Scared to go on Anxiety Medicine

[greengal1909]

I am scared to go on anxiety medicine, nobody can make me go on it, I think it could help, but I am afraid.
I have tried other medicines before for anxiety and I have had bad side effects.
What should I do? Should I give medicine a try again and try new ones?
Does someone really need anxiety medicine in order to cope if they have anxiety?

[JudJud]

Hi greengal, I was the same. I've avoided medication for years, I was always so scared of it. Until recently, when I felt like I really needed something to help me. Try a low dose? I'm taking 10mg of Fluoxetine at the moment and if I need to I'll slowly go up. I can't be sure but I think the lower the dose the less side effects you'll have. I dont think it's needed, I think people can overcome their anxiety other ways, but I guess sometimes you just need that little push to help.
Whatever you decide, I hope you feel better. You got this ! ��

[greengal1909]

Thank you so much

[Chiliphil1]

I can only speak from my own experience.

Back in 2011 I had severe anxiety that was health related (always thinking I was having a heart attack or some other major problem) and I went to a local clinic as I was uninsured. They gave me buspar which did nothing, then gave me Zoloft which seemed to make things worse. When I told them that it wasn't working they almost got mad at me about it! I spent the next few months with nothing until I was finally able to get insurance. When I went to a new doctor he gave me Pristiq and a beta blocker. That combo changed my life! From day 1 on those meds I knew I was through the worst of it. I took them for about 4 months and was able to come off of them. Over the past several years I have only had to deal with occasional anxiety, nothing requiring treatment. Point here being that some meds don't work well, the most important thing is to keep in contact with the doctor, sometimes things can worsen for a brief period of time before they get better but make sure that the doctor knows what's going on and if it gets too bad tell them that you want to stop and try something else. Once you find the right thing it can be amazing.

I'm in the same boat right now, I had something happen which brought my anxiety back and I am doing the medication shuffle again, right now I am debating whether or not I want to try this new medication that I have been given. So far I have 2 meds that didn't work for me this time and the 3rd one makes me a little nervous. I just have to remember, as you do, that if it does make me feel bad it will wear off and I can go back to normal, there is nothing forcing me to take it again but, what if it works? What if I start feeling better right away? That's worth giving it a shot, right?

[MainerMikeBrown]

Some people need medication(s) in order to overcome terrible anxieties, myself included.

At this point in my life, I'd be scared to not be on psychiatric medication.