Panic attack while coming off benzos

[Cassius]

Hi guys,

I hope you're all well! :)

A few days before Christmas I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

They put me on 50mg Sertraline and 4mg lorazepam per day but I've only been taking half a pill per day 0.5mg. The Sertraline has helped me become a lot less mentally fatigued than I was but I'm finding coming off the lorazepam another story.

Even with only half a pill a day I've been finding it very hard to come off the lorazepam and the days off it are terrible. I decided to ride out the anxiety yesterday but I was also quite stressed with work... I couldn't relax, I couldn't enjoy TV shows I usually like, my mind was fuzzy, i couldnt concentrate on text and finally I just became really scared of everything. Like I looked at the monster on a packet of monster munch and found it very unsettling. I didn't hallucinate or anything I just found it unsettling and had a panic attack. Is this normal when coming off benzos??? I am trying to come off it a lot faster than the doctor recommended and I now think that was a bad idea.

I took 0.5mg of lorazepam and didn't think it would work but it did the trick perfectly.

I honestly feel like coming off lorazepam is making my panic attacks worse than ever. The doctor has prescribed Propranolol to help ween me off the lorazepam but he's not explained how and when or if I take it in conjunction with the lorazepam.

Any advice about the panic attack or benzos would be extremely great fully received.

Thanks guys! :-)

[Jenwales]

http://www.anxietynomore.co.uk/the_book.html
i got over panic attacks through CBT techniques I read in a book called overcoming panic
the book/website above it the best advice I've ever been given in all my years of having anxiety
it just says to live with it,
i think using CBT and this book is the answer to recovering from anxiety

[maximus1975]

first of i cant believe they put u 4mg to start with so well done for not taking that amount otherwise the withdrawal would be much worse,
i think alot of your problems are in your mind, the fact you feel you need this drug in order to remain calm.
i wonder if your tablet was swithced over to a placebo without you knowing wether you would be as worried or not, 0.5mg is the same as 5mg of diazepam so a few weeks use would be enough to cause some addiction.
personally i'd take the propananol first thing in the morning and just before bed the quicker you can stop taking lorazepam the better, they usually only like u to take it for a week max coz its so addictive.
propananol is used for high blood pressure but also to st palpitations and help with anxiety

[Cassius]

Thanks so much for the replies guys.

Well after saying he'd call me, the doctor has gone out on visits so I won't be able to talk to him about the propranolol till Monday. So I guess I still have to keep taking the lorazepam till then. :/

Update: The pharmacist said take one of the Propranolol in the mornings an hour after the 50mg sertraline and continue to take the Lorazepam as needed. I don't know whether to take this advice or wait till Monday to ask the doctor. :)

[maximus1975]

i would keep taking it till monday, then question the best way of getting of it at quickly as possible with the dr , otherwise your gunna end up being on it for some time and its just gunna make the withdrawal worse , im weaning of the stuff myself at the moment and its a total nightmare but in the whole picture i dont see a couple more days making to big a difference .
just dont forget the fact that im suprised he put u on this drug at all , dr's very very rarely issue this drug any more in the 60's it was labelled as mothers little helper and people have been stuck on it since then.
sorry if im scareing u but i no forst hand how addictive it is , if u have to be on a benzodiazepine then diazepam is a much better choice it stays in the body longer and is easy to come of compared to lorazepam

[Cassius]

Hi Maximus,

It actually wasn't my GP who put me on lorazepam, but the ealing hospital home treatment team. I had very bad food poisoning in November and lost three stone... After that they discovered I had low serotonin so they put me on sertraline and gave me the lorazepam for anxiety.

My doctor was pretty upset about it as well to be honest.

I managed to last today without any lorazepam - so far. I'll see how i feel in the morning and maybe start the propranolol.

Thanks for the reply Maximus! :)

[Cassius]

Maximus,

Yesterday after 2.5 days off lorazepam we went to Westfield mall. I had complete sensory overload but tried to deal with it as best as i could.

When we came home I had an intense headache and felt incredibly depressed. I took 0.5mg of lorazepam and an hour later I was a lot better.

How can I be having these withdrawals after being on only low doses of 1mg and 0.5mg a day??

I'm finding this all incredibly difficult to deal with.

Should I ask my doctor to move me over to diazepam to help me get off the lorazepam?

[Tufty]

Have you started the Propanolol yet Cassius? I would give it a whirl, it doesn't affect your brain so you can take Lorazepam as well if it doesn't work. I take Propanolol and Diazepam, with the Propanolol I sometimes need a few doses for it to build up, so I take one in the morning and another at lunchtime - it can interfere with sleep so it's not so good taken at night.
You did really well to go to a shopping mall yesterday, well done. I would start the Propanolol and see if you manage without the Lorazepam until later in the afternoon or evening. It does sound like a good idea for the doc to change you from Lorazepam to Diazepam but you've done so well by yourself in reducing he may leave things as they are. I'm interested how they found out you had low serotonin, I didn't know a test was available in the UK.
The withdrawls you're having are very normal after being on Lorazepam, even at that low dose. It is a difficult but slow process, try to stay in the moment and set yourself targets, like I'll try to make it to 11 without a tablet and then when it gets to 11, if you're the same say I'll make it to 12 without a tablet. If it gets too bad - take one. I hope you're able to chat with your Dr about things tomorrow.
love and hugs
Sam

[Cassius]

Hi Sam,

Thanks so much for your response. A little encouragement goes a long way with me at the moment!

I had a 24 hour urine test while I was in hospital with food poisoning and that's how they discovered the low serotonin. At least I think that was the test for it. I did so many blood, stool and urine tests at the time I can't be 100% sure.

I haven't started on the propranolol yet. As I mentioned I was waiting for explicit instructions from the doctor.

I was so exhausted after yesterday before I took the lorazepam, I actually slept from 10pm till 7am. Yet I'm still mentally shattered today. Trying to hold off taking the lorazepam but again not feeling great today at all.

I just want to find the right balance for myself so I can get back into work and do nice things for my girlfriend. I have the desire and determination to do those things but when I do they exhaust me completely and then I can't cope.

Hope you're having a great weekend and thanks again Sam! * hug *

[Cassius]

Hi guys,

I'm sitting on the train to work and I've taken a propranolol this morning.

It has alleviated some of my anxiety but I am left unbelievably depressed.

I'm just trying to make it to work at the moment but I am at rock bottom. I can't keep going on like this.