Anxiety - Fight or Flight Response?

[MrsOckert]

Updated info - 1b, 21/48, ND at 12 weeks.  In the last 2 or 3 weeks I've started experiencing anxiety.  It's not everyday and it's not depression.  It's that fear thing and feels like my body has kicked into high gear.  

If I remember correctly from school the fight or flight response has do with your adrenaline, doesn't it?

Has anyone else experienced this and what do you do/take for it?  I have an apt with doc but not till the 13th.  Valorie

[anise]

How many mg of Paxil are you taking?  I am starting out at 10mg and have a feeling it will not be enough.

[sunspot]

I am also no stranger to panic attacks. It may help you to know that you did nothing to cause your panic attack. One problem you may now face is the <b>fear>/b> of having another one.
Most modern AD’s work for panic attacks. It does not mean you have a lasting problem but it may be a good idea to talk to your Dr before your next appt about AD’s.
I take Lexapro for my depression and  anxiety. If you need relief at the time of an attack take  Zanax, Valium, Ativan or Klonopin.
I hope this information helps you. Let me know if you need more clarification.

Dana.

[sunspot]

Good post Deb.
P.S. I sure screwed up on my HTML code.

[illona]

Hi,
My doctor prescribes me the Lexapro, I took one pill yesterday but I did not feel anything. May be a dosage is to small (5 mg per day). Can you please tell me what is your experience with med?
Thank you

[Forseegood]

Unfortunately, I'm not stranger to panic attacks either, 52 now and I've had them off and on since I was 25...the reason I get them is probably multi-factoral...I have hypoglycemia so if I don't get myself some protein and complex carbs (in a pinch, just protein will do) every 2 1/2 to 3 hours or so, it'll kick me into one...I also think it's a hormonal imbalance prob (and since the liver is the general of the hormones and mine is fighting off critters) that is prob at the base of it...

Women get them twice as much as men so that should say something about them being partially due to hormone imbalance...many people who get them are very intelligent (can I get an amen! ha ha!) and sensitive, so sometimes we tend to overthink things, when something is out-of-whack or whatever... we tend to blow it up in our minds as to the overall importance of it (a little obsession there)...it can be a subconscious thing...where the subconscious feels it is trying to protect you from something that is causing you fear, which can be be irrational but the subconcious doesn't deal with rationality, just fear (I know the basic mechanics of this process inside out but that fact alone doesn't stop them from happening to me, so intellectually knowing all this does little to help you with them)...

So it kicks your adrenals into high gear, and once that happens, the adrenaline kicks your system into pooling your blood to the main organs and that's why you might feel a little tingly and lightheaded, and weak in the arms and legs if it's a bad one...and make your heart beat faster and you take smaller breaths...which causes you panic, so it goes around and around...

What I do is try to keep my system as balanced as I possibly can...when something untoward happens, or I'm feeling edgy or whatever, I take deep calming breaths, and play with the panic, like categorize it...for e.g.: this is just a 2 on a scale of 10, I can bring it back down to a 1, that type of thing...there are many tecniques like this that can really help....

Now of course if youre taking these strong meds that will mess with many systems in your body, these other issues may not play such a great importance, but they will still help to calm yourself if you get into panic...doesn't matter what causes it...I'm capable enough now and have had so much experience that I rarely need to take a tranquilizer  (but I would if these other tecniques just didn't do it for me)

Of course if I was on treatment I'd probably have to take tranquilizers ALONG with these techniques, my meditation and hypnosis tapes, etc...I believe you get "twice" the benefit with using them both...for myself I would rather not take meds for panic unless I needed them...I don't think I would just take them daily as a matter of course, but that's just me, of course you do whatever you feel best for yourself...

But maybe you are just not the type of person to do these other techniques, not everyone is, so maybe just the tranquilizers alone will help do the trick for you...I have heard that ativan is easier on the liver than zanax, but I'm not completely sure on this...I've talked to docs that have told me this is true, and a few who told me they are both equally good, so there you are...

If you are interested in the techniques, there are many good books on the subject and also if you go to hypnosisdownloads.com they have really cheap downloads on panic and anxiety that you can listen to repeatedly (they are only like 7 bucks a piece) and it could really help you to deal with subconscious fears and make you feel much calmer and more in control of this...hope this helps...

[Forseegood]

I also neglected to say that some of these anti-d;s will help with anxiety and panic as well in most people...but the tranqs are good for the panic attacks...

[GoofyDad]

I used to have these problems. As Forsee said, low blood sugar was a big contributor. I walked around with 2mg valiums in my pocket, and took 1 or 2, here and there. Just having them and knowing they worked was a comfort. I haven't needed them for a good long while. But they were life savers when I needed them.

