1. < Depression & Anxiety

Why don’t anxiety meds work for me?

Posted by dorothy1914 @dorothy1914, Feb 13 5:13pm

In Sept. 2024 out of nowhere I developed extreme anxiety. Went to primary care doctor and was prescribed Effexor (which I had successfully taken previously). This time it didn’t provide any help. Dr. then prescribed Lexapro (which didn’t help) and then Celexa (which didn’t help). By this time, I lost 45 pounds by not being able to eat and constant diarrhea. Dr. then told me to find another practitioner as there was nothing more she could do for me. Since then I have seen 4 PNP and none of their prescribed meds have helped. What do I do?

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John1984 | @jschwing | 2 days ago
In reply to @bobandjo "My heart breaks for all of you. Why don't doctors warn people how difficult it will..." + (show)
@bobandjo

My heart breaks for all of you. Why don't doctors warn people how difficult it will be to get off these drugs? God bless Dr. Josef, there should a provider like him in every state, the need is so great. My husband is in a similar situation, sick for over 2 years with Long covid, depressed, anxious, gut issues constantly. He was prescribed over 15 anti depressants over the past 2 years and worst of all, Ativan, nothing helped. Now he is trying to taper ever so slowly off Ativan. My question for you all is how can I as his sole care giver be of the best support to him?
It is a marathon with no finish line in sight.

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I feel really badly for Your Husband as I know what he is going through.

Make sure to take care of yourself. Also, my wife says, as she is my caregiver, to make some time for yourself away from your husband with friends, shopping, etc. to get a break.

Is your husband able to get any sleep? That has been a huge issue with Claudia and I. Everything you read states it is impairative to maintain sleep to effectively recover. So, there is the quandary, how do you really break the cycle of depression without proper sleep? That is why these antidepressants are prescribed , but not everyone properly responds. I did not even properly respond to upping my 12.5 mg dose of Paxil even though I had been taking this for over 17 years. It begs to question, is it really low serotonin that is the issue. My guess is that this condition is more about the Dopamatic (Dopamine) system within the brain. My body has been rejecting any SSRI and SNRI medications.

I have been doing so much with therapy and brain retraining programs. Have tried most of the recommendations for treatment resistance depression without noticeable results.

It does seem like a Marathon with no finish line.

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John1984 | @jschwing | 2 days ago
In reply to @yram "I sympathize with you. I feel so scared . I am very nervous and worried. I..." + (show)
@yram

I sympathize with you. I feel so scared . I am very nervous and worried. I have pain in my right buttock and I am so scared that at any minute the pain will start. Sometimes the pain is so intense. I feel afraid to do anything. Also I am recovering from a broken ankle. I am just a big mess. I am depressed. I feel like I am useless and don't know what to do.

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The only thing to do is to force yourself to do things. I used to tell My late Mother, step into your fears. Now look at me, I am sitting here procrastinating on the things I should be doing and will have to force myself outside even though my mind is telling me something else. And, also experiencing muscular pain and legs. Not to mention low energy level. Now, I am going to sound like the standard dialog on what to do next. Have you done therapy and / or seen a psychiatrist?

I know, this Gold Standard has not worked specifically for me, but depending on where you are in your journey, this would be a good first step for you if you have not already done so.

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2 replies
dorothy1914 | @dorothy1914 | 2 days ago
In reply to @bobandjo "My heart breaks for all of you. Why don't doctors warn people how difficult it will..." + (show)
@bobandjo

My heart breaks for all of you. Why don't doctors warn people how difficult it will be to get off these drugs? God bless Dr. Josef, there should a provider like him in every state, the need is so great. My husband is in a similar situation, sick for over 2 years with Long covid, depressed, anxious, gut issues constantly. He was prescribed over 15 anti depressants over the past 2 years and worst of all, Ativan, nothing helped. Now he is trying to taper ever so slowly off Ativan. My question for you all is how can I as his sole care giver be of the best support to him?
It is a marathon with no finish line in sight.

Jump to this post

@bobandjo
Just be there for him. My husband deserves a medal for all I put him through.

REPLY
yram | @yram | 2 days ago
In reply to @jschwing "The only thing to do is to force yourself to do things. I used to tell..." + (show)
@jschwing

The only thing to do is to force yourself to do things. I used to tell My late Mother, step into your fears. Now look at me, I am sitting here procrastinating on the things I should be doing and will have to force myself outside even though my mind is telling me something else. And, also experiencing muscular pain and legs. Not to mention low energy level. Now, I am going to sound like the standard dialog on what to do next. Have you done therapy and / or seen a psychiatrist?

I know, this Gold Standard has not worked specifically for me, but depending on where you are in your journey, this would be a good first step for you if you have not already done so.

Jump to this post

Oh yes been on antidepressants psychiatrists, therapists sine my 20's. I am 73 . Breaking my ankle 6 months ago has traumatized me. I believe i have PTSD again.

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dorothy1914 | @dorothy1914 | 2 days ago
In reply to @jschwing "The only thing to do is to force yourself to do things. I used to tell..." + (show)
@jschwing

The only thing to do is to force yourself to do things. I used to tell My late Mother, step into your fears. Now look at me, I am sitting here procrastinating on the things I should be doing and will have to force myself outside even though my mind is telling me something else. And, also experiencing muscular pain and legs. Not to mention low energy level. Now, I am going to sound like the standard dialog on what to do next. Have you done therapy and / or seen a psychiatrist?

I know, this Gold Standard has not worked specifically for me, but depending on where you are in your journey, this would be a good first step for you if you have not already done so.

Jump to this post

@jschwing
I have recently seen a psychiatrist but he had no advice other than to start a new medication. I didn’t start it as my condition is not due to lack of a medication, it’s due to too many medications.

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david707 | @david707 | 1 day ago
In reply to @dorothy1914 "@jschwing No sleep in the evenings or even a daytime nap. I feel miserable. I should..." + (show)
@dorothy1914

@jschwing
No sleep in the evenings or even a daytime nap. I feel miserable. I should have stayed on the Effexor (I know I have said it a thousand times). The therapists have said I should stop blaming myself, but there is no one else to blame. Every day/night is intolerable. The tinnitus is one of the worst symptoms with the general weakness coming in second. I want to eat breakfast but I don’t even have the strength to open the box of waffles. I think my husband is still asleep. He has insomnia, too, so even if he gets an hour’s sleep it’s a victory. Life is tough.

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Claudia, perhaps it is time to try some of the natural remedies for sleep/depression. Various hemp tinctures with CBD/CBG or even THC and also mushroom combinations.

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1 reply
dorothy1914 | @dorothy1914 | 1 day ago
In reply to @david707 "Claudia, perhaps it is time to try some of the natural remedies for sleep/depression. Various hemp..." + (show)
@david707

Claudia, perhaps it is time to try some of the natural remedies for sleep/depression. Various hemp tinctures with CBD/CBG or even THC and also mushroom combinations.

Jump to this post

Thanks for the advice.

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