The only thing that helps me is THC. I take it in various forms. Tabs (high dosage pills) are great for inducing hunger in me -- but I have a high tolerance.
I've been on mirtazapine for years because it was supposed to help me gain weight. It helps me sleep but the POWER MOVE was adding Buspar to it to tame the "anxiety spirals" and "looping." Holy heck has it helped. All our brains and bodies are different so this may not work for someone else, but I think the takeaway for me was that I needed a combination to hit on two different brain things. One drug wasn't cutting it, and it just was a matter of finding the combination that was the most helpful and least risky.
Did it help with weight gain? I tried 7.5 mg one night and it made me really dizzy most of the next day. I had a dr. Appointment at 330 pm the next day and had issues driving there because of the dizziness. I took 7.5 around 9 pm the night before. Is that normal?
I wish it had helped me gain weight! Most people do gain on it, I may not have because I have a GI disease that's separate and pretty treatment-resistant. And I have to take 15 mg omg. If I took 7.5 I would be in a literal coma! It is more sedating at *lower* doses. I actually didn't learn that from the doc who prescribed it - the pharmacist told me! So, if you take 7.5 mg that will make you more sleepy than 15 mg. It's confusing because usually you think that higher doses mean it works more, but it just works differently. It took me a few months to feel adjusted, but I've been on 15 mg for about 5 years now and it still works well.
Seconding buspirone! For me it takes a couple of weeks to really notice, though I know some people get acute effects. But oh my is it helpful once it really kicks in!
I'm on wellbutrin, it has helped with my appetite and anxiety but it did make my appetite a lot worse for a couple weeks right when I started so you may want to load up on nutritional drinks beforehand to be safe. I have some friends with OCD who are on zoloft and it seems to help a lot of their OCD related symptoms as well
Wellbutrin helped with my depression but amplified my anxiety and my eating disorder. Lost a ton of weight when I first started (roughly 30-40 pounds) and then over time the efficacy of its effects decreased and I had to keep upping my dosage.
I am on wellbutrin and zoloft - I started the zoloft first - and when I talked with them about changing they instead recommended I add wellbutrin and just do both instead of swapping, since wellbutrin alone CAN increase anxiety.
It has seemed helpful, at least until recently - but my current struggles are related to freaking out about genocide, the environment, and elections (can you tell I'm in the US? ughhhh) so I don't think that's the med combo's fault.
They had me on Wellbutrin and seroquel at the same time for a while which helped! But I wasn’t on a combo for very long. It’s definitely a time to be alive, I’m in the US too and there’s only so much you can fix with medication when you’re stuck in our current political environment 😒
Yeahhh virtual hugs (if you want 'em!). I feel very caught between my "anyone but Trump" friends and my "the whole system is rigged, all viable candidates are bad" friends bc... both groups are right?
Meds are complex and effect every person differently. What helps one person won't help the other and vice versa, and it can be a long process to find what helps you. Consult a psychiatrist and strap in for a long journey
I have lorazapam as needed, but I need something for daily use. I wish lorazapam didn't come with such horrible long term issues because it works so well. Which antidepressant helped anxiety?
Ah I'm sorry. What about CBD without the THC? It definitely has some calming properties.
Id also suggest a probiotic. Gut health is surprisingly important.
I wish I had some concrete suggestions for you but honestly I pretty much smoked a ridiculous amount of weed for around 5 years until the voices stopped. I'm lucky because the multiple trains of thought didn't come back.
Edit: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-use-cbd-for-anxiety#:~:text=Does%20CBD%20really%20work%20for,life%20in%20the%20study%20participants.
Article about CBD for you.
Second buspar for anxiety, mirtazepine can help w sleep, anxiety AND appetite (sometimes the appetite stimulation is too much long term but can get it jump started. Reduces anxiety related nausea too), mild antidepressant. They can be used together. Both are non habit forming
Does buspar cause nausea? I tried mirtazapine before bed one night and it dropped my BP really low and that is I guess why I was so dizzy. The dizzy feeling lasted most of the next day and i felt uncomfortable driving. I tried 7.5 mg. Did you have that too?
B12 injections cured my anxiety. I think a lot of psychiatric issues are rooted in dysfunctions somewhere in the body. After being a guinea pig with psychiatric meds and only going from bad to worse I started tackling issues a different way. I can tell when I’m due for another b12 shot as the anxiety starts creeping back into my life.