Good luck

[anise]

Unfortunately, I am no stranger to panic attacks.  They are quite hard to deal with, and usually runs in families.  In the past, I never treated it, but just allowed it to come and go.  Now that I am on treatment, I did have a panic attack episode.   A couple of days ago at pilates class, I started getting very dizzy and it turned into a full blown panic attack.  Surprised me as I haven't had one in years, and this one was BAD.  Yesterday I had an appointment to see my NP and told her about my experience.  She put my on 10 mg Paxil to start with and Ativan.  She said to use Ativan for sleep as well, and to keep some with me in case my adrenals go hay wire again.  She mentioned that the treatment will bring on any you issues you might have had in the past and intensify them.  Or could create new ones.  This includes moods, mental, and physical.

[stc1993]

My dr. gave me Xanax for the anxiety it works, helps you sleep also.

Monte

[MrsOckert]

I've never had panic attacks before.  When I read your post I did remember that just before the anxiety I did get light headed and dizzy.  Weird, huh.  I never connected the two.  Paxil you take daily.  Man, I was hoping for something I didn't have to take daily.

What about the Xanax?  Do you take it daily or just when the panic attack comes on?

And do we have any idea what causes them or brings them on?  It's just crazy that it would start out of the blue for no reason at all.  I can't figure out anything in particular that brings it on.

Thanks for answering.

[NYgirl]

My doctor put me on Paxill a month before I started treating (because it takes a few weeks to work).  At the time I thought it was really stupid but I took them. Then I decided I didn't need them and stopped. Well I cracked up big time. Crying, anxious, depressed I mean REALLY just freaking out in only a few days of not taking them so I went right back on. Now I am fine.

I think what the pills do is keep you LEVEL no drastic highs or lows or anxiety building up or anything.

It often is the difference between being able to remain on treatment or not and I am glad I have been taking them.

I've had NO anxiety or nervousness or depression or anything.

PLEASE ask your doctor to prescribe something for you.  You can always go off it if you don't feel it's helping long term.

Maybe some Xxanax or something for the interim since the AD takes a few weeks would help.

You've got such a great history going you should be one of the LAST people to be feeling any of this - keep up the good work!

[anise]

I am going to take the Paxil everyday.  Starting with 10 mg, and if that doesn't work I will go up on dosage.  A couple of years ago my doctor gave me Paxil for pre-menopausal sysmptoms (I'm not sure how that worked), but a side effect was no more panic attacks.  A year later, I weaned myself off the Paxil over a couple of weeks and was able to successfully stop using it.  

For some reason in certain people, the adrenal system goes into a fight or flight mode.  Normally, the flight or fight mechanisms is used to get one away from danger.  It is a powerful response and readies the body to either run or take on the danger.  Well, in our civilized society the danger doesn't have to be there to have an attack.  There are lots of theories why, but it doesn't help when you are one of them that has a haywire flight or fight response.  

For me I aways get a dizzy feeling first, then an otherworldly sensensation like I am not really here.  Then come the sweats, feeling like your going to pass out or have a heart attack.  It's truly horrible!  So when I found out that this might be a side effect for me on treatment, I went to the NP to get a rescue drug for this one!  Hope this helps.

[Forseegood]

just curious, did your hypoglycemia start clearing up once you got on treatment?, or anytime thereafter? I've heard a few different things on this...on the treatment lit I believe it says one of the side effects IS hypoglycemia (what a double drag that is) but then I've talked to some people who "were" hypoglycemic beforehand and their low blood sugar issues actually cleared up (course I want the latter for myself.)

Hey, didn't know you played golf?, (but it makes sense) betcha  there was a time I could of beaten ya on a short game...

[FlGuy]

Good post to Mrs. O.  I learn something new here every day.

[GoofyDad]

I'd say it was pretty much cleared pre-tx. If it's changed on tx, then probably for the better. But quite frankly, the tx stuff might well mask it anyway.

I haven't played golf for a long time. Actually, not since I sold my course to that Japanese consortium. And the country club scene, I don't know, somehow it just seems so 'new money' these days, don't you agree?

-- Preston III

[NYgirl]

I started on 10 for a while then he upped it to 20mg after I had gotten used to it.  It works WONDERS for me it really does. I mean honestly I'd love to stay on it forever...I never took anything like it before in my life but now I really "get" why people do.

It has levelled me out phenomenally.  It really helped.

