Hello. Here for support and to give support

[MarcInTheDark]

Hello y’all. Where to begin. I’m 54. Had my first panic attack when I was 17. I’ve had really wonderful times in my life and really dark times. Right now nothing excites me. I don’t enjoy much. Unless I have a couple vodka tonic’s in me. Just not motivated to do much. I did buy a peloton which the exercise helps but again not that motivated to get on it. I do travel, I do go to parties, I throw parties I camp but everything is overthought and it’s exhausting. I have tried every SSRI under the sun. I always have horrible side effects. One of the reasons I’m sure is because I have a couple drinks a day. The only time I feel ok. So yeah that’s not good. My daughter unfortunately became very anxious about the age I did. Basically housed bound and missed her senior year. After some different meds her doctor put her on Viibryd. No side effects and she’s out every night with her friends and looking at colleges. So I tried it and had the usual side effects. 10 MG. I told my doctor and he recommended doubling the dose. Thought it was weird. He said the extra 10 mg may help with the side effects and gave me propranolol. Anybody here heard of anything like that. Oh took the first 20 mg this morning and here come the side effects after the first one. Thank you. I wish you all the best.

 

[Cuchculan]

Welcome the forum. Good to have you as a member. Medication can be hit and miss with a lot of people. As in I know some people who simply can't take medication because they always get bad side effects. It doesn't matter what the medication is. Always seems to effect them badly. Think we have to accept that some people are like that. What works well for one person, might not work as good for another person. With myself it took trying out a lot of medication before they found the right ones for me. So many simply didn't do much, only make me worse. But with all medication, the early weeks are the worst. As the body gets used to the new medication. It can be hard on most people. Not sure a higher dose would make the side effects and less. Lot of doctors might give another form of medication to help lessen the side effects. That is not uncommon. Hope you manage to find something that works for you. All you can really do is keep on trying.

 

[MarcInTheDark]

Thank you for your reply and your support. And that's exactly right. The first few weeks are the worse for me but I can't have any more anxiety than I do or I wouldn't make it through work. so I always back out before I give it a chance to work I guess. I'm a safety coordinator and have to give meetings. Imagine that. That's the main thing I battle now is the meetings. Again some things I have no issues with. Had bicep surgery and had no anxiety. Don't mind the dentist. Anymore. My therapist said I'm a 'very social social-phobic. (after a couple drinks.) We throw and go to some great parties. But I can't ask the guy at walmart where the light bulbs are. Or call and make an appointment on the phone It's a work in progress. Dealing with this for so many years is a nightmare. But watching my daughter go the same this for a while was worse. Glad she found something that works. Thanks again.

 

[Cuchculan]

Majority of people who give up on medication do so within those first few weeks. That is a very common thing. Maybe try and explain to your doctor about the type of work that you do. That you need a clear head every day of the week. As for the whole drink thing? My own father drank to keep him calm. He was like two different people. Different without any drink than when he had drank a lot. it is certainly not the right answer to an anxiety problem. More you think it works, the more you might want to drink. Can't say I have the answer. That would between you and your doctor. Just try and explain everything to him. Leaving nothing out. See what kind of suggestions he might come up with.

 

[MarcInTheDark]

Thank you again. Yeah I know that the drinking doesn't help the cause. And that's what my wife says. I'm like 'two different people'. and one of them she doesn't like. I'm working on it. and if I go a couple days without I have less anxiety, and less depressed. Then something comes up and I'm at it again. Keep plugging along I guess. Thank you