4 months ago i had a nervous breakdown. i was feel suicidal not to mention for over 2 years i have been having panic attacks so bad that i no longer drive, i geth scared to be a lone, i feel like my throat is closing up and i have this constant "out of it feeling" i had a bad experience with respidal, depakote, paxil, and took ativans until they stopped wprking. i was on lithium carb and 1 mg of xanax and 150 mg of effexor. the 2 nd visit with the pysch i met she changed me to 1150mg of litium eskalith, 2 mg of xanax and they are weaning me off of the effexor which i am on 37.5 mg of it now and having bad w/d's from it. i never had to take meds before and ever since i had my 3 rd little girl 7 months ago and she and i almost died my mind just hasnt been right. i feel out of it like my mind isnt working, having more panic attacks since they lowered the effeor and i still freak out to drive. why wont my meds work? does the lithium take a long time to kick in? please help!
2006-09-08 20:25:50 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Mental Health
I agree with keventx. Please don't take any advise from this forum. I used to work as a psychiatric R.N. for many years and many of the answers here are terrible and dangerous. You have to express all of your concerns to your psychiatrist and have them answered by her.
Does your psychiatrist have time to talk with you? Sometimes they will have an office R.N. you can talk to. If you and your baby almost died 7 mos ago you might have some issues with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You could talk about that with your doctor. Did something happen 2 years ago that scared you when you started to have the panic attacks? Only you and your doctor can figure out what is causing your symptoms.
Be patient. Things take time. The Lithium does take time for it's full effects to be experienced. Often they have to start you on a low dose and gradually increase it until you get the relief you want. Your doctor will also have to take regular blood levels of the lithium.
2006-09-08 21:07:12 · answer #1 · answered by Smartassawhip 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A dear friend of mine went through very similar circumstances for many years. I don't need to tell you how terrible she says it was.
She has been off medication and free from her panic attacks for about 2 years now. She says that she never would have believed it years ago, but after all the different meds, the simplest thing worked for her.
First, she cut out all caffeine. Panic attacks are called the curse of the Starbucks Generation. It is the number one mental disorder in the nation today, surpassing even depression.
Second, she learned to meditate properly. She admits that it was very difficult in the beginning. Meditation is not some mystic eastern hoodoo voodoo religious practice. It is a simple & learned process where you learn to silence the inner dialogue of your mind.
That inner dialogue is the constant mental chatter you hear racing in your head. Meditation takes some practice, but it quiets the mind. It is very refreshing. People who meditate are calmer, centered, funny, relaxed, and graceful.
Having been raised in Asia, I have meditated daily since my youth. When I meditate, my mind is thoughtless. There are no thoughts at all. It is as if I do not exist. There are other benefits to regular meditation too.
If you begin, do not expect to notice any results immediately. It will take 3 or 4 weeks of meditating at least 15 minutes a day before you will notice change.
Do not get discouraged. You have trained your mind to think all your life. It will be difficult for it to learn to "not think". It is okay to practice for only 2 or 3 minutes a day at first. You might feel as though nothing is happening, or that you are wasting time. Stick to it. I promise results.
Do not believe people who say that you must see colors, or have visions to meditate successfully. They are full of sh*t. You will not see God or devils or hallucinations. You will not see much more than the inside of your own eyelids.
I am just offering you an alternative to chemicals in your brain. It worked for my friend who suffered panic attacks for nearly 16 years. It helped my husband too. Perhaps it will work for you.
There are many meditation techniques available on the Internet. Many of them conflict. Remember to choose the simplest and keep in mind there is no incorrect way to meditate, no matter what anyone else says.
May I suggest you read "Ancient Wisdom 1 & 2" at http://TaoBarbie.com . It may help.
Good Luck and God Bless
.
