Panic attacks are tearing me apart from the inside out

  • Thread starter Thread starter gigi11
  • Start date Start date
I have chronic back pain from four failed spine surgeries. My job is insecure and I have a parent with advanced Altzheimers Disease. Recently, I began having panic attacks and constant stress. I wasn't sleeping, I hated going to work, even though I enjoy my job.
Finally, I went to my primary care physican and told him what's been going on.
He prescribed small dosages of Zoloft and Klonapin for anxiety. I now feel better than i have for years. I enjoy being outside again, walking and am not always sleepy. Please ask for help, it's worth it.
 
Dont be afraid to take the Klonopin regularly for a couple of weeks, while waiting for the SSRI to kick in - there is no risk of dependence on a short course like that, and it will make you feel so much better.

Have you started the SSRI yet? It might be best to continue it during your therapy, most studies have shown that an SSRI + therapy works better than either one alone.

Best of luck

Jon
 
SounRAB to me like my story. I was put on this medication called seroquel (for insomnia) even though it's for schizophrenia 7 years ago. Well the very next day at work I had the same symptoms you were talking about. Hot flashes, racing heart, I couldn't stand to be inside and I remeraber I was working inside this call center. I panicked and paged my psychologist who told me I was having an anxiety attack. I was QUICK to get on anything that would make me not feel like that ever again, so instead of 'dealing' with my attacks I was immediately put on and took 6mg a DAY of xanax. Today I realize that xanax caused me 7 years later to actually have worse anxiety attacks while I'm taking it. Because of the short lived whatever in xanax you have to take the pills every 4-6 hours. I am currently taking 2mg of klonopin at night (only been off xanax 3 days and on the new med's for 3 days).
I believe certain people need medication and other's do not. Don't feel guilty for taking a placebo medication or even an anxiety attack for you should enjoy your life and not feel like you worry your children or husband. But that is all I can say. Good luck to you.
 
SSRI's have NO abuse potential and NO addiction potential, and can bring panic attacks under control in about 2 or 3 weeks.

A short course of Xanax to cover that 2 weeks has no addiction potential either - you cant become addicted in 2 weeks.

Occasionaly taking 1 Xanax when things are bad has no addiction potential.

Its daily use over long perioRAB that has a risk of dependence.
 
hi,
my symptoms are feeling light-headed, sweaty, hot, nausia, tingling in all extremities, jaw clenching, chest pain, fear of dying, and if it gets really bad, diareah and vomiting. I was given an anti-inflamatory for the costachondritis (Im sorry I cant remeraber the name of it. That was like 3 years ago and since finding out what my true diagnosis was, I stopped taking it. But I do take Aleve (naproxen) for all over body pain). After my panic attacks the symptoms are feeling like I was hit by a train. Full body exhaustion and pain. I take gaviscon for nausia. Nothing has stopped the diareah when in full symptom of the panic....but I have taken pepto bismal for it for some relief.
I understand about the worry of having at least one of you lucid for emergency.
The only thing I can say is.....I take the lowest dose possible to get by. I take .25mg (1/4 miligram thats like nothing of the Klonopin) when anxiety symtoms start. I take .50mg (thats 1/2 miligram) at bedtime. I was given cyrabalta for depression. That is taken in the morning and does not knock you out (well, at least it didnt me). I can tell you that because I take the lowest doses available, that my anxiety never goes away. It is just lessened to a point to where I can funtion. And keeping the low dose in me seems to have helped keep the panic attacks under control. I dont like to drive either, but the low dose allows me to if i need to. Im glad you will be going to therapy. I believe that after a certain amount of therapy , I will actually be able to stop all meRAB. MeRAB are not the answer for my problem, but they help with the symptoms until the problem can professionally be worked on and eventually worked out. Good luck
 
Back
Top