Struggle bus - anxiety sucks

[Helloitsme301]

Hi! First post... I’ve had anxiety and panic attacks for years, but more recently I’ve been having the worst panic attacks I’ve ever had. I’m left in a shockwave, and I’m hyper aware of my heartbeat. It landed me in the hospital on Wednesday, and everything checks out A-OK. So what now? Has anyone else struggled with “hypervigilance”? I can’t stop paying attention to my heart, and I’m losing sleep (and sanity).

My primary prescribed me Lexapro, and I know it takes time to kick in, but I feel like it’s making me feel stranger yet. Id love to hear your experience with anti-depressants.

Thank you, it is helpful to know I’m not alone in this struggle.

[JkBauer]

The medicines that I have been on over the years have had many different side effects. Some of them were really bad and I had to have my husband take me to the doctor's to take me off them and try something different until we found the right fit. I am a firm believer in " Are the side effects worth having to balance out the effectiveness of the medicine?" If the medicine is not doing its job the way it should and the side effects seem worse, I will always choose to go back to the doctor and tell him this is not working, we need to find something else until we find the right match. - I am also a huge believer in medicine does not cure everything. We also need to help ourselves get better too. Healthy diet and water, daily exercise, fresh air daily, get plenty of rest/sleep and choose to keep a positive attitude! Family, friends, and a good support group will make all the difference in balancing your life as well too.

[Catsamaze ADAA Volunteer]

First, welcome! You’ll love this group. I have a big problem with hyper vigilance, especially with respect to my heart. It’s hard to ignore what your heart does. Ultimately, though, now that you’ve been medically cleared, you are going to want to learn how to ignore it. But that’s not easy. As far as antidepressants, the unfortunate thing is the 3-4 weeks that it usually takes for them to start kicking in. Take heart, though, that there are many different ones available. Give the Lexapro a chance and it might work well for you .

[MRAnxious123]

I can tell you from my own experience that it works, you just have to give it time. Time first time I got on Lexapro was two years ago and it took about 4 weeks for me to feel a difference in my anxiety. I was on it for about a year then because I felt "better" I decided to wean off the meds. Two years later I have had to go back on it and it took the same amount of time to kick in. Just be patient with yourself and give it some time. If after that time you feel nothing has changed, then speak to your doctor and try something else. Not all meds are created equal and some will work while others may not. Don't give up.

[MFM008]

I feel my medication is making things worse as well.