Howdy all,

I went to Effexor and it has been great for my anxiety.

My problem now is this: Anxiety helped keep me focused and motivated. Now, I find my IT job incredibly boring (like I used to before becoming depressed and anxious about 10 years ago). I spend my days dreaming of turning my passion for woodworking into a vocation. I know it's not realistic, I have a high-maintenance wife and 2-year-old to support. I used to religiously balance my checkbook, pay bills on time, all the above (I was even a single parent for 4 years). Of course, I also spent my days worrying and being miserable over how much money my loose-gun wife was spending, or fearing I would be fired if the project I was working on wasn't 100% perfect and on-time, or how my teenager was doing in school.

Just wondering if anyone else experienced this phenomenon once their anxiety got better?

I tried Concerta and quit it, the side-effects were worse than the ADD and it did not help me focus any better (though I did much better in interactive communications). I took a 1/2-dose (36 mg) yesterday becuase I was very tired, couldn't sleep the night before. It makes me irritable, cranky, I notice my "inner voice" becomes extremely harsh, not good.

I fired my shrink and have an appt Monday with my PCP whom I've known over 20 years and trust completely, he listens much better than the shrink did. I wanted to try Stratera for the ADD but the shrink said it interacts with Effexor. I'd rather go without meds than take Concerta, though.

I've been on anti-anxiety meds since Jan. this year.
At first I was taking them because the side effects from Paxil were extreme anxiety.
I stopped taking the Paxil in Feb. bc it made me feel like a zomby.
But I found the anxiety didn't really go away.....in fact, it was probably always there and was exactly the way you described yours. I was so paranoid about losing my job or house or whatever that I would outperform even what I thought I could do.
Now, on the anti-anxiety meds I find it hard to get motivated to do that....
One thing that I've realized though: Even when I'm operating at 75% of the capacity that I would consider really performing..... I'm still working ABOVE average....I still get praise about the great job I'm doing even when, IMO, my performance stinks in comparison to what it would be if I was hyperfocused and freaking out about losing my job.....

does that make sense? I'm rushing so I get my son to band practice on time.....so my wife won't freak out at me later..... :D

Yes, me too. I used to always pay bills the moment they arrived, because it made nervous to be in debt to anyone. But now it seems I procrastinate about any task that causes anxiety. Self talk sounds like, "I don't want to feel anxious, so I'll just put it in a pile on my desk for later." But these days, "later" arrives in the form of an overdue bill notice.

What are the effects of Effexor XR and Strattora together. My doctor was going to put me on both?

Thanks,

LVP1

Never took both together, I went off of Effexor prior to going on Strattera. You might want to double-check that, the shrink who put me on Effexor refused to prescribe Strattera (was taking Concerta then) because of supposed interactions with Effexor. That's the shrink I fired anyway, didn't like her much.

I was having some severe depression and anxiety over the summer while on Strattera alone. Scary stuff. My PCP put me back on Lexipro. I went back to another shrink who upped the Lexipro to 30mg and put me on Focalin XR. I'm liking the Focalin a lot. Lexipro doesn't completely control my anxiety and makes me sleepy, so I switched and started taking it at night, much better.

Good luck, hope you get some help.

Wow, I read this post and it is totally me. My anxiety also kept me motivated and in check because I was always worried about what would happen if I didn't. Bills were also always paid the moment I got them. I only used my credit card if I absolutly had to.
Well I have been on meds for my anxiety for over 2 years now and they have helped me soooo much with my anxiety but I just don't care like I use to. I moved out and ran my credit card up to 8 grand. And I put off all my bills to the last minute. I auctully feel bad at work now because I just don't have the motivation I once had. I guess I auctully miss a couple things about my anxiety but not the auctual anxiety.
I think over all though I am happier person on meds but I hate alot of it. I wish there were other options.
Cara

I've found using Strattera, Xanax and Celexa works fairly well. I don't think I could make it through the day without all of them.