Have General Anxiety Disorder. High BP And Sleeplessness. On Lexotanil. Deal With Anxiety And BP?
Thanks for your query.
I appreciate your efforts for medical consultation in so much distress.
Your current treatment is good. Seroxat contain paroxetine (SSRI: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and lexotanil contain bromazepam (Benzodiazepines group). Generalized anxiety disorder occur due to neurotransmitters imbalance in brain most commonly involving serotonin neurotransmitter.
In drug treatment two types of medicine used. For immediate relief of anxiety benzodiazepines group of medicines are used and for long term relief most commonly SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are used. SSRI takes around 3-4 weeks to show its effect. Non drug treatment like cognitive behaviour therapy (form of psychotherapy) also takes weeks to show its effect.
At initiation of treatment usually single ssri is used in low doses and doses are increased over a period, considering patient tolerability. In initial 1-2 week ssri usually increase symptoms of anxiety, for that we give benzodiazepines for short duration to resolve it.
Considering your case following information will help you:
-Your medicine is good and one of the best available currently.
-Drug take 4-6 weeks to show its full effects, so do not change drug, as new drug will further take 4-6 weeks to show effects.
-For sleep problem you can request your physician to add some extra medicine. According to medical guidelines we are not permitted here to write name of psychiatric medicine as in some cases it may lead to harmful use.
-If your BP is still raised, then it may be unrelated to anxiety. So monitor your BP daily and if it is raised then request your physician for anti hypertensive treatment.
-Exercise and weight loss help. So stop sweet and fat intake. Do aerobic exercise 30-60 min per day. Write your weight and food intake in diary daily.
I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. In case of any doubt, I will be available for follow ups.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
are there physician medicines for high blood pressure or they are related to XXXXXXX doctors
Thanks for follow up,
Usually medicines like Seroxat (SSRI) are effective for years. I also mentioned that they are used for long term for years or may be life long in some cases.
But bromazepam (Benzodiazepines group) is used only for short duration 1-2month as it loose its effect on long term use because development of tolerance and may also lead to dependence on it.
In your case causes of recurrence of anxiety may be:
-Current stress in life
-Any concurrent medical illness: like hypertension. It should be investigated by general medicine physician and treated.
-Thyroid dysfunction: get thyroid hormonal assay done
-Long term bromazepam (Benzodiazepines group) use.
Apart from that follow my advice, as given in primary reply, which will help you greatly.
Wish you good health.
Regards,