I am looking forward to learning a little more about you and some of these treatments you've used in the past. I have some experience and would like to share some things I've learned.
@user_ch824a68b, alternatives for Valium my be found named on the following web site: https://www.drugs.com/valium.html.
Be aware, however, that doctors know that these medications are similar to Valium and are unlikely to prescribe them just because they go by a different name. You should expect to have a good conversation with your doctor to flesh out your issues with him/her fully.
@user_ch824a68b- So glad you reached out to our Connect Group Maya. I have had experience with severe anxiety attacks many years ago though I can share a few things with you. For a long time I tried to hide my anxiety, but as I continued to cross off things that I felt I could no longer do (drive on freeways & bridges, fly on airplanes, visit larger cities, etc.) I realized I needed help. This whole thing was rather new at the time, but I found a Psychiatrist who was able to help some using some Psychotherapy, but I have to say that he also wrote a prescription for both Klonopin and Xanax. The Xanax was supposed to be used for situations that I needed something that was fast acting. I did not find that very helpful though and in one situation I had to pull off the side of a freeway and felt an extreme fear to stop, but also felt incapable of driving in the traffic. I felt paralyzed! The Klonopin (5 mg) I was taking finally kicked in after a few weeks and that really made the difference for me. It took that edge off and I would cut one in half and keep it in my pocket when I knew I was going to do something that was tough for me. Many times knowing I had it with me was all I needed and other times I took it.
Well, as time when on I felt I was beginning to do many of the things that I thought I may never do them again. I still take a small dose of the generic form of Klonopin called Clonazepam and it been over 20 years now. This my story. I would encourage you to not be afraid to reach out to your friends and medical community. Explaining what you go through with friends will take much of the stress off and you will be surprised how much that will help you. It is a process that will take time and you will experience the highs of success and sometimes unfortunately a tough time that comes out of no where. For me, prayer and listening to worship music helped me a lot.
I hope you continue to reach out to your immediate family & friends and us on Connect! God Bless.
Valium is a Benzodiazapine and all the Benzos are highly addictive, I<br>should know I've been on Klonopin for five years. I tried to wean myself<br>off from them but had major anxiety. Almost any drug the ends in pam is a<br>Benzo. Just look them up on line and you'll find a whole host of Benzos.<br>Valium and Klonopin are the longest acting Benzos, in other words they stay<br>in your system longer, I believe they have a 72 hour half life.<br> I have no idea why you are taking a long lasting Benzo like Valium every<br>five hours, it doesn't make any sense as you still have quite a bit of<br>Valium in your system after five hours. I only take my Klonopin twice a<br>day, morning and evening. I also take Parnate which is for depression and<br>anxiety. It works very well for both. It is an MAOI and it does have some<br>food and drug contraindications.<br>I just went back on Parnate after being off from it for two months as I<br>wanted to get off some of the drugs I was on.<br> Bad choice, my depression and anxiety returned after about a month.<br>Since starting up again on Parnate my anxiety is pretty much gone and my<br>depression is much better. You can look up Parnate on the internet and you<br>will notice that the reviews on this drug are very favorable.<br> Now that I'm back on Parnate I'm going to try again to wean myself off<br>from Klonopin, that Is one drug that I don't want to be on!<br>One thing you should know about Benzos is that they can cause depression<br>and you can also go into tolerance withdrawal which is when the Benzo you<br>are on stops working therefore you need a higher dose to stop the anxiety.<br>Another thing I'd like to say about Parnate is that this is an older class<br>of drug and works where many others don't. I had tried at least thirty<br>different drugs before I was finally prescribed Parnate. I have Bipolar<br>Disorder so I am on four drugs just to keep it in check.<br>Anyway, in all good conscience I can't recommend another drug like Valium<br>for you but as I said you can get all the information online.<br>Good luck!<br>
Hi, just last week I visited a well known cardiologist in my area following<br>up on my skipped or otherwise known as ectopic heart beats. I'm scheduled<br>for a treadmill test and echocardiogram this week. This cardiologist asked<br>me why was I taking propanolol (a betablocker). I explained to him I had<br>been on metropolol for a long period to help with my blood pressure and<br>that a recent cardiologist visit had replaced motropolol to propanolol to<br>also help with my palpitations that I experience from time to time. This<br>current cardiologist told me that beta blockers do not help with blood<br>pressure. Is this true? He also told me that taking supplements like Omega<br>3 and CoQ 10 are not helpful at all either. My PCP just told me they are<br>good to take. Just curious what you guys think. Thanks.....<br>
Sorry, and by the way the current cardiologist told me it might be better<br>off treating the anxiety because they really don't treat premature heart<br>beat conditions.<br><br>
That's interesting @mikefox909. Did he explain why he thought beta blockers would not help blood pressure?? I know in general the Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. When you take beta blockers, your heart beats more slowly and with less force, thereby reducing blood pressure. It maybe he doesn't feel it is more beneficial in your situation. I would definitely ask him to clarify it for you.
