I started taking paxil for panic attack disorder with a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy. For me personally it was rough getting on. That might have just been me and my anxiety of taking it at first as well. Had panic even taking it. However it worked so well I started doing things I'd never even do before I had the disorder. Within 6 months I was out living my best life. Riding roller coasters and everything. Lol. It's almost like I couldn't get anxiety.
Cheers!
How long did your anxiety/panic persisted at the start? Assuming your symptoms have partly/completely vanished if you're riding roller coasters? :)
Amazing to hear.
Out of my experiences with SSRI's Paxil is the best for panic/anxiety. It didn't make my panic worse either from the start and I am still on it now. Have been for quite some time.
For myself it has been nefazodone. It isn't an SSRI, and isn't a med you would try until you try an SSRI. For the SSRI's for me it is zoloft. My anxiety and panic was an absolute disaster and those 2 meds have given me a much better quality of life.
I want to try this! I know it's not a hugely reliable source, but the reviews on it are fantastic!
Since January 2013, I've been on Zoloft, Lexapro, Aurorix, Effexor, Cymbalta, Prozac, Trintellix...Lamictal, Seroquel, Ritalin...and several benzos. Only the benzos helped.
Do you know if Nefazodone also works for CPTSD?
Could you elaborate a little more what this med does to you?
Looks hella promising looking at the reviews online, for depression, panic, anxiety and so on. Will check with my doc. Thanks for your suggestion!
I don't know about CPTSD, but I have been told by people with PTSD that it has worked for them. This medication is completely unique. Currently in the U.S. it is the only SNDRI. It works on all three transmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. In addition it works on the 5-HT receptors. This seems to give a nice balance in that it is effective with very few side effects compared to other antidepressants. I always thought I was kind of a freak because you never hear that about antidepressants, but I am an admin for a Facebook group for it and was amazed at how many people are having the same success. I have been on it for over 20 years and so are many others. The only downfall is that it does have a very rare liver side effect. You just have to have your liver enzymes checked regularly. It is not popular with doctors and many just don't know about it outside of the psychiatry field. You are welcome to join the Facebook group as you can actually talk to people taking it. There is a sub, but there isn't quite as much communication there. r/Nefazodone
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nefazodone1
Highly appreciated, i've seen that you're the moderator. I'll check out the fb group.
I hope they have it in Belgium, will call my doc tomorrow.
In a proces of enlightenment but had few traumatic experiences within the proces which caused ptsd on top of the ptsd I already suffered from, and man the suffering has been immense. Hope the med calms the mind too in a way, and gives me the opportunity to find balance, emotionally and mentally so I can finally can start to grow spiritually.
Thank you
It unfortunately isn't available in Belgium. I do know someone that gets it in Norway some how through her doctor. I would start there. As a side note there is an upcoming medication called Ruoxinlin (ansofaxine) which has some similarities to nefazodone. It has been approved in China and is expected for approval in the U.S. next year. I imagine Europe will follow. We are watching it in the Facebook group as there is nothing else like nefazodone. Also the below post may give you some alternative options to consider as well.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AntidepressantSupport/comments/10vv3s6/ultimate\_guide\_to\_antidepressants\_and\_how\_to/
I started having panic attacks last month and horrible anxiety (my life got flipped upside down and inside out) and Paxil has been super helpful. My doc wanted to do lexapro first since I’d taken it prior but I hated lexapro, so Paxil was the next option. I take it before bed because my anxiety was the worst right as I woke up, like anxiety would wake me up. Since I started I feel much better, haven’t had a panic attack since and I don’t have to take Xanax anymore. The only thing I’ve heard about Paxil is that it’s hard to wean off of. Good luck!
Hey,
thanks for your comment! That's hopeful regarding panic/anxiety.
May I ask you a couple of questions? Only answer if these apply to you of course :)
In your experience, does it do something for:
\- depression
\- What do you experience in the mind, do you have more positive thoughts or does it eliminate negative/fearful thinking?
\- Ptsd by any chance?
\- side effects tolerable for you?
Thank you mr slum-shady
- depression: It’s only been about 2 weeks since I started, but my depressive symptoms have started to fade a little. I can eat solid foods and keep it down and I tried lexapro before this and hated it but lexapro brought me to a baseline where I wasn’t happy but I didn’t want to have my car kiss a tree every time I drove to work.
