Re: panic disorder

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I can tell you my son was on Luvox and it made him incredibly tired, no

concentration,and unfocused. (a slab of cement had more energy). The doctor put

him on Lexapro( OCD med) and Metadate( stimulant like Strattera )

It made a huge difference in his ability to function. He has been on this combo

for 11 years.

Dana -Kennedy

panic disorder

Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

- Dd had her first blatant panic attack last spring, began seeing a

psychiatrist in September. He gave her prozac. Seems she doesn't metabolize

it well, as it made her feel strange. She also started developing sleep

problems which persisted after she was off the prozac.

- panic attacks coming fast and furious in the meantime, so he gives her

clonopin/ativan while trialing the SSRIs.

- moved on to a trial of Luvox, increased the dosage until she finally gets

relief from panic. But, she starts feeling sad, whereas she had never been

depressed before (she's probably not clinically depresssed at this point).

She also felt lethargic and unfocused, although she's felt that way in the

past to some degree relating to her anxiety.

- she's been having increasing difficulty with concentration and memory in

particular, even before the med trials. In high school, we thought that

maybe she had inattention ADD but were never certain. Could have been that

underlying anxiety was making her tune out (she becomes extremely

avoidant when it comes to stressors, although she's been fighting that off

in college which has led to her panic attacks).

- doc took her off Luvox a couple of weeks ago. She still feels sad,

lethargic, unfocused. He's thinking of putting her on a stimulant, although

maybe he means Strattera rather than the straight stimulants.

I'm wondering if he's giving up too soon on the SSRIs. Woudn't it make

sense to trial at least one more SSRI in the category that she does

metabolize? Ds and I have done great on zoloft, so I'm thinking that may be

worth a shot.

Also, regarding the feeling of sadness she developed while on the Luvox. Is

it possible that she needs more time for this to fade? Or, could the Luvox

have affected her body chemistry in a way that could make her continue to

feel sad, even though she's not depressed? Her panic attacks were better

from the Luvox when she developed the sadness, so it does seem to be a side

effect.

I haven't met yet with the doctor, but will be going with dd to see him

next week.

Any thoughts, related experiences, etc?

Thanks! Fay

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I can tell you my son was on Luvox and it made him incredibly tired, no

concentration,and unfocused. (a slab of cement had more energy). The doctor put

him on Lexapro( OCD med) and Metadate( stimulant like Strattera )

It made a huge difference in his ability to function. He has been on this combo

for 11 years.

Dana -Kennedy

panic disorder

Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

- Dd had her first blatant panic attack last spring, began seeing a

psychiatrist in September. He gave her prozac. Seems she doesn't metabolize

it well, as it made her feel strange. She also started developing sleep

problems which persisted after she was off the prozac.

- panic attacks coming fast and furious in the meantime, so he gives her

clonopin/ativan while trialing the SSRIs.

- moved on to a trial of Luvox, increased the dosage until she finally gets

relief from panic. But, she starts feeling sad, whereas she had never been

depressed before (she's probably not clinically depresssed at this point).

She also felt lethargic and unfocused, although she's felt that way in the

past to some degree relating to her anxiety.

- she's been having increasing difficulty with concentration and memory in

particular, even before the med trials. In high school, we thought that

maybe she had inattention ADD but were never certain. Could have been that

underlying anxiety was making her tune out (she becomes extremely

avoidant when it comes to stressors, although she's been fighting that off

in college which has led to her panic attacks).

- doc took her off Luvox a couple of weeks ago. She still feels sad,

lethargic, unfocused. He's thinking of putting her on a stimulant, although

maybe he means Strattera rather than the straight stimulants.

I'm wondering if he's giving up too soon on the SSRIs. Woudn't it make

sense to trial at least one more SSRI in the category that she does

metabolize? Ds and I have done great on zoloft, so I'm thinking that may be

worth a shot.

Also, regarding the feeling of sadness she developed while on the Luvox. Is

it possible that she needs more time for this to fade? Or, could the Luvox

have affected her body chemistry in a way that could make her continue to

feel sad, even though she's not depressed? Her panic attacks were better

from the Luvox when she developed the sadness, so it does seem to be a side

effect.

I haven't met yet with the doctor, but will be going with dd to see him

next week.

Any thoughts, related experiences, etc?

