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View Full Version : Arggh..anybody,some first week encouragement?



evita
25-03-09, 09:08
Hi there,

my third day on cipralex and feel like my anxiety/panic is a lot worse. Been suffering for over 4 years from pd and gad, and finally after trying to cope with only therapy I decided enough, I have to give myself a break and try these meds. But now feel a lot worse, really anxious and not good, and its only the third day. And even my dose is only 5mg. Im just afraid that "what if this isnt the right medication and Im making matters worse". Please let me know if there is somebody out there who thought the same for the first week and was ready to quit but somehow hung in there and was glad they did. Any encouragement is welcome, feel really desperate cause want this to work so bad and have my life back. Goes without saying that this disorder in itself (which I try to imagine is a somekind of a troll :D ) tries to make me stop taking them by saying all the negative stuff like " it wont work and then you have done this for nothing and feel even worse after so just give up" Thank you all for even reading this post, there has to be hope!

marius
25-03-09, 09:58
hi,
Sometimes, finding the right drug for panic, anxiety and depression is a trial and error proces. And, yes, untill they start to work, your brain has to adapt to the chemical changes. This can make things temporarily worse, esp. in the first couple of weeks after taking a new medicine. Your doctor should have prevented you about this. Lemme quote from a factsheet abt cipralex: "The medication usually begins to work within 2 to 4 weeks. However, it may take several weeks of treatment before the full effects are seen." You just need to be patient. If this medication is not good for you, there are many other medications to help you. Just keep in touch with your doctor.
Hope this helps.
Marius

lithionit
25-03-09, 22:30
Hi there,

my third day on cipralex and feel like my anxiety/panic is a lot worse. Been suffering for over 4 years from pd and gad, and finally after trying to cope with only therapy I decided enough, I have to give myself a break and try these meds. But now feel a lot worse, really anxious and not good, and its only the third day. And even my dose is only 5mg. Im just afraid that "what if this isnt the right medication and Im making matters worse". Please let me know if there is somebody out there who thought the same for the first week and was ready to quit but somehow hung in there and was glad they did. Any encouragement is welcome, feel really desperate cause want this to work so bad and have my life back. Goes without saying that this disorder in itself (which I try to imagine is a somekind of a troll :D ) tries to make me stop taking them by saying all the negative stuff like " it wont work and then you have done this for nothing and feel even worse after so just give up" Thank you all for even reading this post, there has to be hope!

Hold out, it will get worse.

SSRI often cause increased anxiety the first couple of weeks until the antidepressant/anxiolytic effect kicks in.

If it gets to unbearable you could ask your doctor to prescribe a small amount of oxazepam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxazepam) to take just during the first weeks of treatment.

Oxazepam is the first choice of benzodiazepines (atleast in Sweden) since it's considered to not cause addication as easy as diazepam etc. and It does not accumulate in the body either.

evita
25-03-09, 22:56
Thank you so much for the encouragements. I actually had oxazepam in house but cause am overly anxious about its use I have been taking like half of a pill, my kitchen table looks like a chemistry lab cause been slicing and dicing the meds ::blush: it comes with this disorder, or mine at least, afraid of almost everything, espec medicines. So now I just decided to take them properly, one by morning and one by evening, just so I can handle this. Thank you very much for your info on oxazepam, made me feel a lot better taking it. Btw when I was in the US, they said that they dont give out oxazepam anymore, couldnt get it anywhere, i dont know why..instead they wanted to give lorazepam but here in Finland it is considered more "addictive". Bt who knows, I think its perhaps up to how you use them. but thank you once more, I will try to hang in there, and just use the benzos thats what they are for...

bab
25-03-09, 23:17
Hi there

i am on cipralex and have been on other ssris before them. the first 2 weeks of taking them were bloody awful i have to admit but i persevered and they do work but you must stick with it. just tell yourself these feelings will pass and if i stick with it they will make me feel better

evita
26-03-09, 08:58
Thank you Bab,
Your words comfort me. feel so sick today and like giving up, yesterday evening was already better, so sad cause woke up feeling like this. but am obviously unpatient. i wish it was already two weeks gone.