Hello, anxiety friends! I wanted to post this because I know I've personally scoured this sub looking for posts about people's experiences on certain meds. Of course, I don't recommend doing this or consulting Google - you should ALWAYS talk to your doctor/psychiatrist/therapist etc. Every medication is different for everybody!

I (30F) have had anxiety my entire life; I was clinically diagnosed with GAD and panic disorder as a freshman in college. Since then, I've been riding the anxiety rollercoaster; I've had periods of my life where it was very manageable, and periods when it's been pretty bad. My anxiety is usually health-centered and triggered by physiological changes. Symptoms of anxiety/panic attacks for me include dizziness, difficulty breathing/swallowing, feeling sweaty/clammy, depersonalization, heart racing, chest pain, numbness/tingling, stomach upset, etc. etc. Basically, your classic anxiety.

I first went on medication when I was 19 and my psychiatrist put on my Lexapro. I stayed on it for about a year or two before tapering off, and stayed off for a couple of years. I went back on Lexapro at around 26 years old and again stayed on it for about 2 years before tapering off. Every time I was on medication, I was also in therapy (I think this is super important) and I got off/on meds in consultation with a psychiatrist or my general practitioner. 

Recently my anxiety has gotten bad again, and this time my doctor put me on Prozac. I've been on it for a month now so I thought I'd detail the experience of both.

Lexapro Cons: The process of getting on Lexapro was generally slower and for me, a bit rockier. I started on a very, very low dose and very gradually titrated up to a therapeutic dose; in all it probably took a few months to finally get up to the full dose (this is common practice and how it should be done). Both times that I started Lexapro, the first two weeks were rough. I had some of the worst panic attacks during that window (which could be coincidental). I didn't experience too many side effects - however, the biggest con for me with Lexapro is that I had a very intense increase in appetite, which led to weight gain each time. This was part of the reason my doctor decided to try Prozac for me.

Lexapro Pros: Once I was fully up to a therapeutic dose of Lexapro, it did wonders for my anxiety and my mood. I was able to fully function and enjoy my life. I still experienced occasional anxiety (which, btw, the goal is never to fully eliminate anxiety - it's a normal human emotion), but rarely had panic attacks. My xanax prescription would usually expire while mostly full because I rarely had a need to take it.

Prozac Cons: Honestly, there are very few negatives so far for me. The first week on it (and on an increased dose) I experienced a little bit of GI symptoms - mainly very mild diarrhea - and a little bit of disrupted sleep (waking up in the middle of the night for about an hour). Both of these side effects only lasted the first week. Unlike Lexapro, I did not experience any increase in appetite/weight gain with Prozac. Also, my anxiety didn't seem to get worse before it got better. 

Prozac Pros: Pretty much everything lol. I felt like I was seeing genuine improvement within the first 10 days, which of course could be a placebo effect, but absolutely by \~3 weeks in I was vastly improved. I went from having panic attacks almost daily, to about 2/week, then 1/week, then none. I was on 20mg for the first month, and because my general level of anxiety was still pretty high, increased to 40mg. Again, the impact was felt very quickly - and noticed by people around me (including people who don't know I'm on medication). 

**tl;dr** When I was on Lexapro, I assumed I was experiencing typical side effects (and maybe I was) and that the ends justified the means, because it treated my anxiety so well (true). I wish I hadn't been afraid of the trial and error that can come with trying different medications. It truly isn't one size fits all. I also always thought of medication as a temporary stop-gap, something I'd do for a year or two if my anxiety got bad and then get off. I'm now (finally) realizing that it might be a more permanent solution for me, and that's okay. Anxiety is a chronic illness for me and needs to be treated as such.

Anyway, no matter where you are in your journey, just know that it can and does get better. I know medication can feel very scary, but it can (and is) absolutely life-saving - whichever one works better for you. Please also don't interpret this as Lexapro=bad and Prozac=good. I really can't stress enough how every medication is different for each individual person.