Went off meds PAs returned severely. Could this be something else?

[Gareth and Kim Morris]

Hi

Bit of background. Very sensitive to SSRI's. Went off clonazepam when I
was pregnant but attacks returned when my daughter was just over a year old.
Stayed on clonazepam 0.5 daily with a pa about every 3 months. Eventually
was on a quarter a day before deciding to go off. Was panic free for 6
months off meds. Psychiatrist thinks plain trip could have had a major
affect on pa's returning.

After being on clonazepam most of the time i weaned off it last year and was
panic free for 6 months. Then out of the blue one day in the mall i got a
full-blown panic attack that just had no end. I wanted to faint, felt
disorientated, thought I was dying, etc. My hubby was away on business and
having no family around and my 5 year old daughter who relies on me just
made the panic worse. The attack lasted for over an hour and I finally got
to the chemist to get some clonazepam on my script.

At first I thought that something physical was wrong and saw my gp who ran
blood tests and then the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said that when one
stops meds and pa's recur it is generally more severe. I then went on to
experience pa's every week and then 1 the last month and now two the last
week. I'm rather confused about all this. I can't understand why the pa's
have returned and why they are so hellish this time around. Today for
instance, I went to the mall with my hubby and started feeling awful, light
headed, disorientated, extreme feelings of fainting and then getting into a
complete panic that something is physically wrong with me.

I am very sensitive to SSRI's so can't take them for the panic. Currently
I'm taking almost 0.5 clonazepam daily, half in the am and a quarter in the
pm. Has anyone else gone off meds and experiend relapsed and have they
become worse.

Please help as I'm kicking myself in the butt for going off the meds in the
first place and need some reassurance that this too will pass. Also can a
panic attack be so severe? Any suggestions on other tests that could rule
out any physical problems.

Thanks for all replies.

Kim
South Africa

[Rick]

Post by Gareth and Kim Morris
Hi
Bit of background. Very sensitive to SSRI's. Went off clonazepam when I
was pregnant but attacks returned when my daughter was just over a year old.
Stayed on clonazepam 0.5 daily with a pa about every 3 months. Eventually
was on a quarter a day before deciding to go off. Was panic free for 6
months off meds. Psychiatrist thinks plain trip could have had a major
affect on pa's returning.
After being on clonazepam most of the time i weaned off it last year and was
panic free for 6 months. Then out of the blue one day in the mall i got a
full-blown panic attack that just had no end. I wanted to faint, felt
disorientated, thought I was dying, etc. My hubby was away on business and
having no family around and my 5 year old daughter who relies on me just
made the panic worse. The attack lasted for over an hour and I finally got
to the chemist to get some clonazepam on my script.
At first I thought that something physical was wrong and saw my gp who ran
blood tests and then the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said that when one
stops meds and pa's recur it is generally more severe. I then went on to
experience pa's every week and then 1 the last month and now two the last
week. I'm rather confused about all this. I can't understand why the pa's
have returned and why they are so hellish this time around. Today for
instance, I went to the mall with my hubby and started feeling awful, light
headed, disorientated, extreme feelings of fainting and then getting into a
complete panic that something is physically wrong with me.
I am very sensitive to SSRI's so can't take them for the panic. Currently
I'm taking almost 0.5 clonazepam daily, half in the am and a quarter in the
pm. Has anyone else gone off meds and experiend relapsed and have they
become worse.
Please help as I'm kicking myself in the butt for going off the meds in the
first place and need some reassurance that this too will pass. Also can a
panic attack be so severe? Any suggestions on other tests that could rule
out any physical problems.
Thanks for all replies.
Kim
South Africa

I don't know what the foundation is for that premise, but my experience
bears it out as well. Initially I took Imipramine to treat PD, thought
it was great - no panic attics for over six months. Then I quit the
medication, thinking that was the end of it. Funny you should mention a
plane trip because that was the same thing that brought my attacks back
with a vengeance. I was trying to convince myself during a cross country
flight that all the problems I was having was just motion sickness.
Yeah... right.

