Anxiety Meds

[jknnej]

Hi guys,

My dr. wants to put me on anxiety meds for generalized anxiety disorder.

He says he likes Effexor best b/c it's not as altering or however you describe it, as some of the other meds.

Has anyone here taken Effexor and if so, did it have a postive effect?

What other meds do you take?

I have Xanax but my dr. says that is a "quick fix" and doesn't help like Effexor will? I have no knowledge on this matter, so I'm just saying what my dr. told me...

Also, I'm a bit confused. I've spoken with SEVERAL dr.'s and nurses who say Xanax and Zoloft are scary meds. If so, why would Effexor be any less scary? I am a little lost here. One of my best friends is a nurse who said do NOT take Zoloft or Xanax, they are bad. My mom, however, takes Zoloft, and likes it. I tried to start it awhile ago but it made me too nauseated. Xanax I can take when I'm in a pinch.

Any thoughts on these conflicting views on anti-depressants? I'm lost as to why Zoloft and Xanax are "bad" drugs to some dr's, but this Effexor is OK???? I definitely don't want any habit forming drugs, but I know Effexor is one that you can't just "stop" taking; you have to be weaned off of it.

Please help..any thoughts would be appreciated,

Jennifer

[Emme999]

Jennifer,

I took Effexor for 3 1/2 years, so I'm pretty familiar with it! When I first started taking it I was exhausted all of the time - I mean, *really* sleepy. I could sleep all damn day and still be tired. It was effective against the depression but - like I said to my doctor - "This kind of sucks. Before I slept all of the time because I was depressed, now I sleep all of the time because of the anti-depressant!" So, he gave me a little medicinal cocktail dosage of 300 mg of Effexor and 300 mg of Wellbutrin to take each day. It worked really well for me, I was able to function very effectively and I remember it as a happy time in my life where I was doing all of the things I wanted to do - working out, managing a health food store, being with my fiance (who turned out to be a total HOSER, so the drugs were probably extra useful ), etc. In fact, I liked them so much that - after having been on them for about a year - when my prescription coverage ran out on my insurance, I managed to come up with $300/month to pay for them - and continued to do so for over a year while I didn't have insurance. As another bonus - taking the two together made me incredibly thin. Effexor completely wiped out my appetite, and Wellbutrin has an effect kind of like speed - so I had a great body It was fun, for a long time. I felt uber-sexy while on these drugs!

I stopped taking both of them when I decided that I was going to move to New Zealand with the hoser fiance (which never actually happened and I never made it to NZ - damn it!) mainly because I didn't think I would be able to get the drugs over there (without insurance). When I stopped taking them, it was pure hell. I went off the Effexor really slowly - over a period of 4 weeks - with the help of my doctor. But that didn't make it easy. I was so nauseas I could hardly stand it and was practically living off of dramamine. I also had unbelievable headaches and couldn't sleep. I also had terrible anxiety/depression. This went on for about six weeks. I remember that I actually had found a "support group" website that was just for people going off of Effexor. It's nasty - probably one of the hardest drugs to go off of (and I've taken Prozac, Paxil, imipramine, and others - so I know).

As for the bad side *while* I was taking it: A friend of mine (actually my general manager, who had been a dietician in a psychiatric hospital) later told me that I had appeared overmedicated. I also shook all of the time. I'm still not sure if that was the effect of the Wellbutrin or the Effexor. My dietician friend thinks that it was both. He currently takes Wellbutrin and never shakes. However, I was taking high doses and I'm not very big (115 lbs at the time) so that could have played a part in the shaking business. I was also still tired a lot of the time - always napping. Nothing like it was without the Wellbutrin, but I was pretty sleepy even with both.

Both of my parents have also taken Effexor. I don't know if it helped my dad - but he's bipolar and kind of a special case who doesn't like to stick with his medicine anyway. It did seem to help my mom - and she might even still be taking it, I'm not sure. She was a mean mom when I was a little girl but is much nicer now

If I had really good insurance that would pay for it, I might try it again. (Kind of having a rough time right now ) But I don't, so that's not really an option I'm also still shaken about how difficult it was to go off of. And that was a few years ago!

One important thing for you to remember though is that these psychotropic medications affect everyone differently. So, what made me tired might not make you tired. Also - the dosage is really critical. I may have been taking too much.

In comparison with Xanax... oh I love Xanax That's some quality stuff! Effexor is nothing like that though. It provides a steady calm that is lasting, where Xanax provides the short-lived peaceful nirvana calm that never lasts long enough! Xanax is habit forming and not taken all the time - Effexor *is* taken all the time so "habit forming" really isn't an issue. It builds up in your system. The effects aren't as immediate.

