What is the most effective yet least dangerous drug for anxiety?

Anxiety has seriously been affecting my life, but as much as I want to help ease it, I also don't want to have any side effects. I tried the herbal antidepressant called Panicil, but that didn't really work. I went to a psychiatrist and he recommended Celexa, but the sexual side effects bother me. I heard that it is effective, but even so, it's not worth it. Part of my anxiety is because of sexual issues, so this would make it much worse. I definitely want an anxiety medication without any sexual side effects. I also would like a medication without weight loss/gain. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that headaches, blurred vision, constipation, and other mild side effects are temporary and only occur in the first couple weeks, but if not, I wouldn't want that. I also would like it to be okay to take during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Please help me, and thank you!..

The BIGGEST problem with medications is that there is no way of knowing exactly which medication is best for you. When doctors prescribe medications, it really is just a matter of 'let's try this and see what happens'. You might have to try several medications before you find one that works best for you with the least side effects. With all this said, though, you probably want to avoid SSRIs. SSRIs are notorious for both sexual side effects and weight gain. As far as the other side effects, such as headaches and blurred vision, these can occur during the startup period with antidepressants and fade away. But they can also persist. As I said before, there is simply no way of knowing whether you will suffer from these.

OK, well then what is the most effective non-SSRI that doesn't cause sexual problems, weight loss/gain, and is okay for pregnancy/breastfeeding? Also, would weight loss/gain be a problem? I'm on the leaner side, and have been underweight in the past, but then again, I might be able to snack more and still maintain my weight. Weight gain would be okay temporarily but past that, I don't want to be filling up like a balloon. Pregnancy/breastfeeding can be one of the most emotional times in a person's life. Initially, it is very joyful, but sometimes depression or anxiety can come into play.

If you are definitely opposed to SSRI's there are things you can take PRN for anxiety such as low doses of Inderal (Beta blocker) or Trazodone (really old medicine, but kills anxiety). Those are some medicine options that will not affect your waist or your sexual desires. I may also note, that my SNRI makes me deviantly horny. I've also lost about 40lbs since I started taking it (over the past 6 months).

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Originally Posted by Person

OK, well then what is the most effective non-SSRI that doesn't cause sexual problems, weight loss/gain, and is okay for pregnancy/breastfeeding? Also, would weight loss/gain be a problem? I'm on the leaner side, and have been underweight in the past, but then again, I might be able to snack more and still maintain my weight. Weight gain would be okay temporarily but past that, I don't want to be filling up like a balloon. Pregnancy/breastfeeding can be one of the most emotional times in a person's life. Initially, it is very joyful, but sometimes depression or anxiety can come into play.

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Again, it is impossible to know. No doctor can tell you exactly how you are going to respond to a given antidepressant, SSRI or otherwise. It's all about trial and error. You may even find that you don't get sexual side effects or weight gain from an SSRI, despite the fact that they have a reputation for doing this. However, I personally don't like the idea of medication during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Doctors may say it is okay. But they also once said this about smoking during pregnancy, thallidomide, etc. I even saw an ad on TV the other day for some kind of class action lawsuit regarding some antidepressant (can't remember which) causing birth defects. I personally wouldn't take chances here.

Anyway, have you ever tried treating your anxiety by nonpharmaceutical means (such as CBT, ACT, ERT, etc)? If you are worried about side effects and damage to a fetus, this is probably the best way to go. Furthermore, unlike medications (which only give you symptom reduction), these methods can potentially help you to deal with your anxiety disorder for good. They don't help as quickly in the short run as medications potentially can. But in the long run, you are MUCH better off if you treat your anxiety without drugs.

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Originally Posted by Baconflake

If you are definitely opposed to SSRI's there are things you can take PRN for anxiety such as low doses of Inderal (Beta blocker) or Trazodone (really old medicine, but kills anxiety). Those are some medicine options that will not affect your waist or your sexual desires. I may also note, that my SNRI makes me deviantly horny. I've also lost about 40lbs since I started taking it (over the past 6 months).

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Do you mind me asking what SNRI you are on? I have problems with decreased sexual desires and weight gain. I have tried switching to different meds, but it doesnt seem to make a difference.

Best tolerated ssri's would be zoloft or lexapro followed by celexa and prozac but try paxil last as it can be hard to come off but not so bad if done right(slow tapper). Same for effexor.
Any benzo but xanax as I just think it should be used for very bad panic or specific phobias with it's shorter half life. Others are less likely to cause dependance but they all with work well for anxiety/panic at the right dose. Longer acting ones just seem be less habit forming IMHO. With all meds each will get different results and 2 months would be a minimum trial length for an AD(unless the sides are horrible). Alankay