# Struggles and Support > Medication >  >  What medications do you take for anxiety, and how effective are they?

## NoteBook

So I just went up on my buspirone/Buspar dose (as prescribed). All I can say is, wow. I have never had so many side effects on a med! This stuff makes me crazy anxious and wired, restless, etc. I know it's a side effect, so I assume it will subside after a bit. It is just so energizing for me.

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## WineKitty

Buspar was no good for me.  Like Wellbutrin, it made me unreasonable and edgy.  I have been on Klonopin for 2 years and while it works wonders with anxiety it's also highly addictive.  Trying to wean myself off it but seem to be stuck.  I cant seem to get below 1 mg per day (was up to 3 for a while).

As long as you keep Klonopin or benzo usage under tight control, it does it's job well.  Buspar, WellButrin and Celexa were all a waste of time for me.

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## Katie

The only thing that has helped me was ativan

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## Equinox

I've tried a quite few things over the past few years including antidepressants, benzos, stimulants and seroquel. I can't say I've found anything miraculous but Klonopin was probably the least offensive.

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## Rawr

I was put on Paxil for my Anxiety & Depression. My doctor told me that a lower dosage would work more on Anxiety & a higher dosage would work more on Depression. I started off at 20mg & slowly felt improvements with my anxiety & even my depression since relief from my anxiety made me happier. After awhile though I became immune to it & started back getting depressed & having Panic Attacks again so I was upped to 30mg recently. I'm currently on 30mg & it's benefiting me at the moment but I have a feeling I'll get immune after awhile again. 

I have good days & bad days. A couple of times I've forgotten to take it & could tell a MAJOR difference without it then cause I would be so angry at everyone about everything. I'd become violent & have screaming fits just like I use to about on a daily bases before medication. Nowadays it's just once every blue moon so it does help mostly for my Anxiety & a little for my Depression.

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## WintersTale

I was taking Klonopin 1.5 MGs, and am trying to cut it down to 1MG now. I eventually want to get off it, but want to proceed slowly.

I also take Risperdal, for Bipolar.

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## BlueLace

I'm on paxil.

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## WineKitty

I was doing good at tapering off Klonopin but have given up for the time being.  I have another health issue that is hampering my progress.  I think the best advice is to stay of meds if you can....but of course if you do need them, they help a lot.  I truly believe K-pins kept me from having a nervous breakdown a few years ago.

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## est

I take about six medications, and have no care on what effect - negative or positive - they have on me. I just don't care. Xanax helps me sleep, at least. Then there's Paxil, Abilify, and three others I can't think of.

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## Dane

I've been on Paxil for a long time and it works well for me.

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## Alexis1213

Gabapentin.  :: 

It works.. tho here recently my anxiety/depression has been getting to me. I think it's because my doctor lowered my zoloft.. tho I am now taking 200 again and started that Friday so hopefully I get to feeling better.... tho I think I am getting a stomach virus so it might not work for a few days... x.x

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## Antidote

I've been on over 10 different medications. A combination of mostly light weight ssri's / snri's, some benzos, some stimulants / and others like mirtazapine. Honestly, the most consistently helpful medication I still use is propranolol which I use prn (I've ditched everything else). And I don't get side effects from it.

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## Misssy

I've never taken an anxiety medication. 

I can't handle big groups of people but I can talk to people one-on-one....I think this is more of a shyness thing and I'm not sure I should even be on medication for that. 

IDK anymore....it's so confusing when all I know is that I'm really struggling but even my therapist looks at me cross-eyed like she doesn't have a clue what to do....that's not reassuring.

I've thought about trying anxiety medication out of desperation but the thought of trying any more pills just wears me out. I don't want to do it anymore!

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## Coffee

*xanax* for anxiety and sleep. effective in an 'i'm already addicted so i might as well carry on but at least i don't abuse it anymore and it does still help in situations where i get extra anxious' kind of way. 

*lexapro* for anxiety and depression. relatively effective, in a 'good enough, at least i'm not trying to kill myself all the time anymore' kind of way.

*lamictal* as a mood stabiliser. very effective in an 'i can actually sustain a mood now and not go completely bonkers every hour and my life is more stable and i'm heaps less destructive than before' kind of way.

*seroquel* occasionally but so rarely that i don't think it counts as mine anymore. it was just a sleep aid. very effective in an 'i'm a zombie and i like sleep and i don't know what day of the week it is but who really cares when my sleep is this amazing' kind of way.

