anybody feel this way?

[heyybeth92]

I have been diagnosed with GAD...and had been on effexor for 5 years and it worked fine....the last couple years I've been feeling more anxiety symptoms. Right now I have felt like I have constant anxiety for about 2 weeks. I just feel like something is wrong inside me or my surroundings are wrong...and I feel really jittery and anxious..like I need to get up and go...and sometimes I just feel a sick panicky feeling...like I can't sit still. Are these normal symptoms? Can medicines that use to work perfectly just quit working?

[HalfJack]

I don't know about your meds but I've had friends who have periods of restlessness due to their anxiety, have you told your Dr about it?

[MyNameIsTerry]

This is very common with GAD. I've been there, all day 24/7 worrying week after week. Its what I refer to as my worst stage of anxiety because I just felt on the edge all the time and often wondering how on earth I was sleeping.

Have you altered your medication recently as that can cause it? If not, then its not that it has stopped working its just that your anxiety has become more intense and you need to work on reducing it. Your GP could try and increase it but in reality no medication cures GAD, it only helps reduce it a bit and puts you back on more of an even keel so that you can start tackling it.

2 weeks is easily normal as is a much longer period (not saying you will experience that).

Have you been offered any therapy?

[heyybeth92]

Thanks for your reply!
I had been 100% symptom free for 5 years after starting effexor...then two years ago anxiety symptoms returned and it's been lingering ever since then. Some weeks are fine, not great, but good...Some weeks are horrible. This has been my first period of really intense anxiety though. Because my symotoms have been lingering for the last 2 years I am wondering if it is my medication losing its effectiveness.