Could really use some advice

[Bgary530]

Hey all,
24 years old and have been diagnosed with panic disorder by my pdoc. I have never before in my life had a history of panic attacks. I has a great upbringing a and everything was going great in my life before my first panic attack about 2 months ago. I think because everything had been goimg so great in my life, it is hard for me to accept that what I was feeling was a panic attack and not some other type of medical event. This is lead me to start having obsessive thought over what exactly happened to me and my life has been a mess since. My doc first prescribed me prozac but after the first day of taking it I experienced a horrible panic attack in the middle of the night. I tried staying on it for a pn other week but the sides were too unbearable. He then switched me to lexapro which I have now and after taking my first one yesterday, I felt "ok" but experienced another panic attack at night before bed. Before taking the ssris I was having very up and down days but was starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel every now and then. Could ssris just not be for me? Because I have no history of depression/panic attacks in the past is this maybe just something I need beat on my own? Any advise would be greatly helpful!

[MRS STRESS ED]

Hi Bgary well to be honest its to early to say if anti Ds to work ,you either go with it and take each day as it comes or go see your doctor again tell him they' re not for you I personaly think you should give it abit longer xx

[Electric_Worry]

I don't know how much you know about SSRIs, however they take a while to work and are in no way a quick fix. You need to give them time for your body to adjust, in while you do you will unfortunately experience any number of side-effects, from heightened anxiety, panic attacks, headaches, nausea, dizziness and so on. You shouldn't notice any real difference for a number of weeks, so taking them for a single week is not nearly enough. I'm surprised your doctor(s) hasn't spoken to you about them, although having said that, mine didn't go into any great detail about the medication either.

I don't think you can say for certain that SSRIs are not for you. While they aren't for everybody, you've not had them in your system anywhere near long enough to even begin to know. The start-up of the medication is terrible but it eases after a while. It's a case of trying to get through it.

I didn't have a history of panic attacks before I had mine, which was a few years ago. I was doing well for a while, then I had a blip and am currently finding myself a little worse for wear. So saying this is something you need to beat on your own isn't a fair assessment. There's no saying you can't do it, but there's also no shame in needing help. There are a few options out there and it's a case of finding the right one or a mix of the right ones, be it SSRIs, other medication, therapy and so on. You should look at your options, as there are a few. Don't feel like you have to do it on your own though, because feeling helpless and not seeking help is only going to set you back.

[Deepthinker]

Sorry you are having a rough go of it, but Electric and Mrs. Stress Ed are right; it is way too early to tell if SSRIs are for you. I know the panic attacks are horrible and when I had my very first one in my mid thirties, I was convinced there was something wrong with my heart and I argued with and resisted what my doctors said for a solid month before I gave in and took the meds for anxiety and panic. My doc prescribed Effexor ER and it was wonderful. I had very minor side effects like delay in urinating, but that is the only one I can remember having and that went away after a few days. I stayed on the Effexor for exactly one year before I tapered off. I had no trouble tapering. I then had 3 anxiety- free and panic-free years. In 2010, however, the anxiety started to creep back in and once again it was health related, but because my first panic attack had happened whilst driving, that is where it manifested itself. I became scared to drive. I have struggled on my own for the past four years without meds. I have done well, but about five months ago I just felt like I couldn't cope on my own anymore. For the first time in my life, I found myself depressed and it was caused by the panic and anxiety over driving. I felt like such a loser. I was the mom who had it all together. I was ashamed that a routine trip to the grocery store now caused me so much anxiety and I was always fighting panic. I realized I needed help when I started having all of this negative self talk. This just wasn't me. I should have gotten help for the anxiety when it first came back four years ago and then it probably would not have escalated to the point that it did. I am now, thankfully, back on meds and seeing a psychologist who is helping me change the way I think and is teaching me many ways to relax and help myself when the anxiety comes. She is also helping me work through my fears. I hope I don't have to take meds forever, but I will gladly take them as long as I feel I need them. I am no longer ashamed or embarrassed. I know that the mind is part of the body and all parts of the body can get tired, sick, or worn out. Right now I am being treated for a worn out, overworked, stressed nervous system. And that's okay. I know that because I sought help, I am strong and I am not going crazy. Anyway, I know this is a long post, but I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone and so many of us know how you feel and it is okay to get help and not try to go it alone. Blessings!

[Bgary530]

I don't know how much you know about SSRIs, however they take a while to work and are in no way a quick fix. You need to give them time for your body to adjust, in while you do you will unfortunately experience any number of side-effects, from heightened anxiety, panic attacks, headaches, nausea, dizziness and so on. You shouldn't notice any real difference for a number of weeks, so taking them for a single week is not nearly enough. I'm surprised your doctor(s) hasn't spoken to you about them, although having said that, mine didn't go into any great detail about the medication either.

I don't think you can say for certain that SSRIs are not for you. While they aren't for everybody, you've not had them in your system anywhere near long enough to even begin to know. The start-up of the medication is terrible but it eases after a while. It's a case of trying to get through it.

