I have been on it for about a year. My doctor started me out at 10mg twice a day. It didn't take me long to figure out that dosage wasn't good enough, so he bumped it up to 15mg twice a day. It worked well up until all this mess started. Now I find myself fighting off panic attacks on a near daily basis.
I just wonder if he upped my dosage again if it would continue to work, or if I need to consider asking to try something else??
Rosiemarie82, The thing is where do we stop in bumping up our meds until
we feel numb? I found over the years that medication is not the whole answer.
Therapy along with finding other methods to calm the Mind/Body Connection
is just as important. I found the key to my success in Meditation and Deep Breathing.
And yes, even through this stressful time of our lives, it can get me to put one foot in
front of the other and keep going forward.
Breathing properly has a way of slowing down the thoughts, the erratic breathing as
well as reducing the levels of adrenaline. I use to pop a benzo at one time but through
daily usage of these methods, I found quicker and longer lasting relief.
It's okay to need medication but we can't depend on it fully. We need to help ourselves
by finding something to help the meds along. Good Luck Please have a talk with your
doctor regarding this. 
xx
I agree with everything you said. I hate taking any medication (I have a benzo prescription too, but haven't taken one in almost a year, those are for urgent emergencies only).
My biggest problem is my anxiety presents as chest pain, palpitations, and my mind goes into hyperdrive. Usually only lasts a few days, then I'll be perfectly fine until the next episode.
I so understand Rosiemarie but there is a time and place for medication. Unfortunately,
I was left on Xanax for 30 years allowing me to become dependent on a small amount of
0.25mg once a day. When it no longer worked, I knew I had to find something else that
could replace it (not medication) That is when I tried Self-Hypnosis, Biofeedback, Relaxation Therapy, Mindfulness, Breathing Properly, Exercise and on and on.
It took dedication to these meditations. The more I did the better I felt. In control of my life and yet not drugged up. It was an amazing feeling. Like you I had the chest pain, palps and mind that went 100mph. I had tension headaches along with migraines from stress. I even became Agoraphobic for 5 years never leaving my house. This is why I say, it's not only about medication but finding ways to accept these symptoms as not life
threatening and using the power of our mind to make us whole again.
Once a doctor has addressed the physical issues and says it's coming from anxiety, then we need to find ways that can reduce our fears and stress. It can do wonders w/o any side effects. Our minds are meant to protect us but sometimes react falsely with symptoms that aren't physically caused but caused by the mental thoughts of fear. xx
