Sometimes meds are not enemies if they help. Those daily palpitations, is your doctor conrned about them? Perhaps he could prescribe another med instead of the one that didn't help? You also said you were not shying away from those stressful situations and have been battling the attacks for years. Can you share the sort of strategies you're using when you enter a room where coworkers are? What preparation, if any, do you do before entering?

i guess i don't avoid anything i just bore through it and suffer the consequences i won't give in to this @#$%

i still do the things i have always loved ie concerts sporting events that doesnt bother me but put me in a room with about 5-10 people in it and i become very uncomfortable blushing palipitations etc. its funny because i almost do better in a room full of strangers than say a room full of coworkers, maybe its the feeling of ananonimity that is comforting. and no i don't see a therapist i don't have insurance

Welcome to the site, David J. Although pot is illegal, you should be able to talk about it freely with your doctor, given the oath of medical confidentiality or doctor=patient privilege. What are you doing for your social avoidance? Is your therapist working on that with you?

Good Evening, After having been through panic attacks for 16 years or so, alot of therapy, many drugs offered to me, some I have tried & rejected - the only thing that works perfectly for me, if I stay on my dosages like clock work is Ativan. It saved me. Bye for now, Maria

Hi, David. First of all, I am no expert, only someone who has suffered with panic disorder all my life. I have picked up lots of tips and am being treated at this time with Xanax, Prozac, and I take Trazadone at night for sleep, nerve pain and it's a SSRI. I have Chronic Pain Syndrome, and these meds help me to fight the effects of very strong pain killers. I also just quit smoking, so that is another stressor. Actually, my panic was very much under control until I quit the smokes. Pot is available by prescription to a certain group of sufferers, and of what I'm not sure. I know that pain is one of them..however, living in a state that has outlawed pot, I still would not be able to get it legally. If I want pot, I have to buy it illegally. You may, however, live in a state that has made it legal by prescription. Check with your physician on this matter. I do know what you mean about sleep !! On the matter of Celexa, I was on that drug for a very short time, as I got bad side effects from it and had to stop within a week or two. I do know that you cannot just go off, or stop taking any anti-depressant. You must be taken off of it, either in patient..or out patient. This is another matter for you and your doctor to discuss. None of us like medicine..I hate it so much..but alas, I would not be able to stand to live and breath without my pain meds and all the anti=depressants. Other than those, I take a hormone. If it wasn't for my spine, I would take one pill, and one pill only. It is always something, however, that we must attend to in this life. You have been exposed to some very scarey scenarios in your life, and I think it is your body's reaction to that which causes you to have panic disorder. Have you tried Cognitive Behavior Therapy? I do not know if it would apply to your case, your doctor would know. This has heled many. I myself, did something called desensitizing. It worked very well for my driving phobia. I got that from a horrible car accident. A drunk driver on drugs carelessly caused irreparable damage to my spine and the driving phobia. I cannot however, blame the panic disorder on him..I inherited that from my mother. Whatever you decide to do, please do it under doctors care. We shouldn't do these things ourselves..i

I have been fighting this anxiety stuff for a few years it was only until 18 months ago i was diagnosed and perscribed meds. I was given celexa (i am very anti med type of person) i don't like the thought of being dependent on a drug to function in normal every day life. I was in the navy for 10 years the last 4 i was in a high stress job in the special forces. I had no symptoms back then i thrived on stressfull situations. but then i noticed i started to develope a fear of authority and speaking in front of people. after a while of that mindset i started to avoid social situations and people in the position of authority. then 18 months ago i had a anxiety attack the worst thing i have experienced besides kidney stones. since then i have experienced palipitations daily. i have been to a cardiologist and he said physically i was fine. the doctor said that after some time on celexa that the palipitations would subside but they haven't. since the medication wasn't helping i stopped taking it (after 18months) i figured why take if its not helping. i have found right now the best treatment is and i know what the responses will be is POT! i have never slept better since i started the only thing is you can't just sit around and get high all day. i do have to make a living and that means passing a drug test.is there a way to have this perscribed. so as to justify the presence. also any recomendations on getting off of the celexa. i go through bad withdrawl mainly brain swooshes or dizziness after going without for 4 days i have tried to ween off by taking half a dose but nomatter the dosage after 4-5 days without i get withdrawl. please help i know i have written a lot but i wanted to answer as many questions you might have with this post thank you david