Anxiety/depression and meds

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I was wondering what people's experiences here with meds for anxiety/depression are?

I used venlafaxine for 10 years and that worked pretty well. Quit, did ok for a while, relapsed seven months ago and still looking for the right meds. Venlafaxine, sertraline and paxil have all failed so far. Hoping to find the right one soon.

I was prescribed Prozac. I was willing to suffer through the initial side effects which were pretty unpleasant, as nothing could have been worse than what I’d been going through. Something had to give. It took a traumatic event to make me even consider a drug for the first time. Previously, I’d been pretty anti-meds.So glad I did as it’s totally transformed the way I think. There’s also great clarity that comes from being on it. As with many who have found it beneficial for them(it really is about finding the right med for the individual and usually is a matter of trial and error with different drugs), I now never want to be off it. I actually gave it a try, coming off, but nothing compares to this constant “high on life” outlook it’s given me. Now, it’s as though nothing can hurt me. I feel completely shielded.

The body is a funny thing. You did well on venlafaxine for a long time—but you’re not doing well on it now.

How come you quit venlafaxine in the first place?

Drugs can be a quagmire unless you find the “right one”

Over the years, i have been prescribed a fair range of antidepressants.
Sertraline, Paroxetine, Venlafaxine, Cymbalta, Prozac.

The funny thing is that when on the above meds, I always felt that the meds never really completely worked and often left me in a position of constant anxiety.

It was not until i read extensively on the subject of not only anxiety (a book called "the anxious brain" was particularly useful) as well as reading up on ASD.
That i realised that i was on the wrong meds, as almost all modern SSRIs are designed for NT brains
and do not take into allowance the variations of neurological make up or chemistry that are present in people with ASD.

The modern meds do not take into consideration that people with ASD, often have damaged neurological networks that deal with sensory information, as well as areas of the brain that are more sensitive than normal to stress.

I worked out from reading that my best course of action would likely be Clomipromine, a tricyclic antidepressant that was primarily designed to treat clinical depression and OCD symptoms.

I realised that GAD is in many ways similar in nature to OCD, in that people who suffer from GAD often have excessive worry and rumination, so tried Clomipromine, which is licensed for the treatment of anxiety as well, when other meds aren't effective, and it worked.

I also found out from reading that due to the abnormal neurological make up found in people with ASD, that low doses were recommended for treating people with ASD, as we are more sensitive to the neurotransmitters than NT's.

I also believe that due to the sensory abnormalities that many of us present, that we likely have more noradrenaline in our brains that we perhaps need, so best steer clear of any antidepressants that boost the level of noradrenaline too much (such as more modern SSNRI's and SNRI's).

Anyway
I have been on Clomipromine for a year and have been a lot better than i was
although due to abnormal neurological make up (which is permanent) i will always suffer from sensory hypersensitivity as well as experience meltdowns

this is cause these problems are caused by permanent neurological make up rather than a chemical imbalance
so i will likely always need to take low dose Valium for meltdowns when they occur

I recommend Clomipromine low dose (50mg) for treating both anxiety and depression
as well as valium for meltdowns

The choice for meds were based on a great deal of reading on the subject, as well as

I foolishly got addicted to valium to deal with stress and am tapering off it.
I think drugs are toxic, whether from doctor or dealer, the only exceptions being plant medicine.
I don't trust Big Pharma.

I can understand your perspective, and I have certainly seen all sorts of things in my time.

I do think that there are still a fair amount of drugs that if used in the right measure, can be
extremely useful in the treatment of the many ailments that human beings need help with.

Valium, for example, if used sparingly, can be one of the most effective treatments for anxiety attacks,
and ASD sensory overload meltdowns. I have not experienced any other medication that measures up to Valium
for this particular usage.

I also strongly feel that doctors need to wake up and educate themselves on the complex differences that are present in their patients with ASD, as not giving a human being when in distress due to suffering from an incurable neurological reaction to the environment that they are forced to engage with, is inhumane, and puts the patients health and psychological well being in danger, as well as possibly others in the area.

I also think that the use of cannabis is also beneficial, whether for purely therapeutic uses or even for its psychedelic properties in recreational use. I personally think that cannabis use should be a personal choice rather than policed.

I also think that psychedelic mushrooms should also be legalised. Psychedelic mushrooms have been used in the past to treat people with ASD. I believe there are presently companies that are licensed to conduct trials of the use of psychedelic mushrooms in the treatment of ASD.

I actually think that this may be promising. Even if again used sparingly. As low doses of psychedelic mushrooms are known to help people relax, tune into the universe and perhaps hone in to certain singular sources of sensory info.

Psychedelics for sure, in my experience, definitely tune people into the beauty of nature around them. Which, in this sterile tech heavy people ego obsessed world, can be a breath of fresh air...

