[JohnnyC123]

So my doctor put me on buspar and after about two weeks I started to get facial ticks and a tingling in my left side mainly in my left foot. I called the doc and he put me on celexa. It had been about five days off buspar when starting the celexa and began to experience anxiety attacks. It is now day 6 on celexa and I am still having anxiety attacks as well as feeling constantly nervous. I also feel like the parts of my mind are not working together. It is as though a part of me is totally calm and the rest of me is freaking out. So I don't really get many of the physiological signs of anxiety but it is there. I feel like I am losing touch with reality and I can't trust myself. I am becoming constantly paranoid about becoming delusional. I always feel like something is wrong. It's to the point that all I can do is pace back and forth in my kitchen. My thinking is no good and I feel tired and full of energy at the same time. This blows. Could it be the medication or what do you think? This feels like a permanent bad trip and there is no hope.

[Perna]

I've had some bad experiences on meds, especially pain meds when I got out of hospital; felt like I was "separate" kind of like you describe. If it were me I'd tend to think it was the med. I guess you probably should talk to the doctor again, tell him what's up with this and see what he says?

[JohnnyC123]

He said stay on it. He also said that if I have any violent thoughts to go the emergency room. Man I feel like I am going schizophrenic. There is no time when I have peace except right before bed. Does anyone know if it is ok to take benadryl to help you sleep when you have anxiety like this?

[Handre]

This definately sounds like side effects to your meds, some doctors are inclined to believe that some patients take a while to "settle into" their medication but if it is making you so uncomfortable why not go for a second opinion or try a more natural and side effect free treatment.

No matter what the doctor says, he does not know exactly what you are feeling and the effect it is having on you mentally. You know what feels right for you and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

[JohnnyC123]

Yeah I had to quit the celexa. I went two days where I was so nervous and edgy all I could do is pace back and forth in my kitchen and worry that I had fatal insomnia. I get these muscle twitches that scare the hell out of me. I went to a new doctor that put me on elavil which helped me "sleep" last night but I had weird nightmares and anxiety even in my sleep. I am still groggy and a little edgy but better than I was. I hope the celexa leaves my body soon. Just can't shake the feeling that I have CJD.

[cyndermeister]

I am one of those people who get side effects from most of the meds I have tried. I am on this huge amount of meds because I take a drug and get side effects then take another for the side effects and so on. For example I have a sleep disorder and the lack of quality sleep effects my depression. I take meds for depression and experience side effects and take something to sleep which knocks me out, but I wake up feeling so drugged and tired that I take another drug to stay focused and be able to concentrate. This drug makes me want to vomit, I loose may appetite and dont eat all day, I feel like I cant stop racing around and have to stay busy, and I feel irritable, anxious, agravated, edgy, annoyed, angry, and I loose patience. And the cycle goes on and on.........................

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis-s..._b_347351.html

[Handre]

Cyndermeister, if all of the meds you are on are causing theese feelings and side effects, have you considered trying more natural and side effect free techniques to overcome your anxiety?

Perhaps you might want to try:
-The bagha relaxational technique
-Positive Visualizations
-Guided Meditation techniques
-Acupuncture
-Possitive Brainwave Programming
-Daily positive affirmations

[Rhiannonsmoon]

With all due respect handre, those methods don't achieve the results that they are advertised to.

I took the advice of a herbalist/homeopath and went onto St Johns Wart, and Guarana; I took the exact doses I was told do. She did not take into account the sleeping pills OR the anti-depressants I was on and I ended up in the ER with respiratory distress and uncontrolled blood pressure.

Some of these medications are usefull and worthwhile but NO MATTER WHAT Always tell your Doctor what else you are thinking of taking, because "Natural" meds have just as many contra-indications as other meds do...

RHiannon

[Rhiannonsmoon]

Johnny,

I have just posted about sleep anxiety, it drives me nuts. I'm anxious before I am awake and at times have to take an anti-anxiety within an hour of waking up.

I don't know what is causing it but I hope to find out...Good luck with your situation,

Rhiannnon

[Handre]

Originally Posted by Rhiannonsmoon

With all due respect handre, those methods don't achieve the results that they are advertised to.

I took the advice of a herbalist/homeopath and went onto St Johns Wart, and Guarana; I took the exact doses I was told do. She did not take into account the sleeping pills OR the anti-depressants I was on and I ended up in the ER with respiratory distress and uncontrolled blood pressure.

Some of these medications are usefull and worthwhile but NO MATTER WHAT Always tell your Doctor what else you are thinking of taking, because "Natural" meds have just as many contra-indications as other meds do...

RHiannon

Thanks for this reply RHiannon.

Luckily different treatments work diferently for diferent people.

I am very sorry to hear about your ER experience and am glad you are okay, but this could have been avoided if you had read some of the self help books out there. I agree that you should always inform both your doctor or any other professional you are getting treatment from, it can be very dangerous if you do not.

However none of the treatments I listed involve any form of "natural" treatment which could possibly have contra indications.

All the best to you and I wish you the best.

[JohnnyC123]

Well, I didn't sleep for a few days and the MD gave me a weeks worth of ativan. This helped but I know I can't rely on it forever. I tried not taking it yesterday and it all came back. I am trying some cbt with some success. It is just hard to convince myself that all it is is anxiety and not a brain tumor or some other hideous disease.

