Dear Jaymay and Porridge ~
Yes, congrats on getting to where you both are...I am new here (coming back from a year or so ago) and I will have to catch up on a lot of peeps, places and things...but from what I read here of your lives, you are doing much better and that's just AWESOME! Every once in awhile do you think that you could post what exact meds your taking/trying out so that those of us with no clue will maybe have 1/2 a clue? LOL If it's in your signature lines, just ignore me! I'll check there after I post this.
I know for myself, when first starting on AntiAnxiety medication, I went through 3 before finding what worked. I first tried Prozac (yepper, back in the old days) and after about 5 months or so, I began getting these jittery hands...so off of that abruptly...switched onto Zoloft....same thing...jitters every night...I hated it! It was absolutely miserable.
I think often times our life circumstances have so much to do with our moods, and at the time I felt so anxious/depressed, we were living in a big city and both working 2 jobs, with a new baby aboard as well. Talk about stress. So I have to give some credit to life circumstances here as being an implicating factor in how short my temper was, how little patience I had, and how I was able to stay in that rut of being nervous constantly about something/everything. Make sense?
So after Zoloft, I went on Paxil...AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...relief. Finally. No more yelling, no more crying, no more sweats, jitters, no sleep, everything just settled down. But then, 6 years later, a few new symptoms...major fatigue, overwhelming depression, loss of libido, and weight gain. YUCK to all of them. So talked to my dr and we switched me to the Long Acting or Slow Release form that had just come out at that time. It worked like a charm.
We have since moved across the country (exactly a year ago) to a place with a much slower pace of life...and for that I am grateful. I did go on Xanax .25 mg to handle the move/anxiety/depression and it helped greatly. I am since off of that, but still keep some on hand just in case. We have a peaceful setting here, for sure, and far more quality family time, it's a wonderful life kinda thing...BUT we have lots more dangers that us city folk were not prepared for (tornados! tarantulas! black widows! scorpions! snakes!) it's the country afterall. So that's the very reason the xanax are in the cupboard! And for as long as we live here, they will be there! I will never give them up, not until mother nature decides to turn the tornados in another direction! LOL
Well, that's a little 'bout me, and my status...I hope and pray that somehow I can help be of some peaceful comfort to you guys here on this board. You all are so precious and just so friendly and caring. That's something about HW.com that is the best. If you need anything at all, or just wanna say hey! you know where I'll be.
I do work from home, so I wont be able to be here too often, but will try my best to check in daily on everyone - especially you two Porridge and JayMay! Again, so very happy to see that things are looking upward for you both!!! Woohoo! And your thread is an awesome testimony as to the power of this site to offer a foundation of support and encouragement. You wont find it like it is here, anywhere else on the net. Sorry, I'm a talker!
Love, hugs, and blessings,
Bethie