New from no where

[Osama]

He'll everybody,

My name is osama, and I am from Jordan I am 34 years old. I am having anxiety and panic disorder since year and half. The story started from no where, I was with friends playing cards smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee, after we finished playing I went home and suddenly I felt headache and I thought that I need to see the doctor and ask him to stop the headache to be able to sleep. I went there and they took my BP and it was high 160/100 and the doctor freaked me out when he looked at me trembling and asking me if I am ok, I asked him back am I ok? Don't know you tell me. From there and I have bad panic attach and high anexity and stress.

After visiting the ER many times and conducting many blood tests and ECHO for the heart and vines and ECG.... etc everything you could imagine I have been told to start taking beta blocker as kind of protection, and that didn't help a lot with my case, I continued to have panic and stress from no where. I went to see a friend of mine and he suggested that I try SSRI medicines, I went to a doctor and I asked him about it and he said it is ok to take them.

So I started to take Cipralex 10 mg for 4 months and I felt wonderful during the course. After I finished the course I continued to feel good, until 3 months ago. I am struggling again with the stress and I panic.

I am thinking to start another course of ciprlaex. Any suggestions or recommendations guys?

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya Osama and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:

[MentalState]

Hi Osama, thanks for sharing your story. Have you had any physical heart problems completely ruled out?

It's true that anxiety can cause physical effects on raising heart rate and blood pressure but the reverse is also true that underlying heart conditions can cause anxiety.

Anxiety is a bitch and you have my whole hearted support and empathy, I know how much it sucks.

Take care

[Catherine S]

If you felt really well on cipralex, why not ask your doctor to keep you on them. That would be my advise.

ISB

[Deckard]

Hey Osama,

I also had the whole gamut of heart tests done (ultrasound, ECG, holter monitor) as well as several blood tests and 2 ER visits. (I didn't have the headaches you describe though). All clear.

They started me on an SSRI (Sertraline) before I did most of the above tests. It did help with clearing the brain fog and generally lifted my spirits. My general anxiety level dropped. Then I got all the test results, which were all clear. Afterwards I started to feel even better. For me it's the combination of the anti-depressant and the reassurance that I got from the doctors which worked. I still get the odd mini-panic attack (for that I have tranquilizers), but I have other anxiety issues as well, they are (at the moment) not caused by health anxiety.

My advice to you is to keep taking the SSRI. Those types of medication are meant to be taken long-term. Many people need to be on them for years (my mum as been on an anti-depressants for over 10 years). My doctor says we can try stopping in a year, and if it's starts getting worse again I should just start up again. You could also look into other types of therapy (CBT for instance), often medication and therapy go together.


--Deckard

[Osama]

Hiya Osama and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:

Thanks for the advice, I read the articles they make me understand what is case and how to deal with it.

---------- Post added at 08:20 ---------- Previous post was at 08:16 ----------


Hi Osama, thanks for sharing your story. Have you had any physical heart problems completely ruled out?

It's true that anxiety can cause physical effects on raising heart rate and blood pressure but the reverse is also true that underlying heart conditions can cause anxiety.

Anxiety is a bitch and you have my whole hearted support and empathy, I know how much it sucks.

Take care

All the tests were normal no problems were found, and still I feel that it may heart attack will strike every time i have panic attack. One doctor told me he will resign from the his job if I die from heart problems, and I don't know why I keep thinking negative

---------- Post added at 08:21 ---------- Previous post was at 08:20 ----------


If you felt really well on cipralex, why not ask your doctor to keep you on them. That would be my advise.

ISB

Thanks, I will talk with my doctor about it, I really felt so much healthy and happy with cipralex

---------- Post added at 08:24 ---------- Previous post was at 08:21 ----------


Hey Osama,

I also had the whole gamut of heart tests done (ultrasound, ECG, holter monitor) as well as several blood tests and 2 ER visits. (I didn't have the headaches you describe though). All clear.

They started me on an SSRI (Sertraline) before I did most of the above tests. It did help with clearing the brain fog and generally lifted my spirits. My general anxiety level dropped. Then I got all the test results, which were all clear. Afterwards I started to feel even better. For me it's the combination of the anti-depressant and the reassurance that I got from the doctors which worked. I still get the odd mini-panic attack (for that I have tranquilizers), but I have other anxiety issues as well, they are (at the moment) not caused by health anxiety.

My advice to you is to keep taking the SSRI. Those types of medication are meant to be taken long-term. Many people need to be on them for years (my mum as been on an anti-depressants for over 10 years). My doctor says we can try stopping in a year, and if it's starts getting worse again I should just start up again. You could also look into other types of therapy (CBT for instance), often medication and therapy go together.


--Deckard

Thanks for the advice. I never tried the CBT, do you know any online CBT that can help me?