Anxiety Sufferer looking for ideas

[Jack1208]

I suppose to a degree I've had some sort of anxiety for years but it really kicked in about 4 years ago when I had my 'episode'. Sat chilling watching TV and I had the urge to get up quickly and rushed to the bathroom then had the fuzzy head, tunnel vision and flashing of memories and images of future events flashing before me. Assuming this was a panic attack, I sat on it for a few years but finally relented over a year back, went to docs and was put on citalopram. I had nausea and headaches etc but nothing seemed to happen so each subsequent docs appointment involved an increase in dose until I reached the maximum. A few weeks back I reduced it by half for a week then half again for a week where I felt the best I'd felt for ages. I then started on 50mg sertraline and my anxiety is worst it has been for ages. I have a big day long family engagement and although looking forward to it, I am mostly full of apprehension even though it will probably all be ok. Haven't told my family either. Really nervous and need help with additional issues like nervous tummy and ibs too. Help!! 😀

[tyg1]

Do you get symptoms of head tension and pressure? I have had this problem for over a year now and it is driving me crazy!

[Jack1208 in reply to tyg1]

I started on citalopram a few days before Christmas 2015 and remember spending a whole day in bed with a migraine type headache. That came and went but recently since being on sertraline I keep getting a tension headache over one side of my forehead and that feeling over left eye that feels like someone us poking the eyeball from behind.

[stacey112109]

From my experience, Sertraline made my anxiety worse, Plus destroyed my appetite. I started drinking protein drinks and it makes me feel better, plus my Dr. put me on Prozac and actually the only side effect I've had is it makes me sleepy. Once I began to drink the shakes my sweaty palms went away and anxiety went away.

[Jack1208 in reply to stacey112109]

I drink a sort of protein meal replacement for breakfast and lunch with snack and fruit at work and this makes me feel less bloated and I'm trying to lose weight but find it difficult to drag myself to gym on this medication. Definitely feel worse on it. It's difficult to make docs appointments and have one on Monday where I think I'll tell him it makes me feel awful. He always seems to turn it back on me by saying the symptoms are to do with the condition rather than the meds and leaves it up to me as to what course of action I take whereas I go to him for advice and help.

[stacey112109 in reply to Jack1208]

It's def the medication, it made me feel that way, tell your dr you want to try something else, you know when something doesn't work for you. I hated that medication, I felt awful. Now I just feel sleepy, going to start taking it in the evening, at least then maybe I can sleep all night.

[Jack1208 in reply to stacey112109]

that's the other thing. When was on citalopram the first doc said to take it in the morning but I felt bad so my own doc then said to take it at a different time or choose when I take it. Now on sertraline, I either take in morning or lunch as if in evening I get a stonker of a headache when I wake up the following morning.

[noemikahle]

I agree with you about medications but my experience has been a good one with Zoloft initially, although I was taking such a minute dose maybe it was a placebo effect. It worked great for me for 20 years until my PCP took me off and gave me Busphar ( prob a bad mistake), not to mention Lyme was already playing havoc in my mind. Now I am on a crapload of meds which I don't even think are doing much I made an appointment with a neuropsychologist at one of the big hospitals, i hope he can help me. I do need something for my mind right now to calm it down although I do hope the antibiotics will help soon, I don't think PCP should mess with psych meds either, They can be helpful but they also can hurt!