Debilitating Panic Attacks Starting

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I just wondered if these horrendous panic attacks are a normal withdrawal symptom because I have been soooo terrified the past couple days that I must be losing my mind.....I just cut out .125mg of my ativan 2 weeks ago and am now feeling so much worse than any other drop I have made before! I had a severe panic attack yesterday afternoon and i felt so overcome with adrenaline and my legs were week and I felt as if my brain was going crazy! I wasn't really even thinking about anything bad I was actually cleaning out my fish tank and WHAM! Out of the blue there it comes! It lasted approx. 10 minutes and then I started calming down but I was TERRIFIED!!! Also today about 11 am it did it again! Not to the extreme as yesterday but pretty bad all the same! I'm just really really worried about myself because I assumed that the lower I was getting and also I'm going slowly that It would get better not worse?! I panicked today and called my dr. and am waiting to hear back from him to see if theres anything else I can take to helpe with these panick attacks that I'm going through?? I don't want to take another ssri considering I just withdrew off of Paxil back in July and I was prescribed Ativan to help with the withdrawal effects of the paxil! So paxil withdrawal in itself was horrifying so I'm afraid to take another one of those drugs! What can I do? I am SO desperate for help with this. Is this a common thing to happen during wd?? I have only been on ativan for 7 months and on the lowest possible dose. 

[[Be...]]

Sunny,

 

I'm on K but I have panic-like attacks now and then. They are infrequent for me, but they do occur.

 

Here's something from Wiki:

 

Withdrawal symptoms can occur after taking therapeutic doses of Ativan for as little as one week. Withdrawal symptoms include headaches, anxiety, tension, depression, insomnia, restlessness, confusion, irritability, sweating, dysphoria, dizziness, derealization, depersonalization, numbness/tingling of extremities, hypersensitivity to light, sound, and smell, perceptual distortions, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, appetite loss, hallucinations, delirium, seizures, tremor, stomach cramps, myalgia, agitation, palpitations, tachycardia, panic attacks, short-term memory loss, and hyperthermia.

[[He...]]

I am getting horrendous panic attacks also, I would say it is probably one of the more common symptoms of wd from what I understand. Think you would just be compounding the situation to take something else for them, it's your nervous system working itslef back into shape I reckon, not pleasant but probably a neccessary step on the road to recovery.

 

Cleaning out the fish tank? Wish I had the energy or focus to do that I was managing that about a month ago, but couldn't do it now.

 

Like all symptoms, got to let them come and go, hope they don't last long for you, know what you are going through.

 

I had a major today myself, I am getting treated with hyperbaric oxygen today which involves sitting in a decompression tank breathing pure oxygen for an hour - wanted to get the hell out of there fast, but could not of course, settled down after about 50 minutes, don't know if it was the oxygen or not, but noticed a greater ability to focus on surroundings as well at the same time, but UUUGH! they are awful.

[[su...]]

Sunnydaze, I was having them...they have calmed down a bit, for now.  I was actually having more when I was still taking Ativan R/T I/D withdrawal. 

 

I could see I was having mine about the same time every day and realized I wasn't eating right and my blood sugar was dropping and setting them off.  Now I'm eating protein, a good fat, and a

complex carb at breakfast, lunch, dinner and also a snack about every 2 1/2-3 hours between meals....

 

Don't know if that's the case with you...thought I'd share.  I still am having a hard time getting out of the house by myself, but those panic attacks out of the blue when you're at home are the pits!!!

 

Hope you are feeling better.......

 

 

[[su...]]

You guys have helped me feel at least somewhat more normal from hearing your side. I also am getting confronted with the same horrible thought which is of my neighbor who has just found out she has breast cancer...and this keeps coming into my mind and setting off my panic attacks also...I swear if I'm not obsessively thinking about one thing for a few weeks it's moved on to something else! I know my neighbor will be fine she is upbeat and she knows they caught it early but still I keep having flashes of her in my mind and it sets it off! Is this also common?? Because before all this wd I never obessively thought like this! It makes me scared also! 

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sunnyside what does R/T/I/D mean?? I'm currently taking .125  at 6 am, .125 noon, and .125 at 4pm....I just separated my morning dose in half today to take it this way. The obsessive ocd thinking is very scary to me!

[[su...]]

sunnyside what does R/T/I/D mean?? I'm currently taking .125  at 6 am, .125 noon, and .125 at 4pm....I just separated my morning dose in half today to take it this way. The obsessive ocd thinking is very scary to me!

