Do I need a lower dosage?

[Nan]

I just introduced myself in the other section. Hi.

I have a question, but first a little background.

I have been on medication off and on. I've gone to one therapy session and actually learned a lot in just that one session. I've read about dealing with anxiety, read posts of other people's experiences. I feel like I know myself SO much better from all the learning I've done. I know what triggers me, I know what I can do to breathe through the anxiety. BUT... I dont' like the way I'm feeling.

I was on medication for about 6-8 months. I felt great anxiety wise. No real bad side affects or anything. But then I got to a point that I just felt numb to life. Even my husband noticed it (poor guy, doesn't know how to help me). So I went off of it. I felt great. Anxiety was under control, I could breathe and relax if I felt anxiety coming on. Now, I am to the point that I'm anxious a LOT and get anxious just thinking about how I might get anxious (especially when something is planned, like a get together or school event or shopping).

I'm wondering if I should talk to my doctor and get maybe a half or lower dosage. The reason I feel medication could still be a good thing for me, is because when I am on it, I feel myself feeling better... but then it arcs and I feel crappy in a different way. But when I am off medication, I feel better, but then it arcs back to anxiety. Maybe a lower dosage would help me level out the feelings of both sides.

I hope all this makes sense. Of course, one thing nice about anxiety boards is that everyone "gets" you. It's nice to have that. My husband has dealt with anxiety too, but his at a much lower level (and very managable for him), so he gets to too thankfully.

[Lules]

Hi, I am totally new to this forum, i joined literally half an hour ago.
I think it would be worth having a word with your GP and discuss lowering the doasge, you never know it may make a difference for the better. You can try and always change strategy if it doesn't work. I have no experience with medication. I actually joined this site, in order to gain a better insight into anti depressants, as I'm considering going on them myself. But I'm worried about what they will do, I hear so many mixed stories about them. I can't help but feel weak by going on them, but at the same time, I'm desperate, and am at the point where I will try anything as long as it means things get better.

[Nan]

I would like to eventually get to where I am med-free. I know when I first starting dealing with this (when it got bad), I couldn't handle it and the meds REALLY helped me focus. Then I was able to do learn about anxiety, deal with life, and feel normal. I haven't really had any bad side affects from medication, besides at some point feeling numb, which is why I am thinking of doing a lower dosage.

I feel like the more I understand myself, my triggers, my body, and all about anxiety, the easier it is for me to handle it. Which is why I think I can go med-free at some point. Just not sure now is the right time for me.

[Nikita]

Ok now this is just my opinion. This happened to me. I think that when you are on the medication your body feels good till it gets use to it and then wants more and thats why you feel bad. Its called tolerance withdraweel. Then when you go off your body kind of gets mixed signals and feels good til it figures out its not getting meds anymore and then you feel bad again. This is regular withdrawel. The only way to stop this cycle is to stop the medication, deal with the withdrawel and then life will be n ormal again. It can be hard to do but its the only way to get back to normal sorry to say.

[Robbed]

The thing about medication is that there is no perfect drug. They all come with side effects of one sort or another. And when it comes to deciding whether or not you want to be on medication, it all boils down to whether or not you feel like the side effects you get are the 'lesser of the evils' compared to the anxiety disorder itself. You might be able to lower your dosage and get a better balance between the desired effect of the medication and side effects. Or you might be able to find a medication that just works better for you. But finding that perfect drug and/or dosage is going to take time - time during which you could make significant progress as far as recovery. Or time during which your anxiety disorder might just go away all on its own. Personally, if I were you, I would use this time when you are med-free to see how well you can do without drugs. You just might do better than you think. And perhaps most importantly, if you actually DO get better without drugs, you don't have to worry about all the nastiness associated with eventually getting off drugs (such as withdrawal or finding that your gains against anxiety while on meds are meaningless when off meds).

[Nan]

Well, this last time I took the medication for about 6-8 months. I've been off of them again for about 7 months now. I've felt pretty good, but I've felt the anxiety slowly coming back up. The thing is, I have three kids too. There are times that I can handle things just fine and times where I just can't handle the anxiety. And I hate to see my kids suffer because of it. Mostly little things like I don't want to take them to the park, because I don't want to leave the house and make my anxiety high. I get panicky before I go to church. I get snappy at my daughter who I LOVE, but sometimes she is just SO talkative that it drives me crazy. And not normal crazy. ... if there is such a thing. But when I am on medication, I don't feel that way. Her talking doesn't drive me crazy as much, I can go to church without a second thought. The thought of going to the store doesn't panic me.

Oh, and I was off them for almost a year when I was pregnant last time. So I know I can manage without them, but just sometimes life gets more anxious for me than other times. Is it bad to go off and on medication? I've never really felt withdrawl symptoms when going off ... unless you count 7 months later feeling overly anxious all over again.

I also know that only I know what is best for me, but I do like to hear thoughts and opinions. The more I learn about anxiety the more control I feel over it.