New member here, saying Hello!

Hey there! I just found this forum and figured I'd sign up because from lurking through here, it seems like many of you share the same problems as me.

My name is Jake, I'm 23, and I've had issues with anxiety for the last 4 years. I've never been much of a 'social butterfly', always been more of a shut in keep to myself kind of guy. But never had issues until 4 years ago. One day I was with some family going through town, and all of a sudden I started having a really bad panic attack (though I didn't know what it was at the time). It lasted for only a few minutes, but it was pure hell. As weeks went by, it kept happening, but only when I was in a car, or when I knew I had to go somewhere. I'd get completely irrational fears (of storms flipping the car, car breaking down, even odd things like what if I have to go to the bathroom and can't make it because I'm stuck in the car), and eventually, it stopped me from leaving the house for ~2 years.

Then one day I had a MASSIVE break down that lasted nearly a month. It was like I was in a constant state of panic and couldn't calm down. I couldn't eat, it was hard to sleep, and I even went to the ER twice because I couldn't get myself to calm down. I finally went and seen my doctor and she put me on 10mg Lexapro (off-brand escitalopram). After a week and some change, it was like night and day. After about a year, I moved up to 20mg and it worked even a bit better than the 10mg was. I still got panic attacks every now and then, but they were manageable, and, so long as I prepared myself mentally, I could go places in cars again.

about two months ago, I decided with my doctor to try 40mg, just to see how I responded. I was on it for about a week and decided it wasn't worth it. It made me extremely nauseous, which in turn gave me panic attacks, and some slight headaches. I wasn't sure if it was from serotonin toxicity or not, but I just started cutting my 40's in half and taking them as 20's again, which made me feel loads better.

Today though, around noon, I had a massive panic attack out of nowhere. I was just reading and all of a sudden, BOOM! I thought it was because I had an upset stomach which was causing me to over-worry. Anywas, it lasted about an hour or so, and then sort of calmed down a bit, so I took a nap for several hours. After waking up my stomach was still upset, but the panic attack is very minor. I'm still having it, but it's very light, with only slight bursts of real panic. Hopefully by tomorrow it goes away. I know I'm not in any real danger, and I've dealt with this many times before, but I can't help but feel like, "OMG! The world is ending! I'm going to die! AHHHHHHHH!" If you know what I mean.

If you read this far, thanks for reading my rant. I'm glad I found a place where I can post about and discuss my issues without people looking at me funny or (even worse, IMHO) telling me to, "Just calm down." I hate it when people say that. If it were really that simple, I think I'd have done that by now.

Thanks for reading,
-Jake

"Why don't you just snap out of it", or just get ahold of yourself",
These people have never had a panic attack and they will never
understand what its like. You are in the right place and you will
get some great support here, you also need to check our resources page much self help. In short stay with us you will
read your own story here many times over. Peace


Larry ***

Just found something that made me wonder. Lexapro is ESciatlopram. My bottle just says Citalopram, which isn't Lexapro, it's Celexa. And from what I can tell, the dosages don't cross over 1:1. So I'm wondering if that's why I've been really anxious again these last few days.

EDIT: Called my pharmacy, they said there was nothing they could do without my doc. Well, my docs office is closed on the weekends, but I managed to get a hold of the on call doctor. She told me that I could either try to ride it out until monday, or go ahead and take another 20mg of the Celexa to bump up my serotonin levels and see if that helps. She said if it doesn't go away to go to the ER. So I went ahead and took another 20mg (its been less than 12 hours since I took the last 20mg) and I'm hoping it helps a little. Once Monday gets here I'm going to get this straightened out and get back on my Lexapro 20's.

Post Edited (ThumbtackJake) : 5/17/2014 8:21:13 AM (GMT-6)

Spent 8 hours in the ER (it was sooooo packed). Couldn't handle the lexapro withdrawals. they gave me saline, zofran, and .5mg of atavan. Got a script for my correct meds too. Very tired. Gonna try and eat a little then hit the hay.

Just took my 20mg Lexapro after being off for a month. I think I'm making myself worse. XD Just nervous because I'm scared of going back on it after dealing with those crappy withdrawal symptoms, don't want any side effects from going back on. It's probably just the anxiety from the withdrawal making me feel like this. Hopefully I feel better shortly.

Hey Jake I can truly sympathize with your struggles, initially I was given Zoloft which was an incredible medication for me, when it lost its effect and I couldn't up my dose my doctor switched me to Paxil which made me end up in the ER and I had to quit it immediately I had a very bad adverse reaction.

So then my Psychiatrist put me on Lexapro, but he started me out at only 5mgs knowing how I can freak out taking medications, I handled it pretty well after the first 4 days I didn't seem to have issues with the medication. I am now up to 15mg and will be going up to 20mg soon. I know everyone's body is different and some can tolerate increasing to higher doses quickly and some can't, I'm one of those that has to take it slowly and that has worked better for me.

I have never been told I could ever be on 40 mgs of lexapro, my doctor said the normal therapeutic level is 20mg's but with me I may need 30 mg. He also stated if weed ever becomes legal that might help me with my panicking I then informed him that smoking weed does the complete opposite to me than most people, it makes me panic, he said then I am in the 1 % on that one

I have a feeling my doctor (well, she's a nurse practitioner) might be full of crap if she told me 40mg of Lexapro would be okay. Good thing I never did take it, I imagine that'd be worse than being switched from 20mg Lexapro to 20mg Celexa then having to switch back.

Third day on 10mg. I took some benadryl (25mg, confirmed it was okay with a nurse at my docs office) with it and got about 5 hours of sleep (and had a 3-4 hour nap earlier in the day). My stomach is rumbling right now, and I'm a bit shaky. Maybe I should have just went right back to 20mg like before instead of starting with 10mg. I see my nurse practitioner Friday so hopefully I feel better by then or she could give me some better insight.