Thanks! Fay

[Guest guest]

Has he had weight gain? My son has done really well on Lexapro alone (he has no

concentration problems), but we took him off of it because he has gained weight

on it and he was suffering from self esteem issues as a result.

panic disorder

Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

- Dd had her first blatant panic attack last spring, began seeing a

psychiatrist in September. He gave her prozac. Seems she doesn't metabolize

it well, as it made her feel strange. She also started developing sleep

problems which persisted after she was off the prozac.

- panic attacks coming fast and furious in the meantime, so he gives her

clonopin/ativan while trialing the SSRIs.

- moved on to a trial of Luvox, increased the dosage until she finally gets

relief from panic. But, she starts feeling sad, whereas she had never been

depressed before (she's probably not clinically depresssed at this point).

She also felt lethargic and unfocused, although she's felt that way in the

past to some degree relating to her anxiety.

- she's been having increasing difficulty with concentration and memory in

particular, even before the med trials. In high school, we thought that

maybe she had inattention ADD but were never certain. Could have been that

underlying anxiety was making her tune out (she becomes extremely

avoidant when it comes to stressors, although she's been fighting that off

in college which has led to her panic attacks).

- doc took her off Luvox a couple of weeks ago. She still feels sad,

lethargic, unfocused. He's thinking of putting her on a stimulant, although

maybe he means Strattera rather than the straight stimulants.

I'm wondering if he's giving up too soon on the SSRIs. Woudn't it make

sense to trial at least one more SSRI in the category that she does

metabolize? Ds and I have done great on zoloft, so I'm thinking that may be

worth a shot.

Also, regarding the feeling of sadness she developed while on the Luvox. Is

it possible that she needs more time for this to fade? Or, could the Luvox

have affected her body chemistry in a way that could make her continue to

feel sad, even though she's not depressed? Her panic attacks were better

from the Luvox when she developed the sadness, so it does seem to be a side

effect.

I haven't met yet with the doctor, but will be going with dd to see him

next week.

Any thoughts, related experiences, etc?

Thanks! Fay

[Guest guest]

Has he had weight gain? My son has done really well on Lexapro alone (he has no

concentration problems), but we took him off of it because he has gained weight

on it and he was suffering from self esteem issues as a result.

panic disorder

Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

- Dd had her first blatant panic attack last spring, began seeing a

psychiatrist in September. He gave her prozac. Seems she doesn't metabolize

it well, as it made her feel strange. She also started developing sleep

problems which persisted after she was off the prozac.

- panic attacks coming fast and furious in the meantime, so he gives her

clonopin/ativan while trialing the SSRIs.

- moved on to a trial of Luvox, increased the dosage until she finally gets

relief from panic. But, she starts feeling sad, whereas she had never been

depressed before (she's probably not clinically depresssed at this point).

She also felt lethargic and unfocused, although she's felt that way in the

past to some degree relating to her anxiety.

- she's been having increasing difficulty with concentration and memory in

particular, even before the med trials. In high school, we thought that

maybe she had inattention ADD but were never certain. Could have been that

underlying anxiety was making her tune out (she becomes extremely

avoidant when it comes to stressors, although she's been fighting that off

in college which has led to her panic attacks).

- doc took her off Luvox a couple of weeks ago. She still feels sad,

lethargic, unfocused. He's thinking of putting her on a stimulant, although

maybe he means Strattera rather than the straight stimulants.

I'm wondering if he's giving up too soon on the SSRIs. Woudn't it make

sense to trial at least one more SSRI in the category that she does

metabolize? Ds and I have done great on zoloft, so I'm thinking that may be

worth a shot.

Also, regarding the feeling of sadness she developed while on the Luvox. Is

it possible that she needs more time for this to fade? Or, could the Luvox

have affected her body chemistry in a way that could make her continue to

feel sad, even though she's not depressed? Her panic attacks were better

from the Luvox when she developed the sadness, so it does seem to be a side

effect.

I haven't met yet with the doctor, but will be going with dd to see him

next week.

Any thoughts, related experiences, etc?

Thanks! Fay

[Guest guest]

She's been gaining weight over the last year. I think it started before she

began meds, although maybe the meds made it worse. It seems to be the

weight that college students often put on, esp in the first year. She's a

sophomore but she didn't begin gaining weight until the end of freshman

year. Something about the routine when she first began (I forget now) made

her less likely to eat when she started college. She definitely developed

bad snacking habits in high school, so it's more about her food choices in

general.