In comparison with Zoloft - umm... I don't know That's one of the few anti-depressants I haven't tried But, I've heard that it's similar to Paxil. Paxil worked for me for about a year then stopped. One of the reasons that I went on Effexor is that it doesn't stop working. Prozac also stopped working for me after a year. For some reason Effexor works indefinitely for most people. Compared to Prozac, my psychiatrist told me that Effexor is "Prozac times ten." So, it's pretty potent stuff.

Whatever you decide - I wish you the best. Please ask me any questions you can think of. It seems like you and I have a lot in common (note the thread: "Going off the pill")! I'm starting to think you're my evil twin or something (More likely that I'm the evil one though! )

Good luck!

- Michelle

[lovegrov]

I think you would need more details as to why some people think Zoloft is so terrible. Anti-depressants do affect people in different ways, and I've heard of some people who became virtual zombies taking Zoloft. On the other hand, my mother and a couple of friends consider it a lifesaver.

Zoloft helped make me functional again when I went into depression and anxiety attacks after my daughter died five months ago. I wasn't able to even get to work because of the anxiety two months after her death. Zoloft certainly hasn't made my world perfect or solved all my problems, but without it I don't know if I'd still have a job. Other medications, including Effexor, might have accomplished the same, but Zoloft is working for me.

[Jnkmnky]

I was prescribed xanax a few years ago after a panic attack. It was great in that it relieved my anxiety and within two weeks, I stopped taking it. However, I had a "rare allergic" reaction to it. I had debilitaing joint pain throughout my entire body for 4 months. *Words would not do the debilitating nature of that pain justice*

__ Allergic reations to xanax are rare. "Joint pain" is listed as a rare reaction on the xanax insert. __

Since I hadn't taken any xanax for a few days when the joint pain began, the drs had a difficult...impossible time determining what was causing the joint pain. As time went on, the likelihood that the xanax had caused the joint pain, seemed more remote to the drs. I sure hadn't considered the 17 xanax I'd taken over the course of two weeks, to be the cause of all that pain.

I was tested for everything. Though every dr I saw said my tests came back negative for a conclusive "diagnosis" of rheumatoid or lupus or anything else, they treated me for rheumatoid. I took meds for a few months, but since the pain eventually went away, I stopped taking the meds..including vioxx.

A year later, I wasn't sleeping well, and I remembered I still had a bunch of xanax from that original prescription....since I knew they'd knock me out.....I took a half a pill....I did that for 6 nights. Then I woke up with debilitaing joint pain that lasted 3 months. I ended up BACK at the rheumatology dept. That was when the drs figured out I'm allergic to benzodiazaprine (? spelling). Actually, I'm the one who found the list of rare reactions to xanax and pointed it out to the drs. They all agreed xanax probably caused the pain and it's their official diagnosis.

So, I'm happy to have this opportunity to give my two cents about anti-anxiety meds. They work great! Worked for my brief encounter with anxiety. Your friend said xanax is "scary"....yea, I agree. Actually, all drugs are scary. You never know what a drug will do to you. And sometimes drs don't know what a particular drug is capable of doing to you which can really throw you for a loop. I'm told I should never take any drugs in that "class". PFFT! No one needed to tell me THAT! I'm afraid to take aspirin at this point!

[louie]

I'll declare my bias upfront here, I work in the mental health field I see lot of clients with anxiety and depression, some on medications, some not,

the drugs do have different effects on people and if you decide to take them give them a fair go to see if the inital effects settle down after a few weeks.

In my experience (and in a sweeping generalisation!!) i've noticed most people on the medications who get psychological treatment improve faster because they are better able to concentrate on doing the work needed for treatment. people not on medications also usually improve with good treatment but it's a bit slower and more difficult to begin with. i t also depened on how severe theier anxiety and depression is.

If people just take the medications and don't get psychological treatment many don't actually change anything, if they come off the drugs then they may feel just as bad because they haven't addressed the problems, they've 'just medicated the way the feel, depending on the issues.

Some people need to stay on medications for good, and that doesn't mean their a failure, if it works use it. A minimun of 6 months on medications before trying to stop taking them give's them time to get treatment.

if you can afford it, find a good psychologist, generalised anxiety disorder,panic attacks and depression are all very treatable. I myself have sufferred depression and anxiety attacks. I couldn't take medication as I had terrible reactions to it. (so I became a 'shrink' instead! )

just be careful though that you are not made to feel that celiac and allergies etc are not all in your head or that you are being oversensitive about your diet. (I have come across these types and enjoy correcting them!! ) If doctors don't know much about celiacs then psychologists know even less.

it is quiet realsitic that people with a serious disease get anxiety and depression, celiac disease affects your entire family and way of life everyday, It takes quiet a lot of adjusting to and often our families and freinds do not understand. often people have been depressed due to years of being really sick & malnourished, having tons of tests and being told there is nothing wrong or getting the wrong diagnosis.

anyway I've had my rant!

