Having a really hard time right now

[ashly1221]

Started back on celexa after 4-5 years of being medication free. Dr started me at 20mg a day, anxiety got way worse so I had it adjusted to 10mg a day for a week then go to 20mg a day. I usually take it in the morning but I thought I would try it at night last night. I took it literally as I was getting in bed so that I would be asleep before it kicked in. I ended up laying in bed for half an hour full of anxiety thinking I wouldn't be able to sleep, then I finally dozed off. Then I woke up in the middle of the night, didn't check the time and when I woke up I was completely overwhelmed with anxiety. I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital because I couldn't handle it. I was too frozen in my head to get out of bed to get clonazepam to get me to relax. That's when I woke up my man. I told him in having really bad anxiety right now and as soon as those words came out of my mouth I had a full blown panic attack. I haven't had one in years. So I told him I was having a panic attack and I just sat there in bed in the dark and he rubbed my back until the panic attack passed. The whole time all I could think was I am going crazy and that I've ruined my brain and I will never be the same again. I ended up falling back asleep, woke up this morning feeling really anxious again. On my drive to school I felt like going to check myself in because I just feel like this will never stop and will just keep getting worse. I just need someone to tell me they've experienced this before and how they handled it :(

[forgiveandforget1995]

Hi ashly! Hope you're doing well. I've had something similar, it started when I was taking 20mg of Fluoxetine, My Anxiety and Depressions was getting worse, and I was getting up in the middle of the night all the time worrying about silly things, and thinking of the worst. I did have restless night's sleep too! I'm sure your loved ones understand, after all they want what's best for you and they want to support you. I know that feeling, sometimes when I get a Panic attack, I think to myself after "What the hell was that all about, it's just a stupid Panic attack" They can't kill you, nobody dies from a Panic attack, it's just when you're going through one, your mind starts to think the worst. Just wondering, do they have a Counselor at your school, you could talk to them about how you feel, they should help you, I talked to mine once in my College not long after my parents had split up! I know what you're going through, just remember that nothing bad will happen to you, it always passes over eventually. Medication can cause a lot of side affects, and it sometimes isn't always the answer, but just do what's best for you, I'm just saying from what I've experienced it didn't do me a lot of good, but for others it's great! Hope you are feeling better!! :)

[forgiveandforget1995]

I'll bump this thread to get more people noticed

[Darkcloud]

I've had tons of PAs that make me feel like I'm going crazy. I've had them bad enough where I've considered checking myself inpatient. So I know how you feel and you're not alone. This may have been caused by the med, or just your anxiety. Who knows, but you could mention it to your doc. At least you have clonzapam to help you get through it. That's what I take now. Maybe your doc could give you something to help with sleep until your brain gets used to the med again?

[Dahila]

I was on Celexa I think 8 years ago for maybe 6 months, then I quit it ,cause I felt in control again. Few months ago I could not function any more and doc put me on Celexa and this time I developed the intolerance to it, and any SRRIs, I tried each one for a week, under the care of psychiatrist this time, starting the smallest doses, but I had 24/7 panic attack. I can not take any of them anymore. Could be the same situation with you:)

[ashly1221]

I never had this kind of reaction to celexa before. I was on it two separate times when I was 18 an 19 and it helped a lot then. I think maybe my anxiety now is just a lot worse than when I took it years ago. I ended up taking clonazepam before school today because I felt like I just couldn't handle it. I try to only take clonazepam as a last resort. My doctor is going to call me today to talk about my dose so I am going to let her know how I have been feeling.

I just want to know of any one else has experienced this, how they coped and how long it lasts?

I know with SSRIs it usually makes things worse before they get better. And a way to know it's working is by seeing if your symptoms get worse initially. So I know this is going to work out for me it's just a matter of when and how to deal in the meantime without doping myself up on clonazepam.

