Does any one else noticed an increase in anxiety/side effects about two weeks after starting a new medication or changing the dose?

[MandyPandy3541]

I have had GAD/panic disorder/social anxiety since childhood, and have pretty recently (last few years) decided to try meditation for it, as it has gotten noticeable worse. It seems like with most medications I try (several different SSRI’s, Buspar) I notice an initial improvement maybe 5-7 days in, but after 2-3 weeks on one dose I notice my anxiety getting bad again, in addition to that fogged-headed, “not like myself” feeling, just generally very off. I know they say you need to give it time, but it gets to the point where it’s hard to function and I either need to change my dose or change the meds altogether, and then the cycle starts again. I have an initial appointment with a psychiatrist for the first time next month, in addition to my PCP and therapist, but I was wondering if anyone else has experience with this and what could be the cause.

[KittenMittens22]

I don’t like the meds make me feel. Multiple SSRI’s I have tried make me feel so sick to my stomach to where I can’t take. I recently tried Mirtazapine, which made me feel a lot less anxiety and good appetite the first few days of taking the meds (I honestly felt like I was high those days), and then on the fourth day I had a crazy surge of anxiety that was so intense. I wasn’t sure if it was the meds but it felt different and the onset was different I just stopped taking it. I tried again a week later but it made me feel sickly so I gave up. It’s been so hard trying meds. My body is just really sensitive. So while it is not quiet the same as your experience, I felt like my meds did make the anxiety worse. And it is frustrating when they tell you it takes time. I have to work and take care of things. I don’t have weeks of time to feel like crap.

[MandyPandy3541 in reply to KittenMittens22]

It is very frustrating. I’m a stay at home mom to my toddler daughter and I’m pregnant with my second, I need to function. I feel like I’ve wasted months of time and energy trying multiple meds at different doses. I understand giving it time but I wish I got a consistent change, even if it’s a negative one, so I wouldn’t feel like I have to “tough it out” because it did give me periods of improvement.

[OdoubleU]

I just started my first medication (and still have hope it’s my last) about a month and a half ago. Aside from it being my first medication I feel like I could have written this post - those symptoms you mentioned are spot on what I’ve been experiencing for about 8months now. And the first week or two I felt really good on this med. now things seem to be back to square-one. Waiting to hear back from my pcp. Hopefully you figure something out

[MandyPandy3541 in reply to OdoubleU]

Thank you, I hope things work out for you too. It’s tempting to just want to take nothing, to figure out what exactly is a side effect and what is just my baseline anxiety. But then it feels like I wasted so much time only to be right back where I started. And I feel like I still need something to cope. It’s an exhausting process but I still have hope that it will be worth the effort in the end.