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I’ve been on Paroxetine for ~8 years now. It has definitely helped me a lot and I would probably be a complete mess if I hadn’t started taking medication for my anxiety. But I absolutely hate how it makes me feel if I forget to take it for even one day because it only has a 24 hour half-life. Nausea, dizziness, brain zaps, crying at the drop of a hat, it sucks. I really want to start weaning off of it so I can try something else that doesn’t have as many side effects, but I am nervous about the withdrawal process. Has anyone else weaned off of Paxil/Paroxetine, and if so what was your experience like?

Hello, For the past six weeks, I've had a constant metallic/bitter/soapy taste in my mouth that varies in severity from mild to absolutely intolerable. After having it for about three weeks, it went away for a few days, then came back, and has now been constant, day and night, for about a month. It started suddenly one evening when I was having dinner. A copper/bloody taste felt like it came up from the back of my throat and coated my tongue. I thought I had bit my lip or something, and it really freaked me out. Ever since then, it's there constantly, and seems to get worse throughout the day - by the time evening rolls around, it tastes like I have a bar of soap in my mouth. Oddly, this hasn't really impacted the taste of food or drink - in fact, because food and drink tastes normal, I've been over eating as a kind of escape. Every day I have to use so many mints to mask the taste that it makes me nauseous. I saw my GP about it, and she put me on a round of steroids which did nothing. I went to the dentist a few weeks ago, and it's definitely not a dental problem. I have no fillings. I have an appointment with my ENT in a week. I take gabapentin and lorazepam daily - my GP said it is very rare for either of these medications to cause a metallic taste. I have absolutely hideous anxiety, and I've had a metallic taste during panic attacks before, but it never lingered 24/7 like this. It's there even when I wake up to get a drink of water in the early morning. Needless to say, it's driving me insane with worry, as well as just being annoying - I'm afraid something is wrong with my kidneys/liver/who knows. I'm a healthy (as far as I know) 25/m. I've had problems with heavy drinking before, but not recently. 6ft, ~190. I've had issues with GERD the last two years, but quite mild - burping, some mild heartburn here and there, etc. There have been no changes in these symptoms before or after the onset of this horrible taste. Has anybody else experienced this? I'm at a loss. It's had a huge negative impact on my life. I called into work two days last week, and have been sleeping 10-12 hours every night just because I can't stand it anymore. Help!

Hi folks, my doc gave me a prescription for cipralex (escitalopram). Does anyone have any experience with this? Just wondering if side effects were bad, if you found it effective? This will be my first go at any SSRI. Or any anxiety meds for that matter. Thanks for any input.

So I'm taking abilify 2mg. Initially it worked so I was on it for a month and we cut the pill in half and my anxiety got higher. So then my Dr put me back up to 2 mg and my anxiety is now worse. It's been at least 2 weeks since I've felt awful. LIke constant anxiety and panic. I was supposed to see my Dr yesterday but I had to cancel because my son was dismissed from school early because of the weather. I saw online one of the side effects is anxiety!!!!!!! I try not to google medications otherwise I won't take them. Also I know I made another post like 5 minutes ago. I just had this thought.....

Hi, I have been on Amitriptilyne since about the age of 16 and I am 23 now. At the time it was prescribed to me for pain and to sleep through the night as I have a health condition which causes joint dislocations and pain. A few months ago they upped my dose for anxiety, but I really do not want to be on this medication any more. I live in the UK and I have tried citalopram, which made me so sick. Diazepam which was prescribed for a few days at really low dose which i felt didn't do anything and I don't know how comfortable I felt trying that. Beta blockers, nothing. I'm sure there are other things that I forget. I'm honestly just curious about peoples experiences with anti anxiety medications inside the UK and out. Has anything worked for you that hasn't made you feel like a zombie, or made you ill? Thanks for reading xx

