Stress Center Peer Support

Hello all..I haven't logged on to this site in about two years. I completed the program in 2008 and as far as my anxiety and OCD I do still have my moments but for the most part I am able to keep it in check. I am 24, married a year, and live in Colorado, and I have found these forums to be very helpful in the past, so I am really begging for input here please.

I have been on prescription meds since high school, actually probably before that. I took Prozac all through high school and some college (I stopped abruptly stopped because I thought I no longer needed it..bad idea!), then Zoloft which seemed to help for about two years then many of my symptoms got worse(especially depression) my psychiatrist explained some medications can stop being effective after a period of time, so this past December I was put on Effexor 300mg. I never really felt that it was working in terms of helping depression, and two months ago I was the most depressed I had ever been. I was a zombie who only left bed to go to work and wouldn't talk to anyone, so over the past month I have been transitioning to Welbutron (sorry the spellings of the meds is not my strong point) for the past two weeks I have been only on Welbutron 300mg. My psychiatrist also added 2mg of Abilify as well.

I have been having the WORST vertigo, dizzyness, ringing in my ears etc. The one that is most bothersome is the vertigo, it is driving me insane. The problem is, I do not want to have to transition to ANOTHER medication. I feel like I have tried them all. I just don't know what to do....does anyone have any suggestions?? They would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sorry you are having such a problem with meds. I started out with xanax, but had to start taking more after a while so my doctor switched me to Zoloft. After about I month I quit that because it made my anxiety worse. I'm now on Clonazapam and Celexa which have worked wonderfully. They do make me sleepy, so I only take them at night. If I have an anxiety attack during the day I take 1/4 of the Clonazapam and it does the trick without making me sleepy. I hope you are able to find something that works for you.

Adjusting to a new medication takes time & patience. It also takes persistence. Don't give up. If you find that your doctor tells you there's nothing more s/he can do, get a second opinion. I've been through many doctors until I found one I felt comfortable working with. She is knowledgeable & tells me about all the new medications, which I research online. I've taken all the old medications before, which seemed to stop working during a significant life event. My biggest mistake was accepting defeat, even though it wasn't entirely my fault (due to my illness). Ask a lot of questions and keep searching. Right now, I found that a new SSRI, Viibryd, has eliminated most, if not all of my symptoms of anxiety, and it hasn't been 8 weeks yet for it finish building up in my system. Also, consider Invega. These are brand new medications. Discuss them with your physician, but still keep with the CBT, especially StressCenter's recommendations against stimulants & sugars & for more exercise & sleep. Hope this helps.