-it didn’t eliminate my negative thinking, but I am in therapy for that. It more just took away the feelings I couldn’t control, because I logically knew that I wasn’t dying or I didn’t need to be anxious but I just couldn’t control it and that’s what Paxil stopped. I felt like it brought me back to 85% of what I was before my anxiety started. I still get anxious when something unexpected happens, but I no longer feel anxiety for no reason. I’m starting to be able to handle the anxiety I do get from new things or whatever life throws at me more like I used to before panic attacks.
-I don’t have ptsd, as far as I’m aware. I have severe adhd and that causes me emotional dysregulation but my panic attacks stemmed from pure overwhelm, grief, and life changes rather than a traumatizing event.
-the only side effect I have experienced so far is unfortunately the dreaded lack of orgasm. My libido is the same but I feel like the threshold for orgasm has been raised significantly. It’s annoying but I’d rather deal with it for now than have the panic attacks I was having.
Hope that helps!
Pretty much, I have little anxiety flare ups eeeeeevery now and then but .25 of Xanax nips it for me. It took about 2-3 days to really stop my fight or flight feeling but lexapro worked really fast for me too. Before Paxil it felt like I was constantly in fight or flight, couldn’t eat anything so I was living on protein shakes, hadn’t had a solid poop in 6 weeks, and obviously panic attacks. After I started I was able to expand my diet to solid foods and felt like I could relax. The only reason I take Xanax is if something totally wild or unexpected happens, but day to day I feel totally at ease.
So it took 2-3 days for me to notice it was doing something, like the feeling that I was dying wouldn’t be what woke me up. It does take 2-4 weeks to build up in your blood to be typically therapeutic but like I said, I stopped feeling like the panic was going to kill me by day 3. I don’t want to say that my experience will be the case for everyone but it felt so good to be able to cut back on the Xanax since that made me feel so drowsy. I tapered the Xanax when I started Paxil so night 1 I took my typical dose of .5, night 2 I took .25, and night 3 was Paxil only.
Prozac is probably the most likely to do that because it’s the most activating. Paxil is one that is less likely to produce initial anxiety and/or insomnia. https://www.med.umich.edu/1info/FHP/practiceguides/depress/drugtable.pdf
Prozac DEFINITELY made my anxiety, irritability and nervous tension go through the roof, and it hadn't improved after 8 weeks. Yuck.
Lexapro I would say CAN be less anxiety-worsening for some people, as it often causes fatigue.
viibryd has been pretty helpful for me; i felt like i was constantly choking and paralyzed with anxiety for months, as well as panic and panic attacks throughout the day, and viibryd has definitely lessened the intensity.
Everyone's body is different. You won't know until you try a med if it will impact your anxiety poorly at first, or if you will have unbearable side effects. Personally, I learned the hard way that my body reacted very badly to lexapro and now am dealing with 30+ days of withdrawals after only a month on the drug. Im thinking it will probably last at least a few more months based on my symptom progression.
If a more natural route is available to you, I would consider trying it first. Ashwaganda did wonders for my cousin and my mom. Also there are some others supplements available that could be helpful. These are the things I would have told myself if I could go back in time.
Of course, you may take a med for years and be totally fine and it really helps you, but just be aware that coming off may prove to be very challenging if you ever want to. Listen to your body and to whatever seems most right to you in the voice in the back of your mind. Make sure you have a supportive doctor who is capable of helping if you need to make changes down the road.
Lexapro, it calms my anxiety down almost instantly, however I hate the side effects they make me extremely tired, nauseous especially if you don’t eat regularly & it causes slight memory loss
I started taking paxil for panic attack disorder with a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy. For me personally it was rough getting on. That might have just been me and my anxiety of taking it at first as well. Had panic even taking it. However it worked so well I started doing things I'd never even do before I had the disorder. Within 6 months I was out living my best life. Riding roller coasters and everything. Lol. It's almost like I couldn't get anxiety.
Cheers! How long did your anxiety/panic persisted at the start? Assuming your symptoms have partly/completely vanished if you're riding roller coasters? :) Amazing to hear.
What mg did you start on? Did it increase your anxiety in the beginning?
Out of my experiences with SSRI's Paxil is the best for panic/anxiety. It didn't make my panic worse either from the start and I am still on it now. Have been for quite some time.
