AD Start up anxiety

[Revovlver]

Hi I am seeking help & support please

I have been off and on many meds over the last 17 years...Mainly due to anxiety driven depression...I was previously on 150mg Effexor with 30mg Mirtazipine.

However I again felt good enough to taper off the Effexor and finished my last dose around November 2017...Anyway over the last few weeks all the anxiety has come flooding back.

I then attempted to restart Effexor, however I could not tolerate the sky high anxiety and bailed after 4 days...My whole body was on fire and had no choice

Anyway I went to see my pdoc on Monday and he prescribed Duloxetine and increased my diazipam to 15mg p/d...My GP prescribed 6mg the week before

Other meds I have tried are

Peroxatine (successful until i went off and back on it twice...It then buried me)
Prozac (Took one pill and ended up on A&E)
Citalipram (Stuck 3 weeks at a very low dose, couldn't tolorate it)

Then came Effexor, which was gradually increased to 375mg, no success
Then they added Mirtazipine to the Effexor at 30mg and I could feel the cloud lifting, albeit I was riddled with extreme anxiety

I then pushed on for around 2 years with this combo and diazipam, hoping my body would heel naturally and it eventually. Did.

I then decreased the Effexor to 150mg and tapered off diazipam a few years back...I was never as good as I was on Poroxitine, but was doing okay till I stopped Effexor

I still remained on Mirtazipine which has now been increased to 45mg and Duloxetine added at 30mg on Monday... I am going through the start up anxiety associated with a new AD, as it has increased since starting the new AD

So would very much welcome some discussion and good news of getting through the start up anxiety of AD's

Sorry for the long post but hope I can comment with people going through the similar start up anxiety

Thanks for taking the time to read this post

[up a ladder]

Hi Revolver.
I can remember the first time way back in the 90s when I was prescribed Prozac. I looked at the pack for 2 weeks knowing that the start was going to be hard. And to be honest, as you have stated, it is.
The irony of being told "these tablets can take 6 weeks to have a positive effect and in those 6 weeks you may get some side effects" It would be so funny if it was not so bloody ironic. The very last thing you want to hear.
However, for me, I have stuck through the different side effects two or three times, and in general, despite how hard they can be, you just have to focus on the fact that they will help.
I can remember a 5 hr drive back from Lewisham after a horrible meeting with a headache that was so severe, I thought I was going to have a stroke. The frequent and urgent rushes to the loo and so many other things.
Do try to stick it if you can. I have never been brave enough to try and cope without meds and that was even in my periods of feeling well that in some cases lasted a year or so.
The good news is that there is so much more help available these days than there was in the early 90s and forums such as these are a real help.
I have just come off of Citalopram and am now on Sertraline, there were no side effects with the switch as they are both the same type of AD.

Keep in touch and look after yourself
David

[Ethansmom]

I'm struggling terrible on Citalopram. I've been on it for 6 weeks but just upped the dose and am having extreme anxiety (even more). Heart palpitations, waking up shaking in the morning, feeling on edge all day. Xanax barely helps these symptoms. I'm waiting for a call back. I'm not sure if it's worth waiting it out. I'm so depressed.

[snowghost57]

Hi I am seeking help & support please

I have been off and on many meds over the last 17 years...Mainly due to anxiety driven depression...I was previously on 150mg Effexor with 30mg Mirtazipine.

However I again felt good enough to taper off the Effexor and finished my last dose around November 2017...Anyway over the last few weeks all the anxiety has come flooding back.

I then attempted to restart Effexor, however I could not tolerate the sky high anxiety and bailed after 4 days...My whole body was on fire and had no choice

Anyway I went to see my pdoc on Monday and he prescribed Duloxetine and increased my diazipam to 15mg p/d...My GP prescribed 6mg the week before

Other meds I have tried are

Peroxatine (successful until i went off and back on it twice...It then buried me)
Prozac (Took one pill and ended up on A&E)
Citalipram (Stuck 3 weeks at a very low dose, couldn't tolorate it)

Then came Effexor, which was gradually increased to 375mg, no success
Then they added Mirtazipine to the Effexor at 30mg and I could feel the cloud lifting, albeit I was riddled with extreme anxiety

I then pushed on for around 2 years with this combo and diazipam, hoping my body would heel naturally and it eventually. Did.

I then decreased the Effexor to 150mg and tapered off diazipam a few years back...I was never as good as I was on Poroxitine, but was doing okay till I stopped Effexor

I still remained on Mirtazipine which has now been increased to 45mg and Duloxetine added at 30mg on Monday... I am going through the start up anxiety associated with a new AD, as it has increased since starting the new AD

So would very much welcome some discussion and good news of getting through the start up anxiety of AD's

Sorry for the long post but hope I can comment with people going through the similar start up anxiety

Thanks for taking the time to read this post

Wow 17 years on medication? I tried them a few years ago and couldn't tolerate the side effects. I had a major meltdown a few months ago and started Zoloft. I lasted 20 days. It did teach me to control my intrusive thoughts. I have read the other responses here and everyone agrees that 6 weeks is the norm for start up for meds. I'm curious, have you ever tried to cope with life without medication? I am doing fairly well with out the medications. I just can't imagine 17 years of medication.