Amanda930

Right now my girlfriend and I are babysitting her niece. The baby is sleeping and I'm feeling weird...Like I have told my doctors I have this feeling in my chest. My primary doctor has told me its stress and tension. But tonight I started having the feeling in my chest and it made me think what if I have another bad attack like the last time. Were babysitting and we dont have a car seat for the car. So if I would feel so crazy that I needed to go to the ER I wouldnt be able to go.... I sometimes feel like I'm crazy because I cant explain how I'm feeling. I keep talking to myself like a friend would talk to me. I tell myself I'm fine and I tell myself I'm breathing. I just took my lexapro and hope it works. My girlfriend was the one who told me to do something with my time by going on the computer. So here I am.

Brownie

Hi Amanda - I post in FFSA but saw your post about feeling weird. Just talked to a friend recently who has anxiety and depression and also has weird feelings. I'm glad you have a friend and doctor. From info I've read it takes a while sometimes to get your meds right so let the doctor know what you are feeling. OK? Lots of info on the computer and lots of support here at SR - Hope someone replies that can help. Sending ((HUGS))

Amanda930

Thanks brownie for you help. I will confront my doctor. My mom says everyone feels crazy at times. She too suffers from anxiety attacks and is on meds.

Ten Chips Down

Hi Amanda,

I hate to cite the obvious but if you are charged with a baby and have a known medical problem (panic attacks, sounds like) then make sure contingency provisions are made. This means do not babysit unless you have a way to care for both you and baby in an emergency. A panic attack can be a real emergency, so I just want you both to be ok.

Ok? Ten

Amanda930

Yes my girlfriend and I were in charged of a baby. But I ended up being okay that night. I was just getting anxious because I thought something would happen while we were babysitting. But I got online and was fine and then the dad came home and I stayed on line for a bit longer then watched tv and then fell asleep so everything was cool... I understand what you mean about being in charged and having an attack. I was just freaking out myself, not literually tho.

Toomutch

Hello Amanda,

In addition to being an alcoholic (8 days sober). I am medicated for an anxiety dissorder as well and depression. I took awhile for my meds to get stabalized, but once they were I felt much better; untill the drinking began again and blew that all to heck.

Followdoctors orders; but if the prescribed meds are not working for you ask for something different.

Amanda930

I did in fact talk to my doctor about them maybe not working but he said for me to try them for another month also I wants to see what my psychiatrist says who I will see for the first time this Friday. A bit nervous and I'm hoping everything goes okay. My doctor then says if I still dont think the meds are working then we can up the meds. I'm on 10mgs of lexapro and he's stating to move it up to 20 the next I visit him.

DaVinci2

What kind of doctor prescribed you your anxiety meds?

Amanda930

DaVinci2,

My primary doctor prescribles my lexapro but this Friday is my first psychiatrist appointment and he will probably prescrible whatever he thinks is best for me. The only thing I'm nervous about is if he will prescrible me with a drug that I will get addicted to. I'm scared to get addicted to something.... my mother tho just says that I'll be fine and when they think I should be done with the meds they will ease me off of the meds in a way I wont it wont be addicting....

Ten Chips Down

Don't be nervous but do keep a good head about you. I see you are trying to quit smoking and seem to have no other addictions. I am careful not to demonize any particular class of medication unless the individual is an addict/alcoholic--or otherwise shows concern about becoming one.

And you're displaying concern. That is very healthy. You might tell him/her straight away that you prefer not to start a "benzodiazepine." That's the class of meds which can really do a number on you if you happen to be predisposed to addiction for any reason.

Amanda, this is my opinion but don't let anyone sell you on the idea that "just a couple of months" on them is ok. There is many a present-day addict who rues those first several weeks...

Just be responsible for yourself that's all. You are so young, and want to do the right thing and not 'catch' an addiction. That's unusual!

That little voice is to be celebrated and heeded.

Ten

GingerM

There is a difference between a dependency and an addiction. In an addiction, the substance rules you. In a dependency, your body needs it, but you are still in control.

Because of my reactions to other meds, the only option I had available was no meds or benzos. I, like you, didn't want to take meds which create a dependency. But now I've been on them, at pretty much the same dosage, for 3 years. They do not rule my life, I take them just like I take my reflux drugs. They don't make me feel high or euphoric, so I have no desire to take more of them. They just make me feel normal.

Please don't rule out an entire family of possibly very beneficial drugs unless you have other reasons to do so. It is possible to come back off of benzos under a psychiatrist's supervision. I had decided (like so many others) that I was feeling good enough to try coming off them. I worked my dosing down a bit, only to remember why it was I was on them in the first place, and said to heck with it, and stayed on them.

I'm not saying these are the right drugs for you, even within the same family of drugs, individual reactions vary. For me, SSRIs and tricyclics are life threatening. So I didn't have that option.

I wish you luck on Friday.

Amanda930

Thanks to everyone for such a useful posts. I will talk to my doctor before prescibles and make sure that I can be able to get off the meds. If I have to live with them for the rest of my life so be it but because of an addiction because I need them for what i feel....