Posted by RobertDavid on May 15, 2006, at 14:03:56
In reply to Re: Best social anxiety meds?, posted by Pops_1 on May 15, 2006, at 13:51:20
> History
>
> - I never had any luck with SSRIs, Wellbutrin, or Remeron.
>
> - Nardil & Parnate seemed useful for making me more outgoing but side effects (loss of libido, periods of overwhelming fatigue in afternoon & evening) and diet restrictions outweighed benefit.
>
> My Current Combination
>
> - Low dose Neurontin (300 mg) seems to make me "perkier" on days I take it, but effects don't last on sustained dosages. I take 2-3 times a week at most on days I want to be more social, and use the off times to let it regain its mild effectiveness.
>
> - Klonopin reduces social anxiety but anything more than .25-.5 makes me dully and sleepy. I also am naturally just more of an introvert and dont need a drug that quells anxiety (heart pumping, sweatting, nervousness) so much as something that makes me more animated and desirous of talking/communicating with others.
>
> - So I added Dexedrine 2.5 mg direct release + 2.5 mg spansule to give me a bit of a talkative boost and to counteract Klonopin's dulling effects. When combined with 300 mg neurontin this makes me as social as I'm likely to be. Higher doses of dexedrine make my mind & pulse race uncomfortably.
>
> Adderall made me irritable and ritalin didn't seem to have to pro-social effects for me.
>
>
> Future Plans
>
> - I am planning on trying higher dose klonopin with higher dose dexedrine to see if I get more of an effect without the overexcitement I usually get on dexedrine or the sleepiness of Klonopin, but am waiting for just the right day to try it.
>
> - I am also considering starting EMSAM, possibly with some klonopin, though not sure if my insurer (Aetna) will cover the patch for a non-depression diagnosis.
>
>
> HTH!
Klonopin is a great med to treat social anxiety. Key is taking a dose (which varies) that's theraputic. Typically most fit in the 1 to 4 mg per day range.I take my entire dose at bedtime which helps avoid day time sleepyness and perhaps other cognitive issues. It has a long half life so I get the anti anxiety benefits all day long. At lower doses it didn't help much. Once I got up on dose it really kicked in and I was much more social.
You might consider taking your full dose at bedtime and working your way higher. I've seen others that have had similar complaints that you've stated with klonopin do well when going up on dose and taking at least the majority of it at bedtime. Just a thought. Good luck
poster:RobertDavid
thread:643467
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060515/msgs/644308.html