Help with which meds to try

[lblanchard]

I have been trying to deal w anxiety for a out 8 months now by just taking a Xanax when it gets really bad but I am sick of feeling like I'm going to die every second of the day. I am looking into different medications and am just wondering what worked best for others. There are just so many side effects to all these drugs like seizures, that make my anxiety even worse about taking them! I also wanted to know if anyone knows the safe ones to take while pregnant. I'm not pregnant but want to be in the next year and I would get off the meds if I became pregnant but don't want to be on something that could harm the fetus in the first month before i would even know I was pregnant. Thanks for the help!

[alankay]

Buspar is safe for GAD but ask about prozac or zoloft if panic is the issue. Ask about atarax(Hydroxyzine) as well. It's an old antihistamine with antianxiety effects and is safe. "As needed" benzo us is OK but probably not daily use. Ask about all this with your OB/GYN or pdoc before getting pregnant to work out a strategy. Alankay.

[Buttercup]

Hiya, I started a similar thread in regards to pregnancy and meds which may help you: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?10694-Medication-free
I find citalopram (an SSRI)and propranonol ( a beta blocker) help me along with therapy. Every drug out there (even vitamins) can have side effects but the extreme ones ike seizures are very rare. Most common are an upset stomach, headaches, tiredness and they usually subside after a few weeks and are worth it if the meds help you live your life.

[lblanchard]

Thanks for the information and the link to the other post. I was looking at Zoloft and Prozac and going to talk to my therapist this week about it. I was also looking into Wellbutrin as I heard it can help with gad kinda but more important it can work to help me quit smoking which I know is where a lot of my anxiety stems from. Has anyone had any success with it? I keep hearing horror stories about that med. thanks :-)