If you’ve ever taken anti anxiety medication, what was your experience of it ?

[GingerKittenTail]

And what did you take ?

i think I might be heading down that road

Propanol for 8 years.

For the last 4 years, I’ve also been taking -

Diazepam - 2mg x2 a day, initially prescribed by GP due to a traumatic event but was referred to Psych a month later as it became clear I had CPTSD and was trauma stacked, who have continued to prescribe it. For a while I was on it daily, take it as and when now. Game changing when I couldn’t function.

Quetiapine (150mg at worst, 25mg now) and Pregabalin (600mg at worst, 50mg now) - also prescribed by Psych. Also game changing.

Oh and Amitriptylene alongside the Prop for the first 3 years

Life changing experience with citalopram here too, I wish I'd taken it years ago. I feel on an even keel and calm. It makes me drive so much better too, I hadn't realised how much of a dangerous driver anxiety had made me. I don't plan to ever come off.

My doc gave me Propanolol a few years ago when a noisy neighbour led to months if sleep deprivation and night the anxiety. I took one when I felt anxious and felt relaxed with 10 minutes. I just took 2 or3 a week for a few weeks. Then 1, then none. I still have 10 or so left in case I ever need them. No side effects. Not addictive. They work on physical symptoms not mental health.

Sert is an SSRI not a Benzo.

Not all anti anxiety meds are Benzos

I truly have no problem with anyone having found good things about psychotropic meds but for me, they have totally ruined my life. Living with involuntary movements in my face, body and tongue for the past 7 years has been hell and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.

For those who do get benefits from them, please keep taking them. I'm glad they help you but they aren't always for everyone and unfortunately they harmed, not helped me.😭💔

Fluoxetine landed me in A&E 3 times in 3 days, where I was finally diagnosed with Serotonin Syndrome. I thought I was going to die. Was only a 40mg dose too so not high.

So I guess you could say my experience was life changing - totally for all the wrong reasons 😞💔

@HardLanding so sorry to hear about your terrible experience 😢

I got tardive dyskinesia from only a week of the antipsychotic so some of us are very vulnerable and sensitive 🥺

And yet many people have such a horrendous time trying to come off SSRIs that they give up and stay on them indefinitely. GPs don't tell you about that though.

Propanalol saved my life.

I still take one occasionally if I've got a stressful situation. I call them my magic pills.

@DewinDwl I came off citalopram too quickly and yes it was horrendous, I tried again very slowly with zero issues, it can be done.

Thank you for this. I’ll give it a whirl when I next feel awful.

@SpudsIluv I'm so glad it helped you too, I had no idea postnatal anxiety could be so awful! X

I could never get 'on' SSRIs in the first place due to the side effects, but I was on venlafaxine for six months or so and that was horrible to come off. So glad I did it as I just felt completely flat on it, like a zombie, no happiness at all. I've heard of people unable to come off it due to withdrawal effects.

Benzos I just took when I needed them.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with me
woke at 5 after going to bed at midnight and my heart is pounding
feel sick

going through stress with building work and can’t cope with the mess

not sure how much longer I can hang on

Thought I could try and hold on until the project is complete and then see if I calm down
but I’m not sure I can

I was prescribed propanolol as I’m unable to take SSRIs or anything like that.
Absolute game changer for me. I’m prescribed 20mg 3 times a day, but take 10mg, at night, or 20mg if I’m unable to ground myself.
Ive tried everything else, CBT, mindfulness, meditation, nothing helps like the propanolol. Also usual with migraines. It did take me a fortnight to decide to get the tablets, and another week to actually take them, as I’ve had so many side effects from others. All good though, and I am happy with facing up to my anxiety during the day, but at night, I need it.

ThAt should be ‘helpful with migraines’ 🙄

So very sorry to hear this

It totally changed my life. I have PTSD and now I am calm and able to cope with my pressured full time job. I think I'd probably be dead by now without it.

I take fluoxetine and amitriptilene

don’t ever plan to come off either

Same here. Minor side effects of headaches for a couple of weeks and I'm tired - but that could he other meds I take.
I can cope with life much better now. I'm still me though - just calmer.

@GingerKittenTail if it's a pounding and sickness you're feeling then propanolol may be the best to try. It worked for me when I was under similar levels of high stress and needed a temporary calmer for my racing heart at night.

@HardLanding I had Serotonin Syndrome too. I really don’t think it’s talked about enough, hardly any of the medics I’ve met along the way know about it. It also explained why I am so sensitive to other drugs too - Fentanyl is commonly used and in the two surgeries I had, I was unexplainably ill afterwards and it was probably this.