Feeling VERY strange after a night of sleep on sleeping meds

[BluMac81]

Okay this is starting to worry me, I thought I could let it pass but I just can't. Never felt this way before. Last night for sleep I took maybe a bit more than perscribed of Hydroxyzine (I took 200mg, i supposed to take 100mg), and Ambien (I took 20mg, supposed to take 10mg), along with the usual Disipramine antidepressant (supposed to take 25mg and took 25mg).

Today (after sleeping well) I am feeling:
-flushed
-tremors/shakes
-a kind of surreal 'stoned' feeling
-jittery/convulistory
-fast heart rate

Is this just too much Hyroxyzine? Wondering if I should drive myself to the urgent care. Will it pass? I

 

[ladylore]

I would get yourself to emergency unless your doctor takes emergency visits. Have you called the doctor yet?

 

[BluMac81]

Well I just got back from the ER. The issues got progressively worse and worse, and my anxiety/panic about my physiological symptoms made it even worse. Decided not to drive myself to the urgent care and called 911 as I was completely disoriented and in a state of hyperventalation/panic.

Why this happened? This is the offical diagnosis from the hospital paperwork:

DIAGNOSIS: ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACK, WITHDRAWL FROM XANAX, MISUSE OF PERSCRIPTION MEDICATION (took 2x perscribed ambien/hydroxizine last night, ya I learned my lesson...) The primary reason, however, for these symptoms, the doc said, was that I had gone from 3mg xanax per day to 0mg xanax per day (I ran out as of 4 days ago). Apparently doing that will produce these symptoms every time...

Anyone else had similar experiences? Especially with Xanax? Any advice?

Currently I am okay, for some reason I have moderate chest pains that developed only a few hours ago, the nurse I caught on the way out said it is maybe because I just ate (the hospital food) after not eating for a long time.

I wonder if its okay to take 1-2 tylenol for the chest pains. Forgot to ask. And the ambien/hyrdoxizine? I'm afraid of medications now. This has to be one of the worst experiences of my entire life... *sigh*

Seeing my psychiatrist tommorow at 10am.

 

[ladylore]

I am glad your back home safe and sound. But I do hope you heeded the physician's warning about the misuse of the perscriptions. For your own safety I would start taking your meds exactly how they are perscribed.

Being someone who is in recovery I am empathetic with what you have gone though and to take anything to stop the pain, be it emotional or physical. And I have had to learn the lesson the hard way of what happens when I misused meds.

I am really not trying to lecture you BluMac, just concerned for your safety. One thing you could try is to first bring all your meds to the doc tomorrow. Ask him to call into the pharmacy and arrange that only a weeks worth (or whatever you two have agreed on) will be given to you at one time.

Anyhow, take care of yourself and let us know how it goes.

 

[BluMac81]

I am glad your back home safe and sound. But I do hope you heeded the physician's warning about the misuse of the perscriptions. For your own safety I would start taking your meds exactly how they are perscribed.

Being someone who is in recovery I am empathetic with what you have gone though and to take anything to stop the pain, be it emotional or physical. And I have had to learn the lesson the hard way of what happens when I misused meds.

I am really not trying to lecture you BluMac, just concerned for your safety. One thing you could try is to first bring all your meds to the doc tomorrow. Ask him to call into the pharmacy and arrange that only a weeks worth (or whatever you two have agreed on) will be given to you at one time.

Anyhow, take care of yourself and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for the advise Ladylore and yeah I learned my lesson. AS PERSCRIBED from now on. My VA doc is kind of liberal when it comes to perscribing meds, and has me on 5 different meds total. I am even afraid at this point to take the max perscribed amount. My roommate lectured me on the drive home that her brother went through similar issues with anti-psychotics, and the misuse of them landed him in rehab. I will NOT allow it to get that far I swear to you.

So tonight now, I can really use encouragment. My body is drained and due to the stress today I am still nervous about sleep and a recurrance and the nightly meds I took (as perscribed!)
I took (5 minutes ago)
1 pill ambien (sleep aid)
1 pill hydroxizine (sleep aid)
1 pill desapanine (anti depressant)
1 pill xanx (anti anxiety)

This is all AS PERSCRIBED matter of fact I took 1 less hydroxizine pill out of fear of a recurrance.

*sigh* you know part of the suffering in this is shame. I feel shameful that I go through this, like I'm severely flawed and hopelessly destined human being, and yet alot of other people never struggle with any of this in their life...

 

[ladylore]

*sigh* you know part of the suffering in this is shame. I feel shameful that I go through this, like I'm severely flawed and hopelessly destined human being, and yet alot of other people never struggle with any of this in their life...

