HELP: Asking for New Medication AND What to Take?

I am seeing my Pdoc tomorrow and am in need of some quick advice.

My PTSD and anxiety symptoms come and go and it's usually unexpected AKA not knowing when it will hit or how severe the symptoms may be or how long symptoms will last. I haven't told my Psych how much I struggled this summer because the symptoms were not unbearable or unmanageable, but now with school my symptoms are severe.

I like idea of having something to take when I feel anxiety/an anxiety attack coming on or to have a safety net to take prior to any big stressful events that I know would make me very anxious to curb those symptoms. I do not think at this point I need something to take one regularly like I do every night with my bipolar meds, but I would still consider it if my Pdoc suggested it.

Does this sound reasonable to address with my Pdoc? Am I missing anything? What medications can I look into to bring up with her? My biggest issue is that the PTSD comes and goes so much there's no pattern, really, so I'm hoping there would be a medication I can have on hand to take when symptoms are severe and can take as needed, not so much reliant on building up to a level or once I've built up to a level that it hits me hard if I don't take it regularly.

Thank you!

I used to have quite a bit more anxiety than I do now and panic attacks from time to time. We tried several things. I'll start with what didn't work for me: buspar. It just never seemed to do a thing, even though I was on it for quite awhile. Noticed nothing when I stopped it, so, there you go. I know some people use Seroquel and I did, too, but I just don't think it was very helpful for my anxiety. It used to zonk me, so there was that. But as for actually addressing the anxiety/panic situation, I don't think so. Stopped it, too, but for a different reason. The one thing that worked reliably well for me was Klonopin. Definitely helped my anxiety. The problem for me was, it seemed to make my depression worse and it tended to knock me out. Not everyone has these reactions, of course. But this is how it was for me. Ativan also worked for me, but it is obviously much shorter acting.

I haven't kept up on the anxiety research world at all. There may be some latest and greatest, I don' know. Whatever the case, I do think you are wise to try and have something on hand for when you begin to get really uncomfortable. That's just good planning to me.

@bpcyclist

Thank you, I definitely do not want anything zonking me out!

I tried Gabapentin but two or so different doctors told me it was a bad choice on the pdoc who assigned it to me. I did not like the Gabapentin, it seemed to up the anxiety while it was trying to kick in, and then I did not feel normal when it did kick in. Plus, I had to build up to it and I had to take it multiple times a day which I did not like. And then if I went a couple days without it, it hit me really hard and made me super loopy. But like I said, multiple doctors told me it was a "bad on pdoc" choice.

Propranolol is what professional people take. It targets the physical symptoms of anxiety and doesn't cause side effects.

A beta blocker, right? Can that be taken as needed? I have taken corgard for many years for high blood pressure (and probably anxiety; not sure prozac was invented yet!). Anyway i took it every day, and some people say it slows your metabolism - like eating an extra 200 cal / day, which eventually puts weight on. So i think that would be a concern. But if it can be taken as needed, it wouldnt be such.

Yes, and yes, it can be taken as needed.

I told my Pdoc what I mentioned here and she prescribed my H-something...she said it's exactly like benadryl but without the drowsiness. I took it immediately after picking up the prescription. I noticed the effects within 20 minutes and by 30 minutes it was fully kicked in. It felt strange at first, but I once I got used to it I felt so relaxed.

Hydroxyzine?

Yes, hydroxyzine. I'm hoping this will work out for me.

Let's hope it does the trick.