I remember having panic attacks as young as 12-13 maybe. I only had 1-3 between then and around 21 when mine "blossomed". It was 2001. Mine started on a trip to the beach. Started freaking out in a Japanese steakhouse. Being away from home didn't help any, either. Once I got back home, I started having a panic attack around the same time every night (7pm) for a week or two. Then started having them throughout the day. I would get the "sheer terror, I am the next in line at the gates of Hell feeling". I couldn't sit still, had to get up a move, but felt weak, like I didn't want to get up and move. Lump in throat, burning sensation in my arms, neck and chest. I would have random muscle spasms and slept like poo. I would dread waking up, knowing it would start all over again. It was around this time I found out that anxiety ran on my fathers side of the family (along with heart trouble). My great grandfather supposedly had it, my grandfather, my father (who died when I was 16), my uncle (who told me all of this), his son, and my other uncle had depression. They have all passed away except the uncle who told me all of this and his son. My earthly inheritance doesn't look so good.....
I was put on Paxil 20mg around that time by a family doctor who told me it was all in my head. The paxil calmed me down from the constant panic and terror to a worry with slight anxiety mode. I then started seeing another doctor who explained that some anxiety/panic is body chemistry and some people just need to take medication the rest of their lives for it, like a diabetic. I asked him about Effexor, since my uncle had mentioned taking it with paxil or by itself. He put me on 75mg Effexor with the 20mg Paxil. It was like winning the lottery, Hallelujah, rainbows and puppies! I remember feeling a cold chill feeling in my spine and tingling on my brain as it started working. I still would have low spots every now and then when I got sick or had too much fun the day before (I called it using up all my happy juice). I was eventually upped to 30mg Paxil and then 150mg Effexor due to my request for swapping jobs and going to a swing shift schedule and working in extreme heat (~120 deg F in the summer).
Well, this past summer, I had a panic attack of doom out of nowhere. I kept my mother up talking until 3am. I would cycle back and forth from feeling calm and sleepy to !PANIC! back and forth for about 2-3 hrs. I had some Valium prescribed to me in the past for as needed basis, which was like 10mg once every 6-12 months. I took one and I might as well have eaten dirt. Didn't feel it do anything. Called my family doctor who upped my prescription to 10mg 3x/day if needed. Had another Whammy night and made another appt. They gave me Xanax (.5 to1 mg every 8hrs if needed). I was afraid to take too much, and have read about addiction and such, so I would take .5 mg or even .25mg to see how it affected me.
Its definitely helped, but I have had anxiety back and forth since July. At my Dr.s request, I got referred to a Psychiatrist. He had me tapered off of Paxil 30mg in 4 weeks, and started me on Propranolol (beta-blocker). After a month, we decided to taper off of Effexor and try Celexa. I tapered off of the Effexor in 6 or 7 weeks. I can't say whether I felt any discontinuation syndrome or not, I don't recall any new symptoms or worse during that time. I have now been on Celexa 20mg for about 2 months. I can go 1-2 weeks feeling good, and then start having some anxiety symptoms. I have gotten good about knowing when they are coming on, and taking .25mg Xanax as needed to curb it. I get ringing in my ears, or a lump in my throat, or a hard to explain physical feeling in my head.
Well, the other night, I had a feeling and took .25 around 7pm. Went to bed at 8:30 (had to be up at 4:40am). started getting a panic attack biggy. So, I tried not to overfreak, and took another .25mg and a Benadryl (when I can't sleep). Dozed off for a bit maybe, and 1hr later was feeling panicky again. Took another .25mg. Around 11pm, I was still anxious/panicky and knew I had to be up at 4:40, took another .25mg. So, around 1mg total over 4hrs. I finally fell asleep, but it was terrible. I would break into sweats with burning feelings on my skin, and then calm down and get cool, then cycle back. I do try breathing exercises when it happens, but when the BIG one's hit, its all bets off. I had just come off of a week of feeling great (still took .25 once a day when symptoms arose) but had eaten sugar a bunch that week as well. I see the Pdoc monday. I will see if he will up the Celexa and see if that helps any. I don't want to rely on the Xanax except last resort once every 6 month deals. I also want to ride out and see if the Celexa is going to do it. I figure if I poop out every 10yrs (or sooner) on each SSRI, then I have 50+yrs ahead of me, so I need to try each option out to its fullest. I do take magnesium, fish oil, B vitamins, multivitamin. I know theres only so many options out there, so I hope upping the Celexa will help.