I'm currently on BuSpar. It's for anxiety only and it doesn't happen to be the best medication but I'm not having anxiety or panic attacks so I'm thinking that it's working pretty good for now. I talked to my pdoc yesterday and she wants me to take an SSRI like Effexor, Paxil or Prozac etc. We've discussed it and I'm not really comfortable with taking an SSRI because of the bad Paxil experience and because of the side effects. She isn't pushing it but thinks that it would help my negative thoughts. I'm wondering if anyone that is taking or has taken an SSRI finds that to be true. Like I said, I was on Paxil but I don't recall it taking the thoughts away but did make me not care about the thoughts. In my opinion, how can I work on the thoughts if I'm not having them. She thinks that I am doing good and says that she's happy with the way that I'm progressing (she doesn't know that I'm doing the tapes, lol). Anyway, my question is, did your SSRI take the negative thoughts away? I don't know if I should make the switch. BuSpar makes me tired and I have to take it 3 times a day. Thanks, doodles

Hi Doodles,

I am on paxil (10 mg) and it works wonders for my thoughts. I still get them, but I can handle them now. I hardly ever get them but when I do, I am not as scared of them (except when I am PMSing- no joke!!!) and I do not let them run my day any more. I find it better this way because I do still have to work at them, like you were concerned about, but they re not as "disabling" as they used to be. I am not waking in the middle of the night freaking out thinking about my scary thoughts. They are under control to the point where I can live my life but still have to work at them. I was on Zoloft for a while, and that helped, too, but when they increased my dosage I had a serious adverse reaction (which they say can somtimes happen with Zoloft) and my scary thoughts became 10 times worse! MAny people on this forum swear by zoloft, and dislike paxil, so it is obviously a very personal choice. But I can tell you that these thoughts are considered to be along the lines of OCD and ssri's treat OCD very well. Like I said you will still have to work at the thoughts. Hope this helps

From my experience, I would have to say it helps to a degree. It's still up to me to control them and put up the that STOP sign!!!
2~4,
rhythm

doodles....try to focus more on changing your thoughts and working with them. Try not to look for meds to clear your problem, instead refocus on the therapy provided with this program. IT WORKS!!

I agree totally with Little One. I'm on Paxil 20 mg and it works wonders for me.

Hi, I was on Prozac for about 4 years and what I found was because the prozac stopped the panic attacks and thoughts, I didn't need to continue learning the skills to stop them on my own. Once I stopped the prozac I found that because I didn't have the skills the panic and thoughts started all over again. Now I am developing the right skills, without meds, and they truely work. So even though the meds helped I learned that the thoughts were still there, I just didn't care cause the meds took them away, so continue working on developing the skills to illiminate the thoughts and panic.
Also I found Prozac to be not physically addicting when it was time for me to stop taking it.
Good luck to you!!

[This message has been edited by moonstar61 (edited 01-25-2002).]

[This message has been edited by moonstar61 (edited 01-25-2002).]