Just took my first dose today 5mg two times a day. Feeling way more anxious then ever. Also had trouble sleeping last night so that prob affected my anxiety even more. I'm also on cymbalta 60 mg (almost a week) please help. Feeling very alone and scared. With negative thoughts
Buspar?? How long before it worked? Did you experience more anxiety on it?
Question posted by Hopefrog23 on 24 Aug 2016
Last updated on 3 March 2018 by Brazton
Added 25 Aug 2016:
Was having a bad day. But better now. Sorry if I scared anyone today. Was just feeling anxious and afraid when I posted this. I think I struggled more today Bc I didn't sleep really good last night. Took another buspar In the afternoon and doing better now
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5 Answers
Brazton
3 March 2018
Alprazolam alone was not controlling my anxiety and panic attacks. I just started Buspar. They say it takes awhile to start working. I felt the effects of it after a hour of taking it.I love the way I feel. I am very relaxed and anxiety is totally under control .
chuck1957
25 Aug 2016
Hope; Yes for sure the dose increase is going to cause an increase in anxiety until you get through the adjustment In the mean time many do very well for the anxiety after being on it for a while so please give it a chance you well be fine as some time goes by. Hang in there
Hopefrog23
25 Aug 2016
Thanks chuck your answer are always so full of hope. I'm hanging in there. Thank you! I appreciate it
DanteNXS
26 Aug 2016
Chuck,
You seem very knowledgeable about anxiety. I am very new to it. Can you give me your thoughts on my situation.
I recently had thyroid surgery, to remove a HOT nodule that was causing hyperthyroidism. It the doctors a year to finally diagnose me, and during that time I developed anxiety, internal tremors, insomnia, numbness, tingling, brain fog, etc... Well since the surgery, most of my symptoms have subsided, except for the anxiety and internal tremors, insomnia, and occasionally I get tingling in my fingers. I have noticed that all of this can be related to anxiety. My doctor has prescribed me Elavil 10mg, to help with these symptoms, but I haven't started taking it yet (scared).
What do you know about Elavil?
Do you think my symptoms could be due the thyroid and might resolve themselves? (It's been 3 weeks since my surgery)
Any advice you can share would be appreciated.
Thanks,
chuck1957
27 Aug 2016
Good Evening; DanteNXS well glad your on the mend from the surgery, That in itself is quite the ordeal. Now It sounds to me like they removed the node or what was on your thyroid either way when they mess around the thyroid it can take about 3 months for things to settle down again, Which is the same if they had to give you thyroid medication But either one could cause you to show the symptoms that you are talking about. But you for sure do not want to wait the long for all the anxiety and shaking etc, to go away. So myself I would take the Amitriptyline it has been around as long as I have when it was only Elavil as a brand name.Most people don't really have many problems with it. And the dose you're going to start is very small but effective so the doctor may choose to increase it after a while but you really should start it as soon as you can. Just take it as prescribed.
Now again we are all different and some people get real tired with the first and maybe even the second time of taking it but this goes away Just be aware of it if you have to get up and do stuff early. Also, pace yourself to see how it affects you. Sometimes like if you take it at bedtime you could get a little dizzy when you stand up the first few times and the only other thing is with the heat in so many places you do have to be careful of to much sun. it can cause you to be a bit more sensitive to the sunshine. And may give you a bit of a dry mouth which well go away with most people. But like I said I would not worry and start this medication. And after a few days to a week if you don't notice any relief talk to your doctor you may need a higher dose.But it's always good to start low and gradually go up until you get the relief you need with as few of the side effects that you could get like I mention. which are the most common ones. So yes it could be the part of the thyroid and it could just go away in time but this is not a hard medication to go off of later if the doctor decides to take you off. Hope that we'll help you some. Have a great weekend and take it a bit easy until you know how this medication affects you.
DanteNXS
27 Aug 2016
Chuck,
I appreciate the info, thanks.
I actually had the entire right lobe removed, which is better than the whole thyroid. I hope. My Dr is hopeful that the other half will recover and I will not require any hormones.
I will try the 10mg dose this weekend and let you know how it goes.
Thanks again
DanteNXS
27 Aug 2016
Chuck,
I forgot to ask, is it safe to take elavil if one has a thyroid issue? I am seeing mixed info.
Thanks
Dante
chuck1957
1 Sep 2016
Dante; sorry I have been off a few days and am late But I see no reason why Amitriptyline would cause any problems at this time, Plus they well be watching your thyroid for some time.
janiebme
24 Aug 2016
Hi Hopefrog-
I took buspar and it increased my anxiety the first hour I took then it was OK. After about a month it just stopped working. Your anxiety may also be increased with the upstart of Cymbalta. Many of the SNRI can increase anxiety before decreasing it. Try to not take the benzodiazepine for an extended period of time if at all possible. They can create dependency and tolerance.
