[feary]

I just started new medications, effexor and propanolol the past 4 days. I am having severe anxiety and weird physical side effects.

I am afraid to take medication and am always reluctant to take it.

Do you think it is the medication not working for me and causing the negative reactions itself or is it possible that I myself am causing the anxiety and side effects subconsciously because I am weary of the meds?

[Yoda]

Hard to say. So your anxiety is worse than usual? What are the weird physical side effects?

If you are particularly stressed about taking a new medicine, it makes it hard to know what is a real side effect and what is anxiety over taking the medicine. What kind of side effects are you having besides the anxiety?

[ECHOES]

These are really good questions for your prescriber.

I believe I remember that Effexor can be stimulating for some people, and if so then it's better to take it in the morning.

[Kaitlyn]

I'm on Inderol which is the name brand of propranolol and severe anxiety isn't a normal side affect of that medication. In fact if you are having severe anxiety the propranolol will help take the anxiety away.

What kind of weird physical side effects are you talking about? If it's light headedness upon standing right away that's normal....just sit down for a few seconds and then stand up slowly. It will go away once you're body gets used to the medication. Propranonolol/Inderol lowers the ammount of adrenoline the body produces which in return lowers the person's blood pressure.

What dose of propranolol are you taking? I started off with 40mg a day (10 mg in the morning and afternoon and 20mg at night)....and now I'm up to 80 mg a day (either two 40mg doses or one 80mg dose at bedtime).

I'd stay on the propranolol a little while longer. It will definitely help you.

As far as the Effixor side affects I'm totally clueless...I've never taken the medication before.

Kait

Originally Posted by feary

I just started new medications, effexor and propanolol the past 4 days. I am having severe anxiety and weird physical side effects.

I am afraid to take medication and am always reluctant to take it.

Do you think it is the medication not working for me and causing the negative reactions itself or is it possible that I myself am causing the anxiety and side effects subconsciously because I am weary of the meds?

[polarsmom]

What kind of physical side effects are you having? Keep a little journal of stuff you are feeling. If they seem to get worse instead of better you'll know it's the medication is the reason and that it's probably not for you. Usually it takes a week or two before your body adjusts. But if you don't think it's something you can deal with definately call your doctor and ask about what you can do. These meds are supposed to help you feel better not make you miserable.

I took Effexor for awhile and that one was awful for me. It made me an angry person. I had violent angry dreams that got worse. And I felt headachey all of the time. I also craved high calorie, carb heavy food. I felt weak/shakey all the time. Like I hadn't eaten in days. I think it did something to my blood sugar levels. But I'm not sure. I'm not diabetic. I just know I did not feel good. And I couldn't make myself feel better. I called my doctor and she immediately had me go off it. We steer clear of that catagory of meds.

[feary]

I was very shaky, very anxious, racing thoughts, muscle pain/weakness etc.

I hate all meds.

None have helped me so far.

I stopped the propranolol because that was supposed to help calm me physically but it did nothing so stopped that.

Now the doc increased the effexor to 37 mg. I feel very anxious and racing thoughts. heightened anxiety.

I just cannot shake this impending doom, it is always there just varying levels. I doubt meds are going to help me at all. I have to change my thoughts and everything which is so damn impossible.

[Kaitlyn]

Have you tried counseling/therapy? That may help.

Originally Posted by feary

I was very shaky, very anxious, racing thoughts, muscle pain/weakness etc.

I hate all meds.

None have helped me so far.

I stopped the propranolol because that was supposed to help calm me physically but it did nothing so stopped that.

Now the doc increased the effexor to 37 mg. I feel very anxious and racing thoughts. heightened anxiety.

I just cannot shake this impending doom, it is always there just varying levels. I doubt meds are going to help me at all. I have to change my thoughts and everything which is so damn impossible.

[feary]

Yes, for the past two years and it hasn't helped either.

