Scared to take a Xanax - Panic Attack

me3   I am sorry I am just answering you now - our time difference and all, but that is no excuse so please forgive me. It sounds to me like you woke up having a panic attack and not being in your own home made things worse. I know you hate meds and yes they will affect how you feel but on the right meds your life could be much more comfortable.  Your Dr. prescribed the Xanax so weigh your decision on how you feel.  If your freaking out and the med will take the edge off allowing your body to recover from the anxiety - then perhaps choosing the medication is the right thing to do. Next time you have an attack you might try rational thinking. Rational thinking focuses on what's real. It's an important part of managing panic attacks. Rational thoughts rely on facts, not fiction or feelings. They come from things you know. They're from your head and not from your guts. When you think you're dying or stopping breathing during a panic attack, these thoughts are not rational. They come from your guts. And since you're in panic, your guts are wrong. You want to replace these thoughts with logic instead. To help you do this, here are a few facts that you should know: The shortness of breath you feel during an attack is caused by the tightening of your chest and throat muscles. But it's impossible to stop breathing consciously for long periods of time. Just hold your breath and try it, you'll see. This shortness of breath is actually causing you to inhale too much oxygen and making you hyperventilate. Try to breathe more slowly and learn how to control your breathing. Panic attacks do not cause heart attacks. They trigger your instinctive “fight or flight” body response. It happens when you feel like you're in danger. Your heart starts beating very fast, which can lead you to have heart palpitations. But your body will not continue to spiral upwards until it collapses. Your heart is a very strong muscle and can beat very fast for quite some time. The pressure you feel in your chest is simply your chest and throat muscles contracting. This can make it feel like you're having a heart attack, but in reality you're not. Remember this: when you experience a panic attack, your heart will not stop beating. You are not having a heart attack. You will be just fine. When you feel a panic attack coming, acknowledge it as such. Put yourself out of harm's way, and think positive and rational thoughts. Don't trust your gut feelings. Remember that these attacks will not cause you to stop breathing, can't make your heart stop and can't kill you.  

Lexapro has caused me bad reactions in the morning too. Xanex has helped me with my immediate attacks. I was only able to take lexapro for two days. I woke up freaking out instantly. I try to just breathe through it in the morning and I go about my morning, talking myself down. Lexapro was not a good choice. Take the xanex and if you aren't feeling better take a Benedryll too and take a nap.

I was on lexapro for 4 years, it saved my life! When I first started it my doctor also prescribed Xanax to help with the anxiety of starting up. I was very hesitant to take it because I'm fearful of medications. I'm so glad I finally broke down and took it! It brought me great relief and started working quickly!

Best of luck to you!

Hope your getting better. Lexapro is horrid. I see more people on so many different sites complaining about it.

If your having a panic attack that bad I'd say take a Xanax. It will definitely calm you down.

I really hope your doing better at the moment.

In the beginning, I was afraid to take Xanax for a plethora of reasons; i am the queen of unusual side effects, I had been warned it was highly addictive, and been told to use it for panic attacks (which I didn't know at the time I was having). It takes a bit of getting used to, but now i consider it a handy tool in my kit. Don't be afraid of the Xanax. As far as side effects go, I noticed very few (mainly the obvious drowsiness), and after a dew doses I have none. They really do help, especially in cases of waking up mid attack.

I cant speak to the Lexapro specifically, but i cam tell you that any medication like that seems to be hard to get on. I was started on Effexor a year an a half ago, and the first two months were rough. Looking back now, I realize it wasn't just the meds, but adjusting to the disorder too. If your skin is burning and you're miserable, talk to your doc and make sure it's not an allergic reaction. But also know that the side effects may go away in time.

I wish you the best of luck, and my prayers are with you!

*I speak with experience only, not with a medical degree.

Good Morning me3,

 

I was thrilled to see you reached out and found a good person on the call line.  I have heard people that did not like it but I always make up my own mine after reading the pros and cons of the advice I receive from many different resources.

My hubby is much like yours, just having him hold me as I cry my heart out is soothing and sometimes he throws in a soothing back rub.

I have a long list of meds I have been on over the past 31 years and some were good and helped me while others were not so good and I had reactions to the bad ones that made me want to just stop the meds but when I tried that I would start to feel ill and become extremely anxious and my depression would spiral out of control.

Thank God for best friends too.  They always seem to be there when you call them.  Even though it is hard to call a friend as frequently the first thing you may hear is, " What's the matter now?"  I do have a couple of friends who I can call but over the years I have learned to cope and accept that anxiety is part of my life, not who I am.

May your day be filled with sunshine and pleasant thoughts.

Gentle Hugs,

Kitt