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[CLKD]

We have to agree to disagree racjen ............... GPs are more aware of addictive qualities and for short term use, there shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise the drug would be withdrawn from the market.   I have never found an AD that helps anxiety and I've been through a few since 1988.

By taking a dedicated anti-anxiety medication under supervision one can get almost instant relief.  ADs can be Trial and Error and very demoralising if they don't give relief as they can take 3-4 months to work.

Let us know what you decide?

[DS68]

Hi
I felt I should respond, not with a specific remedy, just to let you know your not alone at all.

I never really thought I had anxiety but with hindsight I feel I did and have.  I thought it was work stress and maybe it was a mixture of both stress and anxiety and they're possibly linked.

I had my youngest child 11 years ago when I was 40, and I feel.i started the Meno journey when he was around 5. Altho I had no idea that's what it was all.about at that time. I thought it was because I was older I felt it more . Again only hindsight puts the pieces together.
The last 3-4 years have been almost like a dream, emotional, anxiety, depressing 100% awful.  My periods have become sperodic and breast so sore near my period time.that I feel like I'm breast feeding again and am way overdue a feed. 🙁. It's been quite the journey and  i will be so relieved when it's finished.
Am now bit more balanced emotionally on hrt and sertraline.
Feeling more like I used to but feel also like I've been on some sort of 3 year elite forces training camp emotionally.  Have aches and pains in places I'd never thought about.
Working and life balance ok.

I suffered a lot from feeling like a failure in areas of my life and then that led to self pity so I've tried refocussing on the good things I've done not the failures I feel I'm responsible for.  Have 2 lovely sons and am so very blessed with them and a supportive husband 💖 but the journey we go on in the menopause is a lonely one.

There is a light there at the end, look hard enough and you can see it 🙂

Love and regards to all.x

[CLKD]

 

[racjen]

We have to agree to disagree racjen ............... GPs are more aware of addictive qualities and for short term use, there shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise the drug would be withdrawn from the market.   I have never found an AD that helps anxiety and I've been through a few since 1988.

By taking a dedicated anti-anxiety medication under supervision one can get almost instant relief.  ADs can be Trial and Error and very demoralising if they don't give relief as they can take 3-4 months to work.

Let us know what you decide?

The trouble is, benzodiazepenes are only a short-term solution, so unless Gillycoco has a longer term strategy in place she'll be no further forward. And once you experience the amazing almost instant relief you get from valium it's very hard to resist keeping on taking it, even though it's not a good idea. I know you've been able to resist, but the internet is awash with people's stories about how they've been addicted to benzos for years, they no longer have any effect because they've developed a tolerance, but they can't get off them. Better not to go down that route imo x

[daisie]

I would ring the surgery this afternoon and ask for 'valium' - it can ease anxiety so that we see the wood for the trees.  My GP prescribed 10mg tablets 3 times a day for 3 days, then 5mg for twice a day for 3 days then as necessary.  It can become addictive but once I had began to calm down, it never crossed my mind to take another pill 'in case'.

hi clkd my doctor will not give me any more valium ,i foud that taking them helps with my anxiety but will not give me anymore i cant understand it they say theyr addictive so are antidpresants but they hand them out like smarties its rediculous they are seeing me going without something that helps me x daisie

[daisie]

@sheila99 I had severe postnatal depression after my second child and anxiety. A year ago I had very heavy periods and anxiety and the coil was fitted about 6 months ago  anxiety got really bad and doc put me on patches starting at low dose and went right up to 100 no change so now on tablet and zumenon and doc is going to take coil out. I’m desperate and feeling awful .

I had horrendous and unrelenting anxiety which started at menopause, couldn't find any hormonal treatment that made any difference, and the relentlessness of it made me more and more depressed. Although I believe my anxiety is entirely hormonal, I've ended up on anti-depressants simply because they're the only thing that makes any difference, and I'm fed up with trying endless different types of HRT.

I disagree with CLKD about valium - it is extremely addictive, you very very quickly develop a tolerance to it and it's not a solution in this situation. You need to talk to your doctor about anti-depressants - they are also a prescribed treatment for anxiety and some are more suitable than others. You might have to try a few to find one that suits you but if you can it will make all the difference - I finally have my life back.

hi could you tell me which antidepressant you taking iv tried a few with no luck

[CLKD]

What does your GP suggest daisie?  There are some drugs that can ease anxiety and betablockas certainly helped me.  Modern Anti-depressant medications are not addictive, some can be stopped immediately others need weaning off. 

