Hi
I'm here to look for advice with my social anxiety
and to say that Klonopin .5 mg a day helps.

I wish I could get a doctor to prescribve it to me.
I have tried two doctors but they wanted me to try
the various anti depressants. All of these make me
more anxious and/or don't help.
Klonopin works right away.

I have researched alot of the forums in the last few
days about the various ways and reviews of them.

Hello, anybody in my situation: what has
worked for you?

Thanks

I suffer from s.a also. I am going to tell you from experience that ALL doctors are going to try all the bull antidepressants before the prescribe you the klonopin. Chances are they will always prescribe an anti depressant and eventually include the klonopin. If u kno how to a doctor then you can get them to write the klonopin off rip.

The SSRIs are known to increase anxiety initially; it would be kinder if your doc would prescribe a benzo at least initially until the SSRI starts to work. The problem is that there may need to be a fair bit of chopping and changing before you find one that suits you.

Yes, thats what happened. Some just made me feel not human
after even a month or so, some gave me nightmares, some made me feel as if I always had to urinate- but then i never could.

I didnt understand that, exactly- and what is rip?

Prince - it would seem that SSRIs are the "go to" drug for many docs. It is true that they take some time to get used to, but, well.....I don't think much of them. It is true many people benefit, but many don't.

Have you seen a psychiatrist? They will often prescribe Klonapin or like meds. Many docs are wary of any drug that creates dependence. They do not want to deal. That's the hard truth and one you should accept. They would rather prescribe an SSRI - with all its sides. Send you on your way.

I really hope you can get the me that works for you. I have never taken benzos of any sort and that really disqualifies me. But I CAN give you my support (for what it's worth). And I DO.

Try and get a doc that will prescribe you Clonazepam prn. It truly is a miracle drug for social phobia.

You might have to try more SSRI's (GOD) SNRI's and Tricyclics. Tricyclics have shown no efficacy for Social Phobia.

You could always try clonazepam with propranolol prn. If you have asthma then Inderal should be prefered over selective beta blockers like Metoprolol. Just check with your doctor.

There are other routes you can choose. Nardil and Parnate have great efficacy for social phobia, ....more so Parnate due to it's stimulant properties. There are dietary restrictions with food high in tyramine. You would have to be fully committed to the drug as there are a lot of OTC medicines that could be fatal when mixed.

Again, ....talk to your doctor.

Lyrica (pregabalin) has approved for Generalized anxiety disorder in the EU, and supposedly the potential for dependency of Lyrica is significantly less than the potential with benzodiazepines.

This drug that was EU approved in 2004 for GAD, Generalized anxiety disorder due to it's GABA properties (gamma aminobutyric acid) This plays a BIG part in Social Phobia, ....hence the reason Clonazepam and Nardil are the gold standard when it comes to SA meds.

600mg/d has had great results in double blind studies to help social phobia, ......in fact highter doses can make you prosocial.

What?
Are you no longer advising Adderall to be included in your polypharmacy drug formula?
And, once again, there is no clinical support that Nardil or any other MAO inhibitor is considered the "gold standard" for treatment of SAD. Some doctors relegate it to "last resort" status when absolutely necessary but that is very different. I don't think you understand, among other things, the meaning of "gold standard" even though you seem to throw it around like you know what you're talking about.

Benzos mixed with stimulants can be greatly effective for social phobia, .....but the OP can't even get their doc to prescribe them clonazepam, ....so I was just presuming that a stimulant was out of the equation.

Nardil and Clonazepam have been known to be the gold standard for Social Phobia for a long time now. I'd even go as far as saying Parnate is even better, .....but harder to get prescribed.

Martind, would you mind asking Gillette for some citations to reputable sources (other than Phychobabble) regarding his "Gold Standard" of phenelzine and clonazepam? I would ask him, of course, but I'm on his Ignore list so he won't see it. Phenelzine may well have been held in high regard many years ago, and remains effective, but the interactions with other drugs remain a problem in emergency situations, even if one can be disciplined using the drug at home.

Also, if you could be ever so splendid, ask him what triggered his social anxiety at such a late stage in his life?

You guys are way, way over my head. I read the posts three time and still didn't understand, lol.

Apparently Martin and you, Nephro have had some experience with "Gillette". He DOES sound like he knows a things or two. But, Nephro - you are the "gold standard" (for me anyway) when it comes to info about meds. And Martin - I think you are a force on this board and I like the way you think and you also seem to know a great deal.


This thread is about the original poster and their need for Klonopin. I wish I could simply say call here and you'll be taken care of. That is the med that he/she said worked and I generally take things at face value (until I learn otherwise).

Happy Thursday! Nephro, are you about 9 hours earlier than Oregon? Or is it later? LOL. I "think" it is still Thursday in the UK.

A question for you gillettecavalca:

Can you provide some citations to reputable sources regarding your "Gold Standard" of phenelzine and clonazepam? What triggered your social anxiety at such a late stage in his life?

"Phenelzine may well have been held in high regard many years ago, and remains effective, but the interactions with other drugs remain a problem in emergency situations, even if one can be disciplined using the drug at home." ~Nephro

Lil Prince - just what IS social anxiety? When you get in a crowd of people, you get sorta kinda panic attacks?

You are not referring to (I assume) just being "shy". Right? It is something bigger than that?

It is obvious I do not suffer from this or I would know. But I wouldn't mind knowing more. How does this feel?

Anyone who can give me a little education, I would appreciate it. My philosophy is this: if a med helps, prescribe it. If quality of life is improved, prescribe it. Where's the harm? And I'm not talking about all the garbage drugs (which I will have to take forever). I call them garbage drugs because often they seem to make you feel WORSE. Sometimes they are necessary and I have come to accept that.

