Resolved question:
Hello, I have been suffering from anxiety, depression and occasional panic attacks for the last ten years. I am a very nervous person. I find social situations hard and I have almost completely destroyed all my fingernails from nervous nail-biting. I have been prescribed different treatments for the condition,
sertraline,amitriptyline to name but a few meds, none of which have helped. I have done alot of research online and have found the a large number of people find relief with the benzodiazepine class meds. I also have read that they are dangerous and addictive. I am guessing this is why my doctor has not prescribed this for me.
My question is whether or not I could be denying myself proper treatment or better treatment. Or are these drugs Valium and the like, (that so many people say work for them), dangerous and worth steering clear of?
thanks,
Ash
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Psychiatrist
Hello,
Thanks for your query at DoctorSpring.com.
I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through.
I totally agree with you that a resistant depression and anxiety is very troublesome and needs proper treatment. You have mnetioned two of the medicines but i suppose you have also been tried on desvenlafaxine or paroxetine as these are certain drug of choice for anxiety with depression and are very effective.
Also coming to the topic of benzodiazepine. Yes they have an addiction potential if used by own. But when used therapeutically under a doctors prescription then they are quite safe amd effective as well for anxiety. You should certainly ask your psyhiatrist to give you a trial of clonazepam or lorazepam. If your anxiety is resistant, you do deserve a trial of benzodiazepines. I usenit very frequently in my patients and its very effetive and easy to get one off it as well.
Hope this helps.
If you have any furter query, do let me know.
kind regards
Dr. Srikanth Reddy MD