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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Alex71 on October 4, 2004, at 10:39:41
I am currently on 10 mg Lexapro. Have been taking it for about 3 months. The primary side effects (the usual stuff)almost went away , my anxiety is less now, but now I've been getting something new that totally freaks me out.
Every now and then, but only at night, I would suddenly wake up feeling so dreadful and that I am about to totally lose control over my head. It's evry hard to describe, but it's like there's something in my head controlling me and giving me this dreadful hoeless scare. It is not like a panic attack. It feels like much much worse. It only lasts for about a minute, but I am really really scared.
It happened again last night, I woke up and felt so scared that I jumped out my bed being almost unconsieous then I ran downstairs and fell down the steps so I hurt my knees and hit my head. During that time I couldn't get control over my mind at all. It lasted for about 1-2 minutes but I really wanted to kill myself during that time.
Has anyone experienced something like that? This was my 4th episode for the last 3 months. Now I am afraid to go to bed anticipating another burst.
Posted by Racer on October 4, 2004, at 12:03:14
In reply to Dreadful bursts, posted by Alex71 on October 4, 2004, at 10:39:41
That sounds like Night Panic to me, and it's not uncommon. It could be the Lexapro, or it could be another manifestation of your underlying anxiety. That's something to call your doctor about, though, especially if you're actually getting out of bed and trying to run away in the night. (I'm assuming you weren't fully awake when you did that, thus falling down.)
I'm very sorry that happened to you. Regardless of what's causing it, that's just not a good place to be. It does build on itself, too, so the more you dread going to bed, the more anticipatory anxiety is built up, and the more likely it is to happen. Call your doctor and ask for a quick appointment to discuss alternatives. You shouldn't have to put up with this, and it *is* a serious problem. If your doctor tries to brush it off, don't allow it -- this really is a serious problem, because it really does diminish your quality of life. It might be best to try another antidepressant, or it might be better to augment it somehow, but something should be done to help you through this.
Best luck to you.
Posted by dazed on October 4, 2004, at 12:05:53
In reply to Dreadful bursts, posted by Alex71 on October 4, 2004, at 10:39:41
I haven't had that, nor have I been on that medication, however, the fact that you say you want to kill yourself makes me think you need to tell your pdoc that, exactly in those words, so he or she knows how severe these episodes are.
Posted by Alex71 on October 4, 2004, at 12:19:25
In reply to Night Panic, posted by Racer on October 4, 2004, at 12:03:14
Thank you Racer and Dazed for your replies.
Racer, you are absolutely right, I wasn't fully awake at the moment. I was able to gain the control over my mind when I woke up comletely, but the fear was just unbearable.
I dont understand one thing, though. I don't get many panic attacks during the daytime due to Lexapro I guess. I may be get 2-3 a week, and the overall anxiety is less. So, the question is ...how come there are those Night Panics, but I believe noone could answer that.> That sounds like Night Panic to me, and it's not uncommon. It could be the Lexapro, or it could be another manifestation of your underlying anxiety. That's something to call your doctor about, though, especially if you're actually getting out of bed and trying to run away in the night. (I'm assuming you weren't fully awake when you did that, thus falling down.)
>
> I'm very sorry that happened to you. Regardless of what's causing it, that's just not a good place to be. It does build on itself, too, so the more you dread going to bed, the more anticipatory anxiety is built up, and the more likely it is to happen. Call your doctor and ask for a quick appointment to discuss alternatives. You shouldn't have to put up with this, and it *is* a serious problem. If your doctor tries to brush it off, don't allow it -- this really is a serious problem, because it really does diminish your quality of life. It might be best to try another antidepressant, or it might be better to augment it somehow, but something should be done to help you through this.
>
> Best luck to you.
Posted by Racer on October 4, 2004, at 14:45:28
In reply to Re: Night Panic, posted by Alex71 on October 4, 2004, at 12:19:25
You're right, no one can really answer "why", but here's my best guess: at night, when your defenses are down, you're more vulnerable. The same things that trigger your panic attacks during the day can come up while you're most relaxed and least resistant to their effects.
Remember, the situation may be the immediate trigger for your panic attacks, but it's not really the cause of them. The cause is something inside you, so it can bring on an episode any time. Does that make sense?
Personally, I think of these things as Beasts, parasites that want to survive just as much as I want to kill them off. For me, there are Three Beasts: The Depression Beast, The Anxiety Beast, and The Eating Disorder Beast. The last one goes into hibernation, but never really dies. When it wakes up, it fights harder for survival than the other two combined. The Depression Beast is probably the weakest, in many ways, because the right medication can usually send it into suspended animation pretty easily. The Anxiety Beast, though, works with the Depression Beast to help it survive. Since all four of us are fighting for our own survival, sometimes it's very difficult to know what to do, or how we all work together to keep me sick. That's what I see therapy as working on: how to stop helping my Beasts survive, in those hidden ways that I'm not always aware of. And how to recognize not only the Beasts themselves, but also how to recognize their vulnerabilities.
Sorry for the tangent there. If the Lexapro is working for you otherwise, you might ask your doctor about something like a long acting sedative that might help you get through a few nights without these sorts of panics. It may be that you can break the cycle once, and not have any recurrence. It's worth a try. Another thought is something like Trazadone, to help you sleep and augment the Lexapro. Or even a beta blocker to help you avoid the physical reactions.
By the way, do you remember your dreams when these attacks come on? Could it be that you're reacting to either an anxiety dream or a nightmare? I know that's happened to me.
Posted by Alex71 on October 4, 2004, at 15:08:27
In reply to My best guess... » Alex71, posted by Racer on October 4, 2004, at 14:45:28
Racer, I can't find enough words to tell you my apprecciation for your attention to this matter.
