I decided to start looking into the clinic trials for non-med anxiety treatments so that perhaps I could taper off and stop taking Paxil. Not that Paxil has ever stopped working, because it hasn’t. I just thought that maybe using an herbal medication would something better for the long-term. For the first month I’m using the 2 dollar trial and if it doesn’t do anything I can quit taking it.

So I will be starting A2X today, and then I will report on progress as we go from day to day, week to week, and month to month. I chose A2X for various reasons but mostly because of the positive reviews online. We’ll see for myself now.

The cost of A2X is close to $40 a month, and my Paxil is even more, so this would also be a saving for me. The other main reason is that I want to be done with SSRI anti-anxiety medication. The herbal alternative would be great.

I will still continue to take Paxil as I’m taking the AZX herbal pills for two weeks. After two weeks of takings A2X I will start tapering down the Paxil, eventually I will not have any Paxil in my system and then we’ll see the effects. I’m sure I will still get the brain swooshes that come when the Paxil starts to stop taking it’s effect – can’t get around that when your serotonin levels are adjusting.

Here you can ask any questions you might have. Your privacy is protected, and you can of course change your name to protect your identity.

USE THE COMMENT BOX BELOW PLEASE

Disregard the gray text below, because you are HERE in the advice column now.

Love Jacob and Emma.

Question:

Jacob, I’m about to go on some anti depressants. I’ve been experiencing crippling anxiety and it’s so severe that it’s causing depression. Just recently (about a week ago) I had a bad panic attack upon waking, and since then, the anxiety has got increasingly worse to the point of losing sleep, sleeping three hours a night, waking to extreme anxiety.

The only thing that would make me feel normal and sleep was Ativan. I started working nights a couple months ago, and that triggered my first panic attack. I don’t want to become reliant on Ativan, and when it wears off, I get intense anxiety once again. Any suggestion on what I can do? It’s early, Been only a week, but I’m experiencing stage 2 and some stage 3 symptoms listed on your post.

Answer:

Hi there,

This is so classic and being a guy as well, your situation is EXACTLY what mine was like – no Ativan and I would go back to freak out mode.

I had to start long term meds (Paxil) and take the Ativan for two weeks until the Paxil was in my system.

If you can somehow get yourself to just say STOP, in an effort to stop your mind activity which terrified of the panic attack, that may help.

What people who have never had panic attacks don’t understand is that we REALLY fear is another panic attack and not much else. Sure, it was a combination of life situations that led to the first panic attack, but after that it’s basically the fear of another one that keeps the cycle going.

Once we break that cycle we can start to recover. In my case I had to start Paxil to control it.

From the blog I am realizing that most of us who have dealt with panic, started having episodes in our early 20s. Then maybe nothing for years, and in our 40s they come back. Something like that anyway.

Jacob

Question:

Hi Jacob,

I came across your site a few days ago when I was researching paxil. As an anxious person starting the medication, it was HUGELY helpful to hear Sane Advice about it! I have now become “relaxed” (all things considered lol) about taking it.

I have been doing some reading on your blog and it’s been helpful, but I have a question about something that I haven’t seen addressed on the blog. What do you do about situations that you avoid because you’re afraid that something bad will happen? For instance, I’m 23 but I don’t drive or even have a license and I don’t have a job.

It’s kind of embarrassing, but I have avoided these things because I am afraid of what might happen. I see myself out on the road driving and panicking/freezing up and making a stupid mistake. I see myself at a job and having something happen like getting really bad menstrual cramps, getting sick, getting acid reflux (all things I deal with), and then me freaking out and something horrible happening.

I’ve told myself that i don’t actually know what will happen until I try and that I need to just get out and do it, push through my fears, that it probably won’t be as bad as I think it will be, etc. etc. But I’m still holding back, even though I’m getting really tired of not moving forward in my life.

It’s quite frustrating and I’m not sure what to do. Will being on paxil make it easier for me to do these things? Do I need a change in my thinking? Do I need to just get out there and try in spite of my fears? I would like to hear your thoughts on the subject if you get the chance. Thanks!

Answer:

Sorry it took so long to answer back. Very busy with everything these days.
 
It sounds like you are on you way to learning more about how to process thought, or more importantly, how to NOT TAKE YOUR THOUGHTS so seriously.
 
Paxil does work, and my advice is to let that give you some time learn how to change the way you look at things. If you change the way you look a things the things around you change.

I am creating a new section on Sane Advice that I will be taking in free audio so that you can listen any time you want when you are having an anxious day or moment. I have been listening to others for a long time and it helps to have that
voice as your friend. A friend that reminds you that you are going to be OK and that you are not alone.
 
Try not to worry about anything, and when you DO, try not to take your fearful thoughts all that seriously.

Jacob

Question;

Hi there Jacob,

Well I was on Paxil Cr years ago and weaned myself off and well now my panic attacks and anxiety have been coming back. So I went to the doctors and got another prescription for Paxil CR 25mg and will be starting them tomorrow. 

I have been reading your site and everything on it is me in a nutshell.  I am really worried about starting them again and the side effects and I did read what you said about them not killing me, but as I am sure your well aware the mind is a powerful thing. 

I will start taking them tomorrow morning because I want my life back! and am I ever scared! The doctor gave me the 25 mg because I was on it before and I suggested it but for 5 days I have been in worry about starting them again and what it will be like.  My mind is in a tailspin I keep thinking maybe I don’t need to do this, or maybe I should have asked for a lower dosage, and so and so on. Like I said Tailspin.

What I do want to know is since reading your site, I noticed that everyone is talking about taking Paxil and well Im taking Paxil Cr is it the same thing?

I have bookmarked your site and I will continue to go to it for advice and for calming.  I really appreciate it that you have this site and found relief while reading it as I knew I wasn’t alone in this that other suffer the same and have the same questions and fears.  Which I always deep down knew this but like I said before the mind is a powerful thing. 

If you have further advice I would love to hear it.

Thank you again

Betty

Answer;

Hello Betty, Continue Reading »

Anxiety Question:

Hi Guys,
 
I came across your site last night at 4 am while suffering from a giant panic attack. I wanted to tell you how great I think your site is and to thank you for hosting a site like this one. We (people in the Paxil community) so desperately needed it.
 
My story is interesting in that I went on Paxil 15 or so years ago. Right when it first came out. I’m one of the front-line users. You could still go on Google then and do a search of side effects and come up with nothing -lol. Can you believe it? Now all you hear is how it ruined everyones life all day every day. Continue Reading »

Question:

Hello Jacob & Emma,

I came across your website last night and have been reading as much as possible on there over the evening and morning.

After five months of anxiety, I have found depression starting to creep in over the past month.  I decided therefore it was time to take some medication.  I have been taking Ativan off and on for a few months (0.5mg two or three times a week) but decided to start an SNRI (Pristiq).

My doctor suggested taking it at night because she’s found it’s generally sedating.  I started last night and ended up not sleeping properly at all – up most of the night.  I can’t exactly blame it on the antidepressant because I have had lots of other nights like this due to anxiety.  So I don’t know if it’s the meds or the anxiety.  All night I was obsessing over the medication and worried about side effects. Continue Reading »