Will medicine actually help?

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My doctor says I need anxiety medication, but I have concerns about side effects.

Was medication the first resort, or did they suggest other treatments like CBT?

A mixture of both

You cannot predict sides, everyone is different. You just have to try it and find out. Then you have to weigh them out and see if they are acceptable to you. 50 mg/day of Zoloft works wonders for my anxiety.

For anxiety--yes, it can.

It won't magically make your anxiety go away. What you should feel, if it's working, is that it's just a little easier to deal with the anxiety yourself. That's why they also put you in therapy.

But many times, the medication you try won't be a good match for your particular case, and you'll have to try another one. If that happens, talk to your doctor and explain you think you aren't getting any benefit and want to try something else.

Agreed; if you don't need medication, there's no reason to use it. But don't refuse it on principle; it can be helpful.

Regarding side effects: Unacceptable side-effects are a reason to try a different medication. If you get them, you switch. The only time you would ever want to take a medication with significantly unpleasant side effects was if the side effects were better than what you'd be dealing with if you weren't taking the medication.

I took Celexa 40mg for about 2 1/2 years to ease my anxiety and panic attacks and it reduced them about 85%. I recently started taking Cymbalta (week and a half) and it its working better for me than the Celexa. There were no side effects on Celexa, but headache, agitation, dry mouth, etc happened on Cymbalta.

Its hard to say who will get any/all side effects. Some are short term and some may stay with you for awhile. Overall, my anxiety is managed much better ON medication than off it! At the end of the day its YOUR choice, and you shouldn't go on medication just to go on it

I would say try the CBT first and if that doesn't do much combine it with medication.

Every med has its side effects. I've never been on anti-anxiety meds unless you count SSRI's. Most meds have similar side effects. If you're worried you could look them up online, unless it will make you more anxious. Just try to think of the positives of trying the med.

I got the worse of the worst side effects on the medication I still take on a lower dose. Mild side effects feel like nothing but an annoying irritation in the throat compared to what I've been through.