med weary patient going back one more time

I have severe anxiety issues and occasionally had depressive episodes throughout my life. I feel like I've tried every SSRI and tricylic known to man.

Meds make me feel weird , spacey, remote , jittery and not myself. My anxiety is still frustratingly bad. So I am taking one more shot at seeing a pdoc.

Anyone else med-resistant with anxiety issues? I know meds have different results for different people---what has worked for you? Anything new I should ask my new pdoc about?

Please, I'm desperate to find any lead.

I would tell the pdoc the list of meds you have tried and ask for suggestions.

For me lifestyle changes offer some relief, more if continued over time.

I have to watch what I eat because foods I eat can stabilize my moods or exaggerate them. A high protein low carb diet with snacks or meals every 3-4 hours will over time reduce my swings. I also avoid alcohol and recreational drugs because those can really increase depression.

Other lifestyle changes that help me are doing yoga, exercises, mindfulness, calm music, and being active on Psych Central.

There are lots of compassionate people here that can make the load lighter by sharing and caring. Feel free to participate actively at Psych Central.
http://forums.psychcentral.com

Please feel free to private message me or any of the Community Liaisons by left clicking on the name in blue to the left of their post) for questions or just to share.

Thank you so much for your response! I'll add that I have been trying to incorporate lifestyle changes too. Therapy has always been more effective for me than meds. But I'm at a point where I need more help.

Thank you!!!

Hi growlycat, I, too, have been on just about every med there is over many decades. Nothing completely takes my churning anxiety away, BUT I had a wonderful surprise when my GP prescribed Inderal for me. I had completely fallen apart in his office due to the extreme, uncontrollable anxiety I was battling & he came up with the Inderal idea. I take only 20-30mgs/day and the stuff is wonderful, with no unpleasant side effects.

Thanks PoppyRoad!! That sounds like a drug name to add to my "must-ask-about" list
Thanks!!

You're welcome

Be open to trying a combination of meds - something for the depression and something else for the anxiety. I take seroquel an A-typical antipsychotic for anxiety and it's wonderful, knocks my anxiety right of the ball park.

splitimage

I have tried Paxil in the past, helps both depression and anxiety. It is however a drug that you can't just stop taking, if you don't like it, taper off slowly. It worked for me, but then other physical issues came up that I had to taper off and stop taking all meds. Now diet is my key thing to watch. Like the other poster said alcohol is a big NO NO for me.

Splitimage-- I am open to combinations of meds, just have concerns about the costs. I'm on lots of asthma meds and other things so I already pay a lot monthly for meds.
I have heard good things about seroquel

Moving on up again-- I had a strange experience taking Paxil. It made me highly irritable and aggressive. I actually told my boss at the time to f off and I was getting into verbal fights with lots of people. It scared my therapist enough for him to tell me to see my GP and get off the stuff as soon as possible.

I second Inderal. A lot of my anxiety is driven by my sensitivity to adrenaline surges in my body, which can happen often with the pace of work for me.

My psychiatrist also prescribed neurontin as a prn med for some patients (not me) and has seen positive results