Lexapro loading vs tapering -- which is worse?

[changing17]

Hi,

I'm new to the community but need information pretty fast as, right now, I'm having a really hard time dealing with panic attacks.

I've been prescribed Lexaro and Klonopin for panic attacks and anxiety.

The Klonopin is mostly keeping the worst of it at bay but obviously isn't a long-term solution.

So far, I've made one unsuccessful attempt to start the Lexapro but found the panic attacks unbearable and had to quit (I was unfortunately in the middle of viewing apartments at the time so needed to appear somewhat together publicly - plus be able to make it out of the house!)

I'm looking for information from people that have both started and successfully withdrawn from Lexapo.

Which was worse: the loading side effects or the tapering when you stopped taking it?

If I know that the loading phase is as bad as it gets I think I would start it tomorrow. I'm just scared that the withdrawal would be WORSE than the few days of debilitating panic attacks that I went through trying to start it. If that's the case, I'd continue to do everything to avoid starting it in.

[Paxiled]

Nobody can answer this for you.  People metabolize drugs differently and thus have different side effects and different outcomes.  Some people have no side effects; some have terrible ones.  Some have temporary ones, some have permanent ones.  Some have no withdrawal at all, some have permanent withdrawal.  Just no way to tell how your brain will react -- it's gonna do what it's gonna do.  If you can solve this with therapy, you don't have to get on the drug merry-go-round at all, but there's no guarantee that will work; if you haven't tried it, though, when that works, you're cured, whereas drugs only treat the symptoms and then down the road often poop out, and the brain does have a hard time with medications to degrees that vary with the individual.  But the real answer is, you're only going to find out by trial and error.

[changing17]

Thanks!