2006-09-09 03:52:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hello I'm so sorry to hear that you are in such a state,but you sound as if you are in the USA so i don't know about your meds,but what is very clear is that you must go back to your psychiatrist and get them to change your medication,as there is no way you should be feeling like this,as it's now the weekend how about your own Dr, if i was you i would call him out,i wish you all the best and hope you feel better real soon,you take care
2006-09-09 03:41:47 · answer #3 · answered by amber_xx66 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is most likely a hormone/thyroid imbalance. Taking drugs won't put your hormone back in balance. The first answer is inaccurate. Get the book, "feeling fat, fuzzy or frazzled?" by Richard L. Shames, MD (pronounced Shahmus). You can get it on line by going to http://www.amazon.com or http://www.alibris.com or his website http://www.thyroidpower.com or look for it in book stores. If you are any where near the San Francisco bay area, it is worth the time to drive to an appointment with Dr. Shames in San Rafael. A lot of doctors out there don't pay much attention to hormone balance. That is why Dr. Shames wrote two books on the subject to help make the public more aware so they can seek out doctors who are willing to really check out the thyroid (all the thyroid tests available and adrenal function, etc.
The advice on yoga and meditation above are great too. DON'T listen to the two who tell you not to take any advice from this site. Modern medicine is just too hung up on drugs as the answer for everything. Sometimes they are necessary, but a lot of the time it's making changes in lifestyle that really make the difference. So many drugs these days cause more damage than they help!
2006-09-09 04:16:38 · answer #4 · answered by Marti1owl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I strongly recommend you NOT to use any advice posted in here to your question regardless if it sounds right or not. Especially when it comes to medication that affects your behavior you have to be careful and do it by the book.
If you have concerns over the effectiveness of your treatment, you should discuss it with the doctor what prescribe it to you. In the mean time I feel you need to isolate, identify and work on all the factors that are adding up to your current condition. It can be a combination of your emotional state and the chemical effects of the medication (that was just a wild guess).
Calm down, and take one problem at a time. Talk to somebody who is qualified to understand what is really going on so he/she can take it to the next step of coming up with a short term and medium term solution.
2006-09-09 03:41:03 · answer #5 · answered by kevinrtx 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need to go to a different doctor.
A therapist would probably be really helpful since you have had such a hard time.
I have had anxiety attacks, they are very scary and can make you worried to do daily activities or even eat certain foods.
You need to talk to someone, a professional.
The sooner you get help, the sooner you will get better.
I hope it all works out for you.
2006-09-09 03:53:51 · answer #6 · answered by Kayak_Girl_2006 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In reality, these aren't questions you should be presenting to a bunch of "Yahoo's" like us...
They need to go to your physician. It's sounding to me like there are med adjustments that need to be made.
Not only does it sound like a medical problem, but you would probably benefit from emotional counselling as well. With all the stresses you are enduring, sometimes medications are not the answer, but rather, changes in lifestyle, schedule, friends, emotional support networks, etc., are what's best to help you through. Consider it, at least.
I know for a fact that often the medications for depression only worsen the issue....TALKING with someone may be an alternative that brings results.
2006-09-09 03:46:43 · answer #7 · answered by PaPaFreak 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Usually takes one week for lithium to start to kick in and 2 to 3
weeks before full affect.
If things are as bad as they seem talk to your doctor about arapax.
Brucy
2006-09-09 03:54:20 · answer #8 · answered by Brucy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ooo gen, thats a toughy, i'm a 42 yr old man thats been through divorce, depression, crack habit and nearly died from kidney failure. (not in that order) i am currently on no anti-dep but have to go for dialysis three days a week and waiting for transplant, i keep busy with every day things and two teenageers, alcoholic roomates and life itself. it seems i dont have time to be depressed, so you are not alone, good luck
2006-09-09 03:41:20 · answer #9 · answered by tim s 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to consult a psychiatrist immediately and it is very essential.
If you have a "Yoga" centre near your home, join this to learn yoga and meditation.This will help you to concentrate and bring down your panicky feeling at the earliest. If you are married and have children, at least one meal of the day should be taken together and this will help you to share your feelings with your family who, in turn, would help you to boost up your morale.
2006-09-09 03:58:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