Almost daily panic attacks now.

This one started an hour ago. Intense burning in my shoulders now, Did have a good sized tension headache earlier but it's gone. I started the Effexor XR 75mg and felt good in the morning. But now this again. So far this week I've had the same thing happen everyday except Monday I think.

I also had a bout of nausea, stomach upset, pain this past week. Never usually.

I've dealt with anxiety for 3 years now but never to this degree. It's seriously affecting me and I just want to go to the ER when I feel like this. I'm not sure whats causing it but I'm scared and want it to stop.

Meds
Lisinopril 20mg
Prilosec 20mg 2x daily
Alprazolam 0.5 tablets, I take 3mg a day
Escitalopram 20mg starting June 10th, was on 10mg prior with no issue.
Effexor XR 75mg started today
Mirtazapine 15mg at bedtime
Remicade 10mg/kg June 10th

I'm sorry you are feeling panic attacks so often, it's not a good feeling, believe me, I know!

Sending calming vibes your way.

Hi there. Hope you feel better soon! I know what your going through! Let me tell you what Ive been dealing with.

about a months ago i started to get a constant tightness in my chest and a general not feeling well symptom. So I went to the ER. The ER did a chest xray, ECG, and blood work which all came back normal. The doctor gave me a pill and said she'd check on my in an hour the pill was a muscle relaxer which took the tightness away. I felt better. She gave me a prescription to clonazepam 10 tablets that i was suppose to take twice a day. I did this and made an appointment with my family doctor. MY family doctor prescribed me with cipralex and gave me a prescription to clonazepam for when my anxiety gets worse. That week taking the cipralex i was fine. Until friday night. I went to bed and shorty after a felt this burning sensations like my skin was on fire that went up my upper boddy, neck,arms,and face. Which brought on a pnaic attack. So i laid there shaking,heart racing, tingles, sweating, mouth dry, debating to go to the hospital untill i passed out. The next day I would get burning sensations in my upper body same places and even at times my legs below the knees would get cold. This brough on another trip to the ER. This time i dont think the doctor understood what i was saying because she said it was acid reflux and gave me something for that. So the next day i went to my clinic and saw a doctor there who said i should stop taking cipralex for a couple weeks and see if the symptoms go away. So the next day i didnt take my cipralex. but i went to the ER again cause of my pounding chest and overall not feeling well. This time a different hospital. They took an ecg which came back normal. They said i shouldn't stop taking cipralex i haven't been on it long enough for it to actual start working and to keep taking that sometimes it will make your anxiety worse before getting better. She said your heart is fine its very unlikley almost impossible to be anything to do with your heart and such. Anyways It's tough i get weird sensations in my left arm/shoulder and all those symptoms.

Latley ive been feeling not well, cloudy headed and feel like panic attack can happen at any moment through my day.

Just wanted to let you know im going through some of the same things. I REALLY hope you get well soon! It is tought to deal with but stay strong!

Today I woke up and immediately had the arm pain. Saw my GI today, still in pain. Now I'm at home, arm is better, now I have a burning sensation in my stomach.

Pretty sure my body is just reacting to having stressful days at this point. It just the burning sensation / pain is new and quite strong for me which increases the anxiety and so on.

I see my Psych the 24th.

Doing my best. At the moment I'm having a burning in both upper arms and across my stomach... really hard to ignore. Still feeling like its not anxiety. Ugh. Stupid brain...

Today. Mainly headache, some nausea. had some nice chest pain earlier but it went away. I'm sure I'm dealing with reflux since I'm under all this stress, I know I felt it yesterday. So far no burning in the arms today.

So I'm wondering if the upped Lexapro dose was causing that. I've been back on 10mg for 2 days now.

Overall, improvement I think. Yesterday was rough and I did a lot of googling trying to figure out why I would have burning pain in my left arm, or my stomach and back all of a sudden.