> **

>

>

> Has he had weight gain? My son has done really well on Lexapro alone (he

> has no concentration problems), but we took him off of it because he has

> gained weight on it and he was suffering from self esteem issues as a

> result.

>

>

> panic disorder

>

> Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

> one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

> trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

> but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

>

> - Dd had her first blatant panic attack last spring, began seeing a

> psychiatrist in September. He gave her prozac. Seems she doesn't metabolize

> it well, as it made her feel strange. She also started developing sleep

> problems which persisted after she was off the prozac.

>

> - panic attacks coming fast and furious in the meantime, so he gives her

> clonopin/ativan while trialing the SSRIs.

>

> - moved on to a trial of Luvox, increased the dosage until she finally gets

> relief from panic. But, she starts feeling sad, whereas she had never been

> depressed before (she's probably not clinically depresssed at this point).

> She also felt lethargic and unfocused, although she's felt that way in the

> past to some degree relating to her anxiety.

>

> - she's been having increasing difficulty with concentration and memory in

> particular, even before the med trials. In high school, we thought that

> maybe she had inattention ADD but were never certain. Could have been that

> underlying anxiety was making her tune out (she becomes extremely

> avoidant when it comes to stressors, although she's been fighting that off

> in college which has led to her panic attacks).

>

> - doc took her off Luvox a couple of weeks ago. She still feels sad,

> lethargic, unfocused. He's thinking of putting her on a stimulant, although

> maybe he means Strattera rather than the straight stimulants.

>

> I'm wondering if he's giving up too soon on the SSRIs. Woudn't it make

> sense to trial at least one more SSRI in the category that she does

> metabolize? Ds and I have done great on zoloft, so I'm thinking that may be

> worth a shot.

>

> Also, regarding the feeling of sadness she developed while on the Luvox. Is

> it possible that she needs more time for this to fade? Or, could the Luvox

> have affected her body chemistry in a way that could make her continue to

> feel sad, even though she's not depressed? Her panic attacks were better

> from the Luvox when she developed the sadness, so it does seem to be a side

> effect.

>

> I haven't met yet with the doctor, but will be going with dd to see him

> next week.

>

> Any thoughts, related experiences, etc?

>

> Thanks! Fay

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, am wondering why an SSRI for panic attacks? I didn't think that was the

" first-line " treatment for those. My oldest son, 27, suffers them and doc gave

him Xanax to use when needed. He hates it though, tries to not use it (doesn't

want to become dependent or overuse) and so has been using a supplement I bought

him. He feels it helps, said he didn't know if it was a " placebo effect " but

he'd take it! It's Hyland's Kali Phos 6X.

Sounds like Zoloft would be worth a trial since you & son are doing well with

it. SSRIs can cause depression, so that may have been the Luvox. Hope she

feels better soon!

>

> Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

> one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

> trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

> but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

>

> -

[Guest guest]

Hi, am wondering why an SSRI for panic attacks? I didn't think that was the

" first-line " treatment for those. My oldest son, 27, suffers them and doc gave

him Xanax to use when needed. He hates it though, tries to not use it (doesn't

want to become dependent or overuse) and so has been using a supplement I bought

him. He feels it helps, said he didn't know if it was a " placebo effect " but

he'd take it! It's Hyland's Kali Phos 6X.

Sounds like Zoloft would be worth a trial since you & son are doing well with

it. SSRIs can cause depression, so that may have been the Luvox. Hope she

feels better soon!

>

> Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

> one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

> trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

> but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

>

> -

[Guest guest]

Hi, am wondering why an SSRI for panic attacks? I didn't think that was the

" first-line " treatment for those. My oldest son, 27, suffers them and doc gave

him Xanax to use when needed. He hates it though, tries to not use it (doesn't

want to become dependent or overuse) and so has been using a supplement I bought

him. He feels it helps, said he didn't know if it was a " placebo effect " but

he'd take it! It's Hyland's Kali Phos 6X.

Sounds like Zoloft would be worth a trial since you & son are doing well with

it. SSRIs can cause depression, so that may have been the Luvox. Hope she

feels better soon!

>

> Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

> one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

> trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

> but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

>

> -

[Guest guest]

Interesting about the SSRIs causing depression. Is that relatively common?

Maybe that's why the doc doesn't want to trial them anymore for her.

