Can someone help me with this please? Derealization maybe?

Hey guys,

I've been struggling with this since I got on 5 mg zyprexa and 20 mg Prozac for symptoms of Borderline Personality/Depression/Anxiety I'm wondering what is going on.

When I drive between the hours of 5 and 6, when the sun goes down and the night slowly hits, that time period when the day shifts to night, something happens with my vision and brain where I start to become super super hyper aware, colors become super bright, my vision like narrows, letters and street signs become blurry and my thoughts become scrambled and uncontrollable all (thoughts are psychotic, like pending doom, hyper aware about literally every movement, throat gulping is an example). It starts off slow than gets horrible.

Everything gets blurry, hazy ( yet colors brighten up and get brighter and brighter) I panic, sweat profusely, It only goes away when I can get home and take my mind off of it by playing a game for a half an hour. It's extremely unpleasant, terrifying and now I'm thinking of changing my work schedule because of it.

What is this? Anyone know? From my research it could be some form of derealization. I hope someone can give me some clarity on this issue. I like my meds ever since I got on them I'm more stable and able to work somewhat so I don't want to stop them. This is the only thing that's holding me back from completely turning my life around socially and financially. Is it a med reaction? Anxiety reaction? Any help and responses are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Sounds like an anxiety or a panic attack. There must be something about sunset that triggers it.

To me it's height. When we cross the Mississippi river, our anxiety and stress increases as we drive that 250 feet up to the bridge....then panic attack! Light becomes acute...heart thumping...damn near passing out and climbing out of my skull. When I make it to the other sude...I'm shaking, sick, shaking,....

Question...did all this start after taking meds? If I don't take mood stabilizers with the prozac I'm hypomanic in lala land....and more reactive to stress.

Talking to your pdoc and maybe adding stabilizers, tranquilizers, or changing script might help.

you stated

that right there tells me its probably a medication side effect. many psychotropic medications can cause these problems.....

my suggestion would be to contact your treatment providers, they can change your meds or adjust them so that this does not keep happening to you.

yeah. it sounds like a panic attack to me. sometimes, once something like that starts, it can set off a cycle so that when something reminds you of that experience (in this case the time and what things around you look like) can cause it to keep happening because you now have that association.

it might help to try to learn some breathing and grounding techniques that you can practice so when you are in that situation you will have something to help you through it.

I don't think it is derealization. Maybe you need to take Vitamin A. That used to happen to me and when I started taking Vitamin A, my vision got better. It might be anxiety?

It's not a panic attack. I've had them before this is not at. Probably just a side effect of the meds but I need them. Just don't know what to do I go crazy without the pills. Maybe my doc can add something to combat this.

i think it might be the meds too...

think its the meds you need to talk to your dr
they can adjust the dosage or something