Meds

[EnoughAlready]

Morning All.

Is there an alternative to being on meds like Citralopram. For example - I can control most of my anxiety although its not particularly nice but when I feel extra anxious or like I am going to have panic attack is there not something you can take just to get you through it that rather than being a full time pill popper ?

[bernie1977]

If you stop the citalopram do you think the anxiety might be worse and you might get more panic attacks? Maye the citalopram is stopping this from happening.

Some Doctors will prescribe diazepam for occasional use, some practices do have a policy where they won't prescribe at all because of addiction. If it was to be for very occasional use have a chat with your GP and see what they say. Make sure you know all about addiction from regular use as you do not want to become addicted to these meds.

Good luck!

[sofaboy]

have you spoken to your GP about beta blocker like propranolol? they reduce the physical symptoms of the anxiety / panic and therefore reduce fear thoughts when experiencing them.

from what my GP told me they can be used as a pill in your pocket which you take as and when needed or on a daily preventative measure basis

[EnoughAlready]

I have prescrips for Cit but have never taken it properly - due mainly to knowing about side effects and not wanting to become a slave to SSRI's

Will have a chat about propranolol with the GP

[sofaboy]

as well as meds, which in my mind provide a sticking plaster rather than cure, it might be worth looking at some other treatment like CBT to try and break the anxiety cycle and fix the problem?

[Rennie1989]

Some herbal remedies offer some relief. I take Kalms when my anxiety is high and I need to function (i.e. at work) but after reading reviews, and my own experience, they can make you drowsy. A lot of members swear by Rescue Remedies too.

[jayjoe18]

There are tablets that you can take as and when needed like propranolol and also ones that people use at very anxious times such as when going on a flight or taking a driving test, but I believe these sorts are more addictive so not good for long term use (not sure what they are called).

Propranolol can be taken long term I believe without it becoming addictive but it is something you should discuss with a doctor.

Also, it sounds like you could benefit from some form of therapy to learn to control the panic attacks when they arise and just keep the tablets for emergencies only maybe?

[sofaboy]

deff worth having a chat about the beta blockers (propranolol etc). they are not physically addictive and can be used long-term as their primary use is for high blood pressure. they've been around for years so there is a long term understanding of their effects and extended usage.

they've helped me lots and can stop a panic attack beofre it really builds and gets going

the only down side i can see to them is becoming reliant on them in physcological sense ie what happens if they aren't available, can i cope? or i can't do my meetig without taking them etc

also, as they lower your heart rate, excercising on them can be a little hard work. i go to the gym regulalry and i reckon they decrease my ability to do cardio by about 20%. also burn less calories when on them, so can put on weight if not careful.

of course, all of the above is just based on my experience and there is no magic bullet, but i would definately prefer these to SSRI's or other anti depresants

[EnoughAlready]

how do they affect you down the gym as I gym 5 times a week cardio plus weights and play hockey on saturdays ?

[sofaboy]

they slow your heart rate, so you can't get the heart working as hard and therefore deliver as much oxygen to the muscles as before so they fatigue quciker.

to give you an example, my resting heart rate is usually c 70 bpm and i'l regulalry excercise up 185 bpm when doing hard cardio / anerobic work. on beta blockers my by restig heart rate is c 55 bpm and i struggle to get my heart rate over 145 / 150.

when i first started taking them, i seemed to hit a wall very quickly and then i was completely shot. however i have got more used to them and learnt to excercise around them, ie i'll usually leave a min of 4 hours between taking any and going to the gym, or go first thing in the morning before i take any if i want to get my heart rate above 170 and work really hard