prozac the one you take once a week. But I still have anxiety. Even when I took Celexa I still had problems. I am listening to Michael's cd's which have helped, I think I am going to have to listen to them more than once. Tomorrow I am meeting with a therapist to try and work on this anxiety and other issues. I have read that some people can cure their anxiety w/o meds, some use meds for a short period of time w/therapy and others just take meds w/o therapy. You have to find which is right for you. I read a book about anxiety called something about monster in a cave. It was really good, I think if you do a search on anxiety a post of mine will pop-up with the title.
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IBS-D
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Hi Sheri,
I have been taking Librax (generic) for several years. My GP doc doesn't have any problem with it as long as it is helping. I started with 3 a day and the last year dropped to 2 a day. I want to get down to 1 a day but I am always under so much stress that I am staying at 2 for now. Some docs don't like Librax because it can be addicting if taken for a long time. Tapering off is the best way to get off of it. I think I will be taking it for some time to come.
Here is some info from the web:
http://www.gicare.com/pated/chlordiazepoxide_clidinium.htm
Barbie
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Thanks -nt-
#92157 - 07/21/04 04:23 PM
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Sheri01
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 1731
Loc: New Jersey
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-Sheri
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Lexapro?
#92160 - 07/21/04 05:10 PM
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jeenerz
Reged: 07/10/04
Posts: 212
Loc: Northwest Montana
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It could be Lexapro. My sister just switched to that from paxil. It has been very hard for her to get used to, but it seems to be helping her anxiety. She also has IBS, although she won't admit to it and so I'm hoping the L will help that as well. Talked to a P.A. friend of mine last week and he went to a mtg of a well known gastroenterologist who said that they are finding that Lexapro has really been helping with IBS. So, good luck
Janene
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yup, sure is! and let me tell ya, i love it. i don't get depressed anymore now that i'm on it and stuff rolls right off my back much more than it ever has before (and i'm genetically wired to be anxious!). until recently i didn't consider myself much of a worrier, but now that i'm on my Lexapro i see how bad i really was. and usually i internalized it. since i've been back on the Lexapro (took myself off for a while), i've noticed the IBS staying stable even though i'm cheating left and right on the diet AND i'm so mellow it's ridiculous! (not drugged-out, though. i wouldn't like that!) i also give A LOT of credit to the Lexapro for helping me come out of my most recent and worst in personal history fibro flare.
i was looking at an ad for Lexapro and saw that it treats GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) which i never knew before--- thereby proving to me that in my case this isn't the placebo effect! can't be pretending to yourself the meds are working if you never knew they were supposed to treat a particular symptom before you noticed the relief, right?  i definitely notice a difference with the depression and believe me, i've been on lots of meds that didn't work at all, so i'm thrilled with those results, too. i notice a difference if i forget to take my pills for 2 days- and then i run for that bottle! 
anyway, i bet that's what your sis is on. Lexapro. yup. i highly recommend it!
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I tried buspar in the past and it helped a lot with no side effects that I noticed. My physician said that it was considered one of the milder medications available. It really helped my anxiety, but didn't help with my IBS D, so I stopped taking it. That was before I knew about the diet though and I have been thinking about trying it again alongside the diet. Sounds like lexapro is the one that you were thinking about, based on others' posts, but this is another one to consider.
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Thanks guys, I've tried the therapy thing in high school. My parents really forced me to ride horses, something that I really didn't want to do, I wasn't doing very well in school and my sister was doing very well... yada yada yada, all the therapist did was sit there and listen to my cry for an hour a week. Didnt' really help any. The only thing she really suggested was that I claim myself independant so I could move out on my own! Anyway, I've asked my sister what she's on, (we're so similar, even with the stomach thing, only her's isn't as bad). Thank you!
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