mixed up on what meds to take

[beanp]

I was effexor xr 150 mg for 9 years, thought it was not working anymore, so asked the doctor to switch meds, I have been on a roller coaster every since.  I have tried wellbutrin(too much anixety), Zoloft(again to much anixety) and now I am on paxil, started at 20 mg but still have aniexty so the doctor said I should go up to 40mg paxil now I am all space out but no aniexty.  Does anyone else have this problem, and should I go back on effexor xr which seemed to work good now that i think about it.  Also, I have only been on 40 mg paxil for 1 day should I give it more of a  chance or go back on effexor xr. Help.  I was diagonsed (mispelled) with gad and depression.

[ng15]

I too have GAD and depression, it can be a challenge to figure out which medication is the best since each person is unique. Can I ask a couple questions?

Are you seeing a psychiatrist for your medications? The reason I ask is because many people get their meds from a general practice doctor when really we should all be getting them from a psychiatrist, they are the ones who truly understand mental health issues and the meds used to treat them.

Have you or are you in counseling? I know when my anxiety is flaring up, talking to someone can be just as helpful as or more than changing my medication. One of the best things I ever did was attend a group for people with depression.

As for the paxil, the side effects may wear off after a little time. It may be beneficial to give it a little more time to see if the spaced out feeling is a side effect that will subside with time. However, if it is making you feel uncomfortable or affecting your ability to do day-to-day activities, it is worth talking with your doctor about it.

[beanp]

I have seen a psychiatrist years ago but they seem to have over medicated me and I felt like a zombie, so thats when I decided to go to a general doctor.  As for the counseling, I think I will try that, Thanks for the advice.   I think I will try the paxil for a few more days and see what happens.  Could I ask you what meds you are on if you dont mine. Thanks for you ideas and taking the time to write to me.

[Paxiled]

Paxil and Effexor both have a ton of side effects, so who knows?  A question though:  why did your doc skip 30mg of Paxil and go right from 20 to 40?  I believe 30mg is the average dose.  And remember, both Paxil and Effexor can have a bad withdrawal, so whatever you do, do it slowly and carefully.

[ng15]

I have been on Effexor for about 4 years now, I am working my way off of it because I'm hoping to get pregnant in the next year or so and don't want to be on it during pregnancy if at all possible. I started on Zoloft, but the side effects for me were intolerable, I tried Lexapro with no success and Cymbalta gave me chest pains; that's how I ended up on Effexor. Now that I'm going through some of the withdrawal effects of Effexor, I'm probably not going to be too gung-ho to jump back on that bandwagon again, but it did do it's job.

I have been fortunate to have had 2 great psychiatrists who I felt really listened to me when I needed a change in my meds. Sometimes, it's just a matter of finding the right doc for you, if you're GP is it for you, that's great!

Good luck!