There's nothing unusual about an extended panic attack, especially if
you have something to worry about - like a small child who is with you
during the attack. And if you have "learned" things along the way like
hypervenilating when you breathe - doing things like that can keep you
in a state of panic for a long time frame. It's good you got yourself
medically checked out but every so often, and sepecially without meds,
they can be more intense or go on for an extended time.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the dosage of Klonopin you are on -
it's very low. I can usually get by on the same dosing myself - about .5
mg per day. Only on a really bad day (the rare exception, rather than
the rule) do I have to go up into the 1 to 2 mg range. And I'm one of
those people as well who have never gotten benefit out of SSRI's,
despite trying just about all of them out there.

Rick

[Kim]

Hi Rick

Thanks for the reply. Glad to know I'm not the only one who can't take
SSRI's. I'm planning on increasing my clonazepam to 0.5 daily.

Also supposed to see a therapist tomorrow but been down that route before. I
don't have any problems that could be causing the attacks so I don't think
more therapy is going to work.

At least we are not alone in this.

Kim

Post by Rick

Post by Gareth and Kim Morris
Hi
Bit of background. Very sensitive to SSRI's. Went off clonazepam when I
was pregnant but attacks returned when my daughter was just over a year old.
Stayed on clonazepam 0.5 daily with a pa about every 3 months.
Eventually
was on a quarter a day before deciding to go off. Was panic free for 6
months off meds. Psychiatrist thinks plain trip could have had a major
affect on pa's returning.
After being on clonazepam most of the time i weaned off it last year and was
panic free for 6 months. Then out of the blue one day in the mall i got a
full-blown panic attack that just had no end. I wanted to faint, felt
disorientated, thought I was dying, etc. My hubby was away on business and
having no family around and my 5 year old daughter who relies on me just
made the panic worse. The attack lasted for over an hour and I finally got
to the chemist to get some clonazepam on my script.
At first I thought that something physical was wrong and saw my gp who ran
blood tests and then the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said that when one
stops meds and pa's recur it is generally more severe. I then went on to
experience pa's every week and then 1 the last month and now two the last
week. I'm rather confused about all this. I can't understand why the pa's
have returned and why they are so hellish this time around. Today for
instance, I went to the mall with my hubby and started feeling awful, light
headed, disorientated, extreme feelings of fainting and then getting into a
complete panic that something is physically wrong with me.
I am very sensitive to SSRI's so can't take them for the panic.
Currently
I'm taking almost 0.5 clonazepam daily, half in the am and a quarter in the
pm. Has anyone else gone off meds and experiend relapsed and have they
become worse.
Please help as I'm kicking myself in the butt for going off the meds in the
first place and need some reassurance that this too will pass. Also can a
panic attack be so severe? Any suggestions on other tests that could rule
out any physical problems.
Thanks for all replies.
Kim
South Africa

I don't know what the foundation is for that premise, but my experience
bears it out as well. Initially I took Imipramine to treat PD, thought
it was great - no panic attics for over six months. Then I quit the
medication, thinking that was the end of it. Funny you should mention a
plane trip because that was the same thing that brought my attacks back
with a vengeance. I was trying to convince myself during a cross country
flight that all the problems I was having was just motion sickness.
Yeah... right.
There's nothing unusual about an extended panic attack, especially if
you have something to worry about - like a small child who is with you
during the attack. And if you have "learned" things along the way like
hypervenilating when you breathe - doing things like that can keep you
in a state of panic for a long time frame. It's good you got yourself
medically checked out but every so often, and sepecially without meds,
they can be more intense or go on for an extended time.
I wouldn't be too concerned about the dosage of Klonopin you are on -
it's very low. I can usually get by on the same dosing myself - about .5
mg per day. Only on a really bad day (the rare exception, rather than
the rule) do I have to go up into the 1 to 2 mg range. And I'm one of
those people as well who have never gotten benefit out of SSRI's,
despite trying just about all of them out there.
Rick

[Rick]

Post by Kim
Hi Rick
Thanks for the reply. Glad to know I'm not the only one who can't take
SSRI's. I'm planning on increasing my clonazepam to 0.5 daily.

