Hi Carmela You know how you feel when you have a PA right? You have to decide if you want to feel better or not? And your answer is definately. If this one little tablet can make you feel better then you have not lost anything. You need to trust and have faith. It is not easy for me to say this as I have felt the same as you but I did not have a choice. I want to have a full life and so I need to be strong and do what I need to do. You can do this. Just try one time and that way you will have that uncertainty out of the way. Have a great day. Take care Michelle

Hi Michelle, Your little notes are tempting me more and more to take med's. How can I talk myself into doing it though? Hi Chanda! You have been great help for me. I still don't know what to tell myself to take the med's. Hey have you guys ever gotten a dizzy spell just out of the blue? Last night I was eating dinner, reading something from a box and all of a sudden I got a dizzy spell. Is that from anxiety? talk 2 u soon. Carmela

Hi Carmela and Chanda Thanks for writing back. Meds are definately making me feel better, Carmela. Just suffering from insomnia at the moment but I am sure will get better within the next few days. Xanor is a tranqualiser and so I think is the same as your Xanax not sure though. I have to say that making the decision to take my Xanor has helped when I have felt a PA coming on and it works almost instantly. It stops that feeling of wanting to run away or climb out of my skin, and I therefore no hysteria. You should try just one time and see if it makes a difference for you. Thanks for your advice Chanda, it makes perfect sense doesn't it and yet sometimes I think logic flies out of the window when I have a PA. I also don't think that meds help on their own, and as I really don't want to spend the rest of my life sedated and on Anti depressants I need to do the work myself. Have downloaded the panic program and am going to be seeing a psychologist. I think that my PD becomes worse when I am depressed. It has helped hearing everyone's story. It is a relief to know that I am not the only person with this problem. For a long time I felt ashamed and weak because of the PD and also that I in some way was seeking attention. I feel guilty at making the people in my life worry about me or stress over me when I have an attack. I have had a friend ask me if I am a hypocondriac. I don't know. Does PD make you a hypocondriac? Anyway guys have a great day. It was good to hear from you. Take care. Michelle

Medusa, I agree with your friend! I didn't want to take meds in the past but I thought if I have a shot that it will make me feel better then why not?? I'm glad they are working for you. I am not formiliar with the meds that you named, however. My heart goes out to the ones who have medicine to take for the problem but are afraid to take it. I dont believe that meds will cure anxiety completely, but I definately believe that they can make you feel better. Some people have meds right at their fingertips that could make all the difference in the world & they wont take it. I was like that for a very short time. My dr once told me that people take meds for thousands of different things. He said "if you had high blood pressure you'd take pills for it wouldn't you"? "Then don't think twice about taking these if this is what'll make you feel better". That made sence to me!! Anyway thanks for writing! Just curious, where are you from? Hi Carmela & thanks for writing again. I hope you are doing good. If you have any more questions please write me!! Hope to hear from you soon. Chanda

Hi Medussa! SO, med's do make you feel better? Are you saying Xanax, or is there a med called Xanor? Just wondering. CArmela

Dear Chanda I am also terrified of medication of any kind, the only thing I have no problem taking is aspirin because it will (apparently) stop me from having a heart attack, stroke, anurism as that is what I usually think is happening to me when I have a PA, so it works as a placebo. have made a consious (spelling is terrible) decision to control myself and stop myself from taking them. I am currenly on Aropax, which is the equivalent of Paxil in the States and Xanor which is probably about the same as your other medication (tranquiliser). I felt an attack coming on the other day and resisted the urge to take the aspirin and in place took my Xanor. Worked really well. Pretty much within a minute I started to feel better. Before prescribing the Aropax my GP gave me something called Fluaxnol, which is a great medication from what I have read as it is non addictive and works really well for panic disorder. But at the pharmacy they left the sheet in with all of the side effects etc in. Well I was so stressed out after reading them that I managed to take the tabs for 3 days and then no more. We have just this week had a programme on tv about the side effects of the Aropax I am taking and so that evening really struggled to swallow the tablet. But I have a friend who has been on Aropax for a year and a bit now and he quite simply said to me that I can choose to live with the symptoms of PD or i can get myself well and if the medication is going to help I have nothing to loose.