Hello, JohnnyC123. Ask your general practitioner to refer you to a psychiatrist for an evaluation and any indicated treatment. If you have not had a physical to rule out brain tumors or other hideous diseases, having one seems prudent.

Since you continue to be symptomatic, the treatment you are now receiving does not appear to be working. Maybe it is time for a change?

Be well.

[JohnnyC123]

The MD referred me to a psychiatrist. But not until the 28th. Been waiting for that. I think that the effexor is helping. I think what is really wrong with me though is a depersonalization disorder. I feel tired all the time which I think might be a symptom of the medication but I don't know. Went out yesterday but it took me a long time to get myself calm enough to sleep. I had to take an ativan, 2 ellavil, and 9mg of melatonin. I can't remember what normal feels like. Just can't seem to get myself to feel right but I haven't had an intense feeling of being trapped as myself for a while but I still fear it. I wonder if those feelings aren't just the anxiety making what is normal into something scary.

[Rhiannonsmoon]

Originally Posted by JohnnyC123

Well, I didn't sleep for a few days and the MD gave me a weeks worth of ativan. This helped but I know I can't rely on it forever. I tried not taking it yesterday and it all came back. I am trying some cbt with some success. It is just hard to convince myself that all it is is anxiety and not a brain tumor or some other hideous disease.

I really hope you can get this sorted Johnny it's one of those things that with anxiety just gets worse; good luck with it...let us know how you go

Rhiannon

[JohnnyC123]

Well I had a visit with the psychiatrist. She has upped my dose of effexor to 225 mg/day. She doesn't seem to think I need anything for when I really freak out. I don't know how to feel about that. No one seems to think I need an mri or a neurologist. I just want this to end. hopefully the effexor cures me.

[Rhiannonsmoon]

There seems to be a lot of anti-medication people joining at the moment...I wonder if this is because of what happened with one of our members very recently? When she was harrassed because she took medication and was told she "HAD" to get off it and go onto a more natural therapy by someone who is "very well educated in this area". That really upset her and she needed support for a number of days afterward.

Then I get told I don't know anything and I should read books. why give my money away for several different schools of thought on one issue? At my age I would have read more books than some people have had hot meals. I used to get through a 600page book in less than 3 days. I was and avid reader. Have done courses on "natural medicine" and alternative therapies. You know it cost me literally $thousands to do the courses I did...and the only thing that ever worked in that regard was Magnesium Orotate and Calcium Orotate. Nothing else helped for fibromyalgia

I had a visit with a naturopath who almost killed me, in fact she did kill one of my friends, gave her Royal Jelly AFTER Sonja told her she was allergic to to it...She told Sonja that the amount she was giving her wouldn't affect her in any way. Sonja was dead the next day at 23 years of age this was from someone else who was "very well educated in her field".

I have no problem with what I term "supplements" but I also reserve the right to take the medication my doc presecribes for me. If I have what I think are reactions I stop a med immediately and call the doc. She knows that I know my body and that I know when something is wrong.

I actually expected a ton of adverse reactions to cymbalta but I haven't had one..I sat there for 2 weeks waiting for the most bizzare manifestations...and got none...neither did my sister in law...I was pleased that I'd finally found something that was supposed to address all of my symptoms...it didn't but it's pretty good with the depression though I have some breakthrough because I'm resistant. But over all I'm here at least so I'm in front.

I take supplements and I'm happy with what I take. I don't need to read books to get information about supplements when I paid enough to learn what I did, also I can read the info online...I have anxiety so reading and I don't get along these days...I can only concentrate for a short time.

Please don't backdoor us with the push for "More natural" ways...if they were that great they would have been adopted by our goverments years ago.

[JohnnyC123]

I don't think there is anything wrong with medication at all. All it is an arrangement of atoms into molecules that interact with your body a certain way. Anything "natural" is the same thing. Whether I mine salt from the ground or put sodium metal into a container of chlorine gas I still end up with salt. Just because it is man made does not mean it is bad.

[Rhiannonsmoon]

I agree Johhny,

When you look at molecular structures many of the chemical ones simply mimic the natural, the difference being that the molecules are arranged into the same pattern via a different method...

How are you doing anyhoo Johnny? You can ask your doc for xanax they are 0.5 mg and often 0.2.5 of a mg is quite helpful for anxiety attacks. It does take a while to work about an hour to 1.5 hrs. But they do help. If the attack is worse than you thought and you have trouble settling you can take the other 0.2.5of a mg but never take more than you should because they are addictive if taken too regularly...

Let us know how you are going

Rhiannon

[JohnnyC123]

Today has been rough. Constant tension in body, muscle twitches, strange feelings, clenched jaw. Just out of nowhere and for at least 8 hours so far. I think all the doctors around here think that you are automatically going to abuse any benzo. So I am really just trying to get something like seroquel. My psychiatrist is against it so I guess I just have to deal with it. I don't know. Hopefully the Effexor helps. Also I am starting school again soon. I am really hoping that the routine will straighten me out. It is just getting difficult to fight for myself anymore. I am convinced that I am dying and so am just waiting for dementia or whatever to set in and then die.