I know anxiety can do it and you can have different symptoms from one attack to the next. But I have a hard time trying to get my brain off those thoughts of it being something.

I just wanted to share something with you. Many years ago I began having numbness in my hand that would travel up my arm. I was not anxious at the time btw. I mentioned this to a co worker and she said that someone she knew was being tested for MS because she had the same thing. Well that started me on a downward spiral of he'll. I began symptom searching and you know something? Alot of the symptoms I had seen, I began experiencing! I was absolutely certain that I had this disease and I was going to end up in a wheelchair, unable to care for my toddler. After neuro tests, doc apps, mri of my noggin, I was told nope no MS. You know I still didn't believe them. After all how could I have all these symptoms??? It was then when I decided to go on celexa because I had a child that needed his mom to be well. After starting the celexa, not only did all of those symptoms go away, but so did my irrational fears of them. The medication allowed me to put things in perspective and realize just how strong the power of the mind is! Many years later ( still on celexa ) I had a very stressful drive home from the lake but maintained my composure throughout. We got home safe and sound. The next morning as I woke up, I noticed my heart beating strangely. I did not panic whatsoever. I asked my husband to put his ear to my heart and he said " Whoa what's going on in there?" Still didn't panic. I was completely calm. Now I admit I was thinking heart issues but still felt calm. Next thing you know, my arm is going numb! OK so now I'm concerned but still no panic. Called the health links line and she told me to call an ambulance. Instead I drove to the EL and got checked out. I was not in any way scared or panicked. The hooked me up and all was perfect and told me I was having PALPATATIONS! They explained that some people notice them more than others and they are totally normal! Anyway I'm not minimizing your experience in any way, but rather relating. I brought on the symptoms because I focused on them. Of course it's always important to be sure, but we need to trust the doctors and accept that anxiety can do some pretty nasty stuff to us. I know you will get better because you are being proactive about your meds and your life. Please know that I along with many others here do understand! ! Peace

Is the Remicade a new Rx for you? And just for clarification, you recently switched from Cipralex to Lexapro?

I would ask your prescribing docs about this as a possible sided effect/discontinuation issue, or even call your pharmacist, as they can often answer these types of questions for you.

I am sorry that you are still not feeling well.:( Frustrating to to try to discern exactly what is going on between something anxiety related, med induced or physical.

I hope that you get relief and answers soon!

S.C.

Ishiman,

I am so sorry to know you continue to have problems that keep bothering you.

The most common side effects of infliximab are upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, cough, rash, back pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, weakness and fever. Side effects such as low or high blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty breathing, rash, itching, fever and chills may occur during or shortly after administration.

The half-life of Remicade ( infliximab) is 8 to 9.5 days - that is a  long half life.  A medication's half-life is how long it takes for half of it to be eliminated from the bloodstream. In medical terms, the half-life of a drug is the time it takes for the plasma concentration of a drug to reach half of its original concentration.

In most patients, infliximab could be detected in the serum for at least 8 weeks after the recommended single dose of 5 mg/kg for Crohn's disease and the rheumatoid arthritis maintenance dose of 3 mg/kg every 8 weeks.

By now you are wondering why I am carrying on about Remicade ?  Some of your sx match side effects from Remicade and with a long half life I would encourage you to call your Dr. and ask if you could possibly be having a drug reaction and what is the treatment if the drug is Remicade ( infliximab)?

Even if you have been on this drug for awhile does not mean you cannot develop a reaction to the medication. Also this drug can accumulate in your system; I am sure your Drs. are watching your Liver Function Tests.

This drug can be the best thing that ever happened for you or your worse nightmare, much like many of the potent chemotherapy drugs.

Most of us on potent drugs have anxiety re our drugs, side effects and feeling ill from the medications.  I am not a Dr. and I am not saying Remicade is your problem but I do feel it is worth talking with your Dr. to clarify if this medicine is part of your problems.

I wish you peace.

Kindly,

Kitt