I have been having anxiety and panic attacks for almost a year now and Im ready to just give up on help. I have been on 7 different antidepressants. Prozac, Effexor, Effexor XR, Celexa, Buspar, etc. NONE of those have helped me. One made me suicidal, one made me so physically sick I was hospitalized and the rest just made my panic attacks worse!
My mom takes Elavil and has for 20 yrs for anxiety. Im just worried that it will do the same as all the other AD's Ive been on. Its apparent SSRI's and SSNRI's arent right for me. because most of those have stimulants in them that make my panic attacks increase. Would anyone think I should talk to my Dr about perhaps trying Elavil??? ANY advice would be helpful. Im at my wits end with all this! Thanks in advance!
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28 Answers Page 2
GR
granmajo
18 Oct 2010
Elavil did not help my anxiety. I take 200mg at bedtime. It helps my depression a little and has improved my sleep. I did gain 20 lbs. However, I have lost 23 lbs. because I was placed on Ritilan xl because I was falling asleep during the day. I totalled my mini-van on 3/8/10 because I fell asleep while driving!! I know the Rit. increases my anxiety and BP. However, I now have energy and can function much better!! I guess you have to take the bad along with the good.
Votes: +0
YO
youneverknow
15 Oct 2010
What works for your Mom should work as well for you. I'm surprised your dr. didn't put you on It sooner. Most psychiatrists want to know what family members suffer from and what medcations work for them. Since these conditions are often hereditary sometimes the same medications due work wonders. Give it reasonable time to work though. God Bless and Good Luck. Keep us posted.Sable
Votes: +2
IN
Inactive
10 Nov 2010
I agree - I've found this out a couple of times now. What worked well for my mother also works well for me. Also, I've found that my body changes with the other medications I'm on. Your body may react completely different when you are on less or different medications. Never go off a medication without the approval of your doctor, but do consider challenging your medications to see if they still are necessary if your doctor approves. Challenging means go down in dose some to see if your symptoms flare up. If they don't, drop down further or go off them and see if there is a difference. Of course, if there is a difference, then you know the medication is still necessary.
LI
linann
14 Oct 2010
I have Taken Paroxotine for 20 years mainly on 20mg dose sometimes upped to 40 mg.Eight months ago I was put on ametripalyne, I put 28 pounds on in the last 3 months,had swollen ankles which soon bacame an oedma so I was put steroids and was taken off the ametripeline25 mg,paroxotine 15mg and another anxiety tablet. That was 8 days ago . All the symptoms you are having I am having I have been advised its at least two weeks for the drugs to get out of your system.Just go with the flow! Try not to worry.
Votes: +0
MA
marsha79
28 Sep 2010
I can relate to your problem all too well!! I have been suffering from panic attacks,anxiety,and depression for over 20 years.None of the SSRIs are any good at all.I have been told by doctors..psychiatrists and regular m.d.s that SSRIs are supposed to help anxiety,wrong!!Just as you have said they, increase the anxiety..not help it.I was on several benzodiazapenes(xanax,klonopin).They work, but are very addictive and create their own problems.My life was almost destroyed because of addiction problems.I am currently off all medication(I was in drug rehab for the benzos and alcohol abuse).I am still.. after 20 odd years.. trying to find an answer for my problem.I understand your situation all too well.I hope and pray that we both find help.I will keep trying and wish you well.Just be very careful with any seditves.God bless
Votes: +1
LI
lightbulb529
27 Sep 2010
After prayer and searches I found a product called Sublingual B12 B6 with folic acid by trivita. a small pink tablet. It dissolves under the tongue. If you are not happy after 30 days. Try something else. www.trivita.com. I am not a doctor and I don't know the severity of your attacks. I also read Psalms 91 over and over again plus I surrounded my self with friends, family. Only the ones that uplifted me. a social life is a big help.
