Anyone have Panic Attacks | Arthritis Information

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I am really starting to have some serious panic  attacks.  I'm really getting worried.  Doc prescribe an antidepressant. Not sure if it's going to work.  I'm starting with 1/2 a pill today.  I am really nerveous about this.  I have never felt this way before.  It feels like I have cotton in my brain.  I'm feeling woosey.   I sure hope this med puts some clarity in my brain.  I need to be able to work.  I had a bad flare last Thursday and felt aweful I was so exhausted. I'm getting back to normal with the flare but the fuzzy brain is something else.  Anyone out here on Antidepressant..

 
RA Dx: 1996
Meds: Prednisone 10 mg, folic acid, vitamin C, Iron, Vitamin D3
 
I know a lot of really good people who have taken antidepressants. So first thing is to not worry about "taking" them. Hopefully they work and your symptoms clear. Try to remember just because you start taking them doesn't mean you will forever more. Just going through a flare causes an emotional upset. Pain can fog the brain. I am sorry you are so nervous about this, I understand the fear. Please, please, please try to relax and get plenty of rest.
Keep the board posted on how you do. I know there will people along with experiance taking the drug.
Best Wishes,
Lisa
Your2smart
 
Panic attacks are horrible I do sympathise with you, I have never taken an anti depressant. I am not sure if you have something there called Rescue Remedy, it comes in a spray and pastilles. It is used for panic attacks and you can get it here in the pharmacy or health shop. My friend is terrified of flying and has really bad panic attacks on board, she used this and swears by it. I bought some to try and found it really helpful. My sister in law uses it on her dog in a thunderstorm as he goes crazy, she said he sleeps through the storm.
It is always worth a try. Also its a good idea to learn breathing techniques to help you cope. Carrying a paper bag with you and breathing into it helps to put back in carbon dioxide into your system and calm the breathing down.
 
http://www.rescueremedy.com/
I really hope you are able to find a way to deal with them
take care

I would be very careful mixing any over the counter remedies with prescribed ant-depressants. I would definitely recommend you ask your doctor first.

a very long time ago (in my 20's) I had panic attacks.  So bad that I couldn't do much of anything. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this because I know how scary they can be.  I didn't use antidepressants, but I was taking an anti anxiety medication plus seeing a psychologist (he's the one that I think really helped me with the panic attacks) It would take too long to get into what I found that helped, but if you want to PM me you can.
 
I will say that Pin's advice with the paper bag actually worked for me at times.
 
Good luck
 
Kelly
Most antidepressants  give you  cotton mouth and sometimes brain fog for a a few weeks, then the bulk of the symptoms wear off. But that's neither here nor there.
 
Antidepressants are sometimes used for anxiety disorders. What kind of doctor prescribed the antidepressant?
 
I have a very firm belieft that NO ONE except a board certified psychiatrist should prescribe these meds. Other doctors tend to not really know what they're all about. They also tend to mis-prescribe psychiatric meds. You wouldn't go to your OB/GYN for carpal tunnel treatment, would you?
 
Also, have you considered seeing a therapist for systematic desensitization? [Get a cognitive behavioral therapist.]
my grandmother had anxiety attacks in the middle of the night where she said her heart would feel like it's beating out of her chest.  I had a house full of babies and couldn't leave them to go to her..but I learned how to calm her with a soothing voice and advice that we would talk all about it tomorrow while then leading her mind away from what was troubling her.
I have had some insecure anxious moments since my big flare in 07......   they became less and less an issue once my  meds began working.

I hope you find a solution!! best to you!
[QUOTE=your2smart]I am really starting to have some serious panic  attacks.  I'm really getting worried.  Doc prescribe an antidepressant. Not sure if it's going to work.  I'm starting with 1/2 a pill today.  I am really nerveous about this.  I have never felt this way before.  It feels like I have cotton in my brain.  I'm feeling woosey.   I sure hope this med puts some clarity in my brain.  I need to be able to work.  I had a bad flare last Thursday and felt aweful I was so exhausted. I'm getting back to normal with the flare but the fuzzy brain is something else.  Anyone out here on Antidepressant.. Hi, So sorry you're feeling this way. Have you considered that the prednisone may be the culprit?  I know that even 5mg will fill me with anxiety. My PCP doesn't want me to take it at all, but some times I have to just to function. You might ask your Dr about it. Just an idea from my experiences. :) your2smart,

I have been suffering with Generalized Anxiety for a while.  I'm on my third medicine.  I don't think our symptoms are exactly alike, but I do have times that I feel like my heart is going to beat right out of my chest.  Sometimes it takes a while to find the right medicine that treats the symptoms with the fewest side effects.  The problem is that it takes a while to know if the medicine will work, and as someone has already said, sometimes the side effects go away with treatment.  Which antidepressant are you taking right now?
Thanks everyone for the great information. I'm glad I'm not alone.  I have been under a lot of stress lately and i know this is part of the reason I'm having these attacks.  I'm trying to find a good outlet, like exercise with out hurting myself with the RA.  Thanks for all the advice and compasion.  I love this board...
 
That's unfortunate. Psychiatrists are trained to rule out organicity first before they treat psychiatrically.
I'd like to caution people that panic attacks have a clear set of diagnostic criteria. Because you are anxious about something it does not necessarily mean you are having a panic attack. Best not to get the two confused. The essential feature of a Panic Attack is a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort in the absence of real danger that is accompanied by at least 4 of 13 somatic or cognitive symptoms develop abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes:
  1. palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
  2. sweating
  3. trembling or shaking
  4. sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
  5. feeling of choking
  6. chest pain or discomfort
  7. nausea or abdominal distress
  8. feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
  9. derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
  10. fear of losing control or going crazy
  11. fear of dying
  12. paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
  13. chills or hot flushes
ARRRGGGHHH! Panic attacks- I hate them!
I have a prescrip for xannax for them and I don't get them nearly as often as I did when it was first prescribed 21 years ago. For some reason they began after the birth of my son- out of no where. Maybe hormonal- maybe I was extra nervous...don't know.
What I have found is if I feel one coming on I take 1/2 a xannax if it's not too bad or a whole one if it's feeling really intense. Within 15 mins. I am much more calm. I usually need to go be by myself- (don't want anyone seeing me in that state) and I do deep breathing. Lately I get the sensation that my throat is closing up and I can't breath unless I swallow. That's very scary.

Best of luck with getting yours under control!

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