# anxiety meds



## mandsu815 (Aug 6, 2003)

I have a doctors appt on Monday and am going to ask for some anxiety meds...I've been to the doctor 3 times in the last month and a half and nothing really seems to be helping. I've got the D under control with calcium but still have a lot of pain, anxiety and urget BMs. I really feel I have an anxiety problem. Does anyone have any reccomendations for a good anxiety med? I've heard Remeron (sp?) is pretty good. I want to have a lot of information when I go so she knows that I know what I am talking about. I'm looking for something with the least amount of side effects as possible. Please help. Thanks to everyone on this board!


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## ruby333 (Aug 10, 2003)

There are a ton of different anti-anxiety meds, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety/anti-depressant combos. The first thing to do is to figure out exactly what your symptoms are, physical and mental and, if possible, what your triggers are. People suffer from all different kinds of anxiety - for instance, if you find yourself feeling anxious only about your BMs or digestion, it's probably more helpful to look at some kind of behavioural therapy instead of drugs. However, if you have generalized anxiety and/or panic attacks, then you may benefit from trying an anti-anxiety med. I'm definitely not an expert on these, so it's best to do some research on the different types available and find out the side effects of each. Also, visit some anti-anxiety message boards to read about personal experiences on these drugs - even though doctors are aware of textbook side effects and potential problems, you'd be surprised at the number of effects that they don't know about or warn you of (especially in regard to addictions and withdrawals). I've been taking Remeron for about a month now for severe depression/anxiety and I've found it very helpful. The major side effect of this drug is its sedation factor, which means that for at least the first few days, you'll probably feel like a complete zombie! I slept for 15-18 hours a day for the first three days, but the fatigue wore off fairly quickly. Also, a lot of people complain that it increases their appetite (and, consequently, their weight), since it's also an appetite stimulant, but I haven't had this problem (and I was looking forward to putting on some pounds!). Some people also complain that it constipates them for the first few weeks, which I found it did with me, but that also wore off pretty quickly. Everyone's different, though, so your reaction to this drug probably won't be the same as mine. I think it's predominantly used to treat depression, so it may not help much with your anxiety if that's your main problem, but there's also a range of doses you can take, so taking a lower dose may help. Again, I'm not an expert on this, so it's best to talk to your doctor about it. Good luck - hope this helps!


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