Does anyone else feel this way?
Question:
::I get panic attacks sometimes — almost always in the middle of the night Do these panic attacks wake you up from a sound sleep? If so, you could be experiencing nocturnal panic attacks. I use to get these all the time. I can`t remember the last time I had one….. thanks to paxil. ::I often have to focus hard to push out really horrible thoughts from my ::mind – almost like scenes from a horror movie that come out of nowhere – ::of things happening to members of my family. Sometimes it’s once a day, ::sometimes it’s five times an hour. It’s been like this for years. I’m ::exhausted. I`m assuming these thoughts are obsessive in nature? Have you told your doctor about these specific thoughts? I think it is important to determine if this is generalized anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder. ::Does anyone else experience this? Has medication helped? My doctor is ::giving me meds for depression and anxiety, but I’m only just starting, so ::there’s no relief yet. I use to think obsessively all the time. Paxil has really helped that problem a lot. You just started prozac. You need to give it a good 4-8 weeks to be fully effective. What kind of doctor is treating you? Hang in, it will get better! Jackie ~*~If it has tires or testicles, you’re going to have trouble with it~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
I am now up to 20 mg Lexapro and see very little difference from the 10. Makes you wonder. smiles, Elise
my pdoc wants me to go up tp 20mg on the lexapro, im on 10mg right now. i really dont want to increase to 20mg, being the med phob that i am. so far, i’ve been feeling a bit better on 10mg, so i’d like to stay there unless i start feeling worse. russ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
my depression mainly stems from having to deal with anxiety/panic, vertigo/dizziness, and being unemployed and directionless. anxiety/panic has always been the biggie. i was better then i had in a long time for about a week, but today i am feeling pretty anxious again.
Sorry to hear this russ. This is happening to me too. I started to feel better and then the last 3 days I have been more anxious. i guess i can expect ups and downs with these meds? im tyring not to catastophize, and hope that tommorrow is a better day.
Ups and downs are a part of our disease. However I found that once I stabilized on an SSRI, I stayed pretty stable. I am hoping that by month 3 I will be pretty stable again. russ
Jim — I’m a geek, but I don’t get it. 36-24-36 = -24. What’s the significance? Florida, USA, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
thanks chip, <BTW, didn’t you have depression? How is that doing? my depression mainly stems from having to deal with anxiety/panic, vertigo/dizziness, and being unemployed and directionless. anxiety/panic has always been the biggie. i was better then i had in a long time for about a week, but today i am feeling pretty anxious again. i guess i can expect ups and downs with these meds? im tyring not to catastophize, and hope that tommorrow is a better day. russ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
thanks chip, <BTW, didn’t you have depression? How is that doing? my depression mainly stems from having to deal with anxiety/panic, vertigo/dizziness, and being unemployed and directionless.
Could be, Russ. Then how do you explain the people with anxiety disorders that don’t have depression? Like Philip? I used to think my depression was secondary to my anxiety. Now I think there are abnormalities in my brain (circuits, neurotransmittes, receptors, etc, etc, etc) that predispose me to several anxiety disorders (panic disorder, OCD) and depression. And in addition, anxiety leads to more depression, and depression leads to more anxiety. anxiety/panic has always been the biggie. i was better then i had in a long time for about a week, but today i am feeling pretty anxious again. i guess i can expect ups and downs with these meds?
I don’t know if it’s the meds. But in life one can expect ups and downs. im tyring not to catastophize, and hope that tommorrow is a better day.
