u/DavidJS80

Hi all,

I took my first dose of 2.5 mg on Monday morning and on Monday night I had issues getting tired and falling asleep. I did feel a bit more tense as well. Tuesday night is more of the same and my anxiety level is getting much higher.

I’m on 187.5 mg of generic Effexor and I started Effexor almost exactly 10 years ago at 75 mg. Every time I’ve needed to up my dose it started with issues of not getting tired, having issues sleeping and in turn more anxious thoughts at night.

I have both low dose klonopin and gabapentin to use as needed as well.

My question is if others on Zep have had similar experiences, is this just a matter of the of the meds needing to establish a baseline therapeutic value or is this going to be a consistent issue and I do need to increase my dose.

FWIW I told my psych dr that I was considering taking this med and he had no issues with it. I plan on calling the office or sending him a note through the portal.

We just got back from a long trip with our 6-year-old son, across the globe with a 12-hour time difference. I have an anxiety disorder (about 10 years now, reasonably well-managed with medication), and honestly it stayed under control the entire trip. But since we’ve been back, it’s spiked hard. I think it’s because I’m physically home but my routine is still completely thrown off while I readjust, and that disruption has hit me harder than I expected.

Where it’s really showing up is in worrying about my son. Is he going to be okay? Could I handle raising him on my own if something happened to my wife? Will he end up dealing with anxiety himself someday? I know there’s no way to actually answer any of that — no one can predict how a kid turns out. All I can really do is keep showing up, be present, and trust that doing my best now gives him the best shot later.

I know I’m not the only parent who spirals like this sometimes. So I guess I’m asking: for those of you who’ve parented through your own anxiety (or any mental health stuff), how do you keep it from bleeding into how you show up for your kids? What’s helped you?

I wasn’t sure how to tag this — part vent, part request for advice, part looking for support.

My wife, our 6-year-old son, and I just got back from a long trip on the other side of the globe, a 12-hour time difference from home. I’ve had an anxiety disorder for about 10 years now, and it’s been reasonably well-managed on Effexor. My anxiety was well-managed the whole time we were away, too. But since returning, it’s spiked significantly. I think I’ve figured out why: I’m physically home, but my routine is still completely out of sync while I reacclimate, and that disruption is doing a number on me.

When my mind starts ruminating, it goes straight to my son. Will he be okay? Could I raise him on my own if something happened to my wife? Will he inherit an anxiety disorder of his own? I know anxiety loves binaries — yes or no — and hates the gray areas where most of life actually happens. I also know no one can answer those questions about my kid, or anyone’s kid. All we can really control is showing up, doing our best, and trusting that gives our kids the best shot.

I’m posting partly because I know I’m not alone in this — there must be countless parents wrestling with the same thoughts. But I’m also genuinely asking: if you’ve raised (or are raising) kids while managing an anxiety disorder, how do you handle it?