I can put together a list of books I use with clients later and add to the post if you are interested

cheers

Louie

[Guest Viola]

I think if you want to try and work through this without the drugs, get yourself a kitten or puppy ( they never fail to make you laugh) They lower your blood pressure and most of all ... you HAVE TO get up and feed, walk, train, or play with a live animal. A puppy or dog is better because they get you out for walks, which lesson any depression. You also need to get out and either find a good shrink, or, as there isn't any such thing around this area, find a super good friend that will let you confide anything, and then take you out for a walk or coffee or tea while you do it.

My dog is my anti-depressant, my shrink (along with my good friends) and my fitness trainer. I could not do this without her

[jknnej]

Wow, I LOVE all of these great responses.

yes, Michelle we are a LOT alike..how funny. I think I will try the Effexor and see how it works..when you stopped taking it, did you just stop or were you weaned off?

Lovegrov, I am SO sorry to hear about your daughter! What happened, if you don't mind my asking? You must be devastated. I am so sorry.

I am not depressed, I have anxiety disorder. But they say anti-depressants work for both, so, hey.

I've been an extremely high-strung individual my entire life and it is just getting to the point where I can't enjoy life and I am sick and tired of it. I have anxiety so bad I usually won't take medicine, because it is part of this crazy cycle of worry that I am caught in. I am also borderling OCD. Most annoying.

I'm not against drugs or for them. But I am going to try them. I have to at this point. I've tried every possible thing for anxiety; relaxation, yoga, deep breathing, support groups, etc. You name it, I've tried it. Nothing works. I just want to feel like I am normal again! I think if I don't get ahold of it I will get depressed! It's like, I love life and I love my daily activites, so I know I"m not depressed. But, I am frustrated because I won't allow myself to DO or ENJOY the things I love b/c I worry so much. What if I get sick? What if this? What if that? I am SO tired of it!!

So, I will talk to dr. about either Effexor or Wellbutrin. I really hope it helps!

Thanks for all of your great responses!!! If you haven't already responded, please do!

[Guest Viola]

Hmmm, I don't think doggies would help anxiety disorder. That's a tough one, as is depression. I do hope the drugs help you. Let us know how you get on with them.

[2old4]

Hi Jennifer-

I also took Effexor for awhile. I think it is a good medication, but it is a strong one. I did get the dopey feeling from it, but I was deeply depressed at the time and needed a strong medication. I also gained weight on it.

However, if you are suffering from an anxiety disorder, you may want to ask your doctor about Lexapro. It is a

anti-depressant/anti-anxiety mix that I've had good results with. It seems to let me live my life more evenly, avoiding the mood swings. And I don't have a terrible headache or nightmares if I miss a day like I did with Effexor. Good luck with whatever you decide.-Patty

[Emme999]

When I stopped taking them, it was pure hell.  I went off the Effexor really slowly - over a period of 4 weeks - with the help of my doctor.  But that didn't make it easy.  I was so nauseas I could hardly stand it and was practically living off of dramamine.  I also had unbelievable headaches and couldn't sleep.  I also had terrible anxiety/depression.  This went on for about six weeks.  I remember that I actually had found a "support group" website that was just for people going off of Effexor.  It's nasty - probably one of the hardest drugs to go off of (and I've taken Prozac, Paxil, imipramine, and others - so I know). 

Jen - pay attention Weaned off - slow, 4 weeks. Bad. Very bad.

[lovegrov]

"Lovegrov, I am SO sorry to hear about your daughter! What happened, if you don't mind my asking?"

Grace died of cardiac arrest Jan. 12. You can read more at the following link. There also a picture.

Open Original Shared Link

Since then tests have shown possible long QT syndrome in our son. This is an electrical problem that can be hereditary and also can be fatal. If he does indeed have it, it's almost certain that's what killed Grace. We can take precautions with Spencer, but will always be worried.

richard

[Guest BERNESES]

Lovegrov- She was so beautiful! I am so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how devastating it must have been. I'm glad you got support and hope you continue to as you grieve.

