Posted by Lao Tzu on June 12, 2008, at 8:04:28
In reply to Re: Anyone successful in managing their Social anx, posted by misterd on June 11, 2008, at 20:35:49
I tried inositol a long time ago. I don't quite remember if it was all that great, but I'm sure the dosage you take is very important. I was going to suggest inositol too, but I haven't had a lot of experience with that supplement, so I really don't know how well it will work for your anxiety. It is said that for some people it works great, but you may have to take many grams of it, and also I don't know how well it works all by itself. I've always believed that you need more than one nutrient to feel better. A combination of supplements usually is necessary, and the dosages of each supplement are important too. For many years, I was desperate for a great SA med. I resorted to taking lorazepam (Ativan), which worked beautifully for me, especially when I took it AS NEEDED, like when I would go to meetings at work. I was always fearful of being in a room full of people, but the lorazepam (1-2mg) was a godsend in those situations. I felt awesome, but I realized that it would not be a good idea to take it continuously everyday because you build a tolerance to it over time, and then eventually, it doesn't work very good. And if you take it continuously everyday, you could get symptoms of depression over time from it. I learned the hard way. One day, I decided to take Ativan all the time, and my first doctor at the time didn't have a problem with it. It worked great for about two years, but I noticed over that time that I gradually needed a higher dosage of it during company meetings. If you take it everyday, it can really get out of hand, and you may find yourself really abusing it. So, in the final analysis, lorazepam is not a good drug for taking everyday. It works beautifully if taken as needed for extreme anxiety-provoking situations, and that is it. Take this as gospel. Klonopin, on the other hand, supposedly is okay to take everyday as a maintainance drug. If this works for you, that is great. I did try Klonopin for about two weeks, and I felt it was rather weak compared to lorazepam, but I realized the stronger the benzo, the greater the addictive potential, so I guess it's much better to take a very low dosage or weaker benzo so that it just takes the edge off but doesn't feel too good. My current doctor gave me a very low dosage of Xanax when he put me on Zoloft, only .25mg. This was a good strategy because it didn't make me feel as wonderful as lorazepam, but it took the edge off of my social anxiety. He is a very good doctor. Once I got stabilized on my meds (risperdal, zoloft, provigil, and lamictal) he refused to refill my Xanax. I was totally pissed off, but now I realize that he was right to do this. Xanax and Ativan are addictive. Eventually, I just relied on my meds and my supplements, and even though I still miss the lorazepam, I don't really need it now to function okay. There is life after Xanax or Ativan, believe me. In the very beginning when I was having panic attacks, the lorazepam was absolutely necessary. But now, I am completely free of panic attacks. Now, just to let you know the full story. I am taking 4mg per day of Risperdal because I started having psychotic symptoms three years ago on top of my social anx and depression. My doctor gives me injections every two weeks, and after a year of being on such a high dose of risperdal, my social anxiety is less of a problem than it was before the risperdal. However, a doctor will only give you that much risperdal if you have psychotic symptoms. If you just have anxiety, he probably would only give you .5mg-1.0mg of risperdal. That will definitely help with anxiety, but it is not a cure for social anxiety. More scientific research is definitely warranted for this disorder. They say that certain MAOIs like Parnate or Nardil have been prescribed for social anxiety, but usually a doctor will only prescribe an MAOI when all other meds (antidepressants) have failed. I wish you the best of luck with your therapy and your supplements. You have a friend here.
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:834088
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20080612/msgs/834293.html