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1497650 tn?1289233125

Anxiety medication recommendations?

I've had anxiety (and depression as a result of the anxiety) for about 7 years now (since I was 14).  I've been on various anxiety and depression meds, but all made me feel like a zombie.  They made me super tired all the time.  Anxiety medication only seems to sedate you so much that there doesn't seem to be a thought going on in your head!  
Clonazepam is the only medication that I took that I can remember the name of (that right there tells you how sedated the meds made me!)
Are there any anxiety medications that don't turn you into a zombie?  Any you'd recommend?  I know that medication is only a temporary fix, but right now I feel that I really need it to be able to help myself.  I've been extremely depressed lately due to the fact that I'm usually too anxious to go out at all.
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Avatar universal
I would highly recommend Buspirone for anxiety, it hasn't given me any side effects and has completely eliminated my morning panic attacks. I also added a trcyclic antidepressant called amitriptyline to combat some of the depression. I've gone away from SSRIs and SNRIs to get away from the crappy sideeffects. This combo really helped my anxiety.
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Avatar universal
How much st johns wort was you taking?
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Avatar universal
From my own experiences on the medication treadmill,  I would urge you to do everything you can to not go back on it.     In short,  once the first prescribed medication doesn't seem to be helping,  then you will end up on the second one.   When that for some reason gives you side effects,  you end up seeking the next drug to get relief from those side effects, etc and etc and etc.   It becomes a constant merry-go-round with every next drug being prescribed to help you get relief from the previous one.     Your body's chemistry becomes all fouled up.    You end up feeling worse than how you felt when you first started seeking relief from your symptoms.
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1497650 tn?1289233125
Thanks, guys!  I really, really appreciate it.  I wasn't expecting so many helpful answers!  
I should note that I haven't taken medication of any kind for about 3 years now.  I also took a medication that was generic for Prozac, and that didn't turn out so well.  
I've taken herbal remedies (St. John's Wort and 5-HTP), but those didn't do anything for me.  

I'll ask my doctor about Xanax in small doses, as well as Lexapro and Pristiq.  

And DancingJean and others, I'm so sorry that you're going through the same cycle I am right now!  It really is hard to decided whether or not to go the medication route...
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Avatar universal
Buspar?
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1448936 tn?1363206346
I take .25mg of xanax which doesn't turn me into a zombie although when I was on .5mg it did.

I didn't like lexapro. I took it one day and it upset my stomach so badly that I was nauseous and dry heaving for hours after taking it so that was out. They've prescribed me prozac but have yet to fill the script after the lexapro incident. Its odd because my dad is taking lexapro and he loves it.

I've found that herbal remedies have really helped and I didn't get all the side effects of prescription drugs. I really like st johns wart and kava kava. Both really helped with my anxiety/depression. Most people have success with valerian root too but that made my anxiety worse.

You could try talking to your doc too about lower doses of anxiety meds. Like I said...the .5mg xanax was way too much for me and put me into that zombielike state and I'd just go to sleep but the .25mg helps to take the edge off but I'm still alert and able to focus.
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1390847 tn?1344657468
Hello,
Ive taken 2 kinda of medications.  The first was Lexapro.  This did not turn me into a zombie at all, in fact probably the opposite.  Lexapro works with seratonin which is a chemical in your brain. Its also known as the "happy" chemical cause it works with your feelings of happiness.  Lexapro has great success and is not a real aggressive drug meaning that its not really addictive and side effects do occur, but they usually go away within a week or so.

Currently, I am taking Pristiq.  Pristiq is my miracle drug.  I've had anxiety since i was 2 years old and it got REALLY severe.  Now I'd say its 95% gone.  I went from having anxiety 24/7 to almost never in the matter of 4 weeks on it.  Unlike Lexapro, Pristiq works with 2 chemicals: Seratonin and Norepinephrine.  

That's just my experience and every one reacts differently with different meds.  Maybe mention those I just listed to your doctor and see what they say.  
Good luck, I wish you well
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Avatar universal
You should really express to the person giving you these medications that they're not working for you. If a doctor is the person giving you these medications make it a point that you see a psychiatrist because your medication isn't helping to solve the problem because your anxiety still exists and they're making you feel like a zombie. How can you get to the root of things if you can't think about them?

I'm experiencing the vicious cycle that is anxiety and depression. I'm fighting with myself about medication now.
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