[withit]

Seems the anti-anxiety meds do a good job at taming the anxiety as they tend to sedate the whole system.....so yes I find myself less irritable etc. but I am soooo sleepy.
Wondering whether certain meds can help with the extreme irritability/rage/anxiety but that wouldn't put me to sleep. Anyone?

[Juliana]

Lexapro helps a lot with my anxiety. I haven't had a panic attack since I started taking it. It doesn't make me feel sedated at all. I have cut way back on my Clonazepam (which can make me a bit sleepy) since I started taking the Lexapro. I just feel like I don't need the Clonazepam to calm me down anymore.

[Maven]

I saw a resident (as well as my regular med-shrink) on my last psych visit a few days ago, and he suggested Lexapro to me, as well, saying it's one of the "least dirty" SSRIs, with the least side effects. I opted not to go on it for my own reasons, but you might like to try it.

[withit]

I've been on lexapro and it did nothing positive for me.
Any other recommendations for anti-anxiety meds without the side effect of fatigue?

[Juliana]

I'm sorry Lexapro didn't work for you. These meds are so hit and miss. What works for one person won't necessarily work for others. I took Celexa for a while too. It's similar to Lexapro and helped with my anxiety, but it made me feel fatigued -- not drowsy, just kind of inert. Wellbutrin made me terribly depressed (but not drowsy), Paxil made me violently ill, and Effexor made me drowsy AND sleepless and fidgety.

I hope someone has some recommendations for you. Have you discussed this with your doctor -- your concerns about feeling sleepy when on meds? Sometimes you have to try a few different meds to find what works for you. It's a pain, but it's worth it when you finally find the one that's right for you.

Were you on 10mg or 20mg of Lexapro? I take 10 and it works well for me at that dosage, but I read about someone else on here who didn't feel its effects until she was on 20 -- and it made a positive difference for her. I think our brain chemistry as well as our metabolism and physical size have a lot to do with what dosage we need. I'm only 5'4" and weigh 110 pounds, so it makes sense that I might need a lower dosage than someone who is larger and has a different metabolism. Just a theory.

[Meta]

I think clonazepam made me sleepy in the beginning but that wore off. I take it for anxiety. Anxiety itself has always stressed and fatigued me. Before anti-anxiety medication I can't count how many times I had something stressful to do and instead I would just take a nap. Now, I take a regular dose of clonazepam everyday, and if I have to do something very anxiety producing, I can do it with an extra half tablet. I still can be pretty irritable most of the time--but I am not inclined to take a higher dose of clonazepam to see if that helps.

[Soidhonia]

Hello Withit.
I hope things are going well for you besides the medication. I would suggest sending Psisci a PM and he may can suggest something a little less sedative for you to take. I hope you find something better to take soon. Take care and good day. Soidhonia