Panic Attacks Support Group

Hey there, all. I need your help. As you all know, I started Prozac 20mg yesterday. I took it at about 7:30am and around noon or 1pm started feeling really icky! I was very "out of it" and felt in a haze all day long and then by evening time, I was very anxious. I woke up this morning at around 5:30am and had a panic attack. It wasn't a huge, super bad one since I managed to keep it under control for the most part. Now I am scared to take my Prozac. Do you think it's a reaction or is it in my head and I am making it bigger than it really is? I told my partner that I was not going to take it today (which I have not yet) and he told me that I have to in order to get better. We then discussed me taking it in the evening (around 7p or 8p) so, I could sleep off any "weird" side effects. I am suppose to take it now and I am really nervous about it. Any helpful hints or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I am suppose to take 20mg for a week and then up to 40mg in week 2.

Thanks everyone!

Well I never took that one. But every ssri I have tried has made me feel that way but I hear they all take some time two weeks or so to stop that feeling I just can't take it so I had to learn to take control with out them but I have heard they can help alot if you just give it time if you can handle it it might just help let us know

Lee

I have had a similar reaction to other SSRIs. In my experience that effect goes away usually in a week or 2. You should discuss this with your doctor though. They may decide to lower your starting dose or do a slower increase as you are having that reaction. It really depends though on the doctor. I would call first thing tomorrow and let the office know what you have experienced. They can make a better assessment than I can just reading your words on a computer screen.

Hope everything works out. Keep us posted, I know how sucky it can be when you first are starting a new med. Hang in there! Something will eventually click.

Wow, I can so relate to this, as I myself was just started on Prozac 20 mg only a mere 3 weeks ago! I got awful panic attacks, jittery, out of it constantly, etc. I couldn't do it..not even the lower dose when after a week she put me on 10 mg. I was getting scared to take it too, so I know exactly how you feel. I was switched to Zoloft only a week ago and the prozac has left my system and I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I feel a TON better. I was on Paxil for 13 years and I did fantastic so I was alarmed at how I reacted to prozac since I tolerate the startup of ssri's quite well. Sometimes like others told me on here, we sometimes play around with meds until we find the perfect one. It stinks we have to go through these kinds of side effects, etc. I would definitely call your doctor and let them know your side effects.

I did a lot of research on prozac on the internet, and what I gathered in a nutshell is that prozac can cause really bad start up anxiety and whats interesting is I read that people with panic should be started at a very low dose of prozac (5 or 10 mg) for people with panic disorder because of the start up side effects. But docs just go by the book sometimes and prescribe the "usual" starting dose of 20mg of prozac.

Hope this info helps, and you will get better. Hang in there!!

Julanne

Hi Julanne.

Thanks for the insight. The good thing is that I don't feel anxious or panicky at all. I did the first day I took it because the feeling really scared me. Now, I know it's to be expected. Any sort of "odd" feeling we have, as sufferers of panic, we tend to react to those feelings by getting anxious. I spoke with a pharmacist, the other day, and she said it was a completely normal reaction to starting it. I wish it would go away soon because I am really tired of feeling like I am walking around with my head in a cloud all day long! lol

I had such a bad reaction to Zoloft, when I tried it years ago, that was something I Could not handle. I felt so disgusting that I could not function. I could not tolerate that at all and I was only on it for about 3-4 days. I was anxious, dizzy, light headed, etc.....ISH! I would never try that again!!! Just goes to show that we all react to meds differently.

I hope Zoloft is a success for you!!!!!

Why did you/your Doc decide to not continue on Paxil anymore?

Thanks!

I went off Paxil on my own. I wanted to try a different approach to my treatment by trying cognitive behavioral therapy with no medication in hopes it would work considering my panic attacks are mostly agoraphobic induced. Well, it didn't work so I went back to the drawing board, and decided I really need meds to function, and I need to accept that. I would have actually went back on Paxil but it caused terrible weight gain, and my husband and I might start a family in a few years, and I know Paxil is one of the worst for birth defects per what docs tell me and what I've read. So, its not that it didn't work, I'm just becoming picky! lol

I am sorry that the CBT did not work for you how long did you try? I have been doing it for 12 weeks everyday and I went from bedroom to working,college, and everything I am also writting a book about CBT and other Natural therapys that help depression and panic I would just like the insite of someone that it did not work for ---if you dont mind me picking your brain that is lol

how long did you do it?

how often did you talk to your CBT trained theripst?

How many charts or worksheets did they have you do a day?

What kind of things did they try as in CBT charts/worksheets/books/your meditation plan ect..

lol sorry to ask I just want a open mind while I write this book

thanks

lee

For me personally Lee the CBT only works when my medications work. Now that they seem to be working the techniques work wonderfully. But before that it really didn't matter what I tried to do. The misfirings or the receptors and lack of picking up proper amounts of serotonin just did not allow it to work. And yea I was doing the techniques myself daily and for months while trying to find the right med and still having no real improvements at all. Now just look at me go!!!

Interested though in what Josh's experience has been as well!

ummm interesting I love hearing all side I understand it is not for all and for some it just not is the way they can go with it, I was one of the lucky 1000's that it has worked for and I am well on my way to recovery and though it has been 8 months now that I had my first panic attack with CBT I came off all meds, but this last one, and can do alot more now than 8 months ago I am taking it one day at a time and got very lucky that I found comfort in my CBT and a few other things and was VERY lucky to be able to come off everything as well, but of course I want to know all sides so I can cover them all in the book as well I dont want to have a my eyes only thing you know

Thanks for telling me about somethings with you jojo thats really cool of you!

Lee

I tried it med free for a few months. No matter how much exposure therapy I tried to combat the agoraphobia, the symptoms wouldn't let up. I only got worse with CBT, not better because I was becoming more and more depressed to the point where I didn't even want to get up and go out and do exposure therapy. (I have a depression component too). I'm more like what Jojo is saying. Its truly a chemical imbalance on my part I believe. Everyone's brain is different, and for me medication is the answer. I'm so happy CBT worked for you! I wish it would work for everyone using CBT alone, but I find a combo of the two most effective. The Brain is such a mystery!! lol