Medication for new anxiety

[Gus330]

I just recently went to the doctor for social anxiety and regular anxiety. He prescribed me Effexor XR and Ativan (lorazapam). I took the effexor yesterday and 20 minutes after I felt very weird and started feeling very anxious in my chest. I was also talking to some friends who said the withdrawal and side-effects of effexor are terrible. So I have decided to stop taking it because I feel very uncomfortable hearing all these bad things.

About an hour after I still had the anxious feeling in my chest. So I took .5mg of lorazapam which completely took the feeling away in my chest and I was more relaxed than I had been in days. So I have been taking .5mg when I feel the anxiety kicking in and it seems to help. But it will only last for 3-4 hours

My doctor wanted me to use a combo of an SSRI and a benzo. But now I am only taking the benzo and just waiting for a call from my doctor. Should I be taking a SSRI to calm me down throughout the entire day since the benzo does not work all day? If so, what would be the best medication to take in combination with the benzo? I've tried paxil and celexa in the past so those are out of question.

[insights]

what would be the best medication to take in combination with the benzo?

No antidepressant is intrinsically better than another, either generally or for a specific disorder, however, 1 or 2 usually will be for an individual. The difficult bit is finding it/them.

I've tried paxil and celexa in the past so those are out of question.

Didn't work?

Ian

[peggy67]

I don't think taking an SSRI is going to help calm you down.  I just started taking Zoloft and it makes me feel slightly speedy.  Luckily, benzos take the edge off.  I would do what feels right.  Also, Zoloft is seeming to work pretty well for me.  Like I said, some slight side effects, but nothing terrible. Good luck!

[Roseline1982]

I'm on week four of Venlafaxine (generic Effexor) and finally feeling a little better.  The first two weeks were pretty hellish panic wise and I couldn't orgasm.  I was also prescribed .25mg Xanax to take as needed.  The problem with most SSRIs and SNRIs is they are simply not fun to get on or get off of.  But I'm willing to make that sacrifice to possibly find some relief.  Everybody is different, but if you want to feel the full effects of a drug like Effexor, you need to give it at least 3 weeks.  And I really wouldn't suggest becoming too reliant on the benzo because I'm sure you know they're highly addictive.

[insights]

I'm on week four of Venlafaxine (generic Effexor) and finally feeling a little better.  The first two weeks were pretty hellish panic wise and I couldn't orgasm.  I was also prescribed .25mg Xanax to take as needed.  The problem with most SSRIs and SNRIs is they are simply not fun to get on or get off of.

...And I really wouldn't suggest becoming too reliant on the benzo because I'm sure you know they're highly addictive.

No they are not. If taken for more than a month or so they will cause dependence. Just as antidepressants will. It is why they are "are simply not fun to.....get off of."  OTOH, aspirin can be truly addictive in the true medical sense with some people unable to stop taking them even in the face of repeated restorative surgery and the certain knowledge they will die if they continuing taking them (Hirschowitz BI, 1998).

That said, benzodiazepines should not be relied on as the primary treatment because of the increasing anti benzodiazepine attitudes of doctors, IMHO. They continue to be good meds for occasional or breakthrough anxiety.

Ian

[vanilla1969]

My psychiatry doctor has had me on benzo for almost two years.my internist said it masks the anxiety and is addictive and makes it worse and I'm starting to wonder if that"s true sense my anxiety panic attacks  seems to be getting worse.