 

Sorry I was unclear.  Today hasn't been the best.    Anyway, R/T means related to.  I/D was my way of saying interdose.  So the whole mess was supposed to mean related to interdose withdrawal.....

 

As far as the OCD stuff:  I had repetitive thoughts and worries after I started taking Ativan and even worse after I cold turkeyed.  It has gotten better in the past 3 weeks.  I'm not out of the woods yet, but it is getting better. I try diversion. Brush the dog.  Polish the leaves on the plants.  Anything.  Watch a mindless movie.....

 

I don't know if you are able, but I read on these boards that exercise is good within our limits.  I don't push myself, but try to take a short walk every day.  Today I did manage to take the dog for a walk....I wanted to go to the drugstore and get some nail polish and do my nails, but I just couldn't muster up the courage. Lousy agoraphobia said hello again today.    Hopefully tomorrow will be better.  I have pretty much stopped watching stuff on TV that makes me feel bad. If hubby wants to watch it, he can....I'm just not in the mood to see people kill each other and blow things up right now. 

 

When my mind really takes a turn for the negative, I TRY to remind myself it's just my withdrawal trying to make my life miserable.  Today I tried something new.  I stood in front of the mirror and yelled  a bunch of obsenities at the top of my lungs  flipped it the bird.  More than once.  I also got that tip on these forums! 

 

Hugs out to you...please hang in and hold on.  I've read several posts today about how this gets better....it will.

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My main concern is what am I or all of us supposed o do in the meantime?? I mean I don't want to have these numerous panic attacks everyday it is very disturbing.yvdoctor says theres nothing to help with the withdrawal. I know lots of dr.s prescribe Ad or SSRI for this and I just came of Paxil in July and had a hell of a time!! That's what I took this Ativan to help with Paxil withdrawal do now it is a vicious circle I guess because my dr doesn't want to prescribe another SSRI to get off this Ativan. I guess I should be thankful like I said but I can't stand this isn't there SOMEThiNG to help this wd?? Are we basically just supposed to suffer? 

 

Julie

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I had a horrendous panic attack once after jumping. I thought I was gonna die.  But in regards to taking something to help that ... you really just have to go through it. If you add another med,  its just one more med to taper from,  and it in itself could have its own wd sx.  Sometimes natural remedies can help and be safe to use I hear. Like passion flower,  it rescue remedy.  I never tried them but know people who swear by them. Hang in there. It gets better. Those panic attacks will get less intense and less frequent.

[[su...]]

Do you think I should taper all the way down to .125 mg and then have it be safe to get off or taper all the way down to zero? I take 3 doses a day now.  But today I just started noticing that after every 4 or 4 1/2 hours later after each dose I would get anxious and panicky! So is that what thy call interdose wd?? Ugh! Is there a better way to avoid that? I take my doses at 6:30 am , 11am and 4. It seems after I take my next dose that I start feeling better about 45 minutes later. Also I have been trying passion flower at bedtime and it does help me sleep. I haven't tried it during day but I will try it soon. Also I did try holy basil and it seems to help a little. Or else it's my imagination.

[[...]]

I may have missed this, but is your doctor adverse to trying a longer acting benzo to taper off of?

 

It sounds like you are right about the interdose withdrawal symptoms.  I had similar symptoms at 12 hours while tapering temazepam. Panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, ocd.....  I tried to dosing every 12 hours, finally crossing over to valium and tapering off that.

Just a thought.

Skyy

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No I didn't get I ask him that and I wanted too but I figured of he didn't mention it then he must not think I should or else maybe he just doesn't know about doing that. I will definitely call him about it  I think. So this was happening to you too ? Yes all the symptoms you mentioned...the panic the OCD thoughts shaking and feeling weak feeling terrified all that hits me at once from nowhere! And now I figured out its usually same hours apart, I was beginning to think I'm going crazy! Really! Then in reality after it passes I can think logically and nothing is wrong!

[[...]]

Yes, be proactive for yourself.  Tell him the symptoms you are having every 4 hours.  He will hopefully know that tapering from a longer acting benzo, may be a little more comfortable for you.

 

Going to a longer acting benzo wasn't perfect but I was not having the symptoms starting every 10-12 hours as on the temazepam....You are not going crazy.

Skyy