Connect with Uncommon Knowledge
|
|
|
Panic Attacks and Anxiety Resources
|
|
|
|
|
Diana29
New Member
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Posts: 4
Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:14 am
|
| Citalopram side effects |
 |
Hi, I've been on citalopram for 5 days and I feel worse than ever, having major panic attacks. I've also been given vallium to help me control these. I feel sick, dizzy, drunk, just awful. I haven't got out of bed for the last few days. I just can't cope with this. I spoke to my doctor who said these side effects should pass.
I have a 1 yr old daughter who I can't look after at the moment, my husband has taken time off work for the next couple of days, but after that he will have to go back. I just feel so awful I won't be able to cope if these feelings haven't lifted.
I'm so scared, can anyone help? |
Jinx
Junior Member
Joined: 03 Aug 2006
Posts: 20
Mon Sep 04, 2006 10:50 am
|
My partner has been on Citalopram for 3 weeks now. During the first couple of weeks he was anxious, tense, nauseous, he could not sleep, could not eat as it made him feel sick and he was just not hungry. He is starting to come out the other side but its not been easy, he wanted to stop taking it at the first hurdle. He can now sleep, no longer feels sick, he can eat and his appetite is back. He is still very anxious and sits there digging his nails into his hands really hard without realising he is doing it. Every night we do relaxation techniques, The Priory do a really good one you can call them and order it. We also do worry time and practice his cognitive therapy. Slowly we are getting there. |
paulff
New Member
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Posts: 4
Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:10 pm
|
| dear Diana |
|
im sorry to read your having side-effects from your medication. these will pass and try not to worry that they wont, because they will and you wont feel so bad. since i started taking citolpram i feel so much better.
alot of what happens when we suffer from anxiety is put there by the anixety itself, the more you try to relax the better you will feel. its the worry that makes us worse.
you will be fine looking after your child. if you feel tense or anxious at anytime try to say to yourself 'well its happening but it will pass' thats what i always used to do.
hope this helps a little.
xx |
Smoothnewt
New Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 3
Location: UK
Tue Sep 05, 2006 7:05 pm
|
| Sweaty with Citalopram! |
|
Hi all,
I was prescribed Escitalopram last Autumn (5mg) but due to reasons of cost my GP had to change it to Citalopram (10mg) a couple of months ago. Since then I've noticed that I've become really, really sweaty. I'd noticed it a bit on the Escitalopram but it's now getting beyond a joke. The slightest exertion, or eating hot food (whether spice or temperature) has me sweating like crazy from my head - so that it's trickling down my face, and my hair's wringing wet. Each morning my pillow is sodden.
This is beginning to really get on my nerves! I can only assume it's the Citalopram as I've never experienced this before. It's getting so that I am refusing to go out for meals because I don't want to have to sit there mopping my face!
Anyone got any ideas? Would changing the meds to an alternative SSRI make any difference?
Thanks for your feedback. |
scampo
Senior Member
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 2082
Location: UK - East Midlands
Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:33 pm
|
I think it's a known side effect but I should think that it is supposed to wear off. I have noticed myself getting hot more often and sweaty (and I'm into my fifth week on the tablets), but thankfully not to excess. Maybe your doctor would switch you back to Cipralex - I hope cost is not all that important to him or her compared to your well being? |
Smoothnewt
New Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 3
Location: UK
Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:02 pm
|
Hi Scampo,
I feel bad about demanding a higher cost treatment for something that isn't life-threatening, just annoying. But I'm sitting here with the perspiration dripping off the end of my nose! I can but ask I suppose.
Cheers |
scampo
Senior Member
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 2082
Location: UK - East Midlands
Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:04 pm
|
I can't imagine it's that expensive - I have a friend taking it and it is widely prescribed on the NHS, I'm fairly sure. Sweating is no fun - mind you, around here tonight, we're all sweaty thanks to it being so clammy. |
Jinx
Junior Member
Joined: 03 Aug 2006
Posts: 20
Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:55 pm
|
My partner is exactly the same, he has been taking it for just over 3 weeks now and just can't cope with the sweating, I am begging him to hold on for 6 weeks to let it kick in properly but he is so anxious and the sweating is really bad, he wakes and the bed is soaked, just walking to the station which is 10 minutes down the road and he is soaked. Please if you suffered the same side effects have they worn off and how long did it take? |
UKONECUP
New Member
Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 15
Mon Sep 18, 2006 10:41 am
|
| OVERCOMING ANXIETY & PANIC ATTACKS |
|
One of the most frightening things you may find yourself experiencing is a "Panic attack" and it is very difficult to fully explain how it feels unless you have experienced one. The very first Panic attack often seems to come completely "out of the blue" and occurs whilst you are doing something that you do every day like driving to work, shopping, walking the dog, watching TV, cooking etc. Suddenly you are struck by a barrage of frightening and uncomfortable symptoms and you are convinced that something terrible is going to happen to you there and then.
