Too many

[forgetmenot]

I have been having way too many panic attacks and i find it too hard to handle they are terrifying. I am on only 10mg cipralex i thinki will increase my meds so as to stop t hese attacks it is for anxiety so maybe i will try 20mg now i need to stop these attacks they hurt too much i know someone here said went up to 20mg and did fine on it so i think i wll try.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I hope you're doing this with your doctor's authorization, Violet?

I'd also suggest:

1. CBT (see David Burn's book, When Panic Attacks)
2. talk to your doctor about a low dose benzodiazepine such as lorazepam or clonazepam for prn use when a panic attack is building

 

[Cat Dancer]

I agree with Dr. Baxter. Talk to your doctor about this before you do anything and talk to him/her about adding another med for anxiety. It really could help. But definitely talk to your doctor.

 

[forgetmenot]

um my doctor says to stay on 10mg for a little longer um i want to go up some i need it but iwill talk to him again i know others take a higher dose right and they benefited from it

 

[Domo]

Hey Violet,

I hope you can get in to see your doctor soon and get your meds increased.

:support:

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Some people do seem to benefit from an increase to 20 mg but your doctor's caution is understandable. The manufacturers of Cipralex indicate that in their clinical trials they found no evidence that 20 mg was more effective than 10 mg - your doctor may be going on that information.

 

[forgetmenot]

oh i understand i am just impatient i guess.
i want to see immediate results i guess i know better.
i have only been on 10mg for a week now it makes me tired but i want the sadness to go away and the anxiety I hate this
I will try to do what doctors says even though i am tempted to try 20mg but i guess he is concerned for reason. He is the doctor it just seems if the help is there in front of me why not try
I will listen and just take 10mg for now Thanks for explanation patience right

 

[David Baxter PhD]

More is not always better than less.

Also, if you are tired on 10 mg, that's even more rason for waiting. Jumping too quickly to 20 mg would probably make you more tired.

If you feel you need immediate relief from the anxity/panic, see my suggestion above about talking to your doctor about lorazepam prn.

 

[forgetmenot]

Your right of course I really don't want to do the lorazepam clonazepam because of the addiction capabilities of these drugs I will just have to stick with the breathing techniques i guess for now thanks.

 

[Murray]

I am so sorry that you are having to deal with so many panic attacks now, they can be such torture.

Have you ever tried to visualize a "safe place"? This is something that my therapist had me work on for when I am upset. I am not on any meds so I work on the breathing as well as visualizing my safe place when I am having a panic attack. It actually helps when I can get myself to focus enough while I am freaking out, which isn't always the easiest thing to do. By practicing it when I am not in a panic, I find I am better able to calm myself when I need to. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[forgetmenot]

thank you for your post murray um breathing there is no safe place murray no not any more but i will be okay i always am okay thanks im breathing now thanks

 

[Murray]

Hi Violet,
My "safe place" isn't a real place, but one that I have imagined. I couldn't come up with one in my real life, so I was able to create one in my mind. It took me a long time to come up with somewhere that felt okay and safe to me, but I eventually did. I even try to imagine the smell, the breeze, the warmth, etc when I go there. Not sure if this makes any sense, sorry. Maybe you could visualize yourself on the beach, the waves crashing, the wind blowing, etc. You could smell the salt air, feel the spray hit your face, etc. I find that just breathing and trying to get my image firmly in my mind along with all of the sensory details occupies enough of my brain that it helps to calm me.

 

[forgetmenot]

Yeh i remember okay now i know my beach that is the safe place okay go there in my mind right then breath i remember now i did this with my doctor it helps it does he talks to me and then i get calm so relaxed. i will try that now okay thanks murray this will work thanks