Medication for intrusive thoughts.

[peacealways]

Last night was my first night taking the antidepressant Lexapro...it was HELL! Panic attacks rapid heart beating shivering and hot flashes.

What was the best medication that worked for you all who were put on it for anxiety ?

[MyNameIsTerry]

These medications come with side effects and they can make you even more anxious until your body adjusts to them. This can take a few weeks and its different for everyone.

I wouldn't say any of the two medications, Citalopram and Duloxetine, have worked for me. They have helped, but they can't work as they are not cures so until I pull myself out of this, I won't consider either of them to be especially effective.

Has your doctor referred you for any therapy?

[SADnomore]

I found Zoloft/sertraline very helpful for intrusive/OCD thoughts. Poof! Away they went. I felt very levelled out, as well. This was a godsend at the time. But after several months, for me, I found that they were interfering with my experience of empathy for others. My brain knew what they were going through was tough, but I didn't "feel their pain" if you know what I mean. And while I didn't feel depressed, neither did I feel joy or excitement about anything. So I withdrew from them on a schedule from the doctor.

Now I am taking Effexor/venlaxafine, which has helped me to steer my mind away from the OCD thoughts, rather than block them completely. Terry is right, though, medications are not the be all and end all, we need to learn how to steer our own minds and actions, and there are therapies to help us with that.

And yes, unfortunately, whether you decide to continue with Lexapro or ask for a change, virtually ALL of these drugs will include a start-up period of fairly intense side effects. Yours sound quite normal. The good news is that they do go away in time. :D

Hang in there and keep posting, we want to help! :bighug1:
Marie

[peacealways]

im scared to continue taking them. My anxiety got worse which increased the intrusive suicidal thoughts matching with the sexual ones.

[MyNameIsTerry]

They are likely to do this as they can make you more anxious. I find that when I first start I become more anxious than when I went to my GP for help in the first place!!! These drug companies really need to sort these medications out so they are easier to start on them.

If it were your sexual thoughts, I would say try to get through to the other side. If you find an increase in suicidal thoughts, the instructions with these medications tell you to contact your doctor.

Your doctor can assess whether these are not suited to you, sometimes people have to try a few until they can successfully get onto them.

Being scare of this is natural, we all go through that part. My first time I was back with my GP after a couple of days. When I started my latest one I just didn't bother with my GP as I knew there was nothing I could do but try to get through to the other side.