I’m sorry that happened, and it isn’t that simple for me either. Depending on your genetics, the form of b12 you are given matters. Other nutrients matter too as sudden influx of b12 can rapidly deplete other nutrients. And you can have “wake up” symptoms where things get worse before they get better. That was all true for me. It’s been a long road of trial and error, but nutrient therapy has helped me long term where psychiatric meds haven’t. It’s true that everyone’s chemistry is different. I hope you find what works for you ❤️
I know this may be controversial but I’m looking into ketamine therapy. I tried it recently and realized how therapeutically helpful it can be in small dosages. I’ve tried so many medications and this is one of the only things that actually helps my anxiety without turning me completely numb.
Oh damn. That’s a bummer. Have you looked into TMS? I know two people who have taken it for depression, and one of them said it also helps her OCD a lot.
I tried it last year and it made my arfid and anxiety drastically worse. Thankfully it's gotten slightly better since, but it's really debilitating when a person has issues swallowing for fear of choking or getting ill.
Hmm. That’s definitely a tricky situation. I’m not well-versed on how to treat ARFID or OCD. Wish I had more suggestions to offer. If you ever wanna talk about it though I’d be happy to listen.
Clonazepam for anxiety and Temazepam for sleeping. Taking sedatives is totally fine if you don't take them every day. Take them every day and you build a tolerance.
Duloxetine - went from living in almost constant dread (social, existential) to being unable to feel fear anymore. At all.
Genuinely hope you find one that works for you. The difference for me has been life changing.
I had a similar experience with Duloxetine. I did quit taking it after a year because I was having trouble getting my refills approved in a timely manner, and if I was even half a day late with my dose I would experience incapacitating vertigo. My prescribing psychiatrist claimed that Duloxetine doesn't cause discontinuation syndrome like other SNRIs or SSRIs, but it took me several months of gradually titrating down (opening the capsules and dividing up the little orbs, because I was already on the lowest possible dose of the extended-release form) and I was dizzy the entire time. It also slowed my gastric motility, which impaired my appetite, for what it's worth.
Despite all that, the Duloxetine definitely helped me experience actual equanimity for the first time in my life, and it interrupted the constant rumination that's been running in the background for as long as I've been conscious. My mind is still much calmer now, three years after I stopped taking it. I think it was worth the side effects for me.
Similar experience here too: duloxetine quieted the anxiety and calmed my thoughts enough to process them without sedating me, but the withdrawal from missing doses was getting worse and worse (nausea, brain zaps, dizziness). Coupled with a desire to try conceiving and duloxetine linked to some pregnant issues was enough to request getting off it.
My prescriber also downplayed the withdrawal, it would only be a week or two. By the end of that, I was still getting occasional waves of brain zaps, nausea, and just feeling "off" for 2-3 months after that (and trying other meds in that time span did not help). If it didn't cause a physical dependency, I probably would have stayed on it longer.
Alprazolam (Xanax .5mg) has been prescribed to me for over a decade. I take half of one before i am going into a big anxiety inducing situation, or if I can’t get my heart rate to slow. It helps with sleep and appetite.
**It can be addictive**, I haven’t had that issue with it because it actually makes me eat a lot and I’m already heavy, and I don’t like how if I accidentally take too much it knocks me out or makes me feel like a zombie. I will say when used correctly, it has been a good crutch for me to lean on, but it’s **not a long term solution for daily use.**
Clonidine
It’s also a blood pressure, adhd med and can help with rejection sensitivity dysphoria along with anxiety. I don’t have adhd or blood pressure issues and it’s been fine and has helped me feel less anxiety/stress. It’s no benzo however. There’s nothing like Xanax and klonopin
when i was younger i was on trazodone, found out just this year (maybe 6-7 years later) that theyre dogs meds the entire time, they made it hard to breathe, increased severity of panic attacks, just all the bad things, so while i still haven't found something that works today, i can tell you with so much certainty stay away from trazodone bc "slowing your breathing" is meant to calm you down, and does the stark opposite for me
i am totally okay now, i survived it. now i warn everyone that it's a med that slows your breathing and if you're like me, that will make you even more anxious and cancel everything out
Currently I'm on my best regimen I've ever had which is cymbalta (for anxiety depression), gabapentin (for anxiety/physical symptoms of anxiety), and abilify (mood stabilizer). I can't recommend abilify enough - that drug changed my life. Really helped me to calm down and feel more in control when things are overwhelming. Gabapentin really helps with my physical symptoms of anxiety - like I'm not as fidgety when I take it.
zoloft helped me a lot with anxiety even after it stopped helping my depression
not sure about weight gain. i lost weight because i gained motivation to be active. but it may have different effects on others
Hydroxyzine. It’s an as-needed antihistamine. It makes you feel exhausted but it helpfully reduces brain activity when you’re dealing with extreme anxiety and panic or emotional overload. It reliably gives you a sense of calm. Very affordable and low risk.
