best sedating ssris anxiety dysautonomia?

i have a general question about which ssris are the most sedating. about 2 and 1/2 years ago i went to my doc for some random palps and she prescribed alprozolam.  i had no idea what they were and my dosing was 1-2 milligrams a day 2 times a day. so i took the pills as directed. Prior to the pills my symptoms were only intermittent palpitations.well after a few days on the pills, i started getting the strangest symptoms-muscle twithcing and jerking all ove my body, ringing of ears constant heart pounding, vibrations in the body and head, sun burn sensations.  this continued on for a few weeks and i finally contacted my doctor. she put me through a myriad of tests and all was clear.  but my symptoms were geting worse and worse. a couple of weeks later i went and saw my doc again and this time she told me to get on lexapro-again not knowing what it was. she told me that after a few days my symptoms would go away.  well they didn't.  in fact i started feeling like i was on a boat and my head began to feel as if there was liquid sloshing and slamming from side to side and i had this crazy head pressure and 24/7 adrenaline surges i finally went online and realized what she had given me.
I was furious and told her that i wanted to get of the meds right away.  she said that i should stop taking them and that everything would be ok.  big mistake.  all my symptoms became more intense and i had fill blown rotary vertigo.  then i developed electric shock sensations throughout my body-like the ones you get from carpets- but they were constant and all over.  fast forward to today and i still have the same nasty symptoms.  i have done the full battery of tests and everything is normal. my docs seems to thing that it could be tied to anxiety from what i went through or dysautonomia.  some docs have suggested that i go back on an ssri level off then come off. a top balnce specialist on the wes coast uses ssris as a first line to treat my kind of equilibrium isues  

in the groups experiences with the ssris, which have been the most sedating on the nervous system???  most of my problems came from being accidentally addicted to the alprozolam and getting interdose withdrawals. i was only on the ssris for 3 weeks and the generic xanax for 2 months but at 4 mg a day  i need my life back.  thanks  johnny

[magen7984]

First of all i think that you need to find another doctor. One that explains stuff to you.

[captainhook619]

Magen , trust me. I already have.

Ryan, my cardiac workup has been normal.  My blood pressure is 100/70 and my resting pulse is between 60-70. but i do have the pounding heart issues.  I saw a cardiologist at UCLA who knows about dysautonomia and he said that  i don't have it. this possibility was mentioned by one of my neuros.

being that my blood pressure is low to begin with, would the beta blocker have an impact to lower my blood pressur even more.  also with the benzodiazipines, i quickly became addicted to the xanax so the potential is there for some tolerance and addiction  issues.

were you ever diagnosed with dysautonomia and if so what tests did they do to come up with the diagnosis..  i looked up some dysautonomia websites and some of them say that ssris are an option.  its just frustrating when there is so much info out there.

also if it is just unrelenting underlying anxiety, would ssris then be viable option.  thank you for both of your responses particularly Ryan

[captainhook619]

thanks for all of your input. i will keep you up to date on my recovery.  hope yours comes quickly as well

[DragonTU84]

It is a refreshing sight to see somebody else who has had a sadly similar reaction as I did on the SSRI's. If you had that reaction to the alprolozapam and lexapro, it is VERY possible your problems could be related to Dysautonomia. Especially if your workup otherwise continues to come up clear.

Let me tell you my story.

My name is Crystal, and as like you, as of October 31st at 3am, I began having the  WORST bout of chest pains, heart palps, you name it!! I thought I was going to die or have a heart attack. I knew I had mitral valve prolapse, and thought I was having a heart attack as a result of that. However, little did I know what really lay in store.

I went to ERs (like 3 different ones??), all of whom told me it was "stress reaction," "anxiety attacks," and most often just injected me with a benzo and sent me home. I was then put on a cardiac-specific beta-blocker (which Ryan has made you aware of), and it worked WONDERS!! Nevertheless, it still wasn't enough to get rid of all of my attacks, so I went again to see my GP.