Hey; I am in some real need of advice. I take currently 2.5mg xanax a day and half of a 25mg metorpolol tablet a day. I got shaken by anxiety eps around the time I take the beta blocker pill. and I have a fear of pulse racing. Since then ive been more and more anxious about taking the tablet- to the point where im getting anticipatory anxiety and I dread take time. I usually settle within 10-30 minutes after at least a bit but i get worried I wont .. But im trying to figure out why as this is really bothering me. Is it because I associated it with that anxiety? OR im somehow afraid it wont work or im fearing fear I have no idea ;/ Any advice on how to work on this? Thank you~

Good day everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I am curious to know if anyone has or is having bad reactions to Ativan. I myself have experienced one of the worst side affects possible and that is contemplating s*****e. It is a hard thing to even talk about. Breaks my heart!! I did not even think it was possible for my thoughts to go there. I have a 10yr old daughter and I never want to think about breaking her little fragile heart in that way. Altough the Ativan did help my panic attacks to subside in my moments of panic. It affected me mentally. So I stopped the medication all together. I have been able to do without the medication and I am thankful to God I am here and able to share with you all. And to get the support from you amazing folks whenever I need to. I just hope no one else is feeling this way or has felt this way. I know for myself I had some bad side affects. Have any of you? I know we all react to medications differently. My attacks, I have not had one in over 5 months or so. For that I am thankful. Still working on certain discomfort in my chest area, arms, back and the list goes on lol WE ALREADY KNOW? But I am still here! Thank you all for listening

I have severe anxiety, panic disorder and PTSD. I've had a lot of death in the past few years and I feel as though every day I am worrying about not being here, worried something bad is going to happen and constantly stressed about every single choice I make. It's really draining. I can barely remember what it's like to feel happiness as every time I do have a moment of pure joy, I get anxious that I'm focusing on it too much and that too will be taken away. I have been avoiding prescription medications as the idea of not feeling anything at all worries me. I'm not sure if maybe feeling like I do now is better as at least I'm feeling something. No real question here but if someone can relate or has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Thank you for reading.

Hi all, I could really use some advice. I have been on Paxil steadily for about 6 years now. It was all working pretty well until a few months ago and has gotten steadily worst to the point where I am panicking and crying all day long. I went to a new psychiatrist today who told me I have PTSD from a bad car accident I was in as a teenager, hypochondria, and very bad Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She agrees that the Paxil is no longer working but she wants to switch me to Prozac. I am very nervous about starting this medication because of all the bad things I have heard about it. I know everyone is different, but does anyone have any advice for me? And if not Prozac or Paxil, then what? I definitely need to make a medication change ASAP!

I've been given citalopram to take 10mg every day, starting ASAP, but im really nervous about it because I've read a lot of the side effects on here people were having. last time i took it it made me feel worse, and i'm really worrying about starting to take it. does anyone know any body that responded positive to it?

Hello, I'm new here. I am off my medication now for about 3 months but finding it difficult and would really like some support. I was on paroxetin 10mg for 15 years for anxiety. Is there anyone here who has used paroxetin and has successfully quit or maybe is in the process of quitting? We could share and compare experiences?

My name is logan, and I suffer from frequent anxiety and panic attacks. It is affecting my quality of life. I am planning on seeking professinal help and medication soon, unless it stops itself. (Though I doubt that.) I would like to hear the oppinions of people who have/are going through this. Please help me choose my next course of action.

I just started Zoloft 50mg 1/2 a pill this morning......doctor wants me to take this for a couple days and then bump up to a WHOLE pill afterwards. I would like to hear any and all experiences while taking this med. Does it work for you? how has your life improved?! Thanks. I hope to get some good feedback here.