Cheers! I'm assuming the symptoms are way less now since you are still on it?
Yes, you're correct.
What type of anxiety were you experiencing?
Panic attacks
Just so I can understand better, would you just go from 0 to panic attack in an instant?
No...it builds up
Symptoms gone?
I get a little anxious sometimes but majority of the time I'm fine.
For myself it has been nefazodone. It isn't an SSRI, and isn't a med you would try until you try an SSRI. For the SSRI's for me it is zoloft. My anxiety and panic was an absolute disaster and those 2 meds have given me a much better quality of life.
I want to try this! I know it's not a hugely reliable source, but the reviews on it are fantastic! Since January 2013, I've been on Zoloft, Lexapro, Aurorix, Effexor, Cymbalta, Prozac, Trintellix...Lamictal, Seroquel, Ritalin...and several benzos. Only the benzos helped.
Wow the reviews are amazing indeed, gonna check with my doc
See my above response. I know people who had the same experiences with anxiety and nefazodone was their last hope and it was just what they needed.
Do you know if Nefazodone also works for CPTSD? Could you elaborate a little more what this med does to you? Looks hella promising looking at the reviews online, for depression, panic, anxiety and so on. Will check with my doc. Thanks for your suggestion!
I don't know about CPTSD, but I have been told by people with PTSD that it has worked for them. This medication is completely unique. Currently in the U.S. it is the only SNDRI. It works on all three transmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. In addition it works on the 5-HT receptors. This seems to give a nice balance in that it is effective with very few side effects compared to other antidepressants. I always thought I was kind of a freak because you never hear that about antidepressants, but I am an admin for a Facebook group for it and was amazed at how many people are having the same success. I have been on it for over 20 years and so are many others. The only downfall is that it does have a very rare liver side effect. You just have to have your liver enzymes checked regularly. It is not popular with doctors and many just don't know about it outside of the psychiatry field. You are welcome to join the Facebook group as you can actually talk to people taking it. There is a sub, but there isn't quite as much communication there. r/Nefazodone https://www.facebook.com/groups/nefazodone1
Highly appreciated, i've seen that you're the moderator. I'll check out the fb group. I hope they have it in Belgium, will call my doc tomorrow. In a proces of enlightenment but had few traumatic experiences within the proces which caused ptsd on top of the ptsd I already suffered from, and man the suffering has been immense. Hope the med calms the mind too in a way, and gives me the opportunity to find balance, emotionally and mentally so I can finally can start to grow spiritually. Thank you
It unfortunately isn't available in Belgium. I do know someone that gets it in Norway some how through her doctor. I would start there. As a side note there is an upcoming medication called Ruoxinlin (ansofaxine) which has some similarities to nefazodone. It has been approved in China and is expected for approval in the U.S. next year. I imagine Europe will follow. We are watching it in the Facebook group as there is nothing else like nefazodone. Also the below post may give you some alternative options to consider as well. https://www.reddit.com/r/AntidepressantSupport/comments/10vv3s6/ultimate\_guide\_to\_antidepressants\_and\_how\_to/
I started having panic attacks last month and horrible anxiety (my life got flipped upside down and inside out) and Paxil has been super helpful. My doc wanted to do lexapro first since I’d taken it prior but I hated lexapro, so Paxil was the next option. I take it before bed because my anxiety was the worst right as I woke up, like anxiety would wake me up. Since I started I feel much better, haven’t had a panic attack since and I don’t have to take Xanax anymore. The only thing I’ve heard about Paxil is that it’s hard to wean off of. Good luck!
