Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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Started Paxil increased anxiety

belledujour
belledujour
I am super sensitive to psych meds. I have severe depression and anxiety. I was recently hospitalized for a suicidal attempt that followed a panic attack. The hospital removed my anti-depressant and gave me a mood stabilizer well that made things 100 times worse so my Pdoc really wanted me to start Paxil for anxiety. I'm only taking 5mgs and I've been having the scariest panic attacks of my life. I had two panic attacks.They last until I take a Xanax and even with .5 I am still a wreck. The first one today I did not take any medication which left me on edge but the second one blew me away as dumb as that sounds. It was like a panic attack mixed with social anxiety even though I was just sitting at a desk at work not doing anything exciting. Normally a half of a Xanax knocks me out but its not really touching the Paxil.

I don't know what to do. Is this just a side effect? Will it stop? I am scared that the doctor is going to tell me I should wait it out.
Crispymomma
Crispymomma
Are the panic attacks different than your normal ones? Like scarier or kind of breaks from reality? If so I had that on Zoloft and had to get off of it. I think all of the drugs up the anxiety for the first few weeks when you are sensitive to them. Your doc more than likely will tell you to wait it out. That seems to be what they want, but if it gets too scary call your doc.
belledujour
belledujour
They feel more sensitive if that makes any sense. It's like my entire body is heightened to react to every small minor thing and that has triggered them. This may be a bizarre comparsion but it's like fight or flight and my body gives up and wants to die instead. I had a breakdown yesterday because I had class ( almost getting ready to graduate college in a month ) and I was on the floor screaming and crying like someone died because I was so scared to go. My chest was tighter and I felt like dying would be the best option to get out of it.

I really think the timing is off with this. I am trying to finish up two courses and an internship and prepare for graduate school and I cannot afford any misstep or another hospitalization.
Reed31
Reed31
I've been telling people about a test my new doctor did for me.

She believes anxiety and depression are physical and caused, largely, by a mutation of the MTHFR gene. She checked me and I do have the mutation which makes it hard for me to absorb folate and vitamin B12. These vitamins are essential to good mental health.

If you are low on those vitamins and have the mutation, taking methalyzed folate and liquid B12 could help a great deal.
LuckyEmpath
LuckyEmpath
I had that same reaction when I took Celexa. It was horrible. My panic was so bad I was unable to function. When I finally went to the my therapist all I could manage was to lay on her floor in a ball. I knew it was the Celexa but she and my primary doc talked and agreed that it couldn't be the Celexa because I had only taken in for a few days so they said I should keep taking it. But I KNEW it was the Celexa and there was NO WAY I was going to keep taking it. Later that same day my therapist called and said she spoke with a Psychiatrist who said that some people have that reaction and that I should stop taking it (no kidding...lol).

I went off Celexa immediately and a few weeks later started on Paxil. Paxil worked for me. But not all meds work for everyone. If Paxil is doing this to you then try something else. Trust your gut and if this med feels wrong stop taking it. You shouldn't have to suffer.
NCGAL63
NCGAL63
Paxil did the same for me. It increased my anxiety and the number of panic attacks I was having before starting the drug. I took it for a month, my doctor told me to go ahead and stick with it and that the side affects should subside... they never did , just got worse. Started having a zapping feeling go through my body when I would start to fall asleep, therefore I wasn't getting any sleep. In that month I think I lost 20 lbs, Couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, felt like I was going insane. Finally went to another doctor. He took me off it slowly and then I started on a low dose of prozac and have been on that for 18 years (I also have fibromyalgia, prozac helps with the serotonin uptake for the pain). I agree with Lucky, trust your gut. By not trusting mine and listening to my doctor I went through a month of hell that was not necessary.
Good luck to you -
Crispymomma
Crispymomma
Hmmm. I am not positive if that is a reaction or not. Are you more stressed about school and the internship right now than you were before? If so the added stress could be increasing the attacks. I know that I had a reaction to Zoloft and Lexapro within days of starting them. I immediately stopped taking both. I contacted my doctor about them and she wasn't very supportive of me stopping the Lexapro so quickly, but I wasn't going to take it. There is no reason to add to our symptoms. I am on Wellbutrin now and the added anxiety is really more mild. After 2 weeks, it seems to be dying down except when I encounter real stress.