advice needed! :(

[jecca]

hi guys, been a while since iv been on here. 18 months ago i started a positive journey to recovery, found work, passed driving test while controlling my panic attacks, agoraphobia, anxiety etc.

but now Iv had a bit of a relapse :( Im finding my panic attacks have came back thick and fast. my journeys to work are near impossible and work is hardly bearable due my attacks being so bad mixed with my IBS.

I was put on amitriptyline (30mg per day) to help my anxiety and IBS, which worked a treat until 4 weeks ago it seemed to stop working, ive been on an increased dose now of 75mg per day and nothing is working :(

im having to take time off work because of this and im scared ill slip back into that dark place i was in for 5 years being housebound. Iv worked too hard to get where i am to just lose it all.

I really need advice on what medication can highly reduce my anxiety? im going to the doctor tomorrow and i want to go in with a bit of knowledge on what meds will help me.

any medication advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much guys.
x

[lett20]

Hi .. I was on.citalopram for 5 years and found at first it was great but the past year didn't feel like it was working .. today I started a new one called venlafaxine too early to say how its going yet but I have a friend that has been taking it for 8 months and has done really well xx

[BobbyDog]

I have tried most of the AD medications over the years, Citalopram used to work really well for me, but I tried it for a second time and I had side effects.
I now take Mirtazapine, which seems to work better for depression/insomnia, rather than anxiety and I have now been given Amitriptyline as an add on at 50mg.
I took Amitriptyline years ago and was taking 200mg per day - that worked.

I think the best thing is to let your doctor decide based on your past history, we all seem to have different reactions to antidrpressents.

[dottielottie]

I was on 20mg Cit for a few years and recently had to increase to 40mg and beta blockers. having loads of side effects from cit even after 6 weeks. Your doc should know best x

[chloe83]

Does any one else take prozac?

[grotbags]

Sorry you're having a setback. I am going through a setback at the moment as well, and it's really hard to come to terms with.

I think the antidepressant you're currently on is a tricyclic. The first antidepressant I ever took was a tricyclic called Dosulepin. At first I felt it helped, but then I started to question it, and looking back I think it was an initial placebo effect of finally giving in and taking something that the mental health team has DRUMMED into me that it would make me better. I wasted 18 months on Dosulepin and while it helped me sleep it did next to nothing for my anxiety.

I'm not saying to avoid tricylics because I know they work really well for some people. But that drug did not suit me.

Side effect issues meant I was taken off it, and they switched me onto Cipralex. The first couple of months were terrible and I was very unwell, but once they started working they really DID work! At a low dose too! Sometimes it's worth trying different things if you feel something isn't working. It's not like you haven't given it a fair chance, although saying that it's probably recommended you give it about two months to see if it kicks in. How long have you been on it?

Chances are you will not become housebound again. I have had several setbacks and each one has not been as bad or prolonged as the previous (touch wood). It's sometimes just a case of getting confidence back That in itself is so difficult. You've achieved so much, so please remind yourself how much you're capable of x

[potato11]

Hi Jecca

Have you recently been going through any stress at all?

Personally I think, if you have a memory of stress affecting you negatively in the past then it can be natural to worry about the stress affecting you in the same way again.

But just remember, instead of worrying, put all your CBT techniques you learnt in to practice - sometimes, I have used CBT AGAINST myself by thinking "I have had CBT so why do I feel like this!" - as if CBT makes you immediatly immune haha.

You have to remember to, and be persistent, in putting the techniques in to practice. It's natural to steer towards worry in stressful times, especially with scary memories to illustrate them, but you DO have the techniques to get through this :)

Don't know if you have ever heard of Mooji - he always brightens my day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y6TEox6ZE0&feature=related

[Connor_cbt]

I relapsed years after seeming to have made a complete recovery, It's incredibly upsetting
and demoralising to go through but you've done it once, you'll do it again! what kind of
therapy have you had? Medication is an excellant tool to help you recover but without
treating the underlying issues you could be prone to relapses?

all the best,

[jecca]

hi guys, thanks for all your messages.

firstly i have been 75mg of amitriptyline for about 6-8 weeks now and all it seems to do is make me sleep loads but my anxiety is still there everyday.

I moved house in March so i think maybe that has upset things as my routines are different, routes to work are different etc so i dont think that has helped.

I had CBT from the age of 16-18 and then they let me go as the clinic only treats people upto the age of 18 then they refer you to the adult mental health services, they never done what they sed they were gonna do. My new GP has referred me again to start with theripy, but my problem now is getting to work, I really need something that can be effective fairly quickly as i cant take much time off my job as its quite a demanding job and my sick pay only lasts a couple of weeks :( so money worries are there too.

I just want to find that strength i had for so long, I dont feel like myself, and i feel like iv let myself down and other down too as i was doing so well and now i feel im losing the grip on my new life. I just feel so lost right now.

Also im getting married in august so i want to feel myself again.

Thanks again for all your messages.

jecca x

[toshtao]

You must not let these panic attacks take over you and your career choice! I recommend taking Cipralex. It worked like a charm for me.

Saying that though you need to show these panic attacks who is boss. Facing your fears as well as taking medication will allow these problems to subside. You can't expect the medicine to do all the work, you must do your part as well.

[SLjimbo]

Does any one else take prozac?

I do. For me it has worked quite well. The most important thing to remember if you are going to take Prozac is to remember to take the medication every day and stay consistent. I've learned the hard way that when you start feeling much better and stop taking it suddenly; you're only setting yourself up for a relapse.

I know Prozac is not for everyone, but it wouldn't hurt to talk to your doctor about it.

Also keep in mind that Prozac doesn't have an immediate effect like most SSRIs and it takes about a good month or two to start feeling the full effects.