Medication?

dangdangBB

I know this doesn't really have to do with food, but I'm just curious if any of you have taken medication for your anxiety. I personally went through a rather crappy time trying SSRIs (generic Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro to be exact), all of which ended relatively badly for me. Prozac especially led me to depressed/ suicidal thoughts while the other two made me moody. None of them helped the anxiety.

Just the other day I decided to finally take my doctor's advice and try Lamictal. I'll have to see how that goes, and regardless, I'm not sure I want to remain on medication my entire life.

Have any of you tried Lamictal or non SSRIs and had success? Or have any of you returned to SSRIs in later adulthood and found them to be more effective?

I'm also open to hearing about any success you've had with trying more natural supplements/ specific foods/ exercise routines.

abomino

Great question. I am living this right now. I was on Xanax for anxiety for 11 years. Three a day never a dose increase. Life was good. The Dr who had me on this up and died on me. Other Dr's were mortified I had been on Xanax for that long. They all had thee same talk tracks.......those are addictive, if you quit taking them you could have a seizure, they are dangerous you need on an SSRI. I listened and entered a Xanax out patiend detox to measure my getting off them...make sure I had no seizures. Daily I had to report to this place full of actual drug addicts. Speak with a nurse...vitals taken etc. After a week...no more xanax. I was given a script for Paxil. It stayed on my shelf for two months. WOW it was incredible. I never had an anxiety attack again. I forgot how normal felt. Downside? Weight gain. Kicked my caloric intake to 1500 calories a day and worked out as I always had...gained more. Went back and was put on lexapro...gained more. I never had weight issues. I was just put on Viibryd. The only SSRI known to not cause weight gain. Based on two 12 week studies LOL..what a joke. It gave me bat **** crazy rage issues. I decided last week to quit taking anything....yea the wheel came off of that idea last night with horrible brain tremmors, waking uo gasping for air, insane shakes and anxiety....cant figure out how Xanax was worse than an SSRI. So I had to take one today..I am lost in all of it

ALH1981

I am taking pristiq and it seems to be working - it is not an SSRI.

CynthiaEvans

I have been trouble losing weight since starting on the Sertraline(Zoloft) even though I stick with the calories to lose and exercise. So I cut my dosage in half to 25mg and I have started losing again! I do not know if 25mg will continue to work or not but it depresses me when I work hard to lose the fat and it does not go anywhere.

DamoniqueW

I have used Lamictal. It was for bipolar thought, not anxiety. I had Paxil for anxiety. It helped a lot, however it has some side effects and horrible withdrawal symptoms if you ever want to stop taking it. Now I'm using natural herbs like Passionflower, Chamomile, Inositol, and Ginseng.

ki4yxo

I'm on xanax right now, (0.5mg) and as long as I
take it once a day I'm fine. Sometimes I need a
2nd dose at night, but usually the 0.5mg is enough.

DamoniqueW

I'm currently taking Lamictal. That is not an anxiety medication though. It is for mood disorders as I take it for Bipolar. That's weird they would give you that for anxiety.

ashleyjade57

Hi

I have been on Lexapro and gained a lot of weight quickly afterwards even though my lifestyle did not change dramatically...almost 12kg in the last 6 months. I recently decided to quit cold turkey because I am really keen on losing weight and trying to manage my anxiety without medication but it is really hard. However in the long run I think it is the right thing to do. Its been two weeks and I get terrible brain zaps but I have been losing weight.

Has anyone else tried this-did your anxiety get a lot worse later on? I am trying not to focus on the bad but I really don't want to keep putting on weight.

Sky_Of_Aegis

- Oolong "Wu Long" Tea IF you aren't sensitive to caffeine like I used to be as a smoker. Home brewed with honey of course as a sweetener. NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS EVER! Honey is also a natural weight loss aid and carries medicinal properties. The tea will also help you to lose weight if you consume it about twice a day or more. In the long run, it has a laundry list of health benefits, and knowing you are putting good things into your body will make you that much less anxious. Some other things are bad breath aid, teeth strengthener, skin detox "yes, it will make you more radiant after a few weeks, and even more so if you drink it for a long time." and mental focus. Most people use it for its weight loss capabilities though. It inhibits fat, and speeds up your metabolism. It, as well as the next item I am listing, do the same thing.

