For the past ten years I have suffered with GAD and panic attacks mainly due to being in a bad marriage, which I finally walked away from back in March with my 9 year old son. At the time I had been prescribed Mirtazapine as after 3 horrific start up's on Citalopram, I asked if I could try something different. Unfortunatley the Mirtazapine only made me more ill and was a nightmare to quit. Next I tried Venlafaxine but it made me terribly sick and totally anxious so I switched to Trazodone after 5 days but saw no imporvement after 3 weeks which eventually made me decide the only way forward was to go back on Citalopram as it has never failed me in the past. I was so pleased when the doctor said he would give me the new version escitalopram, though still too terrified to take my first pill for a couple of days and when I finally went for it I chopped it in half and have been taking 2.5mg's for 7 days along with 2mg's of Lorazepam when i first wake up and feel pretty rough, not exactly anxious anymore just terribly flat like grief. But despite a few bad headaches which have now passed, I think I am coping with this dose really well and am feeling pretty much normal most of the day. Now I just need to take the full 5mg pill and hope that's not when I will be hit with lots of horrible side effects but need to get the Escitalopram working on it's own without needing benzo's. I am feeling very positive about my medication though and am actually sleeping better than I have in months, I'd got so bad at sleeping some nights I was awake by 1am having panic atacks and ringing the NHS helpline but since I started Escitalopram I've not even been worried about retiring for the night. My feelings of grief pass quickly and I am confident once I get on the correct dose my life will really get right back on track like the rest of it is now i have got a lovley new appartment, my little boy loves his new school and though my Husband is making my divorce as difficult as possible I no longer let him bother me as he is a 100 miles away and can no longer control me.

---------- Post added at 10:11 ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 ----------

Escitalopram is a walk in the park compared to the old style (or it has been so far, lol)