Lexapro is a commonly prescribed SSRI and helpful for many many people. 1. If you haven't seen a psychiatrist, do your best to find one. Unfortunately the meds can require a lot of tuning - which can...
How long have you been on the Effexor? The SSRI's take time to build up in your body - and they take time to leave. If you've been on it for awhile, I doubt that missing it once would have a terrible...
They're pretty scary aren't they. It's a very common symptom of panic and anxiety - the more palpitations you have, the more you panic, causing more palpitations, leading to more panic, etc. The...
hopeisreal, Your story is very familiar to me. I know EXACTLY what you're going through. It's good to have the comprehensive workup - especially if you have a history of cancer in your family. In my...
panicgirl - you're surrounded by a crowd of folks that know exactly what you're going through - because they've been there themselves! You're NOT going crazy or losing your mind. I like ocd2010's...
Liz, The symptoms you mention are very common when it comes to anxiety. I once became very worried about having an upcoming physical - and low and behold I began to have abdominal pain. The pain...
My suggestion is this. If the Zoloft helped you before, it will probably help you again. Remember, there's a nasty "breakin" period for a lot of people when they start up on the SSRI's. It can take...
hunniebee, Maybe I missed something, but I feel like I don't have the whole story. Why did your doc cut you off abrubtly from the meds? Why didn't you go to another doc?...
We shouldn't be surprised when our appetites are effected by the SSRI/SNRI class of drugs. Afterall, by design they impact our brain chemistry! Some people lose weight, some people gain. I vote for...
I would get a second or third opinion - finding a good psychiatrist should be given priority. Why are you taking Xanax 3-4 times per day? Is it because you're feeling anxiety? Just going off the...
Tyler, Setbacks are very common as we walk through new seasons of our lives. During the time when your A/P was less pronounced, what good behaviors, activities and thought patterns characterized your...
St. Louis, Mo. We have a big arch and a big muddy river. : ) Lived in Dallas for ten years at the start of the sesquicentennial. There's something about Texas......
You desperately need to see a psychiatrist - preferably referred by someone that you trust. A typical psychiatrist would never withhold medication - they will help you find the right med at the right...
Your next step should be to see a psychiatrist - preferably referred by someone that you trust. You've done a lot of good things......
Ok...so up and at em. What's your plan? Tell me some intentional actions you're going to take starting today. Going to college can be very stressful - BUT WOW - the opportunities! You will find lot's...
Silver - I know this. Your odds of getting better go WAY up when you're actively taking healthy steps. Even small, incremental steps will eventually add up to something significant. Right now, your...
Denim, Could you share with us your husband's history with the SSRI's? What med, what dosage, and how long was he on each. They're notoriously tough for anxiety sufferers to get started on because...
Mom - I used to rail at my counselor about the fact that it wasn't fair that I had an anxiety disorder, that it was completely UNACCEPTABLE. Of course that was ridulous because I do have an axiety...
Is it possible that buspar actually helps some people? Hari is referencing wikipeda - and here's how it defines itself. It's a great tool, but know thy sources......
Mom - you mentioned that "100 mg felt great for a while". Why did you go back down to 50? Hopefully you did that slowly! Cause if you went cold turkey - wow - you'd be asking for a doozy of an AP. :...
classic classic classic symptoms. You're not experiencing anything that hasn't been experienced by most of us here. Sounds VERY similar to my struggles - although I'm much improved!...
Hey george - sounds like you might want to check back with your doc. You've mentioned a lot of different meds in one post... : ) Xanax is to anxiety as aspirin is to a headache (although clearly...
Mom - been there done that. Health anxiety is VERY common amongst us. : ) What dosage of Zoloft are you on? How long have you been on it? In my very UNprofessional opinion, you can do better than...
You mention that you're out of your meds. You need to take care of that ASAP. Going cold turkey off the meds can significantly increase levels of anxiety - and of course the more anxiety you have -...
...of course you've been on medication long enough to know that you should never change your dosage outside of the supervision of a doctor. Because antidepressants effect the way your mind functions,...