Hang in there, Russ. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
hi chip, <"Response" is the term used when at least 50% of the symptoms have gone <away. i think i am responding positively to the med at this point. my anxiety seems to be diminished, and also my dizziness/vertigo has been lessened a bit. <Russ, how long have you been on 10 mg/day? And do you have any symptoms of <the disorder (or problem) for which you are receiving the Lexapro? its been around 3 weeks or so. i still have some symptoms, but they have been in the normal range of anxiety. if i continue to feel like i have been feeling this past week, then i am happy with that, and dont see any reason to go up in dosage. going up to 20mg will make me anxious alone. getting to 10mg was a big step for me. <I think your doc would like you to have a remission of all symptoms, and he <is not settling for a response (i.e. feeling a bit better) i guess i dont fully understand his goal of 20mg. i dont know if this is standard dosaging, or if he is considering me as an individual. at this point, i dont think i need to go up any more. how i feel now is acceptable. will i crap out on 10mg after a while, and is that why he wants me on 20mg? i think you know me pretty well by now chip, i am a worrier. i dont want to feel bad again, but i also would prefere to take the least amount of meds as possible. 10mg is therapeutic right? i am somewhat confused. russ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
hi chip, <"Response" is the term used when at least 50% of the symptoms have gone <away. i think i am responding positively to the med at this point. my anxiety seems to be diminished, and also my dizziness/vertigo has been lessened a bit.
That’s good. <Russ, how long have you been on 10 mg/day? And do you have any symptoms of <the disorder (or problem) for which you are receiving the Lexapro? its been around 3 weeks or so.
You could continue to improve over the next several weeks at the dose you’re on now. i still have some symptoms, but they have been in the normal range of anxiety.
If they’re normal, they’re not a symptom. if i continue to feel like i have been feeling this past week, then i am happy with that, and dont see any reason to go up in dosage. going up to 20mg will make me anxious alone. getting to 10mg was a big step for me.
Gotcha. <I think your doc would like you to have a remission of all symptoms, and he <is not settling for a response (i.e. feeling a bit better) i guess i dont fully understand his goal of 20mg. i dont know if this is standard dosaging,
Standard would be 10, and only go up to 20 "if necessary". Some people require 30 or 40 mg/day. BTW, didn’t you have depression? How is that doing? or if he is considering me as an individual. at this point, i dont think i need to go up any more. how i feel now is acceptable. will i crap out on 10mg after a while, and is that why he wants me on 20mg? i think you know me pretty well by now chip, i am a worrier. i dont want to feel bad again, but i also would prefere to take the least amount of meds as possible. 10mg is therapeutic right? i am somewhat confused.
Ask your pdoc *why* he wants to get you up to 20 mg/day, Russ. Also, no doc can force you to do anything you don’t want to do. He can give you advice, and you can take it or leave it. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
yeah weeks, i havent gone up to 20mg yet….and i dont want to . the doc said that is the goal though. that i will be on 20mg for while, and then in the future, he will bring me back down to 10mg, and then stop if im doing good at that point. he seems to think that 20 is the proper theraputic dose. he thinks 10 is to light, and may not lead to *remission*.
"Remission" is the term used when 100% of the symptoms of the problem have gone away. "Response" is the term used when at least 50% of the symptoms have gone away. "Recovery" is the term used when a remission has lasted 6 to 12 months. These are the "3 Rs" used to describe the improvement in a depressed patient after treatment with an antidepressant. (no genious here, just copying out of my textbook 
it seems like alot of people are doing well on 10mg, and so far i am also. so why should i climb up?
Have you had a "response" (as defined above) to the Lexapro? Or have you had a "remission"? Maybe your doc doesn’t think you’re doing well enough. Maybe he thinks you’ll do better on a higher dose of Lexapro. Maybe he’s shooting for the "remission", and not just settling for a "response". Russ, how long have you been on 10 mg/day? And do you have any symptoms of the disorder (or problem) for which you are receiving the Lexapro? Stahl (a psychopharmacologist) say Lexapro 10 mg is approximately equal to Celexa 40 mg, but with fewer side effects. Chip if your reading this, do you think it may have to do with the rekindling you were talking about?
I think your doc would like you to have a remission of all symptoms, and he is not settling for a response (i.e. feeling a bit better) Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
One thing I’ve noticed about psychiatrists (at least mine): they often raises doses of a med, but rarely (to my knowledge) try to see if patients can do just as well on less.
