Anyone on Anti-Anxiety/Depressants?

Oh Lauren, join the crowd. Many of us are on some kind of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety meds. Especially right at the end of treatment it is common to feel overwhelmed and down. There are som many changes in your body and in your life, it's a lot to handle.

Take the meds, see if they help. If not, you can stop, but if they do, they are well worth it.

Please don't try to be too brave; as has already been said, join the crowd...

Hi everyone,

There is certainly no shame at all in asking for meds to help with the anxiety and/or depression!!  Although ADs didn't work well for me, I do take Ativan (generic lorazepam) for anxiety.  In fact, I was taking a very low dose of .5 mg before my bc dx, because of anxiety related to menopause and to calm my heart palpitations, and it sure saved me.  (Boy, I just thought I had anxiety during meno!! ) After my diagnosis and all through chemo and rads, I took the same low dose of .5 mg twice a day, and it helped tremendously with the anxiety.  At first, I was very concerned about getting addicted to it, but that didn't happen at all. Now that my tx is over, I no longer take it every single day, just whenever I need it (like before a dr. appointment, when my thoughts run wild, etc.) The low dose keeps me from falling asleep during the day and a dose before bedtime lets me sleep like a baby without waking up feeling grog-headed.

Best wishes to you and hang in there!

Mary Jo

I was on Ativan for about 8 months during and after treatment.  For me, a lack of sleep (just couldn't go to or stay asleep) led to problems thinking and speaking.

Once the brain fog cleared up, I stopped the Ativan and started taking melatonin to help me go to sleep. 

Another Lexapro user here, and the difference it has made to me is night and day.  As soon as it kicked in I felt like the old me, soo much better!  If your having problems with anxiety or depression i  would say take it.  You dont have suffer!

Anyone have any info or comments good and bad about effexor. Have been prescribed effexor in the am and amitryptiline in the evening. Have the pills but haven't the courage to take them. Having a tough time

wetcoast--go ahead w/the effexor. I don't know if you suffer from them, but clinical trials indicate that it can help hot flashes. But, women differ in their responses to antidepressants, so if it's not working after you've been on it for a month, contact your MD and see about switching to another. I've been on Paxil, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta, and now Lexapro which works for me. My friends have preferred Effexor or Celexa or Zoloft. There are wide individual differences in response.

Lexapro has helped me deal w/the stress of medical procedures and my mother's death over the past couple of years as well as perimenopausal symptoms. I really appreciate my onc's care on this.

wetcoast--this sounds like extreme SEs and I'd call my MD right away. When I said give it a month, I didn't mean in the case of extreme SEs. This doesn't sound right. What most women refer to as SEs are failure to reduce the mood swings, some changes in appetite, etc. Vomiting after an initial dose does not sound right and I'd be on the phone my MD.

Other SEs are much less severe. I'd call tomorrow. I will say that a student/friend of mine had very bad SEs w/Effexor. I've had milder SEs w/other antidepressants or no effect. Bottom line--women respond differently and your prescribing MD should be able to either change the dose or change to another drug. Women really respond differently to these drugs.

PM if you are really worried about this.

Wetcoast, I just wanted to mention that I too had very uncomfortable symptoms the first day I took the Effexor XR that my onc. had prescribed.  I felt like I was in outer space all day. It was so bad I did not take any more, so I have $150 worth of AD's in my medicine cabinet that I cannot use   and I haven't tried any others.  I do take Ativan for anxiety and it works wonderfully.  I'm interested to know if you stuck with it, did it get better, did the AD help, or did you switch meds?  I hope you found good relief, as I think ADs help a lot of people.  Just one exception: I have a friend who takes ADs and she talks non-stop now 

Good luck, everyone!

When trying out a new med, always ask your doctor if you can get a sample. That way, you can find out if it works for you or not BEFORE you spend a lot of money. Don't ask me how I know this!!!!!