I wasn't keen on having her on an SSRI, actually. But I believe that it is

a first line treatment for severe panic disorder. Xanax type meds are

commonly avoided b/c they can cause dependency. Dd is taking Clonopin and

Ativan but she needed to take it quite often until the Luvox kicked in.

I had wanted the doctor to consider Buspar, actually. I haven't been able

to make it to her appts thus far, so I don't know what his thinking is on

this. I'll be meeting him next week.

> **

>

>

> Hi, am wondering why an SSRI for panic attacks? I didn't think that was

> the " first-line " treatment for those. My oldest son, 27, suffers them and

> doc gave him Xanax to use when needed. He hates it though, tries to not use

> it (doesn't want to become dependent or overuse) and so has been using a

> supplement I bought him. He feels it helps, said he didn't know if it was a

> " placebo effect " but he'd take it! It's Hyland's Kali Phos 6X.

>

> Sounds like Zoloft would be worth a trial since you & son are doing well

> with it. SSRIs can cause depression, so that may have been the Luvox. Hope

> she feels better soon!

>

>

>

>

>

> >

> > Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

> > one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has

> been

> > trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

> > but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key

> points:

> >

> > -

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Interesting about the SSRIs causing depression. Is that relatively common?

Maybe that's why the doc doesn't want to trial them anymore for her.

I wasn't keen on having her on an SSRI, actually. But I believe that it is

a first line treatment for severe panic disorder. Xanax type meds are

commonly avoided b/c they can cause dependency. Dd is taking Clonopin and

Ativan but she needed to take it quite often until the Luvox kicked in.

I had wanted the doctor to consider Buspar, actually. I haven't been able

to make it to her appts thus far, so I don't know what his thinking is on

this. I'll be meeting him next week.

> **

>

>

> Hi, am wondering why an SSRI for panic attacks? I didn't think that was

> the " first-line " treatment for those. My oldest son, 27, suffers them and

> doc gave him Xanax to use when needed. He hates it though, tries to not use

> it (doesn't want to become dependent or overuse) and so has been using a

> supplement I bought him. He feels it helps, said he didn't know if it was a

> " placebo effect " but he'd take it! It's Hyland's Kali Phos 6X.

>

> Sounds like Zoloft would be worth a trial since you & son are doing well

> with it. SSRIs can cause depression, so that may have been the Luvox. Hope

> she feels better soon!

>

>

>

>

>

> >

> > Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

> > one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has

> been

> > trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

> > but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key

> points:

> >

> > -

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Interesting about the SSRIs causing depression. Is that relatively common?

Maybe that's why the doc doesn't want to trial them anymore for her.

I wasn't keen on having her on an SSRI, actually. But I believe that it is

a first line treatment for severe panic disorder. Xanax type meds are

commonly avoided b/c they can cause dependency. Dd is taking Clonopin and

Ativan but she needed to take it quite often until the Luvox kicked in.

I had wanted the doctor to consider Buspar, actually. I haven't been able

to make it to her appts thus far, so I don't know what his thinking is on

this. I'll be meeting him next week.

> **

>

>

> Hi, am wondering why an SSRI for panic attacks? I didn't think that was

> the " first-line " treatment for those. My oldest son, 27, suffers them and

> doc gave him Xanax to use when needed. He hates it though, tries to not use

> it (doesn't want to become dependent or overuse) and so has been using a

> supplement I bought him. He feels it helps, said he didn't know if it was a

> " placebo effect " but he'd take it! It's Hyland's Kali Phos 6X.

>

> Sounds like Zoloft would be worth a trial since you & son are doing well

> with it. SSRIs can cause depression, so that may have been the Luvox. Hope

> she feels better soon!

>

>

>

>

>

> >

> > Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

> > one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has

> been

> > trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

> > but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key

> points:

> >

> > -

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well, maybe " worsen depression " is the better word. With an SSRI you have to

look out for depression getting worse, suicical thoughts starting, etc. When

started Celexa that time, I told him to let me know if he started

feeling depressed (tho OCD can certainly have them feeling down already) or any

other thoughts.

>

> Interesting about the SSRIs causing depression. Is that relatively common?

> Maybe that's why the doc doesn't want to trial them anymore for her.

>

> I wasn't keen on having her on an SSRI, actually. But I believe

[Guest guest]

Hi Fay,

Just wanted to mention re ssri's, my person experience. I get more depressed

with almost every one I've tried, very distinct. I end up feeling so bad, I

feel the depression I had to begin with looks good compared Called a

paradoxical reaction.

