I appreciate your insight, Administrator, but I don't look at it as someone giving me advise on whether or not to take my meds. I look at it as support and giving those of us who had bad experiences or are afraid of meds the courage to try the medicine that the doctor prescribed. It's all about knowing that we are not alone. When we have panic disorder, we spend so much time feeling like an outcast to society because we have fears that everyday people cannot understand even if they are supportive. And, as many of us know, many people are not. Lots of us have lost family members and/or friends because of this. It comforted me to read the reply that I had received.

Hi everyone. I feel the need to caution people against giving advice about whether to stop taking their meds, or appearing to give such advice. Such a recommendation should come from one's doctor only. We have to draw the line there. It's ok to say what happened to you, but no one here can competently tell someone not to take meds. Thanks for your understanding.

hey, im going throught the exact same thing, my doctor gave me medicine and the first time i took, i started feeling shaky, and i woke up every 30minutes because i was having very vivid dreams, then the second day i took it i was extremely tired i could not get out of bed and i felt like there was a big ball of heat surrounding me. so i told my doctor and he said stop taking it, because there are other medicines, so he gave paxil cr12.5mg and i still havent taking yet, ive had it for 5 weeks. but im going to go ahead and take it because even if i do get side effects, they will only last for about a week and those side effects are a small price to pay in order to feel better again. just think about you have been feeling so strange and creepy, and detached from yourself for such a long time, if you can handle the symptoms of panic disorder you can handle side effects. and most of the anxiety from the medicine is just in your head anyway. then again you probably wont even get side effects at all, just try it for a couple days, if you dont like it then just stop taking it.

I am going through a very rough time right now. I won't go into the LONG story, but have suffered with severe panic disorder, agoraphobia and depression for most of my life (I'm almost 45). I was always able to pull myself together and climb out (of the house and hell) before, but this time due to circumstances that I haven't been able to deal with...I've gotten really bad. Though I really know that I need to take medicine (I do take a TINY amount of xanax after being pressured by family and friends for 2 years), I am absolutely petrified of medication (I seem to be medicine sensitive and suffer lots of side effects from all types of drugs). After keeping Lexapro in the kitchen drawer for 8 months, I broke down a few months back and tried it. From the first night I was waking up every hour on the hour and sitting straight up in bed. All day long I felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin and even though I was exhausted, I couldn't stay in my chair at work. I would jump up and then sit down, over and over again. So...I stopped taking it. Now, my doctor has given me Zoloft, (which of course, I have carried around in my purse now for a month) and she wants me to take it. The last 2 days I have broken the pill in half and forced it down, but I am so afraid of what will happen to me. I have read all the horrible things that people have gone through and I don't think I can emotionally handle having those experiences or withdrawals when I want to stop it. And, after the Lexapro...I don't know what to do. BUT, I can't keep living like this. I am afraid to walk out the front door of my home. (I do work...but it's only a mile from my front door and then I'm afraid to leave my office. After work, I virtually live in my bedroom because it's the only place I feel comfortable.) This is no life. Can anyone give me hope and give me a positive story about Zoloft so that I keep taking it and find hope again?? I also found out yesterday that my 19 year old neice is suffering the exact same symptoms as me. I would like to help her, but I can't help her if I can't help myself first and show her that she can beat this and get better. Thanks for any advice or comments.