Not Sure What to do

willy_gert · August 2013

So, I talked with my doctor about my depression/ anxiety and he put me on some meds and things had gotten better. But then I got super sick and there was no way I could get the pills down for approximately 3 weeks.

Well I finally feel well enough to get them down and for the last three days I have been having panic attacks multiple times a day. So, any thoughts? Should I stop taking the pills and talk to my doc again? I hate feeling this way especially because they come on so quickly and I can't seem to control them anymore.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

kbbgg · August 2013

Hey! I've recently started talking to a therapist regarding my anxiety. (Was bad after the boy was born, then tapered off - then something happened to trigger it again, bad).
I've been doing meditation, practicing mindfulness and doing present moment recognition.
I'll tell you man, it's changed a lot of aspects of my life, and how i see things. My therapist suggested these things before trying meds. Not that I'm anti med.
Talk with your doctor about the medication and give meditations/mindfulness a go.

I also swear to you I'm no hippy but this shit has helped me control my anxiety in a big way.
Good luck, man!

Edit: mobile autocorrect is dumb

MrsKipper · August 2013

@Kbbgg What is present moment recognition?

mamaHippo23 · August 2013

To me, having multiple panic attacks a day is not something I could live with. I have panic attacks every so often, and they are very frightening and intense for me. I don't currently take meds for them, but I have in the past, and I would again if they became more frequent.

Don't wait on this. Call your doctor on Tuesday. There are fast-acting meds available that can help diffuse an attack quickly, so you don't have to suffer. I think you already know how serious this is and how much anxiety/ panic disorders can take over your life, if you let it. Call your doctor and get the help you need now. *End of sermon* Good luck and stay strong! You can overcome this, I promise!

ktnicole · August 2013

Willy- when I was anxiety meds the worse thing I HAVE EVER done was to sudden go off them. I'm take them but contact your dr or nurse line if you have one (my insurance does).

kbbgg · August 2013

MrsKipper said:
@Kbbgg What is present moment recognition?

It's acknowledging the present moment. It's stopping to take in the moment and recognize your surroundings, the way you're breathing, how things are feeling without the thinking about anything else. Ex: in the shower, focusing on how the water runs down your back, what the temperature feels like, watching the water slide down your fingertips.
It's just being present, like, REALLY being present in a moment.

I try to do it a few times a day. Like in the shower or watching the peanut butter melt on my toast, listening to the sound of the knife smooth it.

The key is forcing all other thoughts out of your head to just be in the now.

(I SWEAR Im not a hippy)

kbbgg · August 2013

And to echo others. It's NOT smart to just go off your meds. Please chat with your doctor stat.

willy_gert · August 2013

kbbgg said:
And to echo others. It's NOT smart to just go off your meds. Please chat with your doctor stat.

Yeah I know that, it has just been such a crazy strong reaction since I started back on them that I wondered if I should.

@kbbgg I have never heard of that present moment recognition, but I wonder if that wouldn't help me. I've noticed that my panic attacks definitely come when my mind gets overwhelmed with what ifs and oh shits.

I've got a call into a new doctor, because my doctor's solution is always more meds and treat symptoms instead of fixing the problem, so hopefully I will hear back from them Tuesday!

Thanks ladies! Your support means a lot to me!

BPer · August 2013

Agree with everyone else. I'm assuming you we're on an SSRI or something similar? It can be very dangerous to go off these meds cold turkey. It's usually a tapering off process. Are you serving a therapist in addition to taking meds?

MrsKipper · August 2013

kbbgg said:

MrsKipper said:
@Kbbgg What is present moment recognition?
It's acknowledging the present moment. It's stopping to take in the moment and recognize your surroundings, the way you're breathing, how things are feeling without the thinking about anything else. Ex: in the shower, focusing on how the water runs down your back, what the temperature feels like, watching the water slide down your fingertips.
It's just being present, like, REALLY being present in a moment.

I try to do it a few times a day. Like in the shower or watching the peanut butter melt on my toast, listening to the sound of the knife smooth it.

