Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello everyone, My name is Chris and I'm 22 years old. For the past 2 years I have been dealing with what seems to be a concoction of Anxiety and deppression, but there is way more that i need to explain that happened prior to this. This all started in December of 2016, I was dealing with a few things but I know I was not struggling to the point that this all happened. My girlfriend was about to move in with me, I was in the middle of finals in college and my father had been hospitalized for AFIB (it was a speedy recovery). I began around this time to have moments where out of nowhere, I became aware of my heartbeat. now when i say this i do not mean palpitations yet. My heartbeat was hard, and it would pick up. Now this happened anywhere and anytime, I was laying down, i was in a line and I could have been just out and it would occur. I am active and at this point I would have three cups of coffee a day and preworkout because i go to the gym and go run. Also prior to the heartbeat there was one time I was preparing to go run and I just had an overall strange feeling, like floaty and about to pass out, but nothing happend. Then one night, I woke up and my heartbeat was strong and I was really shakey. I panicked and when i rose from mybed my vision seemed like i was on a boat. I was sweating and I went to the hospital, they ran tests but found nothing. it happend again and they gave me Sertraline . I went on this and I immediatly panicked because of how I felt. I felt like I was going crazy, I always felt like i was in a dream or I wasnt real. everything felt so odd that I think i just panicked. I went off cold turkey and I believe this messed me up. I never felt the same and even after two years I still think of it and panic. even now I still feel different, and I am pretty bummed all the time. Now more recently I began experiencing flashes of thoughts, they are very dark and sometimes contain suicide. this can send me in a panic fit as well. I know i do not want to end my life but I cant help but be afraid because i think the meds I was given affected me in some way. also, More recently, I have developed headaches as well. I hear this can be due to stress. after seeing multiple doctors, thereapist and cardiologists I am empty handed. I feel like this forum can help shes light on different thinks. Please reach out if you can. I am on my last leg with solving this and I am terrified of not knowing. Thank you all.
0 likes, 14 replies
PatientMod-B CDF1996
Posted
Hi CDF1996,
We note from your contact with us that you may be experiencing thoughts around self-harm. If we have misinterpreted your comments then we apologies for contacting you directly. But if you are having such thoughts then please note that you are not alone in this, and there are people out there that can help.
If you are having these suicidal thoughts then we strongly recommend you speak to someone who may be able to help. We suggest that you phone your doctor or NHS 111, or attend A&E, as a matter of urgency if you feel the urge to act on these thoughts.
Alternatively, the Samaritans offer a safe space where you can talk openly about what you are going through. They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen.
Their contact details are on our patient information leaflet here: https://patient.info/health/dealing-with-suicidal-thoughts, which also offers lots of other advice on how you can access the help you may need.
If you are having such thoughts then please do reach out to the team at the Samaritans (or the other people detailed in our leaflet) who will understand what you're going through and will be able to help.
Kindest regards
Patient
CDF1996 PatientMod-B
Posted
i do not intend self harm nor am I suicidal. I would like to make thatclear
Guest CDF1996
Posted
Hi Chris, I on day day 6 of a really bad case of anxiety, i completely understand your feelings and i frequently feel waves hitting me where my heart feels like it racing but i wear a fitbit so know its not but it doesnt stop me panicing more. I had an ecg last week and the doctor said everything is fine, im trying to stay focused but and also struggling
Aj1986 CDF1996
Posted
hey,
i totally relate and im telling you this with sincerity that you are physically fine and you do not have a mysterious illness you would know by now if it was something its been two years. for years i have had heart palpitations, racing heart beat upto 157 bpm in and out of ers with doing so many tests and all being normal.
constant head pressure with extremely strange symptoms that i can list all of them if you want.
i highly doubt setraline has caused this, but it does cause a lot of side effects the first month or so and one of the side effects is anxiety and the feeling of going crazy, you can even have visual disturbances along with all that but it does go away once meds start kicking in.
have you ever taken any anti anxiety meds ?
CDF1996 Aj1986
Posted
I was prescribed the Sertraline and after the withdraws (around 2 weeks) I was given mirtazapine. for a while I was on a small dose of Buspar
Aj1986 CDF1996
Posted
so you were on sertraline for only two weeks ?
CDF1996 Aj1986
Posted
yes. I took it and panicked because of how it made me feel. It might have been anxiety or just the depersonalization it gave me but I couldnt handle it. I wouod wake up feeling so out of it, just random thoughts hitting me, I thought I was going insane or my brain was getting messed up. I would have moments where everything was in slow motion and I would be in a panic.
Aj1986 CDF1996
Posted
i understand buddy, i went through the same thing and it gave me loads of side effects and i even hallucinated, visual disturbances, headaches, feeling like im going crazy, hot and cold flashes i mean the list goes on. on really rough weeks i had to take a xanax to function.
you need to give it more than two weeks for it to start working, it took me 6 weeks for the side effects to go away and then it slowly started working.
its your body and its upto you at the end of the day and know one can force you take the meds, just want you to know that its normal to feel the way you did on those pills in the begining.
if you have any questions dont hesitate to ask even questions you might think are silly cause this s**t of a disease isnt silly.
Aj1986 CDF1996
Posted
just to add another thing i might have not mentioned. i tried everything before i gave up and started taking medication.
Philly89 CDF1996
Posted
Everything you described sounds like anxiety. I've had all the symptoms you mentioned from anxiety at one time or another. The swaying on the boat feeling, the headaches, the hearing my heartbeat, sweating, shaking and much much more.
CDF1996 Philly89
Posted
Thanks ! Yes, I have been going to therapy after all this
randy66926 CDF1996
Posted
i can relate to taking the sertraline and after 6 days i had a freak out episode and ive felt that way ever since that was two months ago... Im dealing with similar issues since february.
CDF1996 randy66926
Posted
mind if you tell me what you have felt ?
randy66926 CDF1996
Posted
ill try and summarize...
In february i woke up one day lightheaded, brain fog, anxious and it just never went away. I went to the ER and had so many tests done with nothing coming back. I dealt with it basically until August then I hit another road block. I developed severe insomnia so I was prescribed zoloft to treat anxiety. On day six of sertraline I woke up with anxiety 20 times worse and had a severe panic attack and went into the ER again. Since that panic episode on sertraline ive had much worse lightheadedness almost dizziness that is worse or better at times, sweaty hands and feet, tension headaches, all of which I never really had before. Im sure Im forgetting some...
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