Hi. I have posted here several times. I am having a rough time with anxiety right now.

A little recap...
21 year old female
Diagnosed with Panic Disorder/Anxiety

I have been having panic attacks and bad anxiety since I was about 17... I went through a period of extreme panic attacks, like every day. I went to the emergency room twice during this period and that is how I got my diagnoses. I went to a trained counselor at a Mental Health place and he also agreed with the diagnoses.

I wouldn't drive because I was afraid of having panic, I had the classic symptoms, racing heart, fear of going crazy, flushness, wanting to "get out" etc....

Now, I havn't had a lot of panic attacks lately and feel the best I have felt in awhile.. although I still have my days. Except I have been having an extreme fear of developing schzophrenia. I am not delusional (at least I don't feel like I am), no hallucinations....... I have however been suffering from bouts of derealization on and off most days.

And by derealization, I mean I just feel a bit off... like things aren't real sometimes, and this causes me to panic.

I am currently taking 25 mg of Vistaril and 25 mg of Lopressor...

For awhile I was terrified I had cancer, then I was for sure something was wrong with my heart and I would constantly take my pulse and stuff. I have had tons of blood work, stress test, CT scan, xrays, EKGs, Echos... etc..

Any opinions? thoughts?

Thanks
-Angela :angel:

sounds like all panic and anxiety to me chances there is anything more are very slim and you had all those tests,which by the way if you dont mind im having a stress with echo tomorrow (yes i am fearing i have heart problems like you did its my latest obsessive fear) anyway they are gonna inject me with the stuff that makes your heart pound is that what you had? and what was it like?..thanks.......anyway the derealization is very typical even without other symptoms I had this so much off and on for many years I get that way still once in a while you are not going to go crazy or anything you will be fine!

I did the treadmill stress test. They will put radioactive dye in your veins that will raise your heart rate to its maximum beat.

Mine got up to 210.

Don't worry! Our hearts are amazing organs, they can handle it.


Good Luck!

-Angela :angel:

I also have peroids where I worry about becoming schizophrenic. I have ocd and panic. In the past I have also worried about bipolar and depression. It's terrible because it's like I monitor all my thought and actions. I guess to make sure that I'm not crazy. Well, schizophenia is nothing for us to worry about. I'm sure that you are like me and are almost too aware of your feelings, moods, thoughts, ect. What I think you are describing about the way you feel is high anxiety. It has a tendency to make you feel "off". I have bots of that all the time. It has gotten to the point with me that my therapist said she bets her life that I will never become schizophrenic. So, when I start to worry, I just remember that. And try not to question. Take care!!
ckjk

thanks miss Angela I had the tredmill too instead of the other got heart to 170 and it came out great! yay! lol your was at 210! wow how did you handle that? I am so out of shape I thought omg this better be over soon lol




hope you are feeling better

Hi, I’m not doctor or anything but I do suffer a bit from anxiety as well. Try to cool down, just relax. Make a list of goals you want to do in the next year or the next couple of months and stick to it, I think that helps a lot. It has been helping me sorting out my life. Forget about things you can’t control or irrational fears.
Take time to chat with friends or a doctor that you feel comfortable with.{REMOVED}
Take care,
Joanna

Angela
That "Derealization" feeling ...to me..is like Hell on Earth! So I know exactly where you are coming from. Mine just never seemed to go away, and there is no way to explain to anyone who has not had it - right? Then, in my case the true 'Panic attack' added to that Hell. I have, over the years tried alll the meds. It has been One month since my Psychiatrist started me on a new medication - Seroquel.
Angela, I am telling you that horrid derealiztion feeling has not returned since I started the medication (25 mg, which is the lowest dosage)
I know that nearly everyone reads all about a medication before taking it, so you will find out that it was originally (and still is ) used for Schiz. and Bi-polar symptoms. Then they discovered it works for exactly what you are talking about. Talk to your Psyciatrist, see if he/she may have some samples and give it a try. The only side effect I have had is some night sweats. But OH the Wonderful night sleep you get if you take it at bed time. I mean, this makes Ambien feel like taking tylenol to sleep! AND... there is no hangover feeling. To me this has been a miracle medication, and am very grateful my Dr. went along with it, since I had suggested it to him because a friend who has the same thing we suffer from was put on it by her Dr.
I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think about this possibilty and if you start on it how it works for you
Good Luck Angela
From someone who has been in that same hell, I wish you the best.
Mr. Jeff

