New, Looking for advice!

New to the whole medication part of anxiety/panic attacks.

Having a really hard time, just looking for a place I can get some advice on what to do.

I'm 23 years old, female.

Hi smtaarrie,

Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

Can you tell us more about what type of benzo you're on? Are you wanting to taper off? How long have you been on it? Your dosage?

You'll find information here and support.

Hope

I may be in the wrong board, but it's all I found when doing a search.

I'll post the long story to explain my last week.

So sorry it's so long, but I don't know what else to do or who to talk to. I'm terrified of getting "Hooked" on medicine, but I honestly can't function.

I've always had anxiety / panic attack issues since I was 16. It's usually always been self control with the now and again anti-depressant (i'd wheen off after a couple months and be fine)

Last thursday I was out running some errands and all of a sudden got really dizzy/faint feeling and had to call my parents to drive me home. It wore off and I didn't pay much more attention to it.

Then my left shoulder/upper chest started getting sore (It's been coming and going the past week)

The next day after my parents had to pick me up, I woke up in what felt like a dream state.

(I was currently on NO MEDICATIONS and hadn't been for MONTHS!)

This dream state feeling continued 4 days, all day long. When i would try paying attention to something like someone talking to me, reading, work, school - i'd feel as if i've heard nothing they said. the dizzy feeling would come back and my heart would race. I had a constant feeling of something was going to happen, and begin getting afraid something would happen to me and no one would know what to do to help.

The all day feeling of dizzy, or something was going to happen heart racing etc just wouldn't go away.

I'd had some .25MG xanax put away my dr had given months prior for back up. Since the feeling wasn't going away and the panic feeling kept getting more intense I took ONE.

a half hour later it was even worse, so i consulted a pharmacy to see if it would be safe to take another.

They advised i could take upto 4 (that would equal 1mg) if it didnt help.

Still being scared and panic feeling i did take one more .25MG an hour later the PANIC WAS FAR WORSE! I felt short of breath, felt as if something was wrong but didn't know what, faint, heart racing, scared to death for no apparent reason. I called my mom who at the time was an hour away from where i was staying. Told her to just talk to me about anything but not aboout the fact i was freaking out. My whole body begin shaking and I couldn't control it. With that, and all the other symtoms already mentioned I told her to meet me at the ER closest to us both. 30 minutes later we were there. I was in such a panic i couldn't sit down, I couldn't sign my own hospital agreement forms i wanted a drink, but wouldn't hardly swallow.

The dr at the er asked if i wanted to hurt myself... i replied NO - i'm there for help I feel like i'm dying now why would i hurt myself i want it to STOP!

He rx'ed 10 1MG xanaxs until I could goto my dr the following day but because i wasn't a suicide risk he couldn't do anything else.

At the dr the next day, that doctor RX'ed .5MG Khlonopin 2x per day and wants to see me back in two weeks.

Now my knowledge of medicine isn't great when it comes to what to take for panic like this.

It was brought on by seemingly nothing, and i don't know how to stop it.

I'm currently on an antibiotic for a cold, and terrified to take the khlonopin or xanax but the panic feeling is always under lying inside.

I can't even seem to fuction without this weird "Panic" feeling. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREAT! I'm going to a new DR on the 22nd and want to know what I should ask about, or for.

I'm not depressed, but this panic is always a feeling i have (for the past week anyway) and at times it's EXTREME! I don't know what to do!! It's so scary! I honestly feel as if i'm dying.

Let me just add , I HATE medicine, i've never liked knowing I have to take something but the way i'm been feeling the last week something has to give. I can't sleep, nothing. It gets worse when it's night but it's ALWAYS THERE from the moment I wake up.

hi smtaarrie,

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I know the feelings you're describing and they can be very frightening.

I'd like to give you an idea of what BenzoBuddies is all about. We're a support forum for those who are, or have been addicted to benzodiazapines. We help members plan their tapers off these meds and support them through their withdrawals. Many of our members have been given benzos by their doctors for anxiety and/or sleep issues.

Having said that, I'll give my opinion on what I think is going on with you.

It sounds like when you took the Xanax, you had a paradoxical reaction. That means, that instead of calming down your nervous system, and there by helping your anxiety and associated symptoms, it revved your nervous system up. This happens some times. Alcohol effects me like that. Instead of relaxing me, it tends to cause me to be anxious. If I'm right, I would steer away from xanax in the future.

You're obviously having anxiety/panic issues. Many doctors will prescribe benzos for anxiety but they are highly addictive drugs if taken for more than a few weeks.