The key is forcing all other thoughts out of your head to just be in the now.

(I SWEAR Im not a hippy)

That sounds like something I need to do. I get overwhelmed with thoughts when I'm doing mindless things like showering and cleaning.

L8kissie · August 2013

I'd call or email the doctor. They can't decide if you should continue or stop the meds, but they know how the drugs usually act and people's reactions. That insight can help you decide what is best for you. I'm sorry you've been having anxiety. Gl!!!

KellersPrag · August 2013

IMO, the panic attacks probably came from NOT being on your medication for 3 weeks...

Either way, I agree with everyone else. Talk to your doc soon.

MississippiCatfish · August 2013

I'd call the doc. They might want you to start with half your dose for a little while. It's hard for your body to adjust to lots of serotonin, no extra serotonin, lots of serotonin (assuming you're taking an SSRI). Honestly, those fluctuations may cause the panic attacks for a while whether you're taking the meds or not, while your body adjusts. Call your doc, find the right dose, and ride it out for a while knowing that it will get better soon. And ask for something (probably Xanax, a weaker benzodiazepine) to take only when you feel a panic attack coming on.

I just upped my Zoloft 8 days ago and I'm starting to feel a little better. There is light at the end of the tunnel! You're doing great, it will fall into place.

kbbgg · August 2013

MrsKipper said:

kbbgg said:

MrsKipper said:
@Kbbgg What is present moment recognition?
It's acknowledging the present moment. It's stopping to take in the moment and recognize your surroundings, the way you're breathing, how things are feeling without the thinking about anything else. Ex: in the shower, focusing on how the water runs down your back, what the temperature feels like, watching the water slide down your fingertips.
It's just being present, like, REALLY being present in a moment.

I try to do it a few times a day. Like in the shower or watching the peanut butter melt on my toast, listening to the sound of the knife smooth it.

The key is forcing all other thoughts out of your head to just be in the now.

(I SWEAR Im not a hippy)
That sounds like something I need to do. I get overwhelmed with thoughts when I'm doing mindless things like showering and cleaning.

@mrskipper it can change your complete way of thinking/how you react to things/appreciating all the little moments in your day to day.

I highly recommend trying it.

LegallyBlonde217 · August 2013

KellersPrag said:

IMO, the panic attacks probably came from NOT being on your medication for 3 weeks... Either way, I agree with everyone else. Talk to your doc soon.

This is exactly what I was going to say. It takes a while for them to get completely out of your body. The timing is probably just coincidental. And going off cold turkey is the absolute worst thing you can do. I tapered off slowly when we started TTC, and I still had to take a couple days off of work because I was having such bad withdrawal symptoms.

MommaP12 · September 2013

MrsKipper said:

@Kbbgg What is present moment recognition?
It's acknowledging the present moment. It's stopping to take in the moment and recognize your surroundings, the way you're breathing, how things are feeling without the thinking about anything else. Ex: in the shower, focusing on how the water runs down your back, what the temperature feels like, watching the water slide down your fingertips. It's just being present, like, REALLY being present in a moment. I try to do it a few times a day. Like in the shower or watching the peanut butter melt on my toast, listening to the sound of the knife smooth it. The key is forcing all other thoughts out of your head to just be in the now. (I SWEAR Im not a hippy)
That sounds like something I need to do. I get overwhelmed with thoughts when I'm doing mindless things like showering and cleaning.

I am trying to do this too. My mind is ALWAYS racing. About things I have no control over, that are far out into the future, or that I shouldn't be thinking about at that moment. Like yesterday when I was out with DH for a date, my mind was racing about money, the house, etc. I can never just TURN OFF and be in the moment. I need to stop and focus on the present.

@willy_gert I will tell you, my doc prescribed Paxil and i took it ONCE and felt awful so I didn't take it again and it took me 2.5 days to feel normal again, it was that strong/bad - I had to call in sick one day like @LegallyBlonde217 said too. I hope you feel better soon.

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