Fear of starting a new medication

[thebaseball2001]

Hello all,

Over the past 2 years I have tried a number of different meds for a sudden onset of panic attacks that morphed into anxiety and depression. Prior to this I was on Lexapro for about 6 years for depression and it worked wonders. Then when these attacks started, the Lexapro stopped working well for me.

My doctor just put me on Effexor which I had tried many years ago, maybe 7 or so (just before the Lexapro) and I remember it gave me sexual dysfunction and when I came off of the medication I had the brain zaps. I am just at this point right now where I am scared to start another med and am thinking to myself that maybe quitting meds all together is best. I mean there are two camps, those that believe these meds help and those that believe they are bad for you and I am so scared that I am leaning to believing the camp that says stop them all together because they are evil and will hurt you in the long run.

Can someone please speak to me and give me some confidence to believe that taking this med as prescribed is for the best?

Thanks,
Chad

[superchick22684]

My first question for you is what have you used to cope with your anxiety? Have you tried therapy, diaphragmatic breathing meditation etc? The only reason I ask is that I think the best way to approach treating anxiety is using several different methods at the same time.

For example, I had a resurgence in anxiety a little over a year ago after going a few years with less anxiety. The first thing that I did is find a therapist. I've always found more success doing that first thing and then after some time has passed if things are still hard to deal with considering medication.

I just started a new combination of medication about a week ago this is my fifth medication change in a year. Even though its early on in the switch, this time around things are going much better than the previous times. I've had a few side effects but they've mostly gone away. I'm currently on an antidepressant for my depression and anxiety and a second medication to supplement the antidepressant.

Its completely up to you whether you want to take meds or not. Different meds and/or coping skills work for different people. I wish you the best of luck in finding what works for you.

[thebaseball2001]

Hi Superchick,

Thank you for answering.

I do breathing exercises when I have anxiety. I also see a Therapist every Thursday and she has me practicing CBT. I have a habit of listening to positive audio books like Louise Hay as well. A lot of my anxiety comes from existential crisis, feeling of uncertainty about my life and what I want it to be like. This all started when my anchor, my father, passed away. I started getting panic attacks and feeling unreal and wondering what was good in life, what was it all about.

I want to try meditation but always find a way to not have time to do it. Thank you for the suggestions. I hope your med experience goes well. I wish you the best as well.

Chad

[superchick22684]

Sorry to hear about your dad. Some of my anxiety and depression originates from someone I was very close to passing away as well.

[Pink_freud_89]

I too suffer from the fear of medication. It is called pharmacophobia. But im also a hypochondriac...so it goes like this...if i take even an amoxicillin, my hypochondriac thinking kicks in, i start having a panic attack, and believe the symptoms are a reaction to the meds. Then it subsides and i realize im still alive. I had a bad reaction to seroquel when i took it, so i believe it stems from that.

My panic attacks got really bad after my father passed away, too. Its hard, i know it is. I suffered nightmares every night.

The only thing that helped was i quit smoking cigarettes. And i made some positive changes in my life. (But i needed to make them)

The only thing that helps with the medication is calling my mom or talking to my husband. Something to try and distract myself and basically ride out the "storm".

Im so sorry for both of your losses, its so hard to lose the ones we love.