So between the first crazy episode involving an ER visit and the second minor one, I started thinking how it just doesn't make sense that this is a "new" kind of panic attack after years of chronic ones of multiple kinds. I kept going over it in my head and it didn't add up.

I thought about the antihistamine--Claritin--that I'd just started taking daily last week. The hayfever's been kicking my ***, and though I take enough pills a day to choke a horse, I decided to give in and take the Claritin daily hoping it would help me be able to enjoy being outside without my face being a giant congested itch.

I looked up possible side effects, and this is what I found. http://doublecheckmd.com/EffectsDeta...13435&eid=2724
Not only that, I searched for people with Panic Disorder that's taken Claritin, and many said they suffered from the same spiked-blood-pressure and heart rate.

Once I read all that it made perfect sense. I've never checked my bp during a Panic Attack, but I can safely say that in the dozens upon dozens of attacks I've had they NEVER accelerated as fast as the ER room nite.

I haven't taken the Claritin since Tuesday, and except for a minor version Thursday (today's Sunday am), I've not had another episode. I told my mom and grandmother about it (they're both pretty knowledgeable about med side effects, etc.), and they both agreed. My grandmother nailed it, "Sounds like what's happened is a reaction to the Claritin." My mom's reaction mirrored my own, "Damn! Unbelievable! I never would have thought of that."

The real kicker is my Dr/internist purposely prescribed it for me because, "You don't want to take anything OTC as they can raise blood pressure." Then why the ***** did he prescribe it. He knows I have GAD, take meds for it. How did that not add up in his head? I know how. He took one look at my overweight/bloated body and wrote me off as an at-risk pre-diabetic who's simply lazy (I can't recall having a worse first-appt with such awful bedside manner). I told my P-doc about my initial visit, what he said about my weight, etc., & even he was appalled at what the Internist told me. "70% of Internists' patients are psychiatric patients; it's a large part of their job to put two an two together when they see those meds plus their patients' weight, etc.", he informed me, and even said the guy shouldn't be in practice.

I'm just, livid. I don't see the Internist until next year, but as soon as I get my primary health stuff taken care of, I'm changing doctors, then I'm writing him a letter. The only thing he accurately picked up on was my lack of energy possibly being more than just being overweight; hence the Anemia diagnosis. Otherwise I'm telling everyone to avoid him.

Because of the bullsh*t this week, taking my P. Attk. med to control the episodes, plus allergies, I've been sleeping a ton....and went 4 days without taking my meds, Not on purpose; it just escaped my mind. To add to all this, the past day hypomania's come up, and not in a good way---I've had rage, almost overwhelming impulses to destroy stuff (not ppl) in the house, scream, etc. Took some of my P. Attk med to calm it down. I know it's because I haven't taken my meds. I never forget that many days---and it wouldn't have even happened if I hadn't taken that stupid Claritin. I'm just glad I caught it when I did...... I'm certain had I not, it would have caused subsequent dire effects (one being taking the P.Attk med more; like I need to take that regularly, NOT. )

I partially wanted to share this as a caution to those of you w/anxiety/etc., and taking allergy meds that can mimic (horribly) Panic Attacks. I can't help but think that, because of my history of Panic Attacks, the ER simply wrote it off as a random attack...they asked about all the psych meds I'm on but didn't bother finding out the antihistamine's name (I was so out of it I couldn't remember the name of that one, ). That pisses me off as well; seems like a subtle writing-off because I'm "anxious."

I am still furious, and pumped up. I'm about to make a list of things I can hopefully get done this week to distract myself from my head and be constructive.