Anxiety and depression: What medications help?

@janicejoplin6 I can understand how difficult this is for you since the medications you are taking may be helping but not enough? I have a few questions that will help me and others to support you.

I saw that you started a previous discussion in which you asked about tapering off Lexapro. Are you still planning to do that? If so, have you discussed this with your prescribing physician?

What is your age? Have you ever experienced anxiety and depression in the past? I ask this because I had my first major depressive episode at the age of 24 and looking back previous to that I know that I'd had anxiety throughout my adolescent years. Since I was 24-years-old I have had other depressive episodes with anxiety and have been able to manage these better because of my previous experiences. I also know (about myself) that my baseline is a low level of anxiety and there are specific triggers that raise it all up to depression and anxiety. For this reason, I have stayed on a low dose of antidepressant medication (duloxetine) that I can increase in dosage, in discussion with my medical provider, if needed because it's likely I will have depression and anxiety throughout the rest of my life. What I have learned about myself is that I know how to better predict when I am becoming depressed and I know how to take care of myself.

Are you seeing a mental health therapist? Whatever it was that started the anxiety and depression one year ago is best discussed within mental health sessions. It's there that you will learn more about yourself and learn some skills to get through the very rough periods in your life.

Would you like to answer my questions so I can provide you with support and suggestions?

I take 20 mugs of Lexapro in the morning and 40 mgs of Trazodone at night. Prior to those meds I suffered from depression, anxiety and insomnia. Since I started the meds I’ve never looked back. Also use a CPAP
Take Care, Don

@janicejoplin6 Helen had some important questions. I've learned since first being diagnosed with depression, anxiety and PTSD 20 years ago that medications are tricky. It took at least 2 years of trying one antidepressant after another to land on one that didn't have weird side effects and lifted my mood, even just a tiny bit. At the same time I started 1 mg of Clonazepam, with a 2nd mg as needed. Five years later I was starting to feel more depressed again and my psychiatrist prescribed another medication to add to my antidepressant. Several years later my neurologist prescribed Cymbalta for my neuropathy. It didn't do anything that I could tell to the neuropathy pain, but all of a sudden I was motivated to do things that I'd put off doing for years. I still take it for that reason.

I visited a pain therapist for 6 sessions and heard her talk about a lot of things, but I took away only a couple of helpful hints. Chronic pain and depression are cyclical. I had a somewhat minor surgery in December, and the antibiotic I took afterwards degraded the tissue in my Achilles tendons and ruptured both of them. I went into surgery looking forward to a better quality of life and a week later I found myself in a wheelchair, non weight bearing for 6 weeks in boots. Two weeks ago I finally got to be upright, partial weight bearing with a walker.

I'm still in the middle of a pretty dark time, with no idea what the outcome will be. And my feet hurt all the time, worse now having to wear the boots 24/7. Knowing that it isn't forever should help, and it has in the past. But when you're in the middle of something unknown it's hard to project a time when things will be better. I think I need to work on patience and waiting gracefully.

Jim

Been on antidepressants for one year , waking up with sweating, shaking numbness in part of head and face and burning chest outside for last Several months. Any help ?

@janicejoplin6 Have you spoken to the prescribing doctor about these side effects? Are they recent, or have you recently added new medications? Your medical professional should be kept in the loop of what you are experiencing. They may be able to change the dosage or actual medication to better suit your situation.

Please let me know what you find out!
Ginger

@jimhd - Oh wow! Jim...I'm sorry to read about your completely unexpected challenge after what was to be a minor surgery.

May I ask what the doctor/s have said is the reason / cause of the degraded tissue leading to a rupture in your Achilles tendons? This must be a concern and focus for the medical team, not to mention you.

I can relate to what you say about "knowing it isn't forever should help", but when we're in the middle of it (this is true for me, and others I've been told), time sort of suspends and doesn't seem to move along at its "normal" pace. Kudos to you for even suggesting you need to work on patience and waiting gracefully - I suppose in a way, what choice do we have when in the middle of something? But I also believe (for me) that it is very important to acknowledge the facts of the situation, its impact on your state of mind (as well as physically), in order to move through and beyond it, eventually. It's also important for me that those closest to me know and appreciate its impact (so I feel "seen" - so essential to my life experience), otherwise I tend to feel subject to dismissiveness.

Maybe I've gone further on this than is your experience currently; if so, also completely respect that. Just want you to know I "see" your experience and acknowledge it wholeheartedly.

Thanks for your posting too.

Thank you for your wise words.
It is indeed important to be seen.

Levofloxacin is what caused the tendon problems, a known side effect, though extremely rare. It's now on my drug allergies list. The orthopedic surgeon suggested a non-surgical approach, with an expected healing time of 4 weeks. At 3 months they still haven't healed, so surgery is the next step.

@jimhd - Oh my goodness Jim!

After you shared the drug that caused the problem, I looked it up and I do of course see the 'serious, rare side effects' listed there. And all this, from a drug / antibiotic for addressing bacterial infection? (as I read it?)

Wow - I wish you a quick and speedy recovery from the proposed surgery. It really makes one wonder what chances we all are taking that we may or may not, likely, be aware of when undergoing treatments, especially ones like yours that were supposed to lead to a quick, effective improvement.

I do have optimism for your next step toward recovery (the surgery). Keep us posted if you'd care to.

Wow - sometimes it feels like some kind of endurance test, right? Best wishes.

Has anyone used any anti depression medications that worked on anxiety ? I have GAD and taken .5 mg of Ativan two to three times a day with no help, still nervous all day body and head.

My husband has GAD and Buspirone has really helped him and it’s non addicting.