thanks miss Angela I had the tredmill too instead of the other got heart to 170 and it came out great! yay! lol your was at 210! wow how did you handle that? I am so out of shape I thought omg this better be over soon lol


hope you are feeling better


Well, I was very nervous before the test and my heart rate was already at 110 so I figured I wouldn't last long on the treadmill.

However, the cardiologist said that the max time I could walk was 12 minutes... So when my heart got to 200 I was at 8 minutes and he said just to keep going because my heart was not beating irregular so I went 11 minutes and 10 seconds then I told him to stop the treadmill and he was like "oh you can make it 50 more seconds" and I freaked out and yelled "STOP!"

lol

My results were good though, no blockages or anything. The one thing that bothered me about it was he stopped the treadmill very suddenly so my heart felt like it was going to explode because it was still beating so fast. It took awhile for my heart rate to come back down because I didn't get to take my beta blocker before the test...

Anyways, glad yours came back good and everything went well!!!


Take care!
-Angela :angel:

Angela
That "Derealization" feeling ...to me..is like Hell on Earth! So I know exactly where you are coming from. Mine just never seemed to go away, and there is no way to explain to anyone who has not had it - right? Then, in my case the true 'Panic attack' added to that Hell. I have, over the years tried alll the meds. It has been One month since my Psychiatrist started me on a new medication - Seroquel.
Angela, I am telling you that horrid derealiztion feeling has not returned since I started the medication (25 mg, which is the lowest dosage)
I know that nearly everyone reads all about a medication before taking it, so you will find out that it was originally (and still is ) used for Schiz. and Bi-polar symptoms. Then they discovered it works for exactly what you are talking about. Talk to your Psyciatrist, see if he/she may have some samples and give it a try. The only side effect I have had is some night sweats. But OH the Wonderful night sleep you get if you take it at bed time. I mean, this makes Ambien feel like taking tylenol to sleep! AND... there is no hangover feeling. To me this has been a miracle medication, and am very grateful my Dr. went along with it, since I had suggested it to him because a friend who has the same thing we suffer from was put on it by her Dr.
I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think about this possibilty and if you start on it how it works for you
Good Luck Angela
From someone who has been in that same hell, I wish you the best.
Mr. Jeff



I have heard of the medicine but never thought about taking it. I will have to look into it. Thanks!

So you don't believe that derealization/anxiety/panic can turn into Schizophrenia? or is pre-schizophrenia?

Thanks!
Take care!
-Angela :angel:

I am not a doctor, but (in my opinion) I am very certain that panic disorder is only an anxiety illness and has nothing to do with schizophrenia. I totally understand the worry that this is something more serious, but I think you should put that fear to rest. Anxiety is tough enough to deal with on it's own.

The information about Seroquel is interesting and sounds like it may give some of us some hope. Thanks for the input Mr. Jeff :) I'd love to hear more stories from people who've taken this medication. Side effects are always what have kept me from taking other maintenance drugs, like Paxil, etc. I still just treat my anxiety with Xanax as needed and I try to get through my episodes of derealization through deep breathing techniques, muscle relaxing, and other things to distract me from the worry. I go ahead and take a Xanax if I think it might progress to a panic attack. I always think of derealization as a pre-panic attack, kind of a forewarning I need to relax the best I can.

I wish I could be back to my carefree days, just like I wish my body felt like I was 20 and not 46. I've come to accept my situation and cope with it the best I can. It is the most difficult in the beginning though, very scary. We're all in this together.

Thanks
Anyone else?


-Angela :angel:

Bumping :)

:angel: