Please help - is this anxiety?

[sammy86]

Hello there my name is sammy, im 21 years old and i need someone help!

basically 3 days ago, i suddenly felt ill, shakey jittery light headed and weird. I intially thought i had drunk too much caffine, but i later had what i -think- was a very bad anxiety attack. ive had panic attacks before about 4 years ago, i was treated and managed to get ove it, this however felt alot different.

I felt all tingley much like you do when you past out, my head went all 'fluttery' and i felt like i was going to be sick (i didnt feel sick in the stomach, it was more just the sensation). i then got breathless, hot and panicked.

After some deep breaths it passed and i was exhusted, i fell asleep and was tired and drained the next day. I had ANOTHER one just the same the following night - it seems to be when im about to fall alseep.

Yesturday i felt ok, not nervous though i had a terrible headache - then about 10pm i suddenly got nervous again for no reason. i didnt have a attack but i did wake up with bad nerves around 3am, and the feeling i was absolutly starving. i had a restless night, and in result ive felt very nervous all day today, really bad butterflies.

I think it may be due to me coming off my anti depressants about 2 months ago. I took Citalopram. I started taking it again 2 days ago.

My symtoms are:
Extreme nervousness (like butterflies/stage fright)
Tiredness, no energy
Tight throat. lump in throat.
No appitite. Hungry but stuggles to eat. can drink fine.
food feels uncomfortable 'heavy' in stomach or stuck in throat.
feeling of extreme hunger (at night).
nerves dissapear occationally. come in 'waves'
occational spots in the eyes.
fluttery ears
high sensativity to smell and taste.
rushed thoughts, unable to relax mind.

when i had the 'attack' :
breathlessness
feeling of passing out
numb feet
shaking legs
crazy high speed thoughs.
feeling of sudden rush of adrenaline.
feeling extremly scared (who wouldnt!)

The thing is there seems to be nothing that triggers it, im sitting here with a nervous stomach for no reason! its crazy and i tell myself that, but it dosnt work.

do you think this is anxiety attacks? and do you think the citalopram will help in time? or does this not go away?

[rosepetal]

Well, it does sound like anxiety to me.

I sometimes get like that when there is nothing consciously bothering me, but when I look below the surface I usually find a trigger to it. It can help to keep a journal and track your thoughts and feelings just before you have an attack, what you dreamt about, what's happening in your life, and so forth.

Coming off anti-depressants can really give the kind of symptoms you describe, but it usually is a kind of magnification of what's there already.

I've never been on citolapram, although I was on efexor, and am now on mirtazapine. The mirtazapine helps take the edge of the anxiety for me, but I really have to work with the causes, as my anxiety is PTSD related. Hopefully the cit. will ease things in time again, and if not, I would suggest you get back to your doc. for a review.

[CarpeDiem]

:) Hi Sammy :)

I think you should go back to your GP just to be sure but I reckon its a combination of both - Anxiety is slightly different for everyone but they're certainly things that I have experienced with mine but also anti-depressants are full of chemicals that stay in your system for a loooooong time so its highly likely your body is just trying to adjust to being without those chemicals. Do you remember when you first started taking them? I'm guessing they didn't start working overnight & its the same when you stop; its a lot to put your body through. Lots of people on here can give you great advice on coping with your new symptoms & thats a good thing but only a medical proffesional can really assess you in person; try to get checked out.
Take care, CarpeDiem
xxxxxx

[sammy86]

thanks for your comments im more reassured and calmer now i have an idea of what it is. Im actually going to my GP tommorow however im a little nervous about sitting in the waiting room (im sure you know how it is panicing and all that)

Can it really still be the effects of coming of citalopram, its been over 2 months now and i did experience side effects however they have gone. but ive started on them again as there was no real reason for coming off them.

lets see what the GP says i just hope itll go away soon im sick of feeling nervous :|

im progressing slightly as it is, im managing to eat now and feel alot better ^^

[rosepetal]

I hope your dr can help.

I find the waiting room tough going as well. Sometimes I sit on the stairs, and my dr has also said that if I'm finding it too hard I can go just outside, and tell reception where I am.

[lucy0927]

Hi Sammy,

It sounds pretty much like what I get when my anxiety is at it's peak. The sudden drop in your stomach, the shaking in the legs, the loss of appetite which gets worse when I don't eat. I find if I'm feeling a little anxious and then I don't sleep well that night, it sends my anxiety soaring the next day.

I find that sometimes I'm just sat and suddenly I'll feel on edge and the anxiety feels like it's starting for no apparent reason. I've come to realise that most of the time its something so small and underlying that I don't realise it's caused the anxiety. Sometimes just someone talking about them going on holiday sends me into an anxious state if I'm already on edge.

If it's any help I've find distracting myself helps or trying to concentrate on something else, just telling myself it's okay sometimes works. After that try to get a good night sleep and I've found most of the time I feel better in the morning, not great but a little better.

Lucy x

[sammy86]

hi guys just an update on everything! the re-taking of citalopram seems to have worked, for the past few days ive felt fantastic, but for a little bit of acid indigestion (which the doc said is because of nerves). Im still waking up with a 'hungry' feeling but i just ride through it and it goes!

I went out for the first time in 7 days yesturday - i managed to go to the post office, and queue up and then go for a country walk and i felt perfectly fine, i actually got excited!

theres still a little bit of anxiety there, but i really think im starting to get over it! now im just dizzy from re-taking anti-depressants XD