Ok About a month ago i was at a friends house smoking some bud and chilin. Then all of a sudden i get this intense pressure biulding up in my head and i felt like throwing up. I also had this burning sensation in my blood vessils. So i decided i'd go home and lay down. I interupted my friend and said i was going home. I stood up and the pressure sky rocketed to the roof. My head started throbing in and out with this pressure. Then i started to lose my balance and grabed his bed post. Then my legs start wobling back and forth really bad. The next thing i remember is waking up on his flour to him saying my name freaking out. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before. I had taken an adderall that morning and didn't eat much that day. I had been taking adderall 20mg xr consecutively for months stait before that. I figured at first that it was a siezure for sure. I even pissed my self and went into convulsions and everything. Then a couple of days ago i decided to go to my psycologist for a different reason and explain to her that i've been having extreme social anxiety around people for a while now. I didn't want to mintion what had happened because i had smoked weed right before it happened, and if i mintioned that all see would say is for me not to smoke it. So then she perscribed me lexapro. I took it the next day at like 12:00pm. I could definitly feel it working as a stimulant but not yet doing it's job. My teeth were chattering really bad all day and i didn't get to sleep that night until like 2:00am. I took it the next morning at 7:00am and went on with my day. I had the teeth chattering thing pretty bad as well and yahning. Later that day i was over at a friends house and smoked some bud and about five minutes later it was happening again. I was getting that pressure biulding up in my head and knew what was coming. I told the dude who lived there i had to leave, and me and my friends ryan and joe left. I walked up to the car and told them what was up and they rushed me back to the house. I was fighting it as best i could, and i felt like i was going to die. I was sweating profusly. And i was really dehydrated. I kept drinking water the whole time but i could tell it was just going right through me. I got to his house and went inside and got something to eat, and drink. It slowly subsided. I woke up the next day and didn't take the medicine because of what happened, and that was yesterday. later on in the day probably about 2:00pm i felt my chest because my heart was beating to fast. I was having heart palpatations. I thought that was stange but just ignored it. Then later on probably about 7:00pm i went over to my friends house. the same one that i had had the panic attack the first time. He had some kb and i decided to smoke some. I figured it wouldn't hurt since i hadn't taken any type of meds that day at all. About 1:00 min after smoking it was happening again. I told them what was up and they told me to lay down in the flour. I asked for a glass of water and told them i should be alright. I was extremely nervious and shaking really bad. I kept getting that burning sensation all throughout my body and the pressure in my head. It would go away for a minute and then come right back even harder. So eventually i overcomed it and sumed up the energy to get in my car and drive home, Which by the way i lived in that neighborhood so i wasn't worried about it happening when driving. So anyways i got home and did fine. Now i'm waking up this morning wondering why the hell that happened even though i wasn't on meds at the time. Does anyone know? Will this stop soon because i want to be able to smoke bud, but i'm scared to do it now. Even setting here right now i feel very anxios for no reason. Like i just got in a car wreck or something. Has this happened to anyone else? What can i do? Is there a way to use cognitive behaviural therapy to treat this, or do i need some type of drug?
I've similar episodes when I have been really stoned. The only difference is that my head doesn't hurt. Instead, my heart beats VERY fast; sometimes, up to 200bpm. I can hear it beating in my chest. It sound slike a loud popping noise. Then I pass out and go into convulsions. I have never pissed myself, thank god, but I wouldn't be surprised it I had. My friends say that my eyes roll back in my head and my whole body tightens up and I just convulse uncontrollably. It has never happened when I was on xanax(alprazolam). When I am on xanax I can smoke unlimited amounts of weed without this shit happening. When I'm not on xanax, I feel like it's gonna happen after a couple of blunts; sometimes, it only takes a bowl of good shit. I don't know what to tell you about it man. Maybe you could try some xanax or valium or klonapin. Other than that........?
Hey, that sounds horrible. I'd give up the weed for a few days, even a week or two. By doing that, you can see if you have any attacks otherwise. If you do, then the option of cognitive behavior therapy would be good. Either way, the therapist will probably prescribe a situational medication, like xanax, or clonapin would probably help you alot. Also, do you know if you were truly seizing? or were you just shaking tremendously/ passing out because the panic attack was so bad? Because, having a seizure is not a symptom of a panic attack, while shaking (as a nervous mechanism) is. If you were in fact seizing, that could be a bigger problem, and I'd definately get that checked out. Just because, seizures can effect the brain, or you could bite, or have your tongue slide to the back of your throat, and block your air way. It's not something to just let slide by. Also, try cutting down your caffeine, and alcohol intake. This can also have a direct effect on panic attacks for some people. Caffeine, and alcohol effect the cerotonin levels in the brain, which then, cause a panic attack. I've had panic disorder for the greater half of my life (I'm 19, and started getting them when I was 6 years old)... so I definately know alot about them, and how to handle it. But every one has different symptoms, and ways of handling it. If you have any other questions, or anything, totally message me or something.
it could be many things dude. the weed plus the meds. i would stop taking the weed for a bit and see how you are . As for your health when you feel a panic attack coming on when i "had" panic attacks my HP told me to take 10 long deep breaths that way there you can chill and relax if 10 isn't good enough try 20 water as well or FRESH air. Driving is not good if your having a panic attack esp if your having convulsions. TC PG
Maybe you should just slow down a bit with the drugtaking except what you have been prescribed (at least for a while)... Maybe ask your therapist about alternative treatments that don't involve popping a pill.
