Hi ladies,
I'm at a loss right now. I don't know what to do. I've been on Paxil now for 8 months and upped the dosage once from 20mg to 40. I have these spurts of feeling good then there are days when I just want to die. I wake up with terrible anxiety and can't function. That will last till evening. Then I feel some what normal. I can't eat all day. And when I do eat it's not really healthy. I feel weak and legs are wobbly during this time. I hold my stress in my back so needless to say my back hurts all the time. Question is does anybody else feel like this on their AD's? I have klonopin but it just makes me tired.
char

Hi Char,

I'm not on ADs but I do feel exactly what you're feeling. The back pain and weak legs -- this also contributes to feeling off balance. Lots of anxiety. From what I've heard, sometimes you have to try different ADs before finding one that works well for you. Maybe a good idea would be to talk to your doc about your symptoms and perhaps he/she can help with dosages or trying a new med. Good luck, Missy

I have talked about this on other threads, but I was on Celexa in my 30s for depression and anxiety and it started working in a couple of weeks.

This Spring, however, now at age 45 I started Celexa again for what I now recognize were peri symptoms--severe anxiety and some depression. The Celexa seemed to help a little bit but I still had days of wall climbing anxiety on it. Only when I added a bcp to the mix a month and a half later did I get real relief from my anxiety. I read some women need a certain amount of estrogen to help an SSRI work--maybe yours is dipping? I took xanax too but I rarely need it now.


I hope you feel better soon. I know how scary-bad I felt with the anxiety.

Char, I'm so sorry to hear you still aren't feeling better I just wanted to let you know, I think of you often & wonder how you are.
I sure hope you find an answer
Amber

Like Missy says sometimes you have to find the right AD for you, maybe Paxil is not the right one. I tried Prozac and it made me more anxious than I already was. I am now on Lexapro and for the most part anxiety is minimal. I still have a few moments but I can get through them. I was taking Xanax twice a day, in the morning and at night with the Lexapro. I don't tolerate Klonopin very well, Xanax just makes me feel normal. I don't wake up in the morning with that anxious/jittery feeling anymore so for the last several days haven't taken the morning dose of Xanax, but, still do take the evening dose, as I get restless. But, I have barely been on the AD a month, so we'll see if this continues and get's better. My doctor upped my dose to 30 and Lexapro really only goes 10mg and 20mg. I decided to give it a bit more time, at least be on it 6 weeks before I tried 30mg, I figured if I was tired on 20mg with breakthrough anxiety then I would be even more so on 30mg. I'm feeling a little better, I still have some aches and pains too. Nothing is perfect I guess, progress not perfection in this peri journey is all I can hope for.

Maybe 40 mg is too high for you, what about 30mg? My brother in law was on Lexapro but it made him too tired he changed to Effexor and loves it, says it's the same as Lexapro but without the tiredness and it helps his anxiety. However, he is a guy and not going through peri, lol. When you have anxiety you have to make sure your taking an AD that does not exasberate the anxiety and there are several that do that. I hear Zoloft, Lexapro and Effexor are good for anxiety/panic. However, as you may know if you decide to get off any AD it can sometimes be difficult and not fun. Prozac was easy to get off of for me. Sometimes you can go from one AD to another without weaning off the old one, but, I think they have to be in the same family of AD's i.e. my brother in law just went directly from Lexapro to Effexor without weaning off Lexapro. I still get the weak wobbly stuff too. I think that is just hormonal and AD's don't really deal with those hormonal symptoms. Maybe you can try Xanax instead of Klonopin when the anxiety breaks through. Best advise of course is to speak with your Dr. The AD road can sometimes be a difficult one, just as hormone therapy can be. Sometimes it is a lot of trial and error until you find the winning combination.

Hi girls just me again..... Just one question. Can taking too much mgs of an anti-depressent make you more jittery,and anxious?

Hi there - I have heard that some of the anti-depressants CAN give you an opposite effect, it should be listed in the "contraindications" they give you with the prescription. Effexor is especially known for this and for making people feel really "odd" and uncomfortable in their own skin, and some of the SSRI's again, can have the complete opposite effect. I know of some on Prozac or Paxil who became anxious and jittery, others had what is called a "flat affect" meaning they felt positively EMOTIONLESS.
Sometimes you just have to take the dosage prescribed, more doesn't always mean "better" - so check with your pharmacist as he/she will know what else you are on, and it could be that type of antidepressant should NOT be upped but only taken in the recommended dosage.
I worked in psychiatry for awhile and in research on drug trials, so always be aware not everyone is affected the same, and never play with the dosage. I have always found the pharmacist to be the best first line of information too.

Hope this helps!! There is nothing worse than jittery or anxious - like too much caffeine roaring through your veins.

Some ad's can be a stimulus! Lexapro did that to me.......

Suzy,
I'm on Paxil 40mgs. I started on 20mgs and just 6 weeks ago upped the dose. I was on this drug for 8 months and I'm thinking it's too strong. I'm so shakey and nervous first thing in the morning and lasts till evening. I take 20mgs in morning and 20 mgs at night. I'm in good terms with my pharmacist.
Thanks for the info......Char

Thanks snow....

I just heard back from my psych. doc today and he said to cut my dosage of Paxil from 40 to 20mgs. I complained to him that my anxiety level heightened the last 2 weeks. I hope this works cause I have no more hope. He said he would try some thing else but honestly I'm sooooooo tired of trying different ADs and they don't work.

I know exactly what your talking about, I just upped my Elavil and feeling nervous,dizzy,jittery I called the Pharmacist and he stated this is common when you up the dose it,s your body adjusting to the dose and should last only a few days to a week I pray he,s right because I don,t know what else to do.They also say symptoms get worse before they get better when on AD,s so I hope that,s what,s happening to me, when I started this drug I felt the same but it left in about a week. All this crap makes you feel like your going crazy!!!!!

I AGREE WITH MISSY THAT YOU SHOULD TRY A LITTLE ESTROGEN. CHECK INTO IT.

Is the Elavil helping? I may go back on it!

Dear'little lil
When you are starting a new AD or even just adjusting doses anxiety is definitely hightened.That is why many Psychiatrists will give a prescription for an anti- anxiety med until the AD kicks in.
I have been on Prozac for quite a while and it took about three months till I felt the difference
However'I still suffer from bouts of anxiety and panic and will take a Xanax on an as needed basis.
So give yourself some time and all should be well.

Warm Wishes
Elizabeth