[Fisheress]

Great information there!  It was all so iformative.  I too had experience with horrible anxiety attacks unbenounced to me what was really going on! Nothing really going on in my life except a %#*&+! husband of 23 years. I could be sitting in a restaurant eating or anyhing like that, look over at the Ex (that was it! Just occured to me!) and tell him " I don't feel well......boom!!!! pass out!  Wake up, vomit, ambulance would be called, and they could never find anything wrong at the hospital w/me.  This happended time & time again.  My reg doc finally fiqured it out therefore I was able to control w/Zanax and then stopped the med because I was then able to control it to a certain degree. Now they are completly gone and so is the ex!  But I'll tell ya, when one is coming on that you have no control over, it is the most horrilbe thing there is!  Think you are gonna die!

Again Forseegood, great read!
Thanks,
Fisheress

[anise]

I was thinking I might want to go to 20 mg.  Since I have already had 10 mg, it didn't do much for me, that is why I weaned myself off. Thanks for letting me know how much you take.

You have to have the constitution of a 'sherman tank'.  Being able to go 24 weeks and pushing through 60 is very admirable.  I am not sure I could do that.  You really go girl!

[anise]

Thanks Foreseegood for the panic attack information.  I really liked the idea that we are an intelligent and sensitive lot :)  Sure seems like a lot of people have them.  Mine didn't come from hypoglycemia, I was repeatedly tested for that, and always came out fine.  So I basically lived with them since my teens.  Terrifying, but I didn't want to be addicted to valium, which they gave at the time.  So I 'grinned and bared' the attacks.  However, I don't want to deal with them on treatment!

[MrsOckert]

Wow!! Great information from everyone.  I appreciate ya'll taking the time to relate your experiences and suggestions.  I like the meditation/hypnosis ideas and Goofydad's taking of valium just for the attacks.  Of course, if the doc thinks I need to do something daily to stave off the attacks then I'll listen to him.

I just hate to take a daily ad for something that only happens once or twice a week and is a very recent occurence.  I wonder if it could stop as soon as it started?

NYgirl - thanks for your kind words.  I've been following your story with interest recently.  It just seems so unfair for a company/person to treat you that way.  Doesn't it seem like it's always the losers that are in power?

Forseegood - thank you so much for the detailed info.  I found it a fascinating read.  We on TX certainly have to put up with a lot, don't we?

I will say that besides those annoying panics I feel quite lucky with the sides.  I deal with the bumps, but nothing as serious as I've heard others dealing with.  And I feel very blessed not to have experienced the anemia many others have.

I pray everyone has an easy shot night tonight.

[sunspot]

5mg is the smallest dose for Lexapro. I’m on 40mg per day. It will take a couple of weeks to kick in. It will not have a highly visible effect. What will happen is you’ll think back and say “I don’t feel bad any more”. That’s a nice thing to happen.

[NYgirl]

Anise

I didn't really find any BAD difference between 10 and 20mgs (except I was tired at first getting used to it).  I don't think just 10 would have worked for me either...being American I am a More the Merrier type gal and I think 20 was MUCH better ;-)

Talk nicey nice to the doctor...and let him know a friend of yours is on 20 and doing great and you feel...blah blah.  Don't EVER tell him I said it on the internet or the white jackets come out. Man I HATE how my doc looked at me when I said that my first week LOL. Now I Just say "well I researched this and..."  :)  He thinks i'm really really smart now hahahaha.


Mrs O

Thank you for YOUR kind words.  I hate this place (work) I truly do. Would hate it is even if I WASNT doing treatment. I just want to be treated nicely and with RESPECT and that is not possible here....it seems for the people who work the hardest get treated like CRUD but the girls that flounce around and "chat" and flirt up the bosses well.......you know THEY make out fine.

I tell you - even if I had the energy I couldn't do that. Just not me. Don't get me wrong I just don't think women with their boobs hanging out at work winking at the guys is something I could do. So I sit here poor and treated like garbage and save my boobs for somewhere else ;-)  Just kidding you know....  ???

[illona]

She prescribed me 5 ml per day. I think is to low? May be because I am just start a treatment?

[sunspot]

illona
Remember that nobody here is a Dr. I’m just a poor slob with a chemical imbalance. Oh yeah, and HCV. I went through about 6 months of trying different AD’s to find one without sx. Finally found Celexa did a good job. Lexapro is a new and improved<i>?</i> Celexa so my doc switched me over and it’s doing a good job.
Your Dr may be starting you out with a low dose to check for sx or maybe 5mg is all you need. Don’t be like Nygirl and myself, that more is better. I hope that a low dose is all you <i>need</i>.

Nygirl.
You don’t need to wink at me and I won’t treat you like garbage. Hint.Hint.

Dana (male)