Medication

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Anyone been on any medication for anxiety or mood issues that's actually worked? So far I've been on citalopram, fluoxetine, risperidone, sertraline and quetiapine but I keep coming off the because the side effects seem to outweigh any benefits, but finding it really hard to cope. My mood is low most of the time and I have almost constant anxiety, and nearly anything seems to trigger a meltdown (things not going to plan, too much noise, too many people, people not replying to texts, scared I've upset people etc) and recently my mood's been really low where I'm not sure there's much point in existing but don't have the motivation to actually do anything. Feel like I'm just existing but not really much else going on and I hate it. Sertraline and quetiapine helped a bit (mostly with sleep and less meltdowns) but I gained a lot of weight which made me feel worse about myself and doesn't help that I've had eating issues for nearly 17 years so I stopped taking them about a month ago. I've lost about half a stone which is nice but my mood is worse than it's been in about ten years. Anyone had a similar experience and found meds that work?

Whether an antidepressant helps with anxiety or mood is really down to each individual person. I've tried 12 different anti-depressants and those that work for me, only for about a few months tops before they quit. I personally found vitamin D and exercise to help the most with my mood, and exercise slightly for my anxiety. I also use a mix of CBT, DBT and ACT cognitive therapies to help my anxiety. I use the ocassional(3 times a week max) Clonazepam when my anxitey isn't specific to any person or OCD related. I also found Passionflower tincture to help chill me out and relax me at home. That is what I've found personally to help me the most. Quetiapine did help stop my mood swings from getting out of hand at first, but I'm not sure its working for me anymore after 2 years. I tend to become tolerant to most meds, and they quit working on me eventually.

What side effects are you specifically trying to avoid? Just weight gain?

Meds that help anxiety and don't have weight gain associated with them are: Buspar, any benzodiazepene(wouldn't rely on them daily), Sertaline which can go either way.

Meds for depression that don't cause weight gain: Wellbutrin, Lamictal(has antidepressant/mood stabilizing qualities), Sertaline again, and I guess I can mention citalopram can go either way as well but it tends to be towards appetite loss.

Most antipsychotics cause weight gain except for Saphris, Geodon and sometimes Abilify won't. Quetiapine was likely the cause of most if not all of your weight gain when you were on it with Sertraline. Using the antipsychotic Quetiapine for anxiety, depression, autism, or sleep are all off-label uses, so if you talk to your doctor and explain that, there is no reason you couldn't replace it for Saphris because its in the same class of medications though a newer generation, which also can help your sleep and may help with your meltdowns as well without all the weight gain.

Adding Wellbutrin to an SSRI can actually cancel out weight gain in some cases, and also cancel out any sexual side effects commonly associated with SSRIs, but its stimulating so if not balanced right it can cause anxiety.

If you find something that works, and can get your motivation back, I suggest not relying on meds to fix everything all on their own, and suggest looking to add exercise, overhauling your diet, and supplements to be tools in your toolbox.

I take Buspar for my anxiety & it helps it a lot with no side-effects. What I like about Buspar is that it's the only med specifically for anxiety that isn't a benzodiazepine. It can also be taken with benzos & lots of other psych & other meds. I also take the seizure med Neurontin/Gabapentin for my OCD & that helps with little side-effects.

I take Clonazepam twice daily to treat anxiety and sometimes Vistaril in extreme cases, which helps a lot which anxiety but it also makes me extremely drowsy and unresponsive. The Clonazepam has been working really well for me because without it I doubt i'd be able to function. I haven't noticed any side effects for it. I have been taking Wellbutrin and Lamotrigine for depression/mood stabilizing but neither of them have worked for me and the Wellbutrin makes me not want to eat.

Hello. The medication I use is for anxiety. I am thinking (but am not certain) about asking for a stimulant or non-stimulant for inattentive features from ASD, along with executive functions problems. I have tried Zoloft (sertraline) and am currently on Lexapro/Cipralex (escitalopram). I personally find Cipralex okay. It helps a bit, but not a lot. I find my body is really sensitive to medications for my anxiety. I am pretty sure my anxiety is caused by a serotonin problem since I've had it since I was a kid.

I also was recently prescribed Ativan (lorazepam) for panic attacks. I haven't taken one yet so I don't know how good it is.

I do find that vitamin D lifts my mood a bit. I also take melatonin to fall asleep and it works well. I am not sure about other vitamins. I have tried a bunch, but am unsure if they do anything or not.

I take Propranolol for my anxiety and it feels to help me well, although it be a antihypertensive medication of the beta blocker class and eases most with the physical anxiety rather than psychological, it has a special effect on me. The side effects it caused on me are a little weight gain, dizziness and insomnia. I occasionally take also Clonazepam, but I have tried to stay away from that because I developed tolerance. In the past I took some other medications, but only Risperidone have helped me, I think that caused me weight gain, weakness and some kind of thought slowing. I recently have tried Sertraline, but I'm very sensitive to the side effects.