Prince (little one) - I sincerely hope you can get the meds that work for you. Please, someone tell me why not?

gillettecavalca is THE pre-eminent authority on anxiety disorders, as well as, the "scaremongering" Dr.'s that frequent DB and tell us what not to take. Please correct me if I'm wrong your Eminence Gillette, but taking an SSRI will help with anxiety and most docs will prescribe an anti-anxiety medication, such as the Klonopin, to accompany the SSRI - I know because it's what all my docs have done.

Try Zoloft, if you haven't already. It's mild and along with Lexapro, one of the only SSRI's that don't make me anxious and agitated. My current doc gives it to his elderly and medication sensitive patients. "A kinder, gentler A/D", is what he refers to it as and he gives me 1mg Klonopin, 3 times daily to take as needed, which is 3mg's a day and he ALWAYS writes it with 3 refills and will rewrite it whenever I request it.

You're wasting your time Pillar. NOTHING works apart from clonazepam and an MAOI. On ifs, no buts, no nothing. They are the Gold Standard and everything else (especially non-drug treatment, which I don't believe he's tried personally) is rubbish. Whatever Gillette takes, everyone else has to take too.

Thank you Stressedout and thank you PNW. It's good to know that you're looking after the community here, some of which may be quite vulnerable to a variety of anxiety-related disorders.

Sorry I couldn't help you out but, as you said, this guy is a complete waste of time.

Above he says that tricyclics have shown no efficacy for social phobias, whereas on another thread he said

'Tricyclics are much much better than SSRI's in my opinion and in double blind studies for efficacy.'

and it can't be both ways.

I read a few things after some of this that all said MAOI's are to be considered only after everything else and all the other type drugs have been tried.

That is correct; they are a last resort. The sedating tricyclics can be quite effective in calming anxiety, and don't often need a benzodiazepine upon initiation.

Martind, no need to apologise. He is a waste of time, but unfortunately, not in a harmless way.

Do all the tricyclics work the same for social phobias?

I'm thinking of things such as cyclobenzeprine and methocarbomol.

Are there any dangers associated with taking things such as those for anxiety for people who have previously (or are currently) taken benzodiazepenes and wish to stop those?

What benzo, dose and duration of use? It's my understanding that cyclobenzaprine is a chemical cousin to amitriptylene and diphenhydramine. Being that it acts on histamine and not GABA I would expect little help in dealing with w/d. But I see no reason the sedative effects wouldn't calm you. I just took 2 methocarbamol(Robaxen) and felt very relaxed, not unlike my Klonopin only more sedating.

To the original poster upstream somewhere....

Social anxiety is best addressed from the emotional issues that delivered a person into the anxiety trap. The trap is that if they start drugs to reduce the anxiety they will likely become doubly dependent, on some crutch for the anxiety and the pill to avoid its WD effects. some can be quite dangerous...

Why not address the self esteem issues or the underlying cause and be done with it? its not a matter of anything except having the desire to be a better human being. Being mediocre on meds is common place, but why not be better when you CAN be better instead of only being mediocre?

social anxiety is treatable without adding a dependence to the table of troubles. One will then feed upon the other as they justify each other for the rest of your life....
Then after a few years, you can welcome the next in the emotional trifecta.....depression.
Get free of it all now, while you can.

Thanks pillar. I was thinking of for someone who has taken a lot of them over a long period of time, but that has already tapered down to almost nothing (clonazepam) but who still has issues with sleep, and thinking one of those two might help. You did mention that the Robaxin helps with relaxing and sedation, which is what I was looking for. I am asking for someone else.

Sounds like Flexiril acts differently than the Robaxin, then? I take both of those - not at the same time, but as part of pain control, but really was not aware that they had any properties that were similar to benzos.

I was thinking more in terms of tricyclic AD drugs such as clomipramine, dosulepin, trazodone, or trimipramine.

I see. So there are differences. Do those you mentioned have any of the dangers of withdrawals or stopping them as are associated with benzodiazepenes?

There will almost certainly be a withdrawal syndrome, but this can be avoided by tapering. It is not difficult in the same way it is to stop benzodiazepines, because AD drugs generally have no reinforcing properties.

What types of reinforcing properties are you talking about? Properties that increase dependence and addiction, with benzo's and not tricyclics? Or are there chemical properties that cause say tricyclics to have a weaker bond to the receptor sites in the brain?

Social anxiety is more then just a self esteem issue. I'm sure many people that suffer with social anxiety as well as many people who do not wish to be a better human being.

If it were a self esteem issue, people would be treated for their low self esteem, probably with therapy and classes on dealing with the causes of their self esteem issues. I see many people that are fine in social situations who suffer from low self esteem.

"Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is an anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Anxiety (intense nervousness) and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by others."

Note the "excessive" and "unreasonable" fear.

The pleasant feelings that benzodiazepines bring about, even if it's just mild relaxation from stress, are reinforcing properties.

Antidepressants, on the other hand, do not produce immediate pleasurable feelings, and have no street or recreational value. Nobody ever takes an antidepressant and immediately thinks, "Oh, that's OK; I'd like to do that again". Their antidepressant effect takes time to work.

One exception could be tianeptine (Stablon), which I think has been made controlled in some countries due to misuse. Interestingly, it works in an opposite fashion to SSRIs, and quickly enhances re-uptake of serotonin.

Does Valium not produce the same effect as other drugs in this class or am I immune. Also as to the social anxiety piece, there are some excellent support groups on the web. I will try to get them from my daughter, who suffers from it.

Some people take more than 5mg diazepam; you're doing the right thing by keeping the dose just high enough to relieve anxiety and nothing else.

Before midazolam came along, diazepam used to be given IV like Versed, and yes, it has the same sort of effect.