Posted by worrier on January 13, 2003, at 19:30:11
In reply to Panic Attacks / Lexapro / searching for answers, posted by mikal on January 13, 2003, at 8:48:29
> Hello everybody,
>
> I'm only on my 4th day of Lexapro, and getting used to the side affects. But what I'm really looking for is feed back from others who are suffering from PA's. Has Lexapro helped, how has it helped? What can I expect? I'm soooo very tired of running these thoughts of Heart Attacks over and over like a broken record. They come from out of nowhere.
> What really ticks me off is how this all works. I get one or two panic attacks near bed time, and now my thinking establishes an idea to expect a panic attack at bed time, and now I feel as though what may have been just bad timing is now created out of the fear that I will always struggle at this time of day.
> I'm so very tired of running these fatalistic thoughts through my head. Why do I do this? Why can I not accept what a doctor says? Why as I find out that my heart is "Normal" do I move on to thinking that I'm going to have a stroke. Who thinks about these things? All the time!
> I work out, I'm relatively healthy, I don't drink, I don't smoke... but I'm (in my brain) riddled with disease.
>
> searching for answers,
>
> michaelHey Michael, can't speak to the lexapro thing ,as I have had horrible problems with most antidepressants, so don't really want to try anything new. Hope it works for you. Did just want to say,like so many others already have, that you are definitely not alone. My panic attacks almost always happen when I go to bed, or am just sitting watching tv or doing some other "relaxing" thing. I have had a stress echocardiogram, worn a holter moniter for 48 hours, had my hormone and thyroid levels checked, you name it. But I still can't shake the thought that "this time it really is my heart" or an adrenal tumor or whatever. That leads to the thoughts that really escalate the panic...."what if this time I only think it's a panic attack and by the time I realize it's not, it will be too late and I'll end up dead". It's and endless feedback loop. Xanax has really helped to both prevent the panic and will stop it very quickly if it takes hold. Still, I spend way to much time checking my heart rate and bp. Hard to break old habits. Good luck to you. Worrier.
poster:worrier
thread:135647
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030113/msgs/135738.html