Anxiety and Stress Forum - antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds ?

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Q: antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds ?

asked by: sjde on April 1st, 2008

New User

I have been on lots of antidepressants (SSRI's)over the last 15 years for anxiety. I don't have panic attacks--I have been a SERIOUS nail-biter my whole life. Most of them help some, not as much as I'd hoped and I hate the side effects. No doctor has never recommended an anti-anxiety med like diazepam or alprazolam --I'm assuming because of the dependence/addiction issue?--but I'm thinking of asking for one. What is more commonly prescribed of these two classes and have you found one to work much better than the other?

I tried Buspar too and got up to 60 mg per day, but it didn't help much--just made my fingers start to tingle.

Thanks.

Susan

Replies(4)

CarolDiane

replied on April 1st, 2008

Extremely eHealthy

They are both for different symptoms and disorders. Totally different componients in either. One is for depression and the other for anxiety. I am on both. Alaprazolam is for anxiety and Buspar is for depression.

sjde

replied on April 1st, 2008

New User

I thought buspar was for anxiety. And I am on antidepressants for anxiety--not depression.

Sue

CarolDiane

replied on April 1st, 2008

Extremely eHealthy

sjde wrote:

I thought buspar was for anxiety. And I am on antidepressants for anxiety--not depression.

Sue

You are right sue. Blame it on my Bipolar and having to get off my Limectal and going through a major crash right now! Not flipping taking anything yet.
But they still manage two different disorders. I also suffer from both for years and years.

homerx

replied on April 2nd, 2008

Supporter

My doc prescribed buspar for my anxiety and I HATED it....now I take Xanax and it works very well for me...buspar made me feel weird and anxious...it had the opposite affect that it should have...???

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