How has anxiety meds. helped/bothered you?

You can email me if you wish. [email protected] Which medication do you use? Does it cause weight gain? Does it effect ones libido? I am trying to do research the anxiety meds. before going to the doctor. Thanks, Sonya

I took lexapro - didn't make me gain weight, but I had NO libido AT ALL!!!! None, NADA... catch my drift..lol I take zoloft now - it is for anxiety/depression. I am on a low dose and it works well with me. Everyone reacts differently to each anxiety/depression meds because of the neurotransmitters and the way they work - none are the same... while someone may have an uptake of seritonin, it will be different from me.. that is why one med may have no sexual side effects for one person, and has it horribly with another Sometimes with these meds it really is trial and error. It takes 2-4 weeks for them to take full effect. You may have to try a few before you find your "sweet spot" Good Luck

I took Zoloft forever for anxiety and depression. Now I take Lexapro for anxiety and Wellbutrin for depression. The Lexapro just upped from 10 to 20. It is good but can make you sleepy like. The wellbutrin and lexapro is a good combination for me. Most all antidepressants will effect libido that is for sure. I have to work on it big time. I have always had problems in that area. I have been on antidepressants befoer I married. Zoloft is safe for pregnancies too--I took it when pregnant with both my kids. I know that may not interest you but it may interest some younger kiddos on here. haha Hope to see you Sept 30. Jane

I have been on celexa for several years. I tried changing to both lexapro and wellbutrin to help with my libido, but neither of them were good for me, therefore I went back to celexa. Like many others have said, everyone's body is different and each medication will work differently. You will just have to try them out and see which one you feel the best with. I wish you the best of luck. I hope I will see you at Janes on the 30th. Take Care, Rhonda

When I first had surgery my doc prescribed Lexapro at a low dose, think I took half a pill for a while, specifically as an appetite suppressant and to head off any depression that might come after surgery. I can not remember if it hurt libido, I took it for about 4 months...D.

Sonya, I am taking Effexor XR 150 mg. I did gain some weight and if affected my libido. But I also suffer from Migraines and it has helped more than anything I have taken. And I have taken a lot of different thing in the past few years trying to get deppresion, anxiety and headaches to calm down. Cindi

Hi sonya, just getting caught up. There are different classes of antidepressants. Let's say single action (one neurotransmitter) like Prozac, Lexapro, Celexa, Zoloft. There are also dual or multi-action antidepressants (effect re-uptake of more than one neurotransmitter) Effexor, Wellbrutrin, Cymbalita, Remeron. They all have side effects and can effect you differently. The stronger the serotonin property, the greater the chances of sexual dysfunction and libido. The dual action antidepressants are often used in combination with a monoaction. For example, common combinations are Effexor and Lexapro or Wellbrutrin and Lexapro. If you have any type of nerve pain (like disc herniations in the back, or sciatica) Cymbalta also has an indication for use in neuropathic pain. Unfortunately, there is no great way to decide where to start - doctor enter stage left! It will be kind-of trial and error. Ask for samples to begin with until you determine if a particular antidepressant is going to have the effect you are looking for. Lastly, be realistic! There is no medication that can "make everything better". An Antidepressant can definitely create a window of opportunity by stabilizing your mood long enough to let you gain a new perspective on things and do some active problem solving. I hope this helps. Take care, James.