OCD/ PANIC ATTACKS PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!!!!!!!!

Hello !! I am 23 years old and I am an Pure O / OCD sufferer and anxiety and panic since i was 10, I don't drink, smoke or do anything else. I discovered I had OCD and anxiety when i was 21 and before i tried , lexapro , zoloft and paxil. I have serious problems with my Anxiety right now , after having a very stressful summer. I have to travel to see my fiance that i have not seen in the last 1 year. I have been 10 mg of Lexapro for anxiety and OCD for 1 year I take it at night , it helped with my anxiety but not with OCD. And now its not helping me with my panic or anxiety. My worse problems are panic and extremely annoying heart palpitations, I have them all day and those lead me to panic attacks specially in the morning when i wake up my heart can't stop beating . My doctor( he is not a psychologist) gave me .5 mg of xanax , it helps for 4 hours and it doesn't get rid of my palpitations, it makes me sleepy. Then he gave me .25 or .50 klonopin and it made me so depressed very very depressed. I tried to take 15 mg of Lexapro and I felt like I was dying !!
ITs very annoying that i have to travel and every time I move or do anything The heart palpitations attack !! specially when I wake up. I want to see my fiance i have not seen him in 1 year i adore him and i feel sad and guilty that I can't be normal and not have any problem. I cried a lot today because i want to travel and not have a panic attack on the airport or when i am with him. But whatever I do the heart palpitations doesn't stop.

MY question is ,what is causing the heart palpitations? lexapro? anxiety?
should I take the xanax? what should i do?


PLEASE HELP ME !!!!

Post Edited (Lunakg1) : 8/20/2012 9:43:27 PM (GMT-6)

Hi and welcome Lunakg1 :)

You are right...we do understand and that is what makes this place great...the care and support and sharing common issues with each other. We are glad that you have joined us and encourage you to post anytime!

Have you looked into or considered therapy? If it is an option for you at all, I highly recommend it. I have been greatly relieved of panic disorder and have learned to manage my anxiety pretty well with the help of it.:)

We also have a great Resource Guide here on our main page. It is full of really good self-help ideas that you can get started on right away. The links for breathing and relaxation exercises will be especially helpful for your upcoming trip if you practice them everyday!

Keep posting with us as well. We will be here to listen, support and cheer you on.;)

Talk to you soon,

Scaredy Cat

Oh I am sorry to hear that it has come back...it tends to happen at different points in our lives. I suggest talking to your doctor and see what he/she says about re-visting therapy. Often even if we have tried it before...if we keep at it, something will 'click' and we start toward recovery again.

In the meantime try the self-help techniques...they are good and effective. Also self-help books available for puchase and borrowing at the library are great...read as many as possible, and pull from each what works for you!

Keep posting too:)

S.C.

Lunakg1 I so feel for you!! I so wish I could tell you exactly what to take or what combo of things to do to help you. I am going thru a similar thing as you. Last few weeks every time I wake up my heart feels like it's trying to leap out of my chest. But I'm not on really any meds besides the rare klonopin, so my thought is that it's the anxiety causes your heart palpitations. What I do is either take a bath or get bundled up some where comfortable and just try to take deep breaths.

Do you drink much caffeine in the mornings? I have to be careful about my caffeine intake.

Meds are so tricky because there is a ton of different types out there and it's often a trial and error type of thing to find out what works best for your body. I think it is so great that at least you are aware enough of how the meds affect you. My advise is to keep talking with your doctor to try different things.. tell him/her your side effects.. maybe see about having a psychiatrist prescribe you the meds? What ever you do just don't give up on travelling completely.. that just leads to a downward spiral of anxiety winning over your life.

Warm healing wishes.

thank you so much everyone for this advices, yes i have seen a psychiatrist . I really don't know why is this anxiety so bad this time, but i am going to travel whatever i feel or happens !! because if i dont i am afraid ill become agoraphobic or something :S!!! AND i love going out !!

I fear having panic attacks but as my doctor told me once, if i dont do it my mind will keep fearing it . So I will travel even if I get a panic attack the worse thing it can happen is faint :D!

I just came back from my trip, yes I did had panic attacks all the way to the place but once there I was feeling kind of a little better I would have a mini panic attack. And then it would be gone in 10 sec, my fiance was with me so he was just made me feel better. The flights or traveling does not cause me panic attacks , i fear the panic attack itself in public places or in any particular place. I fear panic attacks itself. Then I been taking Xanax just to sleep, and it has worked I can sleep and everything fine but I ran out of lexapro so I took like 5 mg a day then i didnt took it for one day. I took it last night and :S!!! i was fine I took it toguether xanax and I had the worse ringing and buzzing sensations in my life. like in my ears and head then like a weird shakings on my body. So I am just wondering why is that ? The heart palpitations are back this morning full force !! I have to go to college like that yes I could have a panic attack there but what can I do!! :(