4 Months On Zoloft....Still Have Anxiety

[buckeyes_fan]

I have been on Zoloft for approx. 4 months now.  I am currently taking 100mg/daily along with Buspar 5mg/3xdaily (only been taking it for a week) for anxiety.  I still have anxiety once in a while.  It usually comes in waves for a few days and then goes away.  I currently went 2 weeks with no anxiety symptoms, but those symptoms came back and have kind of haunted me for the past 2 days.  My anxiety symptoms I most frequently get now are an upset stomach, excessive nervousness, not being able to look forward to doing enjoyable things, thoughts that I will never get better and sweating. One thing is that my anxiety has gotten better since first being diagnosed.  This is pretty much the way my anxiety has been for the past 4 months.  It comes, it goes and every time it comes back it seems to be more managable, although it really sucks when it comes back.  I have been going to therapy and that seems to have helped a bit and I have been trying to be more positive minded and that seems to help a bit.  I have also been told that I am my own worst enemy because I think worst case scenario all of the time.  

I was on Paxil about 3 years ago for anxiety and it seemed to work really well.  I was switched to PaxilCR 25mg and it worked well, other than weight gain and it kind of stripped my feelings.  I weened myself off of it and was completely off of it by last September.  May of this year my anxiety came back.  Chalk that up to several months of ongoing stress with girlfriend's ex-husband, new kitchen installation that was a disaster, vehicle troubles, new project at work.  

My questions are: Is Zoloft still working?  Will taking Buspar in conjunction with Zoloft curb the anxiety?  Should I think about maybe switching back to Paxil and how hard is it to switch from Zoloft to Paxil.  

Your help is GREATLY appreciated!!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You need to give Buspar time to work and increase the dose as you get accustomed to it...keep increasing dose for next three weeks and see what happens then.

[jimmyc]

It is uncommon, yet very likely that SSRI's such as Zoloft's effect will wear off, and for some odd reason, changes occur in your body's chemistry that diminishes it's effect in your body.  You said that the Paxil wasn't working out for you, so don't waste your time flip-flopping.  Keep in mind that medication isn't the answer to your anxiety, and it is this way for most anxiety/panic patients currently taking SSRIs.  It's good that you are doing talk theropy with a psych.  Stick with this as it will be the best means in digging out underlying stress factors that are lurking deep within you.  This kinda thing takes patience, and unlike most illnesses, this type of illness is cured 80% psychological, even though several folks in the psychiatry department seem to think differently.  Hang in there, and check in with your doc frequently to let him know of any updates, and also talk to him about prescribing a benzo such as Xanax.  Most Xanax users report their anxiety symptoms diminished, or relieved on taking them, with the minimal side effects.  Good luck!

Note: I have no experience in medical education or psychiatry.  These comments are from personal experience.