Will I ever feel normal again?

[mandah2386]

I've suffered on and off with anxiety most of my life. I've never been on medicine except while pregnant with all 3 of my kids because my anxiety and depression is through the roof and I had ppd with my oldest. After my last pregnancy I have been fine, until last year when my obsessive thoughts. I started back on Zoloft and things improved but the sexual side effects(no desire, unable to orgasm) started to really hurt my marriage so I mentioned it to my dr, who switched me to Wellbutrin. About 6 weeks after starting Wellbutrin I had the worst panic attack of my life. I thought I was having a heart attack. I coulldn't breath, I was tachacardic, my chest hurt, I felt sick to my stomach. I was rushed to the er, but after all tests came back normal I was given anti anxiety meds and sent home. I followed up with a cardiologist and had an ultrasound of my heart which was normal. The cardiologist mentioned the wellbutrin might have caused my episode because it can actually increase anxiety and so I came off it but my anxiety was still through the roof. I went back to my dr and asked for zoloft again a week ago(I can deal with the effects if it means I'm sane again) and so far it's been awful. I feel like I can't breath all day, I feel jittery and like my brain has a constant buzz feeling, I had an awful panic attack 2 nights ago. I'm on 25mg and suppose to increase to 50mg tomorrow. I have a constant fear of having another horrible panic attack like I did a few months ago. I have had hundreds of panic attacks in my life but nothing like that and I'm so scared of it happening again. I really want to feel normal again. I worry that I'm forever changed and will never be the same and that the medicine isn't ever going to help me :(

[Kimberlyfg]

Doctors will just prescribe whatever they think may help you but really, it may just be a shot in the dark.  Being on meds for prolonged periods of time creates imbalances in your body that need to be rebalanced before you feel tip top again.  Consider going on a tapering off schedule, eat healthy, try to get plenty of sleep and live life to the fullest!

[Paxiled]

How long were you on wellbutrin?  You could be experiencing a withdrawal reaction, as it sounds like you quit it abruptly instead of tapering off.  I also think you need a psychiatrist if you're going to stay on the drug merry-go-round -- as you've discovered with the wellbutrin, regular docs really don't know much about these drugs.  Wellbutrin is seldom used for anxiety, as it's perhaps the most stimulating antidepressant, but sometimes it is combined with an ssri when people have weight gain or sexual side effects.  And you should at least try to solve this with a therapist who specializes in anxiety treatment, perhaps CBT, if you haven't already done so to exhaustion.