# Best drug for paranoia of people watching you, etc?



## nicole1234 (Jul 16, 2008)

I can't imagine CBT helping with my issue...I basically obsess and become frantic when I'm in social situations to the point I can't focus on whatever I'm doing. For example, Im at the grocery store trying to look as though I'm really focused on whatever I'm browsing for but I can't and I can't seem to stop darting my eyes around to see who is passing me or behing me...I can't focus! So, my question is what kind of meds would be best for this? I am heading back to the dr soon because Im not on anything any more...but wont see him for a while. Thank you


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

a benzo like Klonopin mixed with maybe an anti-psychotic like Risperdal


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## moso (Jan 25, 2008)

Hi Nicole, I have struggled with paranoia and SA for the last 8 years and was just diagnosed 2.5 years ago. I've been on Risperdal (anti-psychotic) for over 2 years and trust me, it will wipe out your paranoia pretty fast. It will make you emotionally numb though and you'll probably gain weight. I was always skinny until I took Risperdal and gained 55 lbs over 2 years. This summer though I lost most of it by going to the gym every day and lowering the Risperdal to .5mg/day (was on 2mg for a long time). 

The Klonopin will also help but I wouldn't take it long term as it can permanently damage your cognitive abilities. It's good to take for a week or two though if you're going through a tough time.

Also consider an anti-depressant, it will help with the SA by making you feel more outgoing, but will not help with the paranoia as much as the Risperdal or other anti-psychotics will.

Good luck,

Moso


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## KurtG85 (Sep 19, 2008)

Unless you truly believe that the people around you are conspiring against you or something an anti-psychotic is usually too much of a wrecking ball for your otherwise mild symptoms.

Low levels of serotonin is the deficiency most commonly associated with symptoms you describe and so you are most likely to get help from an ssri but your mileage will vary. Heres a good link on common symptoms of depression/anxiety associated with low levels of serotonin. http://www.enotalone.com/article/4116.html I have suffered from every one of the things mentioned on there.

Some people may tell you your symptoms are those of psychosis but as long as you realize the anxieties you are having are irrational and are not ascribing irrational meaning to them then it is not psychosis. My first doctor actually made this exact mistake when he diagnosed me with emerging schizophrenia 9 years ago based on this same ignorance, partly as a result of me describing the same symptoms you just described to him. Actual psychosis might develop when levels of serotonin are so incredibly low or dopamine is so very high (dopamine and serotonin are inversely related in that when there is more of one in the brain there must be less of the other) that you REALLY lose it because of the unbelivable stress and inability to manage the panicked feelings you described. I'm not at all saying I havn't been close to becoming irrational with my thoughts but I never had a break with reality and from what you've said it doesn't seem like your at that level of stress either. I would compare (theoretically) the break with reality a scizophrenic individual might have with not sleeping for many days. If you dont sleep for days your brain just stops producing (or runs out of supply of) chemicals it needs to regulate consciousness and anyone will literally start hallucinating if they dont sleep for that long. This is akin to losing control of your grip on reality which is present in psychosis which you dont seem to be experiencing. 
Finding the best med for each individual usually comes down to trial and error anyway, but having been on 98% of all non maoi drugs available, I wouldnt recommend starting with an antipsychotic. I would suggest first trying lexapro or adderall which strangely helps me a lot with what you described.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

@nicole1234: When you are afraid of people judging you, you have anxiety not paranoia. Potent Antipsychotics are overkill when you just have SP.


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## kev (Jan 28, 2005)

Agree with the above posters. Antipsychotics have some pretty miserable side effects. I was on some for a while because I was having hallucinations and pretty bad paranoia where I would think people were conspiring against me and I would get the feeling that people were talking specifically about me on tv... stuff like that. Mind you I wasn't completely irrational but I would still call it paranoia. I felt like everyone knew who I was, like I was on the Truman show or something.

The problem is doctors sometimes overprescribe antipsychotics. They will likely first give you an ssri (which likely will not work) and then they will likely try an antipsychotic which would work but the side effects are worse than ssri's, even the new antipsychotics. As to other drugs, I haven't tried most of the them.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

> I was on some for a while because I was having hallucinations and pretty bad paranoia where I would think people were conspiring against me and I would get the feeling that people were talking specifically about me on tv... stuff like that.


That's a clear indication for antipsychotic therapy. In such a case benefits outweigh risks. For Social Phobia alone better drugs exist which are safer in the long term (also modern Antipsychotics like Zyprexa can cause not just massive weight gain but also irreversible movement disorders after years of taking them).


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## nicole1234 (Jul 16, 2008)

thank you all for your input. I am feeling maybe i dont want to be on an antipsychotic if i dont have to be....I guess i will talk to him about ssri again. im glad you all gave me this info though b/c the dr doesnt give that much info for some reason he just prescribes.


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## nicole1234 (Jul 16, 2008)

another question; does ssri help with mild ocd habits?


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

Yes, they can be helpful for OCD.


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## KurtG85 (Sep 19, 2008)

I would again refer you to this link http://www.enotalone.com/article/4116.html which lists ocd symptoms as a common result of low serotonin. OCD symptoms often correspond with comparatively high levels of dopamine in the individual as well because the two neurotransmitters are inversely related (serotonin and dopamine).


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