Just dipping my toe in the water...

Hi everyone,
I am along time sufferer of anxiety (mainly health anxiety). I am 43 and in I’ve been on fluoxetine a couple of times in the past for severe anxiety that also lead to depression. I had good results but the side effects were awful the first few weeks. A couple of years ago I tried to start Sertraline but it made me feel awful and after 5 weeks my mood was no better so I quit. I’m in a rut again at the moment and the Dr suggested Escitalopram. I also have a friend who has done really well on this drug. I would like to know people’s experiences of getting onto this drug as I have a rough ride with the side effects, and also how effective have you found it? I know everyone is different but it’s good to get some feedback from other people who have been on this journey. I am really thinking about starting meds again as I want to get my anxiety in check and try to get some control back over my life.

I’m on sertraline and it does help for me. But my doctor has also suggested beta blockers..... although I’ve never tried these. I know meds are very personal. It very certainly is not a case of one size fits all

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Originally Posted by cattia

I’ve been on fluoxetine a couple of times in the past for severe anxiety that also lead to depression. I had good results but the side effects were awful the first few weeks. A couple of years ago I tried to start Sertraline but it made me feel awful and after 5 weeks my mood was no better so I quit.

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For reasons which aren't all that clear, side-effects tend to become progressively more severe each time ADs are stopped and restarted. They are also likely to be different each time too and it may also take longer for the AD to kick in.

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I’m in a rut again at the moment and the Dr suggested Escitalopram. I also have a friend who has done really well on this drug. I would like to know people’s experiences of getting onto this drug as I have a rough ride with the side effects,

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Escitalopram, and the related citalopram, usually produce less severe side-effects than the other SSRIs, although there are no guarantees. The best way of minimising side-effects is to start on a low dose and ramp it up by the same small amount until reaching the minimum effective dose (10mg for escitalopram). So ask your GP to prescribe it initially in 5mg dose tablets and get the okay to begin taking only half a tablet for the first 7-10 days, increasing by half a tablet every week until you're on 10mg. 5mg tablets are usually not scored so you will need a pill cutter available from all good pharmacies. They are less bloody than using a knife, ime.