Panic attacks can start for many reasons such as stress, overworking, bereavement, family, an accident, childbirth, following surgery and so on but at the time panic strikes for the first time you think you are doing fine and there seems to be no apparent reason at all. If you have subsequent panic attacks they too may seem to be unpredictable and random. There is now emerging evidence that anxiety and panic may have a genetic link.
People that have never had a Panic attack assume that that it is just a feeling of nervousness or anxiety, but in reality the attacks are far more frightening and overwhelming. If nervousness is a 3 on a scale of 1-10, then a full blown panic attack is 11.
What often happens next is that you begin to associate the Panic attack with the activity or place you were at the time so you start to avoid that situation. This is where the problems begin as each time you are forced into the situation that caused the attack, you automatically assume that it will happen again and start to re-live the feelings and this leads to agoraphobia and limiting of activities and leading a normal life.
Panic disorder can be frightening, disabling, and frustrating both to recover from and to live with someone with it.
Getting appropriate and quick medical help is not easy and the slide from anxiety to panic and then to agoraphobia can progress quickly without intervention and support.
Often the sufferer will not go out as they say they 'know' they are going to faint or 'have a heart attack'.
As Panic can strike very quickly and often the trigger is not apparent, there is usually little warning that it is about to happen. It is not surprising; therefore, that many sufferers avoid situations that they think or 'know' might cause the panic attacks to happen. This leads to fears of situations or places that last caused anxiety and so the sufferer avoids them at all costs! This is agoraphobia. The problem here is that it can take months, even years, to re-educate the individual that it is their thoughts and assumptions that are to blame for these attacks and not the place at all but it still takes a long time to return to such places.
Talking from experience, I avoid public transport because of several incidents in taxis where I was terrified and therefore starting associating any Public Transport with 'fear' and 'panic'. The problem then 'spread' to include trains, buses and eventually I was unable to get in the car with someone else driving. This is still a problem today. I do drive myself but the problems do not stop there!
I was once told that if you 'sit a Panic attack out' to see how bad it can actually get it will reach a point where it can't get any worse and you 'automatically' start to calm down.
If you suffer from severe anxiety or panic attacks, but don't know it, then you can end up going to numerous doctors/ A+E departments with a variety of symptoms and self diagnosis only to be told that there is nothing medically wrong with you and you are not given any help, information or solutions. This leads you to the conclusion that you may have some terrible mysterious condition that could kill you one day and the doctors aren't managing to find it. With each test and subsequent treatment that is performed and is deemed normal, your conclusion is strengthened and your fear - and panic attacks - get worse. This can lead to house-bound agoraphobia.
Don't give up - read the other sections on this site to learn and understand what is happening and how to access the help you need.
What is Panic Disorder?
A panic disorder is diagnosed when a person has four or more panic attacks in one month, or one panic attack followed by a month of fear of having another attack. Panic Disorder is the next step up from Panic attacks and it is generally recognised that it takes longer to recover once you are diagnosed as having Panic Disorder rather than with isolated Panic Attacks.
What are the long-term effects of the condition? If a panic disorder is not effectively treated, a person may not be able to function at work or at home. This can have a negative effect on relationships, academics, and other important parts of a person's life.
Understanding the problem
The body has a natural "fight or flight" response to danger. When a person perceives some threat or danger, the autonomic nervous system is stimulated. This helps a person escape from danger. During a panic attack, the body's automatic nervous system is triggered for no apparent reason - a false alarm, but it feels so real.
Once you've got the diagnosis that you are suffering from Panic attacks or Panic Disorder - what next?
It is essential that you understand the diagnosis and its implications. The good news is that it is not terminal and there is a way to recovery but it may be a long up-hill struggle and it could take years to recover. Ok, so this is the worst case scenario but a realistic one and it would be naive to suggest that you are likely to recover in a few weeks. Yes, people do recover within a few weeks but then there are sufferers that take years to overcome all effects of panic. I have been suffering since 1993 so I know that it is hard work.
