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I don't think my meds are working and anxiety attacks

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Posted 6/15/2008 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
Well here I am again.  Desperate for answers.  I just got back from San Fran and it was horrible.  See I live in a small town and going there just put me in a panic.  I have been having panic attacks for the last four days.  I feel like it's not getting better.  I am having dreadful thoughts.  My doc just uped my dosage of 1.5 of Lamitical to 200 mg.  I don't feel a thing.  It's been since Monday since things have been going down hill.  Chest tightening, sleepy, losing my breath, not happy to see my kids, feel guilt.  Why???  The meds work for a week then wear off.  I saw my doc last Monday and he suggested I take Zoloft with my next PMS cycle.  Well I am not PMSing anymore and still feel horrible.  I can't take Lexapro, or Cymbalta.  It makes me wanting to kill myself.  Anyone ever have experience with Lamitical not working?  Help
Posted 6/15/2008 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hi trinity,

are you on something specifically for your anxiety -- oh, I see, zoloft. Is the Zoloft new? I would guess the zoloft is the problem if it is, because you were already on the lamictal and it might not have been working great but it wasn't causing you any problems. Call the doc back. Tell him you need to see him soon, you're having a hard time.

serafena
Posted 6/15/2008 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Not on Zoloft yet. Still Lamitical. 200mg. He suggested Zoloft along with Lamitical for my next PMS cycle. I am afraid if I have Seratonin Syndrom I will poison myself. I feel like getting off the drugs all together. I feel out of control.
Posted 6/15/2008 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
The Lamictal wouldn't cause serotonin syndrome. You'd need to be on a serotonin-activating drug to get that, and if all you're taking is lamictal, you're in the clear. Lamictal does have a weak affect on serotonin, but is more affective on sodium and amino acids. Plus, to get serotonin syndrome, "Serotonin syndrome most often occurs when two drugs that affect the body's level of serotonin are taken together at the same time. The drugs cause too much serotonin to be released or to remain in the brain area." You're not taking any at the moment, so I REALLY doubt you have seratonin syndrome. For example, if you were taking Zoloft and Effexor, you might have a slight chance of developing the syndrome, but you're not.

Naturally I'm not a doctor, but I think you should trust yours and give your new regimen a chance. Don't give up on the Zoloft before you've even had a chance to try it. And certainly don't go off to the lamictal without your doctor's help, that would only make you feel much, much worse.

serafena
Posted 6/16/2008 12:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hey. I have panic attacks too. I take Ativan for them and that helps. As soon as I feel like I might have one coming on, I take one and it curbs the symptoms and calms me down. Perhaps you should see if your doc could prescribe you something like Ativan or Xanax (my mom takes that for her panic attacks). I agree with Serafena about the Lamictal. I took it for several months but it didn't work for me. It does take it a while to kick in good when you change the dosage.

Hope you feel better soon.

Missflip
Posted 6/16/2008 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
That's relieving that someone else has not had any affect w/ Lamictal. I have been on it since April. My husband suggests maybe getting off the Lamictal because I was fine up until April. That was a bad month for me. Stress due to him being gone three weeks w/ two little ones. What side effects do you get when you come off of it? I am not good w/ SSRI's, so I don't what else to turn to. I have a call into my doc for tomorrow a.m. I am thinking I need to stop the Lamictal. Any suggestions?
Posted 6/16/2008 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, me again. I came off Lamictal and immediately started Tegretol which works for me. I have been on Tegretol since 2005. It works great for me. I am pregnant right now and came off of it the first 22 weeks because of birth defects that it may cause. My pdoc just put me back on it at a low dose on Thursday; it helps with my panic attacks too. I get them bad when I am pregnant; not so much when I am not pregnant. I didn't have any side effects that I am aware of when I came off the Lamictal but I was immediately on Tegretol so I couldn't tell you if they were Tegretol side effects or Lamictal. I did have headaches at first.

I also forgot to tell you that when I feel a panic attack coming on (I know that sometimes we don't always feel them coming), I start deep breathing through my nose and out my mouth. I just try to focus on the breathing. Of course, that may not work for you but it helps me.

I hope everything works out for you. Panic attacks are an awful experience. Keep us updated.

Missflip
Posted 6/16/2008 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
MissFlip,

Thanks for the information. Still jittery this a.m. I want to be alone, but find myself more depressed when I am. I think I am strongly going to suggest Depakote to my doc. I took it over three years ago for anxiety at night and never felt so wonderful. I just wonder how I am going to introduce Depakote with weening off Depakote. I took it at night w/ Xanax. I am still taking Xanax at night for sleep. Thanks again.

Hugs,

Trinity
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