Panic Attacks Support Group
A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, and sensations of choking or smothering. Panic attacks can be very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often...
So i technically didnt grieve "right" by this i mean that i avoided everything that included accepting the fact that i lost my father in February. I would just lay in bed, avoid answering the "how are you?" question, avoided doing things that would make me remember and that would cause me to be upset. So i was put on Zoloft in August, it worked, and then in September my doctor told me to take 1 and 1/2 instead of 1. 2 weeks after taking the 1 and 1/2 of Zoloft, i had a panic attack. My thoughts were going crazy, i felt dizzy, hot and cold, and i felt like NOT ME. Like i was a totally different person or something, it was a weird feeling and i didnt like it one bit but i know that i dont want to feel like that ever again(and i did for the rest of the week. This happened just last week) Now today i saw my doctor and told him all of this and he said "im not worried about you having panic attacks, the medication you're on is supposed to make anxiety worse before it gets better." well i've never had a panic attack until Tuesday. I dont know if its the medication or if its something thats happening because i didnt grieve "properly" i mean i know that there is no one way to grieve but still, i dont know whats going on.
You know yourself better than the Dr. does so go with your gut. If it feels like it's the meds making you panic then decrease them or go off them. There are many meds out there you can try that won't cause you to panic.
I hope this eases up for you soon.
Take care
perhaps stop taking all antidepressants for a while
panic attacks, also called anxiety attacks are a false triggering of the fight or flight response,
google fight or flight response for all the possible effects of it. panic
attacks often are inherited. they cant harm anyone so should not be feared. when
feeling stressed or panicky simply relax and breathe deep and slow. dont tense
up or fight back against it. do disolve any mid range valium type pill under
tongue for fastest help, google sublingually. agoraphobia is avoiding or
fearing places or situations likely to cause a panic attack. Ive found that the
best advice in overcoming both is in cheap self help books from internet
bookstores, order a few to be delivered to you by mail. therapists, especially
psychiatrists often give little advice and consider the panic attacks as
unimportant. they waste time and are often expensive, also their advice is hard
to remember as most patients are very nervous. valium type meds are still
the best for reducing or stopping a panic attack, if taken to hospital, the
usual treatment is an injection of valium. antidepressant meds help some a lot
but sufferers can have severe early side effects so start at much less than the
min dose range and slowly work dose up, google the antidepressant dose range for
guidance. valium reduces early side effects. antidepressants take from 2 to 6
weeks to start working and occasionally never help. the prozac or SSRI type are
popular but other types also help and so can be tried. older sedating
antihistamines calm some. valium type must be used sensibly but its been my long
experience that few sufferers have addictive type personalitys,t he main problem
being to get them to take a large enough dose rather than stopping them from
taking too high a dose the fight or flight response can become a strong
addiction, people activate it with dangerous sports, downhill skiing, bungee
jumping, parachute jumping, etc so some panic attack sufferers refuse to make
any attempt to recover or to take helpful meds. panic attack and agoraphobia
sufferers dont usually lead very stressfull lives. they become expert at seeming
calm and relaxed whan actually panicky I had panic attacks and severe
agoraphobia for 20 years before diagnosing myself and am now completely recovered
The doc put me on Lexapro. After 1 dose my anxiety went through the roof. Like full panic attack mode every few hours. It was terrible!!!!! I called the pharmacist and she told me that it was unlikely that the small dosage (and only 1 time) was to blame for my symptoms. I also called my doctor and she pretty much told me the same thing.
However, like another member told you.... I knew my body better then they do and I KNEW my body was not agreeing with this drug. I went back on the Paxil and have been back to my old happy go lucky self with mild (bearable) panic attacks here and there and no general anxiety.
There are other meds out there. Maybe this one just isn't for you?