Votes: +0
RE
redheadstep
4 Sep 2010
I also have taken many different antidepressants over the years. I'm taking WellbutrinXL now. Of all the ones I've used, the one I took first, Paxil, basically saved my life. After a few years of anything, they start to lose their effectiveness. As for anxiety, I take Clonazepam (klonopin) and it has really helped my anxiety. Occasionally if I feel a panic attack coming on, I take an additional 1/2 dose and feel the difference within minutes. I've never taken Elavil, so I have no idea how effective it would be. My suggestion to you is talk to your doctor. Whatever you do decide to take, it could take a while to feel the difference. Give it a chance and don't get discouraged. And if it doesn't help, you can always try something else. Good Luck
Votes: +4
CA
Catrina777
12 Feb 2011
Hi! I have taken Elavil for years for anxiety & depression. I don't think it is helping as Dr has started me on Clozapine for panic attacks, and now Clonazepam.. Hoping they will help..
PI
pichipper
1 Sep 2010
Elavil was a miracle drug for me. I suffer severe panic disorder plus chronic pain. While on Elavil I had no pain anywhere, felt calm, slept like a baby. No other drug has ever been able to do this for me including controlled substances. I have the same problem with antidepressants you do. They send me into worse panic attacks. You are not alone. I was allergic to the Elavil and stayed on it anyways because it worked so well. The ER took me off of it and now they won't let me have it. It is a Trcyclide. Non of the other Trycyclides worked like that one. They made me panic. I have the pharmacy looking into what the chemical difference is that made Elavil different. I'll let you know what they find. I miss that drug. wish I wasn't allergic but it swelled my legs to 3 times there size and dropped my thyroid so they had to take me off it. It made my heart rate really high to but I never felt it. Didn't even notice.
Any other drug that increases my heartrate sends me straight into a full blown panic attack but that one. What ever that chemical difference is is what accually helped me. I have to be on Klonopin or Ativan. I go back and forth between the 2 plus Celexa. Can't tolerate the Celexa without it. Find a Doctor that understands this. Pray, pray hard then go to a different Dr. Thats what I had to do. I suffered a long time till I found a Dr who would listen. Congress has a pretty tight noose around Drs necks. That's the problem. Find one that cares. It will take a while but I had to to survive. Kept ending up in the ER. Maybe you won't have that allergic reaction to Elavil I did. You are truley a lucky soul if you don't. Nothing works better then that stuff.
Votes: +3
SP
Springer10
21 Aug 2010
subzero is right about Elavil although when I took it years ago all I wanted to do was eat and sleep. But, it did help with anxiety as well as depression.
Votes: +4
KT
ktfinger
14 March 2013
Eating and sleeping is a big sign of depression, it seems like it is not for you I would talk to your Dr
SU
subzero58
14 Aug 2010
hi english,i am on Elavil and it is one of them drugs that can be used for more than one thing.it def does help anxiety and taken with my sub it even helps with pain.i take 50 mg at 7am,50mg at 4pm and 100mg at 12 midnight.it helps with sleep also.so i would say,yes give it a try.take a benzo as last resort. cause like maso,said they are habit forming. but they really do help. in the future if your still trying different meds ask your doc to prescrib them 2 weeks at a time. don't buy into it takes a couple of weeks to see any progress on A/D. if it gets really bad just ask for a weak benzo.i hope this helps a little...
Votes: +4
ME
melissab(twilightfan85)
14 Aug 2010
did xanax work for you? if it did, i would request to go back on it. have you tried valium? im not a specialist... and i dont know what im talking about half the time... but i dont see why the dr's would give you anti-depressants for anxiety or panic attacks. idk... i guess they work for different things tho. the dr gave me elavil for sleep because medicaid stopped paying for ambien. the elavil made me feel really weird the next day. i didnt wanna be around anyone or talk to anybody. i hope you find something that works for you
Votes: +0
LI
lindagail1965
13 Aug 2010
in my opionion anti depressants are for that ... to get try to rid of depression... ive tried everything you listed ..but one ..i take lexapro an my depression is still there ... it doesnt go away ..not for me anyway... the only way your gonna get rid of a panic attack ..is xanax... number 1... number 2 ... klonopin... number3... valium
Votes: +0
IN
Inactive
17 March 2011
This is not true at all.
