Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

23,095 Members
43,236 Posts
0 Online
Anxiety Disorders
/ Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety Med Question

Christine2015
Christine2015

I have a question I was diagnosed with anxiety about 6 months ago and when my anxiety is high I display symptoms of depression, and ocd; but i was also diagnosed with adhd and i don't know if that is connected to my anxiety or not. So, my doctor has prescribed 10 mg of lexapro and 0.25 mg of the generic form of xanax. And I had some issues with getting my anti-anxiety because i had run out and by the time i needed it my doctor was on vacation. So, I was going a few weeks without my alpralozam and I could tell a big difference because I was on edge, irritated, and my ocd and depression was not good. But, I was able to get it today and after taking it I feel so much better and calmer and my ocd is very under control. And I am still working on learning how to calm myself down because when I am in a state of anxiety I can't think straight let alone remember how to calm myself down; which is why I'm going to look into yoga and see if that helps calm me down. But I'm worried because if I do like the yoga and it helps me it's only offered once a week so I wouldn't be able to do it everyday as well as knowing if the yoga is working if i take my alpralozam in the morning because I don't know if it's the yoga or the medicine that is calming me down. Then the question becomes do I still take my medicine if the yoga helps because it would only be once a week and what would I do the other 6 days because I went off the edge and had a meltdown last night because my anxiety was so bad and I didn't have any medicaiton and I feel a difference when I take it. So, if I can't find something to help with my anxiety do i just keep taking it for the rest of my life or if the yoga helps somewhat and if it's only once a week do i still keep taking my medicine because i feel like my brain just needs that little push and help to realize that everything is okay and to be calm; even if doing the yoga does help do I still take the meds just to make sure that even if i can't do it the other days that I am still calm and relaxed because i like not having to deal with my symptoms of ocd and then it also gives me that extra push because if i don't take it I don't want to go out and end up depressed.Because my parents said even in kindergarten they would have to prepare me a few days in advance if my teacher was going to have a sub, and before that when they tried to move me into an older classroom away from my younger sister I cried until they put me back in the classroom with my sister,  and I also dealt with test anxiety during high school. So, I feel like I have always dealt with anxiety from a very young age in my life and i believe that I will always have it. So, my question is can you take anti-anxiety medicine for the rest of your life? What are your guys' thoughts?

justjackie28
justjackie28
I don’t know all the answers but I do know that those medications aren’t meant to be randomly taken... once you start taking lexapro you need to stay consistent and if you decide later to go off of them you need to wean yourself off .... it takes several weeks for the medication to start working . My advice is take it as prescribed and don’t stop until your doctor approves it . Good luck
Christine2015
Christine2015
Thanks. I was more wondering about my alpralozam which is 0.25 mg that needs to be taken 3 times a day and is generic for xanax.
GirlinCalif
GirlinCalif
Also, please make sure these are being prescribed by your psychiatrist, not a general practitioner doctor. Psychiatrists are trained in these types of medications, and he/she will be able to answer all those questions for you. Dosing, etc. And like Justjackie said, don't suddenly stop taking a medicine without consulting your psychiatrist first.... because that might harm you.
Christine2015
Christine2015
Well it's my regula doctor not a psychiatrist but I have to go back every month to check on me because I can't get any refills without seeing her. But, it really does help stabalize my mood for know and I also see a counselor right know who works under a psychiatrist and they say that the anti-anxiety meds are fine for right now.
Ann93
Ann93
I hope you like the yoga. You can do the yoga at home once you know the poses. You could ask your doctor about the medication side effects. Breathing exercises are good for calming down the nervous system. You can research the vagus nerve to find out what other strategies you can use to make yourself feel better.
Christine2015
Christine2015
Well hopefully I can do it at home but I’m currently living with my parents and they have guardianship of my brothers 4 kids so it’s pretty noisy. But maybe I can do it in the morning once they go back to school on Tuesday since I’ll be working part time from 2 to 6:15 pm as an after school program assistant for one of the local middle schools: And I don’t have any medication side effects the problem was my doctor was on vacation and I had run out of alpralozam and so I couldn’t see m doctor until after she got back and that was after I ran out. I feel for right now it helps keep me calm and kind of stablize my moods. So I have to go back every month to see my doctor and see how m meds are doin because I can’t get any refills for alpralozam without my doctor giving it.
Community LeaderMid
Mid
Regular doctor prescribing is normal, and actually better, as they can see the medical issues sooner. Keep a journal to help you find what works best when, and practice yoga. You'll be able to do it at home, and it does help.

Best wishes.
Tryingmybest02
Tryingmybest02
Your question appears to be "Can you take anxiety medicine long term?"

I have read of many medications that people have been taken for many, many years. For example, I took two anxiety medicines for five years. My anxiety decreased and I was able to come off them for 6 years. I just recently started back on medicine. However, it took me 10 medicines to find the right one! I have tried a laundry list of them, but once I found the right one it worked great. Don't get discouraged, be patient, trust your body when it comes to how medicines make you feel (also remember that it can take many weeks for some medicines to work). And if you have to take the medicine long term, so what? My new philosophy is "Is it worth it to take medicine long term if it helps me not feel crazy and love life?" In my opinion, yes!
Itz_Whatever
Itz_Whatever
So I take natural chewable that helps a lot with anxiety. It helps a lot. Better than any medication I've ever taken
Christine2015
Christine2015
It's just hard because they only give me 30 tablets taken 3 times a day and then I have to get more refills that adds up to a whole month. I just wish they would put a whole 90 tablets in to make it fit for the month. And I will be starting a new job on Wednesday and I need to make sure that my anxiety is under control and not worrying about if I will have enough or not. Because the last few weeks I haven't been able to get a refill because I had to go back to my doctor to get more but she's been on vacation until Wednesday so I just had a major meltdown on Wednesday night and the closest appointment I could get was yesterday evening. So, for my job i'll be working at an afterschool program watching the students and i'll have my own group of students so I need to be on my top game and as calm as possible which my 0.25 mg of alpralozam really helps calm me and feels like it helps stabilize my moods.
Ana1234
Ana1234
Christine, I am so glad to hear that you have found a medicine that is helping you with your anxiety. I have been on a medication for anxiety for more than a decade, and it helps me with my symptoms.

Would you consider talking to a doctor about this? I have found in my case that the more I tell my doctor, the better equipped she is to help me.

If you do not want to talk to your doctor yet, would you consider talking with your parents? It sounds like they know about your struggles and are very willing to help.

Praying for you, friend!
Posts You May Be Interested In
  • GreenEyes727

    Reality Check

    Posted by: GreenEyes727
    Last Reply: GreenEyes727
    6
    Years ago, I won a mirrored armoire from my job.  It's in my bedroom but I rarely stand in front of it.  Yesterday, I had to have a dexascan done so I had to change into a gown.  There was a full length mirror in the changing room.  I'm aware that I gained 5 to 7 pounds over the last year from cheating on Keto but I didn't know what it looked like.  It was a reality check.  
  • arfie

    hate holes

    Posted by: arfie
    Last Reply: arfie
    2
    "don't be a hate hole" has been one of my recent mantras which seems to be escaping my mouth more and more often. it emerges when i am faced with the endless list of chores i would rather not deal with. insurance. head lice. bureaucracy. in-laws. the list goes on and on and on and on, ad infinitum.reality checks requested. am i making sense?"ever'thin they is but loving leaves a rust on your...