[Tryingtoheal77]

My psychologist has started saying that maybe I should consider meds for my high anxiety (I also struggle with dysthymia). I'm considering it because I 'm so sick of feeling this way, but I'm scared of the side effects. Of course the severe ones, but also even mild ones (nausea, headaches, etc) particularly because I work in a line of work where this would be VERY difficult to deal with, and also a job where it's pretty difficult to call in sick, or just be a bit late (or leave early).


What was your experience with getting on meds like?

[Skeezyks]

Well... I haven't been on a lot of med's. Nor have I been on many med's at the same time. But I've been on a few for periods of time over the years. Personally I never had problems getting onto med's for the most part. Actually when I first started taking them was when they seemed to do the most good. But then as I'd be on them for a while the effect just seemed to peter out leaving me mostly just groggy.

The one med I recall having difficulty with when I was starting it was Effexor. When I was put on it, it made me super anxious. I couldn't sleep the whole first night I took it. I was then switched over to Effexor XR & that was better... at first. Later on, after I had been on it for a while, was when I had some serious problems with it... twice! (I'll spare you the details.) I've also always been a person who never really had too much difficulty getting off med's either. I know some people seem to have a lot of trouble with that.

I think that your psychiatrist will consider whether or not it is appropriate to put you on meds. I believe that anti-anxiety drugs are more troublesome than useful but your psychiatrist will put you on something others like mood stabilizers or antidepressants.

Totally depends on the meds. The worst adjustment for me has been zoloft (antidepressant) made me physically ill for quite a while. However it was amazing for my head, so I stuck it out. I'm good now.

Every medication is different. Every person responds differently.

[Nike007]

Hi. I have been on several anti-depressants. I'm really sensitive to medications, I assume because of autism. But it really depends on the medication. For me, I can't go on high doses because of side effects. Many people assume that the higher dose, the better it works, but that isn't always the case.

But my overall response is that it depends on the medication, but more so of the person and their genes.

You can see what I have taken in my signature.

[still_crazy]

ugh. meds. id personally say...it's probably easier and safer to just take a benzodiazepine on a very limited, as needed basis than it is to take something every day, day in day out, indefinitely. The benzodiazepines are also generic, cheap, and fast acting, so...there's that, too.

Benzodiazepines cause amnesia that cannot be reversed even after withdrawal.

[peacelizard]

I've never experienced what I would consider major side effects with antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds, at least not significant enough as compared to the depression and anxiety I was dealing with and felt like it was a fair trade. No matter what you take, you're likely to experience some kind of side effects.

[peacelizard]

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

Totally depends on the meds. The worst adjustment for me has been zoloft (antidepressant) made me physically ill for quite a while. However it was amazing for my head, so I stuck it out. I'm good now.

Every medication is different. Every person responds differently.

Yeah. Same. Zoloft was a great med, but boy, did it mess up my stomach