The biggest problem for most people is that they are embarrassed by the illness (like I am) and they see it as some kind of mental of psychiatric disorder or weakness that is not something you want to be telling people about. If you can learn to accept that the disorder stems from malfunctioning of the central nervous system receptors then you are well on your way to recovery.
The rewards are well worth the effort but you MUST be prepared to work at the problem and accept help.
When caught in its early stages, further (more complicated) conditions can be avoided - including depression, alcohol abuse and agoraphobia so it is essential that you and your doctor recognise the condition early on and start treatment immediately.
Steps to take for Sufferers
ONE
Have a complete medical examination to see if there is any physical condition that could be causing your symptoms. Explain the symptoms to your doctor and ask him if he would do full blood tests - this will rule out anything such as diabetes, thyroid problems etc. Get your eyes tested as well to make sure your sight is not causing those worrying dizzy spells and headaches. If necessary, ask to be referred to an ear specialist to make sure the dizziness is not caused by an ear infection or something similar.
You could ask for an E.C.G. to make sure the pounding heart is quite normal.
Do not go to your doctor and demand all these tests, however, be advised by what he suggests and accept that he will give you all the test he deems necessary.
You will not be able to start your recovery if you are still convinced that there is something physically wrong so this step is very important. There may be many more visits to the doctors each time a new physical symptom appears but a general health check will allay a lot of the fear.
If the doctor does find a physical condition that is causing the symptoms then you may find that once it is treated and cleared up, the Panic attacks will stop.
Above all, you MUST believe that if you are given a clean bill of health that the Panic attacks are not going to kill you and the symptoms are just temporary and will in time and with some effort recede and go away.
TWO
Not everyone develops Panic attacks because they are stressed, tired, over-worked, anxious, worried or even after suffering traumatic life events. Panic attacks have been known to run in families and can strike every walk of life.
Take a look at your personality to see if you have any high-anxiety personality traits that could be contributing to your anxiety. You may need to seek the help of a therapist to work on these feelings.
I was once told that many sufferers of anxiety/panic tend to have low self-esteem and self-worth. By working with a therapist to increase the opinion they have of themselves can help reduce the Panic and Anxiety.
THREE
Take a close look at your lifestyle and make changes that will help in the long-term. This could be something as simple as watching your diet and trying to cut out different food groups to see if the symptoms are eased.
I stopped drinking tea, coffee and any soft drinks containing caffeine in September 2000 and it has had a dramatic effects on my Panic attacks. I also tried cutting out all dairy products and found that this had no effect on the Panic attacks so it was reasonable to consider that they weren't contributing in any way.
Seriously consider how much alcohol you are drinking. Write down how many units you drink in a typical week and then write down why you had a drink at a particular time. Do you find that you are drinking to alleviate the symptoms of the Panic attacks? Do you always reach for the bottle when you have had a bad day at work?
Take up exercise on a regular basis - walk up the stairs instead of taking the lift.
What about your job? Are you bored, unhappy or so stressed at work that you are constantly running on adrenalin? Would it be so bad if you got a different job that you enjoyed doing?
FOUR
Learn to live with the Panic attacks but NEVER give in. It could be a long struggle but some people make remarkably quick recoveries and never suffer attacks again. Others may suffer for years and never really make a full recovery. Accept that you are a Panic attack sufferer and do everything you can to overcome it - do not allow it to rule you life.
You’ve arrived at this site generally because you are looking for help for yourself or a loved one to help in the recovery from anxiety or panic attacks.
There is an enormous amount of information in here.
This is an initial guide for those who are acutely suffering and looking for immediate help and information.
Firstly, welcome to a site where everyone knows what its like and how absolutely awful it feels.
I would like to reassure you that there is absolutely no secret in overcoming anxiety and panic.
Do not take any notice of websites that promise to show/sell you the 'secret'. The secret does not exist - it is a marketing ploy.
Recovery from this is a learning process and needs a lot of persistence and it will slowly get better. You need to learn which path to take and be shown along it a little way until you feel able to continue your journey alone.
Panic or anxiety may restrict your life at present if it has already got a hold on you, but it will not harm you despite everything your body symptoms are telling you.