I understand it can be scary and make you feel alone. You are never alone on this site. Good people with support and empathy for others.
Hope it gets better for you soon :)
Hopefrog23
24 Aug 2016
Thanks Jan
I appreciate it.
Trying my best to not take the benzo but it's nice to have it in case. So the increase in cymbalta could be causing the increase in anxiety righyt? So if I'm on the first week of the 60 mg. does that mean I need to give it another 5 weeks to see improvement?
MeggieGirl
24 Aug 2016
Hi Hope,
It's not a great experience, but try letting the Buspar melt in your mouth - either on the top of your tongue or under it. It will get released into your system more rapidly. It's not the "traditional" way to get into your system (which would be swallowing the pill), but it worked a lot better for me that way, and my Dr. said that she had no problem with me administering it that way.
There's no reason for you to feel "more anxious than ever" unless you were queuing yourself up to look for "how am I reacting to this?" and paying more attention to your anxiety than normal. It doesn't cause anxiety, it treats it :0) Didn't we already figure out that B12 and Vitamin D was doing this to you?
Why do you feel alone when you have a complete support system here, and what are you scared of? Hurting yourself? What are your negative thoughts? You say something like that, people think you're threatening self-harm. >:-O
Hopefrog23
24 Aug 2016
didnt mean I was threatening anything to with hurting myself. Just negative thoughts that we all go through when experiencing anxiety. Just scared of never getting better. Lack of sleep ramps up my anxiety and I hate the feeling.
Thanks for your reply Meggie
MeggieGirl
24 Aug 2016
OK WHEW cause sometimes when sometimes when someone says dark thoughts they mean the darkest of the dark. I'm glad you're not going through that. If you were, I was going to suggest you chat with your MD about it because sometimes that can be CAUSED by an antidepressant.
I definitely understand negative thoughts associated with ramping up on anxiety. I understand how it grabs hold of your throat and you feel like you can't get away, and you're in a sheer panic and feel like it will never get better. Definitely understand how lack of sleep can play a part in this.
I hate the idea of putting a person on an antipsychotic when they are not bipolar or schizophrenic, but a very low dose of Seroquel (25 or 50mg, not enough to be in the therapeutic range for bipolar or schizophrenia, which would be more like 400mg) seems to make a huge difference in the lives of a lot of people who can't sleep and have severe anxiety.
I only started a few weeks ago, but I noticed a big change in sleep overnight, and also in my anxiety within about four days. I will admit that a large part of that change was switching the B12 and vitamin D to a morning dose, but I also believe that the Seroquel played a big part in helping me level out. It's still a work in progress... might always be... :-/
Wishing you all the best, sweet one.
Hopefrog23
24 Aug 2016
Thanks Meggie. I appreciate it I've emailed the dr to see what we can do. Yesterday she prescribe a sleeping pill so maybe I'll try that tonight. Not sleeping really gets to me. Trying to rest right now. Thanks friend
Hopefrog23
24 Aug 2016
Meggie how many times a day do you take the buspar? What time is the 2nd dose?
MeggieGirl
24 Aug 2016
I was taking it three times per day, but in a much higher dose, at 15mg each dose. I have heard that at that high a dose, some people get really dizzy, so it might just be that I had a high tolerance for it.
There is a moderate drug/drug interaction between that and Seroquel, though, so when my doctor started me on Seroquel, I had no choice but to stop taking the Buspar, and she switched me to Valium, instead. I actually preferred the Buspar. The Valium doesn't seem to work that well, and it gives me headaches. :0(
Hopefrog23
24 Aug 2016
Boo on the Valium
Just talked to the dr she switched me to 10mg of buspar two times a day. And now says I can take the xan up to three times a day. Thank God she lowered it to once a day and while I was making it through. It was tough!! Hence the negative thinking Here's to getting better for each of us!
MeggieGirl
24 Aug 2016
High five, Sister. We can get through this!
Hopefrog23
24 Aug 2016
Yes we can!!
squirrellover
24 Aug 2016
I too had more anxiety with Buspar. I tried it for 3 weeks & then my doctor told me I could quit taking it. She raised my Cymbalta to 90 mg & I'm also using Hydroxyzine Pamoate. It's pnr.
Good luck.
Hopefrog23
24 Aug 2016
Thanks squirrel!
dasher1234
24 Aug 2016
Does Cymbalta help with anxiety? I took Buspar but it didn't help at all.
Hopefrog23
24 Aug 2016
It is supposed too. I've had some good days so far. But if I don't sleep. All that goes out the window
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buspar, cymbalta, anxiety, dosage, sleeping
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