# Struggles and Support > Medication >  >  What anxiety medication do you take and how did you first know you needed medication?

## Bear

What anxiety medication do you take and how did you first know you needed medication?

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## L

I'm not on any meds at present - I was on lexapro

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## ThatOneQuietGuy

The first medication I started was Klonopin, I was prescribed it for daily use and I ended up becoming dependent. It took me about 6 months to finally ween my self off of it.
Then I was prescribed Zoloft. Zoloft ended up making my anxiety much worse, so I discontinued it after about 2 months.
Currently I am taking 1mg klonopin as needed and I am also taking an unregulated anxiolytic called Phenibut.

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## Sparrow

I've switched between klonopin and Xanax for years.  Neither does much for me but make me feel tired.

I currently take Prozac and Wellbutrin for depression which helps a little.

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## CaduceusGUILT

I am currently taking Cipralex for my depression and anxiety and it is helping for the most part.  ::):

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## meepie

I'm taking Zoloft, helps me with reducing my ocd thoughts I guess. Otherwise... it makes me really hungry D:

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## WineKitty

I originally was given Celexa which made me devoid of a sex drive.  I was given Wellbutrin next which induced rage.  I did without for a while but between panic attacks and episodes of crying for no reason, I was finally given Klonopin which worked very well until I began to use too much of it.  I am in the process of weaning off and have no idea what I am going to do after I wean off.

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## basuraeuropea

i was first placed on paroxentine when i was a young teen and a short while later diazepam was added. i'm currently on clonazepam and baclofen, although medication changes are subject to change at the moment since relapsing some time ago after being weaned voluntarily off of pregabalin. 

i was placed on medication when daily functioning was so impaired so as to cause distress.

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## Ironman

I was originally on Celexa.
Then no meds for about two years.
Nasty relapse - bad church experience
Lexapro for a few months
Paxil/Paroxetine for eight years.

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## Antidote

I've been on about 10 or 11. I can't really be bothered listing them all. Mostly light weight stuff. They kind of started shoveling it down my throat when I got depressed at 19. The only consistently useful med for me are beta blockers (for anxiety). I'm taking them as needed now, and nothing else.

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## onawheel

started on xanax then switched to valium then switched back to xanax as needed.

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## Fallen18

Well my med where more for my depression but they help with anxiety as well I was on Sertraline. I was at my limit when I realized I needed help with everything so for that reason I believe it's best to get help when things are just a little bad before it turns into a typhoon. I don't think my meds helped me that much to be honest b/c I still felt sad & anxious when I was on them but who knows? *shrugs* after 5 months of being on them I decided i didn't want to take them anymore. after I stopped my meds I wasn't depressed and now I don't view myself as having social anxiety anymore but just as being super shy  ::):  just praying it stays that way.

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## IllusionOfHappiness

I went to the doctor with benzos in mind, because after I'd researched X number of meds, they sounded like they would help the most - and they did. My grades were dropping, I couldn't concentrate, my mind raced, and everything was terrifying. 

The first medication I was prescribed was Effexor. I stopped taking it after a few weeks because of all the bad things I'd heard about it. Besides, I wasn't looking for an anti-depressant. After that, I was on Cipralex for a couple weeks. Mild side effects (same for Effexor) but again, not the right drug family. I told my doctor on both occasions I just didn't like how they made me feel, hoping to speed up the highly annoying med-go-round process. 

Finally a benzo - Ativan...I want to say 11th grade? I was surprised and bummed out when it didn't do anything for me. I sat in class (ugh, I had this seat in geography smack dab in the middle of the room) and felt exactly the same. 

A couple weeks before my high school graduation, the new med was Propranolol. I had to go up on stage to accept my diploma. Perfect time to test it out. Maybe I was just lucky, but it seemed to help with my racing heart and I actually went back to my seat sporting a smile.

And now clonazepam/klonopin is all I'm on for anxiety. I think this was also prior to graduating. It's helped me a lot and is still helping today. Originally my dose was 1mg, then upped to 2mg. I took 2mg a day five days a week for a number of years. When 2mg started to feel like it wasn't enough I weaned down to 1mg. The effect it has on my short term memory doesn't exactly sit well with me, either. I guess you can't have everything.  ::\:

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## davidjvista1

I knew when I needed meds were when I was put in the hospital for hearing and seeing things and horrible anxiety! For my anxiety I'm on 25mg of Visteril and .5mg of Xanax in the morning, midday the same doseage  and in the early evening I'm on 50mg of Visteril and 1mg of Xanax, these meds saved my life! I'm also on Trileptal and Seroquel...

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## WintersTale

I take Klonopin. 1.5 MGs every night.

I am not really sure how much it is helping. I certainly am more social than I used to be, but I still struggle with some anxiety and social phobias. It hasn't cured everything, even though it has helped some.

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## Dane

Zoloft for a couple months, which did nothing.

Then Paxil ever since, which has helped a lot.

I was non-functional for years before I got treatment.  As near as I can remember, it was the first Paxil commercials that put the idea of going to a doctor into my head.  Before that it never occurred to me that there could be anything that would help.

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