As far as anti-depressants go, I (unfortunately) have had a lot of experience. I take Celexa (which is wonderfully calming) and klonopoin for generalized anxiety disorder. Since going gluten-free I have been able to cut my meds in half which has been great. But, what everyone has said on this board so far is right on. In my opinion (from my own experiences) everyone reacts VERY differently to different medications, they should always be tapered off VERY slowly and I wouldn't consider them dangerous if you follow your doctor's instructions. And listen to your body. And make sure your doctor listens to your body.

One thing i would recommend is making sure you, as someone else suggested, also do therapy along with the medications. The drugs help a lot (if you're on the right one) but equally important is talking to someone. A lot of social workers will do a sliding scale (mine does) so that you pay what you can afford. Keep us posted on how you do0. I know a friend who had chronic, unrelenting depression for 18 years and went through tons of meds and the only thing that made a significant difference was Effexor. Let us know how you're doing. A great board to check out is Dr. Bob's psycho-babble (just Google it). It's much like this board and most people are very supportive. Hang in there, Beverly (And pets really do help!)

[jknnej]

Jen - pay attention

Ouch-I wasn't trying to not pay attention. There were several long posts and by the time I got through them all I simply didn't remember this was written. Cut me some slack!

[Emme999]

Jen -

Just teasing! There were lots of posts and mine was soooooo long that it was probably hard to read. Sorry! I seem to have this problem with talking too much...

Anyway - I hope you are doing better!

- Michelle

[plantime]

I didn't take Effexor, I took Lexapro. I was given 10 mg a day, but it made me sleep all the time, so I cut it to 5. It worked so wonderful! I don't take it now, I have no insurance, nor do I have $74 a month for it. I have scraped the budget to the barest I can, and there just is no more. My kitties and dog do help me, they are fun to play with, which does ease my anxieties. I can tell them anything, and they will still love me and keep all my secrets! Google Effexor, see if you find any sites where people are talking about it. I find that to be my best source of info regarding drugs.

[jknnej]

Thanks Michelle! I wasn't really upset or anything; I was just like, whoa I hope I'm not ticking people off:)

I have an appt. with my doc on Monday and I'm going to discuss several meds, effexor, lexapro, klonopin or however it's spelled, etc.

I will find something!

Thanks for the great responses:)

Jenn

[hnc]

Effexor is an anti-depressive, as many have mentioned. I'm a little surprised to hear it prescribed for anxiety, but many drugs are beneficial for things other than what they were made for. I take Singlair for fibromyalgia pain, and it is marketed for asthma. Effexor has made me unable to sleep, but your experience with the opposite seems more common. Everyone reacts differently to all drugs, so we all have to be sure to keep track of any changes in ourselves. Like getting information for any medical issues, the NIH website seems to be the most reliable. So many associated with non-medical places can be misleading.

[jknnej]

Well, after reading all of this I'm not sure Effexor is for me...

for those of you who told me a little about Xanax...my old dr. gave me the timed release kind that you take once a day...what do you know/think about that? I just seem to really feel better on Xanax when I take even half a pill. And it doesn't drug me up, either. I wonder if Effexor or Xanax would be better for me?

My main symptoms are anxiety and lately, bad mood swings. I don't think I have depression too much. I think when I do get depressed, it is only b/c of my anxiety.

Do you think getting off of Xanax would be worse than getting off of Effexor? I read somewhere that you can only take Xanax for 8 months..I wonder if this is true?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[tarnalberry]

While it's certainly no substitute for working with a therapist or medication, I was wondering if you'd tried meditation and exercise? I know it's not a cure-all, but the meditation techniques I've learned doing yoga have really helped me kill the "about to flip out" switch. It doesn't make everything all better, but it lowers the rolling boil to a bare simmer, which is often enough to make it through the rest of the day (it's usually a work thing, for me...).

(and when all else fails, like I tell my husband... it's really hard to be angry/frustrated/agitated/pissed off if you're balancing upside down... cause all you can think about is not landing on your nose! :-D )

[jknnej]

Yes, I love yoga. It does help calm/relax me, but I'm having more of an issue with the actual physical symptoms of anxiety which don't seem to go away no matter what I do!

I am definitely going to find a therapist, as I don't even want to take xanax without contributing to my treatment with a licensed therapist, but I think I do need the meds. It is so hard to me to do my normal activities b/c of the physical symtoms.

The nausea, trembling, odd moods I have been experiencing seem to disappear when I take the xanax, leaving me to believe it's not an actual health issue but anxiety. Plus, they can't find anything wrong with me..physially!

