Anxiety problem

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi. My name is John and I'm 20 Years old.

Well, I suffer with Essential Tremor. Mild but it disturbs me a lot. And I have anxiety because of that. I see my friends, they are all normal and I suffer with is freaking anxiety. I already went to a neurologist, psychiatrist. Was on Inderal for tremors (20mg 3x/day), Primidone as well (250mg/day) , but nothing happened. I didn't feel any side effect or symptom at all. I was not feeling better. So I've decided to try to reduce my anxiety since I could not get rid of my tremors. I went to a psychiatrist and he prescribed me escitalopram 10mg and Victan 2mg (Ethyl Loflazepate). Still no effect. I took that for 7 months. I've decided to stop that cold turkey, but he didn't give me any kind of withdrawal symptoms. Well, the only drug that makes me feel like a normal person is Xanax 2mg. That dose is the right dose for me. I feel active, no side effects at all, and well, it really helps on my anxiety, but I only take as needed, because I have to increase the dose to have the same effect, if I take daily, and I'm afraid of getting addicted to that drug since, I've seen on the internet that xanax has horrible withdrawals.

I really wanna feel good about me, and getting rid of this anxiety. I like to talk with people, laugh, make people laugh, and sometimes when my anxiety strikes, my tremors increase, and I just wanna go to a more confortable place, with no people, to relax a bit.

Xanax is my savior here, but I don't want take that daily. So what do you advise me to do? I really try to not take any meds at all, but sometimes it's impossible. But, honestly, now, I really don't care if I have to take meds or not If that's what it takes for me to feel good and stress free.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Posted

    Many people are against xanax and other benzos because of the potential of becoming addicted. However, I'm pro-benzo all the way. I've been on xanax for many years, so I'm sure my body is addicted to it, but I don't care because it helps. There's a big difference between those that take xanax for the heck of it, and those who take it for therapeutic benefits. As long as those lines don't get blurred, it's taken only as needed, and supervised by a doctor, you should be fine until a medication is found that helps you. In the end, this is your journey, nobody else's.

    • Posted

      Thanks Psyched Out Kim. So, what's the dosage do you take right now? I started on 0.25 mg prescribed my my doctor as needed, but it didn't help me, tried 0.50, 1mg, no effect at all. I had to consume 2 mg. That dosage really helps me. I can do tasks, that I usually don't wanna do because of my anxiety and I feel more free and relaxed. For example, when I go to a place and there's lots of people and I feel i will shake, my anxiety rises, and my tremors too because I think about it a lot. But with xanax, I don't really think too much about it. I just do it with much more confidence and confort.

    • Posted

      My dose is .5mgs 3 times a day as needed. It's a nice buffer when really needed. Try going out without taking it, but having it in your pocket as a resure. Sometimes just knowing that it's there "just in case" helps.

      Considering that Essential Tremor Disorder is a neurological problem, maybe finding better neurologists might be in order. One of them has got to have a way to treat you with medications that actually work for you. There's many more choices then what you were given in the past.

      Eventually, you'll get to the point where you won't give a rats a$$ what other people think. That alone will help you sooooo much.

    • Posted

      Well, I really can't live like this. This is getting worse. I'm not taking any benzo or whatsoever. But, 1 month ago, i could have dinner with my all family with no problems and now, it's a struggle just to dinner with my parents. They know I have this problem but now my tremors are worse. It's like i'm going back to early 2015 when this all started to get worse. From November to July I felt better, but since mid August my tremors and anxiety are getting worse and I don't want to start taking xanax daily, because of the withdrawal problems. i think an SSRI would be better, because like I said, I was on escitalopram, and it did some improvements at the beggining but at the end of June, I felt that I was the same person, so I quit taking it cold turkey, and the only side effect I had was brain zaps, some electric shocks, but minor. But it faded away after 2 weeks. But now, 2 months later, this got worse outta nowhere. My head and hand tremors are worse, and my anxiety doesn't really help. But when I take xanax, I have less tremors and no anxiety. But in long term I don't think it's reliable taking it.

      And the problem is my psychiatrist is only available in October and what would you do on my situation? Would you wait for your psychiatrist or would you try to find another asap? 

    • Posted

      Oh, and I live in a small Island and only has 2 neurologists, I went to both of them, but they're meds, didn't lessen the tremors (Inderal and Primidone)

    • Posted

      their meds*
  • Posted

    It would probably be good to strike a balance. Meds and explore how to reduce the anxiety. I used to be very self conscious to the point I cudnt be myself. I tried to copy others behaviour to fit in. Anyway, I still feel like this from time to time especially in large social groups but I also try to visualise situations where being different is a gud thing cos ur essentially being yourself and telling urself 'nobody has the right to stop me being myself'. I guess ur fear is that u won't be fully accepted cos of ur tremors. Other people see it as a weakness. Well do u know what is valued higher than any casual friendship. A friendship where the other persons see u for u. Ur sense of humour. Etc.

    This condition u have actually potentially could make you the strongest person people around you know. These things are here to test us. Use this as a reason to grow and not give a **** what any one thinks or feels.

    You are a good person and over time you will gradually grow stronger. Do u know anyone else with this either in person or online?

    • Posted

      I think of what you said everyday. Literally everything.  It seems that you've entered into my mind. I think like this: Why do a give a fck what about people say? The people who care about me will accept for who I am. And If I shake what's the problem? What they are going to do?

      But the problem is, I really think about it, I've really tried to accept myself but I just can't. It's being like a mess to me. I want to accept it, but I just can't. That's why I never had a girlfriend on my life. That's literally impossible to me at this moment. And I want to find a job too and I can't. 

      But I have to be more positive about myself and not seeing this as a flaw but as a positive thing on my body. I have to think that this is normal, and not care what people think about me. Just being there, relaxed, doing my stuff and if I shake, whatever, I'm doing that thing right, so what's the matter?

      Your answer was very good for me. That really helps Phil. And I will definitely try to think more like that everyday, and practice my brain to distract negative thoughts and to not care about this. 

  • Posted

    I take Klonopin 1mg everyday. My antidepressant quit working and I've had to up it. Now I can't get off of the Paxil. The side effects are so bad

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