- Garcinia Cambogia capsules which are also vegan. Must be 60% HCA with NO FILLERS, and a U.S. It is also very important that you take it with potassium for the best benefits and in a high enough dose "750 to 1000 mg a day for me, but I am well over weight. This product is mostly recommended for obese people, which although I am not that big, I am still technically obese. If you only have a few pounds to lose, than I would recommend a much lower dose. "250 mg, which the Xium brand is." I am not recommending it for helping you to lose weight though, because it does have other effects on your body that are almost immediate. It releases chemicals in your brain that work as an anti-depressant and make you want to eat healthier. Much like the Oolong tea, it also curves your appetite. Self image plays a big role in mental health as well. If you look healthy, you feel healthy, you feel less anxious. The chain reaction of anxiety can go both ways.

- Lavender bubble bath with lavender Epsom salt "Or can be spearmint. Both do pretty well"

- If you drink at all, I would reduce it as much as possible. I used to be a heavy drinker, but do to dieting reasons, I do it maybe once a week on my cheat day.

- If you are a smoker, do everything in your power to kick the habit. I know it is very very hard, but it can be done. I quit smoking and my anxiety is almost non-existent now.

- Of course, a well balanced and healthy diet "ugly word" and exercise. It works as an anti-depressant when you exercise, and cuts down anxiety by a lot. If you are just starting off, it may make you a little anxious at first, but in the long run, it will make you feel so much better!


My new routine is I drink 2 tea bags of Oolong tea with my Garcinia Cambogia, do my workout, take a nice hot bath with spearmint bubblebath/epsom salt during the day, and lavender at night while drinking around 24+ ounces of water, then eat a nice healthy meal. I may have more things that I have tried and worked, but honestly, I have suffered from anxiety for so long, that I have tried many many things before finding something that worked. It is all trial and error, really. If anyone is interested in trying a more natural approach, then I will list a few products that have worked for me. keep in mind, I don't endorse them, but they are my recommended products.


Oolong tea - You can get 100 bags from anywhere between $6 -$12 dollars on Amazon.com. I use Lucky Eight's Vintage Oolong tea.

Garcinia Cambogia - If you are obese then I would recommend a brand that is at least 750 mg - 1000 mg "preferably with potassium in them." I just ordered some other brand that tries to put Dr.Oz's picture in the description but keep in mind, he DOES NOT endorse any particular brand, he just says to follow the three rules I posted above when choosing a product. Xium I recommend for people who want it more for health benefits besides weight loss, which I recommend Xium. I have to take more than the recommended dose because of my size, but it does work. Also found on Amazon.com between $10 and $50, but I find that the ones closer to $10 work just fine! Don't break the bank with these things! They are cheap to make, and should be cheap to sell!

Dr. Teal's Products for Epsom salt and bubble bath. Any can do the trick really, I just like Dr. Teal's brand in particular. You should be able to find it with the other bath time soaps at most stores "Kroger, Meijer, Walmart etc."


I don't want anyone to think any of this stuff is only for weight loss. I have a strict policy: If it isn't natural, I don't eat or consume it. That is the best guide lines for not only losing weight, but controlling my anxiety. I haven't been in the hospital for a "heart attack" in a few years now thanks to a few lifestyle changes. Feel free to add me as a friend, or message me if anyone needs anything, or wants to ask any questions. Last, I don't want anyone to think this stuff is magical weight loss pills, and tea because they can work, but you have to meet them half way with proper eating and exercise. Even though Dr.Oz does endorse G.C. as "The holy grail of weight loss" it shouldn't replace the tried and true method. If you are going to take them, combine the two "Or four including Tea and Honey" to help you. After all, we all want to be healthy. If it is good for you, AND has weight loss properties, than that is just a plus in my book, not a cheat!

ehamommy

ashleyjade57 wrote: »

Hi

I have been on Lexapro and gained a lot of weight quickly afterwards even though my lifestyle did not change dramatically...almost 12kg in the last 6 months. I recently decided to quit cold turkey because I am really keen on losing weight and trying to manage my anxiety without medication but it is really hard. However in the long run I think it is the right thing to do. Its been two weeks and I get terrible brain zaps but I have been losing weight.

Has anyone else tried this-did your anxiety get a lot worse later on? I am trying not to focus on the bad but I really don't want to keep putting on weight.

I was on Effexor for a couple of years. Quit cold turkey also. Had a bad first couple of weeks and was good then for three or four months, at which time things got bad again for a while. Lots of moodiness and anxiety. Ride it out though and I have been off meds for over a year now and doing alright. I have to work hard at controlling my anxiety though. Have often thought of going back on meds but so far feel I am still managing alright. I wish you lots of luck! Msg me if you ever need an ear!