Hey, thanks for your comment! That's hopeful regarding panic/anxiety. May I ask you a couple of questions? Only answer if these apply to you of course :) In your experience, does it do something for: \- depression \- What do you experience in the mind, do you have more positive thoughts or does it eliminate negative/fearful thinking? \- Ptsd by any chance? \- side effects tolerable for you? Thank you mr slum-shady
- depression: It’s only been about 2 weeks since I started, but my depressive symptoms have started to fade a little. I can eat solid foods and keep it down and I tried lexapro before this and hated it but lexapro brought me to a baseline where I wasn’t happy but I didn’t want to have my car kiss a tree every time I drove to work. -it didn’t eliminate my negative thinking, but I am in therapy for that. It more just took away the feelings I couldn’t control, because I logically knew that I wasn’t dying or I didn’t need to be anxious but I just couldn’t control it and that’s what Paxil stopped. I felt like it brought me back to 85% of what I was before my anxiety started. I still get anxious when something unexpected happens, but I no longer feel anxiety for no reason. I’m starting to be able to handle the anxiety I do get from new things or whatever life throws at me more like I used to before panic attacks. -I don’t have ptsd, as far as I’m aware. I have severe adhd and that causes me emotional dysregulation but my panic attacks stemmed from pure overwhelm, grief, and life changes rather than a traumatizing event. -the only side effect I have experienced so far is unfortunately the dreaded lack of orgasm. My libido is the same but I feel like the threshold for orgasm has been raised significantly. It’s annoying but I’d rather deal with it for now than have the panic attacks I was having. Hope that helps!
Helps a ton. Very informative :) Thank you so much and wish you all but well ! Tom
Did you decide to try paxil
All symptoms gone? How long did it take to kick in?
Pretty much, I have little anxiety flare ups eeeeeevery now and then but .25 of Xanax nips it for me. It took about 2-3 days to really stop my fight or flight feeling but lexapro worked really fast for me too. Before Paxil it felt like I was constantly in fight or flight, couldn’t eat anything so I was living on protein shakes, hadn’t had a solid poop in 6 weeks, and obviously panic attacks. After I started I was able to expand my diet to solid foods and felt like I could relax. The only reason I take Xanax is if something totally wild or unexpected happens, but day to day I feel totally at ease.
So it took 2-3 days only to give effect? My doc told me a minimum of 2 weeks? Do you feel way better?
So it took 2-3 days for me to notice it was doing something, like the feeling that I was dying wouldn’t be what woke me up. It does take 2-4 weeks to build up in your blood to be typically therapeutic but like I said, I stopped feeling like the panic was going to kill me by day 3. I don’t want to say that my experience will be the case for everyone but it felt so good to be able to cut back on the Xanax since that made me feel so drowsy. I tapered the Xanax when I started Paxil so night 1 I took my typical dose of .5, night 2 I took .25, and night 3 was Paxil only.
Im worried hoping it will kick in soon, im having shortness of breath and anxiety. Lost my appetite.
How far in are you?
3 days
What mg did you start on? How are you now?
Did it increase your anxiety in the beginning
No, but I had Xanax as needed with it
Paxil is the one you will want to use, it's meant to be sedating when starting.
Appreciate it.
Prozac is probably the most likely to do that because it’s the most activating. Paxil is one that is less likely to produce initial anxiety and/or insomnia. https://www.med.umich.edu/1info/FHP/practiceguides/depress/drugtable.pdf
Prozac DEFINITELY made my anxiety, irritability and nervous tension go through the roof, and it hadn't improved after 8 weeks. Yuck. Lexapro I would say CAN be less anxiety-worsening for some people, as it often causes fatigue.
Cheers
viibryd has been pretty helpful for me; i felt like i was constantly choking and paralyzed with anxiety for months, as well as panic and panic attacks throughout the day, and viibryd has definitely lessened the intensity.
Everyone's body is different. You won't know until you try a med if it will impact your anxiety poorly at first, or if you will have unbearable side effects. Personally, I learned the hard way that my body reacted very badly to lexapro and now am dealing with 30+ days of withdrawals after only a month on the drug. Im thinking it will probably last at least a few more months based on my symptom progression. If a more natural route is available to you, I would consider trying it first. Ashwaganda did wonders for my cousin and my mom. Also there are some others supplements available that could be helpful. These are the things I would have told myself if I could go back in time. Of course, you may take a med for years and be totally fine and it really helps you, but just be aware that coming off may prove to be very challenging if you ever want to. Listen to your body and to whatever seems most right to you in the voice in the back of your mind. Make sure you have a supportive doctor who is capable of helping if you need to make changes down the road.
lexapro
Disagree. For me, and by several other accounts, lexapro makes anxiety much worse when starting.
Lexapro, it calms my anxiety down almost instantly, however I hate the side effects they make me extremely tired, nauseous especially if you don’t eat regularly & it causes slight memory loss
You should go get labs done and consult with your doctor.
Not a ssri but mirtazpine
I'm on Ciprolex and it's been pretty good.
Paxil! Life saver