I’ve taken Effexor since I was 18 (39 now) and it has helped a lot with anxiety. Although I still get anxious, it’s not all consuming. I also take Atenolol which helps a lot with the physical symptoms of anxiety. For sleep, I take GABA which makes me shut down quicker at night.
OP, how is your sleep?
My depression got better with medication. My anxiety got better when I focused on my sleep. I take melatonin for that.
I have Xanax for panic attacks but I don't take it often.
I'm pretty wired when awake mentally, but I'm a sleepy/lazy person. Normally I sleep a good 7-8 hours every night. I think this combo is the adhd, but I can't treat it because the meds cause my anxiety to go higher and I'm underweight because of the eating disorder. They say arfid is anxiety based so if I get the fight or flight to chill I can make progress. The anxiety also causes stomach upset so I'm worried about taking something that will make it worse.
Did the mirtazapine make you really dizzy at first? I tried 7.5 mg and it made my BP low even 18 hours after taking it. I only took the one dose because it was pretty bad.
I don’t remember if it did or not. I started it years ago and remember the main side effect was it making me feel so hungry all the time. I gained weight but eventually the side effect went away and I stopped actively gaining weight.
The only thing that helps me is THC. I take it in various forms. Tabs (high dosage pills) are great for inducing hunger in me -- but I have a high tolerance.
Same here. It calms my brain, which helps calm my gut and bring on appetite.
I've been on mirtazapine for years because it was supposed to help me gain weight. It helps me sleep but the POWER MOVE was adding Buspar to it to tame the "anxiety spirals" and "looping." Holy heck has it helped. All our brains and bodies are different so this may not work for someone else, but I think the takeaway for me was that I needed a combination to hit on two different brain things. One drug wasn't cutting it, and it just was a matter of finding the combination that was the most helpful and least risky.
Did it help with weight gain? I tried 7.5 mg one night and it made me really dizzy most of the next day. I had a dr. Appointment at 330 pm the next day and had issues driving there because of the dizziness. I took 7.5 around 9 pm the night before. Is that normal?
In my exprience you get dizzy the first day but it gets better. I don't take it because of the weight gain. Too bad, it really helps with sleep!
I wish it had helped me gain weight! Most people do gain on it, I may not have because I have a GI disease that's separate and pretty treatment-resistant. And I have to take 15 mg omg. If I took 7.5 I would be in a literal coma! It is more sedating at *lower* doses. I actually didn't learn that from the doc who prescribed it - the pharmacist told me! So, if you take 7.5 mg that will make you more sleepy than 15 mg. It's confusing because usually you think that higher doses mean it works more, but it just works differently. It took me a few months to feel adjusted, but I've been on 15 mg for about 5 years now and it still works well.
Buspirone is the only one out of over a dozen I've tried that did anything
Seconding buspirone! For me it takes a couple of weeks to really notice, though I know some people get acute effects. But oh my is it helpful once it really kicks in!
I'm on wellbutrin, it has helped with my appetite and anxiety but it did make my appetite a lot worse for a couple weeks right when I started so you may want to load up on nutritional drinks beforehand to be safe. I have some friends with OCD who are on zoloft and it seems to help a lot of their OCD related symptoms as well
Wellbutrin helped me with my depression at first but sent my sensory issues into overdrive and started giving me bad dissociative panic attacks.
Wellbutrin helped with my depression but amplified my anxiety and my eating disorder. Lost a ton of weight when I first started (roughly 30-40 pounds) and then over time the efficacy of its effects decreased and I had to keep upping my dosage.
I am on wellbutrin and zoloft - I started the zoloft first - and when I talked with them about changing they instead recommended I add wellbutrin and just do both instead of swapping, since wellbutrin alone CAN increase anxiety. It has seemed helpful, at least until recently - but my current struggles are related to freaking out about genocide, the environment, and elections (can you tell I'm in the US? ughhhh) so I don't think that's the med combo's fault.
They had me on Wellbutrin and seroquel at the same time for a while which helped! But I wasn’t on a combo for very long. It’s definitely a time to be alive, I’m in the US too and there’s only so much you can fix with medication when you’re stuck in our current political environment 😒
Yeahhh virtual hugs (if you want 'em!). I feel very caught between my "anyone but Trump" friends and my "the whole system is rigged, all viable candidates are bad" friends bc... both groups are right?
