Help

[ross87]

Really not sure how to move forward from anxiety and panic attacks having been diagnosed with GAD since July 2014 I've been experiencing more and more panic attacks and social anxiety and right now my anxiety levels are quite high and also causing me to be very restless. I am lucky if i sleep properly at least once a week most nights i spend lying awake.

I've been to the doctors at least once every 2 weeks since July to try and get the condition under control she has me on propanonal to help the physical symptoms which to a degree does work and she's bee trying me with different SSRIs to help manage the condition whilst I await CBT the propanonal works to a degree however I am having no luck with the SSRIs the first lot i tried (mitrazpine) decreased my anxiety levels slightly but basically amended my mood so that i wanted to kill people and made me very irritable she then moved me on to sertaline which didn't work and made me feel sick and gave me headaches she now has me on 10mg of escitaloproam but I feel that my anxiety levels are increasing and in particular i am being quite restless she has also prescribed valium for me to take as and when needed which works well but she only gives me little amount (6 2mg tablets) and I hate having to ask for more as i don't want her to think anything like i am addicted to it etc as i am not normally a 6 lot last about 3 months as i only take it when my anxiety levels are sky high or if i am having a panic attack that i can't get under control but now i am out of it and don't want to go back to ask for more.

I am not really sure what I am asking on this tbh but I am just at a lose of how to move forward and get this condition under some sort of manageable control its really affecting my life.

Ross

[debs71]

Hi Ross,

How long have you been on the Escitalopram? I only ask as you mention your anxiety increasing, because this is a classic side effect when first starting Escitalopram. It can take a month or even longer to feel the full benefit of it, and during that time you will experience a heightening of the anxiety and a gradual decline, until you feel much better.

It sounds a bit to me like you have been very unfortunate in not having been able to find the drug that is really most appropriate for you, and suits you yet. This is not uncommon, and sometimes it takes several drug tries before you are able to nail the one that makes you feel better.

This is doubtless why you still feel so anxious and that there is a lack of control with your anxiety and feelings, but this is not unresolvable.

I've been on 10mg Escitalopram on and off for the past 11 years or so, and I also suffer from GAD and panic attacks. It took me a while to feel the benefit of it, and a number of weeks where I felt worse and that lack of control, but it did settle down, and I find I feel so stable now on this med, but I appreciate that not all drugs fit everyone's needs, but if it has only been a short time that you have been taking this med, with time, it can be extremely helpful.

As far as moving forward goes, that is tough at the moment for you. I think that it is hard because you have yet to get the worst symptoms and feelings of anxiety under some kind of basic control with the crutch of the meds, so it probably feels at the moment like everything is hard and impossible. When that edge is taking off of the anxiety, it is easier to deal with and find ways and methods to ease what is remaining and help you really move on, and cope with the anxiety.

You don't have to feel as bad as you do now, I assure you, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.:hugs:

[ross87]

Hi Ross,

How long have you been on the Escitalopram? I only ask as you mention your anxiety increasing, because this is a classic side effect when first starting Escitalopram. It can take a month or even longer to feel the full benefit of it, and during that time you will experience a heightening of the anxiety and a gradual decline, until you feel much better.

It sounds a bit to me like you have been very unfortunate in not having been able to find the drug that is really most appropriate for you, and suits you yet. This is not uncommon, and sometimes it takes several drug tries before you are able to nail the one that makes you feel better.

This is doubtless why you still feel so anxious and that there is a lack of control with your anxiety and feelings, but this is not unresolvable.

I've been on 10mg Escitalopram on and off for the past 11 years or so, and I also suffer from GAD and panic attacks. It took me a while to feel the benefit of it, and a number of weeks where I felt worse and that lack of control, but it did settle down, and I find I feel so stable now on this med, but I appreciate that not all drugs fit everyone's needs, but if it has only been a short time that you have been taking this med, with time, it can be extremely helpful.

As far as moving forward goes, that is tough at the moment for you. I think that it is hard because you have yet to get the worst symptoms and feelings of anxiety under some kind of basic control with the crutch of the meds, so it probably feels at the moment like everything is hard and impossible. When that edge is taking off of the anxiety, it is easier to deal with and find ways and methods to ease what is remaining and help you really move on, and cope with the anxiety.

You don't have to feel as bad as you do now, I assure you, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.:hugs:

Hiya

Thanks for that :) hopefully one day i'll see the light at the end of the tunnel its just at the moment I am thinking that its impossible. I just feel like I am wasting so much of my doctors time being there every other week trying to figure out the best medication and getting new prescriptions etc when it doesn't seem to be helping especially as I still can't pinpoint anything that is setting my anxiety or panic attacks off. She's asked me a few times and so did the phycologist for the initial CBT referral and i felt so stupid that I couldn't answer the question because there isn't one thing that sets it off it just appears I am constantly feeling anxious and the only time i've slept properly in the past 6 months has been when i was on mirtazapine and even that only lasted a week.

I was on 5mg of escitrapolm for the last month and only moved up to 10mg a couple of days ago which did coincide with feeling more anxious, I am going to persevere with it for the next month till i see the doctor again in the hope that it does start to work especially as I am feeling like at the rate I am going I am going to run out of medication to try.

[debs71]

Yep, it sounds a bit like early days yet with the escitalopram, especially starting from a very low dose, which might not have been doing much for your anxiety. Any adjustment with dosages can be tough.

It sometimes is hard to identify what has triggered the anxiety/panic. My doctor told me that it can be like a snowball effect of a lot of underlying stress over an extended period of time, that just accumulates to boiling point.

I also think that lack of sleep doesnt help anxiety. It can be a bit of a catch 22, as the less sleep we get due to anxiety, the more anxious we feel from lack of sleep. Nightmare, I know. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in years. I used to work just night shifts, and that on top of anxiety has screwed up my sleep. Things always feel ten times worse when we can't get a good rest.

[ross87]

thank you that snowball effect makes a lot of sense i've always been anxious but it got a lot worse after a stressful time at work which ended up in the increased anxiety and panic attacks and has just continued to be at a high level despite the stress falling.

Thank you for all your help :)