new to this and need some advice

hi there

I've joined the anxiety support as have struggled with major anxiety for the past year, I started getting really bad panic attacks last year and was put on propranolol which i have to admit really did the trick but of course didn't take the emotional pains away.

I started taking citalopram which didn't really work and then was put on paroxetine - this did work to some degree along side CBT (which is really fantastic therapy) but then has seem to have caused sleeping problems and other things, i seem to just feel like a different person

i have decided to come off the medication completely which is difficult but doing it slowly and should be off within the next month

my anxiety always seems to be there in my chest, its hard to explain but i know suffers will know - i just want to know what I should do after coming off, should i try without medication or should i try a new anti depressant? I'm just losing faith in medication and myself

[Pinksocks]

Hey, sorry your having such a rough time. Unfortunately meds do cause sleep problems (not all but some) but if that's an issue you could try asking your doctor for some low dose phenergan its an antihistamine but used sometimes for sleep.

Its all about what works for you. I find medication provides an emotional buffer/ lessens the impact of it. I've recently started reading a life at last by Paul David have found it really helpful .As well as lifestyle change avoiding alcohol/caffeine and self care

[Hidden in reply to Pinksocks]

Hey thanks for the reply.

Yes I tried that but didn't improve sleep and then they put me on a weeks worth of sleeping pills which did help me sleep the issue mainly is I'm waking up all the time and never wake up feeling refreshed.

Yea I've cut out alcohol a lot and I don't really have any caffeine. I think I'll give it a shot without and I can always try a new one if I see no improvement.

Thanks

[Wolfaera]

I'm a big anxiety sufferer and of course things work differently for everyone. I too tried citalopram and I didn't react well on it, made me more emotional. Fortunately during this time I had a doctor who listened and wanted me to feel better and was open to me. My regimen has to consist of an antidepressant and and anxiety med, busparone. Even if I'm changing antidepressant, the busparone has to be a constant and I can tell the difference if I don't take it. I too have tried to do the no medication and found no matter what, busparone needed to stay. I started with low Ativan until we got to the right place with busparone. The sleeping is difficult and lately been working with trazadone as needed (it's an anti depressant and also for insomnia. Hopefully you can find something that works for you.