Posted by Vincent_QC on July 11, 2009, at 7:06:44
In reply to Re: Tips to reduce the frequency of panic attacks?, posted by bulldog2 on July 9, 2009, at 16:15:09
> I to suffer from social panic attacks..Started first when I spoke before people in high school and than followed me to college when I spoke before people. When I became a teacher sometimes I had them when I spoke before the assembly. For those of you that have never had a panic attack it is a horrible experience. Such terrible fear and anxiety.
> I found that 30 mg of valium would prevent panic attacks when speaking before the assembly. Later switched to klonopin and need 3 mg to stop an attack when speaking before the assembly.
> Try upping your dose and find one that will stop them. Heard xanax may be good for them
> A long term solution may be nardil as some say it works for them.Ok... you seem to have more a "performance anxiety" problem than a panic disorder problem...
The Clonazapam( Rivotril), is somewhat very addictive.... and not very effective for me, since I was on it for almost 2 years at 8mg / day.... I switch to the Valium in the summer of 2007, after a FAIL on the Nardil... no improve at 75mg for 3 month and at 90 mg I had severe hypotension orthostatic... so I had to stop it... I never something from the Nardil, I was just able to cut my Benzo intake by half at the time....
After the change from the Rivotril to the Valium, I succeed to lower my dosage to 8-12mg of Valium a day...
With time the Valium dosage increase...again... going to 20mg and 30 mg...
Now i'm on a blend of 10-20mg Valium and 4 mg of Clonazepam...
In 2008, I had some anxiety problems, mainly social phobia...not a panic disorder problem and no real panic attack... and I agree with my PDoc that it was the time to try the Xanax... what a mistake... I became addicted in less than 1 week... had to take huge amount of it to be ok, mean 10-12mg/day... I hate it's SHORT half-life in the blood and the fact that you need to take a pill or two, every 2 hours... it took 3 months to withdrawl completly the Xanax and return on the Valium in the summer of 2008... I was not able to speak for weeks, I had hands and muscles shake, terrible anxiety rebound... was not able to get out of the house... social anxiety was at is peak ... but I had no panic attack!!! Even when I withdrawl the Xanax... I was lucky I think...
Anyway, it was a nightmare... I don't wish this kind of experience to my worse ennemy...
I think my problem now is that I return on the Clonazepam... in the begining of june 2009... and taking it on purpose, and before social exposure or before a "potential" panic attack situation, making it more eas for me to start panic attacks for no reason... or trigger by the fear...
That's make sens for me since the Clonazepam make me more depress... and the problem also is that I don't feel anything from it... to be able to have a calming effect and feel ok to go out of the house, I have to take 3mg ... and at this dosage, I have side-effects and I feel drunk... those side-effects can start a panic attack...so it's like a double edge knife...
I guess I ask for the wrong Benzo again... anyway I need to get them out of my life forever since the Gaba system in my brain is completly f*ck up...
I succeed to reach my PDoc on the phone and we schedule an appointment next tuesday morning... he will take 1 hour with me... normally he take only 15 minutes...
Since the only med who help me in the past for panic disorder was the Paxil, I will ask my PDoc to return on it but taking it at bedtime with some Seroquel to avoid the panic attacks from the fear of having side-effects from the Paxil!!!
I will also ask for a beta-blocker... I try it in the past, and feel no calming effect on it... but it was good the the migraine I had at the times... I assume that if the Clonidine fail on me to reduce my blood pressure and my anxiety problem... I will need a beta-blocker...
Will ask for something else than the Inderal
, who is the more common beta-blocker use to treat "performance anxiety" problem... I will ask about the Metropolol... It will maybe help to reduce the high pulse rate feeling I have everytime I start a panic attack...Anyway, I will give update to all of you after I meet my PDoc... for now, i'm ok.. that's the important no? ;-)
I hate leaving in a panic mood... I try to do my best and change my minds... but when you can't even drive your car and going out of your house alone, that's hard to change is minds... and think about something else than the panic attacks!!!!
Thanks everyone for your answer... ;-)
Oh, for the person who talk about the gym....and exercises... I had to stop the gym cause i'm not able to drive to the gym, it'S too far away from my home... I never find the exercises to have a calming effect on me... in fact, it's seem to make me more anxious, probably related to the production of the lactic acid release by the muscles...and the NE increase also...
I always feel that like I was on "cocaine" when I exercises at the gym and everytime I go there, I have severe pain in the jaw...I think they call this the "rabbit syndrome"... you know, I feel like I chew gum for hours and like I grinch my teeths... that's very annoying...I will have to talk about it to the PDoc also...
Well, I keep everyone informe of the situation.. and tahnks everyone for your help !!! And sorry for my poor english... I do my best... I don't take the time to correct the mistake.. I don't have a good memory and concentration level to start... it's now even worse with the panic disorder problem I live right away...
Take care of you !!!
Vincent ;-)
poster:Vincent_QC
thread:905657
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090709/msgs/906190.html