Besides Benzos (Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, etc.) What Is Something I Can Take to Calm My Anxiety?

JasonP

Member
Author
Dec 17, 2015
1,762
Tinnitus Since
6/2006
I think I have built up a tolerance for klonopin. It doesn't last long for me now, especially with a new medication I am taking for depression. The medicine works great on depression but not on anxiety. I'm looking for something long term that I won't build up tolerance to. I have actually habituated to tinnitus the past few days (maybe it will bother me later this week) but its only been replaced by other obsessive thoughts about my health which I don't even want to mention so I won't give people more things to worry about. I would prefer it not make me drowsy all the time. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow so if you have something I can suggest, it would be great. The last time I went I got muscle relaxers and whatnot which helped but made me tired and gave me a dry mouth. The doctor meant well and tried her best to calm me down about tinnitus.
 
I think I have built up a tolerance for klonopin. It doesn't last long for me now, especially with a new medication I am taking for depression. The medicine works great on depression but not on anxiety. I'm looking for something long term that I won't build up tolerance to. I have actually habituated to tinnitus the past few days (maybe it will bother me later this week) but its only been replaced by other obsessive thoughts about my health which I don't even want to mention so I won't give people more things to worry about. I would prefer it not make me drowsy all the time. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow so if you have something I can suggest, it would be great. The last time I went I got muscle relaxers and whatnot which helped but made me tired and gave me a dry mouth. The doctor meant well and tried her best to calm me down about tinnitus.
Kava kava is good. L-theanine may work. Valerian root helps some.
 
If you have serious unchecked anxiety, then you need to make serious structural changes to your life to keep it in check. Playing whack-a-mole with drugs is not a successful long term strategy.

What are your diet and exercise habits like? What's your sleep schedule like? If you're doing anything other than sleeping the same 7-9 hours every night, exercising 3-5x a week, and eating a diet based on healthy whole foods with no processed garbage and limited sugar, then you've probably found the cause of some of your anxiety :-P
 
I am in the same place. I have had four separate docs prescribe Klonopin, .5 mg twice a day with no concern at all regarding dependance, tolerance and withdrawal issues. They do work pretty good but I know even after a short course they are tough to get off. I tapered to one for sleep then stopped and never felt more depressed and anxious, so bad that I will no longer use them. I'm interested in trying SAM-e, from what I read it might be a good mood lifter and I asked the last psychiatrist I saw, on Monday, about it and he thought it was worth a try. Since I have been seeing some improvement I am a little reluctant to rock the boat with something new and I am not in that dark hole at the moment but I guarantee the next time depression grabs me I will try a course of SAM-e.
 
It's worth noting that Valerian is essentially a weak herbal benzo, and there are some medical reports about withdrawl effects including actual seizures. I use it and I'm more cavalier than I would be about popping Xanax, but I wouldn't call it entirely benign.

You could try CBD oil, too.
 

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