Anxiety Meds - Livingston,NJ

My husband takes meds for anxiety. They are the same meds that are prescribed for depression. He also has therapy too. I would suggest both. As for side effects, the biggest is lack of sex drive. Also fatigue, and snoring. But when he is off of them, we all suffer.

I've been treated for anxiety for quite some time.

I'm a single mom who has raised two kids. Who wouldn't be anxious?
My anxiety is not just normal, everyday stuff though. I have to be very careful because I've had shingles and anxiety is very bad for that.

There are lots of different types of medications and dosages, so I do suggest talking with your doctor about it. My blood pressure was actually getting high as well, so they gave me a stronger anxiety medication which I take at night to help me get a more restful sleep. For about the first week, I felt pretty groggy and didn't really like it, but I have settled in.

Counseling never hurts. For me, my anxiety is an actual medical issue that can cause me to become fatigued, wears down my immune system, and leads to other problems.

Just talk to your doctor. Go from there.

Best wishes.

I've been on Zoloft and Celexa. I liked the Celexa better but never had any problems with Zoloft, just thought the Celexa worked a little better. Lately I have either become depressed or had it all along so I started Effexor and it's been a life saver for me.

What side effects you have depends on the medication and your own system. I've taken several and haven't had any noticeable side affects. I also have therapy. I recommend doing both at the same time.

When I first started therapy for anxiety there were no medications available except for Valium. Valium made me sleepy at first. It's for short term use only. Now that I combine the therapy with SRIs meds I see better results. I do occasionally take Ativan when my anxiety is extreme. Ativan is in the same class as Valium.

CS is correct. According to my doctor, they prescribe the same meds to treat anxiety that they prescribe to treat depression. They're called anti-anxiety/anti-depression medication. You should def. talk to your doctor, those meds make all the difference!

I've been on Zoloft in the past, it caused me diarrhea for the first two weeks that I was on it. From what I've read that is a common side effect of Zoloft. I did feel a little tired in the beginning but that went away.
Other than that, I really liked it.

Now I'm on Celexa. I had gone off Zoloft and the symptoms returned. I had switched doctors in the mean time. My current doctor did not want to put me back on Zoloft because he feels that Celexa is the best med out there and doesn't cause as many side effects as the others. He told me that he is not comfortable prescribing other meds without starting the patient on Celexa first. Celexa works for me as well & I didn't have any side effects except I did feel somewhat tired at first but that went away.

You can actually try both meds + therapy at the same time, esp. helpful if you suffer from panic attacks.

ETA - Just to go along with Mallory's comment - I have taken Antivan in the past too. It was prescribed along with the zoloft. It wasn't meant to be taken as an everyday pill but "as needed" pill. It does make you really, really, really tired at first until your body gets used to it. Or at least it did with me. It was prescribed to me to take when panic attacks start to come on. My mother was also taking that one and said to be careful because according to her doctor it takes away ALL anxiety..even the good anxiety. (Yes, there is good anxiety.) So if you're out in public your guard could be down too low as far as possible danagers.

I was on Paxil for two years, and had tremendous weight gain. I have taken Klonopin, but did not like the effects- very loopy. I had started finding that I could deal with my anxiety with therapy and mindful breathing techniques. If you can find a good therapist in your area, and a good yoga class that would be my advice. Medication for anxiety can be extremely helpful for extreme cases. However, if you are able to recognize, and deal with anxiety in other ways, you might find that you don't need medication after all. Identify the cause for your anxiety. For me, I have had extreme social anxiety. It got to the point where I was anxious to call people on the phone for appointments. After finding a good therapist, I was able to work on my fears, and use lots of coping skills to combat it.

Good luck to you.

I think you first should eliminate all grains and sugar from your diet and see how you feel. Try a "Whole30". www.whole9life.com. I did NOT enjoy my time on anxiety meds, but I LOVE how I feel eating the right foods.

I will add to LovingLife's response that fish oil and l-theanine (the first easily available anywhere, the second available at whole foods and other natural stores) as well as Lemon Balm (called Melissa) are all very good natural approaches to anxiety. My daughter is taking all three and I am taking just fish oil. I have seen huge changes for both of us, in addition to the dietary changes Loving Life talked about. As I've gotten older, I don't tolerate medicines easily and have lots of adverse and unexpected reactions. It's been great to make these adjustments and add supplements and see such a big difference.

But to answer your last question -- I think you should try EVERYTHING before trying meds, including therapy. And your long term goal is NOT medicine -- it is to manage anxiety. So you should never be on medicine without therapy. The medicine should be viewed only as a temporary aid to allow your brain to rewire -- if you do not have the therapy, your will not learn how to adjust your thinking and overcome your anxiety. You will be on meds interminably.

Good luck.

First, I hate to have to clarify, but paxil is NOT addictive. Klonopin is similar to valium, and could possibly be. But paxil is totally not, you do need to wean off of it, though. Just didn't want you to panic...

I think meds and therapy together are the best bet. The meds sort of 'take the edge off' enough that you can do great work in therapy. This way, you have learned some good coping skills that you can continue to use once off the meds, whenever you are ready for that. Therapy allows you to confront issues head on, and being relaxed enough to do so makes it much more pleasant!

Good luck to you! Anxiety is such a hard thing.

30 minutes a day of vigorous exercise has been scientifically shown to be as effective as commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medications. Read "SPARK: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain" by John J. Ratey for more information.

I have begun to experience bouts of anxiety as part of my peri-menopausal symptoms and a 30 minute brisk walk or run helps tremendously. And it doesn't make you tired and it doesn't make you gain weight.

Anxiety is a physical issue as much as a mental one. The symptoms all come out in a physical form so the meds will help you be stable while you deal with the issues causing the anxiety.

I always tell clients or friends that meds will keep them sane while they deal with the issue that has them upset so much.

You'll be much better able to cope with what is causing the triggers to be set off. I know this worked for me.

I had oppositional side effects to some meds. You'll know within a few days if you can take them and if they are helping.

I would NOT simply start taking anti-anxiety medication from a primary care physician. They'll likely prescribe Paxil or Klonopin. Both are addictive and if taken daily, are nightmares to come down from when you decide to titrate down no matter how slowly. I was on Paxil for a while when a PCP rx'd it for me without also referring me to a psychiatrist for talk therapy.

A psychiatrist that offers talk therapy is much more knowledgeable about these medications and how to titrate up and down... which ones might be best for you based on your anxiety type and situation... and can also spend time with you teaching you coping skills and tools for handling your anxiety, stress, and stressful situations. A psychiatrist can also tell when a particular medication is not the right one and how to switch over properly to one that might work better. The medications are simply supposed to be tools in your toolkit. They don't get rid of the anxiety, they're just one tool that helps you out.

PCP's aren't as well versed in the therapies and medications, and they can't the time nearly as frequently as you would need it nor for lengthy appointments to get to the root of medication issues or anxiety issues.

So yes, combination of medication and talk therapy can do wonders. Get your PCP to refer you to a psychiatrist that's in your insurance network.

I take ativan once in a while and honestly-I can't even say that it works for anxiety. It makes you sleepy so I would never take it during the day. I take it at night to get to sleep so I don't notcie if it makes me less anxious.

My daughter gained weight when she started anti-anxiety medication. About 2 lbs. a month she said.
Have you tried meditation, hypnosis, counselling, prayer or herbal supplements?

Good luck!
"Grams"
from the Pocono Mts. of PA