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What other medication could I try?

post #1 of 21
6/19/08 at 8:21pm
Thread Starter 
I am currently taking Zoloft (50 mg) for anxiety, and it is doing NOTHING for me. I was previously taking, with great positive effects, Lexapro. Unfortunately I wound up developing hives and swelling after three weeks on Lexapro, so I had to stop and switch. I am seeing my doctor tomorrow and want to ask her if I can try something else since the Zoloft feels like I am eating air! I am not nursing, so I don't need to take something specifically because it is "safe" for breastfeeding. Any recommendations?

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post #2 of 21
6/19/08 at 10:34pm
Oh gosh. I was going to say Lexapro till I read the whole thing

Sorry, I don't have other suggestions for you. I hope you are able to find one that works for you, soon!
post #3 of 21
6/19/08 at 11:15pm
Anxiety is targeted at the upper doses of Zoloft (max 200 mg daily). Can you increase the dose? Shouldn't be a problem to just buzz the doc, tell him/her it's not working, ask can you increase by 25mg or so weekly till you are up to 150.

It's worth a shot, esp since you don't seem to be having side effects. Hang in there!
post #4 of 21
6/20/08 at 10:16am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by perl View Post
Anxiety is targeted at the upper doses of Zoloft (max 200 mg daily). Can you increase the dose? Shouldn't be a problem to just buzz the doc, tell him/her it's not working, ask can you increase by 25mg or so weekly till you are up to 150.

It's worth a shot, esp since you don't seem to be having side effects. Hang in there!
Oh, interesting. Maybe she tried me at a low dose because I had a positive result with only 10 mg of Lexapro. I actually have an appt with her today, and I will ask whether she recommends I try increasing the dose or a new drug. I am just so bummed out because I definitely had a "taste" of what it's like to feel so much better for the few weeks before I had to quit the Lex. I want that "normal" feeling again, SOON!
post #5 of 21
6/20/08 at 11:22am
Yes, 50 mg is the minimum dose. You can go way up to 200. See about doing that. Go slowly, 75 mg to 100 and keep at each dose for a few days to a week until you are up to 100 at least.
post #6 of 21
6/20/08 at 10:32pm
How about an actual anti anxiety med like ativan?
post #7 of 21
6/22/08 at 12:44am
I tried Lexapro, but had my own nasty side effect (noooooo orgasms! bummer!)

So, I tried exercise and vitamins/adrenal supplements. Worked for a while, but I'm struggling again. I just started Xanax (sp?) today. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions or warnings about it.

BTW, I have ativan. I use it when things get bad, usually in the middle of the night when I can't sleep and can't turn off my brain.

~Diane
post #8 of 21
6/22/08 at 10:29pm
Thread Starter 
Diane, my doctors told me that Xanax is highly addicting and should be used only sparingly and once in a while. They would not give it to me, even when I was hospitalized with a 145 beat-per-minute heart rate due to my anxiety.

Update: I am now taking 100 mg of zoloft as my doctor recommended I double the dose. This is Day 3 of the higher dose. After a week or two, I will hopefully see an improvement or, she said, I can try 150 mg.

About Ativan, I have no idea why she did not suggest that or another drug that is used strictly for anxiety. If the higher dose of Zoloft ddoes not work, I can ask...
post #9 of 21
6/23/08 at 11:58pm
I take ativan. That is not something to take every day, just for occasional, situational anxiety. You can get addicted to it.
post #10 of 21
6/25/08 at 4:44am
You could try Celexa? It is very similar to Lexapro, but the side-effects can still be different for different people. Since you had good results with Lexapro, I would think the Celexa would possibly be a good fit for you.

After doing my own research AND talking to the docs about the benzos (Ativan, Xanax, Valium, etc), I would steer clear of those if at all possible. They scare the living daylights out of me. I think trying a different SSRI would be a better choice if the Zoloft still doesn't work for you. Some people go through four or five anti-deps until they find one that works for them. And that's okay!

post #11 of 21
6/25/08 at 3:09pm
My DP takes Celexa daily for her anxiety and has something akin to Ativan for panic attacks as needed. i don't think she's used one once now that her daily meds are working.
post #12 of 21
6/25/08 at 6:26pm
Thread Starter 
I am scared to try Celexa knowing that Lexapro is derived from that drug and I had such a bad allergic reaction to the Lexapro.
post #13 of 21
6/26/08 at 6:20pm
How about Effexor?
post #14 of 21
6/26/08 at 8:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindberg99 View Post
I take ativan. That is not something to take every day, just for occasional, situational anxiety. You can get addicted to it.
That's nice to know, now that I've been on it 3 years, 3 times a day. I wish I could still afford homeopathy!
post #15 of 21
6/27/08 at 1:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by velcromom View Post
How about Effexor?
Effexor worked ok for me, not nearly as well as the Lexapro does, but the thing with Effexor is the hideous effects of stepping off of it at some point. It was HORRID. And I have heard the same thing over and over from many people. Ugh. I was sick for a month, and that was stepping off as slowly as I could.

It is an option, but the coming off of it thing would advise anyone and everyone to try something else first.
post #16 of 21
6/27/08 at 12:49pm
Hm, see I have never noticed any problem going off/on Effexor, I am really inconsistent with it and do that several times a year. : maybe it's easier if you are on a very small dose? But everyone is different so that would be something to consider!
post #17 of 21
7/2/08 at 10:18pm
Ativan is safe for nursing, so is valium. Do stay clear of Xanax. All benzos have some risk of dependence, but it's fairly low with ativan. It's possible that your anxiety isn't related to a deficiency in serotonin, and therefore zoloft wouldn't help. Benzos work with GABA. You could try just a GABA supplement or even a B-100 complex (once daily, and don't take any other supplement with b's if you do that).
post #18 of 21
7/2/08 at 10:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnyMama View Post
It's possible that your anxiety isn't related to a deficiency in serotonin, and therefore zoloft wouldn't help.
Hmmm...then why would the Lexapro have worked so well? I thought that was in the same group of drugs as zoloft. (though I could be wrong about that)
post #19 of 21
7/2/08 at 10:28pm
missed the part about the Lexapro, which is one of the better ones for anxiety. that stinks!

And just re-read that you're not nursing. Sounds like you're not doing well with the SSRIs though. Klonopin and Xanax are the 2 best benzos for treating anxiety. Xanax is also the most addictive. What about just trying Klonopin and seeing how that works?

How's your sleep cycle?
post #20 of 21
7/5/08 at 1:25am
Don't give up on the zoloft yet, at least not until you've tried it at 200mg. I am on 200mg and it's helped so much with my anxiety. I started taking it for panic attacks and agoraphobia, sleeplessness, and just all around horrible anxiety.

My dh was on Lexapro for depression and it just made him so sleepy all the time. Now he's on Zoloft and loves it, helps a lot.
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