Honestly, this doesn't sound like a med issue. It sounds like an anxiety issue. What type of therapy are you in? CBT is often used with anxiety issues. It would work to help you with your fears and catastrophic thinking.

[Amazonmom]

Propranolol can mask the early signs of hunger/low blood sugar. People with low blood sugar can have very labile mood, anxiety, and have an impending sense of doom. Make sure you eat enough and on a regular basis. I don't know if this is what's happening to you, but I thought I would mention it.

[feary]

I have an appt with the psych today and I know she is going to increase my dose of effexor which worries me, what if it makes me worse?

I don't handle meds well and this one doesn't seem to be helping at all.

[polarsmom]

If you are uncomfortable taking Effexor or any other medication then you should talk to your pdoc about it today. Maybe there is something you can take on a "as needed" basis for anxiety instead of daily. You really should talk to her about how the medication makes you feel. It could be that you are just going through an adjustment phase. Just be sure to tell her the changes you've felt since starting the new meds. Good and bad. Stuff like....Does it make you feel calmer or irritable? Are you able to focus better or feel like you can't concentrate at all? Is it easier to handle the little stressors during the day? Are you more or less tired? Can you sleep at night? Really think about the differences. Write it down. Talk to your doctor about it. It will help her figure out what works for you. Which neurotransmitters need to be adjusted. Which ones need to be left alone. Everybody is different. Sometimes it just takes time to find the right match. Like you, I'm still working on finding something that is just right for me.

I don't know if you've made it clear to your doctor that you are uncomfortable about medication or not. If you haven't told her that you aren't a fan of taking medication, or that you think you're sensitive to meds you probably should do so. You won't be the first one to bring this up. If you don't want to take anything then talk to her about that too.

[feary]

Originally Posted by polarsmom

If you are uncomfortable taking Effexor or any other medication then you should talk to your pdoc about it today. Maybe there is something you can take on a "as needed" basis for anxiety instead of daily. You really should talk to her about how the medication makes you feel. It could be that you are just going through an adjustment phase. Just be sure to tell her the changes you've felt since starting the new meds. Good and bad. Stuff like....Does it make you feel calmer or irritable? Are you able to focus better or feel like you can't concentrate at all? Is it easier to handle the little stressors during the day? Are you more or less tired? Can you sleep at night? Really think about the differences. Write it down. Talk to your doctor about it. It will help her figure out what works for you. Which neurotransmitters need to be adjusted. Which ones need to be left alone. Everybody is different. Sometimes it just takes time to find the right match. Like you, I'm still working on finding something that is just right for me.

I don't know if you've made it clear to your doctor that you are uncomfortable about medication or not. If you haven't told her that you aren't a fan of taking medication, or that you think you're sensitive to meds you probably should do so. You won't be the first one to bring this up. If you don't want to take anything then talk to her about that too.

She knows how I feel. She is a nationally acclaimed, extremely intelligent, award winning, best psychiatrist in town and knows her stuff and nothing she has done has helped me.

things like this just make me feel worse like I am damned and unable to be helped if the top doc can't figure me out.

my mind races and is unable to focus and I am so confused all the time and my memory is gone.

tomorrow I go to the anxiety disorders clinic-very nervous.

[Perna]

Yes, the effexor usually takes several weeks to take effect so would probably not be giving those type of side effects at this time. How are these symptoms different from your normal bad anxiety? It may not have kicked in yet.

The anxiety clinic sounds like a good idea. Hope they have some new ideas to maybe help you.

[sunnyshine]

If you do have a reaction to a medication, it is best to take one new one at a time so that you will know for sure which medicine is causing a reaction.

[feary]

I know the effexor is causing these reactions:

excessive sweating, my pulse is more amplified, dry mouth, spacey, weird feeling in head, wired feeling like I have had tons of caffeine (haven't had any!), nausea, no appetite.

I read that docs put you on effexor or remerron when someone has severe depression etc but these seem dreadful with side effects so it worries me and I am very sensitive