Panic originates in several ways.
The most common way, but not the most obvious way, is through your thought processes. If you are a negative or over dramatizing thinker then eventually your central nervous system will respond in kind.
Often these people will report panic attacks coming out of the blue but on careful reflection afterwards they can usually trace back their thoughts to a downward spiralling effect of ‘what if’s‘, and over escalating events negatively, imagining all the possible outcomes and dwelling on the most scary but improbable ones.
A simple chemical source such as caffeine, low glucose or the after effects of alcohol can cause anxiety and panic attacks.
These days increasingly complex chemical imbalances caused by recreational drugs are also causes of real spontaneous panic attacks.
Once you stop the source, the panics will go in time and of their own accord but in the meantime people get taken up with the revolving fear cycle so can turn into obsessive worriers and become anxious.
Some medications can also over stimulate the CNS system which may lead to spontaneous anxiety or panic. Just ask if you think this may be you. It is rare but not unheard of.
There is a soft genetic link. You may be prone to anxiety courtesy of relatives but you don’t have to be stuck with it forever.
Most people dearly want their panic to be spontaneous and attributable to a treatable physical illness and not of their own making, but the reality is that the majority are home grown and it can be a bitter pill to swallow. It may take several weeks until you can trace a pattern of thoughts and how this eventually had such a profound effect on you.
The scariest symptoms
Many people with panic don’t feel real or feel that they are in a goldfish bowl. This is depersonalization and that they are not real (derealization) and is thought that this is just what the brain does when it’s truly overwhelmed and is not a sign that you’re going mad. It passes as the stresses pass.
The disease process of severe mental illness is completely different to that of anxiety and panic - anxiety does not lead to madness.
A racing, thumping heart rate is not a sure sign of a heart attack or cardiac arrest. Just as chest pain during panic does not mean you’re having a heart attack
Shortness of breath is not a sure sign of stopping breathing
Dizziness is not a sure sign of an imminent faint.
The secrets to getting better are:
To look after yourself better - make any lifestyle changes necessary
Learn to accept, manage and control the symptoms
Check and work on your thought processes
Build up your confidence and anxiety threshold
Learn skills so you do not have continued panic attacks.
Do this in very small manageable steps. Break a task down into the smallest steps and work your way through those at your own speed– so for some, it may be opening the front door for 5 minutes, for others it’s getting up and making that presentation. Reward yourself for achievements – however small they may seem.
To your memory system, it’s a very important part of retraining it.
I personally do not recommend the throwing in at the deep end method as people always survive and achieve the objective somehow, but it doesn’t allow or encourage your confidence to grow or anchor the activity as a positive learning experience as the task was such a horrendous blur.
There are steps that you can take to help yourself with these panics although they are not ‘cures’ in the traditional way as taking an antibiotic and the infection goes away completely.
Have a medical check up. It is seldom that anxiety is purely the result of a medical condition but it is possible.
Tests you can expect routinely for anxiety are an ECG – electrical tracing of the heart and blood tests that include urea and electrolytes, haematology screen and thyroid function.
Make a list of questions when you see your doctor and don’t leave until you’re happy you have been heard. Discuss every option of treatment open to you. Ask about referral to a counsellor/community psychiatric team.
Medication:
Beta blockers are very helpful to reduce the symptoms and are not mood altering drugs and are not sedatives - they are used in anxiety to reduce the racing heart beat and associated spiraling physical symptoms. NOT for asthmatics though.
Sedatives – medications such as Valium and its family can be brilliant in helping with the worst moments. However, they are addictive so do not take regularly for more than 2 weeks.
Anti anxiety - Some of the SSRI category of medication better known as antidepressants, are now licensed for anxiety too so in suggesting them, your GP’s does not automatically think you’re depressed.
They are mood altering drugs and they can help to give you a break from the panic cycle.
However unless you use this time on them wisely, when you come off the medication and the original issues still remain, the panic can reoccur.
They are not miracle drugs, they give you a breathing space they do not cure you of your problems.
All drugs have side effects and initially you may take a few days to settle onto them- your panic and anxiety may become more pronounced whilst you are settling onto them.
Never stop these suddenly – reduce the dose slowly.
