celexa or effexor for anxiety?

[kaybee2]

quick question, i am trying to get myself off opiate, which no one except my husband knows about.I went to my md and told them about how bad my anxiety and depression is, so they gave me a rx for effexor xr, which ended up being to $$ for me, so i contacted my ins. co. and they gave me a list of generic anti depressants that were avail to me and I told my dr the list so they wrote me a script for celexa. From what ive read its only an anti depressant not both antianxiety and anti depressant. also, the ativan they gave me is not comming close to touching my anxiety, i told my dr that and they are seeming to brush me off, like they're just giving me the cheapest drug, not the one that will work best. Im freaking out right now. I need to get control of this depressiona and anxiety. I know its from w/d's( the dr doesnt know about w/d's, i cant tell them for specific reasons) but i feel like i just have to suck it up and deal with thses feeling, I am crying all the time, constant panoc attacks, sometimes i can even get out of bed with out holding the pillow and balling my eyes out. Lets just say this is not how i want my kids to see me, or my family for that matter, especially this time of year. My dr just seems like they dont want to be bothered when i told them the ativan isnt helping......any advice

[kaybee2]

thanks guys, im going to get the rx tonight and start it tonight, hopefully i will start to feel a difference soon. feeling like this makes me want to get a pill. I did screw up last night because i was hysterical and that was the only thing i could think of to relax me, but ya know what, i diidnt even feel it, i didnt like the way it made me feel, then i just felt guilty for taking it. So i guess today was day 1 again. i just think i can handle things better without this anxious and horrid feeling that i feel all the time. i want to be happy and enjoy xmas with my kids and not cry all the time or stay in my bedroom having an anxiety attack.....

[codeinewife]

I am so sorry.  Anxiety is the worst, and I think my husband is going through the same thing this week.  To try to help, I posted a response at "Anyone else whose opiate addiction began by self-medicating Anxiety..." if you want to take a look at that. It's not about meds so much as more of a homeopathic or naturalistic way that I am hoping, but don' t know, will help my husband.  Good luck, hang in there!  I wish you success if finding something to help.

[Yoda99]

   Sweetie, I am feeling for you.  I have had panic attacks for quite a while now.  Not all the time, but a week here and there and I freak so bad that I too can't go out or do anything.  My dr. prescribed Klonopin for the anxiety attacks which is a benzo and I know coming off of Klonopin is almost as bad as when I quit the oxys.  I only take 1/2 of a 1 mg tab when I need it and it seems to help.
   When I first was prescribed an antidepressant, it was effexor.  Bad news.  It made me feel like I was having out of body experiences.  No kidding.  I felt like I was in a well, but I could see life going on around me.  I went back after a week and told him I couldn't handle it.  So he put me on Zoloft and that worked well.  But then my 20 year old son said I should go on Wellbutrin.  So I went to the dr. and asked for Wellbutrin.  I take 150 mg once a day and I hate it.  I am anxious, irritable, and feel very "speedy".  So he called in an RX reducing the dose to 100 mg.  If that doesn't help things, I'm just going to ask to be put on something else.  I think Lizzie Lou said her son is doing well on cymbalta.  I will have to ask her again.
   Good luck to you and if I can help in any way, please let me know.
Yoda (Linda)

[OBXman]

I had the same experience as dyblue, with Effexor. It made me feel like I had taken speed. Ditto Wellbutrin. Both are antidepressents, but don't think that should be first choice when associated with anxiety, and certainly not while going through WD! Celexa is FDA approved for "depression associated with anxiety." I take generic Celexa (citalopram) and that doesn't make me at all nervous. I was on a high dose, but lowered it because it causes sexual side-effects in men :-( . Effectiveness has nothing to do with price. Response varies from person to person. For me, the cheapest is the most effective.

By the way, Lexapro is the same thing as Celexa; that is, your body metabolizes it into the same thing. After Celexa's patent expired and it became generic, the manufacturer developed Lexapro. There is no advantage to it, it just costs more. Stick with the generic, unless your doctor has samples of Lexapro to give you. I got a free 90-day supply before I had my Rx filled!

I'm so sorry you feel so bad. I've been there and know what you're going through. If you're predisposed to those problems, they are really magnified during WD. Keep reminding yourself that most of your depression and anxiety are a direct result of the addiction and WD. You aren't going crazy, and when the cloud of WD begins to lift, so will your depression and anxiety. I promise!

If you feel you can't discuss it with your doctor, why not find another doctor you can be honest with? There are doctors who understand and really want to, and can help.

[dyblue]

  Hi know what you mean by the panic attacks.  I'm on citrapram generic celexa the effexor made me very speedy.  I quess the pram in citrapram mellows you out that what a shrink said to me I was also on Zoloft speedy.  I'd try the celexa but it takes time to work and there are side effects but they go away Ie Sleepy upset stomache but it goes after you adjust.  I'm on the highest dose 60 mg the starting dose is 20 mg antthing less will do nothing my depression is also situational at this time. for me but without it I would crack.  Good luck sometimes you have to try different antidepressant I stay away from benzos scary scary.  D