Is there really no anxiety anti-anxiety meds that for work me and I have to re-sign myself to just dealing with this horrific generalised anxiety disorder by myself?

[Mindfullness]

Has anyone found that no meds work fir them? I am Just so fed up as no medication seems to work and I know I need something. I have had GAD for many years and have failed to find anything that works :( Citalopram was horrific and I couldn't sleep for 3 days after taking it! Mirtazapine is great for helping me sleep but tried for 6 weeks and my anxiety got worse, Sertraline was good for anxiety but I ended up putting on 2 stone, my cholestrol went sky high and it exacerbated my arthritis, finally I tried Prozac, couldn't sleep for a month and was like a zombie, which I can't have as I work full time. Please share your stories with me. I have also tried 5 htp, yoga and meditation and they do help but the anxiety is still single debilitating.

Shocking typos

I take pregabalin and it's fantastic I tried gabapentine before that and that didn't work for me. The SSRI's can be good for anxiety but they can also make it worse and some have side effects of suicidal thoughts.

Venlafaxine and duloxetine are second line alternatives to SSRIs and mirtazepine

I find myself in very similar position and I don't have the answer I'm afraid. I was on citalopram for years. Then escitalopram which was better I think. My Dr suggested mirtazipine but I know for a fact it's an appetite stimulant. Sertraline is her latest suggestion and I don't want it because of weight gain.

I am running out of ideas but you really are not alone with this. I totally understand - it's shit

Cuppa why secondline? Expense? I might look into these

Sounds like you wouldn't welcome citalopram back in a hurry but..., I am on a very low dose and it's amazing for my anxiety. The first 2 weeks were awful and I nearly gave up (sleepless nights, more anxiety than before and other rubbish things) but my friend who is on it talked me into sticking with it and it has totally sorted me out. I hope you find something that works for you. Have they always started you on a low or high dose?

The NICE guidelines for GAD suggest that if SSRI's or SNRI's do not prove effective then it is advised to try Pregabalin. So maybe ask your prescriber?

From my experience some medication alongside a decent course of CBT (with a therapist you like and get along with) is the most effective treatment for most anxiety disorders.

Hi OP, I just have a diagnosis of anxiety rather than GAD so I'm not sure of the differences but I hope some of this might help.

I also tried citalopram and mirtazipine, I had awful experiences on both of them, so you're not alone in your experiences of them. Citalopram gave me awful nightmares and upset stomachs, I put on 3 stone with mirtazipine and it definitely made my anxiety much worse, even though my consultant kept on saying "it must all be in your head, mirtazipine is used to treat anxiety" which was helpful. I found 5htp made me worse too, quite jittery.

In my anxiety tool kit is meditation (I know you've tried it but try to stick with it if you can), emotional freedom technique, hypnotherapy, yoga/stretching, yoga nidra (which is really just a deep relaxation technique) and other deep relaxation techniques like progressive muscular relaxation twice a day, walking 3 times a day after each meal (helps get adrenaline out of my system).

I work but part time hours, and to be honest I feel like I don't have a lot of life outside that trying to manage my symptoms sometimes and I do a lot of avoidance of things I know will make me worse (the news, certain people, certain situations) which I know is counterproductive in the long term.

I've recently got part way through Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, which I think has helped a bit. I also read the first Claire Weeks book a while back, a bit old fashioned but helped at the time.

I hope that you can find something that works for you, whether it's medicine or non-medicine based, also hat off to you for working full time with GAD.

nothing works for me so far , supposed to be trying a new anti psychotic (when i get to see consultant)

Thanks everyone, I will definitely look into Pregabalin and looked at the Yoga Nidra. We use those techniques at the end of my Yoga class but didn't know what it was called. I love it!
It is exhausting working full time trying to pretend you are okay (as I am sure you are all well aware of how that feels :( ). It's people I find the hardest to be honest!

Benzodiazapines, sleeping pills (z drugs) and Mirtazapine combo is all that has worked for me, still do checking, get paranoid, insomnia at times. I have to add Promethazine at times too.

I'm on setraline and I didn't know about the weight gain. I did know about the risk of upset stomach. Only too well unfortunately. Had rather a public meltdown today. My GP said there wasn't an alternative. That all drugs had similar side effects and to put up with it, stop the drug or maybe try every other day.

Have you tried propranolol?
I had awful anxiety (health and gad) and I take 40mg 3x daily and 20mg citalopram at night. It's given me my life back, I still have 'moments' but nothing like what I had before.

You might not believe this but i took a probiotic tablet daily for upset stomach and turns out it helps greatly with depression and anxiety. Who knew?

I hate drugs and the effect they've had on my mind (mania and/or psychosis) so have resisted but am on q anti-psychotic, started in the second trimester of my first pregnancy after not taking presiptions and eventually being referred to a psychiatrist. Lowest dose seems effective for my sleep but it's coincided with family health issues so really depressed today. Oh, and I'm getting migraines. I'm working really hard on my health and it's just set back after set back. At least I don't have a migraine as I had one so bad on Friday I was tempted to overdose on anti-psychotics so I need a stronger pain killer prescribed. I had paramax on the bedside table but knew their was stronger stuff in the bathroom. I called the gp, didn't tell them as I don't want it on my record, fear of social services stayed in bed until it passed. Thoughts subsided as the baby kicked so I had intense guilt.

Wolfiefan - it's rubbish isn't it :(
Pitter Patter - I did try Propranalol but they made me go redder than before. I have a problem with blushing too!
Andy - Interesting about Probiotics.
Lyra - I am sorry you are going through such a hard time. It's just exhausting isn't it to try and feel relatively "normal". I hope you are feeling a little better tonight xx

I take propranolol (which I really have for hypertension but helps with anxiety too), benzodiazepines and an AD called Valdoxan, pretty much the only one I can take. I know benzos get a bad rap but they are very effective for anxiety. Many patients can make them work with only occasional use. I am on them permanently but am very slowly reducing dose. I also take pregabalin but it's for chronic pain, I don't think it has an effect on my anxiety.

Have you tried buspirone? Works for some people, but personally pregabalin saved my life.

I genuinely found Magnesium supplements helped

I'd tried therapy, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Dosulepin, Fluvoxamine, Venlafaxine, Mirtazapine, Propranolol and Pregabalin over the last 15 years and still suffered with anxiety and depression but Magnesium helped a lot

Venlafaxine and cbt help me enormously

Sorry you’re suffering. Have you tried therapy? DBT? I know some people get CBT on NHS, sometimes helpful. DBT is completely different, in my view much more effective.
Have also found giving up alcohol completely for periods of time and increasing exercise in fresh air helps hugely. Good luck

Exercise has really helped - couldn't believe how many symptoms were reduced when I began seriously getting fit . Meditation also really helpful. Anxiety doesn't totally go away - it is a normal part of life - but these days I'm much better at getting a grip on it at about level 3 and stopping it going all the way to eleven!!!

andy what** probiotic did you take?

Duloxetine has cured me of anxiety-I suffered for 20 years.

I second magnesium. I’m on citalopram for anxiety/ocd but also take agnus caster, Passion flower and magnesium. They seem to really help.