They call it the activation period. Its always tough for the first couple of weeks. Depending on you dosage, It takes up to 2 weeks to just hit steady state in your blood before the drug is really getting a chance to REALLY work. I truly believe tho, that those people whose serotonin is the lowest and who really do need these drugs, probably have the hardest time getting on them. I dont think Id switch the drug. Prozac is weak. Zoloft is a very potent reuptake inhibitor and is a very good drug for anxiety/panic and depression. If you stick it out eventually you may be very glad you did. A benzo every few days during the intial rough time shouldnt hurt you, but when you start to feel that warm relaxed fuzzy feeling come over you from the boosted serotonin, Id quit the benzos. Benzos are cns depressants and in the long run they drop serotonin levels so they only aggravate anxiety and depressive disorders.
Joe