

27f This is my first Reddit post so bear with me. In January I had a vertigo like episode while grocery shopping in Target. I got really shaky and started seeing spots so I went to the Starbucks and drank a green juice because I thought my blood sugar was low for some reason. I never passed out and the juice didn’t really make me feel better. I was getting over a cold that I already ruled out for COVID. I went to urgent care to get checked out and all they did was test me for COVID and send me on my way. That episode gave me some anxiety about grocery shopping so I have since utilized the online shopping frequently. I have been able to go into the stores but I get what I need and get out.

Flash forward to March/April I was experiencing some weird dizziness feeling that I had never had before. At first it was on and off and only make me nervous if I was going to go out or be around people. But once I was around people and it was fine I was fine and enjoyed my time out. The dizziness feeling kept getting worse and worse and more constant to where I was working one day and was shaky and had to sit down. I am a nurse and work in a clinic so all the doctors told me I need to be evaluated by a primary care provider. I got an appointment the next. This provider was new to me as I had not established a primary care doctor where I was living. I told her my symptoms that I was having and was a bit nervous for my appointment because the nurse in me thought something had to be wrong with my body. She did blood work but attributed my symptoms to anxiety and sent me off with Zoloft. I wish I had read reviews before taking it because it was the worst side effects ever. Nausea, sweating, insomnia, racing heart, increased anxiety. I had a panic attack on day 3 to the point where my dad had to drive 3 hours to pick me up and bring me home to his house for the week. I took the Zoloft for 2 more days before being switched to Celexa. I took that for one day and did not sleep an ounce that night so I was fed up and stopped them. I went to my old primary and he gave me Xanax and told me he would have had me go see a therapist before prescribing an SSRI. Which had me lose hope in the health care system a little bit. 

During that time home I realized it was just time for me to move closer to my family and a support system. I also had just gotten out of a toxic back and forth 3 year relationship so I had nothing tying me down there except my job. So I quit my job got out of my lease and am currently at my dads house until my new job starts. I have seen a counselor a couple times who is working with me on past trauma and ways to control my now increased anxiety. I feel like the Zoloft made my anxiety way worse because it showed me how bad it could actually be. I talked to her about maybe trying a new medicine because I was now having anxiety every day and randomly. Mostly about how I was suppose to start a new job with this constant dizziness/swaying happening. So we tried BusPar as it is a more mild medication. We were going back and forth between that and Pristiq but I was terrified of trying another SSRI or SNRI. I took Buspar for 2 days as it increased my anxiety which in turn caused nausea and shaking all day. I stopped and just wanted to do it and get over it on my own but that is not going so well. I am considering trying Pristiq because I just want this feeling to go away. But am looking for some hope and reassurance. Thanks for listening ❤️