Social Anxiety Forum - View Single Post

radiohead · 12-15-2008, 04:51 AM

I am new here, so bear with me.

I am an ex-addict of opiates, and currently tapering off of Suboxone(buprenorphine, a partial agonist opiate). Now that I am almost off of it completely after 2 years in which it helped me in recovery, I realize that it was masking many of my personality disorders and anxiety. I am starting to feel more like I did before I used drugs/opiates(they "cured" my anxiety momentarily).

My current state of mind is pretty much a constant for me. I suffer from GAD(general anxiety) as well as Social Anxiety, and I am not sure if I might be Bi-Polar in a more slight degree(I don't have any mania, just bouts of depression). Since getting off of the suboxone, my disorders are now resurfacing. I have a pretty constant level of anxiety, but it gets worse around random people, especially crowds, but even in what should be normal, comfortable settings I find myself over-anxious, analytical and insecure. It's becoming a bit unbearable as I am avoiding communication at a much larger scale now.

I have taken Lamictal before, and it did an OK job at helping my overall anxiety at 200mg a day, but I did have some side effects that weren't great. I currently only take Librium 5mg/3x daily(yes the old school Benzo nobody prescribes anymore). I am wondering if that is a relatively low dose, and if I could pretty much just stop taking it. I know Librium is lest potent and longer acting than Xanax/Valium and is used to taper off of those, so I should be fine if I stop right? Also, I recall the Librium helped for the first month with my anxiety, but lately it's almost gotten worse, if anything, as I wake up sweaty in the morning.

I am curious what many of you take for your GAD/SOcial Anxiety/Anxiety in general. SSRI's have never seemed to do much for me(Lexapro/Zoloft/Prozac I have tried), and Lamictal is the only thing I know helped a little bit. I've read about Neurontin(gabbapentin) and some other medicines and wonder if they are helpful. Sorry for ranting here, not sure where this post belongs, but I am currently struggling to find myself.

I see a psychologist/addiction specialist only once every 3 weeks currently(he prescribed me the suboxone). I am thinking about seeking further counseling/therapy, but I have an appointment with my current doc on Saturday. I am going to talk to him about my recent problems resurfacing, but I am not sure if I should take Lamictal again, or possibly try other medicines? THanks for listening to me rant here, just trying to figure out what to do. I know he will probably just recommend Lamictal again, but I want to educate myself more on other similar medications that can be helpful with Gad/SA.

Thanks.

12-15-2008, 04:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
radiohead Status: SAS Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in my own Mind Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 163	What to take? GAD/SA I am new here, so bear with me. I am an ex-addict of opiates, and currently tapering off of Suboxone(buprenorphine, a partial agonist opiate). Now that I am almost off of it completely after 2 years in which it helped me in recovery, I realize that it was masking many of my personality disorders and anxiety. I am starting to feel more like I did before I used drugs/opiates(they "cured" my anxiety momentarily). My current state of mind is pretty much a constant for me. I suffer from GAD(general anxiety) as well as Social Anxiety, and I am not sure if I might be Bi-Polar in a more slight degree(I don't have any mania, just bouts of depression). Since getting off of the suboxone, my disorders are now resurfacing. I have a pretty constant level of anxiety, but it gets worse around random people, especially crowds, but even in what should be normal, comfortable settings I find myself over-anxious, analytical and insecure. It's becoming a bit unbearable as I am avoiding communication at a much larger scale now. I have taken Lamictal before, and it did an OK job at helping my overall anxiety at 200mg a day, but I did have some side effects that weren't great. I currently only take Librium 5mg/3x daily(yes the old school Benzo nobody prescribes anymore). I am wondering if that is a relatively low dose, and if I could pretty much just stop taking it. I know Librium is lest potent and longer acting than Xanax/Valium and is used to taper off of those, so I should be fine if I stop right? Also, I recall the Librium helped for the first month with my anxiety, but lately it's almost gotten worse, if anything, as I wake up sweaty in the morning. I am curious what many of you take for your GAD/SOcial Anxiety/Anxiety in general. SSRI's have never seemed to do much for me(Lexapro/Zoloft/Prozac I have tried), and Lamictal is the only thing I know helped a little bit. I've read about Neurontin(gabbapentin) and some other medicines and wonder if they are helpful. Sorry for ranting here, not sure where this post belongs, but I am currently struggling to find myself. I see a psychologist/addiction specialist only once every 3 weeks currently(he prescribed me the suboxone). I am thinking about seeking further counseling/therapy, but I have an appointment with my current doc on Saturday. I am going to talk to him about my recent problems resurfacing, but I am not sure if I should take Lamictal again, or possibly try other medicines? THanks for listening to me rant here, just trying to figure out what to do. I know he will probably just recommend Lamictal again, but I want to educate myself more on other similar medications that can be helpful with Gad/SA. Thanks.