Panic Disorder turning into Agoraphobia (questions about PAxil)

KitKat · 03-19-2004, 05:41 PM

Since Aug of 2003 I have been dealing with panic disorder, and now it has turned into Agoraphobia. I am at the point where even at home Ibarely function its a chore to get out of bed. I did try Zoloft in Jan and it was a horrible the side effects were to much to bare (I felt as though I was loosing my mind). Anyway over the past few weeks my condition has gotten to the point that I feel as though Ican take NO MORE. I am going to be 24 in a 3 days and feel as if I am 100. After the HELL of Zoloft I swore I would not try meds again, but it seems that I am just going down hill and the panic attacks are so much more powerful and beyond my control, because of this I have decided to look into Paxil. My question was I wanted to know how others did on PAXIL and if it worked for then, and how bad were the side effects? Any info would be great
Thanks
~Kate

ButtercupTX · 03-19-2004, 06:03 PM

Hi,

I was on Paxil for about a year and it worked great for me. I only switched to Zoloft because I heard it was the safest to get pregnant on. While I was on Paxil I had some problems with insomnia, but that was about all. Have you looked into counseling along with meds? That's what I'm doing now and I think I'm slowly getting better. Good luck

angeltears · 03-19-2004, 06:08 PM

I was about your age when I started with the panic attacks which was turning into agoraphobia. IT WAS SHEER HELL. This was almost 20 years ago. Over the years, I have been on a lot of different anti-depressants. About 7 or 8 years ago, my doctor started giving me Paxil. I was scared to death to try a new medicine. I was afraid I would end up like I was before.

But I can honestly say that Paxil has been a God-send for me. I did not experience any side effects whatsoever. I'm sure I was one of the lucky ones because I have heard that Paxil can cause weird side effects. I don't know what I would have done if not for the Paxil. I can go out and live my life and not worry about panic attacks. I still have occasion anxiety, but nothing like the panic attacks I used to get.

Kate, you really have to do something. You cannot live like that. I know what you are going through and my heart goes out to you. The thing that helped me was to realize that I wasn't going to die, I was not having a heart attack, and I stopped fighting the attacks. By that I mean, when I felt one coming on, I would just concentrate on my breathing and say to myself, "bring it on", I can handle it. And once I surrendered myself to the fact that I was going to have a panic attack, the feeling went away.

Please do something. Agoraphobia will ruin your life. If I were you, I would try every anti-depressant in the book until you found one that worked. If you have to take a pill everyday to get over the agoraphobia, it is worth it.

Good luck and God Bless you,

KitKat · 03-20-2004, 04:03 PM

Has anyone who had problems with zoloft tried Paxil?

nick_name · 03-22-2004, 03:31 PM

I can totally relate to what you're going through. I take Paxil for panic attacks and social anxiety. I find it helpful, the draw backs for me personally are that sometimes you can feel like your on the outside looking in, like BLAH. The other con is, you just cant stop taking it because it could be dangerous. being anervous person that makes me, well nervous lol. Anyway hope this was helpful good luck.

JulieM · 03-27-2004, 01:48 AM

just another cyster letting you know that Paxil works wonders for her too!

I'm 24 now and have been taking Paxil since I was...19? My sophomore yr of college. It was absolutely horrible before I started...I cried all the time for no reason and felt like every minute I was at the end of a very long and dark tunnel with no way out. I would have panic attacks out of no where...while sitting in lectures for class, during a test, out dancing with friends.... I stopped taking it for about 8 months when I was 21. Getting off of any anti-depressant is difficult and some say more so for Paxil, but it is possible. I started noticing that I felt like I could't breathe when I was driving or...especially while flying would have horrible panic attacks. I decided to go back on, and since have been ok. No more attacks, sleeping much better, etc. It is VERY important that you increase your dose slowly and be careful to ALWAYS have your refills ready before you run out! I was at school and my mom had to mail me my refills and I ran out for 5 days...IT was HORRID. I felt like I was sea-sick for days on end. Since that time, I have had no difficulties.

I wish I could let all my cyster know how much Paxil has worked wonders for me.

OneHotMama · 03-27-2004, 04:36 AM

I recently posted about my experinces with paxil, but i was a teenager when they put me on it. I was just reading an article yesterday that was saying sucidal thoughts are a side effect. Just monitor yourself carefully. If you start thinking of sucide, get help quickly. I was a normal teenager dealing with the grief of my grandmothers passing. After taking this drug i ended up in the hospital for trying to kill myself. be carefull.

KitKat · 03-27-2004, 02:38 PM

Thanks for the info, I am trying to force myself out of the house so that I can go to a Dr and get an RX. I need to do sometihng because the agoraphobia is bad, and my attacks are all day everyday. I no longer have friends(my birthday was on Tues and no one called me) how did I og from being on ever NYC club guest list to someone who can't walk out the front door? I pray everyday that for just 1 good day a week, if I could leave 1 day a week and feel normal, I would be be able to handle the rest. I use to want so much from life, now I would settle for just being able LIVE. I have been trying so hard to hang on to the idea that I will be able to finish college but I seem to think that dream has flown out the window!!!!

MMcEvoy · 03-30-2004, 01:33 PM

I too suffer from panic attacks. I take Lexapro, a low dose of it b/c I had such a scare from Prozac when I was about 16. It has helped me tremendously!! I go to counseling once a week and take it everyday, and even still when i feel panicky, I take a klonopin- which works right away to relax you. I feel your pain girl, it's so SCARY!! You feel like no one understands, but I do- email me at mamcevoy_11@yahoo.com if ya want to talk.

LindaMarie · 03-31-2004, 04:23 AM

Hi

I used to suffer from severe panic attacks that turned into agoraphobia also. The panic attacks had me so scared to do anything alone, that I actually wouldn't even shower unless my husband was home with me.
I took paxil for a while, and it worked wonders for me. I was not only not having panic attacks anymore, but over time I was able to go out more often, do more with my husband. There were even times I was okay enough to go to a mall on a friday night.
After a while of paxil I switched to Effexor, and I'm still doing pretty good.
Just thought I'd share my experience/info with you

Tlynn · 03-31-2004, 02:53 PM

Hi - just another voice adding in. I first started with panic attacks in 1997. Same story, couldn't leave the house, constant daily anxiety. Starting couseling first, then in 1999 another setback and tried ZOLOFT! What a mistake (for me). It was the worst drug (for me). I'm sure it helps some people - but it made my anxiety intolerable and I just felt like my skin was crawling. 3 months later, after debating whether or not I wanted to try another med, I started Paxil. I had very few side effects. It did actually make me tired, so I had to switch to taking it at night. I agree with many of the others here, doing something positive will help - anything that helps you feel like you are back in the drivers seat in your life is a good thing. Good luck.