- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
I felt similarly about starting my medication, but it has helped me so much! I started with a super tiny dose, and even that made a difference for me! Once i started the meds, it took the edge off of my anxiety. With the edge off of the anxiety, I was able to start making more decisions to help me recover from my severe anxiety and ocd. You can do this! Be kind to yourself and give yourself time to adjust to the meds. Think of yourself the way you would think of a friend or a kid who you want the best for!
- Date posted
- 3y
It’s hard to get started but logically we know in the end it will likely help us. All I need is the edge off. That would be good for me. And I like the way you described caring for myself as I would for someone else I care for. You’re right about that.
- Date posted
- 3y
The dosage your doctor recommends is designed explicitly to “get your system used to it.” You probably aren’t really at therapeutic dosage yet, so it won’t really start helping (if it’s right for you) until later. You might experience mild side effects now, but with SSRI’s it’s a lot of standard stuff. Fatigue, nausea, etc. If anything, most people complain it makes them *too* calm (at which point you’d hust decrease your dosage). There’s a possibility that it might worsen your anxiety, but your obsession with how it might effect your anxiety might cloud your objectivity here, so maybe focus on ERP with that obsession while you take the meds?
- Date posted
- 3y
I tried another SSRI, Paxil, in the past. I didn’t really notice any bad effects emotionally except when I missed a dose, so keep that in mind. If you get scared of taking it one night, you probably should still take it. It will probably be worse if you don’t. I don’t want to scare you or anything. It wasn’t *much* worse, but I could tell the difference. I am currently trying Remeron. It has a side effect profile that I am okay with and has been experimentally effective for OCD patients. If you don’t like Lexapro, there are other options and you can look into ones that have side effects that you are okay with. Though, don’t get too excited about Wellbutrin lol. It has not been shown to be effective with OCD (not necessarily adverse, just not effective). But I understand the anxiety. There are some medications that I think might help me a lot that I am afraid of taking because of the side effects.
- Date posted
- 3y
@CaptainKierkegaard That's true for me too. I feel really out of whack when i miss my meds for a day. And that makes me realize I used to feel out of whack all the time! But now I can actually tell when I'm out of whack since my meds help level me out when i take them!
- Date posted
- 3y
@CaptainKierkegaard I actually took Paxil 20 years ago and it did help. I was started at too high a dose back then I think so the side effects were not fun. I was first given celexa but two days in and the panic was unbearable and I stopped immediately per dr instruction and was switched to Paxil. I know several people on lexapro for anxiety which is why I was prescribed it as well. But missing a dose with Paxil I would get the “zaps” and that wasn’t fun.
- Date posted
- 3y
I understand where you’re coming from. It can be scary at first, but totally worth it. I’m in the process of starting meds right now as well.
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you. Best of luck with yours!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 21w
6 months ago I had a severe panic attack and it’s changed my life. Scared of 99% of foods, can’t take meds out of fear, been hospitalized a few times cause of blood sugar drops and other health scares due to poor eating. I’m constantly scanning my body finding any little thing that’s uncomfortable and then fixate and panic over the smallest things. Whether be a smell I’m unfamiliar with, a weird sensation in my arm literally anything freaks me out….. who has had success with exposure or has dealt with similar issues. I feel like I’m unintentionally slowly killing myself but I’m too scared for meds and therapy doesn’t seem to make much of a dent right now. Please share some success stories I need hope.
- Date posted
- 20w
So i have an appointment with a doctor in 2 days, but im terrified of taking medication for anxiety, i tried it twice at 15 and would immediately stop taking them after a week or 2 because I was so scared of the side effects, then I tried fluoxetine at 18 and it gave me such bad anxiety with even the first 2 pills that I stopped that as well, now I'm 25 and im willing to try again and stick to it but my mind keeps bringing up all the reasons why I shouldn't and that it could make me worse, make me manic, make me numb, change me etc. Any help or advice welcome
- Date posted
- 15w
Hi everyone, I’m 23 and have been on Zoloft since I was 16. For the past couple months I’ve been having panic attacks more and I’m sick of feeling like a zombie everyday. My boyfriend said I’m very sad and unhappy then when I first met him 2 years ago…. He thinks it’s the medicine. Throughout the years I have upped and lowered my medication, but now, I feel as though it’s not helping. Either it was too much where I didn’t feel emotions at all like very scary stuff or it wasn’t enough to help me. I was given 5mg of Lexapro to try…. I’m scared to take it. All I know is how Zoloft is. I don’t want to go crazy on it, be allergic to it, etc. I feel like I’m going to trip myself out when I take it and not actually feel the difference. I could really use some positive feedback I really just want to be a normal human😭
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