I didn't have a history of panic attacks before I had mine, which was a few years ago. I was doing well for a while, then I had a blip and am currently finding myself a little worse for wear. So saying this is something you need to beat on your own isn't a fair assessment. There's no saying you can't do it, but there's also no shame in needing help. There are a few options out there and it's a case of finding the right one or a mix of the right ones, be it SSRIs, other medication, therapy and so on. You should look at your options, as there are a few. Don't feel like you have to do it on your own though, because feeling helpless and not seeking help is only going to set you back.

I appreciate all the replies everyone. The thing that makes me even more nervous is my pdoc has told me repeatedly that there is no way the ssris are causing my panic attacks and it's all in my head. This has lead me to believe I might be allergic to them or something bc they symptoms I am feeling are not any I experienced pre med. The main thing thst bothers me is I will just be sitting there and I get a warm flushing feeling over my body and tingles in my head and down my legs. I just doesn't make sense to me.

[Electric_Worry]

I appreciate all the replies everyone. The thing that makes me even more nervous is my pdoc has told me repeatedly that there is no way the ssris are causing my panic attacks and it's all in my head. This has lead me to believe I might be allergic to them or something bc they symptoms I am feeling are not any I experienced pre med. The main thing thst bothers me is I will just be sitting there and I get a warm flushing feeling over my body and tingles in my head and down my legs. I just doesn't make sense to me.

I know it isn't recommended, but did you read the leaflet that came with your prozac/fluoxetine? I'll type out a couple of parts, and these are word-for-word without any editing from me.


The following side effects have also been reported in patients taking Fluoxetine:

Common (seen in 1 to 10 in every 100 patients)


nervousness, anxiety



and



Rare (seen in 1 to 10 in every 10,000 patients)



panic attacks



Now bear in mind that a good number of these patients would have been taking the medication for depression and not simply for anxiety. However, I honestly don't understand why you would be told they don't cause panic attacks, when even the leaflet says they do. Look up the side-effects online and you will find countless mentions of anxiety and panic attacks due to the start of fluoxetine. I can tell you myself that when I first started the medication, I would be doing nothing other than lying in bed in a morning and would be hit with a sudden rush of dread, along with my heart racing and an explosive headache forming in the back of my head. It's not something I'm saying to simply put your mind at ease either, as if you look through my post history you will see me mention a few times about he random panic attacks to begin with. I'm not a medical professional or anything of the sort, but I can tell you from experience that the medication can cause panic attacks. The fact your doctor said it is ridiculous, although he might be saying it was a sort of diversion tactic, I don't know. What I do know is that I and a number of other people on this site have experienced panic attacks when starting the medication, and in my case, I hadn't had one for a couple of years prior to starting it.

There's a sub-section of the forum dedicated to various medication, including fluoxetine / prozac. (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=51) There are plenty of people on there who will tell you the same thing.

I can't speak of any other medication as I haven't tried them myself, but I imagine a lot of them have similar side-effects.

[Catherine S]

Is it usual for doctors to prescribe anti-ds for panic attacks? I thought they treated anxiety and panic with tranquilsers and beta blockers...which I take for anxiety myself. Do you suffer from depression too? I realise that having unexplained anxiety can cause low mood and frustration but that's not the same as having true clinical depression, so I'm quite surprised you've been given anti-ds. Do you think your system might not be accepting them because you're not actually depressed?



ISB x

[Bgary530]

Is it usual for doctors to prescribe anti-ds for panic attacks? I thought they treated anxiety and panic with tranquilsers and beta blockers...which I take for anxiety myself. Do you suffer from depression too? I realise that having unexplained anxiety can cause low mood and frustration but that's not the same as having true clinical depression, so I'm quite surprised you've been given anti-ds. Do you think your system might not be accepting them because you're not actually depressed?



ISB x

Exactly that's the thing that bothers me. I have no history of being depressed. I have had a loving family growing up and a good gf and a ton of friends whom I am very close to. I was even able to obtain a well paying job out of college that I loved. The only thing that has affected my mood is the frustration of the anxiety and panic. That's what makes me upset.

[Electric_Worry]

Exactly that's the thing that bothers me. I have no history of being depressed. I have had a loving family growing up and a good gf and a ton of friends whom I am very close to. I was even able to obtain a well paying job out of college that I loved. The only thing that has affected my mood is the frustration of the anxiety and panic. That's what makes me upset.

It's prescribed for anxiety and/or depression. I imagine the reason for this is that they come hand-in-hand. Plenty of people who suffer from anxiety can develop depression as a result. I myself am on both beta blockers and fluoxetine/prozac, both of which are primarily to deal with anxiety. If you check out the fluoxetine/prozac sub-section like I mentioned in my previous post, you'll see plenty of people who are taking it for anxiety and panic attacks.

[aprilmoon]

Anti depressants and very low dose antipsychotics are used to treat anxiety,benzoates are not the first choice now because of the risk of addiction

[Catherine S]

I didn't realise the differences. In the days when they handed out benzos like sweets, they used to say they calmed you down whereas anti-ds picked you up...sort of uppers v downers..and never did they cross over hence my confusion.

[Bgary530]

I didn't realise the differences. In the days when they handed out benzos like sweets, they used to say they calmed you down whereas anti-ds picked you up...sort of uppers v downers..and never did they cross over hence my confusion.

See I agree with this and this why I am skeptical of anti d for just panic attacks. I find ssri to be very stimulating and when your body is already overstimulated from the panic I don't see why they are the best fit.