Hi there - I'm already on 50mg Sertraline, but have hit a nasty bump of anxiety and insomnia to kick off 2018!
I asked my GP for a small number of Lorazepam today but he gave me 7 x Zopiclone instead. (I don't think the surgery as a whole is very keen on them).
I ideally want an occasional, supplementary, benzo to help me through the darker times. They're prescription only so what are my options or alternatives?
Many Thanks.
My doctor gave me diazepam, which don’t do a lot, but they take the edge off the anxiety a little. They are a milder sedative so they may be more willing to prescribe them. What about asking about a anti histamine, with a sedative side afffect? You can also buy these over the counter at the pharmacy, but they probably wouldn’t give you them if you were going to use them for sedation purposes. At least you can have some relief at night with the Zopiclone, but the first few weeks on Sertraline are rough so they ought to give you something if you’re struggling. There’s a Sertraline discussion group, so you could ask on there how others have coped.
Zopiclone can help with anxiety alongside its main purpose as a sleep aid.
However its a rough anxiety treatment because it can be devastatingly more addictive than benzos once you start taking for other purposes besides insomnia. (Because it increases levels of dopamine as well as GABA).
Once out of system anxiety can bounce back harder and more abrupt! I've experienced Zopi over a long period and daytime withdrawal between nightly doses was hell on earth on the nerves. Benzos were an easy ride in comparison.
A short course of Loraz or Diazepam ir Xanax is the standard RX, provided you dont have a history of Benzo abuse.
Otherwise OTC aids as the other poster mentions may help.
Or consider a dose adjustment in the Sertraline.