"Progressively, since abortion I was having bouts of depression, guilt, and anxiety."

I had an abortion on May 30, 1999. Progressively, since then I was having bouts of depression, guilt, and anxiety. By Christmas, I had officially had my first panic attack after months of generalized anxiety. I had numb hands and feets and my first night of sweating. My doctor did blood work and said everything was normal except for a slightly off thyroid test. He prescribed 10 mg of paxil per day which I was to take for 1 week and then up the dosage to 20 mg. I could not tolerate 20mg. It made me extremely agitated and jumpy...almost worst than the reason I was on the medication in the first place. My doctor told me to go back to 10 mg. I continued this for a month and found that my anxiety and depression had only minorly improved. My doctor then took me off the paxil and told me to take 15mg of Buspar per day. I have taken the buspar 4 days now and have been extremely fatigued and lightheaded. I also cry very easily and I am extremely sensitive and irritable. I don't know if these reactions are due to the Buspar or due to the paxil withdrawal. I would recommend to anyone suffering anxiety or depression to avoid medications at all costs. It is better to work through your problems and if you are religious, to seek spiritual guidance and counseling. Medications can compound the problem and sometimes doctors don't tell you this. Remember, you are one of many, many patients that they see and your symptoms are probably just like many other people out there (even though we tend to feel like we are alone). Doctors are just trying to do their job as quick as possible with hope for success. Medicine is trial and error sometimes. Therefore, consider all of these things before you decide to start antidepressant medications. It can prolong your suffering in the end.

-- submitted by Jane, 26