Before I started taking mine my blood pressures were 300/200's. I was admitted to St Marys Hosp, Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. But I have very high hormone levels and I take a beta blocker, calcium channel blockers, vasodilator, and a potassium sparing diuretic to help keep my pressures at a somewhat safe level.
Thx for your reply. What he indicated I guess was that through his<br>experience and research he has seen that they really don't help with blood<br>pressure it self, only if they are really needed to help with more serious<br>heart conditions to regulate really abnormal heart rhythms. I was<br>surprised he said that. Because currently I've been taking losarten<br>100/12.5, propanolol 10 mg, and at around bed time amlodipine 2.5 to<br>sustain a 24 hour baseline normal BP. And that seems to be working ok.<br>However, because I'm very sensitive to my emotions, feelings and inner<br>body responses to my home and work environment, I can feel my body trying<br>to control surges of both positive and negative stimuli. Probably sounds<br>weird but that's what's happening....cuz I've developed some sort of<br>anxiety through out the years. Thx<br><br>
Hi @jacko, I moved your message to this current discussion about hypertension so that you could put your questions about lisinopril and its use with atenolol (Tenormin) to the group. What specifically would you like to know about using these drugs together? Are you taking both?
Hey @jacko, your message was posted to the right group, but started as a new discussion. I moved your message to this discussion that was already underway because I new the members here would be interested in your question. Just helping to connect Connect members 🙂 as Dawn said.
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 15, 2016
Interesting how this discussion has evolved from blood pressure & hypertension to also include anxiety, and that these three are experienced by several of you. Thank you @mikefox909@lesbatts@thankful@user_ch824a68b for sharing about your experiences with anxiety. We've had several conversations about anxiety in the Mental Health group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/mental-health.
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@user_ch824a68b Welcome to Connect .
I am looking forward to learning a little more about you and some of these treatments you've used in the past. I have some experience and would like to share some things I've learned.
There are so many different ways to help treat anxiety. Here's a link to some basic information on anxiety and I would also like to share a second lead with you on some therapeutic, self-management techniques that are very helpful in conjunction with medication or alone.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/basics/treatment/con-20024562
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/manage/ptc-20168185
Dawn
@user_ch824a68b, alternatives for Valium my be found named on the following web site: https://www.drugs.com/valium.html.
Be aware, however, that doctors know that these medications are similar to Valium and are unlikely to prescribe them just because they go by a different name. You should expect to have a good conversation with your doctor to flesh out your issues with him/her fully.
@user_ch824a68b- So glad you reached out to our Connect Group Maya. I have had experience with severe anxiety attacks many years ago though I can share a few things with you. For a long time I tried to hide my anxiety, but as I continued to cross off things that I felt I could no longer do (drive on freeways & bridges, fly on airplanes, visit larger cities, etc.) I realized I needed help. This whole thing was rather new at the time, but I found a Psychiatrist who was able to help some using some Psychotherapy, but I have to say that he also wrote a prescription for both Klonopin and Xanax. The Xanax was supposed to be used for situations that I needed something that was fast acting. I did not find that very helpful though and in one situation I had to pull off the side of a freeway and felt an extreme fear to stop, but also felt incapable of driving in the traffic. I felt paralyzed! The Klonopin (5 mg) I was taking finally kicked in after a few weeks and that really made the difference for me. It took that edge off and I would cut one in half and keep it in my pocket when I knew I was going to do something that was tough for me. Many times knowing I had it with me was all I needed and other times I took it.
Well, as time when on I felt I was beginning to do many of the things that I thought I may never do them again. I still take a small dose of the generic form of Klonopin called Clonazepam and it been over 20 years now. This my story. I would encourage you to not be afraid to reach out to your friends and medical community. Explaining what you go through with friends will take much of the stress off and you will be surprised how much that will help you. It is a process that will take time and you will experience the highs of success and sometimes unfortunately a tough time that comes out of no where. For me, prayer and listening to worship music helped me a lot.
I hope you continue to reach out to your immediate family & friends and us on Connect! God Bless.
