Panic Attacks Support Group

A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, and sensations of choking or smothering. Panic attacks can be very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often...

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Kahlua13 03/09/2011

I took Lexapro for a month. Advantage: NO panic attacks. Disadvantage: I was a zombie. I was tired, and had a hard time focusing and couldn't really care less about much of anything.

Dr switched me to Cymbalta and suicidal thoughts after 1 week. That was it. Totally stopped. Will never take that again.

Only have been taking a .25 mg Xanax as needed here and there (still on my original 90 pill prescription from last August and still have a lot left.) For what ever the reason, the anxiety these last 2-3 weeks is bad again. Even now a little depression. so I am thinking of going back on Lexapro. I almost would rather be a zombie than this. I can't take this much longer.

Someone recommended Prozac and I was looking at some of the side affects of Prozac that worry me, like anxiety, insominia, nervousness, shakiness, etc. I mean, I have all that now! some side affects are same with Lexapro and also Prozac.

Can anyone else comment on what works for them? Side affects? Pros/cons of each? going to go talk to my Dr tomorrow. Thanks! I truly appreciate all of your input. Are either of these drugs habit forming? I do worry about that with the Xanax but figured .25 mg and not even taking 1 a day, maybe I am worried over nothing.

deleted_user 03/09/2011

How many mil Lexapro are they? I started with 10 and when I went to 20 I was yawning and tired all the time. I went back to 10 and that works fine.

deleted_user 03/10/2011

How about sertraline (zoloft)? Prozac may be worth trying; it works really well for some patients and not so well with others. However, this is usually the case with most antidepressants. It is kind of trial and error. Some may work well and others totally fail. But eventually, you will find the right medication and the right dosage for you that does work. Hang in there and I hope you feel better. God bless you!

harry3333 03/10/2011

your problems in finding an AD that works and has side effects you can live with is common
as you may know, xanax is a valium type med and goes well with any AD
if you were taking lexapro at 20, it will probably still work at 10, and take it just before bed
dont worry they all have long lists of nasty side effects, also an AD that sedates 1 may stimulate another

deleted_user 03/10/2011

I was on Lexapro for many years. It worked for the most part for me, but I went off it about 2 years ago. It was really hard for me to get off of, with the withdrawal symptoms. Anyways, I went almost 2 years with just using xanax when needed, but with my panic attacks and anxiety being pretty bad the past few months my Dr thought I should go on something again. The lexapro was not covered for me, so she put me on prozac. It's been about 3 weeks now. I've felt pretty good on it. The 1st week or so I would feel a little dizzy, but that's gone away. As of now, I've had no other side affects. I do think it's starting to help me calm down. I hope this helps :) I know it's hard to start a new med. Believe me, I researched ALL of them lol. They all seem to have similar side effects so I guess it just depends on the person. Good luck.

Kahlua13 03/10/2011

What were the withdrawal symptoms?

deleted_user 03/10/2011

these are the two meds I have sitting at my house.... but I do not want to have to take them, trying to take supplements and do things naturally and use my xantax as needed to when I know there may be a stressful situation.... I am very scared, reading the labels and do not want to make my body so toxic or dependent upon them..... they are all the same, the xantax just does not chemically change the brain, they are all addicting, it does not matter what anyone says... I have read some books about the drug companies.... etc.
some days I think I can handle it and others I feel like I need to go to the emergency room....
it helps to read all of your experiences!

deleted_user 03/10/2011

Withdrawal from the lexapro was feeling spacey, head zings (as I call them) felt like your brain had to catch up with your head when u moved it. Somedays just felt out of it. I guess they were more annoying symptoms than anything else. And I weaned very slowly, so it took a couple months. But it all went away. I was on that pill for 7 years also, so my body was really used to it.

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