Advice on anxiety meds

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My anxiety is getting out of control again and I need to go back to the doctor next week and get something for it, as I can't cope with it anymore.

Can anyone recommend meds that have been helpful for them?

I have been on Zoloft and Xanax in the past, and the doctor did prescribe me Efexor last time I was there, but I was terrified of more weight gain so I haven't taken them.

I have been coping without meds now for over a year, but unforturnately the time has come for me to get something to help me feel better.

However the last meds I was on did make me gain a lot of weight and I really want to avoid this if I can as carrying the extra weight just sets off the depression.

I was on Zoloft and it worked well, unfortunately though there were very negative sexual side affects.

Effexor is the DEVIL and should never be taken!

i am not a big fan of benzodiazepines. i've just started taking klonopin, again, because the anxiety is killing me. I don't get the euphoric good feelings most people get from them, it seems with me every point my anxiety drops with benzo's, my energy drops 2 points. i've been on valium and xanax and atavan and mostly klonopin. klonopin lasts the longest in your system, and is often used twice daily to keep it in your system at all times, if the anxiety is REALLY bad (that's what i'm doing, again). atavan and xanax are short acting, will help faster, but leave your system faster. good for situational anxiety. but if it's pretty much constant anxiety, i'd suggest klonopin (clozonopam?), taken twice a day (it stays in your system about 12 hours).

i've tried a number of meds for anxiety, but benzo's have been the only thing that works for me. one thing i'd suggest trying is seroquel. it's a strange drug. in very small doses is completely knocks me out, i'll be alseep in 45 minutes after taking half of a 25 mg pill (the smallest they make). the really heavy sedation wears off if you up the dose (normal doses go into the hundreds of milligrams i believe), but after that, it stopped acting as a sedative for me at all.

take all personal recommendations with a grain of salt. meds have a way of not working quite as they should, because everyone's chemical system is different, especially people who are already different to begin with. i still can't find an antidepressant that works very well. ssri's don't seem to do anything, snri's have been mildly helpful.

one more thing about benzo's. they're very addictive and dangerous to withdraw from. i've read they cause permanent changes in the brain, but haven't looked into that yet.

good luck

You might want to investigate herbs. I can be high-strung at times and I have been taking Kava Kava for two weeks now with the net result of feeling way more relaxed - even to the point that I have not been freezing up while making phone calls. I used to take Lexapro (a delayed-stress episode) and the feeling I get from Kava Kava is very similar.

Other herbs of this nature are St. John's Wort and Valerian.

Not sure if these are too subtle for you needs but certainly reading up about them on Wikipedia couldn't hurt.

Best, PMPP