If You’re Already on Antidepressants

[Anonymous]

I have been on Cymbalta for a decade and am experiencing perimenopause-related intense anxiety for past few months since turning 49. I’m also cranky all the time. I’m meeting with psychiatrist in a few weeks but wondering what others have done in this situation. Have you added another antidepressant or switched? I can’t take Ativan or Lorazepam because they cause drowsiness and interfere with work.

[Anonymous]

I switched to a new one that I love- Auvelity. It is only marketed for depression but has actually helped both anxiety and depression better than any medicine(s) I have previously tried (and there have been a lot).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I switched to a new one that I love- Auvelity. It is only marketed for depression but has actually helped both anxiety and depression better than any medicine(s) I have previously tried (and there have been a lot).

Np. Tell me more. I have anxiety - lots of social anxiety and rumination- and Paxil is the only thing that works - I’ve tried others- but it makes me fat

[Anonymous]

Effexor has worked great fo rme, for anxiety and night sweats/

[Anonymous]

NP - Auvelity contains bupropion (wellbutrin) which can cause anxiety for some people. Personally, having taken a lot of meds for depression and anxiety over the years, I love Auvelity and it really works for me. I don't know that it's a good first-line approach for anxiety though.

If your blood pressure is good or even slightly high, propranolol might be an option. Buspar is also commonly added as an adjunct therapy, as is abilify. Personally, I'm not a fan of either, and both led to weight gain for me. Wellbutrin is weight neutral for most people, and not recommended for those with eating disorders because it can cause loss of appetite, especially in the beginning.

Auvelity also contains DXM, and can feel very "trippy" during the loading/adjustment phase. I wasn't comfortable driving for several weeks when I started taking it, but that has eased off now.

[Anonymous]

I am the other poster that mentioned Auvelity. I like it because there’s no weight gain (if anything weight loss), and has really helped me with OCD. However, I also have depression and it is marketed as antidepressant before anti anxiety. I do agree with the PP that the side effects when starting made me feel like I was high 24/7 for about a week. But at least I was crazy happy!! Haha. It was only a week and I didn’t need to take off work (though I’m an elementary teacher and the kids were really loving my happy mood and I could get away with acting high!). But in answer to your question- try something new! There are so many new drugs in the past ten years so if you talk to a reputable psychiatrist I am sure they can find something that meets your needs! No reason to stay on a medicine that isn’t working for you anymore.

[Anonymous]

Wellbutrin works great