Best SSRI for anxiety

[Starsandmoon19]

I really need to do something to calm my anxiety and overthinking.
I’m currently doing cbt for ocd too.
I need an SSRI which will calm my anxiety and stop me overthinking things so much. Also one which is less likely to cause weight gain.
Even my dd (16) is picking up on my overthinking, etc and I really want to do something to help it.
Thanks for any advice 😊

I am on venlafaxine which has massively helped previous to that I was on citalopram and it didn’t do me much good the other thing my GP gave me is propranolol

Citalopram has massively helped my DH.

See what your doctor prescribes?

I’ve taken both citalopram and Sertraline and both hugely helped with anxiety.

It will all depend on what your doctor suggests. It may be trial and error.
I'm on Sertraline and get on with this fine, but a friend was on it and found it didn't help so moved to Citelopram which has worked wonders.

Sorry should have added, my gp had previously prescribed citalopram (seemed to work a bit), escitalopram and Prozac. He didn’t seem to know which would be best.Took seroxat years many ago but caused huge weight gain and terrible withdrawal- never again.

Bump

@Glitterheart thanks. Did you find any difference between the 2?

not an ssri, different type of antidepressant but mirtazapine has been a miracle for me. Think it’s one of the only antidepressants licensed for anxiety alone.

Sertraline has calmed me down enormously. Anxiety, insomnia, overthinking (but mainly irritability) all so much better now.

@CherryAndAlmond pleased it’s worked for you . Have you had any side effects, eg weight gain?

I am in a similar position to you. I too am overthinking and worrying g so much that my 16 and 14 year old are picking up on it, I’m desperate for them not to learn this pattern of behaviour. I have had lots of CBT but that alone just doesn’t seem to help me, I need some kind of meds to help. My GP has just prescribed me Duloxetine, she says it’s very good for anxiety disorders. I can’t tell you how it’s gone as she did say I will feel worse before feeling better which kind of puts me off (I have health anxiety too so struggle with any new physical symptoms), so I will need to book some time off work to try.
I hope you find something to help. Anxiety and overthinking is just awful it really is so controlling.

@RedPandaWanda I’m sorry to hear you’re going through this too 😞

Thank you. Hopefully we can find something which will work well for us both. Good luck 🤞

Sorry, just out of curiosity how old are you? I’m in perimenopause and my anxiety has been so much worse since even though I’ve suffered most of my life. I keep reading anxiety etc is really bad in Perimenopause.

[quote Starsandmoon19]@CherryAndAlmond pleased it’s worked for you . Have you had any side effects, eg weight gain?[/quote]
No weight gain. I'm a bit sleepy sometimes, but I wonder if I'm just catching up on years of lost sleep. I'm perimenopausal, don't know if that makes a difference to which SSRIs are best. I will take calm and a bit sleepy over what I was experiencing before.

Hi OP, both citalopram and sertraline worked equally well for me. I moved onto sertraline as it is apparently safer when breastfeeding. I don’t think either really caused me weight gain - I am heavier now on the sertraline but think this is more to do with Covid lockdowns and having had two babies than the medication! Good luck - I would totally go for it, I was unsure about medication for ages but wish I’d taken them sooner as they have helped so much x

@Glitterheart thank you. Pleased they’ve helped you 😊

SSRI support. I just need some support for anyone else taking or taken SSRI for anxiety... or depression, I guess they go hand in hand. I had a health scare a few months ago and I've been suffering since, worried sick and crying alot, my doctor prescribed sertraline which shocked me as I never thought I'd ever need something like antidepressants but I've been researching how common they are to reassure myself. I've been taking 25mg for 5 days and I feel worse than I did before, I can function but I'm just terrified I'll never be the same me again, I'm doing hypnotherapy and meditation to help as well but right now, especially in the mornings I feel helpless. I know everyone is different but can you ever recover from anxiety, will the side effects get better?

You might be better starting your own thread, but what I will say is that it takes time for the medics to work. My DH was put on Citalopram and it took 4 weeks before we saw a very slight improvement, then he got better every month.
Stick with it. Are you getting any CBT or talking therapy ?

@Hayleyn19 yes it takes a couple of weeks for them to take effect and typical to feel worse initially after starting sertraline. Take one day at a time and gradually the side effects will go. I believe approximately 1 in 4 of the population take antidepressants for whatever reason so you are not alone! X