Medicate or not to medicate ?...that is a question

[Geda]

Hi guys.
I need an andvice please. I'm thinking about going to doctors and asked for some medication for my anxiety. I have never been on any medication and thought I would never get on any medication either but things have been tought lately and I don't know how long I can keep feeling this anxious every day and not to lose my sanity, or what's left of it.
To be honest taking medication scares me a bit ....what if it will make me feel tired, moody , passive, emotional, sick....
What's your verdict on taking medication. Did it help you ?
Thanks
Sim

[ghost of mr bob]

Hi Sim,

It is a dilemma. I am against taking medication except in extreme cases but then I am lucky enough to have a good therapist.

But it sounds like you definitely need to have something that will give you some hope of change.

If you trust your GP, then it is worth talking to them about how you are feeling and what options are available. If you are unsure of your GP, then try asking a friend from the group if they will go with you to the GP. That can really help. You are popular, there will be people happy to go with you I'm sure!

I did take Diazepam (Valium) a few years ago when I was really at my worst. That really helps but you have to be careful with it as it can be very addictive.

The type of medication depends on how you are affected. Diazepam is good to deeply relax you if you are having extremes of anxiety and perhaps stress. It can also help getting to sleep but not every night as you would become addicted.

Other people have taken beta-blockers (to calm down there heart rate I think). And others take anti-depressants but I personally had an awful experience on Prozac and statistically they are over-prescribed by GPs.

Hope some of this helps, hang in there! 

[stresspuppy]

Hi Geda, Sorry to hear your having a tough time - as GO-MrBOB has said feel the love on the forum and at the meets for you  You know the whole meds thing I'm still not clear on despite years of being on them. I suppose that's part of it - it can take a long time to find what works for you and even then things can change. Personally my aim is to get off meds - sometimes I think we can tend to pin our hopes on a miraculous pill that will solve our problems. In my experience Medication may tend to mask what your feeling and as such perhaps make you less able to confront those feelings. HOWEVER in times of severe anxiety perhaps we need that extra short term support in order to function - the jury is still out - it's your body and mind so you just need to make an informed choice and there are some earlier forum threads about meds that might be useful?
With meds you might well get side effects and some are more sensitive to this than others - you could always try and review with guidance of your GP - sorry if it's not clear enough advice it's just different for us all 
Sending you a big puppy hug 

[stresspuppy]

Hi Geda, just thought it worth you reviewing what your doing just now to manage your anxiety before you dive into the medicated UK pool? as in regular exercise, diet, interests etc

[Alexandra]

*HUGS* Geda. Sorry things are difficult right now.

Thing about medication is ultimately it depends on the individual. Everyone reacts differently to different substances and the only thing you can do is try it and see.

My personal thoughts on medication are pretty much the same as stresspuppy. They can sometimes be good to help get you out of a rut, but they're not necessarily something to take long term. The longest I was on medication was 2-3 years and it took me about 8 months to come off it. I was told I'd have to be on medication for the rest of my life but I didn't want to be so I weaned myself off it and I'm so glad I did! It started to become a nightmare because they would only give me a few at a time because of suicide attempts, so every time I ran out I had to make a doctors appointment and they could never fit me in in time and I'd end up going through withdrawal for a couple of days which is not very nice - nervous system shocks are not fun. But on the other hand, the medication helped to take the depth out of my feelings, and just nipped the edge off and made my life a little bit more manageable at a time when I was pretty much completely out of control.

And it may take a while to find the right kind of medication for you. I have tried fluoxotine (prozac), valium (twice, each with different experiences), escitalopram, and sertraline. All quite different. You have to give them a couple of months to start working properly, but after that if you really don't like the experience you can come off them. No one is going to force you either way. 

[ice203]

Hi Sim.

Im currently on 20mg Escitalopram (cipralex) i find these really do help lower the anxiety and they not addictive,
i had a few side affects when i first started them, anxiety good worse for 2 weeks and found my self getting angry alot more.
but after 2 weeks i started feeling so much better,



leigh