Scared :( has it come back

[Emilykennyxx]

Hi I'm new to this forum and I'm really worried. I'm 21 years old and I have been taking 50mg of sertraline for almost 2 years in September. Before starting on them I was suffering really badly with general anxiety, health anxiety and panic attacks, but after about a month on the medication I felt back to my old self and had my life back. About 5 weeks ago I had a panic attack for the first time in work since being on meds and the last few weeks they have been becoming more regular, the last few days i feel like i cant think about anything but my breathing. I'm really worried as I dont want to go back to how i was, has this happened to anyone else or medication? Or has anyone got any tips? I dont know if its because my meds have stopped working or i have been in a bit of a rut lately of just being lazy and staying home as ive put on weight since being on meds. Sorry to ramble on but I always read threads on this site as its the only place on the internet that doesnt make my worries worse (like google) :(

[AppleCinnamon]

It is good that you have been feeling better for the last years. It could be that the medication no longer has the desired effect, as you have been feeling bad for weeks. It could also be a temporary problem and that the anxiety will just subside over time; it seems that you are giving your feelings a lot of thought at the moment. I would suggest you talk about this with your GP/psychiatrist to discuss whether or not you want to change medication, a higher dosage might be an option or other medication/therapy. All the best.

[ana]

I've had the same thing happen to me. Before it happened, I had believed that the medication would somehow keep the panic at bay...but it didn't. :( The truth is, medication is not a miracle cure and it's not infallible. It still works, even if you panic, helping you cope and feel better than you would without it. I think that's the thing to keep in mind.

[Emilykennyxx]

Thanks for replying! Think its more that I'm panicking about panicking which is the worst :(

[ana]

I completely understand. The fear of fear is what fuels the anxiety. That's what my issue is as well....

[Brian123]

Oh god, this is exactly what I am going through just now, panicking over panicking, I am really struggling with it, this is definitely the worst, cant seen to switch of from it at all, feels like a am going nuts.

[lesliehanson]

Yes, you are right. When you are panicking about panicking it is one of the worst feeling. I really hate that

[MadWomanintheAttik]

Hey there. Ive been on sertraline for about 13 years now, 100mg. It really helped for the past 12 years with the panic attacks. I think it has stopped working for me although on some days i do generally feel less stressed because of the medication. I started getting my panic attacks back a few months ago and learning how to cope with them has been an enormous struggle. I would love to say that the sertealine is a miracle drug but unfortunately it isn't. I do feel like it helps though in other ways even if it isnt keeping the panic attacks away.