Help weird reaction on meds - hearing voices

[welshdory]

Hello
Please help at my wits end.

Brief history I've been diagnosed with GAD since 2006. Mostly it's manageable bit I've had 2 periods where ive needed medication. I have taken citralopram and escitralopram and both have helped although not totally erased it which I know is the norm.

I've started to feel particularly bad in the last 4-6 weeks and broke down at the doctors last week. He started me on 5mg of escitralopram. I knew the initial side effects were to be expected but this time after only one small dose i had what I can only describe as hearing voices as I went to bed. It has scared the life out of me and I instantly stopped taking the meds. I don't understand how only 1 dose and a very low one at that could cause this?. It sent my anxiety into overdrive wondering if this was a reaction to the meds or am is it something more (typical dominoe effect of anxiety I guess).

I'm hoping to go back to the doctors tomorrow if I can get in.

Can anyone tell me if they've experienced the same. Also why would a medication effect me like this when I was ok in the past

Thanks in advance x

[AntsyVee]

My guess is that this was not you hearing voices, but falling asleep too quickly. 5 mg isn’t even a full dose.

[AndreiSH]

I seriously doubt that you actually heard voices. Maybe it was a lucid dream or something similar. Impossible to have after 5mg, especially if you took it in the past. Talk to your doctor and therapist. Starting escitalopram is a drag in most cases. But most physical side effects are gone in a few weeks.

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[welshdory]

This was was spiking my anxiety as it was such a small dose and only one what if it wasn't the meds and another mental issue to deal with.

I've never had it before so was looking for some reassurance it was the meds now im convinced it's me.

If you have heard voices is it something that would have happened before

[AndreiSH]

This was was spiking my anxiety as it was such a small dose and only one what if it wasn't the meds and another mental issue to deal with.

I've never had it before so was looking for some reassurance it was the meds now im convinced it's me.

If you have heard voices is it something that would have happened before

Like i said. If it was just a single episode it could havd very well been a lucid dream. Have you had this in the past?

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[welshdory]

Like i said. If it was just a single episode it could havd very well been a lucid dream. Have you had this in the past?

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Never had this before. It really scared me but my anxiety was also really bad

[MyNameIsTerry]

Auditory, visual & olfactory hallucinations are actually quite normal during the sleep stages known as Hypnagogia & Hypnopompia. What you describe appears to be the former (falling asleep and the first 2 hours after). Anyone can have them and whilst anxiety isn't a cause, it is documented as a reason for intensifying them.

These are normal stages in the brain. During these our brains work quite differently and we can experience a large number of strange sleep phenomena.

In terms of hallucinations, it's when they appear outside of these stages that consideration should be given to other mental health issues but even then hallucinations can be experienced by those suffering from duch as bereavement therefore it's not a reason to jump to the usual conclusions such as Schizophrenia.

SSRI's change REM sleep initially until your body gets used to the drug. This may also have an impact on this.

[welshdory]

Thank you for your replies I'm going to start taking them again. Thank you so much I'm really glad I found this forum x

[AndreiSH]

Thank you for your replies I'm going to start taking them again. Thank you so much I'm really glad I found this forum x

No problem. Keep us posted on how you are doing so we can support you. I am also on escitalopram for the 2nd time and i think it is a very good medicine for anxiety.


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