Viibryrd, switching meds, and constant severe panic attacks

[Ahlstrom]

Has anyone ever taken this or have stories with this? I was taking Lexapro for a good while (a year?) but I felt dissatisfied with it because I had a constant head pressure. I visited another doctor who recommended that I eventually switch over to Viibryrd. I was directed to take 10mg a day for a week and half my 40mg dose of Lexapro to 20mg. Next week I moved up to 20mg a day for week and stay with the 20mg of Lexapro. Four days ago I eventually moved onto the max dosage of 40mg of Viibryrd and stop my Lexapro all together. I should also note that the tension/physical pressure in the head went away during this time (I am unsure as to whether or not the medications did it or the time eventually reduced its effect. The fourth day on the max 40mg dose of Viibryrd was absolutely horrifying, I was laying my bed at 4am (I usually stay up late and wake late) and had a severe panic attack. I ran to help for my mom for help as she has anxiety too, but treats it well. My panic attacks make me convulse and spasm like crazy, as well as stabbing pains and suicidal/homicidal thoughts flood my brain (I had not had a full blown panic attack for 2 months on my Lexapro). Eventually she calmed me down and I passed out in her bed. I woke next morning and continued my day as usual, until about 10:30pm when I felt another panic coming on. My mother was at a New Years Eve party and I called her asking her to come help me. For the first time in two years I actually cried because I had never been so horrified (I read up on some low-rated reviews that Viibryrd was cauing people to cry uncontrollably), in pain and convulsing for an hour. Eventually after an hour long panic attack my mom came home, was able to help the panic subside and I was given a sleeping aid to put me down. This morning I awoke with stabbing and horrific sensations all over me these lasted all day and it was (pardon my launguage) fucking agonizing, I haven't had a panic attack luckily today because I took some Xanax a few hours ago and it was complete and utter relief, except I'm being hit with major hits of depression.

Anyways my course of action is to start halving my dosages of Viibryd to 20mg a day along with restarting Lexapro to 20mg a day for a week, and tapering the Viibryd off until I am back on Lexapro 40mg a day completely. I also am going to the doctor immediately tomorrow to see if they can get me prescribed Xanax until the Lexapro is back in my system and (hopefully) fixes everything, deep breathing, excercises and mostly everything has not been able to calm me from my heart rate which has been very rapid all day non-stop a long with the stabbing pains and horrific sensations and oddest of all crying.

Sorry for the long read and pity-fest, I just felt that it's important to include detail.

My questions for the community are:
1. Do you think this is the wisest course of action?
2. Has anyone had similar symptoms of almost-constant panic attacks, major depressions when switching to new medications (specifically Viibryrd)?

Thanks for any replies, I feel like I'm in Hell on Earth and can only hope that the Lexapro will be able to save me.

[yasemin]

Bless I hope it calms down soon. I haven't tried lexapro, I have been taking lustral for the past 3 years alongside Xanax for the past 3 months. And it has immediate effect on me. Other than when I'm actually having a panic attack I don't experience suicidal thoughts. I probably haven't helped answer your questions but just wanted to wish you well soon. Before my diagnosis I used to have like 15 + panic attacks aday plus I did not sleep even with high dose sleeping pills for 3 days. You are not alone. God bless.

[SunnieDebris]

Ahlstrom,

It sounds like you handled everything perfectly! Really! You saw the problem, deduced its source and did something about it. You reached out for help in real life and here, and you advocated for yourself successfully. I really don't know how you could have done things better. Good for you!

[Ahlstrom]

Thanks for the replies!

Just a follow up: I went to a self help facility near my neighborhood because I kept having suicidal thoughts, which I hardly have ever had. The environment was very secure and safe and I just left today (My 3rd day there). I was prescribed Xanax, which worked well until my chest began going fast again 3 hours later, which we changed to Klonopin which keeps my heart stable and 90% unanxious for the whole day. The first night I was there my heart rate was staying around 130bpm for 4 hours straight, what a hell of a night. It was a very interesting experience there, a lot of people were in drug rehabilitation, but some were FAR off worse than me. (A girl on my 2nd day there tried cutting her wrists open trying to kill herself during a group thearopy session. That really made my anxiety shoot through the roof, but made me pretty thankful that I'm not that far down that road)

I'd definitely recommended a self-help facility to anyone who is having suic/homocidal thoughts or so much anxiety that you are unable to function. They watch over you (in a good way) and fix you up within a week. I still have a bit of depression from being off my old meds, but hopefully they kick back in soon.

[Cara1989]

So they really help you there?

[Ahlstrom]

So they really help you there?

Well I'd really say that you have to work with the doctors to get help. For example there was a middle-aged lady in there who would stay in her room all day and just cry and think about suicide, the doctors can't really help her cure it if she is unwilling to cooperate with the doctors, but they do help you by making sure the clinic is safe of anything that would cause harm to ones self or your self (even shoelaces were considered contraband). We had a doctor come in one a day and track our progression, feelings, reactions to medication. Most of the day consisted of group therapy which sometimes I didn't feel affected me though, a lot of the group sessions centered around detox and not panic attacks/depression