Hi Chanda! Thanks for keeping in touch with me.I'm afraid to take Xanax because I don't know what it's going to do to me. I always search the med on the Internet first, and look for the side effects. That's the problem. I'm afraid of all the side effects listed. I'm doing pretty good w/ no attacks. I just feel heart palpitations once and awhile, a knot in my throat, my head feeling weird, and I get so easily frustrated w/ stupid things. I got diagnosed with Anxiety May st of this year. And I am seeing a counselor. She saw right away that I have Agoraphobia. I think,(from searching) Xanax would be the best med for me. But, I was talking to my cousin today, and she told me to try Homeopathy.Natural stuff. I think I answered everything. take care, Carmela

Carmela, I used to also wonder why they perscribed 2 meds for the same thing also.. but really they are not. Zoloft is considered an antidepressant: Although you don't have to have depression to take this because it works for anxiety also. It is to be taken daily over an extenden period of time. It is very slow acting, therefore you may have to take it two to four weeks before it's fully in your system. Xanax is considered an antianxiety: Some people have to take Xanax daily but the way I take it & the way your dr told you to take it is "as needed". Taking Zoloft on a daily basis should help with your overall anxiety & any depression. At anxious times or if you have a panic attack "out of the blue" a Xanax will help you through it by "calming your nerves" & helping you to feel more relaxed. I know that you are afraid to take meds. I WAS TOO!! My husband didn't understand & the only way that I could explain it was by saying "once I swallow a pill I just feel like it's out of my control & it's in my system no matter what". So I truly know how you feel!! The reason I was so scared to take Xanax was because it is supposed to stop a panic attack, but I was afraid that "what if it doesn't work for me then there'll be nothing to help me". Finally one day an attack came up out of nowhere & I took it. Nothing happened except that the attack stopped. I am not a dr but I just want you to know: THE SAME 2 MEDS THAT YOUR DR GAVE YOU ARE THE SAME ONES I RELY ON & THEY HAVE MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER. I know you've had lots of questions about Xanax but all I can really say is how it works for me. I have never noticed any side effects other that just taking the edge off & stopping a panic attack in it's tracks. You asked what kind of dr I go to.. For the meds I go to a general family dr. The same one I take my kids to for colds & such. He is great & very understanding! I have also been to a therapist but am in the process of trying to find a new one. I have had more help from my medical dr than therapist at this point. I have had anxiety problems since about this time last year. After I started Zoloft it went away, & then like I said when I tried to taper too fast it came back. How often do you have panic attacks?? Have you been diagnosed with panic d

Hi Chanda! I don't understand why doctor's prescribe 2 different med's for the same reason. I had a doctor give me a sample pack of Zoloft(never took it)to take every day, and Xanax(never filled it) just in case. I have not taken Xanax yet. Are you supposed to take it for life, or does your doctor have you on it for a certain amount of time. I want to find a different doctor. What kind of dotor do you go to? And how long have you had anxiety? Carmela

Carmela, I still take Zoloft(50 mg) daily but I only take Xanax when I need it. A couple weeks ago I was taking my kids to a concert & I was really nervous about it. Before I left my house I took 1/2 Xanax & I was fine through the concert. Thank God I'm doing a lot better lately & I haven't had to take one since then. There are a few activities coming up that I am anxious about & I will most likely take a Xanax to calm me beforehand but it just all depends on how I feel at the time. Sometimes I feel stronger than others. There are times when I think I'll need a Xanax but I get through just fine without one. Then on the other hand there are times when I'm not anxious at all & I have an attack "out of the blue". Anyway there have been times when Xanax has seemed like a LIFESAVER!! Have you taken Xanax yet? Does your Dr. want you to take it on a daily basis or as needed? Thanks & hope to hear from you soon! Chanda