And yet some of us do struggle with this kind of thing. And there are probably many others who just haven't said anything but look like they have everything under control. Just never know.

I understand your feeling of shame but let me assure you - there is no need. A simple mistake because of being in emotional pain. Your doing the best you can and this will pass too.

I was wondering, could you ask your doctor to go over the present medication your on to see if any of them are no longer needed or if some need to be changed completely. And you can also ask him to give you a referral for a second opinion.

My recommendation for tonight is to make yourself a nice pot of tea (if you like tea) or heat up a bit of milk and have a cup of warm milk and honey. You have been through enough treating yourself gently is best. I hope you get a good rest tonight.

:hug:

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW, if you haven't already planned to do so, your psychiatrist should be informed about how much caffeine you have in the day, even in the morning.

 

[BluMac81]

And yet some of us do struggle with this kind of thing. And there are probably many others who just haven't said anything but look like they have everything under control. Just never know.

I understand your feeling of shame but let me assure you - there is no need. A simple mistake because of being in emotional pain. Your doing the best you can and this will pass too.

I was wondering, could you ask your doctor to go over the present medication your on to see if any of them are no longer needed or if some need to be changed completely. And you can also ask him to give you a referral for a second opinion.

My recommendation for tonight is to make yourself a nice pot of tea (if you like tea) or heat up a bit of milk and have a cup of warm milk and honey. You have been through enough treating yourself gently is best. I hope you get a good rest tonight.

:hug:

Yep we went over the medications today, he agreed that the xanax withdrawl caused the symptoms, and the strange symptoms put me in a sustained state of panic, making the physical symptoms worse. The medications about stayed the same on the advice of my psychiatrist, though I had a psycologist appt. today as well and she pretty much contradicted the psychiatrist, saying that 'you'll never get over this (anxiety/panic) if you keep taking xanax in anxious situations'

So, once again psychiatry appears to be short-term and pscyology apears to be long-term. Eventually I hope to be completely off meds and goin all-natural.

BTW, if you haven't already planned to do so, your psychiatrist should be informed about how much caffeine you have in the day, even in the morning.

Yep I asked the doc about that and he said sure its fine just dont drink it when you are already jittery (duh).


SO anyway guys thanks for the help. I have been busy distracting myself all day today (after even last night after the ER visit I spent 3 hours cleaning). Or else I'll have rebound anxiety. Today I saw my psychiatrist, my psycologist, got some algebra tutoring and the campus, then went to my sister's for a long talk and a walk/dinner. I think I'm successfully distracted for the day with busyness lol.

But fact is, I sometimes I have to deal with these panic states based on irrational fears (like not being able to sleep / unknown sustained physiological symptoms / etc.) Gotta be careful about my should/shouldnt statements and always/never statements cause I tend to be prone to them. My psycologist also gave me a lesson in "taking yourself to the court" where you positive self-talk acts as the defense attorney and your negative self-talk as the prosecutor. That's an option to distraction as a method to avoid anxiety/panic. Maybe I'll try it.

Maybe I should of asked my psychiatrist for a referral to a different psych, cause this guy hands out pills like there is no tomorrow and pretty much gives me anything I want. *sigh* I had the sleep-phobia anxiety under control with lunesta, but he's gotta "work up" to such an expensive drug from all the inexpensive ones.

Well either way stress coping techniques are gonna be needed for me over the next few days. PSY101 final on saturday, MAT106 fnal on sunday, then 1 day to prepare and off to a 12 day 3000 mile road trip (that I seriously can't afford).

It was nice talking to my sister today, apparently she has the same psycho-physiological panic that I do, when she had a c-section done for her birth they had to give her morphine for the panic. She takes Lexapro and it works for her.

Also my body is sore like I ran a 10 mile marathon, I guess all the panic yesturday did that. Is it normal?

 

[Daniel E.]

Also my body is sore like I ran a 10 mile marathon, I guess all the panic yesturday did that. Is it normal?

If you mean sore as in tired/fatiged, then that would be expected. You certainly have been through a lot lately, and the body has to recuperate sooner than later from sustained anxiety/ jitteryness / "fight or flight" mode.

My psycologist also gave me a lesson in "taking yourself to the court" where you positive self-talk acts as the defense attorney and your negative self-talk as the prosecutor.

I like that metaphor

 

[ladylore]

All I can say is that you've done good. :2thumbs:

 

[Halo]

Good luck with your exams :goodluck: and have fun on your trip

 

[BluMac81]

If you mean sore as in tired/fatiged, then that would be expected. You certainly have been through a lot lately, and the body has to recuperate sooner than later from sustained anxiety/ jitteryness / "fight or flight" mode.

