Hi Jen, there is no reason to feel ashamed or embarressed about taking the right meds for panic disorder or any other anxiety disorder. Remember this is a serious condition. On paxil vs proxac. How long were you on prozac for? I cant quite tell from your post but I suspect you werent on it that long. Also why did the dr recommend proxac over paxil this time? Is it because of the poop out syndrome, where in many ssri's if you take it for a long time its unlikely to be effective anymore? One of the big risks with taking SSRIs for anxiety disorders is that we sometimes feel great and decide to stop taking them, but then we relapse. Usually they prescribe SSRIs for 6+ months minimum, and many people need to take them for much longer. Important notes about SSRIs (ive done heaps of personal research in this area). 1) everyone feels different on the various types. It is common to try one and have to change, but then find the next really good. 2) From what I have read, Paxil, Zoloft and Luvox are the three that are recommended for panic typically. Luvox and Paxil in particular are recognised as midly sedative SSRIs, which means that they do have a calming effect. Zoloft and Prozac are non sedating SSRIs, which means they do tend to make people with anxiety feel even more anxious during the initial phase. 3) You have to be on an SSRI for 4-6 weeks (assuming no allergic reaction etc) for it to become effective, and this can mean 4-6 weeks at the therupedic dose (sometimes they start you off on less). I have personally been on Luvox for around that time now and its really working wonders for me. It made me feel really jittery and anxious at first, but that gets better every day and is a normal reaction to SSRI for anxiety. 4) Yeah so Prozac would definitely make you feel more jittery than Paxil or Luvox, and I know luvox made me feel very jittery at first. Go back and see your dr, and get a recommendation. I know that Luvox is only legal in the US for OCD (most other countries like UK and Australia, its legal for panic also), so your choices are probably paxil, zoloft etc, there are heaps look at www.crazymeds.org which is a great site for details on what is around and what they do

I've never taken medication for my panic attacks, although it did come back after I stopped taking 'the pill'. You might find that because ur sensitive to ur bodies changes that the change in chemicals upset ur body a bit. I'd got over most of my panic attacks until I came off the pill, then it came back big time. I managed to stick thru it tho and it's calmed down again.

Hey thanks guys for responding I have an apoointment next week with the doctor and I think I am going to go off the prozac because it doesn't seem to be helping at all with the panic attacks and go back on the paxil and something else till it takes affect. Thanks for your responses keep updated. Jen

If the meds aren't working, change them! I had to try 5 different ones before I found any help. But now I feel more like myself and I can control my racing thoughts much better! Part of me is back, and although I still have anx, it's so much more managable! Good luck, don't be afraid or ashamed of meds, they can be a great help!

hey Jen I had panic and anxiety 6 yrs ago and got through it without any meds or help. This time when it came back I couldn't even function!! My doc gave me clonazapam (klonopin)and I refused to take it I just got worse. I finally took it and it helped with the panic attacks but the generalized anxiety was still really bad. I'm now on celexa and have been for almost 4 weeks but still take a half of a klonopin in the morning. All of it has eased up alot but I'm not "cured" yet. Hope this helps.

I am new to this website but have been experiencing panic attack for the last two years. I decided that I could try and combat the symptoms on my own and therefore went off the paxil that I was prescribed. However shortly after I felt worse and was put on Prozac which doesn't seem to be helping out at all, feel worse then I did before, not sure what to do, I feel lost, like I am going crazy and am embarrassed of what I am feeling. I think should go back on Paxil and see the doctor because they were under control but am nervous because it takes awhile to take affect what happens beforethe paxil takes affect?