Wendy
04-04-2011, 10:31 PM
I use to be a member of this site and then had to stop because at the time I was new to my anxiety and panic disorder and coming onto this website actually started anxiety for me. It has been 2 years now and things have gotten much better than when it first started but of course it has never actually went away.
I have anxiety and panic disorder as the doctors would say. I am very happy to say I haven't had a SEVERE panic attack for quite some time now I hope I never have one again. My anxiety is everyday, all day though and I wish daily it would just go away and I could return to my old self and live my life as if all this never happened.
I did see a post on here about brain zaps and it caught my eye. When all this first started my doctor put me on Paxil. A week later I was 10 pounds lighter, couldn't eat a thing and wouldn't let me husband leave my sight. Finally after calling my doctor everyday for a week he finally decided that Paxil wasn't right for me and that it was actually making me worse. From then on out I have a fear of taking any type of medication. He then put me on Lexepro and that was a one day deal for me. 45 minutes after taking it I thought I was losing it completely. That is when the brain zaps started. I have had them on and off for the last 2 years but here these last few months they are more and more reoccurring. I have never discussed this with my doctor so I am very curious as to why these happen. It only happens at night when I am going to sleep. It's enough to scare the living poop right out of me. This might sound crazy but when I have these brain zaps I also have a sound with it...like a zapping sound. I absolutely hate going to the doctor and I have put this off because I don't want to sound like a idiot or find out that I have some serious condition. Isn't it funny how with anxiety you are scared to death of something happening but you avoid most everything that could possibly help you.
I have tried many other medications as well but all of them has had side affects that made things worse for me. My doctor told me that I am very sensitive to medication and that makes things a little more difficult in finding the right medication. The only thing I am on now is Xanax and I take that as a "as needed" basis. Here the last few months have been more often then not and I am starting to get that mind set that I am going to loose it again and I am so scared to death of getting to that point again. I am proud of the fact that I can be home alone once again without having a panic attack. I have come so far but things are starting to creep up on me and I am afraid to go back to the doctors to try another round of medication. But I don't want to become addicted to the Xanax either. I am not a pill popper and it took me almost a year to come to terms with having to take a pill to feel "normal". I thought I was stronger than that and realizing that my previous "normal" will never be again was a hard thing for me to accept.
I am fine with having this problem now. I have accepted it but I do not want to get to the point again where I can't take care of myself let alone my children. I lost 40 pounds in my first month of my panic attacks that now when I loose weight..it actually scares me.
So I guess my main questions is...what are these brain zaps and what causes them. What helps them?
Thanks
I have anxiety and panic disorder as the doctors would say. I am very happy to say I haven't had a SEVERE panic attack for quite some time now I hope I never have one again. My anxiety is everyday, all day though and I wish daily it would just go away and I could return to my old self and live my life as if all this never happened.
I did see a post on here about brain zaps and it caught my eye. When all this first started my doctor put me on Paxil. A week later I was 10 pounds lighter, couldn't eat a thing and wouldn't let me husband leave my sight. Finally after calling my doctor everyday for a week he finally decided that Paxil wasn't right for me and that it was actually making me worse. From then on out I have a fear of taking any type of medication. He then put me on Lexepro and that was a one day deal for me. 45 minutes after taking it I thought I was losing it completely. That is when the brain zaps started. I have had them on and off for the last 2 years but here these last few months they are more and more reoccurring. I have never discussed this with my doctor so I am very curious as to why these happen. It only happens at night when I am going to sleep. It's enough to scare the living poop right out of me. This might sound crazy but when I have these brain zaps I also have a sound with it...like a zapping sound. I absolutely hate going to the doctor and I have put this off because I don't want to sound like a idiot or find out that I have some serious condition. Isn't it funny how with anxiety you are scared to death of something happening but you avoid most everything that could possibly help you.
I have tried many other medications as well but all of them has had side affects that made things worse for me. My doctor told me that I am very sensitive to medication and that makes things a little more difficult in finding the right medication. The only thing I am on now is Xanax and I take that as a "as needed" basis. Here the last few months have been more often then not and I am starting to get that mind set that I am going to loose it again and I am so scared to death of getting to that point again. I am proud of the fact that I can be home alone once again without having a panic attack. I have come so far but things are starting to creep up on me and I am afraid to go back to the doctors to try another round of medication. But I don't want to become addicted to the Xanax either. I am not a pill popper and it took me almost a year to come to terms with having to take a pill to feel "normal". I thought I was stronger than that and realizing that my previous "normal" will never be again was a hard thing for me to accept.
I am fine with having this problem now. I have accepted it but I do not want to get to the point again where I can't take care of myself let alone my children. I lost 40 pounds in my first month of my panic attacks that now when I loose weight..it actually scares me.
So I guess my main questions is...what are these brain zaps and what causes them. What helps them?
Thanks