She then put me on Zoloft....OHHHH BOYYYY, was that the WORST 2 MONTHS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! The first DAY I took it, I felt EXTREMELY TIRED, WOOZY, LIGHTHEADED to the point I cannot even describe, almist a sickening lightheadedness that would've made me barf or pass out, but I didn't...

I stopped, scared of taking the pill after that one day, and waited a few more weeks...

Yet still getting the heart palps and chest pains, I was DESPERATE for something to cure my ailments!! So I went ahead and started the Zoloft...and it was the worst 2 MONTHS OF MY LIFE!!

I was on the drug for about a month (4 weeks), and that month was the 1st of the two of my worst months in my life. 2 Days into taking the med., I was lying in bed waiting for my fiancee to get ready for bed, and all of a sudden I felt this ELECTRICAL SURGE/JOLT/TEN-FOLD PINS AND NEEDLES feeling surge through my brain. I also just felt "sick" and "blah" in the head, a feeling I cannot fully describe. It jolted me out of bed, that's for sure!! Well, before I knew it, it was a full-blown attack, and it even caused me to sweat profusedly and have hot flashes like no tomorrow, the electrical surges continued, and I began seeing blothes in my field of vision. I FREAKED, thinking I was going to pass out or something, and ended up going into full-blown PANIC. I just wanted whatever it was to STOP mostly, and I tried to keep my calm. It passed after several off-and-on bouts for about 45 min., then I was able to go to bed for the night, drained from the attack.

The following day, I just felt BLAH, sluggish, and barely able to bring myself to talk, probably exhausted from the attack before on my poor brain. Unfortunately, the following day was my Grad. ceremony day from college, so I had to miss it due to how horrible I felt. :(

I then had another attack the following Wed. that lasted off-and-on for 2 1/2 hours, similar to the first attack, but not as draining or severe.

I then went 2 weeks without problems, but the med. caused me some occassional weird mood feelings, like anger that didn't feel right and whatnot. It only happened once in awhile.

Anyway, after those initial 2 weeks, I then started having 2 ATTACKS EVERY DAY!! Since I was on the Zoloft and it was improving my mood mainly, it at least HELPED ME TO SURVIVE WITH MY SANITY!!! I was shocked at how optimistic I was through it all, even though the med. was causing my brain and body physical hell.

After those 4 weeks/month, my nice yet dimwitted GP FINALLY told me to stop the med, but told me to QUIT IT COLD TURKEY!! OHHHH BOYYY....now it went from HELL TO WORSE!!!

I was still getting attacks, and the attacks seemed to progressively get WORSE!! They got SO bad to the point where it felt like my brain felt like it was going to cause me to go into convulsions or have a stroke someday or SOMETHING!! It at times felt like my brain was going to split in two, what a HORRIBLE feeling!! And sometimes I woke up in the middle of the NIGHT from it!!! It truly was the worst months of my life!!!

One time it was SO bad: I was sitting at my computer, typing or working on an artwork, and all of a sudden I felt the weird feeling in my head that I was about to get an attack. I at first sat and prepared to stand, when I felt it HIT!! My right side of my brain felt like it was going to go haywire, like it was going to cause me to have a STROKE or SEIZURE or something...I didn't know what the hell what, yet I was able to stay calm and sane, mostly. I did call 911 though, frightened of what was happening. I felt this painful electrical surge up and down my spine, through my brain, and knot pains in my back and neck. I walked down stairs of my apartment and waited outside for the ambulance, praying for the attack to pass and for me to be OK. I could STILL feel my brain going haywire, and my right leg, while on the phone with the EL, began to go NUMB, then kind of bent upward and went COMPLETELY LIMP!!! OMG!!! The person on the other line thought I was having a TIA or mini stroke, she didn't know what when I described it to her. However, I was able to use the rest of my right side fine, aside from my brain still feeling wack and about to go into convulsions or something. I could think clearly and articulate fine, it was just the physical dilemmas that were SO dramatizing....

That attack made me SO frightened, that I had upteen panic attacks the following day, and had to again get sent to the ER just to get injected with Xanax to calm me down. It had effected me that much...

I also had some hand and leg tremors (minor), and I dunno if that numb and limp leg thing was a tremor. My Psych. thinks it was.