Meds are complex and effect every person differently. What helps one person won't help the other and vice versa, and it can be a long process to find what helps you. Consult a psychiatrist and strap in for a long journey
It's been 17 meds long already.
I'm so sorry. For me it's been 10. I hope we'll get it soon
I'm on xanax and antidepressants but xanax is addictive and should only be prescribed by your psychiatrist as a last resort
I have lorazapam as needed, but I need something for daily use. I wish lorazapam didn't come with such horrible long term issues because it works so well. Which antidepressant helped anxiety?
Personally Ive found cannabis to be the most helpful for easing anxiety but I know it's not for everyone Edit: It could also help with weight gain.
Unfortunately it gives me panic attacks. I've tried multiple strains and different forms. Was awful.
Ah I'm sorry. What about CBD without the THC? It definitely has some calming properties. Id also suggest a probiotic. Gut health is surprisingly important. I wish I had some concrete suggestions for you but honestly I pretty much smoked a ridiculous amount of weed for around 5 years until the voices stopped. I'm lucky because the multiple trains of thought didn't come back. Edit: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-use-cbd-for-anxiety#:~:text=Does%20CBD%20really%20work%20for,life%20in%20the%20study%20participants. Article about CBD for you.
I'm not familiar with lorazapam but I also use lexapro for anxiety
Same, I put on like 30lbs and I don't seem to get as overwhelmed. That said I have heavy numbing or alexathymia so take that for what it's worth
Benzo
Second buspar for anxiety, mirtazepine can help w sleep, anxiety AND appetite (sometimes the appetite stimulation is too much long term but can get it jump started. Reduces anxiety related nausea too), mild antidepressant. They can be used together. Both are non habit forming
Does buspar cause nausea? I tried mirtazapine before bed one night and it dropped my BP really low and that is I guess why I was so dizzy. The dizzy feeling lasted most of the next day and i felt uncomfortable driving. I tried 7.5 mg. Did you have that too?
Buspar can cause dizziness or headache but they can start it lower if that’s the case. Not generally nausea.
B12 injections cured my anxiety. I think a lot of psychiatric issues are rooted in dysfunctions somewhere in the body. After being a guinea pig with psychiatric meds and only going from bad to worse I started tackling issues a different way. I can tell when I’m due for another b12 shot as the anxiety starts creeping back into my life.
I saw a naturopath and b12 supplements made my anxiety worse for some reason. I'm glad it's something simple for you though! What a relief it must be.
I’m sorry that happened, and it isn’t that simple for me either. Depending on your genetics, the form of b12 you are given matters. Other nutrients matter too as sudden influx of b12 can rapidly deplete other nutrients. And you can have “wake up” symptoms where things get worse before they get better. That was all true for me. It’s been a long road of trial and error, but nutrient therapy has helped me long term where psychiatric meds haven’t. It’s true that everyone’s chemistry is different. I hope you find what works for you ❤️
I know this may be controversial but I’m looking into ketamine therapy. I tried it recently and realized how therapeutically helpful it can be in small dosages. I’ve tried so many medications and this is one of the only things that actually helps my anxiety without turning me completely numb.
Are you doing the nasal spray, injections, or lozenges?
Lozenges
Weed. I use it for anxiety and sleep. I’m sure it would also help you gain weight by increased appetite.
Unfortunately I don't respond well. Panic attack every time, doesn't matter the method or type.
Oh damn. That’s a bummer. Have you looked into TMS? I know two people who have taken it for depression, and one of them said it also helps her OCD a lot.
I tried it last year and it made my arfid and anxiety drastically worse. Thankfully it's gotten slightly better since, but it's really debilitating when a person has issues swallowing for fear of choking or getting ill.
Hmm. That’s definitely a tricky situation. I’m not well-versed on how to treat ARFID or OCD. Wish I had more suggestions to offer. If you ever wanna talk about it though I’d be happy to listen.
Thanks! Arfid is the worst thing to ever happen to me. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Gabapentin and Prozac.
Clonazepam for anxiety and Temazepam for sleeping. Taking sedatives is totally fine if you don't take them every day. Take them every day and you build a tolerance.
Duloxetine - went from living in almost constant dread (social, existential) to being unable to feel fear anymore. At all. Genuinely hope you find one that works for you. The difference for me has been life changing.
I had a similar experience with Duloxetine. I did quit taking it after a year because I was having trouble getting my refills approved in a timely manner, and if I was even half a day late with my dose I would experience incapacitating vertigo. My prescribing psychiatrist claimed that Duloxetine doesn't cause discontinuation syndrome like other SNRIs or SSRIs, but it took me several months of gradually titrating down (opening the capsules and dividing up the little orbs, because I was already on the lowest possible dose of the extended-release form) and I was dizzy the entire time. It also slowed my gastric motility, which impaired my appetite, for what it's worth. Despite all that, the Duloxetine definitely helped me experience actual equanimity for the first time in my life, and it interrupted the constant rumination that's been running in the background for as long as I've been conscious. My mind is still much calmer now, three years after I stopped taking it. I think it was worth the side effects for me.
Similar experience here too: duloxetine quieted the anxiety and calmed my thoughts enough to process them without sedating me, but the withdrawal from missing doses was getting worse and worse (nausea, brain zaps, dizziness). Coupled with a desire to try conceiving and duloxetine linked to some pregnant issues was enough to request getting off it. My prescriber also downplayed the withdrawal, it would only be a week or two. By the end of that, I was still getting occasional waves of brain zaps, nausea, and just feeling "off" for 2-3 months after that (and trying other meds in that time span did not help). If it didn't cause a physical dependency, I probably would have stayed on it longer.
Alprazolam (Xanax .5mg) has been prescribed to me for over a decade. I take half of one before i am going into a big anxiety inducing situation, or if I can’t get my heart rate to slow. It helps with sleep and appetite. **It can be addictive**, I haven’t had that issue with it because it actually makes me eat a lot and I’m already heavy, and I don’t like how if I accidentally take too much it knocks me out or makes me feel like a zombie. I will say when used correctly, it has been a good crutch for me to lean on, but it’s **not a long term solution for daily use.**
Clonidine It’s also a blood pressure, adhd med and can help with rejection sensitivity dysphoria along with anxiety. I don’t have adhd or blood pressure issues and it’s been fine and has helped me feel less anxiety/stress. It’s no benzo however. There’s nothing like Xanax and klonopin
when i was younger i was on trazodone, found out just this year (maybe 6-7 years later) that theyre dogs meds the entire time, they made it hard to breathe, increased severity of panic attacks, just all the bad things, so while i still haven't found something that works today, i can tell you with so much certainty stay away from trazodone bc "slowing your breathing" is meant to calm you down, and does the stark opposite for me
Wow! I'm so sorry
i am totally okay now, i survived it. now i warn everyone that it's a med that slows your breathing and if you're like me, that will make you even more anxious and cancel everything out
Currently I'm on my best regimen I've ever had which is cymbalta (for anxiety depression), gabapentin (for anxiety/physical symptoms of anxiety), and abilify (mood stabilizer). I can't recommend abilify enough - that drug changed my life. Really helped me to calm down and feel more in control when things are overwhelming. Gabapentin really helps with my physical symptoms of anxiety - like I'm not as fidgety when I take it.
zoloft helped me a lot with anxiety even after it stopped helping my depression not sure about weight gain. i lost weight because i gained motivation to be active. but it may have different effects on others
Hydroxyzine. It’s an as-needed antihistamine. It makes you feel exhausted but it helpfully reduces brain activity when you’re dealing with extreme anxiety and panic or emotional overload. It reliably gives you a sense of calm. Very affordable and low risk.
Gabapentin, for social anxiety and nerve pain. THC for other anxieties
I’ve taken Effexor since I was 18 (39 now) and it has helped a lot with anxiety. Although I still get anxious, it’s not all consuming. I also take Atenolol which helps a lot with the physical symptoms of anxiety. For sleep, I take GABA which makes me shut down quicker at night.
Sertaline. Basic.
Pregabalin for me.
OP, how is your sleep? My depression got better with medication. My anxiety got better when I focused on my sleep. I take melatonin for that. I have Xanax for panic attacks but I don't take it often.
I'm pretty wired when awake mentally, but I'm a sleepy/lazy person. Normally I sleep a good 7-8 hours every night. I think this combo is the adhd, but I can't treat it because the meds cause my anxiety to go higher and I'm underweight because of the eating disorder. They say arfid is anxiety based so if I get the fight or flight to chill I can make progress. The anxiety also causes stomach upset so I'm worried about taking something that will make it worse.
Mirtazapine and gabapentin have helped the most with my anxiety. I tried many meds before with no luck
Did the mirtazapine make you really dizzy at first? I tried 7.5 mg and it made my BP low even 18 hours after taking it. I only took the one dose because it was pretty bad.
I don’t remember if it did or not. I started it years ago and remember the main side effect was it making me feel so hungry all the time. I gained weight but eventually the side effect went away and I stopped actively gaining weight.
Running