I left a msg on my Pdoc machine, hope he'll call me back. I really need something to take to release that anxiety.
Also, you are right again about the nightmares. The problem is....I cant remember what exactly the dreams were but I *do* remember it was a nightmare. Al least I thought it was it.
Also, do you know if valium considered a long term acting sedative or short term? I was prescribed Valium (actually I got Diazepam prescription (generic)) to treat symptomatic anxiety i.e when panic attack strikes. I had to take 5 mg last nite right after the incindent and was able to sleep thru the night. may be its a good idea to take 5 mg before I go to sleep?
P.S. Sorry for not so perfect English (it's not my native language)
Posted by Racer on October 4, 2004, at 18:07:00
In reply to Re: My best guess..., posted by Alex71 on October 4, 2004, at 15:08:27
Machts nichts on the language -- you do just fine.
I don't know how long Valium's half life is, but you can look it up at http://www.rxlist.com and find out. That's where I go to learn about that sort of thing.
And I do know what you mean about waking up from nightmares but not remembering them. For me, the worst nightmares are not in English, so I get to build up the anxiety throughout the dream because I recognize that Something Bad is going to happen, just by the language. (And it's a language I no longer speak while waking.) When I wake up from one, I generally can't remember anything beyond the building anxiety and that Something Bad happened -- only the feelings, not the content that triggered them. I try not to let it bother me that I can't remember what actually happened, but to respect the fact that I have had a nightmare. Sometimes, it's hard.
I think the idea of taking something to help you sleep is a good one, although I find that the benzos leave me more depressed the next day. Talk to your doctor about what would be best for you. There are dozens of options out there, so something will help.
Best luck, and what's your native language?
Posted by saw on October 5, 2004, at 1:32:55
In reply to Re: My best guess..., posted by Racer on October 4, 2004, at 18:07:00
Hi Alex
I suffer from what I call Night Terrors. Very much the same as what is happening to you except that I don't get out of bed. There is always some kind of nightmare involved and also one that I usually do not remember. I know that I cry out, scream, thrash about but have the most overwhelming fear that you describe. The worst part of this for me is that I CANNOT wake up. It is a relentless demon that suffocates me. I often have the feeling I can't breath. I feel as though I am being pushed down. The feeling of fear combined with suffocation and claustrophobia remain with me long after I have woken up. I have felt very often, that whatever is happening is evil or that there is something demonic about it. I have no explanations. These night terrors happen at least 4 to 5 times a month.
I am currently taking Effexor XR 150mg but the terrors were there before I began medication and haven't really eased up since. Unfortunately, I have often drunk myself to a stupor, knowing that I will sleep such a drunk sleep, the terrors won't come and if they do, I'm too drunk to remember. What a vicious circle.
I understand what you are going through and wish you peace and strength.
Sabrina
(P.S. Racer - excellent advice. I have told my pdoc and now that I think about it, she didn't take it too seriously - said it was just because of the depression. I am going to hammer it out when I see her again, especially since it hasn't eased up with meds).
Posted by Alex71 on October 5, 2004, at 9:01:09
In reply to Re: My best guess..., posted by saw on October 5, 2004, at 1:32:55
Sabrina
Thank you for sharing your experience, its very important that we talk about it.
I searched the web on this subject but could not find anything related. May be because it's really hard to describe? I can't even desribe it to my pdoc. He returned my call yesterday and he sai he knows about the problem. He would't discuss it over the phone and told me to schedule an appoitment. That's what I am going to do.
Racer,thank you for your suggestions about the meds. I will definitely bring it u when I go to see my pdoc.
P.S. Racer, my native language is russian.
Posted by saw on October 5, 2004, at 9:05:09
In reply to Re: My best guess..., posted by Alex71 on October 5, 2004, at 9:01:09
Russian!! Wow - I have a beautiful operatic piece in Russian that I have tried to learn to sing, but it is not an easy tongue to learn. So melodic though.
Sabrina
(Sorry Dr Bob - no more social on babble)
Posted by Racer on October 5, 2004, at 13:16:27
In reply to Re: My best guess..., posted by saw on October 5, 2004, at 1:32:55
One listed is "VIVID DREAMS" -- for me, that was Techinicolor nightmares with every demon from my Fear Closet at once. They were terrible, and I couldn't wake up, either. (Thankfully, they did fade after the depression improved.)
Also, after years of nightmares, I did learn to wake myself up during the dreams, although on the Effexor alone I couldn't do that. It's hard to learn, and I can't tell you how I did it, but it is possible. One key for me was to learn to recognize signs that this was going to be a nightmare, because it was much easier to wake up before the horrors really got going. Once I was all the way in the horror show, it was much harder to wake up, and I had as much of the physical aftereffects as if I hadn't woken at all.
Hope that helps a little.
Posted by Racer on October 5, 2004, at 13:19:26
In reply to Re: My best guess..., posted by Alex71 on October 5, 2004, at 9:01:09
I'm glad you discussed this with your doctor. Best luck with that.
(My grandparents came from an area of Hungary near Russia, so my grandfather spoke Russian as well as Magyar and German. And your English is very, very good -- better than some who grew up here in the US from what I've seen.)
Posted by Alex71 on October 5, 2004, at 14:53:26
In reply to Re: My best guess..., posted by Alex71 on October 4, 2004, at 15:08:27
Just scheduled an appoitment for next Friday, Oct.15. I am going to start writing a dairy of the Night Terrors so I won't forget any details.
I will post the results of the appoitment here when I return from my pdoc. In the mean time I'll be osting my experiences here as well.
This is the end of the thread.
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