[ashly1221]

I was on Celexa I think 8 years ago for maybe 6 months, then I quit it ,cause I felt in control again. Few months ago I could not function any more and doc put me on Celexa and this time I developed the intolerance to it, and any SRRIs, I tried each one for a week, under the care of psychiatrist this time, starting the smallest doses, but I had 24/7 panic attack. I can not take any of them anymore. Could be the same situation with you:)


Did you experience the attacks the way I did? I seriously felt like getting my man to take me into the mental health centre last night. It's just so hard to deal. How did you cope? Any tips?

[ashly1221]

I've had tons of PAs that make me feel like I'm going crazy. I've had them bad enough where I've considered checking myself inpatient. So I know how you feel and you're not alone. This may have been caused by the med, or just your anxiety. Who knows, but you could mention it to your doc. At least you have clonzapam to help you get through it. That's what I take now. Maybe your doc could give you something to help with sleep until your brain gets used to the med again?

I talked to my doctor on the phone today and she said to cut the dose down to 10mg a day and to take it in the morning. She explained that when you take it in the am you have all day to burn off the excess energy, be it stress, anxiety, tension... and that when you take it at night, you can't burn off all the extra steam, which explains why I woke up just to have a lovely panic attack. I too have felt like I wanted to go to the mental health center and say 'hey guys, I don't feel so good, something is wrong' but I know they would just tell me to relax and go to therapy and that it is just anxiety. The conversation with my doctor went well today, it was short as I was in school but we talked about all my concerns and she even gave me studying tips! LOL It's helpful though. So end of story is that I am going to start taking it in the morning again and start getting more active as I haven't been too active with the high course loads I have, my head is just buried in a book .... gotta make the time I guess.

How do you deal when you have an anxiety attack or panic attack and your mind is racing and you feel like you're going to loose it? It is something that I struggle with and I don't know how to deal with it.

[ashly1221]

I also think I have an irrational fear of going crazy as I had a relative that had suffered from mild Schizophrenia so I think when I am anxious I think of that and then with the anxiety basically convince myself that I am going to turn out like my grandma. It's mind over matter, I know. And I have talked to my therapist about this and she has assured me I am not going to go crazy that I just need to remember that this is anxiety and anxiety feeds off your fears :( Still a big struggle for me to try and grasp that concept and move on with it ya know?

[Darkcloud]

I talked to my doctor on the phone today and she said to cut the dose down to 10mg a day and to take it in the morning. She explained that when you take it in the am you have all day to burn off the excess energy, be it stress, anxiety, tension... and that when you take it at night, you can't burn off all the extra steam, which explains why I woke up just to have a lovely panic attack. I too have felt like I wanted to go to the mental health center and say 'hey guys, I don't feel so good, something is wrong' but I know they would just tell me to relax and go to therapy and that it is just anxiety. The conversation with my doctor went well today, it was short as I was in school but we talked about all my concerns and she even gave me studying tips! LOL It's helpful though. So end of story is that I am going to start taking it in the morning again and start getting more active as I haven't been too active with the high course loads I have, my head is just buried in a book .... gotta make the time I guess. How do you deal when you have an anxiety attack or panic attack and your mind is racing and you feel like you're going to loose it? It is something that I struggle with and I don't know how to deal with it.

I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with it. I usually try to distract myself by changing my train of thought. Always remember, the panic attack will end even if it feels like it won't. You won't go crazy though you may feel like it. The best thing I've learned to do is relax my shoulder muscles, which relaxes my chest so it's not so tight. The more relaxed your muscles are, the more quickly the attack will end.

It really depends on the situation I'm in though. If I'm alone, it's more difficult to distract myself. I'm trying to learn how to "float" through the panic and anxiety. I've been reading Hope And Help For Your Nerves, which has great insight on why you feel the way you do. So I guess you could say I'm still in the process of learning a coping technique that works for me.

I'm glad you got your med situation figured out. I hope it gets better for you!

[Dahila]

Did you experience the attacks the way I did? I seriously felt like getting my man to take me into the mental health centre last night. It's just so hard to deal. How did you cope? Any tips?

Honestly, I was in the bed, I could not move, my bp was up, the heart beat up and it felt like panic attack which was constant.