Hi, I'm a 66 y.o. female co-dependent married 30 years to a toxic narcissist, but I am in recovery mode thank God. I would like to leave him as recommended but am no where near ready. I had a nervous breakdown when 22 that lasted 12 years. I lost my faith in God that had carried me, but it came back when a loving Christian gave me unconditional love that encouraged me to trust God again. I went back to church and learned things I never knew and met joyful people who accepted me. My faith and Bible is my source of life and truth. I am on Klonopin and Baclofen for panic attacks, social anxiety, and migraines. I have ADD and take Dexedrine. They all help tremendously. I have been in EMDR for 7 years, the only therapy that changed my thinking and stopped repeating memories of failure or stupidity. Especially after my breakdown I was paranoid and analyzed myself to death but got no answers. I knew my childhood was destructive but couldn't accept it as the reason I felt outcast. My older sister loved to hurt me and parents said "shut up" if I complained. I believed nobody liked me even if they said they did. I was the scapegoat growing up, had no alternative, and told it was my fault. I was told my thoughts were wrong. I am still afraid of people and feel I don't deserve to be paid what my work is worth. My ADD causes more mistakes and more time to finish a task. I can't handle criticism or speak for myself. I had to please people so they wouldn't punish me but was still ignored, no praise or thanks. I feel I am a burden on others to exist. I have left the family due to constant hurtful rejection. I still have agoraphobia, I only go out for doctor appts., therapy, or church and am always late. I break speed limits and drive dangerously. The thought of hurting others doesn't stop me. It would reinforce how terrible I am. My retired husband is either gone or on the computer, lies, gaslights me, tries to make me feel unworthy and stupid unless I threaten to leave, scream, cry non-stop, tell others what he does to me, or treat him like he treats me - demeaning him. I never did those things before him. In the healing process, rage and impatience are close to the surface and I snap and turn on others. Few people relate to me. I have talents and do favors so I am not alone and people don't criticize free work, but often it is taken for granted. Abusers recognize my victim mentality and bully me but now I fight more or leave. I never learned to act normal or deal with controversy productively. I am either completely passive or a troublemaker. I copied my husband and learned to be vicious to him to protect myself. I am learning about the characteristics of co-dependency and narcissism from SPARTANLIFECOACH on YouTube and it has changed me so I have hope and knowledge and confidence but it is a long process. I've had agoraphobia since age ten and wish I understood it. Just getting out doesn't make it better as some say. It would be a miracle if I got over it.

Good Morning all, I am new here...My name is Mari...uh...I finally went to the doctor yesterday after MANY MANY years of depression and anxiety and not getting any help for it. I realized that I needed to do something. It was really hard for me to get help for myself but I did it. I started medication this morning. 1/2 a pill for a couple days and then bumped up to a whole pill....I dont like being around people so I stay at home ALOT......and on the computer ALOT... I did a search for a support forum and I came across this one so I thought I would check it out and hopefully make some friends here....because I dont have many friends at all.. Not even IRL.........because I am so antisocial..... anyways thanks! I really hope to get some support here.

I was originally prescribed 10mg of citalopram by my doctor. After about a month, and some good days in that month and bad days as well, he decided to bump me up to 20mg. This week, as all my other posts have been saying, ive been extremely anxious. Of course, my doctor is out of town until next week, and the pharmacy hotline that my medical insurance provides was no help. What I am trying to find out is 1) if anyone else takes the same thing and what your experiences good/bad have been on citalopram. 2) does anyone know if because I seem to be extremely anxious this week if its ok for me to take my 20mg in the morning as I always do and then take a 10mg (which I still have about a months worth left from the original prescription) in the afternoon?

Hi, My name is Belladora. I was diagnosed many years ago. I have been dealing with Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia for over 40 years. I was housebound for 3 years and eventually got out. I maintained as best I could. Just in the past 3 months I have had a complete relapse. I can go short distances, 1 mile radius. I have pushed that radius and ended up drained for a week. It's not good enough to have the diagnosis now I need to figure out what happened. Well, long story but I will not bore you with details.

Hi all, Started on Lexapro yesterday so have taken 2 tablets so far. It's hard to explain but i feel like there are shadows or light in my vision. When i look at a white wall there's lots of floating light or shadows. very hard to explain but wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar on this drug?

