# What is the best anti anxiety meds without sexual side effects



## adamaus (Mar 24, 2013)

I have tried a few but they all give sexual side effects. reccommendations?


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

prn benzo?


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## adamaus (Mar 24, 2013)

what?


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## maninabox (Aug 23, 2012)

He meant benzos (klonopin, xanax, ativan, etc.) as needed.


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## llodell88 (May 15, 2011)

yeah you don't have to be on benzos all hours of the day, everday


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## adamaus (Mar 24, 2013)

So benzos will help my sexual side effects from anti depressants?


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

adamaus said:


> So benzos will help my sexual side effects from anti depressants?


no. if you're taking an antidepressant then benzos will not ameliorate the sexual side effects associated.

adding any number of augmenting agents to serotonergic antidepressants may help, e.g. buspirone, trazodone, mirtazapine, mianserin, cyproheptadine, bupropion, select dopamine agonists, et al. are all used here and there to combat sexual dysfunction associated with the serotonergic antidepressants - ssris being the most notable.

if you aren't on an antidepressant currently and need anxiety relief only here and there - as opposed to one who needs to be on medication daily to control symptomatology - then benzodiazepines may be your answer.

mirtazapine may also be an option as a stand-alone medication if you need to take something daily and if your anxiety isn't crippling; it isn't very efficacious in treating severe anxiety disorders, though, e.g. severe obsessive-compulsive disorder or severe panic disorder.


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## adamaus (Mar 24, 2013)

I did try Mirtazapine with no luck. Also plenty of SSRI'S


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

adamaus said:


> I did try Mirtazapine with no luck. Also plenty of SSRI'S


now we're back to a benzo prn.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

basuraeuropea said:


> now we're back to a benzo prn.


Indeed, ditch the antidepressants. They are anti depressants, not anti anxiety medications. Having been on benzodiazapines (actual anti anxiety medications) for a number of years and I have not experienced any sexual side effects.

Benzodiazapines are not right for everyone, but as Basaeuropea mentioned, there are many different medication options available to you. I hope that you find the best anti-anxiety treatment available to you soon. Best of luck.


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

istayhome said:


> Indeed, ditch the antidepressants. They are anti depressants, not anti anxiety medications. Having been on benzodiazapines (actual anti anxiety medications) for a number of years and I have not experienced any sexual side effects.
> 
> Benzodiazapines are not right for everyone, but as Basaeuropea mentioned, there are many different medication options available to you. I hope that you find the best anti-anxiety treatment available to you soon. Best of luck.


there is some good advice embedded above, although i certainly would not discount antidepressants as a treatment option for an anxiety disorder just because the drug is labeled an antidepressant. perhaps they may not be right for you adamaus, but they may very well be the right drug choice for others - they have, indeed, demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of a wide spectrum of anxiety disorders and thus basing such a decision on nomenclature is really getting down to the nitty gritty of semantics. what works, works and that isn't to say that antidepressants will work for all in providing anxiolysis, but there are success stories galore. i'm one of them.


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## Ben12 (Jul 8, 2009)

Yeah benzo PRN would be my recommendation too.

But if the doctor gives you a script for 0.25mg of clonazepam or 0.5mg of lorazepam or 2mg of diazepam or 0.25mg of Xanax, then tell him to go **** himself with an SSRI. Sorry to be vulgar but I've read too many times here about how these low doses don't really help much.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Ben12 said:


> Yeah benzo PRN would be my recommendation too.
> 
> But if the doctor gives you a script for 0.25mg of clonazepam or 0.5mg of lorazepam or 2mg of diazepam or 0.25mg of Xanax, then tell him to go **** himself with an SSRI. Sorry to be vulgar but I've read too many times here about how these low doses don't really help much.


I agree. Except instead of swearing at your doctor, take the low dose and if it doesn't help, try taking a higher dose. If a higher dose works, go back to your doctor next month and explain that the medication offers some relief but only minimal relief and you really need more in order to be able to function.

As Ben12 Mentioned, Doctors wil always provide the lowest benzo dose possible, often a dose too low to even be noticeable. I was first prescribed that 0.25 mg of Xanax per day, when I was agoraphobic and shaking constantly due to fear. Soon I found a doctor who was actually useful and once I got to a proper dose of Anti-anxiety medications (30 mg Valium/day and 6 mg xanax/day as needed) was I able to begin living again. Admittedly I have severe anxiety and those are mid-high doses, but it is what I needed and has been working very well.


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## maninabox (Aug 23, 2012)

I hear all these stories about how hard it is to get benzos (and I believe them), but it's never been hard for me to get the higher doses (1mg pills of klonopin).

