I have been given 2 diff anti-depressants, i cant make myself take either one its just not gonna happen. I have been taking ativan sometimes once a day sometimes not at all. My question is will doctors let you just keep taking ativan if you refuse to take the anti-dep. I just dont want to start taking one there are just to many side effects that im not willing to deal with. The ativan works fine, if i start feeling anxious i take one and im fine in about 30 min. The only time i feel the need for one is if the silly stuff starts that i think is my heart acting up, then i take one to calm down so my mind doesnt start racing and thinking stuff it shouldnt. I have been taking ativan for about 2 weeks and i dont feel as if im addicted to it so i was just wondering if anyone knew if a doctor would just let you continue on it as needed??
That will probably vary from Doctor to Doctor.
When I was having problems with panic and anxiety I tried a couple of Anti-D's I won't go into to it, I'll just say they weren't for me.
I never took Ativan but I did take Xanax.
My Doctor knew that in all the time I took it...and it was a long time...that I NEVER upped my dose, in fact I took less than was prescribed.
He also knew that it was the one and only thing that helped me, so that being the case he was willing to let me stay on only the Xanax and like I said I was on it for a number of years.
You're best bet would be to discuss your fear of the Anti-D's and the fact that the Ativan is working for you with your Doctor and get his/her imput.
Thanks so much. I dont take the normal dosage either it said 1-2 pills every 4-6 hours as needed. I only take 1 pill a day and that is usually enough. I am hoping my doctor will do that, i told her yesterday i dont like the anti-dep that the ER gave me paxil and i wont take it and she gave me 2 weeks of cymbalta cause she said she is worried i wont take it due to her knowing im scared of new drugs. So when i go see her in 2 weeks im going to just ask for another perscription of ativan, i hope she agrees.
You're very welcome, glad I could be of some help.
Just a word of advice....keep in mind not ALL Doctors are like this, but a lot are.....if you come right out and ask her for more Ativan, that can raise a red flag with some Doctors.
It's probably better to just say that the Ativan alone seems to be doing the trick and just ask if it's possible to just take the Ativan.
Or even tell her that you don't want to have to take a daily medication and ask if there's something that you can take ONLY when needed.
Like I said you're Doctor may not be on the "anti-benzo bandwagon" , but just in case she is, if you come right out and ask for more Ativan you may not get it.
I've been on 3 antidepressants over the past year and a half, plus I have a prescription for ativan, which I sometimes use, but not too often. I was going to ask my doc if I could just continue with the ativan as needed, but i never got around to it. I had been on 100mg of zoloft, which was okay, but not great. After reading about dosages, I realized that I was on that amount just because I could be. I decided to half the dosage and what a difference that has made. 50mg is perfect. I realized that the dose I had been on was too much and it actually caused some of the symptom I had originally had (anxious, heart palpitations, "over thinking" some things, etc., a lot of the symptoms people who post here have). I don't get tired the way I had been (unless there's a reason) and all of the peripheral symptoms have gone away. Now if I have one little "extra" or "skipped" heartbeat, I don't feel that adrenalin rush, which would cause more palpitations.... I have my trusty ativan "stash", but I haven't taken any in weeks, not even to sleep. If I need help sleeping a half a Benadryl (12.5mg) does the trick. I'm learning Reiki as well which also helps. So try not to totally discount the possibility that an antidepressant may help you! Michele
