To ask what medication you take for anxiety panic depression

[kizziee]

I am asking here rather than 'mental health' to get wider / extra views.
I had a relapse earlier this year after years on a low dose old fashioned tricyclic.
Dr advised increasing the dose again but unfortunately this time it hasn't worked. (Been over 3 months.)
I've been doing all self help and seeing a psychologist too but it's still so severe and affecting every area of my life.
Although depression involved it definitely starts as anxiety / panic but it's not related to anything specific - just 'there.'
I've had some time off work but didn't solve anything.
I'm really worried about the prospect of changing medication but I know not much choice now.

I take trazodone having been on pretty much everything else.

Because medication doesn't work.....

1st episode escilatopram, diazepam and depakote. After a while stopped depakote and diazepam and replaced with trazodone. Stayed on escilatopram and trazodone for a while and then trazodone only.

2nd episode sertraline, diazepam and trazodone. Had to give up sertraline due to some unwanted side effects.

Works for me.

I take Sertraline, a high-ish dose. In a previous episode I took Citalopram. Both effective but I found Sertraline gives me fewer side effects in the long term.

@bernieaa interested to hear why you say that

@Mistymist do you mind if I ask what problems you had with sertraline

I take citalopram daily and then propanolol when I need them for panic attacks. I tried switching to sertraline for awhile but it made me suicidal so I went back on citalopram. It doesn't get rid of the anxiety or depression for me, but I suppose it must do something because I'm able to function day to day, and when I tried a different medication I couldn't.

@mynameiscalypso do you find it helpful - does it make you sleepy ?

@kizziee I take it at night but it doesn't have much of a sedative effect on me (but not much does). It does help my stay asleep though when I finally get off to sleep which is great because I have very broken sleep normally. I still wake up in the night when my 4 year old wakes though so it's the perfect balance for me. It's also improved my mood a lot but it does seem to have a very short half life so notice if I skip a dose.

@kizziee I had extreme nightsweats and an awful one side hand shaking. Other than that, I felt fine, it took the edge off and I was able to function and I was quite upset that I had to stop them, especially because it took me a while to get used to them.

I take sertraline 100mg and bisoprolol 5mg.
the bisoprolol wasn’t actually prescribed for anxiety but for a cardiac event I had, but an added bonus is that it’s stopped the palpitations and ‘skipped’ heartbeats.

I’ve been on and off antidepressants since I was 14 (now 42) and I can definitely see the difference they make

Venafalaxine keeps me stable.

Sertraline. 2wks of drowsiness then no more issues. Murdered my libido though, so decided to come off it after a few years.

I manage now on St John's Wort - it's nearly as effective but less "deadening" emotionally.

Citalopram made me totally dead inside. No laughter is an awful way to live, but better than the alternative.

Medication can help, but it's not a cure. Changing career helped a lot.

My daughter took sertraline for a while (first year uni) and whenever she had alcohol she fitted and had absences. We just started testing for epilepsy when we realised. Also caused loads of other side affects like twitches, shaking and dizziness without alcohol too. She found it to be a really horrible drug that is very hard to come off too. She would never go on that again. She now takes propanalol (or something like that) occasionally.

Thank you so much for the replies and answers to my questions.

@bernieaa I don't know to be honest. All I do know is that when I'm ok I love my job and life. I eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly. Enjoy social things and love being with family. And then I get hit by this and I find it very difficult to function.

Interesting to see how significantly different the experiences are in the same medications.
I have had horrible start ups in the past (and will also have the withdrawal from the one I'm on at the moment) but I can't carry on like this.

Sertraline has been amazing for me. After the first two weeks things just got better and better, I can't recommend it highly enough.

Sertraline was really good for me the first time.i used it, I was on it for 6 years but then stopped for 2 before going back on it. Unfortunately the second time I tried it it triggered migraines and I cannot stop them now. I need to look into something else (my 2am hysterical panic attack last night has made me hyper aware that I cannot cope anymore)

I have taken Seroxat for years, it keeps me same. I can't take Paroxetine, only the branded one.

This is me at the moment. I wonder if I just "mask" how I feel alot of the time and then it all builds up and I end up how I currently feel. Retreating to the bedroom and staying here unable to function or communicate with anyone in real life. I've muted WhatsApp and haven't looked at my messages for days, as I can't bear to respond to anyone. I've tried sertraline on and off, and haven't found it makes much difference, and the initial side effects are hard. Just letting you know, you aren't alone, although I have no answers either.

I found Sertraline to have some effect on my anxiety but none on my depression. I didn’t like the side effects, which included weight gain for me. Not the case for everyone though. Upping the dose had no impact beyond a certain point.

Sertraline (150mg per day) and propanalol when needed

I’m on fluoxetine, it has really helped me cope with my anxiety being panicky and depression, it has really calmed me down. Doesn’t make me feel like a zombie or anything, sometimes can have really weird dreams but defo works for me x

Me too.

Wonder drug. Turned me into me again. No side effects.

Sertraline and CBT ... Saved my life.