12 months off constant panic attacks

[[mr...]]

Anyone have constant panic attacks?

My mom is nearly 12 months off valium and on 15mg prednisone for her disease.

Her inflammatory markers have all come down, but she has constant panic attacks like she can't breath and wheezes.

She was checked out by the hospital and they didn't find any cause.

Could valium withdrawal be this bad 12 months off?

 

[[Fl...]]

Could be a side effect of the prednisone

[[Da...]]

Yes it probably is WD from valium. I am at 13 months and while I'm not having bad panic attacks my anxiety is really high and I could see it happening. I doubt anything else is going on. She is lucky to have you to post here and to care for her. She should be better maybe in the next few months.

[[Tr...]]

Hi. I am almost 7 months out and still suffer bad panic attacks every single day. Sometime it varies in intensity. I am less afraid of them as I used to. I think it is due to the benzo wd.  But its always a good idea to check out with the doctor. I go to my doctor monthly to have reassurance or do some test to make sure.

 

Tracy

[[Co...]]

It's the prednisone mixed with withdrawal, but mainly the prednisone.

That's what it does in some people, it overactivates the sympathetic nervous system so sensitive people will get panic attacks, become emotional, get angry etc. Prednisone is a shitty medicine, especially in withdrawal!

 

I can't tolerate even 2.5mg prednisone 13 months after withdrawal, i get panic attacks, insomnia and just get very nagry at everything and everyone.

 

ISn't there anythnig else your mom can use? There's akways something else.

[[mr...]]

Could be a side effect of the prednisone

I am really beginning to think that it is the prednisone.

When she was Cellcept, this drug increases the body's own cortisol and her cortisol level was 14 (normal range 3.7-9.5).

After having to have to stop the Cellcept due to intolerance, she was on BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Treatment) after the cortisol test for a year and that's when she became intolerant to the cellcept and her cortisol was down to 6 two weeks after stopping hormones.

This is when she started hyperventilating but the panics got far worse after starting prednisone.

Her disease flared due to no immune suppression.

I just can't seem to sort this out whether high cortisol causes the panics or low.

[[mr...]]

It's the prednisone mixed with withdrawal, but mainly the prednisone.

That's what it does in some people, it overactivates the sympathetic nervous system so sensitive people will get panic attacks, become emotional, get angry etc. Prednisone is a shitty medicine, especially in withdrawal!

 

I can't tolerate even 2.5mg prednisone 13 months after withdrawal, i get panic attacks, insomnia and just get very nagry at everything and everyone.

 

ISn't there anythnig else your mom can use? There's akways something else.

Yes, her panics did ramp up in 2014 while she was tapering valium, had a rituximab treatment and high dose prednisone.

Everything got better once she tapered off the prednisone and was on the cellcept except diarrhea, nausea and vomiting from the cellcept.

She just had a round of rituximab and I am tapering the prednisone but the taper makes everything worse.

It is just really hard to believe that benzo withdrawal could causing this even after a 30 month taper from 6mg valium and 12 months off.

She has never been this bad tapering or off.

[[Co...]]

Did they give her the prednisone out of fear that she would react negatively to the rituximab treatment? It's really unnecessary.

You've not disclosed the disease of your mom but it sounds like an agressive form of a rheumatic disease or lupus / SLE?

How's she faring on the rituximab? I wish you and your mother a speedy recovery.

 

[[ke...]]

Could be a side effect of the prednisone

 

Yep. Steroids can be agitating although this is a fairly low dose.

[[mr...]]

Did they give her the prednisone out of fear that she would react negatively to the rituximab treatment? It's really unnecessary.

You've not disclosed the disease of your mom but it sounds like an agressive form of a rheumatic disease or lupus / SLE?

How's she faring on the rituximab? I wish you and your mother a speedy recovery.

 

My mom has Microscopic Polyangiitis which is a form of vasculitis and can kill you in just a few weeks.

Rituximab requires either high dose prednisone or dexamethasone to counter any reactions to the infusion.

She is on oral prednisone now until she goes into remission and then can taper.

I have her down to 15mg prednisone now.

Some of her inflammatory markers have come way down.