Medications Anxiety.

[Wonderland.]

So my anxiety has been stupidly high recently, and I have been talking to my SW about feeling I need to change meds to help with this.

So she suggested I do some research on meds whilst we wait for a psych appt.

Basically my question is, what medications have you taken which have helped with your anxiety levels?

I'm not talking about benzos, I need something I can take daily long term.

Thanks in advance

[Epicene]

For me, it's been either antidepressants (SSRIs are best for anxiety), quetiapine and pregabalin.

In the past I found that fluoxetine really helped with social anxiety and panic attacks.

Pregabalin is good for lowering overall generalised anxiety. It doesn't work 100% of the time and I still get moments of panic but it kind of takes things down a level.

Quetiapine was mildly helpful but only because it numbed everything out and made me sleep through life!

Are you in psychotherapy? That might be more helpful than medication because you can learn techniques to manage the anxiety better or target the cause of the anxiety so there's less of it in the first place. I've found EMDR especially helpful in dealing with trauma related anxiety.

Good luck!

[Wonderland.]

Thank you for your ideas!

Pregablin is one I have heard a lot about.

I'm still waiting for psychotherapy, it's a very very long list in my area. Currently been waiting 19 months *sigh*

[Fire Fly]

I'm going to second pregablin. It has literally been a life saver for me. I can do things which I haven't been able to before.

[Wonderland.]

Really glad to hear it's been so helpful for you Rupi!

[Wonderland.]

Thank you Carmen!

I am on Propranolol which is a beta blocker and find it great for the physical side of anxiety! No longer a shaky Ames thank goodness among other things.

And I am on Venlafaxine (Effexor) but have found it ineffective for both anxiety and low mood for me.

I am on other thing meds as well put they don't relate.

I do, do yoga at home, and try with meditation (put kinda suck at it), and other self soothing things. And do find exercise to be helpful especially when agitated/restless due to anxiety.

[tiptoes]

If you are finding the venlafaxine ineffective for your low mood and anxiety do you think it is worth seeing whether there is a medication that would help both? My anxiety got notably better when my mood was better managed and when my anxiety got bad again an increase in my mood meds was really helpful. Looking at the broader picture might be worth considering.