Anxiety medications?

[~anongirl~]

Hi all,

recently I've been diagnosed with severe social anxiety as well as the possibility of having depression. I am taking fluoxetine to ease the panic & help as an antidepressant.

however, its not working at all. I mean, the whole "antidepressant" aspect of it definitely is (i'm not as sad anymore, I always have a calm, content feeling when I'm taking it). The panic and anxiety is still there.

IDK why nothing is happening. I still have the same anxiety feelings I did before the medication. I've been taking it for a month now.

Why is nothing happening? Should I ask my doctor to increase my dosage? Or should I try a different medication?

Anyone who has experienced anxiety and has experience taking medication... do you have any advice?

[Ennui.]

Hey,

A lot of things can be going on here.

The first thing to keep in mind is that medication isn't a "quick fix." It can take a few weeks for the medication to be in your body in a way where it is working fully.

The second thing is that you're right that not everyone is the same, and there is no "one size fits all" medication, meaning that one dose or one type of medication doesn't work for every person. I started off on Zoloft and then she added Gabapentin, then switched to Effexor when that didn't really work, she added Buspar to that, and now I'm at a place where I am just on Effexor. Basically what I'm saying is that there is a bit of trial and error involved when it comes to something like medication because everybody reacts differently. So, it could be that you either need a new dose or a new type of medication.

I would talk to your doctor and see what they suggest. They may want to raise your dose or add an additional medication to the one you're currently taking, or they may feel it best to switch you to a different one entirely. Or, they may want you to give it a little more time and then consider it. I don't feel comfortable with telling you whether or not you should increase your dose or switch entirely because I am not a professional myself, but your doctor is. So, I'd let them know what's going on and what you have been experiencing since you started the medication.

It is super important to be honest with your doctor through this process so you can get the best help and treatment possible. There is nothing that is "stupid" or "too small" to bring up. If it is something that is a concern to you, I'd talk to them about it. They can ease your concerns or do something to address it. I'm not just talking about with this current issue but in general. They're there for you and won't yell at you or judge you. They want to help, and you deserve the help.

The other thing I am wondering is if you are in any kind of therapy along with the medication? While medication is super useful, a combination of medication and therapy may be the most ideal because even on the medication you still may have bad days and it is important to learn ways to cope with what is going on in your life. The medication is there to back you up and get you to a place where you feel capable of handling these things, but the therapy will help you learn how to, and help you work through any issues you are facing.

I hope this has helped and I wish you the best of luck!

-Dez

[~anongirl~]

Originally Posted by ~*Just Keep Swimming*~

Hey,

A lot of things can be going on here.

The first thing to keep in mind is that medication isn't a "quick fix." It can take a few weeks for the medication to be in your body in a way where it is working fully.

The second thing is that you're right that not everyone is the same, and there is no "one size fits all" medication, meaning that one dose or one type of medication doesn't work for every person. I started off on Zoloft and then she added Gabapentin, then switched to Effexor when that didn't really work, she added Buspar to that, and now I'm at a place where I am just on Effexor. Basically what I'm saying is that there is a bit of trial and error involved when it comes to something like medication because everybody reacts differently. So, it could be that you either need a new dose or a new type of medication.

I would talk to your doctor and see what they suggest. They may want to raise your dose or add an additional medication to the one you're currently taking, or they may feel it best to switch you to a different one entirely. Or, they may want you to give it a little more time and then consider it. I don't feel comfortable with telling you whether or not you should increase your dose or switch entirely because I am not a professional myself, but your doctor is. So, I'd let them know what's going on and what you have been experiencing since you started the medication.

It is super important to be honest with your doctor through this process so you can get the best help and treatment possible. There is nothing that is "stupid" or "too small" to bring up. If it is something that is a concern to you, I'd talk to them about it. They can ease your concerns or do something to address it. I'm not just talking about with this current issue but in general. They're there for you and won't yell at you or judge you. They want to help, and you deserve the help.

The other thing I am wondering is if you are in any kind of therapy along with the medication? While medication is super useful, a combination of medication and therapy may be the most ideal because even on the medication you still may have bad days and it is important to learn ways to cope with what is going on in your life. The medication is there to back you up and get you to a place where you feel capable of handling these things, but the therapy will help you learn how to, and help you work through any issues you are facing.

I hope this has helped and I wish you the best of luck!

-Dez

Thank you so so much for your helpful reply.
Yes, i am actually currently in therapy. When I was first getting the "anxiety attacks" was about a year ago, and at that time my knowledge of mental health was very limited. I thought I was experiencing panic attacks, but it turns out theres a huge difference between the two.

My therapist is really helping me understand my mental issues better, and is currently working with me to reduce the anxiety in situations that trigger it.

I am probably having an appointment soon (with my regular doctor, not my therapist), so I will definitely bring up some of the stuff you mentioned. I'm going to bring up how i feel like my anxiety still needs to be reduced in order for me to function normally in everyday settings.

One more question for you: how long did it take for you when you took your medications for it to actually start to kick in? How long does it typically take?

Thank you so very much, your reply was truly helpful.

[Ennui.]

One more question for you: how long did it take for you when you took your medications for it to actually start to kick in? How long does it typically take?

I have heard that it takes around 5-6 weeks for it to fully kick in. I know for me the first thing I felt were a few side effects (just appetite loss really) but that went away after the first week. It took me around a month or so for it to really kick in.