I was diagnosed with strep throat this week and given two antibiotics, Amoxicillin and Ciprofloxacn. I've had severe panic attacks the past two nights since starting the meds, and in trying to work out a cause, I checked the possible side effects. Anxiety seems to be a possibility with Ciprofloxacn. Just knowing that helped calm me down, but now I'm wondering if I should continue the meds or talk to my doctor (I would talk to someone before discontinuing them). Has anyone had this kind of problem before? I haven't, so any advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone, My psychiatrist will no longer prescribe me any more drugs as the side effects are too bad - Ablify, pregablin, lamogtrigine (which worked for a bit then stopped), wellbutrin, lithium, and many others - and otherwise I am left with the horrific lorazepam, so I have looked for other means to stop my anxiety. I've gone through the flaxseed oil, turmeric, etc, but the only thing that seems to work is inositol, taurine, or NAC, (Htp 5 also works but I'm on duloxetine so can't take it). The problem is, any of these only lasts two hours and then stops, my tolerance for taurine and NAC became very high and I started to become very irritable. I'm in a real jam, I'm taking 6g of inositol every 2 hours, as it's the only thing that seems to work (and when it does it's amazing), but tolerance is growing to that as well, and the price is a bit crippling too. My anxiety manifests itself so badly that I can't get out of my room, can't wash, eat, all that good stuff, so the inositol has been a bit of a life saver, but it's getting a bit out of control. Anyone had this problem, know of any solutions? Thanks, Chris

Hi there. I am new here -came looking for support and help. I have dealt with depression and anxiety for some time now. I have been on all sorts of medications and they worked pretty well. But then I decided to get pregnant, and I had to go off all meds. That didn't work, so I was put onto zoloft-went to the max of 200 mgs. Got pregnant-yay. But anxiety got really really bad. I have panic attacks daily now and I am unable to function at work. I work and I am trying to finish my PhD. I have a huge deadline coming up in two months and this is a big anxiety trigger for me. My psychiatrist decided it was worth it to put me on lorezapam (.5 mgs at first but had to go up to 1 mg). We discussed the risks-which both my doc and (I saw after reading quite a few studies) that most of the issues that could effect baby were in the first and third trimesters-so we felt it was worth the risk. So I was taking the meds both lorezapam and zoloft. That helped a lot, but I was taking it nearly daily. But I could function and do work and get out of the house. I went and saw my OB (I am 17 weeks pregnant in my second trimester). She made me feel like I was trying to kill my baby-which of course sent me into a huge panic attack and craziness. According to her this medicine could cause brain development issues (something that wasn't in any of the literature that I read) and it didn't matter what trimester you were in. I don't know what to do? I have two docs who are conflicting in their advice and I am freaking out. If I don't make my PhD deadline-I get kicked out of the program-8 years of work down the toilet. But I can't seem to function well enough to work on it without the help of medication. But I don't want to hurt my baby. I don't know what to do? I see a therapist, I try yoga, meditation etc. But nothing is making a difference for my increased anxiety. The only thing that helps some is distraction-but as soon as the distraction is over I feel worse because I am even more nervous about the fact that I just wasted that time when I could have been working on my PhD. Has anyone out there tried hypnotherapy? Or have any kind of suggestions? I am willing to try anything. I have done acupuncture but haven't found much of a relief. Please Help-feeling so desperate and afraid! Thank you!

Under the oversight of the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP), I am running a study on benzodiazepine users. If you are an individual who takes benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Ativan), we’d like you to fill out a survey – it takes about 5-10 minutes. The survey looks at participants’ benzodiazepine regiment, their knowledge about their medication(s), and the sources of this knowledge. After completing the survey, participants may enter a raffle for a chance to win one of several $10 amazon.com gift cards. These are the criteria to participate in this study: · You must be 18 years of age or older to take the survey. · You must have a current prescription for one or more benzodiazepine(s), used to treat symptoms of a diagnosed anxiety disorder and/or insomnia. · You must currently reside in the United States. Additionally, you must have received your benzodiazepine prescription(s) from prescribers in the United States. If you’re interested in learning more about the survey, click on the link below. You’ll be presented with an informed consent form to give you some more information about the study, so you can decide if you wish to take it. If you’re not interested, but know someone who might be and who meets the criteria, feel free to forward this message to them. The survey will be open until April, 2013 at the latest. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5TF2HMM If you have any questions or comments about the study, you can contact Samuel Skeen, the Principal Investigator, at the email address below. Thanks for looking, Samuel Skeen samuel_skeen@mspp.edu Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology