My very first panic attack ten years ago was because of a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic that contained sulfa. My panic disorder and PTSD are a result of an abusive marriage and a crazy husband who was putting drugs in my food. I was able to leave him, start my life over, had cognitive behavioral therapy, and have had minimal panic attacks over the past six years. This past year the panic attacks have started up and are far worse than they have ever been. My doctor said that the cognitive behavioral techniques that worked before are not working anymore and that I need to go on medication. He understands how hard meds are for me to take as I am allergic to so many things. He prescribed a 5 mg dose of Celexa/Citalopram for me to take once a day until I become comfortable with it and then we will got to 10 mg and see how that works. I can't do it. I had to take Lorazepam a few times when I have a panic attack and .25 mg is way too strong for me. My body is so sensitive to meds.
I need help. What can I expect from taking this Celexa on a regular basis? I broke the 10 mg pill into a fourth and took about 2.5 mg of it and it made me tingly all over, made me nausous, tired, and I had diaherra. After about four hours, I started to relax a little bit. I'm afraid to take it again, and I'm afraid to take the 5 mg.
Should I stick with the Celexa or is there a more mild medication out there? What is the medication going to make me feel like when I take it on a regular basis? I know that a lot of people take meds for their anxiety, and I know that I need to do this, but my anxiety and my fear of medication is not allowing me to get this stuff into me.
Please......any suggestions would help me. Thank you so very much.
Pegi