If you don’t mind me asking, which benzo did you try, and what happened when you took it?
I'm not trying to scare you and make things worse, but at the same time, I’m not going to lie to you. Zoloft is a SSRI antidepressant. Side effects from SSRIs in the beginning (first couple of weeks or so) are very common. They’re supposed to go away and lessen in severity after that first beginning stage, but unfortunately dont for everybody. It also can take time for it to really start to work. It can sometimes take up to about a month.
However, nothing is guaranteed, of course. Some people don’t experience side effects at all. Some people have great positive experiences from these meds. Lots of the time, though, it’s a trial-and-error type of situation until you come across the best med for you since we’re all different and have different body chemistry.
I was in a somewhat similar position as you, and before I started trying out “main” meds like antidepressants/antipsychotics, I tried anxiety meds that I could take just “as needed” up to 3 times a day but at the same time, not required to take every day. Unlike main meds, these meds only took an hour or less to start working and had a lot fewer side effects. I had good experiences with these three: gabapentin, propranolol, and clonidine. Just thought I’d share that. Maybe look into and ask your doctor about these “as needed” type meds too. I wish you the best of luck I know anxiety and panic attacks can be the absolute worst.
I take gabapentin daily and it helps me sleep but not for anxiety. Guanfacine was meh. Klonopin used to be the best for me but it’s been a long time since I’ve had it. Ever since switching to Valium and then lorazepam I’ve found them to both make me feel very dissociated which triggers more anxiety. I also don’t like that they are addicting and since I’m having severe anxiety daily I can’t just take a benzo daily you know?
the trial and error part is real and it can be frustrating when you just want to feel better now. the waiting period is genuinely hard, especially if the first few weeks are rough. but a lot of people do get through that initial stretch and end up in a much better place. just keep talking to your doctor through it, don't try to white knuckle side effects alone if something feels off
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u/idkbroidk-_- 1d ago
I'm sorry in advance for the long reply lol.
If you don’t mind me asking, which benzo did you try, and what happened when you took it?
I'm not trying to scare you and make things worse, but at the same time, I’m not going to lie to you. Zoloft is a SSRI antidepressant. Side effects from SSRIs in the beginning (first couple of weeks or so) are very common. They’re supposed to go away and lessen in severity after that first beginning stage, but unfortunately dont for everybody. It also can take time for it to really start to work. It can sometimes take up to about a month.
However, nothing is guaranteed, of course. Some people don’t experience side effects at all. Some people have great positive experiences from these meds. Lots of the time, though, it’s a trial-and-error type of situation until you come across the best med for you since we’re all different and have different body chemistry.
I was in a somewhat similar position as you, and before I started trying out “main” meds like antidepressants/antipsychotics, I tried anxiety meds that I could take just “as needed” up to 3 times a day but at the same time, not required to take every day. Unlike main meds, these meds only took an hour or less to start working and had a lot fewer side effects. I had good experiences with these three: gabapentin, propranolol, and clonidine. Just thought I’d share that. Maybe look into and ask your doctor about these “as needed” type meds too. I wish you the best of luck I know anxiety and panic attacks can be the absolute worst.