[daisie]

What does your GP suggest daisie?  There are some drugs that can ease anxiety and betablockas certainly helped me.  Modern Anti-depressant medications are not addictive, some can be stopped immediately others need weaning off.

he gave me venlafaxine but the sickness was do bad so I stopped it in been on amitriptyline for years came off them but the anxiety now is bad doc gave me a small dose sometime back it helped me but won't give me anymore the SSRIs make me feel awful I'll have to buy off line IV asked a couple of doctors now they will not prescribe to me x

[CLKD]

Ask for a referral to a Psychiatrist?  No one should have to suffer anxiety when 'valium' etc. are known to work - were you taking over and above your prescription?  MayB sit down and go through your notes with the GP and ask what validation he has in not easing your anxiety?  My GP and I did this when I was first ill so that he was able to chart whether I was over using.  A blanket 'no' doesn't help anyone!

Do NOT Buy off-line because the drug may not be kosher, i.e. it may have non-active ingredients.  I found Bach 'rescue remedy' useful too.

[daisie]

Yes I'm under a psychiatrist I told her it's only the valium that helps me but she would not prescribe them  neither when I was prescribed some it was a 2mg tablet only gave me a months worth I'm having  telephone apointment on the 11th of November what should I explane to her cause they won't listen to me x

[racjen]

Hi Daisie, I'm on Duloxetine which is an SNRI. I've tried a huge number of ADs and either had terrible side effects or no result at all from all the others. I'm taking this one in combination with Quetiapine, which is an anti-psychotic which has mood stabilising and anti-anxiety qualities, and I think has prevented a reaction like the previous ones. This was all prescribed by a psychiatrist in the psychiatric hospital I ended up in for 5 weeks, after taking an overdose 7 weeks ago. So things had to get really bad to find a truly effective treatment.

Valium(diazepam) is addictive in a very different way from ADs (and as CLKD says, many ADs now aren't addicitive anyway). The problem with all benzodiazepenes is that if you take them regularly you very quickly develop a tolerance to them, so you have to keep on increasing the dose to get the same effect. I've been on diazepam for 3 years now - initially like you I took it to get rid of the awful anxiety and it was supposed to be a temporary measure while we found a long-term solution. But that didn't happen, so I carried on taking it and now, 3 years later, I'm on 10mg a day which has no effect whatsoever in easing the anxiety, but if I don't take it I'll get awful withdrawal symptoms. So it becomes a sort of trap, and long term use of these drugs can have a whole list of unpleasant side-effects like depression, anxiety, sleep problems, confusion etc. You won't find a doctor willing to prescribe them as anything other than a very short term measure.

[daisie]

hi racjen,thanks for your comment.yes its all a farce trying to find what suits you ,i was put on duloxatine some time ago but had same reaction to them its the nausea that effects me bad i cant stand it im running out of ideas the only one iv been able to tolerate is amitriptyline doctor put me on that when i had a break down 12 years ago i didnt feel sick on that iv been coming off that one it didnt do much for my depression it helped with sleep thats bout all iv never heard of the other med you are taking the quetiapine is that doing you good its all trial and error i suppose i would be greaful if the doctor would just prescribe valium just for emergencies like when i go on apointments i get nervous when going to places like that ill have a good chat on the 11th of this month when i get a phone call apointment from the psychiatrist x

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on. When I was floored by anxiety I would sit in the surgery waiting room so that they could see how ill I was  .  Being dismissed without support makes it worse for me somehow 

[daisie]

i will clkd ,,i remember when i was a kid when my mother took me to doctors i would come out feeling good but now i come out feling worse than when i went in you get your hopes up on the thought they are going to give you a miracle cure then to come out of surgery feeling disapointed cause theres not one just hope theres something fingers crossed x

[racjen]

Hi daisie, yes as I said quetiapine is a different class of drug, not an anti-depressant but an anti-psychotic. In all my years of trying to find an AD I could tolerate no-one ever mentioned this particular treatment possibility, but it's not that  unusual (and there are a number of other similar anti-psychotics which can be used alongside anti-depressants). Your psychiatrist will certainly know about it if you mention it to her/him. Good because it helps with sleep too.