That would be my pdoc as well ; ) — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – yeah weeks, i havent gone up to 20mg yet….and i dont want to . the doc said that is the goal though. that i will be on 20mg for while, and then in the future, he will bring me back down to 10mg, and then stop if im doing good at that point. he seems to think that 20 is the proper theraputic dose. he thinks 10 is to light, and may not lead to *remission*. "Remission" is the term used when 100% of the symptoms of the problem have gone away. "Response" is the term used when at least 50% of the symptoms have gone away. "Recovery" is the term used when a remission has lasted 6 to 12 months.
Interesting Chip. Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
yeah weeks, i havent gone up to 20mg yet….and i dont want to . the doc said that is the goal though. that i will be on 20mg for while, and then in the future, he will bring me back down to 10mg, and then stop if im doing good at that point. he seems to think that 20 is the proper theraputic dose. he thinks 10 is to light, and may not lead to remission. it seems like alot of people are doing well on 10mg, and so far i am also. so why should i climb up? Chip if your reading this, do you think it may have to do with the rekindling you were talking about? russ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
I am now up to 20 mg Lexapro and see very little difference from the 10.
How long have you been on 20 mg, Rita? Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
hi TJ, i dont really notice any side effects at this point. the elavated anxiety has simmered down, and so has my anxiety in general. im not giving the meds any praise yet until this is consistant. my doc wants me to go up to 20mg, i really dont want to….i dont want to risk getting side effects on the higher dose, and also make it more difficult for me to stop when the time comes. im sure you can relate. how much are you on? russ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
Since the end of December, Chip. smiles, Elise
I am now up to 20 mg Lexapro and see very little difference from the 10. How long have you been on 20 mg, Rita? Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
hi TJ, i dont really notice any side effects at this point. the elavated anxiety has simmered down, and so has my anxiety in general. im not giving the meds any praise yet until this is consistant. my doc wants me to go up to 20mg, i really dont want to….i dont want to risk getting side effects on the higher dose, and also make it more difficult for me to stop when the time comes. im sure you can relate. how much are you on? russ
Hi Russ, I was on 10mg but I gave up on Lex cos I was sleeping too much. I tried 5mg for a while but it still made me very sleepy. I’m going to try to do without it but we’ll see if I can manage or not. — _TJ_ <TJ_IREL at YAHOO dot IE — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
Since the end of December, Chip.
Rita, sounds like 20 mg/day isn’t any more effective than 10 mg/day. For you, at least. I decreased my Zoloft from 200 mg/day to 100 mg/day a long time ago and found there wasn’t any difference (didn’t get depressed). So I’ve just stayed at the Zoloft 100 mg/day for the last 7 or 8 years. One thing I’ve noticed about psychiatrists (at least mine): they often raises doses of a med, but rarely (to my knowledge) try to see if patients can do just as well on less. Chip I am now up to 20 mg Lexapro and see very little difference from the 10. How long have you been on 20 mg, Rita? Chip
– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
From reading some other posts on this site, it seems like many of you get
classic panic attacks. My sister gets them quite severely. I get panic attacks sometimes — almost always in the middle of the night — but one of my biggest struggles — and I have a few — is the constant fear that something very bad is going to happen, or a feeling that I’ve done something terribly wrong or a fear that something awful is going to happen to someone in my family. When things in my life are stressful or not going well, this anxiety gets worse, and when things are going well, it’s gets even worse, almost as if I just cannot let myself be relaxed and happy. I often have to focus hard to push out really horrible thoughts from my mind – almost like scenes from a horror movie that come out of nowhere – of things happening to members of my family. Sometimes it’s once a day, sometimes it’s five times an hour. It’s been like this for years. I’m exhausted. Does anyone else experience this? Has medication helped? My doctor is giving me meds for depression and anxiety, but I’m only just starting, so there’s no relief yet. Jennifer — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
Hi Chip. Yes, I just started with a psychiatrist. She put me on Prozac but I was’t reacting well
It causes anxious people to get more anxious for the first few weeks. so now I’m taking Ativan for the near-term until I see her next week and we discuss what to do next. We’ve only just started, but she does feel that I’m depressed and have severe generalized anxiety. I guess the diagnosis will become more specific as we speak more.