I had a similar problem but with my head and neck. Whenever I was in a restaurant with someone, especially if it was stressful situation where I felt the need to appear in control, my head would...
Happy, Are you taking an antidepressant as well? The combination can be remarkably effective for some people - I being one. The bad news is that anxiety is part of being human. If you lose the...
Interestingly I just visited my psychiatrist yesterday. I've been taking 2mg of Xanax before I go to bed for about 6 months now. When things were really bad, I was taking 2mg every 4 hours as needed....
As you can see from reading this thread there are MANY of us that have been exactly where you are. So take heart - your brain's just working against you right now. The good news is that there are...
I agree Jan Marie! That's such an important point....
Wow! That's a lot of stuff to be dealing with at the same time! But believe it or not, you'll find that a lot of us have had the same level of dispair, fear and hopelessness. And often the downward...
Hay, You're doing all of the right thing by seeing a doctor and ruling out purely physical causes. A lot of us here have heart palpitations that at one time or another we thought were heart attacks....
In general, this forum seems to cast therapists in a very poor light. That's unfair to those that genuinely dedicate their professional lives to helping others through emotional illnesses. Sure there...
A lot of people call them heart palpitations. I didn't have them until 5 years or so into my axiety disorder. I visited my doc just to be sure there were no heart issues. It would be prudent to have...
Under high anxiety, the muscles in my neck used to get really tense, and when I'd turn my head I'd get sort of a "zap" like my brain had a power surge or something - for just fraction of a fraction...
But it's not always about what we WANT to do is it. Sometimes it's about doing what we know needs to be done - and what we know will pay emotional dividends (like exercise). : )...
debaser, Two weeks after I graduated from college in 1986 I moved to Dallas to start my career - and I stayed there for 10 years. Dallas will always hold a special place in my heart - two of my kids...
Dilation of the blood vessels is well known to me. When I first developed severe anxiety, it was during the winter. I could never get warm and chills would run down my back throughout the day. At...
The demand for control is the fuel of anxiety. It's like a noose where the more you struggle the tighter the knot draws. A big part of recovery is accepting that anxiety (in varying degrees) is a...
Keli, I'm so sorry you're in such pain. It's good that you saw a doctor to evaluate you from a physiological perspective. Lot's of us here have been through similar experiences...anxiety, depression,...
scw - my email address is available if you'd like to have a dialogue from the perspective of Christianity, suffering and medication. This forum isn't the place for it, but I'd love to have a one on...
scw, Debaser's post is a picture of someone recovering - which is where we all want to be. Read his post again - go to a pychiatrist and get some medication that will help you think more clearly - so...
"self help books are better than therapists, IMO as many therapists dont know much or anything about modern treatment, indeed some dismiss the panic attacks as unimportant" Wow Harry - that's quite a...
It could be colon spasms. I had a lot of gut problems during my really bad anxiety (similar to yours). A lot of it was my body's overreaction to the anxiety. It's not made to operate in panic mode...
keli, What a joyous time to feel so lousy! : ) A therapist will be GREAT for you! This anxiety stuff is hardest thing I've ever been through. The second hardest was quitting smoking. Don't try to out...
pilehead - nice name. : ) You are SO NOT alone in this. Spend a little time browsing through the posts and you'll see the trend. Take the meds as prescribed. I guarantee you there are people around...
kate - trying hard not to have anxiety is the stuff that panic is made of. ESPECIALLY at night. At night you abandon yourself to sleep - it's a time of profound vulnerability. You're unconscious...
True - you can't make him take it. But if you walk up to him and suggest he take it, will he generally? Or will he put you off? Either way, you've done your part. I would dare say that most of us...
hardspacecore - you're cracking me up! : ) You're doing what's called "fortune telling". Come on - admit it - you really have very little idea what's going to happen at your appointment. You've...
Denim, You can really help your husband by gently encouraging him each night to take the medication - even if you have get a glass of water and take it to him. Skipping dosages only prolongs the pain...