Just don't take them daily as tolerance builds pretty quickly. I got to where I couldn't feel the effect of 3-6mg of klonopin.


Wellbutrin combated the sexual side effects for me, but other side effects came around such as panic and insomnia.


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## adamaus (Mar 24, 2013)

I'm scared to take them as I have heard they are very addictive.


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

adamaus said:


> I'm scared to take them as I have heard they are very addictive.


prn, buddy. pro re nata.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

adamaus said:


> I'm scared to take them as I have heard they are very addictive.


In my experience, I have never felt a craving for benzos. They are addictive in terms of developing a chemical dependency with daily use. But they are not addictive like crack or heroin, There is no "high" from Benzodiazapines so there is no craving to use them except for when you need to. If you use them occasionally (prn) then there really isn't much addiction potential. As I said before though, with daily use, yes a chemical dependence will develop, but that is not inherently a bad thing if the pros outweigh the cons for using them.

For me, I have never had any craving to take benzo's, I do not think they are addictive in that sense.


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## adamaus (Mar 24, 2013)

I have read they are more addictive than heroin & alot of horrror stories


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

adamaus said:


> I have read they are more addictive than heroin & alot of horrror stories


Whatever you have read is incorrect. There is unfortunately a benzo fear campaign afoot. That is unfortunate. The DEA classifies Benzos as a C-IV drug, which are defined as "Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence." -the DEA

So don't be scared of benzos, if you have severe anxiety, they are your friend.


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## adamaus (Mar 24, 2013)

ok i will ask my doctor for some i doubt he will give them


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

adamaus said:


> ok i will ask my doctor for some i doubt he will give them


Just explain to your Doctor your symptoms and how severe your symptoms are. Emphasize that you need relief now. If you have tried a few SSRI's and they don't help you, then don't take anymore. You are in control of your medical treatments, not your doctor. If your current Doctor won't help you, find a new one.

If you suffer from anxiety, why do you think that your doctor won't prescribe you anti-anxiety meds?


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## maninabox (Aug 23, 2012)

Yeah ... They haven't been addictive for me in the sense that I crave them or anything. Heck, I find caffeine to be more addictive than benzos .


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## TDa (May 7, 2013)

*i need some help pls.*

Hi, I'm on here & I just was wondering it anyone can help with a few questions. I appreciate it. 
I have been taking kolonopin 2mg 3x daily
Recently switched wellbutrin xl 450 mg for (depression) to something wih a "p" not sure of the name he gave me samples wht and purple box..? Idk haven't tried it yet. 
I switched froom adderal to Ritalin back to adderal 10mg
Ambien, serquel, trazadone, etc nothing is working been going back and forth and now back on ambien. 
No sex drive, why? How can I fix
Can't sleep
Always anxious and panic attacks


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## TDa (May 7, 2013)

Also gaining weight like crazy?? Wth? Y


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## depressed77 (Dec 9, 2010)

TDa said:


> Hi, I'm on here & I just was wondering it anyone can help with a few questions. I appreciate it.
> I have been taking kolonopin 2mg 3x daily
> Recently switched wellbutrin xl 450 mg for (depression) to something wih a "p" not sure of the name he gave me samples wht and purple box..? Idk haven't tried it yet.
> I switched froom adderal to Ritalin back to adderal 10mg
> ...


Anxiety is a tough one. I found clomipramine 150mg effective but that causes anorgasmia and impotence. What is the strength of pills your pcod gave you? It could be Paxil. Considered MAOIs?

/depressed77


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## Burnaby (Feb 13, 2013)

adamaus said:


> I have read they are more addictive than heroin & alot of horrror stories


well what do we mean by addiction? i took klonopin for 3 months straight and as soon as i lowered my dose over a few weeks and eventually went off i went through the worst withdrawl in hell. Can that be called addiction? i have tried many recreational drugs and the benzo withdrawl for me was pure HELL, you don't wish that on your worst enemy! There might be a small group of population that can tolerate them an not have withdrawls or build tolerance, but in my case i found them highly addictive. Why do i say addictive? i felt super confident on them, no fear of public speaking (did so many presentations for big groups of people) and totally forgot about my SA. If you are not on it people notice the double personality change, going from superconfident to a shy, anxious person and thats why alot of people keep taking it because of the confidence and the image they portray. Also if i took it for 4 straight days and didn't take it on the 5th, my body would shiver and i would feel sick to my stomach. Should benzo's not be used? No i believe they have their place, but I think you need to be very careful with them and not use them constantly.

so as the rest of the fellow here said, I would suggest to keep them around and take as need, but i wouldn't take or use them more than say once or twice a week. Thats just my 2 cents on the matter


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