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## PurpleRose

> Buspar was no good for me.  Like Wellbutrin, it made me unreasonable and edgy.  I have been on Klonopin for 2 years and while it works wonders with anxiety it's also highly addictive.  Trying to wean myself off it but seem to be stuck.  I cant seem to get below 1 mg per day (was up to 3 for a while).
> 
> As long as you keep Klonopin or benzo usage under tight control, it does it's job well.  Buspar, WellButrin and Celexa were all a waste of time for me.



I could not agree more kitty, love your Marilyn pic  :Kiss: 
Buspar was awful, celexa did nothing and i have yet to try wellbutrin
but yeah if you are able to be strict with yourself and manage your prescribed benzo dosages per day then you can feel positive effects from them without getting addicted. 
I have managed to stay on lorazepam at 5mg for seven months


Oh and to *KATIE, yes totally agree*

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## UltraShy

Currently I'm taking:

-Saphris for sleep: works well so far, though it's only been two weeks.
-Benzos: they're only marginally effective, but better than nothing.  Lately it's been 3 mg/day of Klonopin.
-Adderall or Vyvanse: I have both in my collection of meds.  I save the Vyvanse for when I'm up early enough to want all-day coverage.

That's all the psych meds.  We'll ignore stuff for other conditions.

All the psych meds I've ever tried. I'll highlight all those which I feel have zero value:

1. *Paxil*
2. *Prozac*
3. *Lexapro*
4.* Zoloft*
5. *Luvox*
6.* Celexa*
7. *Cymbalta*
8.* Serzone*
9. *imipramine*
10. *doxepin*
11. *amitriptyline*
12. Xanax
13. Valium
14. Klonopin
15. Ativan
16. *Seroquel*
17. *Zyprexa*
18. *Abilify*
19. Saphris
20. Adderall
21. dextroamphetamine
22. Vyvanse
23. Concerta
24. Nuvigil
25. Provigil
26. tramadol
27. *Rozerem*
28.* Lunesta*
29. *Ambien*
30. *Lamictal*
31.* Neurontin*
32. *Wellbutrin*
33. *Buspar*
34.* Straterra*

34!  Can anybody here top that?

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## Equinox

Let's see...

Tried long term:
1.Effexor XR 
2.Pristiq 
3.Lexapro 
4.Paxil
5.Remeron
6.Klonopin
7.Zopiclone  
8.Dextroamphetamine
9.Seroquel and Seroquel XR

Short term Trials (month or less):
10.Cymbalta 
11.Zoloft 
12.Xanax
13.Temazepam
14.Ambien
15.Doxepin
16.Trimipramine
17.Moclobemide 
18.Agomelatine 
19.Reboxetine

Currently trialling:
20.Luvox
21.Lamictal

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## YFS

I've tried - Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, Luvox, Cymbalta (I call it Cymcrapta), Nardil, Gabapentin and Ativan. 

Currently taking Klonopin

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## pikapril25

I took Lexapro for a few months while in group therapy and it really helped me. Took a while to get to a good medication for me. Cymbalta made my anxiety worse, on which I had the worst panic attack of my life. I weaned myself off Lexapro as I was running out, and now just have a prescription of Xanax for my high anxiety moments. Keep it as a little safety net every where I go.
It all depends on you..unfortunately you need to try different medications to see what works for you. A lot of the time, the side effects affect you in a bad way before it starts getting better -- the unfortunate truth with these meds. That's why they say "side effects: depression.." on a medication that's supposed to treat anxiety/depression. Get a good doctor and give it time.

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## JaneDoe

I take Celexa, Abilify, and Klonopin for anxiety. The Abilify was given to me to counteract the severe depression caused by the Celexa (it made me very depressed but helped my anxiety) but has IMMENSELY helped my anxiety. I was put on it last spring and was able to go to family functions (Christmas and Thanksgiving) for the first time since I was a kid because of it. I usually spend the holidays alone unless my mom stays home with me. I also got back in touch with my cousins, other family members, and old childhood friends through facebook because it has helped my anxiety so much.
The Celexa doesn't help with my social anxiety at all, but it does help with my sensitivity to lights and sound, etc. as well as a little with general anxiety and the Klonopin helps with panic and anxiety attacks, etc.

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## spent

I gonna try Cymbalta soon. I also take imovane, clonazapam and occasional seroquel.

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