[Emme999]

Jenn -

If xanax is working for you (and you've got a doctor willing to prescribe it) - then maybe you ought to just stick with that. Effexor helped me a lot but it definitely made me kind of "drugged" (sleepy, slightly lethargic, etc.) - I don't think I would ever take it without Wellbutrin. It was the combo that was fab for me. But it is horrible to get off of.

The only thing about xanax is that it *IS* addictive and you will find yourself needing higher dosages to get the same effect. My dad takes an unbelievable amount of it daily now.

Have you ever tried any of the natural antidepressants? 5-HTP in particular could probably really help you. It increases your serotonin levels without any nasty side effects. You really ought to consider this before you go pharmaceutical It has *good* benefits and is not addictive or hard to get off of. I imagine (having heard about your candida stuff) that you probably have some pretty wicked carbohydrate cravings. 5-HTP significantly reduces these. It will also help you sleep soundly and decrease your appetite (which is something *I* am always looking for! )

There is a book by Michael Murray, N.D. called "5-HTP - The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity, and Insomnia." It is a really well researched book and very well written. See if you can pick up a copy at your local library or something. Then send me email if you decide to use it and I'll help you out.

It's much cheaper than pharmaceutical drugs & has no horrible coming-off-of-it period. Check it out.

Take care of yourself Babe! It will get better

Hug -

- Michelle

[Jnkmnky]

Well, I told you about my encounter with xanax. Any drug that can do to you what it did to me...I shudder when I recall my experience. I took 1 pill a day for two weeks. I believe that any episode of panic is scary enough to feel you NEED an anti anxiety drug-- it's such a scary experience. However, in the two years since I was prescribed xanax, I've had some fluttery feelings of a panic attack coming on. What I do is focus on my breathing, take full stock of who I am and what my responsibilities are, tell myself to knock it off and so far, so good. I've found that my mind can control the attacks. It was just so unexpected the first time.

As to how you'll do getting off of either drug that you mentioned. Let me point out that most people do not react to xanax the way I did. There's no test to take to see if a person will have a bad reaction either. Likewise, there is no test to see if you're the kind of person who will suffer an addiction to one of these drugs. I'm glad to see you're weighing this major consideration. You don't know how your body will react. Neither do the doctors. They can only tell you MOST people do fine with the drug. Too many people take these drugs without being informed of the possible consequences. Meanwhile, drug companies make billions of dollars by convincing people their drugs are safe and NECESSARY. I don't agree with the latter.

[Emme999]

As to how you'll do getting off of either drug that you mentioned.  Let me point out that most people do not react to xanax the way I did.  There's no test to take to see if a person will have a bad reaction either.  Likewise, there is no test to see if you're the kind of person who will suffer an addiction to one of these drugs.  I'm glad to see you're weighing this major consideration.  You don't know how your body will react.  Neither do the doctors.  They can only tell you MOST people do fine with the drug.  Too many people take these drugs without being informed of the possible consequences.  Meanwhile, drug companies make billions of dollars by convincing people their drugs are safe and NECESSARY.  I don't agree with the latter.

Good points!!!! Seriously, even the pharmaceutical companies don't know exactly how these drugs work. I had a friend who was working on her PhD in neurochemistry and she was doing a lot of studies on chemical interactions with serotonin - and even she didn't really know how it all worked. The brain is an unbelievably complex and wonderfully complicated thing that humans aren't even close to understanding. I see a neuropsychologist every two weeks because of a brain injury that I had about 14 years ago. We have a lot of brain discussions She is an incredibly brilliant woman who has studied the brain for over 30 years. Because of my brain injury - she suggests I avoid psychotropic drugs completely (most drugs affect people with who've had brain injuries in strange ways). I started seeing her about 6 months ago, and am honoring my brain in a whole new way. I am much more cautious about what I do to it now

Tiffany made a really good point when she suggested yoga. I've found that really helpful in my life too (when I do it! ) Especially Bikram yoga - that leaves me feeling euphoric. It's wild stuff.

Anyway - be careful with your brain. It's precious and if you damage it you will never forgive yourself. I have a lot of "issues" caused by my accident and I would give anything to have it working as efficiently as it once was.

Honor yourself

- Michelle

[tarnalberry]

I'm glad you guys gave it a shot (and enjoy it). I know a lot of people are skeptical (I was at first too), but I'm glad it's one more item in my arsenal for facing the world. ;-)

[Emme999]

I just realized how indecisive I must sound! "Take it - don't take it - take xanax - no, do yoga..."

Really there are just so many options and all have good and bad sides. I think you'll have to trust your heart on this one! I'm afraid that none of us can decide for you! I hope we at least help though

- Michelle

"I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not too sure."