What finally got me out of that hell-hole?? Oddly, just time mostly, and I stuck with the Toprol and I started taking a multi-vitamin. I tell you...that vitamin must've done SOMETHING, because my attacks became almost NULL after that!!! It is possible I had some slight vitamin deficiencies just enhancing my problem...dunno, but it did WORK!!

I am also on Lorazepam (Ativan) for the anxiety and panic and slight syncope I get. Ryan advised me to switch my beta-blocker to one that is not so cardiac-specific to take care of the rest of any problems I have left, yet I dunno if I need it or not. I am going to wait awhile, then judge from there, and let God be my guide. Heck, He has helped me this far (through gut instincts), and right now it is telling me to hold off until I think I see it fit. I didn't want to even START the Zoloft, and look what it did...

Another note, I also tried Lexapro as with you due to my STUPID Psych. wanting to give me an SSRI, thinking they are cure-alls for ALL psychiatric problems...PHHHH!!! GOD, I am glad I am going to see the doc. here in MD!!! I for once want to be listened to SERIOUSLY without any quacks just prescribing med. after med. and telling me "this is for what you have, it'll work GREAT!!!" Idiots...and I had told him my reaction to Zoloft. Well, guess what?? I gave it ONE DAY, and that day of course PRAYED that if I was going to have another reaction, SHOW ME. Well, I did. That day, I had ANOTHER electrical shock sensation through my brain, one I had not had in about a month since then...so I KNEW it was the SSRI....and I of course stopped it abrubptly. I am still taking Lorazepam/Ativan at 2 MG TID, and it helps for the most part. :) Whenever I feel a breakthrough attack, I just pop another 1 MG, and it usually does the trick. I may consider switching to the Inderal Ryan told me about, but I still wanna see how I do on Toprol and Lorazepam alone for awhile longer...for now I am fine and great, so why switch? Only unless weird or worsening symptoms show up again will I change.

And I also want to hold off until I see the specialist in Dysautonomia, who can properly diagnose me with it and give me the right meds. I give Ryan credit for ALL his help, yet I'd still rather see a professional, and for this I hope you understand Ryan. I have the prescription for Inderal waiting, should I feel it necessary to start. Yet now I am fine, symptom free for the time being, and going to wait it out and see...

But if I were you, I would consider Dysautonomia a possibility, unless your Cardiologist was INSISTENT it wasn't it. Sometimes though you get doctors who are just discrediting the possibility or validity of the diagnosis, so they could TRY to steer you away from it. My psych. did (he said he didn't see the validity in the topic), so I am going to go and see a specialist in it myself to find out for sure my prognosis.

~Crystal

[captainhook619]

Glad to see you are symptom free.  Part of my problem was i had no idea the meds were causing my initial symptoms. It wasn't until i realized what they were that i decided to get off.  i did everything the wrong way as i cold turkeyed the xanax and the lexapro.  My body went into such a hypervigilant state and high anxiety state that it has had a tough time coming back to normal.  I have some of the oddest symptoms like a feeling of goo sloshing in my face and head as well as electric shock sensations-not pins and needles but like somebody is stabbing me with a pin all over my body.

I don't have classic dysautonomia but what i do have is a classic case of an underlying anxiety disorder that was made worse by medications.  My adrenaline surges are 24/7, and i have the tinnitus, feeling of being on a boat, forceful heart pounding 24/7. and constnt head pressure 24/7.  some symptoms might be similar to dysautonomia and i have had a thorough checkup.  Listen anxiety can cause the craziest symptoms.  go to anxietycentre.com to see a list of the symptoms that can be caused by anxiety.  it took me a while to come to grips with this revelation but i know what it is i have to deal with.  

I have a dear friend whose wife has major anxiety when her husband is a away .  she cannot sleep cause she fears someone will snatch her kids. i talk to her about this all the time, and aside from the liquid sensation that i describe to you above, she has almost every other symptom and she has never been on meds.  i am not saying you have anxiety but i like many people spent thousands of dollars in doctor bills trying to find or validate that i am physicall ill in the classic sense-looking for als, cancers etc. nothing.

