i started having panic attacks a few years ago and for a long time time i felt like you do , i was nervous and had a feeling of anxiety all the time. i don't know what your anxiety feels like but mine was fear 24 hours a day . it has gotten better and my panic attacks are few and far between but there is still that fear . panic attacks makes you think you are having a heart attack , racing heart , trouble breathing, even chest pain . the dr. put me on lorazapam and it helped me so much, you have to be careful because it is addicting .i tried zoloft and had an allergic reaction to it . i hope you feel better and i hope the zoloft works for you.

Thank you for your reply :)

I was put on zoloft after my hospitalization, i had non stop full throttle anxiety, it even woke me in the night but within a few weeks the anxiety stopped and i actually felt human, it was totally wonderful to feel that way again.
Hang in there and good Luck with your zoloft, am sure it will be a big help for you!

hi, im sorry your not well.. ive just come out of a 3 month anxiety spell. it horrible what we go through, and im lucky that mine seems to have ended (for now!!) do you use beta blockers at all? i usually use them, although they do not get rid of the anxiety, they do really take the edge off.. also more recently i tried diazapam, that helped a little.. other than that paroxatine hydrocloride (paxil) works well, but beware cause the side effects are not good when you first go on them.. i hope i have been of some help, if any. but im thinking of you and hope you feel better soon x

Hey Jcutler,

You poor man! Big hugs, I feel your pain. I went through all the bull shit too! I can say I have been through every freaking test 2 or 3 times over, xrays, cat scans, mri's, heart monitors, heart tests, stress tests, scans, bloor work, etc, and guess what, everything says I am normal, but I don't feel normal either. I have all these odd symptoms and I was always looking for a pyscial answer, but guess what there isn't one and we both have to accept it, maybe they missed that or this, but they didn't and we know that deep down, but we are maybe afraid or ashamed to admit this could all be anxiety and totally in our head (in one way or another, it's not like we want this for ourselves) but I guess over time we have made it happen and we have to work to undo the mess in some way! I can't wait to feel better pyscailly soon, it sucks and I used to think what if, but you just have try and accept it, otherwise you will keep looking and not focus on what it really is. I always needed something pysical to hold onto and to fix, but it's not that simple! Good luck and feel free to drop me a line if you need more support. Cheers, Sam

Oh Yes, I have been feeling the same way lately. I did the whole ER thing and heart Dr. thing as well, but it's been awhile. (8 yrs.) Now, I am too scared to know. Go figure. I have been to the ER recently, so I hope the EKG would have shed some light if something had been wrong. I just feel like crud.
I am a smoker too...
Trying to quit, just got Chantix, if you know what it is. If not look into it, it has a high success rate of quiting.
I too take zoloft, and it helps but not in the begining. More anxiety during the intial 6-8 week period. Uggggghhh.
I am so sorry you are feeling this way, I can only say that I feel your pain. It utterly drains me sometimes. (most of the time) And, if I am lucky I get a reprieve.
I hope one is around the corner for you.
Big hugs!

I have read alot of your posts and posted in a bunch too. Are you taking any benzos at the moment? If your anxiety is that bad you should be on a benzo until the antidepressant works. We all know the antidepressant merry go round. Take this for a month and tell me how it works. So you suffer for a month with the side effects of something that may or may not work and if it doesn't then you get to try a new one for a month. Well for 2 months now you are in a constant state of anxiety.

I cannot take antidepressants. My body is very sensitive to all meds. The side effects from them made my anxiety worse. I am only on benzos right now. I don't take any antidepressants and I hope my body can tolerate just that for a very long time. I can honestly say if it weren't for the benzos I would never have gotten to the point I am currently at now. I spent years trying new antidepressants and nothing really worked.

Are you suffering from both anxiety and depression or mainly anxiety?

I agree the Zoloft helped me for seven years. Although it can take some time to start working and you could feel bad at first when taking it. But if you can hang in there it should even out. Xanax or something like that can make the first few weeks a little better. Give yourself some grace. have you looked into cognitive behavorial therapy? I was just wondering.

