What helped your anxiety issues better: Xanax or anti-depressants? HELP!

I have been struggling with anxiety issues for about 10 years, since my divorce. I've been on xanax (or generic) since then, but only as needed. I take the peach pill (lower dose) and only half of that if I feel an attack coming on. I'm fine during the work week, but weekends are horrible and I am socially inept without them. I don't want to leave the house without one (not every time, but 75% of the time) for fear of serious physical consequences if I don't. I have no fear of addiction because I have not really increased my intake. I usually take about 8 to 10 tabs a month total. My doctor tells me how addictive they are and I believe him, but I've tried anti-depressants that have not solved the problem. I've taken Zoloft, Prozac and Lexipro and with each one I was despondent, felt dread and suicidal. I've always viewed taking the xanax as needed was the better alternative since it was an 'as needed' med instead of a daily intake. My concern is that I feel my anxiety will never go away and that I'll be stuck taking this stuff forever. I've done the no caffeine, yoga, therapy, exercise thing, but nothing seems to take them away. I guess I'm stuck with it, but is there anyone out there who has serious social anxiety that eventually found a better med? A long term med that finally made the attacks go away for good? I'm desperate to finally put this anxiety nonsense out to pasture. I'm so frustrated. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I'm going to answer your title question first because the rest of your post is a bit harder to answer. I take clonazepam and Effexor. It's hard to say which one is more effective. They both help with anxiety. I don't think either one would be adequate w/o the other.
Like you I take a small dosage and have no worries about addiction. I was prescribed Xanax once but it did nothing for me. I've taken Prozac but not the other two you mentioned. Prozac made me edgy. It helped with depression and maybe a bit with anxiety eventually but when I started the Prozac I was glad to have the anxiolytic to take the edginess off as well as helping with the anxiety.
I'm not sure what the medical profession's take is but I think prolonged severe anxiety can cause depression. So I suppose I believe that the Xanax is more helpful.
I don't think there is a perfect med but clonazepam is the best anxiety med I've taken.
Ideally talk or behavioral therapy is the best solution. I have big doubts about the truth of that though.
I hope some part of that was helpful

I take clonazepam, as well as alprazolam for breakthrough panic attacks...The clonazepam has worked wonders for me at a small dose for more than 12 years now...I usually don't have to have the alprazolam (Xanax) very often..Good luck.......

Has your doctor considered citalopram? And what is their advice on Xanax, through the weekends?

I was prescribed Xanax 2 weeks ago, and see my pdoc, on Monday, for follow up, I received the med, in between routine check ups.

I do have heart palpitations, and moments of dizziness/near fainting/shortness of breath/followed by exhaustion--which needs to be addressed--that I was having before the prescription, which came by means of having a serious health scare a couple of weeks ago. After, the Xanax those anxiety symptoms aren't there, anymore.

If anything, I can check back into this post, to let you know what's going to happen next, as my pdoc informed me, that this was a temporary med for me.

Citalopram had worked for me, 3-4 years back and I was on it for a couple of years. But like you describe with the more depressive symptoms, some similar to yours, on the SSRI's, I couldn't tolerate it when prescribed this past winter.

Not sure, what to expect next, med -wise. But, I'll let you know.

I take Xanax and Zoloft - I still have anxiety, but the Xanax definitely helps with panic attacks. Zoloft helps in a more subtle fashion for my OCD and other anxiety disorders. Wishing you the best. x

So I take citalopram for anxiety and depression, as well as Wellbutrin and Buspar just for anxiety, I’ve taken Xanax for a little while, and find that the citalopram addresses the depression and a little bit of the anxiety, but mostly the depression. The Wellbutrin and Buspar I take daily and if I forget to take it or it gets late in the day and I haven't taken it yet, I say “oh yeah, I haven’t taken my anxiety medication yet” I take it and feel better. I use the Xanax when I am having beginning symptoms of a panic attack and that helps alleviate those symptoms within 20 min. I also am finding talk therapy to be a tremendous help with why I am having anxiety in the first place. The Xanax helps then because talking about these problems brings them to the surface, but I trust the process and can identify that it is the talking about my issues that is why I am more anxious. So I guess in response to your title question, a well rounded cocktail of medications is what works for me.

Xanax. But, I take a very low dose daily. I tried taking just as needed, and it didn't help. Mostly, as needed didn't work for me because I'm so used to living with anxiety that I don't really know when 'as needed' is until I'm in the midst of a panic attack. Also, my anxiety levels are constantly very high, so as needed really is constantly. So - I take a very low dose 3 times a day and that helps me to manage the anxiety. My pdoc has okayed me taking another half or whole pill as needed during the day, if something happens and my anxiety increases.

Taking the Xanax allows the anxiety to be manageable enough that anxiety isn't the only thing I'm feeling, and then I can do the hard work that is talk therapy.

I KNOW that Xanax can be addicting. I know that lots of people have had issues coming off of it. My pdoc and I have discussed this. He and I feel that my dose is low enough that it is not going to cause me problems. I've had days where I've skipped a dose or two and experienced no ill effects other than noticing that my anxiety eventually goes back up to pre-Xanax levels.

Anti-depressants did nothing for me, and actually increased my anxiety because I was stressing about the side-effects I had from them.

Hi:

I've been on clonazepam for about 12 years. Diagnosed back then with GAD/OCD. It helps me function at work and in life in general. Depression runs in my family, and it's difficult for me to get up and moving in the morning so I've been on generic lexapro for a week (tried other SSRI's most recent sertraline with not much result)

Also went to a naturopath who put me on fish oil and folic acid. Also take a vitamin D suppplement. She thought I might have a MTHFR mutation so waiting for the test results.

Psych doc who just does med's only recommended deplin (L-methyfolate) interestingly since the naturopath is thinking the same that my lack of folate could be causing issues with brain chemistry.

QUESTION Has anyone used deplin along with lexapro or other SSRI and found it to be helpful?

Feel free to send me a message as well. PG

[QUOTE=George H.;3166023]I'm going to answer your title question first because the rest of your post is a bit harder to answer. I take clonazepam and Effexor. It's hard to say which one is more effective. They both help with anxiety. I don't think either one would be adequate w/o the other.
Like you I take a small dosage and have no worries about addiction. I was prescribed Xanax once but it did nothing for me. I've taken Prozac but not the other two you mentioned. Prozac made me edgy. It helped with depression and maybe a bit with anxiety eventually but when I started the Prozac I was glad to have the anxiolytic to take the edginess off as well as helping with the anxiety.
I'm not sure what the medical profession's take is but I think prolonged severe anxiety can cause depression. So I suppose I believe that the Xanax is more helpful.
I don't think there is a perfect med but clonazepam is the best anxiety med I've taken.
Ideally talk or behavioral therapy is the best solution. I have big doubts about the truth of that though.
I hope some part of that was helpful
I've seen no help with my anxiety using Prozac. Klonopin helps more often than not.

Xanax will be used to treat my anxiety. It's as needed, up to 3 times a day. He reinforced, that so long as it's not a daily need, it won't build up in my system, and become an addictive med.
Addressed my dizzy spells, as to try and monitor what is going on around me, a bit more, to get a better understanding about how they come on, as they aren't daily.

The thing about this med, is that it's meant to pass through our bodies, at a faster rate than some of the other meds out there. And that is where the withdrawal issues stem from. I read that, much, on this med.

Does your doctor advise you to perhaps, take it at the dosage on the weekends, or when you expect you may go through a spell of it? Then slow back the dosage?

Anxiety meds, help my anxiety.

My doc just put me on a low dose of Celexa for my GAD and OCD. I had only tried BuSpar before and that didn't help. I hope this does.

