Gineve
27-02-07, 15:52
Hello everyone. I am a new member in here and just want to say Hi to all. I have recently been diagnosed with depression and anxiety/panic disorder. I started suffering panic attacks in sleep during my twenties following the birth of my second son. I learned over the years how to cope with those but over the last twenty years I have had occasional bouts of depression and on two occasions took a course of Seroxat for about 6-9 months each time. I didn't have any problems with this now unpopular medication and found it easy to come off (gradually and with care). I had not had any medication since 2003 but my 26 year old neice died at Christmas and that was an awful end to an awful year of financial problems, family issues and general life problems. About 4 weeks ago I had my first ever waking panic attack but did not know at that time that that was what it was, I just thought I was going to die and was terrified of being alone but equally terrified of being around people. I also had pain down my left arm, difficulty breathing calmly, nausea and wretching (no vomiting) and general feeling of being unwell. I visited the out of hours GP surgery who thought I had a 'virus' and was sent away and told it should 'settle down' in a couple of days. It didn't and I ended up back at my own GP surgery where I was again told by a new doctor that I had a 'virus'. This again did not settle - I felt sick all the time, convinced something was seriously wrong with me and generally low and shaky. I eventually went back to see another doctor who took a urine sample (?) and said I had a kidney infection, due to there being blood and protein in my urine. I took a course of antibiotics and went back to the GP a week later - still no better. He admitted me to hospital saying that I obviously was 'not right' and needed further investigation. I spent 6 hours in the emergency assessment unit at my local hospital, blood tests for liver and kidney function ok, heart enzymes ok and thyroid function ok. Temperature, pulse, respiration and oxygen levels all were ok so I was discharged at 2.00am and sent home in a taxi. I woke up the following morning feeling worse than ever and that night had a really big panic attack - made my husband take me to A&E where he finally (lost patience I think) and said there was nothing wrong with me but I was probably depressed due to the terrible things that had happened over the last year or so. Back to the GP I went who surprisingly agreed with my husband!!!! Yes I am suffering from depression and anxiety/panic - AT LAST SOMEONE WHO LISTENED TO ME! She prescribed Cipralex and referred me to the CPN in our area. I have now been taking the Cipralex for 8 days - side effects have been strange/intermittent. I have been feeling quite nauseous and wretching quite badly in the mornings - not vomiting though. Also had numb/heavy pain in my left shoulder and arm now and again (usually preceeding diahorrea or wretching), loss of appetite and sleeplessness. However, for the last 3 days I have also woken each morning with a POUNDING headache. For the first couple of days I took a couple of paracetamol and the headache went off when I got out of bed. Today though the headache was worse this morning than yesterday and the day before, and also the wretching has been intermittent throughout the whole morning, I have felt 'spaced out' and shaky again and have checked the leaflet that came with the Cipralex and it doesn;t say anything about headaches or 'spaced out' feelings being side effects. I am due to go back to my doctor tomorrow but just wondered if anyone in here might have had any similar experience with this drug?
I would be grateful of any comments.
Gineve
I would be grateful of any comments.
Gineve