Kayla191
05-24-2013, 03:47 PM
Hi everyone, I just joined these forums today to learn more about anxiety medication. So please bear with this post.
I suffer from GAD, social phobia and sometimes agoraphobia. I believe I've always suffered from an anxiety disorder (even as a child) with intermittent episodes of major depression when very stressful events occurred in my life. I finally realized what I was suffering from 3 years ago when I left town for the first time and went to University (to study psychology, of all things). I developed panic attacks and agoraphobia that first year, but have also since learned a lot about myself, my struggle with mental health, my triggers, cognitions, etc. and had been in and out of therapy to get "a handle" on it. I was doing okay but coping has been a struggle and I really was just getting by.
In February of this year, I finally decided to give medication a try. I felt so tired and alone in what I was trying to deal with and just wanted someone or something to help. So I have been taking 10mg of Cipralex for 14 weeks. Mostly I was hoping it would help with the physical symptoms of my anxiety (palpitations, shaking, nausea and headaches) and maybe also help me exert a little more control over my thoughts.
Within a week or two I noticed a positive difference. I was more calm, more easily upbeat like my natural self. I was able to be bold and assertive depsite feeling anxious. The cipralex seemed to perk up my mood and change my focus to positive things, and give me added confidence, which was really nice and unexpected. It took longer to get the physical symptoms of my anxiety under control but it did manage to do so. I did experience some nausea, sleep disturbances and a major drop in my libido, but on the whole, I felt much relief.
However, in the last two-three weeks, I've noticed my anxiety has been returning. I will be perfectly calm, watching a tv show I enjoy, and out of nowhere I will feel some small palpitations and that small but strong rush of fear. As far as I'm aware nothing was on tv (or going through my mind at the time) to trigger it.. but then, maybe it's because in those moments I'm sort of on autopilot? It just appears really random. My shakes have also been coming back somewhat, in my lips and hands, though they're not as bad as what they were before starting medication. They're most noticeable when I'm interacting with others, yet it's not consistent. Some days I wake up feeling okay. Other days I wake up feeling quite anxious and my hands tremble while doing monotonous tasks..
All of this has me very confused. I can't tell what is me (and my triggers) and what is my biology (and the medication)...
Also, because I've had a few episodes of depression before in my life, I recognize when I am slipping into those symptoms again.. and I have noticed feelings/thoughts of depression returning. These last 3 or 4 days I have been persistently sad, meanwhile nothing has changed in my life. I put myself on the treadmill a few times this week to see if that would snap me out of it, but so far it hasn't really been able to. I'm having trouble enjoying the things I normally do and everything feels pointless or futile.
The only positive change in these last 2-3 weeks has been the return of my sex drive..
So basically, because I'm not really used to the "rollercoaster" that medication can be, I was hoping that someone here could tell me if all of this seems normal? Should I be looking to increase my dose or change my medication? Is there such thing as a 'honeymoon period' with antidepressants? I'm wondering if the fact that I felt any relief after starting Cipralex is what made me feel so positive or in control? Kinda like a placebo.
Should I wait another week or two loner and see how I feel?
I plan to call my doctor monday to set up an appointment and talk it over, but in the meantime, please share your thoughts/opinions with me. It would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much for your time.
Kayla
I suffer from GAD, social phobia and sometimes agoraphobia. I believe I've always suffered from an anxiety disorder (even as a child) with intermittent episodes of major depression when very stressful events occurred in my life. I finally realized what I was suffering from 3 years ago when I left town for the first time and went to University (to study psychology, of all things). I developed panic attacks and agoraphobia that first year, but have also since learned a lot about myself, my struggle with mental health, my triggers, cognitions, etc. and had been in and out of therapy to get "a handle" on it. I was doing okay but coping has been a struggle and I really was just getting by.
In February of this year, I finally decided to give medication a try. I felt so tired and alone in what I was trying to deal with and just wanted someone or something to help. So I have been taking 10mg of Cipralex for 14 weeks. Mostly I was hoping it would help with the physical symptoms of my anxiety (palpitations, shaking, nausea and headaches) and maybe also help me exert a little more control over my thoughts.
Within a week or two I noticed a positive difference. I was more calm, more easily upbeat like my natural self. I was able to be bold and assertive depsite feeling anxious. The cipralex seemed to perk up my mood and change my focus to positive things, and give me added confidence, which was really nice and unexpected. It took longer to get the physical symptoms of my anxiety under control but it did manage to do so. I did experience some nausea, sleep disturbances and a major drop in my libido, but on the whole, I felt much relief.
However, in the last two-three weeks, I've noticed my anxiety has been returning. I will be perfectly calm, watching a tv show I enjoy, and out of nowhere I will feel some small palpitations and that small but strong rush of fear. As far as I'm aware nothing was on tv (or going through my mind at the time) to trigger it.. but then, maybe it's because in those moments I'm sort of on autopilot? It just appears really random. My shakes have also been coming back somewhat, in my lips and hands, though they're not as bad as what they were before starting medication. They're most noticeable when I'm interacting with others, yet it's not consistent. Some days I wake up feeling okay. Other days I wake up feeling quite anxious and my hands tremble while doing monotonous tasks..
All of this has me very confused. I can't tell what is me (and my triggers) and what is my biology (and the medication)...
Also, because I've had a few episodes of depression before in my life, I recognize when I am slipping into those symptoms again.. and I have noticed feelings/thoughts of depression returning. These last 3 or 4 days I have been persistently sad, meanwhile nothing has changed in my life. I put myself on the treadmill a few times this week to see if that would snap me out of it, but so far it hasn't really been able to. I'm having trouble enjoying the things I normally do and everything feels pointless or futile.
The only positive change in these last 2-3 weeks has been the return of my sex drive..
So basically, because I'm not really used to the "rollercoaster" that medication can be, I was hoping that someone here could tell me if all of this seems normal? Should I be looking to increase my dose or change my medication? Is there such thing as a 'honeymoon period' with antidepressants? I'm wondering if the fact that I felt any relief after starting Cipralex is what made me feel so positive or in control? Kinda like a placebo.
Should I wait another week or two loner and see how I feel?
I plan to call my doctor monday to set up an appointment and talk it over, but in the meantime, please share your thoughts/opinions with me. It would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much for your time.
Kayla