Panic-- no relief

[lucy216]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and this is a new desperate plea for help. At the beginning of this summer, I started suffering from really bad headaches after graduating from college and realizing I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I started getting panic attacks about my future, and would have hysterical fits-- once even during a job interview, where I was sure I was dying. Went to the doctor about 2 weeks after and she put me on 10mgprozac and I started seeing a therapist. I got a little better but when I started taking the prozac, I felt extreme derealization, and worser panic attacks. I kept with it, as I knew this was a normal side effect. I've been FORCING myself to leave the house, but I stuck with it. About a month later, my therapist decides I should up my dose-- so I did. August 2nd. Then the panic came on stronger. I have good and bad weeks, but I can't seem to calm myself down. I know the medicine is supposed to help, but it's been 3 months now and I want to get off of it. My hands are tingly, I have heart palpitations constantly, I passed out from the anxiety Monday so my doc took me off prozac and put me on effexor, I don't want to take it because I can't deal with the side effects, I'm a bit nervous when it comes to popping pills to be honest... I want to be able to leave the house without worrying I'm going to panic and die, and get my old life back. Please-- if anyone has suggestions, I'd really appreciate it! thanks.

[AlexandriaUK]

Hi Lucy, sadly your not on your own, in fact its on the increase and will continue to increase until the NHS start to put more facilities in place to give a faster placement to sufferers who need CBT its been known for people on the edge of despair to have to wait up to 16 weeks.
You will not die from a panic attack, ask your Dr the very very worst case scenario is you will feint, this will reset your body back to pre panic attack, doesn't mean you want panic when you come round.
I would love to give you advice that could cure you of this horrendous illness but I don't have it, all I can say is unlike so many of us born before the internet, at least you can come on here knowing you are not going mad and that you don't have some life threatening disease, there are millions of us, in fact may be we are now the majority so could be it's us that are normal.
God bless u

[lucy216]

Thank you!!! I know, it's so reassuring to be able to come here and feel not alone. My family is on their wits end with me as I'm 22, jobless, and so out of it... I'm sticking on 10mg of prozac for now, hopefully I don't have to start a new drug, i think for me medicine makes me a lot worse. I just hope I am able to get past wanting to be constantly alone in my room, right now the thought of leaving is brutal. I guess only time will tell.... thank you so much

[Shazamataz]

Hi Lucy, the meds can make the anxiety worse before it gets better, unfortunately. It doesn't happen to everyone but it quite common. It even has a name: 'Jitteriness Syndrome'.

If you stay on the low dose of 10 mg it likely won't do anything much to help things. I am wondering since you don't have any commitments just now it may be a good time to just dive in there with the meds and get the start up over and done with?

Effexor is a pretty good drug. I had a really hard time on a couple of other ones but the Effexor didn't seem to have such bad start up effects apart from getting dizzy in the evenings.

Maybe worth giving it a go if things are this bad?

Hope you get some relief soon

xx

[lucy216]

Hi-- well I was on 10mg of prozac for about 6 weeks before I upped my dose and things were honestly looking up for me.... I know it's a low dose but I'm only 5 foot 1 and weigh about 115 pounds. I've read terrible thing about effexor, and I have a job interview next week so unfortunately I don't have that kind of time to try new meds anymore.... I have high anxiety with medication. I'm meeting with a psychiatrist soon to sort it all out though, so for now I think 10mg is good.

---------- Post added at 20:21 ---------- Previous post was at 20:19 ----------

Things started to get really bad after 4 weeks of upping my dose to 20mg. When I was on 10mg, I was going out every day, working out for 2 hours, driving normally, after about 2 weeks of taking it.... is it weird such a low dose worked and 10mg more made my anxiety skyrocket?

[AlexandriaUK]

We are not all the same and maybe 10mg is your optimum dose, you need to talk to your Dr and tell them what u have said on here. I take 2 mg of diazepam at the moment for leg spasms after breaking hip and it works for me and yet others think 2 mg is useless, all relevant to u as am individual.

[lucy216]

I hope it is !!! I'm meeting with a psychiatrist this week to get everything sorted out, I went to a family party today for 5 hours which was huge! Felt like I was going to pass out because I haven't slept in a while, but I think I can see a silver lining. Thank you all for your help, it's so encouraging