There is a better way to deal with anxiety, that is through learning coping skills. Learning how to deal with you own anxiety in a way that doesn't involve drugs can be very powerful and can change your life.

Is there any way you can see a therapist? Or a doctor that specializes in anxiety...who can direct you to a therapist? I believe learning how to cope with you anxiety is your answer.

As I said, our forum is for those addicted to benzodiazapines but we do have a an anxiety board that you might benefit from. I'm not sure how we can help you beyond that. Here is the url to our Anxiety board:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=58.0

My suggestion is to try to find a therapist who specializes in anxiety or a support group.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you.

I wish you the best.

Hope

smtaarrie

I don't usually give ppl advice, but being someone who started off on benzo addition because of panic attacks I feel compelled. Panic attacks are benign,  they can not hurt you,  you will not die and you are not going crazy, Here is some info on panic attacks and how to cope go to nothingworks.weebly.com, it may give you the insight and comfort that you need.

Karen

What antibiotic are you on for your cold?

Good question.  Also is there any connection between when you started the Antibiotic and Thursday when you were running errands.  In otherwords did you start the Antibiotic around that time?

I'm on DOXYCYCLINE HYCLAATE 100MG 2x per day.

I just started it the day after going to the ER for the panic attack because I'd mentioned i'd been dealing with cold symtoms as well.

So the ER doctor RX'ed the xanax 1MG, and the doxycycline. So, I started them after the full blown anxiety/panic was full swing.

The following day my DR rx'ed the Klonopin. So far since the dr visit I've taken one .5 Kpin (Yesterday), and today with another total freak out for no reason I took 1mg Xanax. I have really tried not takin anything, but it's really preventing me from doing normal everyday stuff. Had to call out work for this afternoon. Going to try being med free the rest of the day. Hopefully tomorrow as well.

Ive been looking into maybe natural alternatives.

I couldn't get another appointment (going to a new DR) mine just wants me to take the Kpin.

So can't get in with the new dr until the 22nd. From there I'm going to ask about an anti-depressant and look more into therapy.

Family and friends seem to think it's underlying stress/depression i'm dealing with and just don't notice.

Like I said I don't feel depressed, far from it.

My husband did pass away July 2010 suddenly, but thought id worked past all of that.

My best friend brought to my attention today during my freak out - that it could just be where i dont talk about things, and have been so strong my body is just trying to tell me to let it go, let it out. Idk, i feel fine really other than these STUPID ATTACKS for to me what seems like no reason!

Thank you all for your support!

First let me say how very sorry I am for your loss.  I would imagine that despite time passing, that must still have a significant impact on your life.  I don't know your life story but it sounds like you have a lot going on and apparently anxiety/panic attacks is how your body exhibits that. 

You may be one of those who never has a problem coming off of benzo's but the only way one knows is when it's too late and trust me when I say you do NOT want to be there,  plus you do not appear to be reaping any benefit from them, just as was mentioned above a paradoxical reaction.  So for both of those reason, this is one class of drugs I would strongly suggest you stay away from.

If it is underlying stress/depression then finding someone to talk to would be a really good idea.  But you know your body better than anyone else and know what you are feeling.  But considering the loss you incurred last year and whatever is going on, it probably wouldn't hurt to find someone you feel comfortable and safe to talk things through with.  If nothing else, it may help you clarify what part is physical and what part can be addressed through talk.

Since it doesn't sound like the antibiotics were responsible for the panic attack, one possiblity is that if you were getting sick, something from that triggered your panic.  Just a thought tho.

However you choose to proceed, just remember to be kind and compassionate and very gentle with yourself, deep breaths and try to focus on things that bring you joy or pleasure (try youtube sleeping kitties, puppies)

Wishing you relief and comfort

WWWI

It's possible you were having a panic attack.  However, I've read a bunch of stories on here about how people started down the benzo road because of some non-panic issue -- like an allergic reaction to meds etc.  and I'd hate for it to happen to anyone else.

I have another thought.  What if you had some sort of allergic reaction to either something you ate, ingested or came into contact with?

You said that you were having cold-like symptoms at the same time as the anxiety attack.  An allergic reaction can cause things like...rapid heart beat, snot, coughing, sneezing, hives, hot skin etc.  Which could be confused with a panic attack...and a cold/flu.

I'd just want to be absolutely sure that it is not something else before getting too far down the road with benzos.  Once you're physically addicted, they're a pain (read any story on here) to get off of.  You may want to check the allergy angle.