Forgot to mention,I was afraid od medicines & symptoms,it took my dr like 7-8 medicines for my blood pressure cuz i thought i had every side effect....:) It gets better,i just finally with the anti depressent thought & told myself ...it can't make me worse,I kinda forced myself & tried to think possitive everyday would be better with this magic pill,also lots of prayer & these boards,hang in there,email me if you want to chat..:) 38/f/mo

I tried lexapro & that made my anxiety worse & I was constantly tired,but on my 4th week on generic paxil ,started 25cr mg,now 40 mg & I haven't felt this happy in a long time.I hear a lot about weight gain(with all) & paxil withdrawls,but my dr sayes not to worry so i'm not..I call it my happy pill,take every morning!

Thanks again Tony. You sound like you have a good handle on things. There are things in my life that I have to change I'm just scared to change them. Getting out of this town where my ex lives is one and changing my job where the pressure is so intense is the other. I have always been a fighter so I stay but I think maybe this time the apponenets are winning. I'm tired and I need a break. I am going to take the advice of so many people and just work on me for now and worry about those things later. B

Hey Again... Well when I was first prescribed the paxil I was really at my lowest of lows. This was 4 years ago. I have HAD anxiety since I was 15 years old. I am now 29. That's a relatively long time. The good news is that for most ofthat time I have been able to function normally. It was only that one time that I was in real dire straits. But it wasn't just because of the panic. It was outside factors as well. Sometimes you have to take a look at your life as a whole and see what you can improve. Everything is connected. It all affects your anxiety level to some degree. So don't always be so quick to just blame it on panic and/or anxiety. The paxil worked for me. It enabled me to take in some of the things that I had been reading. It didn't fix me, though. I don't regret going on it because at that time I really needed something to get me through. But I also started making other changes at that time that contributed to my better sense of well being (I moved, changed jobs, etc). I still deal with anxiety today. It comes and goes. The difference is that I can recognize it for what it is, and more importantly, what it is not. But I won't lie- it's still tough sometimes. I can go months without even a twinge of anxiety and then BAM... it's back. And of course the more I worry about it the worse it gets. But to answer your question- yes I DO live a normal life. I work, socialize, and do basically everything that most people do. Sure, there are specific things that I do avoid- but I think everyone does that, even people without anxiety. For example- I do not like to fly. But I'd really LOVE to get over that as I used to absolutely LOVE to fly when I was a kid. So you can try drugs if you REALLY need them. A lot of people will tell you that they saved their lives. I can only speak for me. And yes, I feel that it made a difference in my life. Right now I'd like to get off the paxil and be completely drug-free. It'd make me feel better about me, ya know. But that is my own undertaking. Just take your time when deciding upon a drug. It's a pretty hefty decision. Ask about side-effects, withdrawal symptoms, how long it takes to work, what to expect, etc. Just don't rush into anything. I wish you all the best. Write back if you feel the need to

Thanks for your opinion Tony. You are right about the thinking part and I am working on that as well. I am trying to convince myself that anxiety and panic can not hurt me and its just a symptom. I am hoping the meds will help me to believe myself more so I can get on with my life. Are you living a normal life now ? meaning do you work and socialize and you know the normal stuff if so how long did it take you to get normalized to a point where you could function out in the world ?

Hey, I thought I'd chime in with my experience. There are a few things that I'd like to say on this matter, so hear me out... 1- I am currently taking Paxil (10 mgs). I started taking 20 mgs in 2000 and have cut down to 10. It's very difficult to come off of this stuff. I have tried and the witdrawal symptoms can be quite scary. I'd stay clear of Paxil if I were you. Other drugs are apparently a lot easier to withdraw from. But I will say that since taking Paxil my panic attacks have literally disappeared. 2- Even though I DO take medication, it is my opinion that medication is only a band-aid. If you really want to get better you really need to change your thinking habits. Medication will provide relief for you (hopefully) but do not rely on it alone. 3- There is no 1 "best anti-depressant". It all depends on how you respond to it. Luckily Paxil worked for me.. enough so that I could get my life back together. You can try different medications and see what works for you but you MUST give it time to work. They usually take a few weeks to kick in- so you must be patient. 4- Just so you know, in other parts of the world where their health care is not as good as ours, many doctors prescribe EXERCISE as a medication. Instead of taking pills they tell their patients to take walks in the sunshine. They do this particularly with cases of mild depression (obviously not with chronic depression) and anxiety. That's it. I hope you feel better. We're all here for you. Make sure you let us know of your progress. Sincerely, Tony

I would like to take a vote. My doctor is going to put me on an antidepressant in 5 days if the meds that I am already on do not work ? He told me to pick which one since I am so picky about the medications that I take.(Its not that I am picky, I'm scared of the side affects) I was wondering what everybody was taking and has it helped them ? I have Generalized Anxiety disorder and Panic. So that means I have Anxiety all the time and its bad bad bad... Any comments would be greatly appreciated You can reply here or reply to me directly at OBrendie@aol.com