I joined this site a few months ago. I have been dealing with anxiety for almost 10 years. I have tried lots of meds and most recently tried Effexor after being on Celexa for quite some time. I felt the Celexa had stopped working. The Effexor was good for the first month, then really bad. I started to have anxiety like I hadn\'t had in a while and alot of symptoms I could only attribute to the Effexor. My dr. and I made a decision to have me stop the Effexor and I have been 24 days completely off this drug. I did a taper but I am really suffering. I have been given Alpralozam to take when needed but I had taken it a few times and it makes me feel weird. I have what I can only describe as heartburn and I am on nexium. I take omega 3, Vitamin Bcomplex, vitamin D, a multi vitamin, calcium and occasionally tums. I am overweight but have been back on an exercise plan for the past two weeks. I also have swelling ankles. I am so anxious right now. I have pulled out all my old anxiety books and tapes and been visiting web sites and I still can\'t get comfortable. I wish I knew if this was just discontinuation, withdrawal or maybe I really need to be on drugs. I can see myself going down the road to depression if this doesn\'t let up soon. My husband says I have made it this far off the drugs I should keep going but he also says he doesn\'t know how to help me. I am not quite 40, but feel so old. I am scared of dying, I feel I am a hypochondraic at times and am almost always worried about my health. I don\'t feel like I am enjoying anything I am just maintaining and waiting for something bad to happen. Boy I am a downer these days. I have muscle aches and pains and chest discomfort constantly. I am not sure if this is what this blog is for but I needed to express this somewhere. I know there are worse cases out there than me but right this instance I feel so alone.