My Year on Zoloft

[Polly]

I'm feeling much better than I was last year at this time. Some improvement came just from Elizabeth getting older and adjusting to having a baby, 24/7. (Yeah, very different from nannying. I couldn't go home after having a bad day.) After a series of anxiety attacks beginning in September 2006, I had one that forced me to call 911. Boy, did that suck. I felt like I just couldn't control and organize things effectively anymore. Watching Elizabeth wailing in the back of the ambulance, scared to death at all the strange people, and I couldn't hold her.

But it was a turning point. I was put on Zoloft and have been on it for a year in October. I still wonder if I would have been able to work through everything by being better organized and gee, getting some exercise. (Whenever I'd had stress problems in work before, my sleep would suffer unless I worked out at least 5 days a week.) I just wasn't able to schedule that, too. Especially since I wasn't unhappy-just stressed. I'll never know.

Does anyone else feel there were other steps they could have taken?

Polly

[Lori]

I honestly don't. I have tried pretty much every non-medication-related tactic for handling panic attacks, and while they work for a while, the very severe panic attacks always return at some point, when I'm not taking Zoloft. I've decided that life is simply too short for me to spend every day struggling to keep panic at bay, when I can take a medication and not have panic consume my life.

I'm really glad you've felt better this year. Anxiety attacks suck, and it is so hard to do the things you need to do when you're going through them.

[Beka]

I suffer social anxiety, I also suffer isolation anxiety which to be honest is an awful combination (well almost laughable if you think about it) to have- they fluctuate and for me the key has been getting out of the house because i am at my most stressed when confined with things piling up on me, however it can be a vicious cycle, the social anxiety causing so many stressors in reguards to having to put myself in the situations that help combat the isolation anxiety- i am fine once i am in an situation but it's total melt down preparing for the unfamiliar for me. Like i say it fluctuates and has done since chase was a baby, i also have depression which has fluctuated since my early teens. When we reached the stage where we needed treatments to conceive Jude we were told we would not even be considered if i was in an emotional/mental health state where i needed daily medications so i came off medication for my depression and recieved alot of counselling to help. Jude is 4 now and i have been medication free for around 7.5 years. I have had periods where i have been referred back to the community psych nurse and counsellor but being aware of my issues and having support of immediate and extended family and a doctor who understands those issues helps tremendously.

Would o go back to my meds? If i ever felt the need yes i would in a second. I do know several people who use holistuc treatments though and they can offer a fabulous alternative.

[SabrinaJL]

I just recently started having panic attacks. It's horrible. I was given Klonopin which I've only taken twice. I feel that since there's nothing physically wrong with me, I should be able to deal with this on my own. It doesn't seem to be working too well. Apparently I can't reason myself out of having a panic attack.

[Lori]

Apparently I can't reason myself out of having a panic attack.

Yeah, that is a really tough part of it, I've found. There is a long history of panic disorder in my family, and I can remember having panic attacks when I was very young, and I started having them regularly when I was around 14, so I know, rationally, that they are NOT going to hurt me in any way. And yet, when I'm having a severe one, especially when I'm not on medication, I just cannot convince myself of that. It's like the part of my brain that's rational is just not getting the message across to the feelings part of my brain, so while I know I'm not going to die or go crazy, it absolutely feels like I'm going to.

I'm really sorry to hear you're going through this. Honestly, I think having a really severe panic attack is probably one of the most horribly uncomfortable experiences a person can have. I hope you start feeling better soon.

[SabrinaJL]

Oh yeah. When it happens I'm afraid to go to sleep because I'm pretty well convinced I won't wake up and of course, the lack of sleep just makes things worse. The first time it happened I went to the ER because I was sure there was something wrong with me (this was a couple weeks ago). They did an EKG, blood and urine work and a chest xray. I keep trying to tell myself that all that came back normal and I'll be perfectly fine, but it's like there's this little voice in the back of my head telling me that what I feel can't be all in my head and they HAD to have missed something.

[Polly]

Oh yeah. When it happens I'm afraid to go to sleep because I'm pretty well convinced I won't wake up and of course, the lack of sleep just makes things worse. The first time it happened I went to the ER because I was sure there was something wrong with me (this was a couple weeks ago). They did an EKG, blood and urine work and a chest xray. I keep trying to tell myself that all that came back normal and I'll be perfectly fine, but it's like there's this little voice in the back of my head telling me that what I feel can't be all in my head and they HAD to have missed something.

Don't forget to stock your medicine cabinet with Benadryl. That's what my doctor recommends. It has a seditive effect so it can make you tired and relax you to sleep. But you might want to see a doctor about your options.

Polly

[SabrinaJL]

I'll have to ask my doc about that. I have high bp so I need to be careful with meds.

I've also been having jaw pain, headaches and earaches. I called the dentist today to see if I could get in soon. I explained that we just moved back to San Diego and the first thing the lady asked me was "Have you been under a lot of stress lately?" I was like :rolleyes "You have no idea." Apparently stress can cause teeth grinding and clenching, which causes a sore jaw, headaches and earaches.

So this stupid anxiety is affecting EVERYTHING. It's not cool. I'm hoping once my husband gets home, it'll chill out.