I also do think that in some circumstances, big pharma is something to be cautious about.
however, some of the meds that were created years ago are still useful, such as the tricyclic antidepressants, and Valium.

I presently use Valium only on days that I have sensory overload meltdowns. These meltdowns occur perhaps twice a month and are extremely distressing as well as exhausting. Valium can help me relax and get some good quality sleep, without the Valium, the meltdowns would be miles worse.

I do not take Valium more than two days in a row. I still have a fairly low tolerance, as i have not allowed myself to built a tolerance through over use and recreational use of Valium. Which although fun at the start, will end in tears...

When i was a kid i was told to clean my room, i brushed all my toys and crap under the carpet. Just stop. You want to find something that doesn't exist and then you're disappointed (depressed) when you don't find it. Quit depending on pharmaceuticals. Change yourself. Maybe that not want you want to hear. But realize that spending 10 years of messing with your neurotransmitters is not healthy way to live. The good news is the body is resilient. And you don't have to live a life dependent on drugs. No matter what some doctor says.

My experience:
Lexapro - worked but not very strong;
Risperidon - got it for misdiagnosis. Made a mess of my brain, strong extrapyramidal effects;
Tranxene - only unwanted effects (uncontrolled movements, hypersalivation) that made my anxiety worse;
Ketrel - started during my misdiagnosis, I discovered very small doses help the world for insomnia;
Efectin - shifted me from "I feel awful and want to curl up in some dark corner" to "I feel awful and want to punch someone in their face";
Brintellix - has been keeping me above the surface for the last two years.

Knowledge: Understanding my experiences and learning words to describe them (sensory overload, partial shutdown, etc.) made me less anxious about "What's happening to me, aaaaah!"
Rest: Priceless.

See, i guess im lucky, in a sense that Ive always had a strong distrust of authority, but as a teenager i was pressured into taking prozac, I took that crap for a week but i didn't like the way it changed my personality and so i threw it away in a fit of anger. I never took a drug since, except maybe ibuprofen for a few days when i had wisdom tooth removed. With all the horror stories i constantly come across, i think i made the right decision.

I've heard there are blood tests which can determine which SSRI / SNRI might be best for you based on your levels of serotonin and dopamine. I haven't done these tests myself but my friend's daughter did, with great success.

My history: (There were more, but I don't remember all of them).

Zoloft: Worked great at the lowest dose. Initial anxiety. Anything higher in dose made me a zombie. I couldn't cry for years.

Buspar: Same as above. Anything higher made me experience brain zap noises in my head.

Remeron: Made me suicidal (likewise with other SNRI)

Citalopram: Insomnia and anxiety

Risperidone: Worked well for BFRB

Seroquel: Works great but I can only take 1/4 of the lowest dose

Brintellix / Trintellix: It's been the best so far, but I can only take the lowest dose. I stop it every few months because it makes me very nauseated and I can feel that my body needs a break to coast. I'm off it right now and not sure I will go back.

ADHD stimulants: They're the best med that has helped me, despite some major bumps in the road as I found the right dose. It took almost a year to get the balance just right with the help of my neuropsych.

Interesting to read about the blood tests that measure serotonin levels.
I have read however that brain damage / neurological dysfunction can cause a person to be more sensitive than normal to changes in neurotransmitter levels.

This sensitivity, like the hypersensitivity to sensory information, may vary with each individual.
So am not sure if blood tests will be a great way to determine what meds and at what dosage is required.

I would be especially cautious about allowing General Doctors of Medicine use them to determine what med / dosage is required.

As with other areas of ailments, a more intelligent approach is for the practitioner to evaluate the symptoms along side the test results.

As most ailments aren't as simple as test result = below 10, then Yes, test result over 10 = no.

I suffer from Testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism) and over the years, I have seen so many doctors
treating a simple blood test in the same way they would treat a suspect diabetic.

With a test that says yes or no. In the case of Testosterone deficiency the more competent specialist professional such as an endocrinology, would question the patient for symptoms in context with the blood tests.

This is what I would expect of a Psychiatrist who uses blood tests.
Blood test and interview to monitor effects, along with treatment.

From what I recall, she was tested several times over a span of a few months to determine her base levels, in the gut as well.

The tests gave a recommendation for appropriate medication, but of course her treatment was also monitored with therapy and careful tracking of her physical / emotional response. It wasn't just an instant prescription and she had the opportunity to decide for herself.

There are also studies showing a genetic predisposition toward certain medications. In my case, the medication that worked best for me (Trintellix) also worked best for my daughter who had previously tried Paxil (weight gain), Pristiq (meh), and Escitalopram (didn't work). Trintellix was like night and day for her. My doctor then recommended it to my brother (genetic link to me), and it worked for him as well.