Need advice/help asap

[Connor323]

Hi guys! My name is Connor I'm 20 years old and I have some questions concerning my anxiety. I'm hoping that some of you can relate because right now I feel so hopeless and alone in this fight. I had my first episode of anxiety about 9 months ago when I tried smoking weed for the first time and it made me slip into a few panic attacks that I've never had before and when I started feeling different the next few days due to my panic attacks, I wasn't used to that feeling and it made me focus on my anxiety more and more because I wasn't sure what the feeling was at all. For months after that I was dizzy, confused, derealized, and overall worried about everything. But, eventually the dizziness stopped and everything became live-able again. I would still get a lot of anxiety feelings but as much of the physical symptoms such as dizziness and foggy head. Anyway, the past few weeks I was having more visuable disturbances and if a room was lit too bright or too dim that would really throw me off and it was really hard to look at anything and that lead to increased anxiety. On Friday I went to a doctor and he prescribed me Lexapro 10mg to get me started back on the right path. The first day I took the Lexapro it made me feel very numb and emotionless and I felt high in the same way I did 9 months ago when I tried weed and it threw me into a few panic attacks that day. Since Friday I have been still feeling very strange, heavy headed, brain fog, dizzy, confused and unable to do things with my family because I am not acting myself. By the way my family does not help at all and actually thinks I'm crazy and is throwing around the word "Schizophrenic" which scares the crap out of me because it makes me feel like I actually am a Schizophrenic. I haven't been able to keep any food down because of the nausea and I have probably gotten a collective of 15 hours of sleep in the past 3 nights and some of my worst anxiety is coming from the night when I am trying to sleep and sleeping in has basically become a thing of the past as my anxiety gets a hold of me bright and early and makes sleeping past 8 impossible. I'm able to get my mind off of my anxiety for amounts of time and I feel more like myself but then come the intrusive thoughts that make it all come back. All throughout the day my head is soooo heavy and I feel like I can fall asleep anywhere but I know that if I try to fall asleep I can't. I am physically and mentally exhausted and I need your help. I'm worried that if Lexapro made me feel numb and high that any other anti-anxiety drug is basically going to do the same or make the problem worse. I have gotten to the point where I can fight off a panic attack by just telling myself that it's not real so that is good. Based off of some of my symptoms it seems as if I have Migraine without headache as well but I'm not sure. So here are my symptoms/questions.

Sweaty hands
Increased heartbeat
Dizziness
Lightheaded and Heavy headed
Extreme light sensitivity
Extremely hard to focus on anything with my eyes
Insomnia
Intrusive thoughts
Nausea
Weakness
Uncomfortable
Very tense
Jaw cracks and jaw tension
Ear fullness
Occasional headache deriving from my sinus area
Pain in the back of my head in my neck and above
Pain in my heart from being overworked too hard
Mental exhaustion


Is it possible that the Lexapro is still in my system after I took it ONE TIME on Friday and is still causing me insomnia and some of these physical symptoms?
If Lexapro made me feel this weird should I even bother trying to go on any kind of other drug?
I see a lot of people talk about trying Chlortrimeton and that eases their anxiety, could that work for me?
Based off what I've told you what would some of you say is my problem and how can I fix it?

PLEASE HELP ASAP! :(

[ashy]

Hey Connor!

I've had those exact same symptoms as you not that long ago.. Maybe only a month ago. I know exactly how you feel and it's pretty scary. I wasn't sure that I was ever going to get out of it. But I have gotten better and you will too :). I also went to the doctor and she prescribed me Paxil which I took for like 2 days and I also felt the way you feel on lexapro. I didn't like it at all. And I think I was extremely anxious to take them even though they were just 10mg. These antidepressants apparently take weeks or months to start working. Anyways, on the third day I felt really sick with bad migraines and throwing up and stuff and really anxious. My doctor decided to take me off of it. She didn't think it was Paxil's fault, but she said I was just too anxious to take it. Anyways, I don't like to take medication. I've also felt real tired, no matter how much sleep I get. So they decided to have me take vitamin d3 supplements (cuz I was low) and a multivitamin. ( I get the gummy kind :) ) I feel more awake now. I think another thing that has helped me is giving myself hope that I can get better. And it's true, you can :). It takes baby steps but you'll gradually get better. Try to look for some friends who you know will be supportive and try to communicate how you really feel to those who you can trust. I really feel that a good social support will help a lot . Take time to be patient and understanding with yourself too and hold on to the hope that it will get better. Do you go to see a therapist? Sometimes they can help, especially with the thoughts that overwhelm your head. You can get through this, and we are here to support you :)

[jessed03]

Hey Connor, welcome my friend.

