Chronic anxiety

[Ham152]

I've been struggling with chronic anxiety for over a year now . I've been taking 50mg of pregabalin per day. I feel increasingly unwell on it. It does reduce anxiety but the side effects are awful. I feel very anxious for too much of the time . Should I take more or change?

[rabbits65]

I suffer from anxiety too, but I take nothing for it. I just try and de stress without drugs because I know the side affects end up being more trouble than having the anxiety., well that's my opinion anyway. Good luck.

[sophiedora]

Have you been back to your GP? There's plenty of other anxiety meds you could try - hopefully one of those will be easier to deal with.

[betabyte]

There's a herbal type medicine I take at night with allergy pill,'Benadryl'...one of each that calms me and puts me to sleep....., however, the other pill, "ashwanganda", if spelled correctly is an Indian herb and works miracles for calming. Try it...it may help.

[nodmeister]

If you come of them do it very very slowly, it's a very unpleasant withdrawal otherwise. If you are having awful side effects, as I did, then this drug is definitely not the one for you.

[Ham152]

Some interesting responses, thank you

[lowther1]

Get them changed , i thought the world was against me. My doctor changed Amitryptiline and citalopram. havent looked back. Good luck.

[Ham152 in reply to lowther1]

I know how that feels, I have virtually become a hermit I'm so paranoid about.people. A pretty lonely existence

[katelee]

How long have you been taking it?

It doesn't sound like its helping much but which is worst, anxiety or side effects?

As other people have mentioned other drugs worked better with less negative side effects.

Has the GP referred you to counselling? If not I would ask, chances are there will be a long waiting list unless you can afford private. Its usually the best way to understand your anxiety, find lots of other techniques to manage it with or without medication and reduce the impact on your day to day life. But its v important to get a counsellor you click with and sometimes you have to try more than one.

I can imagine you are now anxious about the side effects which will not help you with your anxiety overall! I wasn't on the same meds for anxiety but I couldn't cope with the side effects.

Take care

Kate

[Ham152]

Thanks for your kind advice Kate. I have struggled with generalised anxiety since childhood resulting in a couple of long term nervous breakdowns . I have been off work for nearly a year now with chronic anxiety . I think I was actually better off the pregabalin. My company paid for 10 CBT sessions which helped enormously but they wouldn't pay for more . I am returning for more sessions which I will be funding privately. Money well spent.

[sargrith]

RE HAM 152.. I went to my doctor as long ago as in the early 50s with what I assumed were emotional symptoms. However, he had no idea as to my problem, I thought I'd just have to put up with this very worrying and debilitating condition with physical aspects, which I did, but it was 2 years,until I was better. I had a further bout some 15 years later by which time I was given an appointment to see a psychiatrist who soon diagnosed my condition as anxiety and depression and put me on a drug called toflin the results were almost immediate although I kept on them for many years. When I left them off it wasn't long before I was glad to go back on them. That happened several times over the many years. I've been on a newer drug called fluoxetine for several years having been on and off the previous drug a for many years. I definitely know I need this drug as leaving it off ,like I did with the previous one, soon makes me glad to go back on it. The cause of the bouts is to do with arriving at what seem to be insurmountable problems I can't see getting out of. Don't let anyone just call it feeling a bit low....that would be easy to overcome. Without these drugs I doubt I'd have coped. But I have had a fairly happy life due to these drugs and now over 90.