Our son had similar experience with prozak, felt suicidal within days. On

higher doses of ssri's he becomes flat, doesn't feel, loses impulse control. He

does ok on low dose of celexa, helps with anxiety, some with OCD thoughts - more

would help even more, but side effects problematic. Always a trade off, finding

ideal balance between positive benefit and side effects.

If anyone in your family has had a good experience on a particular ssri, they

will often try that one first. We've had mixed experiences with that too. Some

do well on same, others not. It's always individual, but worth considering I've

been told.

Other thing we've found is more meds more issues, for some. Ok on one alone,

but as soon as another added, problems. Something to do with pathways to

process them(used to know, can't remember exactly now). Not the case for

everyone, and lots of people need a mix of things and do well with this. Just

suggesting if you find a high sensitivity, try one at a time, low dose and

slowly. Some do need more time to adapt, and going slow and low dose allows

this to happen.

Also, when high sensitivity, I think you know if a med is going to work really

fast. Both my son and I are this way, within a day/s.

After years of trying meds for depression, without positive results, I recently

tried cymbalta, because it had worked so well for my brother. It lifted

depression within a day!, not kidding, was amazing to me. Had big side effects

for couple weeks, then low energy for about 2 months. After that more normal

energy returned, and I now feel, if this is " normal " , I can't believe I've

missed out on this for 50yrs

Psychiatrist who prescribed it said cymbalta seems to have a more balanced

effect with neurotransmitters, for some - it's an snri (serotonin and

norepinephrine targeted). It is indicated for GAD, not sure about panic attacks.

I've had panic attacks too, and there were always thoughts before that would

lead to panic attack. What I realize now is that I've always had ruminating

thoughts that are now gone, were part of the depression(brain chemistry based).

Add stress, thoughts go up, or less able to cope = anxiety/panic. I don't have

OCD, but it seems to me there is a similarity/overlap with brain chemistry based

aspect.

So, if she hasn't done well on ssri's, you might want to consider cymbalta.

Geez, I sound like a commercial for this stuff. Just sharing something that

really helped me.

Warmly,

Barb

>

> Hi there. Was hoping for some input about my older dd. My son, 12, is the

> one with OCD, but my 20 yr old suffers with panic attacks. Doctor has been

> trialing meds for a few months but still no luck. She is away in college

> but only an hour away so she frequently comes home. Here's the key points:

>

> - Dd had her first blatant panic attack last spring, began seeing a

> psychiatrist in September. He gave her prozac. Seems she doesn't metabolize

> it well, as it made her feel strange. She also started developing sleep

> problems which persisted after she was off the prozac.

>

> - panic attacks coming fast and furious in the meantime, so he gives her

> clonopin/ativan while trialing the SSRIs.

>

> - moved on to a trial of Luvox, increased the dosage until she finally gets

> relief from panic. But, she starts feeling sad, whereas she had never been

> depressed before (she's probably not clinically depresssed at this point).

> She also felt lethargic and unfocused, although she's felt that way in the

> past to some degree relating to her anxiety.

>

> - she's been having increasing difficulty with concentration and memory in

> particular, even before the med trials. In high school, we thought that

> maybe she had inattention ADD but were never certain. Could have been that

> underlying anxiety was making her tune out (she becomes extremely

> avoidant when it comes to stressors, although she's been fighting that off

> in college which has led to her panic attacks).

>

> - doc took her off Luvox a couple of weeks ago. She still feels sad,

> lethargic, unfocused. He's thinking of putting her on a stimulant, although

> maybe he means Strattera rather than the straight stimulants.

>

> I'm wondering if he's giving up too soon on the SSRIs. Woudn't it make

> sense to trial at least one more SSRI in the category that she does

> metabolize? Ds and I have done great on zoloft, so I'm thinking that may be

> worth a shot.

>

> Also, regarding the feeling of sadness she developed while on the Luvox. Is

> it possible that she needs more time for this to fade? Or, could the Luvox

> have affected her body chemistry in a way that could make her continue to

> feel sad, even though she's not depressed? Her panic attacks were better

> from the Luvox when she developed the sadness, so it does seem to be a side

> effect.

>

> I haven't met yet with the doctor, but will be going with dd to see him

> next week.

>

> Any thoughts, related experiences, etc?

>

> Thanks! Fay

>

>

>