How long to take effect?

[borderfox]

Hi all. Going back a few years, I was originally prescribed xanax. My condition is one of social anxiety. As my tolerance rose, I became concerned about being hooked on this med. I was then put on lexapro - which worked fine for 1 year. I was gradually reducing the amount of xanax (1mg/day - back down to .25mg or at the best point, none) taken with it - until I had it all but stamped out. Then lexapro bombed out on me.

I went back to the doc with this - and she has started me on lustral. I've spent 3 weeks @ 50mg and just completed week 4 @ 100mg. In the meantime, my need for xanax is going back up.

I am really hoping lustral can do more. Is it too early to make a judgement on it? I am really concerned as at the moment, i am trying to not take much xanax - but find I can't 'hold it together' at work if I don't..

[Dahlia]

You need to give it a good 6 weeks (even 8) to see if it is working. 100mg is a good dose, so you (hopefully) should start to see some improvement soon. I'm not surprised your need for the Xanax has gone back up - SSRIs can make you feel more anxious for a few weeks before they kick in.

Good luck!

Dahlia

[borderfox]

You need to give it a good 6 weeks (even 8) to see if it is working. 100mg is a good dose, so you (hopefully) should start to see some improvement soon. I'm not surprised your need for the Xanax has gone back up - SSRIs can make you feel more anxious for a few weeks before they kick in.
Good luck!
Dahlia

Thanks for your post Dahlia. It's good to get an insight from someone who (although all cases are specific to the individual) has somewhat similar experiences - particularly with the meds involved.
I went to see my Dr. today. She has increased my prescription for sertraline/lustral to 150mg. The last couple of weeks, I have really being struggling to hold it together. Its very difficult to resist increasing xanax but then I can't live with the state I find myself in - in the workplace - it's the stuff of nightmares. I'm now at a stage where I need 5x0.25mg xanax/working day. I really hope the sertraline works.

I've also agreed to go back and give CBT a second shot - so she is arranging this for me. As impossible and frustrating as I found it, I feel like I don't have any choice but to pick it back up and try again.

[borderfox]

Since last posting, my Lustral was increased to 150mg - but I had to go back to the doctor again - as this simply isn't effective. Now i'm being given 175mg - but i'm not sure I have faith in this doing the job. I've had to increase my xanax intake - to 6x0.25mg per working day (ie. 5 days/week). Not so long ago, I was just taking 3x0.25mg.

I'm very concerned.

[Dahlia]

Hi Borderfox

It could be that this med just isn't the one for you. I had a similar response to venlafaxine, we kept putting up the dose but to no avail. Now you've got this far on sertraline, I would say give the 175mg a shot - and then ask to switch to another med if you get no relief. I know how frustrating and demoralising it is waiting for something to work, going through initial side effects and then nothing to show for it.

I guess there are also other anti-anxiety meds to try apart from Xanax, eg Lyrica, Buspirone - they are non addictive. I have an anti-histamine called Atarax, which is sedating and used short term for anxiety (I heard about it from a US website, my UK GP didn't really know much about it but agreed to let me try!). I sometimes take that instead of diazepam for work.

Let us know how you get on.

Dahlia

[borderfox]

It could be that this med just isn't the one for you.

I guess so...if that turns out to be the case...I hope they have another option that will offer a lifeline..

I would say give the 175mg a shot

Just started on it a couple of hours ago. (fingers crossed).

then ask to switch to another med if you get no relief. I know how frustrating and demoralising it is waiting for something to work, going through initial side effects and then nothing to show for it.

yeah....that would be a nightmare scenario - I really can't sustain episodes like that at work.

Let us know how you get on.
Dahlia

Will do. Thanks for posting.

[Dahlia]

If you switch from sertraline to another SSRI by cross tapering it shouldn't be too bad. If necessary, perhaps schedule a couple of weeks holiday from work?

I understand your predicament - sertraline isn't doing much for my anxiety, but it's helping my low mood which is making me more receptive to facing my anxiety. I've had 2 withdrawals this year and time off work, so there's no way I could go through another one anytime soon.