MEDICATION

[Chloe90]

Hey Fam,

Anxious Annie here AKA Chloe. I want to talk about peoples medication stories and mainly like if your medications have fully taken away the anxiety or if it’s ‘normal’ to still have attacks a couple times a year around life events??

I get mixed opinions some people are saying your medication isn’t working if your still getting panic attacks and others says it’s normal to have attacks like this.

Any stories or kind words would be so appreciated.

Much love Chloe

[mocha delight]

Hi chloe90 I’m on a antidepressant that also seems to help with anxiety as well and yes I do have panic attacks which are now to the point when I get them I feel like I can’t breathe probably and/at all. I’ve also had the experience now of waking up during the night/very early mornings to being in the middle of a full on panic attack about twice now. As to both your questions I still have panic attacks and no I don’t know if it’s normal or not.

[Chloe90]

Hi Mocha Delight,

It’s just horrible I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going!!

[Not_Batman]

Hi chloe90.

im on my 3rd type in 5years.

the first one i got prescribed at the start was a horrible one, a TCA that made things worse for the few weeks i took it.

i soon started on an SNRI on varying dose over a couple of years, which worked well, but then it lost its effectiveness. I had a really fun time (sarcasm) coming off that when my doc changed the type. I found myself crying in a library.

these days im on another AD Which is effective for the most part. I wont say that its 100% effective, but it so far coupled with mindfulness and counselling i havent had any major issues. That said i do still get anxiety and depression, and the odd feelings of a panic attack.

your question of is this normal has a counter question, what is normal?

If i compare myself to 6 years ago, there is a huge difference mental health wise, and how i think. and through the experience have grown as a person, as i imagine we all do.

if i compare myself to 1 month ago, im the same, and anxiety is just another tuesday. I expect that in 6months from now i compare myself to today, it’ll all be different again.

in a round about way i guess im trying to say the AD’s will be different for everyone, and they need to be used un conjunction with other coping strategies to get the best outcome.

Panic attacks are just the best arent they (sarcasm again). No but seriously, If the panic attacks are becoming a problem, it may be something to bring up with a gp or psychologist.

i hope that you can learn a strategy that helps you cope with the anxiety and the panic when it comes on.

Not_Batman

[geoff]

Hi Chloe, and a warm welcome.

We can only comment on the experience that we've had ourselves or what someone we know has been through themselves.

To answer your question anxiety happens on a scale of 1 to 10 so to speak, where 1 is bad and 10 is manageable, so even taking medication is not necessarily going to stop anxiety in another form.

I take a SSRI for OCD but it doesn't stop my habits or obsessions completely, it may reduce them, but might not help me with social anxiety.

Take care.

Geoff.

[zaclachlan]

Hey Chloe,

I have taken multiple SSRI's for my panic attacks and found that while they are beneficial, they do not completely stop them from happening all the time.

I saw my GP and he prescribed me a beta-blocker and I haven't had a panic attack since. How they work, in laymen's terms, is by blocking adrenaline that is released when panicking, essentially preventing the symptoms of a panic attack - no heavy chest, no tight throat, no tingling, etc (well at least for me). Be mindful that it doesn't stop the anxiety which triggers my panic attacks, however, it makes it much easier to manage and I have now overcome my social anxiety and am now tutoring classes.

The only downside to this is when I stop taking them, the panic attacks will come back if I can't manage them. Luckily my GP says it's safe to take them for the rest of my life haha.

Speak to your GP to arrange what best suits your needs.

Hope this has given you insight into other medications that are outside of the SSRI/SNRI groups.