Taking anxiety meds while in school

[daisies39]

I just finished my first year. Over the past few years, I've been suffering with ever-increasing generalized anxiety. It's gotten to the point where I wake up in a panic and it lasts throughout the day. I sometimes even end up vomiting after eating because the anxiety is so bad.

I've been trying different medications (SSRIs, ant-psychotics) with little luck. My problem has been not only that they do little to lessen the anxiety, but they also affect my memory and ability to stay awake. I have so much trouble remembering what I read or what was discussed in class. Also, the meds sometimes make me so drowsy that I doze off in class which is embarrassing.

Has anyone had success with anti-anxiety meds that don't affect their ability to take in and retain information? I want to be able to keep going in med school.

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[grapefruit17]

Have you tried cognitive behavioral therapy? I don't have anxiety that's pathological but therapy is the best adjunct or sometimes even substitute to medication.

There's other medications out there for anxiety that should have a more limited effect on anxiety but I don't want to give medication advice via sdn, and let you discuss that with your psychiatrist.

 

[Ninja23X]

Benzos...

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[daisies39]

Have you tried cognitive behavioral therapy? I don't have anxiety that's pathological but therapy is the best adjunct or sometimes even substitute to medication.

There's other medications out there for anxiety that should have a more limited effect on anxiety but I don't want to give medication advice via sdn, and let you discuss that with your psychiatrist.

I've been in CBT for a total of 2 years with different therapists with no result. The one conclusion they have all come to is that my anxiety is too intense at the moment for CBT to work.

My psychiatrist doesn't think it's a problem that I don't retain information. He feels I need to give up on school.

 

[grapefruit17]

Just telling op to use benzos isn't the best advice and they can cause the symptoms she's been having.

If you have severe GAD, I think it'll be very difficult to control even with meds. Medical school is such a high level of stress in itself. A leave of absence wouldn't be a bad idea to experiment with different ways to control your symptoms whether it's through medication or lifestyle alterations

 

[Redpancreas]

I just finished my first year. Over the past few years, I've been suffering with ever-increasing generalized anxiety. It's gotten to the point where I wake up in a panic and it lasts throughout the day. I sometimes even end up vomiting after eating because the anxiety is so bad.

I've been trying different medications (SSRIs, ant-psychotics) with little luck. My problem has been not only that they do little to lessen the anxiety, but they also affect my memory and ability to stay awake. I have so much trouble remembering what I read or what was discussed in class. Also, the meds sometimes make me so drowsy that I doze off in class which is embarrassing.

Has anyone had success with anti-anxiety meds that don't affect their ability to take in and retain information? I want to be able to keep going in med school.

SDN isn't the place for medical advice. Go to your physician and tell him or her this and exercise at least daily. It is mentioned in FA for Psychiatry specifically as a therapy anxiety/ADHD.

 

[cbrons]

I just finished my first year. Over the past few years, I've been suffering with ever-increasing generalized anxiety. It's gotten to the point where I wake up in a panic and it lasts throughout the day. I sometimes even end up vomiting after eating because the anxiety is so bad.

I've been trying different medications (SSRIs, ant-psychotics) with little luck. My problem has been not only that they do little to lessen the anxiety, but they also affect my memory and ability to stay awake. I have so much trouble remembering what I read or what was discussed in class. Also, the meds sometimes make me so drowsy that I doze off in class which is embarrassing.

Has anyone had success with anti-anxiety meds that don't affect their ability to take in and retain information? I want to be able to keep going in med school.

You need therapy. See a therapist, e.g. counselor or psychologist.

Anyone who is "in a panic all day" probably needs to consider a medical leave of absence.

SDN isn't for medical advice, but I'd say that taking Xanax or Klonopin every day long-term to combat anxiety is an extremely bad idea that no halfway competent physician would ever recommend.

This is also a very beneficial website run by a highly qualified clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders: Anxiety Help: Practical, Powerful Solutions for Panic and Anxiety

 

[daisies39]

Thank you to everyone for the responses.

I am seeing a psychiatrist and am in CBT therapy, but it's not working. My counselor and psychiatrist are both insisting that only meds will help right now.

I know no one on here can give medical advice. My actual question is if anyone has found it possible to be on meds for anxiety and not experience the cognitive ability side effects (i.e. bad memory) so they can keep progressing through med school.

 

[Taddy Mason]

Everyone is different, but Buspar and Wellbutrin, plus some CBT have been life savers - be honest with yourself...

 

[sleepyhead22]

I have tried two ssri's for generalized anxiety disorder (mine is not quite as bad as yours tho, although I do have some additional obsessive tendencies which I developed in graduate school) and unfortunately they didn't work for me either as I had extreme drowsiness. I do think it's important to try several different medications before ruling them out. A friend of mine who is in med school went on Prozac halfway through and it changed her life-she responded extremely well to it and hasn't had any memory or drowsiness issues. When I tried it, I could barely keep my eyes open and my anxiety remained untouched. Lexapro on the other hand I did not have any drowsiness issues, but I had GI symptoms that I decided weren't worth continuing on.

I personally am trying my best to manage just with therapy, coping mechanisms, meditation, and mindfulness for now since my anxiety is relatively under control, but if I were you I would keep trying to find a medication that could work. Right now is a great time if you have a break from classes to give another medication or two a real try.

Sorry you are going through this. feel free to PM me if you ever need to talk.

 

[gyngyn]

Please contact your personal healthcare provider. SDN is not the place to seek medical advice.