Does anybody here have panic attacks that never stop? If I'm not on medication and I get a panic attack it never really goes away. I keep getting sick and when I pass out, me throwing up will wake me up. I want to go to a rehab to get off my medication because I've been medicated since I was 14 and I can't remember how I used to feel without medication in my system. Right now I'm on 40 mg of Prozac a day and Xanax as needed. Does anybody else have panic attacks that bad because I haven't met anybody yet that does and I just feel really alone.
hey lady.. BREATH! take time for you.. i'm in a constant panic attack. i talk to it.. outloud and in my head.. tell it to shut up and sit down.. because i can do what i need to do and it's not going to win. then after i do what i needed to.. i congratulate myself.. tell myself i rock! i did it! in your face anxiety! there are many little 'tricks' to help you out.. you just gotta keep pushing forward.. don't let the anxiety win.. :grouphug: keep asking question! keep trying stuff! i got your back!
wow please take care of yourslef:/ Do what you gotta do..I get really bad panic attacks when I smoke weed..it sucks:/
I know, I try to breathe and stuff like that but it doesn't work. It seems my body takes control. I also shake violently. Enough where I pull muscles. I'm just afraid that it will never end and I'll keep getting sick. I got to a point once in my life where I hardly ever ate and I dropped down to 92 pounds. I don't want to do that again to myself. I've just never heard of anybody getting panic attacks as bad as I do. I also would like to talk to somebody that's gone to a rehab to "detox" themselves of the medication.
i hope this doesn't come off as mean.. i'm not trying to be..i just want to be 100% honest with you. i understand completely where you are coming from BUT you sound very self defeating.. i'm going to challenge you to not say "i can't" anymore.. i know this is extremely hard and sometimes you just.. can't. start with small stuff.. start talking to the anxiety.. seriously! tell it who is boss.. YOU! and if you fail.. no big deal.. try again. have you talked to your doctor about stopping your meds? that might be the best place to start with that. i'm not on meds anymore and refuse to take them. i'm trying natural ways to deal with anxiety instead. i know you CAN simple because you are posting threads.. asking questions and wanting to change. that right there is a WIN on your part. right now i'm having an anxiety attack over going to see my kids.. i suffer from agoraphobia.. sucks.. BUT i do not want to look back when i'm an old lady and say "wow i did nothing with my life because i let the damn anxiety win" :grouphug:
Have you tried exercising? It's really good! Anything will do: pilates, jogging, working out. It's great both for your physical and mental health. I got rid of my hypochondria through exercising, and it was kinda severe. I'd also advise against Prozac. I'm not telling you to completely give up on meds, as you probably really need them, but isn't there any other meds that could replace Prozac? I'm don't know THAT much about it, but as far as I know it has a lot of side effects associated.
I had a doc last year tell me that Valerian root was almost the same as a Benzo. you might try that. It's weaker but might help.
. First of all, you will feel better sooner or later "all things must come to past" and thus will the suffering you are going througn. DON'T LOSE HOPE, YOU WILL FEEL BETTER! BREATH INTO A PAPER BAG SO THAT YOU REBALANCE YOUR INHALE AND EXHALE. MANY TIMES PANIC ATTACKS ARE THE CAUSE OF INHALING TOO MUCH AIR AND NOT EXHALING ENOUGH WHATEVER IT IS THAT COMES OUT OF US. WHEN DOING BIG BREATH RELATION THERAPY REMEMBER TO ALWAYS FOLLOW UP WITH A BIG EXHALE BIGGER THAN YOUR INHALE. Some opinions, just my opinions. xanax "prn", is not a good way to take them. They are short acting benzos(i.e. valium "family of meds"). You should be taking your Xanax(alprozolam, sp?) several times a day at lowest dose possible. Xanax's half life can be as short as several hours, and you can experience panic attacks due to this. Rebound or initial phase of withdrawal anxiety and panic. So first thing is for you to see how much xanax you have till next refill. then on your own, space them out(cut them in half or quarters if you have to) and take three times a day. Then when you next see your doctor tell him or her that you need to be taking xanax throughout the day. I was on xanax for years. I did some reading and found that Klonopin(clonazepam) is better for longer coverage against panic attacks through out the day. After awhile you may even be able to get by on once a day at night, but at a sufficient dose. At most you only have to take clonazepam, whatever dosage, twice a day. its a long acting benzodiazepine(benzo) DO NOT JUST STOP TAKING XANAX COLD TURKEY!!! YOU WILL HAVE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS THAT ARE WORSE THAN WHAT A HEROIN ADDICT GOES THROUGH! AND YOU COULD HAVE A SEIZURE OR EVEN WORSE! Prozac. SSRI, paxil, celexa, et al. Prozac could very well be contributing to your panic attacks. I was on prozac once and i felt tense all day. I am on paxil now. In fact it is rather sedative even though it is in the same drug class(or family) as prozac. Some herbals may help. Passiflora and chamomile are good for anxiety. Kava Kava maybe even better if you can find it. Probably on the web you can buy it. peace and love, again you will get throught this... i will try to go back to this thread to see how you are doing. it might not be soon because i am a message board dummy and have a hard time keeping track of my own posts. again, you will feel better, please don't give up hope, i know what it is like, i am a severe neurotic, we need each others support
i've been having panic attacks for about 5 years since my daughter was born. It seems like the more I think about it, the worse it gets. I have been on Cymbalta daily and xanax as needed as well. I have attempted to get off of the meds on my own, but I end up having horrible panic attacks and going back to them. I've come to terms with the meds knowing that they control my panic and help me live a normal life. When I have been off of them, there are times I do not even want to leave my house and go out in public because I am scared to death for no apparent reason at all. I also seem to get them when I have not gotten much sleep and/or when I am stressed out at work and regular day to day things. Its hard for anyone to understand unless they have been through it on a daily basis. I completely understand where you are coming from and if the medication you are taking helps you maintain a normal life style I would stick with them. Just being able to function and not constantly worry and freak out about every little thing is worth the pill or two a day I think.
I've just been on mediation non-stop since I was 14. I'm now 25 and I know I'm a completely different person and I think I'd like to give it a chance. I hear that when you go off of these medications, the withdrawal symptoms are exactly the same for what they treat you for. So having a serious panic attack could not me be able to function but rather the withdrawal symptom from this medication I'm on.
I have had periods in life that I am in a constant "panic attack". Constant cyclical thought, weightloss, totally withdraw, detached. I was on prozac for a year and it helped. I now am relatively stable and living more than ever. The problem with SSRI's is most of them are only approved for short periods of treatment(a year and under). Anything over that is experimental. I would definitely make an effort to get off your meds, especially if you are not improving. On the tail end of my prozac, I was having panic attacks several times a day and then once I got off of them I was fine. I had no withdrawls. Take it slow, lower your dose carefully. I would also reccommend acupuncture, it did wonders for me to rebalance my brain chemicals and hormones. Remember that you are NOT alone, and you will feel better
Thank you for all your support. I've changed my Primary Care Physician to someone that doesn't shove pills down my throat and I'm back to talking with a psychologist that specializes in panic attacks. She agrees that it may be time for me to see if I can do this myself. So I'm going to go weekly and take up yoga/meditation. I think it's essential to keep myself calm and just keep my head up. So she's going to give me some coping mechanisms if I do have a panic attack and then I'll start decreasing VERY slowly. I'm nervous about doing this but I have faith in my doctors and I'm reading a lot of enlightenment books. If I just live in the moment and believe in myself I know I'll make it through.
