Feeling rubbish :-(

[Giraffe11]

Hey everyone, my first post here..

Exactly two years ago I started to have some panic attacks and anxiety over complications & pain resulting from the birth of my little girl. I went to my GP and was given diazepam to calm me, referred for CBT and was also started on Fluoxeine 20mg.

It all worked really well for me, I felt normal in a matter of weeks! I think I had about 6 therapy sessions... I continued with the Fluoxetine for around 18 months and then tapered them off, finishing them at Christmas time.

Unfortunately over Easter I deceloped a migraine with vertigo (dizziness, sickness etc) this continued for about two weeks. I couldn't eat, sleep or move really, it was extremely debilitating. This then triggered my panic and anxiety again sadly. Occasional panic attacks but with day long anxiety that never abated.

I referred myself back for cbt, went back to my gp and was put back on the fluoxetine and also given pizotifen for migraines. Within a week the migraine was gone and I felt better, anxiety was on its way out.. Then a few days later it was all back and it's been there ever since!

I have done some research and spoken to a couple of pharmacists and they have said that the pizotifen (a seratonin antagoniser) could be interfering with the fluoxetine. So last week I came off the pizotifen.

This week has been hell. In a very high state of anxiety all of the time, mornings are worst. I wake up in the middle of an attack - one morning this week I also had suicidal thoughts in the middle of an attack. Ibs never had these before and they have made me very frightened :-(

I immediately went to my GP who has given me some propanalol, 10mg to be taken 3 times a day..

It seems to help in the afternoon and evening but not in the mornings!

I'm currently sat here boiling hot, sweating with pins and needles all over...

Do you think that on waking I should take two 10mg pills instead of just one?

And also if the pizotifen was making the fluoxetine not work properly am I now back to square one with it?! I've been on it 7 weeks now, one week of that without the pizotifen.

Sorry for the long post everyone! Xx

[feelthelove]

Hi welcome to the forum , sorry to hear about all the anxiety it is horrible i do know how you feel .
I wouldn't just take extra medication if i were you it would be better to phone your doctor and ask first .

Hope you get sorted x

[agoraphobicstudent]

The trouble with medication is that it doesn't always work immediately, and then when you come off it, you then get withdrawal symptoms. Jumping on and off and swapping meds take their toll on you and leave you very panicked and sometimes suicidal.

I would recommend trying non medication techniques to manage your panic attacks alongside one type of medication. It might still take a couple of weeks to feel normal, but at least you will feel more in control with a plan.

I hope you start to feel better soon x

[rcs]

Sorry you are feeling poorly,

I have had ups and downs for the last 7 years with anxiety disorders and probably more than that previously before I was diagnosed it is not very nice and I sympathise with you.

Sometimes you cannot listen to advice when you are so down and in an exhausted state and your body feels like its falling apart, lately I have been having stomach cramps and tinnitus which is really annoying yet when I take propanol the symptoms lessen.

I try to remember the times when I felt better in the past and know that those positive feelings will return, with experience try to focus on the positives in your life and not ignore the negatives but don't obsess about them. If you can control your mood swings a bit and try not to get too low and do some exercise, cook ,read , listen to music things do eventually even out and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Take Care Bob

40 mg Citalopram

10 mg propanol