I think you’re correct, Jennifer. Good luck! I suspect you’ll be feeling better soon! Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
Hi Chip. Yes, I just started with a psychiatrist. She put me on Prozac but I was’t reacting well so now I’m taking Ativan for the near-term until I see her next week and we discuss what to do next. We’ve only just started, but she does feel that I’m depressed and have severe generalized anxiety. I guess the diagnosis will become more specific as we speak more. Thanks, Jennifer — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
my pdoc wants me to go up tp 20mg on the lexapro, im on 10mg right now. i really dont want to increase to 20mg, being the med phob that i am. so far, i’ve been feeling a bit better on 10mg, so i’d like to stay there unless i start feeling worse. russ
Hi Russ. How are you getting on with the 10mg – any side effects? Sometimes you can change dosage without feeling any different. I find 5mg Lex to be about the same as 10mg – I can hardly tell the difference. Drugs are just weird that way 
— _TJ_ <TJ_IREL at YAHOO dot IE — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
my pdoc wants me to go up tp 20mg on the lexapro, im on 10mg right now. i really dont want to increase to 20mg, being the med phob that i am. so far, i’ve been feeling a bit better on 10mg, so i’d like to stay there unless i start feeling worse. russ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
I’d stay right at that dose, and not taper down.
That is what I will do this time around : ) Then you’re not at a dose to prevent future depressive episodes.
I never go under the amount that has been shown in studies to be the minimum effective amount. I currently take 10 mg of Lexapro. After 4-8 more weeks I will see how I feel overall and decide if I should increase. Chip
Thanks Chip ; ) — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – From reading some other posts on this site, it seems like many of you get classic panic attacks. My sister gets them quite severely. I get panic attacks sometimes — almost always in the middle of the night — but one of my biggest struggles — and I have a few — is the constant fear that something very bad is going to happen, or a feeling that I’ve done something terribly wrong or a fear that something awful is going to happen to someone in my family. When things in my life are stressful or not going well, this anxiety gets worse, and when things are going well, it’s gets even worse, almost as if I just cannot let myself be relaxed and happy. I often have to focus hard to push out really horrible thoughts from my mind – almost like scenes from a horror movie that come out of nowhere – of things happening to members of my family. Sometimes it’s once a day, sometimes it’s five times an hour. It’s been like this for years. I’m exhausted. Does anyone else experience this? Has medication helped? My doctor is giving me meds for depression and anxiety, but I’m only just starting, so there’s no relief yet.
Hi Jennifer, Have you seen a psychiatrist and received a diagnosis? What meds are you on? Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
For me the symptoms seem to be cyclical. Evey few years the symptoms come back strong and I have to fight to not let my mind race on negative junk. I usually will increase the my medication during those times until I feel better again
I’d stay right at that dose, and not taper down. That’s also the recommendation of the Amer. Psychiatric Assoc. and then taper down to management amount.
Then you’re not at a dose to prevent future depressive episodes. It is thought that every time someone experiences a mood episode, there are *changes in the brain* that make future mood episodes more likely. And in addition, a mood episode that is worse than the preceding one. That phenomenon is called "kindling" and is seen in seizure disorders as well. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
Does anyone else experience this? Has medication helped? My doctor is giving me meds for depression and anxiety, but I’m only just starting, so there’s no relief yet. Jennifer
Yup. I get racing thoughts as well. Medication has helped quite down everything. For me the symptoms seem to be cyclical. Evey few years the symptoms come back strong and I have to fight to not let my mind race on negative junk. I usually will increase the my medication during those times until I feel better again and then taper down to management amount. The difference can be like night and day. For example, I love to read books. Normally I can get lost in a book for hours. However, when my symptoms are acting up, I can only read a few lines and my mind can just wonder off. Are you still staying with prozac? Medication should help you, though it will take time. SSRI’s can take 4-12 weeks for you to really see the full benefits. The change will also be very gradual, you won’t wake up and feel all your worries, racing thoughts, etc. are gone. You will instead look back after 4 or more weeks and think, "hey, I haven’t been worrying as much, or I haven’t felt as anxious.". — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
