bad setback

[louise19]

I have been taking cipralex for a couple of weeks, started on 5mg and then went up to 10mg about a week ago after changing GP. I started feeling a bit better and for three days i thought i was getting control of things. However, I had a doctor's appointment this morning, got up feeling not too bad, took my tablet, but on my way to the doctor's I had the worse panic attack I have ever had, thought I was finally going to go over the edge. I managed to get in to see my doctor and she upped my cipralex dose to 20mg and gave me another 28 diazepam. also had blood tests taken. Is it normal to have such a setback after feeling not too bad for a few days? I am scared because four weeks ago i felt normal, was going to work and now I seem to have gone to the edge of insanity in just a few short weeks. Can panic attacks hit you this hard in such a short space of time?

Thanks
Louise

[eva82]

Oh yes they can for sure! I had a really bad setback in March... Just like you I was finally starting to feel somewhat normal again and then BAM!! A horrible panic attack that landed me in the emergency room because I thought that for sure I was dying. That lead to panic disorder and here I am today just trying to get back to that point in my life where I am not consumed by anxiety. It hasn't been easy but I started therapy and meds to help give me a little boost.

I know how hard it can be when we hit a major bump in the road on our way to recovering...we just have to keep on living our lives as best we can eventhough we may feel truly horrible in the process. I get worse when I start avoiding places and events, and so I push myself everyday to keep going. I've had several more setback since March .. Death of my grandfather, lost my job, and a few health scares (I also have HA). We will get through this! We all will have good and bad days, and hopefully there will come a time when the good days outweigh the bad ones and we can let go of the fear and panic that keep us in the state we are in. Xx

[Jmac]

Hey Louise,

You should be aware of two things when starting Cipralex. It can take 6 - 8 weeks before you really start feeling consistently better AND unfortunately, Cipralex can increase your anxiety level before you get more lasting relief.

I had a very similar starting experience to yours. I started at 2.5mg, then 5mg and up to 10 mg over the course of two months. During that time I had some good days, some great days and some really low days including at least one nasty panic attack about 3 weeks into treatment. That was a little less than a week after upping to 10mg. My doc and many folks on this site told me that increased anxiety is to be expected and is quite common during the first month or so of treatment.

I'm now almost 8 weeks into 10mg and am feeling 95% better and getting better with each passing day. I took Ativan during the first 6 weeks to help deal with the anxiety. Worked great.

Hang in there... it does get better. Take a look at Anxious in Canada's posts on his Cipralex journey. Lots of encouraging info that has kept me going through the lows.

Take care,

Jmac

[eva82]

Just wanted to add that I came back from seeing my CBT therapist and I expressed my concern of having setbacks. He said that a setback means that you have made progress which is a good thing! The fact that we dwell on them is the problem. He also said that overcoming anxiety is not always a steady climb upwards. We may fall down from time to time but we need to get back up, brush ourselves off, and keep climbing. With a lot of patience and hard work we will reach the top! :)

[shotokansho]

I would just like to say that I am on 20mg of cipralex and it has completely stopped all my panic attacks. I still feel a little edgy from time to time but I am also taking quetiapine which helps that a lot. I guess I was lucky because I didn't suffer with any side effects at all. I have been on cipralex for 3 years now and they have been brilliant. Just hang in there, everyone has set backs and you are doing so well, just needs a little more time.

kez xx

[louise19]

Thanks everyone for your comments, they really helped me. I have taken my tablet again today and I think I now realise that the cipralex will not work overnight, but will slowly make me feel better. I dont think it has helped that I have lost a lot of weight in a small space of time, I literally look like a skeleton, which is probably why the anxiety is worse. Hopefully my appetite will improve as I take the meds. This website and the people on it have been a godsend, so glad I found it.