I have over the years used Effexor and Buspar, those were not helpful for me.
Stopped all meds, not very effective or wise on my part.
I now take a small dose of Celexa, daily, and Xanax as needed, both have been helpful. And, must add that coming here on a more regular basis has helped also.
Thanks PC friends..
Regards
Jade

I just wanted to say hello and thanks for sharing, also I like your signature!
A buddha mind is a calm mind.
H.

((MissMayer))

First you should have your Thyroid checked to make sure you are not dealing with hyperthyroidism which many people have, but don't know it.

It sounds like you are using Xanex as a crutch, some use Klonopin/clonazepam too.
These are sedative's and "do" wear off and they do "not" solve problems and it is important to remember they "are" sedatives/depressants and they do "lower the metabolism" too.

Some people end up on "drug treatment" programs and then just go along without really getting into therapy and actually getting to the "root" of their anxiety issues, and there "is" always a root.

Now, I am not telling anyone "not to take their medication". What I am saying though, it to pay attention to "why" you may be experiencing anxiety and reaching for that xanex or whatever to help you to "cope" somehow.

Also DBT "is" a therapy that can prove to be extremely helpful so you can actually learn "skills" to help you consciously work through your anxiety instead of constantly turning to "depressants" to help you with your "emotional challenges and sense of being threatened if you venture out to interact with others in society".

When we are challenged with anxiety that seems to come out of nowhere which in turn leads to more and more desire for "isolation", that means there is a need to "stop" and figure out where this "anxiety" is coming from "within" ourselves. If someone chooses not to work on this, what can happen is a cycle of "anger that can become critical of others, yet turned inward as well that leads to depression that can become "debilitating".

Unfortunately, many people struggle because of some of the "negative and dismissive" messages they received while growing up. By studying children more and more as well how our brains actually process information and develop, we are now learning more and more about how unmet needs and stress in the home environment children grow up in can affect us for the rest of our lives.

Because parents tend to raise their children based on how they were raised, what often happens is "dysfunctional" messages tend to get handed down from generation to generation in families. Often it goes un-noticed because after all, family units tend to begin to believe that "most of the problems" are simply inherited. However what is really happening is that "dysfunctional" methods of interacting and problem solving and establishing a sense of worthiness are simply just "perpetuated", which can mean, "unhealthy" "core issues".

One of the common recent messages is to "stay away from your dysfunctional family" so you can work on healthier coping skills. Yes, that is true, because often what happens in families is family members settle into "roles" and these "roles" can reinforce the "bad messages" that started the "anxiety issues" in the first place.

Our internal senses of "self worth" and "unmet needs" or "habits of trying to overcome these unmet needs" can lead to many struggling with finding a sense of "balance" when interacting in society and learning how to have a sense of "safety and ability to provide for self". What eventually happens is a cycle of "poor self esteem" that can lead to "anxiety and depression issues" that leads to a constant internal battle, that is not really the "fault" of the person who is struggling.

Often as time passes, there can be some kind of deep desire to "want a redo" somehow. If only I could go back and somehow "fix" what is lacking, maybe I could be better. Even a deep sense of "why can't I really grow up and just be "my age" and be "ok"? There again, something is missing.

The bottom line IMHO, is that no medication is going to really "fix" what is missing.
What actually "does" help the most is finally addressing the areas in "self" that had needs that were not met. It does take time, however, with the right therapy and finally learning to identify and develop new skills to finally be able to "overcome" these deep anxieties better, a sense of finally "gaining and growing and controlling the anxiety" finally begins to take place.

The sense of "I am alone" begins to slowly open up into, I am really not so alone after all takes over. And "slowly" the new "skills" that are being learned begin to help the individual slowly "feel better and more in control". IT DOES TAKE TIME, however, if one makes the commitment to finally "self nurture and self care", the need to constantly medicate is "less and less".

OE

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your wonderful responses. They have been extremely helpful, especially Open Eyes. I do need to look for triggers. Sadly, I cannot afford a therapist at the time, but will continue to educate myself on ways to remedy the situation instead of avoiding it. Much love to you all! xo