Has anyone feared panic attacks??
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| Fri, 09-22-2006 - 5:46pm |
Hi,
My biggest problem these days is that everytime I have a good panic attack I fear the next one. And then I start anticipating it, so my mouth goes dry, my heart races, I have the shakes, my appetite goes down the drain, ect, ect. I also remember all the times I had a panic attack or that I was anxious and I tell myself that it's starting all over again and that I'm going to be in the dumps for I don't know how many more days.
I have to inform you guys that I'm going through PPD and taking 150mg of Effexor and that tonight I may be starting a new medication Seroquel to help me sleep better because my mind races even when I'm sleeping...I dream a lot of my issues and wake up frequently which does not help the anxiety/panic. I have to lovely children 3year1/2 and 6 months. Anyways I know that sometimes it's all hormonal but I'm not always convinced...I always think that it's myself causing that to myself (if that makes any sense)...meanwhile I'm totally aware that if I could I would not intentionally cause myself some panic attacks. And as the day goes they get less frequent or less scary and when I go to bed at night I'm mostly relaxed but then comes morning and I have palpitations and cold sweats and feel shaky...I don't feel like eating and I don't know what to do with myself....anyone stuck like me??
Thanks
So

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hi there So,
i can TOTALLY relate to what you are going through...i suffer from panic disorder, GAD, and depression due to the anxiety...and i'm 6 months pregnant....i was dealing really well w/my anxiety before i found out i was preggo, then when i was 5 weeks preggo...BOOM my anxiety came on like a semi truck:(...i wonder a lot too if its hormonal or mental or what.
Hi Heather,
Thank you soooooooo much for your reply. It made me realize that I'm not alone to fear the panic attacks and I too have been in therapy for 4 years now and I have worked a lot on my cycles of anxiety and what brings on a panic attack and most of my panics can be controlled and understood but when I have a good one which I cannot explain that is when I fear it the most. You said it, "the trick is not to fear the panic attacks and that way they will come and go without too much effort". Although it's really hard to do when it seems that our body is taken over by the hormones. These days I'm really working on discearning what my hormones are doing to me and what I'm doing to me, meaning that sometimes I will dramatize a panic attack by anticipating the next one or fearing it which means that I'm in constant alert...that is where the meds kick in guess. Tonight I'm going to try the Seroquel which is a relaxant to help me sleep more soundly..because I think in 6 months I have not had a good night sleep...either I'm anxious when I wake up or the kids wake up which interupts my sleep and once that is done I start dreaming about all kinds of stuff either real or unreal but it means that my sleep is not good. We'll see what it does, if it's going to help me have less bad days around my period...man being a woman sometimes really sucks!!!! On the upside, I'm learning a lot about myself and I'm more open minded than I have ever been . I'm a lot more sympathetic to all kinds of mental illnesses.
Feel free to share more if you like. How is your pregnancy going other than the anxiety?
ciao
Sonia
Hi Sonia & welcome to our community!
Sheri Ann
Welcome to our community! You are NOT alone. *Anticipatory anxiety* is more of a problem for me than the actual panic attack. Wondering when the next one will hit is exhausting & plays tricks on your mind causing the increased fear. I have often wished that the panic would just come & I could get on with my life.
I had very good luck with effexor. I took it for severe panic/anxiety for about 3 years. Then, I got things under control & was able to cope better. I also took seroquel for sleep
hi sonia,
other than my anxiety the pregnancy has been rough too:( i was high risk to begin with because i have a history of miscarrying
Hi Heather,
My anxiety while pregnant was fine actually I had none and no panic attacks....it started mostly towards the end of my pregnancy around the 8th month. My doctor explained to me that the 8th month is where there is a change in hormones and it can trigger something in your body...my first pregnancy was not like that but the second one was. At the same time I started having migraines which was also due to hormone changes because I had my eyesight checked out and it was fine. I have not had one migraine since my last month of pregnancy so I guess it proves something,...plus I never had migraines before.
Yes I did go through PPD with my first pregnancy. It hit mean around the 4th month. This time around it hit me at the 3rd week after delivery and it's worst in the sense that I know what is going on but I can't shake it off as easy as I thought I could. The first time I went on Paxil 30mg and I was on that for 3 years,...when I found out I was pregnant with the second one I quit Paxil in 3 weeks with no withdrawals (just goes to show you that my hormones were stable while pregnant) and for this PPD I went on Effexor 150mg (for now) and I just started Seroquel 12.5mg to help me relax in order to sleep better. Paxil was more efficient but it seemed to have more side effects than Effexor.
Don't be shy to ask any other questions.
Sonia
Hi Jan,
Thanks for your reply it made me feel like I was not alone and maybe on the good road to recovery with Effexor and Seroquel. If it's not too indiscret could I ask you what your dosages were?? It's always something that bothers me, I'm sooooo afraid to over medicate!!!
I'm going to check out that folder your mentionned.
Thanks
Sonia
Hi Jan,
Another question. Did you have side effects from the Seroquel? I've been taking it for two nights now and I find that my insides are shaking more than usual and I'm sleepy....my legs feel like a ton of bricks. I eat but the shaking does not go away so I know that it's not because I have not eaten for a while...I feel like the energy is being drained out of me.
Thanks for the answer to my previous question...I always need to be re-assured when it comes to dosage.
Sonia
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