Hi again!

Well, it's not that I can't take them - they just don't seem to do
anything positive for the PD. But you've probably had the same
experience I did with SSRI's - starting at anything near the recommended
starting dosages overwhelms me with side effects. 50 mg of Zoloft I
could tolerate. But 100 mg of Zoloft was wholly counterproductive.

Post by Kim
Also supposed to see a therapist tomorrow but been down that route before. I
don't have any problems that could be causing the attacks so I don't think
more therapy is going to work.

Maybe - maybe not. I learned at a very early age to be a "people
pleaser." That's the way my Mother framed my worth as a person. And
people pleasing - doing what other people want to the deference of your
own needs, always being perfect, etc. is a hell of a demand to be placed
on yourself. I've recently gone back into therapy to revisit the matter
of what behavior traits I have that may be contributing to my anxiety
problems. CBT is all very well and good as a treatment. But if my
mindset is such that I'm "set up" with unrealistic expectations about
what is "acceptable" I'm always gonna be anxious about whether I'm good
enough or perfect enough.

Just something to think about.

Rick

Post by Kim
At least we are not alone in this.
Kim

Post by Rick

Post by Gareth and Kim Morris
Hi
Bit of background. Very sensitive to SSRI's. Went off clonazepam when I
was pregnant but attacks returned when my daughter was just over a year old.
Stayed on clonazepam 0.5 daily with a pa about every 3 months.
Eventually
was on a quarter a day before deciding to go off. Was panic free for 6
months off meds. Psychiatrist thinks plain trip could have had a major
affect on pa's returning.
After being on clonazepam most of the time i weaned off it last year and was
panic free for 6 months. Then out of the blue one day in the mall i got a
full-blown panic attack that just had no end. I wanted to faint, felt
disorientated, thought I was dying, etc. My hubby was away on business and
having no family around and my 5 year old daughter who relies on me just
made the panic worse. The attack lasted for over an hour and I finally got
to the chemist to get some clonazepam on my script.
At first I thought that something physical was wrong and saw my gp who ran
blood tests and then the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said that when one
stops meds and pa's recur it is generally more severe. I then went on to
experience pa's every week and then 1 the last month and now two the last
week. I'm rather confused about all this. I can't understand why the pa's
have returned and why they are so hellish this time around. Today for
instance, I went to the mall with my hubby and started feeling awful, light
headed, disorientated, extreme feelings of fainting and then getting into a
complete panic that something is physically wrong with me.
I am very sensitive to SSRI's so can't take them for the panic.
Currently
I'm taking almost 0.5 clonazepam daily, half in the am and a quarter in the
pm. Has anyone else gone off meds and experiend relapsed and have they
become worse.
Please help as I'm kicking myself in the butt for going off the meds in the
first place and need some reassurance that this too will pass. Also can a
panic attack be so severe? Any suggestions on other tests that could rule
out any physical problems.
Thanks for all replies.
Kim
South Africa

I don't know what the foundation is for that premise, but my experience
bears it out as well. Initially I took Imipramine to treat PD, thought
it was great - no panic attics for over six months. Then I quit the
medication, thinking that was the end of it. Funny you should mention a
plane trip because that was the same thing that brought my attacks back
with a vengeance. I was trying to convince myself during a cross country
flight that all the problems I was having was just motion sickness.
Yeah... right.
There's nothing unusual about an extended panic attack, especially if
you have something to worry about - like a small child who is with you
during the attack. And if you have "learned" things along the way like
hypervenilating when you breathe - doing things like that can keep you
in a state of panic for a long time frame. It's good you got yourself
medically checked out but every so often, and sepecially without meds,
they can be more intense or go on for an extended time.
I wouldn't be too concerned about the dosage of Klonopin you are on -
it's very low. I can usually get by on the same dosing myself - about .5
mg per day. Only on a really bad day (the rare exception, rather than
the rule) do I have to go up into the 1 to 2 mg range. And I'm one of
those people as well who have never gotten benefit out of SSRI's,
despite trying just about all of them out there.
Rick