To ask those that have been diagnosed with anxiety…..

[MoneybagsIamnot]

Are you on any medication and if so, has it helped? Any horrible/negative side effects?

Sorry, posting in here for traffic more than anything. For years I think I have been struggling with anxiety. I am constantly stressed, worried and anxious. Lately (due to work troubles) this has gotten worse and I nearly always have a churning in my stomach and get heart palpitations.

I over analyse everything and every situation, I worry people dislike me or are in a mood with me all the time (I don’t think they do or are but it is something I worry and am paranoid about every day) I worry about my family and partner dying A LOT. I worry about money, my health…just about everything.

For the past few months I have been having real trouble sleeping…I just CAN’T switch my mind off. I’ve tried so many things herbal teas, herbal tablets, liquid stuff, meditation, not looking at my phone an hour before bed, relaxing music etc. None of it has worked.

I’m wondering whether I am suffering from anxiety and whether going to the Drs and getting some medication may help? It would be reluctant as I really dislike the thought of it, but I am fed up of feeling this way and I really need to start getting some sleep!

Mirtazapane has been a absolute miracle for my anxiety .

I take citalopram and I bloody love it. The only side effect I had was difficulty sleeping for 2-3 days after I started. That went away along with the anxiety. Been on it for three years and I generally only have "normal" anxiety over the things "normal" people would worry about.

Best thing I ever did was go to the GP and get that prescription.

It does sound like you are suffering from anxiety. Medication may help but you have to find the right one for you and possibly be prepared to try more than one.

I was prescribed 50 mg sertaline daily for similar symptoms about 6 weeks ago. I have noticed a definite improvement in the last couple of weeks. The racing/intrusive thoughts, feelings of dread, racing heart, crying fits etc have all stopped.

Before the meds I was already doing a lot of self-care stuff - I exercise every day, I tried mindfulness practice, ensured I got plenty of sleep etc. But it wasn't helping.

Antidepressants aren't a quick fix - I had a rocky time for the first couple of weeks on them, but that's not unusual. And the trade off is that my emotions are rather muted now. Last night I watched the ending of the new series of Orange is the New Black and I didn't squeeze out a single tear. That is incredibly unusual for me: I'm someone who cries readily at films/TV/news stories/music. It's not like I don't feel the emotion - I do - I feel it just as deeply, but it's somehow not as acute and the release of crying just doesn't happen, it stays all in there with nowhere to go. Still, as I say - it's a trade off and I'll accept it if it means I can function in my work and as a parent.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. You're certainly not alone - these are interesting times, and I think a lot of people are feeling on the edge. x

If your anxiety is severe then medication could be best in the short term along with CBT. Most drugs have side effects which differ for different people. Your GP should monitor this and change your prescription if necessary.
If your symptoms are not too sever CBT should be ok... Also try mindfulness techniques once you feel a bit better.
I had extremely severe anxiety with depression and constant panic attacks many years ago so I had to have medication but it was therapy that really made the difference once I was more stable.
Good luck.

I haven't been diagnosed with anxiety but I have propranolol for public speaking anxiety, and sometimes I take it for other situations as well. It calms me right down and makes me feel 'normal' again when my nerves are all over the place.

*Sorry, public speaking phobia.

I'm on sertraline. It's changed my life. I still have anxiety and depression but I feel SO much better on the medication.
No side affects now. First few weeks they made me unbelievably tired a few hours after taking them. Also disrupted my sleep a bit. That went away after a month and I feel like a new person tbh.

I was vehemently anti meds but pnd wiped me out. Venlafaxine and cbt were and are the saving of me. Pnd has become a grim generalised anxiety disorder- i recognise your description very well! About 12 million people have told me that if I broke my leg I would accept a cast until it got better and that the venlafaxine is just the same sort of necessary, effective support and, annoyingly, they're right...

I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder and have been pretty ill with in in the past.

I take Citalopram daily, and Diazepam occasionally when a bad spell is coming on. Citalopram keeps me mostly well - makes me feel like I have some ground under my feet. When I can feel myself sinking very deep, 1-2 days of Diazepam can shut my racing mind down long enough so that it can recalibrate.

I have had CBT and it is useful, but I needed medication to get me to a point where I could engage with it - I was just too ill. Ditto mindfulness and exercise. Watching caffeine, sleep and blood sugar also helps, but isn't enough on its own.

The only downside is that coming off Citalopram (which I wanted to do for pregancy) was hard going for me. I was warned that stopping Diazepam could be hard (I have taken it continuously for 4-6 weeks at my worst), but I found that no problem at all. Everyone's different.

