HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

anxiety/panic attacks

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/10/2013 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Lyme and Bartonella. How do you deal with anxiety/panic attacks. It hurts and its happening right now even after prozac
Posted 3/11/2013 12:23 AM (GMT 0)
Anxiety attacks are aweful. I am quite experienced with them. Prozac usually helps this problem as long as you are taking an adequate dose. Most people that I know usually take 50-60mg/day. Anti anxiety pills, such as Klonopin, Zanax ect.. are much more effective but are habit forming. I would stick with the Prozac and maybe consider upping your dose?
Posted 3/11/2013 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
I myself had horrific anxiety before and during treatment. It is one of the worst symptoms. I took xanax and could not function without it. As treatment continued, I weaned myself off no problem and today have absolutely no anxiety problems at all.

Do not be afraid to take something. You will not get well if your body cannot approach healing in a good way.
Posted 7/19/2013 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
I had to bring this back up...I thought it was time to wean from the anxiety meds (just going to half a pill). I guess today was not the best day to try it. What were the signs for some people when you knew it was okay wean from them? My ENT is afraid that my poor gait that I have sometimes won't heal as fast as long as I'm on the anxiety meds but he doesn't understand Lyme and how some of us have to be on them just to get through the day and to heal.

So let me know the signs??? I'm physically getting better but I don't want to do anything to fast that will harm my healing. Thanks.
Posted 7/19/2013 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
That kind of depends on what meds you are taking, Wryter. Some meds need to be weaned off of very slowly in very small amounts (that's what I'm having to do with one med) and others you just need to be sure that you are ready to wean off of them.
Posted 7/19/2013 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
Wryter, would you mind sharing what benzo you are on and how much you are taking daily?  The best way to withdraw from this drug is to cut 10% of your daily dose every 7 to 14 days.  Some people cut faster and some slower.  Never updose.  A good way to determine if you should come off the benzo is if you become tolerant of the med (need more to alleviate the symptoms) which will eventually cause a lot more problems.  A good site to visit is benzobuddies.org.  I don't necessarily agree with the slow tapers.  I do understand the need to take a benzo; did so myself for 4 months after a cns toxic reaction to Levaquin.  Hindsight, I never would have touched the Xanax because the withdrawals were horrific.  By the way, I came off 1 mg Xanax in a little over a month.  Many of the withdrawal symptoms parallel with Lyme's disease and its co-infections so it was hard to tell what was what for me.

Patty

Post Edited (summer16) : 8/8/2013 3:29:40 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/19/2013 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
I'm one who has to do the slow tapers. If I don't, I get so hyper that I literally can't sit still - worse than any kid!!! I have to bounce my leg, move my hands, and then finally I get up and go do something after 10 minutes because I just can't take it any longer!! LOL!

On the other hand, I sure did get a lot done that week! smilewinkgrin

So be careful, watch for issues and go as slow as your body dictates would be my advice.
Posted 7/20/2013 4:17 AM (GMT 0)
A scared as I get I tell myself I'm fine and ride it out. Its happened so many times that I'm finally able to convince myself that it will pass and I will be fine. No more Unproductive ER visits for me. It just feeds the fire when they say there's nothing wrong. I refused to take drugs to fix the problem for fear of dependency and think it helped me to overcome the panic attacks by facing them head on.
Posted 7/20/2013 4:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Will,
I don't think I've welcomed you yet, so welcome to our little community!! Please read the thread that sits at the top of the forum, "New to Lyme? Start here!" as it's packed with vital information.

As for your anxiety attacks - have you had your T4 for your thyroid tested and also have you had the 24 hour saliva test for your adrenals? Often anxiety attacks for us are driven by low functioning thyroid &/or adrenals. Ignoring this will only lead to your adrenals crashing (life threatening situation) or possible thyroid failure.
Posted 7/20/2013 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
I'm on .5 mg of Lorazapam. I only take it once a day. I have a double whammy, the anxiety due to Lyme and coinfections and spots on my cerrebellum which also causes anxiety, depression, poor gait and controls your motor skills. There was a day this week where .5 was too much then the rest of the days I took my usual. So maybe I'm a slow taper. I can feel my body healing and want to help it but not come off something too fast.

Thanks for the info, I will listen to my body and maybe its ready for a slow taper :-) stay tuned.
Posted 7/20/2013 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the welcome Traveler! As to not commit a thread hijacking I'll post my story later today when I get some time. I'm sure its not much different from many haha...
Posted 7/20/2013 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
It's always a bit different for each of us! I'll be looking for your post! I'm sure that many will chime in with suggestions as well.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply