Shown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lepus on October 17, 2005, at 7:00:43
I have a long history of panic disorder (20 years and I am only 30). I haven't had too many problems for years except in the usual places such as Wal*Mart or malls. I have been on so many drugs for this but none have helped. I have taken most of the SSRIs, Effexor XR, some benzodiazepines, a few antipsychotics and the tricyclics. Nothing has really helped to completely clear me of my panic symptoms. The symptoms have been tolerable though with a few life adjustments.
A few weeks ago my anxiety attacks came back with a vengeance. I started having attacks in my home. Then one night I woke up from sleep and was in the midst of an absolutely awful panic attack. I thought I was going to die. My heart rate was so fast I called 911. At the ER it was found that I did have low thyroid function and I was given a prescription to treat it (25 mcg Levoxyl). I went on vacation and had a terrible time with anxiety still. I was a nervous wreck the entire vacation and didn't want to leave my room because to do so provoked anxiety. I had an anxiety attack just walking down to the lake and catching a fish! At the lake house, I awoke again one night to a very rapid heartbeat and another panic attack. I tried to calm myself down for about an hour but it wasn't working. Then I threw up and my parents took me to the ER. There my heart rate was in the 140s-150s but all my cardiac enzymes were fine as were my chest x-rays. They gave me some Xanax and sent me on my way. My regular psychiatrist will not refill the Xanax prescription (I have no history of drug abuse).
I keep having these nocturnal panic attacks and the anxiety is just unrelenting. I seem to have it all day in one form or another. I'm afraid to exercise because of how it elevates my heart rate. I am getting afraid to leave the houe and having panic attacks where I didn't have them before such as the car. I had another nocturnal panic attack last night. My heart raced and my breathing was labored. I've just had an attack and right now my nose is very stuffed up. Even if I don't have a nocturnal panic attack, I have been waking up most mornings feeling like I have been hit by a Mack truck. I feel nervous, I have difficulty breathing (stuffed up nose) and I am very stiff. It takes me a long time to calm down and to feel like I can breathe again. I seem to be having a lot of trouble with natural breathing. I always feel stuffed up.
I am a nervous wreck and I do not know where to go from here. As I stated, I have been on virtually every drug available. Could these nocturnal panic attacks be due to allergies? Should I try taking a Claritin at night before bed? Could the thyroid be causing the increase in anxiety? I have no clue where to go from here. All my doctors seem to just be brushing me off and I am absolutely miserable. I am in CBT and she seems to think I need to work through these attacks without drugs. I don't think I can do it. They are just too strong and too pervasive. I feel like I need help from some medicine but I don't know what to try anymore! Is something else going on? I am so scared. I am so desperate. I feel just like I did when I was a kid and these attacks first began. Only difference is now I feel out of hope because I have tried so many medications. The nocturnal panic attacks are also a symptom I have never experienced before and it is a very disturbing occurrence.
I currently take Klonopin 1 mg 2x a day. My doctor wants to up it to 3 mgs a day. I'm wondering about other options or if I even have any left. I really don't feel increasing the Klonopin will help.
Please help and give me some ideas on where to go. I know you don't know my entire history but I will answer any questions. I feel like I am losing what little life I had. I am so sick of doctors and I am so sick of feeling like this. Any ideas are more than welcome. Thank you.
Sorry if this post is a little disjointed but as I stated, I had another panic attack again tonight so I have been up since 4am and it is now 7am. I have had very little sleep.
Posted by lepus on October 17, 2005, at 7:16:50
In reply to Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by lepus on October 17, 2005, at 7:00:43
I should also add that in March my testosterone levels came back high (I am female). I am being tested for possible PCOS although I don't fit many of the classic symptoms.
Also, I forgot to say that I have been on mood stabilizers such as Depakote as well. Right now I am hesitant to take those drugs due to the possibility of PCOS.
Thanks.
Posted by ClearSkies on October 17, 2005, at 8:45:50
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxi, posted by lepus on October 17, 2005, at 7:16:50
Hi, Lepus. I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder as well. My panic attacks started (12 years ago) in my sleep. medications have helped in conjunction with therapy. Are you seeing a therapist at all for treatment too?
ClearSkies
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on October 17, 2005, at 9:20:23
In reply to Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by lepus on October 17, 2005, at 7:00:43
I'm sorry, that sounds awful. Of course this will only help with part of the problem, but have you tried sleeping meds? Hopefully that would help you be relaxed and get a good night's sleep. You'd probably want one of the more long-acting ones. I know that not sleeping well can do terrible things for one's daytime anxiety.
Also, I wasn't clear if you were on any meds right now. Klonopin, maybe? Is there anything else?
Best,
EE
Posted by lunesta on October 17, 2005, at 10:08:54
In reply to Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by lepus on October 17, 2005, at 7:00:43
Try neurontin, neurontin has several unique properties in the CCK/substanceP/glutamate/Gaba/opioidergic area which could be useful at high end dosages for panic .
Posted by Phillipa on October 17, 2005, at 19:31:13
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by lunesta on October 17, 2005, at 10:08:54
When my thyroid went I too started having the worst panic attacks I'd ever had. After about two weeks on synthroid they got better with xanax. Then about a month later I developed vertigo. And that led to me being on Disability today. They gave me 25mg of lopressor that made me so tired along with xanax. Then they added l0mg of paxil and in three months I was better and went back to work. After I went off the paxil nothing has worked since. Forgot to add that when the Paxil was working I was too. Then my thyroid got worse and I've not worked since. And when I worked in psych as an RN one thing I noticed was most of the patients thyroids were messed up. And doctors think that if your thyroid profile is okay. Your thyroid is okay. But I just don't believe it. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by spriggy on October 17, 2005, at 22:42:48
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by Phillipa on October 17, 2005, at 19:31:13
I've only had a handful of full blown panic attacks but two of them were ones that woke me up in the night.I've had a doctor suggest I could have sleep apnea ( I sometimes wake up gasping for air). I wonder if sleep apnea could cause panic attacks??
Any thoughts?
For the record, I don't snore- never have but do have family history of sleep apnea.
I've just always wondered if there was any relation between the two.
Posted by lepus on October 18, 2005, at 12:58:22
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by spriggy on October 17, 2005, at 22:42:48
I've wondered about sleep apnea too but no doctor has ever brought it up.
I'll look into it. Thank you.
Posted by Cairo on October 18, 2005, at 21:16:55
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by spriggy on October 17, 2005, at 22:42:48
Sleep apnea has been known to be associated with nocturnal panic attacks:
""http://www.aafp.org/afp/991115ap/2279.html""
Unfortunately, using a CPAP has not helped my panic attacks. Must be due to some other issue.
Cairo
>
> I've only had a handful of full blown panic attacks but two of them were ones that woke me up in the night.
>
> I've had a doctor suggest I could have sleep apnea ( I sometimes wake up gasping for air). I wonder if sleep apnea could cause panic attacks??
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> For the record, I don't snore- never have but do have family history of sleep apnea.
>
> I've just always wondered if there was any relation between the two.
Posted by 4wd on October 20, 2005, at 22:22:41
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxi, posted by lepus on October 17, 2005, at 7:16:50
> I should also add that in March my testosterone levels came back high (I am female). I am being tested for possible PCOS although I don't fit many of the classic symptoms.
>
> Also, I forgot to say that I have been on mood stabilizers such as Depakote as well. Right now I am hesitant to take those drugs due to the possibility of PCOS.
>
> Thanks.Did I understand you correctly to say that you had been on Depakote and have now stopped it? Did it help with the anxiety when you were on it? Did the anxiety become worse when you went off it?
Marsha
Posted by lepus on October 22, 2005, at 20:03:01
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxi » lepus, posted by 4wd on October 20, 2005, at 22:22:41
Yes, I took Depakote. It helped a little bit with the anxiety. It took the edge off at least. It was no miracle drug however. When I stopped taking it my symptoms did not get worse. I've been off Depakote for about a year now.
Posted by SLS on October 22, 2005, at 22:59:47
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by lunesta on October 17, 2005, at 10:08:54
> Try neurontin, neurontin has several unique properties in the CCK/substanceP/glutamate/Gaba/opioidergic area which could be useful at high end dosages for panic.
Hi Lunesta.
Do you know of a webpage that lists the properties of each of the anticonvulsants?
How do you see the role of CCK-2 in the brain?
- Scott
Posted by JOG4 on October 27, 2005, at 9:52:12
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety » lunesta, posted by SLS on October 22, 2005, at 22:59:47
I have only nocturnal panic attacks. I start to go to sleep and then to dream and then I suddenly "wake up" but my body is still asleep, I have hallucinations at this point (from dead relatives to people I don't know standing over the bed ect.), there is a heavy weight on my chest, difficulty breathing, I can look around but can't get up. when I finally actually wake, I feel like I am extremely drunk. I think all of this stems from a fear of losing control and dying. I want to go to sleep so much but I'm afraid of something. Also, problems in my life which I ignore during the day, I think, exhibit themselves when I go to sleep in this way. I dont take any medications (because I think this just hides the problem until later), but what i think helps the most with my sleep problem is exercise in the moring to afternoon, not anytime before I go to bed. I dont eat anytime before going to bed also (which prevents heartburn, and higher metabolism at the time at which I want to sleep) . Another trick is to think of situations in which you fall asleep alot like for example I fall asleep when I watch tv, i dont mean to I just do. so I sit in front of the tv at night and fall asleep and then I get up about thirty minutes later and go directly to the bed. Also I dont set any "regimented" time for sleep. for example last night I fell alseep on the couch while watching tv at 8:00 so I got up, even though i had planned to go to sleep sometime around 11-12, and went directly to bed. I woke up this morning fully rested at about 7:30. I have had these attacks for about eight years, they increase when I worry about stupid stuff and decrease when I excercise regularly and try to stop worrying. Another trick is when one wakes up from the panic attack, to avoid having another, try to think about absolutely nothing; eventually I think this leads to your brain taking over and roming over the days events like it should normally do, instead of worrying about failing out of college or not waking up the next day or losing your job or going insane etc. it sounds stupid but this actually ussually avoids a second attack. if I then have a second attack, I ussually get up and regather my self, calm down, see how stupid the whole thing is really and then go to sleep. because in the end, I am causing the panic attack by reinforcing a pattern of thought- worrying, self depricating thoughts etc. Not to say that it is easy to stop, no habit is, and can easily be started again. anyway
hope this helps,
sorry about the run on sentences and lack of comma's and misspellings and uncapitalized "i's" but I dont have time to fix them.
Jay
Posted by lepus on October 27, 2005, at 17:03:04
In reply to Re: Please help - Nocturnal Panic/increase in anxiety, posted by JOG4 on October 27, 2005, at 9:52:12
Your post is very helpful. Thank you!
This is the end of the thread.
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