I take Propanolol. It has really helped the symptoms of anxiety (and with almost immediate effect) but makes me VERY tired. I therefore take as little as possible and adjust the time of day when I take it (ie none in the morning so I can get some work and other things done). It is worth it not to feel permanently full of adrenaline and full of dread. I'm also doing some CBT with a counsellor.

How much propranolol are people on?

I'm on citalopram, but it makes me fat and I keep grinding my teeth. I've found that the only thing that helps is taking a complete rest, not working, not seeing people, and going for long walks.

Propanolol has stopped me grinding my teeth!
I'm on 10mg a day, down from 30mg at the beginning. It's sufficient to keep the anxiety/panic away and makes me feel a lot calmer and more able to cope.

I was on Citalopram for years and it didn't cause weight gain in me as another person said but everyone's different. Ive also had psychology, I wouldn't go on meds without asking for psychology as it helps to have them together but psychology takes a while to work and the meds can help bridge the gap. I def wouldn't go on struggling the way you are when it starts to affect your sleep thAts the time to seek help x

I'm on citalopram.

I used to miss work because I couldn't face going out the front door. When I went in I'd feel sick driving; I couldn't have music on in the car because I found it so hard to concentrate that the slightest distraction made me panic. I once sat crying in the car fr half an hour outside Lidl because I couldn't make myself get out of the car and go in.

Now I'm consistently calm and happy. I sleep really well, I don't have a problem leaving the house, I don't cry outside Lidl! We're moving house in two weeks, I'm in a constant flurry of paperwork, planning and packing, and I'm completely unflustered by it all.

I've had no side effects.

I'm on citalopram. The first week was awful. But slowly came out of it and so much better now. Wish I'd done it years ago.

Sertraline was fantastic, i used to take it for years. I did find that certain brands worked wonders ( a cheap generic was the best thing ever!) however i found myself getting sick everytime i was given a different brand ( till i found the cheap one and got my pharmacy to keep ordering that one) anyone else had this? Reactions to different brands?

I used to take propranolol in the morning - but at the highest dose in the morning. It works really nicely. If I took it late afternoon I couldn't sleep.
I laid right off the caffeine and this seemed to help even more.
I also took/take magnesium before bed and this helped me sleep and is calming too.

GP suggested 1-3 10mg propranolol tablets up to three times a day. I've mostly been fine with one twice a day, but have taken two.

They're almost miraculous, just cut off the physical feelings of anxiety and it breaks the vicious circle I tend to get into. I wish I'd gone to see my GP years ago about this!

Don't ever feel ashamed for taking medication, you can't help what the chemicals in your brain are doing. You deserve to have a calmer mind! My mum takes pills for anxiety and she's back to her normal happy self. She was worried she would become a zombie but she hasn't, her personality is unchanged just without the anxious thoughts.

Hi OP

Wow it's like I wrote your post. Word for word.
I have been so so anxious in my life.
It's horrific at times. Like you I constantly over think things, people's reactions etc. My mind races at times, I have panic attacks, trouble sleeping, intense dreams, fear of people, fear of death, fear of the future, fear of being a failure.

I'm currently signed off work. Been taking Citalopram for 8 weeks now.
It's definitely helped. It makes me feel less panicky and a bit more rational.
It took a couple of weeks for them to start to have an effect, but it was worth persevering for.

I also am reading "At Last A Life" by Paul David.
Please have a look at it. It's amazing.

I wish you all the best

I take 40 mg propranolol and, like pp, it makes me really, really tired when it's wearing off. But I don't take it regularly so I'm not sure if I would have the same issue if I had a constant dose in my system.

Oh well. 'All magic comes with a price!'

Hello everyone!

Thank you so, so much for all your lovely responses and comments.

My main worry re going on medication IS putting on weight, I have had an eating disorder in the past and battle with my weight everyday (I'm a size 6-8 so know I'm slim but if I put on even a couple of lb, or can't exercise for a few days I REALLY panic) I know putting on weight would have a very negative impact on my mental health.

I have decided to try and get an appointment with my GP next week and take it from there. I just want to sleep : cries : it's been years since I've had an uninterrupted nights sleep. I long for one! I also long to not be convinced that everyone i know isn't bitching about me, to not worry over every FB comment or like, or lack of. To just stop worrying about every tiny thing really!!!

Hi OP, I felt like you a couple of months ago and couldn't do anything about it, and I just took myself off to this place in the middle of nowhere where there was a tiny one-room cottage with no phone reception, no internet, a stocked fridge and nothing else. Could you do that? It was like someone had pressed my reset button when I came home. Very liberating.