I feel you my friend. I am having some problems like that now. I am not great during the day but at soon as night hits it's full on full blown panic and it seems for no reason what so ever. Just feeling doomed, nothing was ever going to help and , well you understand. Zoloft helped, I have been on it for a few years now and it help a lot. I am going off of it, just so happens it isn't helping me as much anymore and sometiems that happens too. AND when the panic comes it feels like my chest is gonna explode. SO give the Zoloft some time to work. Let's see what it can do for you.

hey JC. I have been keeping up with your writings in this community. I was doing well for about 3 weeks. Now I am where you are. Barely making it thru the day, can't sleep at night from PAs. I am trying to have hope. I started on beta blockers, I hope they help me. Take care.

You guys are all amazing!!! I know most of you have seen me post before and have responded. And for that I thank you. I just feel like I am hanging on by a small string that is about to break. My anxiety/panic will not let up it is everyday. The only rest I get is when I am sleeping. Thank God I can sleep.


I am in CBT now just started. I was doing well for a while then my therapist went on leave :(

So I had to start from scratch.

I do take xanax 0.5 sometimes 2 times a day.


I am just really hoping that the cbt and zoloft and hard word pay off and I can be better. I so bad want to be a success story. I would devote my life to helping people with this condition cause I know the hell it causes.

If you've seen my post before you probably know I'm blunt and straight to the point. So here's my post to you. What are you searching for? You know you have anxiety and panic so what are you still searching for? Some God awful disease that will explain your symptoms? Some miracle pill that will cure you overnight? I wish it were that easy. The reason that you are having this constant anxiety is because YOU are constantly checking for it. You are, on waking, expecting it to be there. You are fighting fighting fighting and let me tell you friend, as long as you fight, search, and have self pity you will NOT win. How do you win?..you don't..you let anxiety/panic win. You give up your search. You say "ok, you win..I'm done fighting you and if you're going to kill be then go right ahead". AND MEAN IT! Has panic or anxiety ever killed anyone? NOPE. Without fear they cannot exist. I still have anxiety from time to time. I don't dwell on it. I don't search for reasons why it's there. I go about my day the best I can and it will go away. If you get into this routine of not checking and not expecting it you will see a difference. Good luck to you and STOP searching!

I agree and thanks for the post. I don't consider myself in self pity:P


I will say I agree with you, but with me. Before I ever did any searching it just scarred the hell out of me having it every moment of everyday. Even if I am not thinking about it.


I am trying to not fight this, it is like fighting what your mind and body is telling you is true so as you know it is hard as hell.

Thanks again for the comment.

Personally I detest xanax steady anxiety. It doesn't last long enough and you end up taking it more then you should. I was on xanax 3x a day for 12 years. My new doctor changed me to klonopin and I wish they did it years ago. My doctor refered to xanax as the american express of drugs "don't leave home without it". It lasts so short it is not much use especially if your system builds of any tolerance to it.

It is fantastic for as needed if you anxiety is under control and you have periods of anxiety you need to control. I would talk to your doctor about klonopin. Ask him the pros and cons about it. Xanax is 4-6 hours per dose when taken. Klonopin is 10-12 hours per dose when taken.

If you have constant anxiety xanax doesn't even cover a 24 hour day taken 3 times a day. I was on klonopin 3x a day for about 3 weeks then I took myself down to 2 a day because I did not really need the middle dose.

I lived in a state of anxiety 24 hours a day like you do. I could have never functioned waiting for antidepressants to work to see if it helped. You do very well for someone that has this and you work and fight through things. Hang in there you will figure out the right way to deal with it for you.

Good luck and God Bless

hey,
i'm quite lucky in that I don't get panic attacks really, but I do feel anxious nearly all day every day, it rises and falls in strength! I refuse to take medication though, possibly it might help but I have a strong history of addiction in my family and I can't take beta blockers coz I have asthma! :-(
Also all the medication I took for my virus (anti-dizziness stuff etc) hit me really bad with side effects (dizziness, hallucination and not being able to focus). I've found doctors completly unhelpful! All the small progress |I've made is through reading books and trying working myself to death (not healthy I know, but I get more anxious when i'm not busy!) so i've given up going!!!
hope you improve soon
x