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Start up side effects

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james22918
james22918

So I've been on 225mg for 11 weeks and I am a lot better than when I was on absolutely nothing at all.

However my anxiety is still very up and down. For example this week Monday to Wednesday was great, I felt that everyday I was getting better and better and any normal thought would make me panic and my stomach knots were going. Then on Thursday out of nowhere my anxiety heightened and hasn't really come down since. It's not related to anything. I'm thinking this is the side effects still from the tablets as Ive read that anxiety can be one of the last things to go and for the full effects it can take longer for some people to get the full benefits.

I have been like this for a few weeks at least and my heightened anxiety can come on radomly and go randomly sometimes with palpitations.

Any thoughts on if I should give it more time or increase again or see someone?

3 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • liz05654
    liz05654 james22918

    Posted

    Hi James

    I was on 225mg for 7 years and didn't once suffer from anxiety. I stopped taking it 7 my ths ago as I thought I was well. But I wasn't. I restarted meds 8 weeks ago sertraline for depression and my anxiety went through the roof. Something I've never had before. So my psychiatrist added in pregabolim. It's been amazing. Anxiety has completely gone. We tried diazepam to start with bit that's too addictive.

    pregabolim isn't addictive ..

    For help. Anxiety is awful

    • james22918
      james22918 liz05654

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply, I'm sorry to hear you went through a tough time. Unfortunately I suffer with anxiety and that's the reason why I went in the med. I don't suffer with depression.

    • liz05654
      liz05654 james22918

      Posted

      James. My psychiatric nurse explaine the difference to me between SSRIS and SNRIs. They both work differently on the brain. I am on an SSRI, it stope your brain form recycliimg dopamine the happy feeling. Because your brain (pr mime) is inefficient at recycling. So it blocks the recycle so makes your brain make more. Hence happier thoughts. bUT it also increases adrenalime, I.e. Anxierty. It made mine go through the roof. I couldn't eat for 6'wwwks, felt on edge all the time. It was horrible. Something,I've never suffered Before. So my psych put me on Pregabolin. 25mg,twice,a,day,to,start. Now on 50mg,twice,a,day.

      ,

    • james22918
      james22918 liz05654

      Posted

      Thanks for your response, I'm glad your feeling better.

  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann james22918

    Posted

    Hi James

    11 weeks is still considered early therapy and ups and downs are very normal. You should be evening out progressively over the first year or two. You will know youa re on track when the intensity, duration and frequency of lows starts to get progressively lower.

    If the opposite happens and you find that intensity, duration or frequency of anxiety spikes are increasing, it is a sign that dosage needs to be tweaked slightly (very slightly - 37.5mg no more) and/or an additional agent mixed in. The sooner you start balancing out, the sooner recovery truly begins.

    Recovery begins when you free up some energy your brain was abusing smile for gaining positive experience and living more freely. Brain starts to collect this positive experience and reference it allowing you to put things back into perspective and teaching you what and how to do to feel more comfortable.

    I wish you a smooth journey.

    PS for an idea of time-frame, it took me around 2 years for ups and downs to totally even out. The most notable of those ups and downs were in the first 9-12 months of therapy. I was treated for GAD on 150mg Effexor XR.

    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann

      Posted

      You should bring this up with your prescribing doctor. If you will attempt a dosage tweak it is rather better to try it within the first 4 months than later. For reasons described above = the sooner you start evening out, the sooner you get freed up for regaining control and recovering. x

       

  • james22918
    james22918

    Posted

    Thanks very much for your reply, yes I'm going to leave it a few more week unless I progressively get worse and then go back to my psychiatrist rather than my GP.

    Fingers crossed I balance out at some point.

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