Starting antidepressant; alternative for benzo in startup-phase?

[[Ni...]]

I will start treatment soon with citalopram but me and my doc. are pretty sure i will suffer from anxiety and panic attacks during the start-up phase. He wants me to use a benzo alongside it for a few weeks but i declined. I NEVER want to touch that poison again.

 

Has anyone used an alternative to a benzo during the AD startup-phase?

 

Propranolol works pretty well for the physical symptoms, and so does baclofen. Both have a mild anxiolytic effect but don't touch the terror that happens in my head.

 

I was thinking about gabapentin or pregabalin for a few weeks.

 

I must use something because i have to stay semi-functional. Earlier attempts to start an AD caused severe panic and anxiety.

 

Thanks guys.

[[se...]]

Vistaril has helped me a little with anxiety. My experience with propranolol is the same as yours. Gabapentin and lyrica and buspar did not help as much as the vistaril but were more effective than the propranolol.

[[Ni...]]

Hydroxyzine? I know it's an older antihistamine that tends to mkae you drowsy. Were you able to function during the day on the hydroxyzine?

I feel like a zombie when taking any antihistamine, even the newer "non-drowsy" ones make me feel very lethargic.

[[se...]]

Yes I could for the most part but sometimes it would make me too drowsy and suppress heart rate and alertness. I always thought it was weird that it didn't do that consistently. The anxiolytic properties were helpful though. Scale of 1 to 20 for anxiety: benzos 20, gaba/lyrica 4, vistaril 6, buspar 4, ads 3. Nothing came close to benzos.

[[Ni...]]

Yes, in terms of anxiolytic effects nothing beats a benzo.

Have you ever tried a TCA?

 

I want to try IV ketamine in the future.

[[se...]]

Have you ever tried a TCA?

 

Yes.

[[Ni...]]

Does anyone else have any ideas?

 

Has anyone here jumped onto a SSRI without the help of a benzo?

[[By...]]

I went on effexor when I was 16 without any help, was suffering from severe agoraphobia, social phobia and others, I cant remember how long it took to work though.

If you think you can do it without benzos, please try! I wish I never wouldve gotten on this train, and I want off badly

I would say give visteral/adarax a shot, its mostly safe (nothing comes without risks), and can help with sleep too. I'm starting on it tonight. 

[[Ni...]]

Yes, i have a buch of sedating antihistamines on my list to try.

 

Please let me know if visteral helped you sleep.

[[2f...]]

I went on effexor when I was 16 without any help, was suffering from severe agoraphobia, social phobia and others, I cant remember how long it took to work though.

If you think you can do it without benzos, please try! I wish I never wouldve gotten on this train, and I want off badly

I would say give visteral/adarax a shot, its mostly safe (nothing comes without risks), and can help with sleep too. I'm starting on it tonight. 

Could it that a benzo you had t try before is okey? I dont know and Im wondering myself. Im depressed too. How do one know its benzo depression??

[[Li...]]

I started Citalopram 11 years ago without the help of benzos. Was NOT functional for 3 weeks but suddenly felt fine and recovered quickly.

 

Since then I have twice been prescribed benzos during startup. Was equally disfunctional and took me months of trying new AD's to recover. If you can cope without benzos I would highly recommend that!