Smoking pot can really enhance anxiety/panic attacks. I know because I get panic attacks, and I used to smoke. I couldn't smoke pot anymore, because the panic attacks were just becoming to frequent and intense. Honestly, the first thing you should do is stop smoking pot, at least until you have your attacks under control [I'm not sure if it is possible to go back to smoking, even if you have the attacks under control because I have never tried it... I haven't smoked in probably 2 years or more] It is possible to get them under control, but unfortunately you're going to have to be a little more patient... it takes a bit of time and lots of effort to overcome them. I was prescribed xanax for my panic attacks, the sort where you take them if you feel one coming on... Well I never had to use them, because I stopped getting them shortly thereafter, or well, not significant enough to take the pills... my therapist said that it is extremely common for people to begin improving just HAVING the medication because it is a safety net. Panic attacks usually start erupting more from a fear of having another episode than anything else. If you're put in a situation where you had a panic attack previously, the fear of having another one might strike either conciously or subconciously and it ignites another attack. Just HAVING the medication on me at all times, made me fear an attack less, because I knew if I had to, I could take the meds and feel alright. So my panic attacks diminished. On top of that, I learned healthy self-talk, distraction, and breathing techniques, which are all very crucial to STOPPING an attack, and preventing an attack. When I first started getting panic attacks I thought I was having a heart attack. Or sometimes I would get attacks from a fear of BEING sick. So now when I start to feel funny, I remind myself, that it is just a panic attack, and that no, I am not dying. That's part of the healthy self-talk I mentioned. You have to reassure yourself of a sense of well being to halt the spiraling thoughts. Then, after the self-talk it's good to distract yourself with something like a book, movie, exercise, whatever to get your mind away from the attack or fear and keep it away. When you feel yourself tensing up, it's good to lie down and take deep breaths [I can't really explain the breathing technique via computer] I have a heated neck pad that I heat up and put around my neck when I feel myself start to tense up and it relaxes my shoulders. Also, sometimes caffeine, cigarettes amongst other different things you might consume can make attacks more frequent if you're sensitive to those things or if you haven't yet gotten your attacks under control yet. Try cutting out any caffeinated beverages, cigarettes, or at least decreasing your intake for a while, along with not smoking pot, and see if that helps a bit. EDIT TO ADD: when you first start experiencing panic attacks, a lot of times it's difficult to tell when you're going to have one, but after a while you start picking up on the symptoms of a panic attack and the things that cause them... when you start noticing these things, take action. For instance, the first thing that usually happens with me is that I hold my breath, it's something I tend to do when I'm stressed, and then a lot of times my head or chest feels funny... now if I ever feel that way I immediately take action and talk myself out of it, distract myself, and breathe correctly. I also noticed that certain places in which I have experienced panic attacks previously ignite them, such as the car or the movie theatre... It's dangerous because I have avoided certain places in attempt to not have an attack, however, now that I'm getting better, I dare these places and if I feel the attack coming on, I get it under control. I still can't drive well, however, I am able to be in the car, and be in the car whilst on the freeway [something I had an issue with before] so that's slowly improving... and I have been going to the theatre, and I have gotten attacks, but I've put them to an end when I experience them. You'll get through it if you work at it
I second everything that Apples & Oranges said. Excellent advice and explanation! I can't smoke either, unless: I'm going to be doing something that's really entertaining/distracting, or I take something to calm me down, or I'm drinking. Even then, I can't smoke much. Those are the only two places I've ever had a panic attack... I too felt like I was having a heart attack. My pulse would skyrocket, my chest would hurt, and I got really, really hot. I did breathing exercises, as well as muscle relaxation techniques to bring my pulse down, but that was all I could ever really control. From that point I had to wait for the rest to pass, and simply recognize it for what it was; a panic attack. I tested myself at the theater, I kept going back and going through the routine, and eventually stopped having them... until about two weeks ago... I got a sinus infection and when the doc did bloodwork he thought I had abnormally high potassium levels and sent me to the hospital. It was a false reading but when I went to the movies last weekend, I had another attack. It was a very wierd experience... felt like I was having a heart attack, and I was so pissed off because I knew I wasn't.
R/ Alprazolam 0,5-1mg sublingual is often effective for urgent treatment.....for sustained treatment, serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors are the inicial drugs of choice ( sertraline starting at 25 mg/d and increased after a week to 50 mg/d may be effective)...
Wildest nightmare- I would even go so far to suggest telling your therapist that this happens when you are smoking and see what he/she says. . .it sounds like this is only happening when you get high.
