strange anxiety attack

[Kel5]

Has anyone experience strange anxiety symptoms? I was recently switched from xanex to klonopin, I felt my anxiety increasing yesterday and I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. I went somewhere and on the way there I started feeling tingling and muscle weakness in my face. When I got to my location, the feeling was there. I could smile just fine but the muscles felt weak. While in the meeting, I felt my anxiety increase and my whole body felt weak. Then I realized my left arm and leg felt weaker then the right. They felt heavy but I was able to use them just fine. I continued through the meeting with the weakness on one side and was able to talk just fine and interact. I even was able to stand and walk just fine. But the feelings of weakness and tingling in my face continued. I freaked out thinking I was having some kind of stroke. The symptoms ended after I left the meeting. Last night I spent a lot of time looking up stroke like symptoms. I called the psychiatrist office and talked with the nurse. She said that it sounded like I had a anxiety reaction, not some physical problem like a stroke or anything. She discussed with the doctor adjusting my dosage. Sorry this is soo long. Has anyone else experienced these symptoms?
should I go by what the nurse said or think or it as a mini stroke thing? what should I do?

[Kel5]

thanks for your post. one week ago they did switch me cold turkey. They had me take my xanex twice that day and then switch to klonopin that night. I have been on klonopin since.  I was shocked they just switch since I was on xanex for over a year. I am really sensitive to meds and had a bad reactions to celexa in December and had to be taken off it cold turkey. I am now on lexepo but only 5mg since I react to 10mg. Do you think things will level out? I am so worried that it was some sort of stroke thing, i have been looking up stroke like symptoms now for two days.  today was a little better, but the nurse had me take a half of a pill in the middle of the day and half tonight. She will call me in the morning to see how i am doing and talk with the shrink about it. I am scared that they might try to switch me to something totally different since at my last appt she talked about possibly adding abilify at a low dose to help boost the lexepo. since I reacted to things, I am afraid of any changes. I still fear that something is going on with my heart with all the chest pain, but the doctor say that it is my acid reflux and anxiety (muscle spasm, tightness, etc). I need to get this under control. I am so sick of all of this.

[Chrissy1972]

Hi Kel5

Im so sorry you had this happen to you. Its does sound like breakthrough anxiety. Did they have you quit Xanax cold turkey or did they ween you down while starting the Klonopin? Some of these Drs just have you switch cold turkey thinking they are in the same family etc but the chemistry and breakdown of the pills differ.  Even though both meds are benzo's you should taper off the xanax as your body is used to it and has not yet built up an accumaltion to Klonopin. Klonopin stays in your system longer than Xanax but xanax acts sooner. that being said these feelings breakthrough anxiety or withdrawl from xanax which is very much like anxiety symptoms. It typically takes a good 2 weeks for Klonopin to reach steady plasma levels in your bloodstream so be prepared to give it a try for the next 2 weeks. If they did not have you taper off then I suggest you call your Drs office and ask the nurse to have the Dr call you to discuss what I have posted.
Good luck and keep us posted!

~Chrissy