IN
Inactive
13 Aug 2010
You might want to try Tofranil or Pamelor, I'm not sure if they are snri's or not, I do know they are old tricyclics. Pamelor is considered the "cold standard" for people with panic attacks. Perhaps Xanax or Ativan for a short while? Don't give up hope, just keep trying!!! sweetlemon
Votes: +3
EN
englishrose_12
13 Aug 2010
I currently take Klonopin. Dr wont give me ativan or xanax anymore. And may I ask what you mean by "cold standard"? lol Im new to all this lol
IN
Inactive
16 Aug 2010
A typo Englishrose, I meant to write "gold standard"... ie; the best, but of course that is a matter of opinion! sweetlemon
IN
Inactive
13 Aug 2010
No it will not help your condition.
Amitriptyline (Elavil, Tryptizol, Laroxyl, Sarotex) is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). It is the most widely used TCA and has at least equal efficacy against depression as the newer class of SSRIs.
Take care... do not get desperate it will make things worse for you and your loved ones. There is always a solution ( I am 41 manic depressive, OCD, PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety attacks, insomnia, etc... I , of course are undergoing treatment... but let me tell you one thing as a friend before I got on the right combo( I take many meds) it took a while, so hang in there buddy.)
Have a great weekend, remmember our minds are very powerful.
Votes: +7
EN
englishrose_12
13 Aug 2010
Im concerned to try antidepressants because well all the bad experiences Ive had with them. But also because Im not depressed. And Ive taken Zoloft, kept me so sick I couldnt eat. But I will take into consideration all the others you mentioned. Thank you! And as of now I only take Klonopin. It helps some but not everyday. I was on xanax but my Dr took me off it.
IN
Inactive
13 Aug 2010
I know what you mean, we all have our days. if I can come up with something else I will let you know.
SW
sweetie pie
21 Aug 2010
I feel bad for you. Elavil is one of ' THE OLD MEDS" that is not prescribed as much because the newer meds have less side effects. That is not true for some people though. My daughter has extreme anxiety on the verge of a panic attack at times. She had been on zanax and clonipine. Zanax seemed to help with the addition of Paxil. As a retired mental health nurse, I learned that it may take several trials of a medication regime before one is right for you. I recommend that anyone with a mental health problem be seen by a psychiatrist since that is their expertise. I will pray for you.
Sweetie Pie
TD
tdholste
1 Sep 2010
paxil really helped me with depression and panic attacks when i did take it.Also,a good 30 min walk helps too.
OX
oxyaaron
15 Oct 2010
it was lexapro that made me suiccidal(SP)
AN
Angel Eyes 711
28 Oct 2010
I suffer badly from depression and have taken Elavil for over 10 yrs. My doctor took me off of it, a year ago because of the side effect of dry mouth. He put me on Divalproex 1000 MG and Klonopin twice a day. I hate the Divalproex, it has put 40 lbs of weight on me, with no changes in my eating habits at all. That really tears at your self esteem, gaining this kind of weight as an attractive woman. I am required to go for blood workup every 3 months to check for liver damage. I have vivid crazy dreams on it, when I never was much of a dreamer before. It makes me foggy, and unable to sleep. I went back to see him today and complained only for him to increase the dosage to 1500 MG. Claimed I wasn't taking enough. I was disappointed and tonight found this website, which has helped immensely learning the effects it has had on others. I like my doctor, but I had to throw a fit today in his office to get him to put me back on the Elavil.
I realize it is an old drug that has been around a long time. But, for me it works. We are all different. The worse thing I took ever for my depression was Zoloft. I did like Prozak, but it made me high as a Kite. Happy, Happy. He doesn't want me on any antidepressants. Thinks the Depokate is the right drug for me. It isn't, My problem now is getting him to listen to me. I have left doctors before, for this very reason. But to see a Psychiatrist that is taking new patients you come across more and more.
EN
englishrose_12
13 Jan 2011
Yes it actually was Prozac that made me suicidal. I dont even like talking about it. Worse feeling Ive ever had.
CI
cistre
27 Jan 2011
My doctor gave me Elavil for an off-label use. I take one at night and I don't wake up with headaches anymore.
