Provigil starting to give me anxiety....

[Angieruns19]

I've been on provigil for a year and a half now- as needed (my job requires shift work). I also take pristiq for anxiety in which I've had for many years. In the last six months I've been dealing with w lot of troubling events that have taken a toll on me, my emotions, my stress level. In the last month or so I've noticed that I get really bad anxiety/nervousness about ten minutes after taking my provigil. It never used to do that before. It still helps me focus but the anxiety I've been getting lately after taking it is really distracting while it's also trying to help me focus if that makes sense. I'm on 200mg pristiq & 200mg provigil. Can anyone enlighten me on what they think could be causing this or why suddenly the provigil is having this effect on me? I don't want to have to stop taking it because it really does and has helped me so much but I hate this added anxiety feeling.

[Paxiled]

Well, provigil is an upper, so with the added stress and the exacerbation of your anxiety it's very understandable it might add to anxiety as that's what uppers do to people who suffer anxiety.  Pristiq is also a very stimulating antidepressant, as it targets adrenaline, so you've got two drugs stimulating you.  It worked for awhile and it may again, but right now as you've internalized the added stress as you've just been covering it up with medication and never solved the underlying problem, sometimes the medication just won't be able to keep up.  Hopefully time will help, but as the above post mentions, only solving the underlying negative way of thinking will solve this problem, and I have no illusions that this is easy to do.  I had an antidepressant completely stop working when I went through a relationship problem.  I found it pretty odd, as you'd think it would have helped, but that's drugs for you -- no predicting when they'll stop working or turn on you.  Again, let's hope time will take care of it.

[michigan07]

Meds can be a good help but therapy is what can help you get to the root of what is increasing your anxiety levels. You mentioned that you are going through a rough time, I would look into speaking with a therapist if you haven't already.