Try to have the medication discussion with your doctor with an open mind
Other avenues that do help include:
Breathing - Learn to breathe from your diaphragm, your tummy should rise and fall with your breath as well as your chest. Ensure your out breath is longer than the in one. A count of 4 in – 6 out is great. Use this as soon as you feel panic rising. Alternatively, if you find this difficult hold your breath for a few seconds. This resolves the dizzy feeling.
Distraction- As soon as you feel the anxiety soaring and you get afraid – do something different. Really different. Change your environment, talk to someone, do something to distract yourself.
Immerse yourself in something that takes your whole attention and needs detailed thinking. Plan a party, write an article, learn a new hobby – something right brained is particularly effective such as a musical instrument or creative design, photography, dressmaking, art, singing, sport, research for a project.
See how much better you feel when your full attention is elsewhere.
Learn and be confident that you can overcome anxiety by distraction. Later on you will learn to stop anxiety before getting to this stage but for now take comfort in knowing you can control it.
It’s often enough to dissipate the panic. Some folk like company during these frightening events, others prefer to be quiet and alone. Its goes along with their personality usually.
Comfort yourself – be totally positive with yourself but do allow yourself to go with it. Don’t fight panic, it makes it worse. Keep giving yourself positive messages that this will pass naturally and cannot harm you - breath and distract.
Keep a journal. Initially get a blank book and just write whatever comes into your mind about who you are, how you got here, how you’re feeling today.
Going forward resolve to write in it every day.
Sometimes there may only be the bare facts of what you ate, where you went and that there were no issues but initially and on some days you may have lots to say.
Certainly in the initial stages track food, drink and sleep patterns, what your fears are, how they manifest themselves, what small task you set yourself to do, how it went and so forth. For ladies it is also worth tracking menstrual cycles.. As we move through stages in our female life it is possible that you may get PMS sysmptoms that you didn't have a few years ago.
There is really relief in writing plus it gives a massive boost to your confidence when you see progress in the making. When we’re anxious we forget easily and have poor concentration and only a few days later you may not recall just how you were on a certain day or even what you did.
Regular exercise – uses the adrenaline/noradrenaline and the cortisol that are secreted when panic sets in and enhances endorphins (happy chemical) production. Walking or swimming are good places to start if you’ve not exercised for a long time.
Relaxation classes - good if you’ve got continual whirring thoughts: Tai’ chi, Yoga or meditation promotes complete relaxation as well as stretching. This has a cumulative effect so try it regularly. The meditation part also helps learn to still the mind and cumulatively is a very effective exercise to learn to use during panic. Brings you back down to a ‘normal’ stress level.
Relaxation CD's are extremely useful. Find one you like and stick to it. Play it every day whether you are stressed or not and soon whenever you feel anxious just putting it on will relieve that tension.
Massage - Good for headaches and unexplained pains in upper body or legs. It releases the tension that builds up in your tissues. Often with anxiety we store it in major muscle groups apart from the usual chronic shoulders and neck so leg muscles etc can go into spasm.
Intestinal disturbances : Reaction from the guts are extremely common, you may find you get wild disturbances. Adrenaline causes the guts to race so you may have diarrhoea as a primary symptom. IBS is often diagnosed if you report it to your doctor and get it investigated. When you learn to control anxiety, it usually subsides completely. Dietary changes are often helpful.
A churny tummy with or without nausea can usually be relieved by tonic or soda water leading to a good big burp or two.
Bach remedies will take the edge off panic and anxiety. These are flower essences, are completely safe and have no sideeffects.
A couple of squirts in a bottle of water and sip liberally all day or 2 drops on tongue in a crisis. Rescue remedy is the main one used which is a combination of 5 essences.
Additionally I used Aspen for fear, Cherry plum for terror and Rock rose for fear of losing control.
Nutritional supplements – Having panic and anxiety is extremely draining on your body resources.
A strong 50 mg Vit B complex supplement is highly recommended as is Omega 3 oil ,Vitamin C and extra calcium and magnesium.
Unless you’re intolerant, warm milk at night contains tryptosan which promotes sleep and relaxation.Turkey breast also contains tryptosan
Aromatherapy oils - lavender, clary sage, Chamomile, vetiver. Just a sniff of lavender oil can be very helpful in getting you through a difficult situation.
Herbs - If you are really shaky passiflora/lemon balm/valerian root/ hops tinctures for instant help or you can take tablets regularly.
St Johns Wort can also help with depression but doesn’t kick in for 3 weeks or so.
