Best medication for MY anxiety type

[Koblin3426]

Hello all! I've recently started taking adderall for ADD inattentive type again, and I feel like I really need to tackle this anxiety thing while I can actually focus on something for two seconds. I think I have GAD and social anxiety, but I'm not positive. I'm hoping if I describe what makes me anxious and what stops me from doing what I want, you guys can point me in the right direction.

I am fearful of people's reactions in social situations. I find it extremely difficult to talk to someone without reason (aka make friends other than the ones I've known forever). I fear time itself too, I think. For example, if I have two hours to workout before I go to my job, I won't go. I'm so afraid that I won't make it back in time even though I know I can set a reminder on my phone (and wear a watch).

I am afraid that I'm doing things wrong in general. Like when I ask when questions at a doctor's office (ie. do I have to fill this section of the form out?), at any type of meeting, or in social gatherings in general. I also find it difficult to ask teachers questions about assignments and I always feel like I'm doing them incorrectly.

I'm afraid of heights, sharks, spiders (...which is weird I guess 'cause I'm male), and the popular kids.

All of these fears cause me to have a hard time getting things that I really want to do deep down. I'd love to go biking, running, play guitar, sing, go out with someone I like, and/or workout everyday.

I really would like to change my life, but I can't decide which meds to try. Everyday I look at these forums and change my mind completely. I've tried Remeron previously, and it worked decently. Honestly though, it made me want to sleep so badly and became very lazy. I guess I didn't have anxiety, but that sort of defeats the purpose lol.

Also, wellbutrin gave me hardcore memory loss, and prozac didn't do anything besides make me yawn all the time (was on it for a while). Kept increasing dose but then I got the shakes.

Effexor, Prestiq, Klonopin, Buspar, Intuniv, Lexapro, Cymbalta, etc...there's just too many for me to know what to try first!

PS. Anything that increases appetite or allows me to sleep easier is a plus. I'm skinny so I want to avoid appetite loss if possible. I'm willing to sacrifice if it really helps me though.

[C.C.]

I have had success with a Lexipro / xanax mix. I also tried a ton of other drugs with no luck.

I take the lexipro 10mg once at night (it does help me sleep...thats why I do it at night) No change in eating habits.... I take one xanax XR in the am and then one regular xanax around 3:30....that gives it 30 minutes to kick in before the kids start coming home from school...cooking dinner...homework...cleaning house...baths...EVERYTHING that would make me a wreck before I started the meds. I have also noticed the xanax has helped take the edge off the stimulants given to me for ADHD...

I do however feel I am constantly taking meds...that sucks. BUT I am happier with life and my family is happy mom is not jumping off the deep end for every tiny offense

Pardon spelling here....
I did do the prozac (zombie, zero sex drive), buspar (could not stay awake) welbuturin (was like eating a tic tac...nadda), zoloft (same as prozac)...I think there were others but I have been on GAD drugs since my twins were born 14 years ago...hard to remember them,

[Koblin3426]

Thanks for the reply It sounds like a lot of people like Lexapro so I may ask my pdoc for that. However, i'm working full time and going to school full time (difficult with add/anxiety!) so I could REALLY use relief sooner rather than later.

I have a feeling I'll have a hard time coaxing my doctor into prescribing klonopin, especially since I'm a very new patient of his. He prescribed me adderall already, but I don't know what he'll want to do now.

I'll probably tell him that I was looking at Lexapro, but that I feel that four to six weeks is too long to wait. I hope he knows what klonopin is, because he was definitely clueless about Vyvanse. I wish most doctors were more flexible/knowledgeable with meds.

Anyone have any experience with lexapro vs. klonopin? I've only had like one panic attack in my whole life btw.

[Koblin3426]

Sorry I kind of forgot to reply to your post LOL. There's ADD for you... But I'm glad you found something that works for you! I tried prozac and it had just about no effect on me other than shakes at a really high dose. Taking meds all the time isn't a bad thing, but I want to do CBT when I have the time/money to fix my anxiety completely.

If you had to choose xanax or lexapro, what would it be? Also, which meds increase your appetite? I could use that...

[weareacc]

God, you sound exactly like me- the thing that worked for me was Mirtazapine. It's an SNRI (iirc) and has a strong anti-anxiety element.

They give it to anorexics to improve their appetite AND it's a sedative (more so in smaller doses). Just make sure you take your first one just before a day off work (if you work) cos you will wake up 15 hours later and feel like a car crash.

[Koblin3426]

Originally Posted by weareacc

God, you sound exactly like me- the thing that worked for me was Mirtazapine. It's an SNRI (iirc) and has a strong anti-anxiety element.

They give it to anorexics to improve their appetite AND it's a sedative (more so in smaller doses). Just make sure you take your first one just before a day off work (if you work) cos you will wake up 15 hours later and feel like a car crash.

I'm glad it works for you I guess I had a hard time with the sedative effect.

Hmm, how much Mirtazapine do you take? I stopped taking it because it made me sleep wayyy too much. Especially in the summer. I was taking 30mg a night. I also felt like if I was hanging out with friends, I couldn't take it at night because it made me so tired I couldn't socialize.

On those nights, I ended up having to take it later at night and thus want to sleep the whole day. I may try taking like 45mg or something and see how that works...

[willinabox]

You also sound exactly like me...I stopped taking adderall too because it hightened all my anxiety symptoms.

I took lexapro for a little but it was way too sedating for me...made me lazy...I felt very unfocused.

might go ahead and try remeron

[hollywood]

if lexapro sedated you , what do you think remeron is going to do?

[Koblin3426]

Yeah remeron will most likely sedate you but you could try a higher dose. My mom took one of mine and it was barely sedating for her, so everyone is different.

I went to my doc and he prescribed me 50mg zoloft. I was too worried about being tired all the time so I decided against lexapro for now. I switched to taking corepharma all the time at 10mgs x 3 a day (starting tomorrow) so I'll see how that goes.

I'll update this thread in a few weeks and tell you all how zoloft is working for me.