Which is the best anti anxiety medication?

[Newbuddies]

And did it work for you?

After a couple of years of trying other treatments I'm finally at the point where I've made an appointment to discuss medication with my GP.

Wondering about others experiences. Hoping I can find one that doesn't make me gain weight or give me insomnia, as these are problems I have anyway!

Have you tried mindfulness? Cbt? Excercise? Mindfulness and excercise helps me. I’ve recently started cbt too. Good luck.

Yes tried and still do, all those things and the Linden Programme, everything but meds.

I'm trying to do a bit of research on them before I go and chat about it.

Citralopram worked for me. I haven’t put on weight or have sleep issues.
I’ve also had counselling with a psychotherapist who specialised in childhood issues.
The combination of therapy and drugs has has worked wonders, I still have wobbles occasionally but I mostly feel like the person I should be, rather than an anxious mess.

Citalopram worked for me too. I think there might be a slight weight gain though but it's worth it to feel 'normal'.

Propranolol works incredibly well for me, though of course everyone is different!

If I take it when I begin feeling like I might spiral or go into a panic attack, it stops the physical symptoms of anxiety for me which then allows me to deal with the real situation.

So for example if I get in a state about an appointment, it gives me the clarity to think right it's normal I'm stressed about this but I need to get it done and it'll be over soon.

So I'm still anxious to an extent but a "normal" level that is understandable and healthy rather than spiralling.

I now take a dose every morning and then an extra one when I feel an anxiety / panic attack starting.

Hope that makes sense and that you find something that works for you. Anxiety is awful.

Duloxetine turned off my anxiety tap. Miraculous.

Oh and lots of counselling for me! CBT didn't do it for me and Ive realised that I sort of pretend I'm doing mindfulness without being able to actually do it.

Personally through counselling I've accepted I'm an anxious person and that I need to manage it, rather than previously thinking I need to not be an anxious person anymore.

I don't know if that makes sense from outside but it's been such a step change for me somehow.

I'm in the process of finding a counseller too. I had one and did lots of work but think I still have more to do.

My aim is to try to stop the physical symptoms of the spiral, panic attack part, hoping then I might have a better chance of breaking the mental cycle part of it.

Normal level anxiety would be wonderful!

Thanks for all the comments.

My aim is to try to stop the physical symptoms of the spiral, panic attack part, hoping then I might have a better chance of breaking the mental cycle part of it.

Poor you, it's horrible isnt it.

I have bipolar and epilepsy so am on separate medication for those but I've honestly found propranolol life changing.

It's exactly what you say - stopping the physical symptoms in their tracks so you can be "normal" anxious. For me at least!

I would definitely ask your GP about beta blockers like propranolol and see what they think.

I really hope you can find some improvement, it's horrible feeling yourself spiral

Mirtazapine and seeing a psychologist. One wouldn't have worked without the other I don't think.

Quetiapine, which is actually an anti-psychotic but nothing else worked long term for me worked for me. I once tried propranolol which helped with the physical symptoms of anxiety but my GP realised I shouldn't have it due to taking another Beta-Blocker for congenital heart defects.

Quetiapine absolutely changed my life, I am on a small dose of 100mg a night increasing to 150mg a night if I feel I need it. The first couple of weeks were a bit hard due to some low level side effects but once my body had got used to it things were fine. I find it regulates my moods and I sleep fantastically now whereas I used to get a couple of broken hours of sleep a night if I was lucky. My head and thought process is so much clearer now than it ever has been in my life. I have a counselling session once a week, which I fully realise I am very lucky to have and I had 22 sessions of CBT which also helped. I am diagnosed with Complex anxiety disorder with panic attacks, PTSD, OCD and depression.

As I had had really bad experiences with the many anti-depressants I have tried over the last 10 years I was quite averse to trying an anti-psychotic but I am so glad I persevered.

Mirtazapine and I hate it, I can’t get out of bed before 10, but I’m not as anxious as I was . I’ve also been offered quetiapine but I’m very scared of it, I’m worried I’ll want to sleep all day long !

I’ve had CBT and counselling but right now very much dealing alone, I took a nervous breakdown a year ago and have had one mental health appointment since ...

I’m diagnosed OCD, PTSD and suspected to have some degree of autism as well .