What, in your experience, was the most effective anti-depressant for anxiety and panic disorder?

[CMSliwa]

I have been through 4 different meds and they only go so far. I would love to have some advice on any medication you have taken. I know in everyone it differs, but it would help me to see it from someone else's point of view. (Exclude benzos... I already know about them.)

Please let me know which med worked BEST for you! so if you take this survey, please answer these if possible:

1. What is the name of the drug and in what catogory?
2. How long did it take to relieve some of your anxiety symptoms?
3. How long did it take to fully work?
4. Did you have any side-effects?
5. How does it make you feel? (Tired, irritable, etc?)
6. Would you recommend it?
7. What other medications have you tried that didn't seem to work as well?
8. How anxious do you still feel?
9. do you take it with anything else?


Thank you in advance so much for your help.

[bls911]

i'm going to try to do your survey but different people have different anxieties and what works with some don't for others.i have social and health anxiety problems.  1 zyprexa,i don't know the catagory.2 it took probally about 3 or 4 days for me to acually feel a little change.3 i'm not sure if it ever really did fully work i only took it for about 3 months,and sometimes would miss taking it 2 or 3 times a week.4 the only side affects i noticed was head rushes for about the first week,and it made me eat alot,which good for me though,and made me feel really sleepy after taking it which was also good for me since i have trouble sleeping.5 it would make me feel tired and drained no matter how long i had slept for but got better after about 2 weeks.6 i'm not a doctor but i don't see why i wouldn't reccomend it.7i took zoloft for awhile but it took too long to help the littlt help it did do.i still felt anxoius sometimes but nowhere as bad without it.8 no i didn't take with anything else.  hope this helps

[nursegirl6572]

Asking for others' experiences is just fine...but just do me a favor....PLEASE dont allow yourself to be swayed either way by what others have gone through, good or bad.  Medications, especially THESE types of meds TRULY vary significantly from person to person...both in efficacy as well as with side effects, etc.

Just allow yourself to have your own experiences when it comes to meds.  Hopefully you are being managed by a psychiatrist, which, IMO, is the best way to approach anxiety/depression Rx in most cases.  If you have had little success with SSRI's, it may be time to try something all together different, like the older tri-cyclic AD's.  While they tend to have more side effects initially than the SSRI's, they are still very effective for some people.  Also, depending on if you have concurrent depression with the anxiety...you may benefit from something like Klonopin, which would be prescribed solely for anxiety.  Some things to discuss with your doc.

I personally have taken Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexpro since I was officially Dxed with panic disorder at age 18.  ALL of the meds were quite helpful...but I did notice that it really did take some time before I truly noticed improvements.  Up to 6-8 weeks with pretty much each drug.  The Lexapro caused me some mild-moderate symptoms initially, that subsided within the forst 1-2 weeks of treatment...I had headaches, and increased anxiety, the "jitters"....like I had drank a pot of coffee.  Once those side effects went away, I really noticed an improvement.  I am currently taking 20 mg/day, but have taken up to 60mg/day of Lexapro in the past, which is a pretty high dose.  The Zoloft helped me very well also, with less side effects.  I honestly didn't pay much attention to the side effects at that time...so I could have had more and just not been real observant at that time.  That was my first SSRI, and I was in such a state of extreme panic all the time that I doubt a headache here or there would have phased me.  I believe my max dose of the Zoloft was 150 mg/day.

Prozac was also effective, but I was not on that as long as I have been the other two.  Lexapro and Zoloft I have taken for several years at a time, at pretty high doses.  My other experience is with Ativan...primarily I only used it "as needed" when having severe and frequent panic.  It was VERY VERY helpful to me until the SSRI's really started working.  After they DID start working, my need for the Ativan rapidly decreased.

Also, keep that in mind, that you TRULY have to give these meds (any meds really for a mental illness) ample time to start working.  My own person recommendation is a solid 6 months without making changes (other than dosage amounts).  This way...one can accurately assess the medication's effectiveness for that individual.  Of course...you should notice improvements before 6 months...but it does take a few months for some people to see a change, so in order to be fair to yourself...give it enough time, unless of course you would have severe side effects.

SOOO many people never get pas a few weeks...one b/c they don't think it is "working", they expect these meds to work miracles, and let's face it...us anxious people are short on patience!...and two...b/c the initial side effects CAN be bothersome, depending on how much that person can withstand.  Some people can push through the side effects, and others cannot.  Which is another reason to be in frequent touch with the prescribing doctor....they can offer suggestions as to how to minimize the side effects.

Finally...I don't know what you're doing, or have done....but meds along WITH "talk" therapy or CBT is the best combination.  The medications start allowing the anxiety and depression to improve, while therapy teaches you coping techniques....and real life tools that you can use to combat anxiety.

Best of luck.....be patient....and try to go into this with an open mind!

[remar]

alright, i'll tell you mine. i've taken the older tricyclic meds with bad side effects. i had to quit celexa because of suicidal thoughts. effexor was the worst, it raised my blood pressure, i had jaw pain, severe earaches and heart palps.cymbalta also raised my blood pressure and i could not sleep. paxil is what i'm taking right now for the second time and it seems to work the best for me. you will get alot of different answers to your question because again, all people respond differently to meds. take care. remar

[CMSliwa]

I have taken Zoloft, Lexapro, Prozac, and Wellbutrin.  I know it works differently for everyone, but what I am asking for is YOUR experiences.

Thank you.

[remar]

what meds have you tried? people resond differently to different meds so that's a hard question to answer. there's alot of antidepressants out there and hopefully you will find one or a combination that works for you. take care. remar