Has anyone taken antidepressants for social anxiety?

[Ali J]

I have had social anxiety for a long time and on top of that recently i've been having these crazy mood swings that make me extremely depressed sometimes.

I went to the doctor and he sugessted antidepressants as nothing else seems to have worked.

Any of you have any experience with them? How do they make you feel etc?

[james g]

Everybody reacts differnt to medicines ifrst off. In general though they will make you feel drowsy and blah ay first. But i suffer from S.A.D and after some therapy and the right combo of medicine I now attend massive social events such as outdoor concerts or sporting events, with little to no problem. Get a good Dr that will listen to you and listen to him and you will be ok! http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/tc/social-anxiety-disorder-treatment-overview

[buffy]

Yeah I've tried anti-depressants. They didn't do much for me just made my mouth really dry. My saliva was so thick I had to scrape it off the roof of my mouth (sorry I know that's disgusting). I had wicked mood swings (nothing violent though), one minute I'd be laughing and then the next thing I'd start crying and then I'd be all confused because I didn't know whether to laugh or cry LMAO! Hahaha it was pretty amusing.

The side effects to these meds made the muscle in my fore arms and hands seize up so I was then prescribed pain killers or something?? I can't remember. I wouldn't try anti depressants unless you really need them. Only because the doctors will keep prescribing you with all these different types of drugs. Like if one doesn't work they'll give you another set of drugs and then on top of that they'll give you some more drugs to help with the side effects.

So yeah.... why don't you go onto Google and check out some web sites?

[Miss Magen]

I take Lexapro, which seems to work so far. My doctor also prescribed me with Klonopin to take as needed, when I have an anxiety attack.

[John N]

This program may help you

http://xrl.us/kk254

Thanks

[i_am_daemian]

They didn't help me much... I also consumed alcohol, though, and I was really dizzy but anyways they are said to deform your body.

[stupid_bathwater]

Different meds affect the body in different ways, even if they treat the same afflictions. So it may take awhile to find the proper med, but just because one doesn't work properly doesn't mean you should swear off of them forever. Prozac and Paxil both affected me unpleasantly (actually, they made me quite manic, which is a possible side effect of anti-depressants). Later on I was put on Lamictal, which is an anti-seizure med used to treat bipolar, and it worked very well with no side effects. You just have to keep an eye on the side effects and find the proper med, or combination of meds, that works for you. Also, a big mistake people make is that they take the meds for a few months, feel better, and decide they're cured and stop taking them all at once. This is dangerous, and can lead to even more severe symptoms than you originally had. Over all, make sure to keep your doctor informed of any changes, and don't go off the meds without letting the doctor know.

[hdf69]

Lorazapan is the one that works for me 1 mg.or 2mg is the most that I need to get ready for a social situation.

[Brokenwings]

i've just been prescribed this medication called Buspirone and it's specifically for social anxiety (last year it got so bad i couldn't work). it's an older medication, so it's cheaper. it hasn't really gotten into my system yet but i'm already feeling a bit calmer.

well, the antidepressant Zoloft and Paxil treat both anxiety and depression, but Paxil has weight gain and your doctor may be hesitant to put you on an SSRI right off. i'd go back and ask him/her about Buspirone.

[Contents Under Pressure]

I have such a hard time believing how much misinformation there is out there.

Okay, drugs work differently for different people. If I take antidepressant X and it does me no good whatsoever, I'm hesitant to tell you or anyone else that, because your physiology may be signigicantly different from mine, and it might be a miracle drug for you. The best thing to do is talk to your doctor and between the two of you find the right med or med combo that works best for you.

The suicide rate from antidepressants is only extremely high in pediatric use. There is a slight chance of suicidal ideation as a side effect with any psychotropic med. One thing you have to remember, though, is that these drugs are prescribed for DEPRESSED people, who may already be prone to suicidal thoughts.

The blues are caused by hormones and daily stressors and go away on their own. Depression is a PHYSICAL illness caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the synapses in the brain, often serotonin, though newer drugs also target norephinephrine and dopamine as well. Anti-depressants do not mask the cause of depression, they treat it, though most psychiatrists will often recommend cognitive behavioral therapy as well. TO SUGGEST THAT ANTIDEPRESSANTS CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD, OR ARE INEFFECTIVE AT BEST IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND DANGEROUS. Thank you so very much Mr. Tom Cruise.

Please don't ever let anyone except a trained medical professional tell you that you can overcome depression through herbs and minerals, positive thinking, religion, etc. and that you don't need an anti-depressant.