I actually mean physically sore, similar to a day after playing a sport with muscles used you've never used before. I also bit my tounge during the panic and feelin it today, youch hard to swallow things. All that from panic. I gotta get it under control!

 

[Halo]

And getting it under control would require the medication regime that your psychiatrist has put in place. Although you look at psychiatry as short-term and psychology as long-term from the sounds of it, you need the psychiatry (medication) to help you get the panic under control now in order to be able to deal with the long term.

I am sure that it will all happen in time, just give yourself time to adjust to the meds as per doctors orders.

 

[Halo]

As for feeling physically sore, you may have tensed up while having your panic attack and therefore your muscles are strained. I know that when my anxiety really spikes, I too start to tense up my muscles and can definitely feel them later on and even the next day.

 

[BluMac81]

And getting it under control would require the medication regime that your psychiatrist has put in place. Although you look at psychiatry as short-term and psychology as long-term from the sounds of it, you need the psychiatry (medication) to help you get the panic under control now in order to be able to deal with the long term.

I am sure that it will all happen in time, just give yourself time to adjust to the meds as per doctors orders.

Yep I've learned my lesson and I'm taking everything as persecribed. Enough with being my own doctor and say 'hey I need to adjust because I am become tolerant", that's the first step to danger I've found. Though you're right I need to use both psychiatry and psycolotherapy to get it under control. But really psychiatry for the situations I can't handle (like a few xanax when I have a panic attack), the sleep meds have already become a crutch though after 2 years on lunesta (which worked miracles for my sleeping issues), natural sleep doesnt come or feel natural.

As for feeling physically sore, you may have tensed up while having your panic attack and therefore your muscles are strained. I know that when my anxiety really spikes, I too start to tense up my muscles and can definitely feel them later on and even the next day.

Ya, heh... guess I didn't need to do my daily cardio exercise yesturday after all lol.

UPDATE: 11am on 8/9: still sore! arrgh. Having some residual anxiety when I see the things that remind me of my day of horrible panic. I forgot how to enjoy myself. Odd how one day of panic causes so much mental and physical difficulty days later...

 

[Halo]

Blumac,

My suggestion would be to continue talking to yourself when you see the reminders and tell yourself that it was not your fault, it was nothing to do with (whatever you are looking at) and keep saying..it was a medication interaction, it was a medication interaction. If you have to say it 100 times over and over it may help with not letting your anxiety and panic take over.

Hope this helps

Take care

 

[Gene53]

Odd how one day of panic causes so much mental and physical difficulty days later...

I sure can vouch for the above statement.

I hope you're feeling better.

Cheers,
Gene

 

[BluMac81]

Blumac,

My suggestion would be to continue talking to yourself when you see the reminders and tell yourself that it was not your fault, it was nothing to do with (whatever you are looking at) and keep saying..it was a medication interaction, it was a medication interaction. If you have to say it 100 times over and over it may help with not letting your anxiety and panic take over.

Hope this helps

Take care

Thanks Halo I actually have grown a coping habit of ignoring my inner dialogue and keeping myself distracted. Technically even posting here is a form of dwelling on my issues but the help you guys give is worth it. I hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for these issues (besides death) and I can give back to those going through these struggles I have gone through... someday.

Anyway got a 96% on my PSY101 final woot!

Odd how one day of panic causes so much mental and physical difficulty days later...

I sure can vouch for the above statement.

I hope you're feeling better.

Cheers,
Gene

Yeah, and those horrible detrimental post-panic-effects along with the misery that is panic causes anxiety about another panic attack. Phobophobia anyone? heh.

Feeling a bit better, the further away I get from "that day" the better I'll get, from my experience.

Been keeping myself busy as usual with this and that (finals, tennis, talking to family/friends, etc.) but still finding that I am not enjoying anything since the panic day. It's kind of....depressed me. I think that's common, hopefully it'll subside.

 

[Halo]

Anyway got a 96% on my PSY101 final woot!

Congrats on your exam final...awesome job :2thumbs:

 

[Gene53]

Anyway got a 96% on my PSY101 final woot!

CONGRATULATIONS! :2thumbs:

still finding that I am not enjoying anything since the panic day. It's kind of....depressed me. I think that's common, hopefully it'll subside.

I think it is quite common, I've been dealing with anxiety/panic for 12 years and every time I had a major bout with panic, felt down in the dumps for a few days then things go back to "normal".

Take care,
Gene