I'd say your problem is pure and simple: Severe anxiety.

Severe anxiety sounds a little nasty, but it's just regular anxiety... Only a bit more extreme in your case. Sounds a lot like my experience.

The Lexapro will be more of less out of your system now, but it can take time for things to settle down again, so you can probably put some stuff down to that still.

My opinion, but you do need a drug, yes. You will struggle without one. It can take some tries to find one you like. Took me about 5. In your case they will make you feel worse before better, so you may need to grit your teeth and get 6 weeks under your belt on a drug. At that point it should all settle down, and you'll be able to get some relief, and get stuck into dealing with the root of your problem.

I wouldn't bother trying chlortrimeton if I were you. I just wouldnt. I've been where you are, I've tried many remedies, they won't hit your problems hard enough I'm afraid. All of your symptoms are your body telling you it's suffering from extreme levels of stress. Mild stress relievers won't help enough, you need something better.

That's why the Lexapro made you feel rough. It's changing your brain chemistry. And that's never easy to do without side effects. It just shows how much your brain chemistry needs changing if that's how you react.

Not every antidepressant will make you feel bad. You may luck out on your next one and find one that works easier.

Good luck, and don't worry about your family's words too much. Extreme anxiety freaks people out. It can appear crazy, gosh, I've appeared crazy many a time. But when it settles, you'll be right there again, as yourself, right back to normal with no crazy bullshit anymore.

It's just extreme levels of adrenaline making you seem a bit off to people. It's hard for them to understand. When that adrenaline level returns to normal, then there's normal Connor, safe and sound.

You don't have schizophrenia, or bipolar, or anything other than anxiety. I can pretty much say that for certain.

Good luck, let us know what med you go on next, if you do choose to go on one. We'll try and guide you through it. Quite a few of us have been there. It does get better.

[ashy]

I got off of Paxil because I've had the same symptoms as you, and it also made me really sick. I'm taking vitamin D3 and a multivitamin and it's helping me.. But definitely tell your doctor how you're feeling

[Enduronman]

Hey Connor, welcome my friend.

I'd say your problem is pure and simple: Severe anxiety.

Severe anxiety sounds a little nasty, but it's just regular anxiety... Only a bit more extreme in your case. Sounds a lot like my experience.

The Lexapro will be more of less out of your system now, but it can take time for things to settle down again, so you can probably put some stuff down to that still.

My opinion, but you do need a drug, yes. You will struggle without one. It can take some tries to find one you like. Took me about 5. In your case they will make you feel worse before better, so you may need to grit your teeth and get 6 weeks under your belt on a drug. At that point it should all settle down, and you'll be able to get some relief, and get stuck into dealing with the root of your problem.

I wouldn't bother trying chlortrimeton if I were you. I just wouldnt. I've been where you are, I've tried many remedies, they won't hit your problems hard enough I'm afraid. All of your symptoms are your body telling you it's suffering from extreme levels of stress. Stress relievers won't help enough, you need something better.

That's why the Lexapro made you feel rough. It's changing your brain chemistry. And that's never easy to do without side effects. It just shows how much your brain chemistry needs changing if that's how you react.

Not every antidepressant will make you feel bad. You may luck out on your next one and find one that works easier.

Good luck, and don't worry about your family's words too much. Extreme anxiety freaks people out. It can appear crazy, gosh, I've appeared crazy many a time. But when it settles, you'll be right there again, as yourself, right back to normal with no crazy bullshit anymore.

It's just extreme levels of adrenaline making you seem a bit off to people. It's hard for them to understand. When that adrenaline level returns to normal, then there's normal Connor, safe and sound.

You don't have schizophrenia, or bipolar, or anything other than anxiety. I can pretty much say that for certain.

Good luck, let us know what med you go on next, if you do choose to go on one. We'll try and guide you through it. Quite a few of us have been there. It does get better.

boom

Welcome Connor and Ashy!

Enduronman..:)

[ashy]

boom Welcome Connor and Ashy! Enduronman..:)
Thank you! I still feel really nervous to go back on another pill though haha