Kava Kava is brilliant for anxiety but is currently withdrawn from the market whilst investigations go on into possible liver side effects complicated by people often taking to alcohol for relief.
For constant insomnia melatonin is excellent. It’s not available in the UK but widely available in the US where its main use is for jetlag.
With all of the herbs above if you are on any other medications at all then you must check it out carefully and ask for professional advice. SJW is a definite No if you’re on the pill, immunosuppressants or anti coagulants.
Food and drink:
It is worthwhile when acutely anxious, trying to eat little but often and keep to mainly protein and complex carbohydrates - nuts/seeds are a great choice, it’s recommended to have a protein based breakfast when you get up and then a snack within 2 - 3 hours - avoid sugary things. This takes the strain off your adrenals glands and regulates your blood sugar.
Caffeine – reduce intake slowly if taken to excess. This is the Red Bull family and coke as well as tea and coffee.
Alcohol: many people do resort to a glass of wine or 2 to help them relax. Before they know it - it's 3-4 then day time drinking - then all day drinking. Do not go down this route. Alcohol is a popular and easily available 'sticking plaster' treatment for anxiety.
It is also a disaster waiting to happen. It promises much initially, but is always a disappointment later. It is a DEPRESSANT drug.
Many ‘spontaneous’ Panic attacks come shortly after alcohol and recreational drug intake.
Talking does help but unless it’s an informal chat with friends, try to make the talks productive.
Think of the messages you’re giving yourself every day.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is the main treatment of choice now which addresses how your thoughts affect you every minute of every day. With about 90% of panic attacks you can revise your self communication and stop these happening, you can also address your excessive worrying traits. It is not easy and takes time and patience but it is extremely successful.
It’s all about restructuring the neural pathways in our minds. Once we have done something once or twice our minds learn the sequence so can help us perform better ie know the way to a specific location.
Once we’ve done it a couple of times it’s an anchored route, the same with our fears. Once something has succeeded in frightening us twice then our minds automatically link the process and therefore almost automatically lead us to continued fear of certain things and then when it senses something similar it gives us a warning and asks whether this is to be avoided too. Thus the continuing list of growing fears where we had none previously. These neural pathways need to be broken and new ones built. This takes at least 30 - 45 days to anchor and is just a case of safe repetition. Drive over the bridge and you’ll feel very frightened and feel all the awful symptoms but keep telling yourself positive messages. You survive - just!!
Next time do it again and you’ve even more positive messages to tell yourself as you’ve already survived once. You still feel awful and frightened but again you survive. Next time may already be a bit easier and once you’ve been doing it a month the fear will almost have dissipated – providing you are reinforcing the positive messages. Doing it with gritted teeth still visualizing all the possible way out troubles that could befall you will not help rid yourself of the fear.
Do watch out for your thought patterns , they can be very powerful in keeping you anxious and in panic mode.
Our thought process and what we actually do to ourselves ….
Take a minute : Is this following statement true ? …..
When your mind is sexually aroused, the body responds in an unmistakable fashion.
This is also true for every other aspect of your thought process...
If you think thoughts that frighten you then you will feel fear
If you think despairing negative thoughts the body will respond by feeling worthless and depressed.
Your perception of events is of critical importance, not necessarily the events themselves. And by manipulating these perceptions, it becomes possible to diminish discomfort & pain.
Hypnosis is a successful, quick way of retraining yourself to think rationally. It is good combined with CBT.
Neuro Linguistic Programming and Kinesiology are also verified ways of dealing with anxiety that have a deeply suppressed emotional cause. You need to see qualified practitioners for this. They can be most helpful when you are struggling to see situations from any other viewpoint than the one causing the problems.
They are best explored once you are feeling a bit better having mastered distraction as they need some effort and input and if your concentration levels are still very low, you may not get the best effect from these therapies.
General advice:
Do not allow yourself to start avoiding anything or anywhere. You are your own safe person and place. Where you are at the time may be a trigger but once you learn to not have panic any more it just doesn’t matter.
Look after yourself emotionally, physically, spirituality and nutritionally and you will be making a head start in your recovery.
All these points are covered on the home pages so please look up anything that you need more information on. It’s all there.
As time goes by, you may want to try other avenues. This guide is mainly for when you are acute just to give a brief guide.