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Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionValium is a Benzodiazapine and all the Benzos are highly addictive, I<br>should know I've been on Klonopin for five years. I tried to wean myself<br>off from them but had major anxiety. Almost any drug the ends in pam is a<br>Benzo. Just look them up on line and you'll find a whole host of Benzos.<br>Valium and Klonopin are the longest acting Benzos, in other words they stay<br>in your system longer, I believe they have a 72 hour half life.<br> I have no idea why you are taking a long lasting Benzo like Valium every<br>five hours, it doesn't make any sense as you still have quite a bit of<br>Valium in your system after five hours. I only take my Klonopin twice a<br>day, morning and evening. I also take Parnate which is for depression and<br>anxiety. It works very well for both. It is an MAOI and it does have some<br>food and drug contraindications.<br>I just went back on Parnate after being off from it for two months as I<br>wanted to get off some of the drugs I was on.<br> Bad choice, my depression and anxiety returned after about a month.<br>Since starting up again on Parnate my anxiety is pretty much gone and my<br>depression is much better. You can look up Parnate on the internet and you<br>will notice that the reviews on this drug are very favorable.<br> Now that I'm back on Parnate I'm going to try again to wean myself off<br>from Klonopin, that Is one drug that I don't want to be on!<br>One thing you should know about Benzos is that they can cause depression<br>and you can also go into tolerance withdrawal which is when the Benzo you<br>are on stops working therefore you need a higher dose to stop the anxiety.<br>Another thing I'd like to say about Parnate is that this is an older class<br>of drug and works where many others don't. I had tried at least thirty<br>different drugs before I was finally prescribed Parnate. I have Bipolar<br>Disorder so I am on four drugs just to keep it in check.<br>Anyway, in all good conscience I can't recommend another drug like Valium<br>for you but as I said you can get all the information online.<br>Good luck!<br>
Hi, just last week I visited a well known cardiologist in my area following<br>up on my skipped or otherwise known as ectopic heart beats. I'm scheduled<br>for a treadmill test and echocardiogram this week. This cardiologist asked<br>me why was I taking propanolol (a betablocker). I explained to him I had<br>been on metropolol for a long period to help with my blood pressure and<br>that a recent cardiologist visit had replaced motropolol to propanolol to<br>also help with my palpitations that I experience from time to time. This<br>current cardiologist told me that beta blockers do not help with blood<br>pressure. Is this true? He also told me that taking supplements like Omega<br>3 and CoQ 10 are not helpful at all either. My PCP just told me they are<br>good to take. Just curious what you guys think. Thanks.....<br>
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Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionSorry, and by the way the current cardiologist told me it might be better<br>off treating the anxiety because they really don't treat premature heart<br>beat conditions.<br><br>
That's interesting @mikefox909. Did he explain why he thought beta blockers would not help blood pressure?? I know in general the Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. When you take beta blockers, your heart beats more slowly and with less force, thereby reducing blood pressure. It maybe he doesn't feel it is more beneficial in your situation. I would definitely ask him to clarify it for you.
Before I started taking mine my blood pressures were 300/200's. I was admitted to St Marys Hosp, Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. But I have very high hormone levels and I take a beta blocker, calcium channel blockers, vasodilator, and a potassium sparing diuretic to help keep my pressures at a somewhat safe level.
Good luck on your tests this week!!
Dawn
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Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThx for your reply. What he indicated I guess was that through his<br>experience and research he has seen that they really don't help with blood<br>pressure it self, only if they are really needed to help with more serious<br>heart conditions to regulate really abnormal heart rhythms. I was<br>surprised he said that. Because currently I've been taking losarten<br>100/12.5, propanolol 10 mg, and at around bed time amlodipine 2.5 to<br>sustain a 24 hour baseline normal BP. And that seems to be working ok.<br>However, because I'm very sensitive to my emotions, feelings and inner<br>body responses to my home and work environment, I can feel my body trying<br>to control surges of both positive and negative stimuli. Probably sounds<br>weird but that's what's happening....cuz I've developed some sort of<br>anxiety through out the years. Thx<br><br>
Hey @jacko, your message was posted to the right group, but started as a new discussion. I moved your message to this discussion that was already underway because I new the members here would be interested in your question. Just helping to connect Connect members 🙂 as Dawn said.
Interesting how this discussion has evolved from blood pressure & hypertension to also include anxiety, and that these three are experienced by several of you. Thank you @mikefox909 @lesbatts @thankful @user_ch824a68b for sharing about your experiences with anxiety. We've had several conversations about anxiety in the Mental Health group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/mental-health.
In fact, @lesbatts your insight into this discussion about tapering of taper off of benzodiazepines like Xanax and Ativan would be appreciated https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anxiety-2244a2/
@llecrup How are you doing?