Anxiety is a physical illness as well and needs to be treated the right way.  i have avoided meds at all costs but everyone is different. i have always wondered if taking that one little pill would make my symptoms go away.  

Please let me know how things go

My e-mail is ***@**** take care

Johnny

[stardusted]

All of these symptoms are similar to my own.  I suffered for years starting after a snowmobile wreck that jolted my head and spine, then got noticably worse during a family trip to yellowstone.  I had altitude sickness (im from ohio) and tons of unexplained strange bodily sensations that I couldn't figure out.  They ranged from unequal pupil dialation, cloudy peripheral vision, ear neck and head pressure, palpitations, and worse of all the lightheaded strange attacks that happened. These were like a fuzzy feeling in my head fading hearing and vision and a feeling of falling backwards with tingles rushing from my head to my feet.  I swore everytime I was going to pass out, but didn't totally it seemed that the adrenaline rush stopped them.  I would get one after another sometimes minutes apart and they were terrifying I thought that I was going to have a stroke, heartattack, seizure or worse die.  I went to Dr. over and over & had lots of tests run that all came back clean so I was told it was "just anxiety"  well I know it was physical to start with!  I didnt give up and saw a neurologist who suggested seeing a sleep apnea and cardiologist specialist.  I was then given a tilt table test and failed it :) yes good so I finally had my answer.  Neurocardiogenic pre-syncope.  Plus I was overweight terribly & had sleep apnea.  I was referred to a special cardiologist in toledo who focused on dysautonomia.  I went in and had all of the classic syptoms (symptoms) and they say lots of people are treated like they are just crazy and this is a real disorder.  Unfortunately they still treat the sypmtoms not the cause :(  I had excess collogen that caused my veins to not restrict to get blood back to my heart and brain causing dramatic drops in bp causing the fainting feelings.  (this is related to hyper joint mobility too if youre really flexible)  I also had congenital spinal stenosis another typical factor of this condition.  But anyway don't give up it is still TERRIFYING when I have an attack but at least I know about the cause and how to deal with it the best I can so dont let drs tell you you are just mentally ill!  If you want go see Dr. Blair Grubb a specialist in dysautonomia at Medical College of Ohio MCO in Toledo ohio.  If any of you have any suggestions on what to do when you get the ugly fainting things please tell me at
sea_souls***@****
I hope you all recover soon!
thanks

[ashmonkey]

I want to discontinue my sons nightly dose of Tofranil. My son is nine years old and wets the bed. He has had some depression as well and anxiety over school. He has Asperger's syndrome which has much to do with his lack of social skills and his anxiety and frusteration at school. He is telling me that he is feeling worse and sad for "no reason" I know not to completely stop the medication at once and want to know if I can cut his 25mg pill in half for two nights and contact his doctors office monday? I dont see anywhere in the literature that states that the pills cannot be split or that it is an extended release. Does anyone know if it is safe for my son to take half a pill of this type (tricyclic antidepressant) I feel his behavior and mood has worsened since he began this medication. Thank you

[icephixia]

Hi,

I honestly have a sollution for you palpitations. Just some background on my condition, I suffered from palps my entire life, i resorted to cardiac specific and non specific beta blockers and every possible supplement known to man. Nothing helped. I was scheduled for ablation surgery where they remove some of the bad wiring in your body. This is a scary operation but i was willing to do it because i could not live with the palpitations anymore, I was even willing to get a pace maker because the palps gave me terrible anxiety. A week before my surgery I read an article about Food state Mg++ I started on 2 twice a day and I have not had palps for 6 months, then they returned because I was overdosing on Mg, but then I stopped and I have not had palps for 3 years. Not a single one even under severe pressure at work or excersise. I really just want to share my finding with someone and Maybe help someone else in this world. The normal Magnesium or MgCL they sell doesnt help at all, it doesnt even get absorbed. The gluconate form is a miracle sent from god I swear!

Anyways hope you read this. and hope it works as well for you as it did for me.

The problem with those beta blockers is they eventually stop working because your body upregulates your sensativity to the adrenaline molecule.