commentr/StutterSeptember 4, 2024

Content

Sure, I've had stuttering blocks all my life. I had lost my job a few years ago and was quite depressed, so my family doctor gave me Paroxetine (An SSRI anti-anxiety/depression medication) to get through the depression. As I was ramping up the dosage towards the target dosage, I noticed I became very calm and my stuttering was totally gone, for like a month. No blocking, nothing. I couldn't even stutter if I wanted to. As I increased the dosage to near the target dosage, I developed some allergies (red itchy eyes, hives, etc.) so the doctor instructed me to stop taking it, and I went back to stuttering. After that, I've started reading about stuttering medications, and have asked my doctors to prescribe a few other SSRI's throughout the years, but I have been allergic to them as well and had to stop taking them. I finally went to see a psychiatrist and he says nowadays they can easily cure stuttering (especially block-type stuttering which is closely linked to social anxiety) using SSRI medications, although me/him are still looking to find a good SSRI which both works for my stuttering and I am also not allergic to, the search is still ongoing for me. Another temporary fix which my psychiatrist gave me is Xanax, which I take half an hour before a presentation, interview, etc. which is very helpful. It works for a couple of hours. I'd say don't waste your time with family doctors, psychologists, and speech therapists. In my opinion they don't know enough about block-type stuttering. Go see a psychiatrist instead, to give you different medications to try and find a good one. Also a technique which has been helpful for me to do before a job interview, presentation, etc. has been Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), which relaxes all the muscles in your body. The idea is that your body cannot be anxious (stuttering) and relaxed at the same time, so if you forcefully relax it, you will not stutter.

Themes

Meds & SubstancesCoping & Advocacy

Subthemes

Helpful Med OutcomesHarmful Med OutcomesSide Effects & RisksFluency TechniquesMindfulness & Breathing

Codes (2)

benzodiazepines_anxiolyticsssris_snris_antidepressants