You can overcome these. |
michael_y
New Member
Joined: 24 Jul 2007
Posts: 3
Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:32 am
|
| I'm FREAKING out |
|
I'm 24 years old, I just started taking citalopram 2 days ago. I'M FREAKING OUT! I don't know if I should quit taking the med, or just wait it out. What if the side effects don't go away. I'm staring at the walls. I'm so confused at things. I can't stop grinding my teeth. I can't get an erection. I feel like throwing up. I haven't slept in 2 days.
God DAMIT! NEVER A BREAK!![/b] |
scampo
Senior Member
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 2082
Location: UK - East Midlands
Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
|
| Re: I'm FREAKING out |
|
quote:
Originally posted by michael_y
I'm 24 years old, I just started taking citalopram 2 days ago. I'M FREAKING OUT! I don't know if I should quit taking the med, or just wait it out. What if the side effects don't go away. I'm staring at the walls. I'm so confused at things. I can't stop grinding my teeth. I can't get an erection. I feel like throwing up. I haven't slept in 2 days.
God DAMIT! NEVER A BREAK!![/b]
Having been given them for anxiety, I followed my GP's advice and stuck with the things for more than twelve weeks last summer. Eventually I gave up owing to dreadful and haunting sleeplessness, utter exhaustion, panickiness, awful itching, excessive sweating, teeth tapping along to the same crazy tune stuck in my mind 24/7 (drove me crazy), constantly tapping and moving fingers, hands and feet... and more that I've forgotten. I genuinely rue the day I took them.
And yet... many here find them wonderful: a wonder drug at times. It's definitely an odd drug. |
georgia79
Preferred Member
Joined: 29 May 2007
Posts: 801
Location: UK
Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:40 am
|
|
|
yeah, totally horrifying for me, trying to come off them after 12 weeks, 2.5mg reduction a week. Had all the side-effects, the physical ones were nothing, and I mean nothing compared to the mental horror I felt on these things at times, especially for 4 days when I went from 10mg ot 20mg. I swear during that time there was no serotonin in my brain, it was just like a constant anxiety attack. I was on them for depression + PTSD but it just transformed my symptoms into some other crap. And I had been fine when taking prozac in the past. All these people suggest sticking it out... but I would just sack it off and try something else. No one should be feeling worse because they are taking something to make them feel better. Yeah you might pull through but you could just end up feeling de-personalised and out of your own body like I did. There will be other drugs out there. I was at the point where I thought it couldn't get any worse before I took C but it did and I'm still here so please don't think you won't get through this or that there is no other way. I find it amazing that they give kids this stuff. Sorry, I'm just had a bad experience with it. |
georgia79
Preferred Member
Joined: 29 May 2007
Posts: 801
Location: UK
Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:48 am
|
hey michael_y,
I'm sorry that you are going through this. The side-effects you mention like feeling sick, erection problems, grinding teeth will go away soon within a week or 2 I'm sure. I know it's tough man, but you might want to consider quitting and trying another med. I know the docs claim this and that about Citalopram "low side-effect profile", "better for anixety", but it's all just bs that the drugs rep tells them and so they push it instead of prozac or whatever they were giving people before. If I wasn't so horrified by meds now I might be looking at Bupropione or Nerfazadone as they seem to have a better profile than older SSRIs. Hang in there mate, you'll get through this, try not to worry about the physical side-effects as they all pass. |
scampo
Senior Member
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 2082
Location: UK - East Midlands
Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:31 am
|
|
|
From what the literature says, citalopram is unlikely to be much different overall from, say, Prozac. They are both phramacologically similar. My experience is that it is less "activating" (as they say), but the overall effects were similar: Prozac's effects were just far more pronounced. I hate these drugs but surely they work in some cases. I think the literature suggests about half of those treated find them useful to some degree.
What I think is absolutely clear - and a terrible thing - is that for whatever reason, doctors utterly fail to recognise the truly dreadful potential nature of the side effects these drugs can cause. On top of what is surely an already crazily overly-sensitised mind, they can sometimes play utter havoc. My own GP, excellent in general, just wanted me to "press on", and a psychiatrist I eventually paid to see, was equally dismissive of side effects.
I wish the drugs did work - or the CBT. The hypoglycaemic diet is certainly worth a try, I'd say, but don't hold your breath for a cure. I think these things wax and wane and for some of us, time is the only real healer. |
|
|
|
|
|
Goto page 1, 2 Next
All times are GMT. The time now is Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:24 am
|
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
