Need help but scared of meds side effects

[Humly]

I've made an appointment to see the doc as my anxiety is not under control at the moment and I feel a bit on the edge all the time. It doesn't take much to upset me lately.

I've had some telephone cbt sessions which didn't really help. But that might be down to me being a know all and not engaging or working hard enough. Or maybe I need more face to face therapy - not sure.

My reluctance to take meds is the fear of the anxiety escalating initially as a side effect. I say this because I am not currently floored with anxiety, but it's been more or less constant, in that I am fretting and stressing over things. Worrying about something, which is then overtaken by something else and on and on it goes. I guess I don't feel as if I'm rock bottom and have no alternative to meds, which has been the case in the past when I've been on them. Then it was a case of just give me anything.

So the point of this post is to ask for some positive stories on meds start ups. That things won't necessarily be horrendous, which I know is not always the case, but some real life experiences would help me to make a decision.

[NoPoet]

I would say that the correct medication probably won't have bad side effects. I experienced horrific side effects from citalopram and sertraline because they were not the medications I needed. I had no bad side effects from mirtazapine. When I started on strattera for ADHD and autism, I had a rocky start for about 3 days as the medication would wear off after 4-6 hours. I adapted very quickly as strattera was the correct medication for me. I experienced drastic improvements in anxiety which has helped me to start living my life and working towards recovery.

Start on a lower dose and work up gradually. Don't be put off by horror stories, just try it and see what happens.

[Humly]

Thank you.