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Serzone replacement

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Posted 11/3/2012 1:57 AM (GMT 0)
I'm back, sorry. I had a chat with the doc today after asking him to renew Ativan. He said that at 3x/day, I run the risk of being addicted to the drug. What's the diff? Taking an SSRI for 10 years or taking Ativan for 10 years? Anyway, he renewed the script - I'm at 1 mg, 3x/day, which seems to calm me down. I haven't had too much stress on me lately, so it's hard to say of the drug is working or if my overall stress level has dropped down a notch. At any rate, are there any long-term Ativan users out there that can comment?
Posted 11/3/2012 4:46 AM (GMT 0)
I am not a doctor, but for what I have come to understand, Ativan, and other Benzos, will lose their effectiveness over time. The same is not true of SSRIs. That is why they usually give Ativan to be used "as needed", or to be taken regularly while a patient waits for other medication to start working.
Posted 11/7/2012 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
Good point. I may have to go with an ssri plus Ativan as needed. Is anyone on an Ativan combo with another drug? I'd like to take just one drug, but maybe I need a combo. What works with Ativan?
Posted 11/14/2012 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
Tell me when you have heard enough. Met with doc today and we decided to taper off Ativan. I was taking 4 mg/day and could have taken more. So, I'm starting to taper off tonight. I'm back to Mr. Guinea pig. I'm now going to try straterra, as one of its off label uses is anxiety. Didn't see any recent posts on this med, so I may be on my own in terms of new territory - I'll let you know how I react to it, perhaps others are contemplating Straterra. All this because BMS decided to pull Serzone off the market - geeze!
Posted 11/17/2012 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
I'm not too sure about Strattera.  Third day of 25mg in the morning.  So far no side effects, but also no stress relief.  Getting off Ativan was harder than I thought -  harder than getting off Serzone.  It's been three days of hell, but I'm going to give Strattera a full week to see if I get any relief.  Everyone is different, but apparently the off-label use of strattera for anxiety is a crap shoot.  I did take a xanax (.5) last night and that offered major relief.  It's hard to find any adults on Strattera, so needless to say, I'm not getting much feedback.  It's been four months of trying to find an anti-anxiety med that works for me.  I'm definitely getting discouraged and wondering if I'll ever find relief.
Posted 11/20/2012 1:31 AM (GMT 0)
30 posts later, you're not going to believe this. Serzone (nefazodone) is now "available". Apparently there has been quite a few generic drug shortages Q3 and Q4 of 2012. I was led to believe that Serzone was discontinued, but it was simply not being manufactured. So, I just executed plan A: call pharmacies to see who has Serzone, go to doc, get new script, start on the drug that actually worked for me, get back to "normal". After 4 months of trial and error, sleepless nights, sweats, anxiety, etc., I'm starting with my "old" drug asap. At least I can share my experiences with about 20 drugs with all of you.
Posted 2/20/2013 3:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hi to Shoeman

I am kind of puzzled..Brand name Serzone was discontinued by Bristol Myer Squib..but generic nefazodone is available in the US til this day..I think Mylan makes it.

I tried two SSRis briefly...maybe did not give them a fair trial..but one made me a nervous wreck and the other made me feel like a zombie..and a flattening of affect was apparent.

So was placed on 150mg of trazodone  worked well for sleep and anxiety but left me feeling hung over in the morning....have been on nefazodone ever since it came out..150mg twice a day

I noticed you used it for anxiety and not depression...I am a very high strung person..find trazodone and nefazodone

are  good for anxiety....social anxiety..ptsd...but not so much for depression  these two drugs and Buspar are piperazines...not sure what that means...but seem to act as "chill pills"

Sincerely,

Jerry

Posted 2/20/2013 3:55 AM (GMT 0)
Should have scrolled down to your latest post!
Posted 2/22/2013 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
My wife takes 3 ativan a day as needed, some times she only needs one, shes been on it over 15 years, she has had panic/anxity/depression sence age 20 shes now 67.
She also takes prozac, and genaric stellizine.

Larry
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