Can’t believe this would actually happen after one dose?!

[Yestai]

I feel really strange after taking anti anxiety medication. I took the first dose this morning and started to feel different around 2 hours after taking it. I have felt calmer all day, still had anxiety but just a bit numb to it is the only way I can describe it. I’m still getting anxious thoughts but the heart pounding is much less than it’s ever been.

I feel like this can’t be a result of the medication as nhs guidance says it can take at least two weeks to work? I’ve seen some things say it can have effect immediately but these reports are few and far between. The reason I want to know is that if this is a placebo effect then I wonder how effective the actual tablets are at all in reality? I can’t understand why I feel this thin veil of calm. Not saying I’m totally calm as I’m still anxious but it’s different

I'm on citalopram +long term) and found it worked well immediately. Everyone is different so it could well have helped so quickly. I still found longer term benefits also.

Placebo?

When I took sertraline I felt calm the first day. Just a warning, the next 8 days were awful until the zen kicked in - just dreadful anxiety. It's worth bearing with it because after about day 9 or 10 I got mental peace for the first time in months and months.

Depends what anti anxiety medication it is. Anti depressants usually help both anxiety snd depression but take a couple of weeks to start working and about 6 weeks to get the full effect.

Benzodiazepines and beta blockers work immediately though.

If it is having a beneficial effect, surely that is all that matters? Some do act that fast though. Which one have you been prescribed?

Thanks it’s sertraline. It’s really weird as I am still anxious but I am calmer. Today is the same and it’s as if I too tired to be too anxious, that’s the best way I can describe it. My head feels full in a strange way, like I just am not able to obsess the same as I usually would? It feels really weird

I didn't get past the horrible first week others are describing.

Sorry, that comment was really not helpful. It's so hard to pick apart what is medication and what is knowing you are on medication. Best of luck

I think that you nail it on the head when you say "too tired to be anxious". They do have this mildly zonking effect for the first couple of weeks which I think is different from their longer-term therapeutic effect. However, if it is helping you to be calm then I would take that as a win.

I have been on and off sertraline a few times and most recently I began taking it again about ten days ago. I have felt lacking in energy. And the lack of energy has helped me to decide to be ok with just doing nothing much for a while. I am being kinder to myself, more accepting of lack of performance. And that is helping, even though it isn't actually part of the therapeutic effect.

On about Day 5 or 6, I did wake up with a sudden realisation that some of the absolutely madly intense anxiety I had been feeling had ceased. It was like suddenly noticing the quiet when a burglar alarm that has been sounding for ages goes silent and you can almost hear the quiet. The physical symptoms of anxiety reduced a lot.
I felt euphoric for a few hours and then gradually saw that the silencing of the burglar alarm was only a top-slice off of the very tall mountain of my anxiety. In other words, there is still a lot of awfulness that will take much more than just a few days to begin to be tackled by the meds. Still, it is a hopeful start,