Taking the leap of faith, starting medication.
Posted , 5 users are following.
I can't go on like this anymore, for over a year now I've been feeling anxious daily. I've cancelled two holiday, I've stopped going out, I wake up every morning being sick with anxiety because I have to travel to work alone. I have epilepsy and a lot of my anxiety revolves around having a seizure, specifically in public or when alone. I had a big seizure a year ago for the first time in six years, in those six years I was great, I had the usual worries but I'd go out, have fun, go abroad on holiday. Now my life has come to a grinding halt.
Because my anxiety is health related, I'm so scared of taking medication. I was on Citalopram when I was 17 and seemed to be OK with it, I was on it for 18 months, weaned myself off and all was good. I was prescribed sertraline last year but took it for three days and felt so much worse that I couldn't continue. I know the drugs can make you feel worse before you feel better but I just could get past that first stage. Today I woke up and couldn't even get to the bathroom before being sick, my gut is wrecked, I'm OK on weekends and don't wake up feeling terrible because I know I don't have to go out on my own.
So I've got a Doctors appointment today at 10:30am and I'm just gonna have to take the plunge and ask to try Citalopram again, and also ask for a referral to a psychiatrist. I've tried counselling and that had no effect.
I'm just so scared of meds, anyone else with a fear of meds actually took them and felt better for it?
1 like, 15 replies
Needhelp_asap Howll
Posted
I can so relate to this. I have isolated myself, I rarely go out and I'm scared to go out on my own cause I feel like something terrible is gonna happen to me. I've canceled holidays as well. It sucks. I'm scared of taking meds as well.
If you feel like you can't stand it on your own anymore, you should try medication but you should stick to it no matter the side effects. However, before that I'd try some breathing techniques or meditation and generally things to distract your mind. I've tried meds for my anxiety and I stopped them after a week and so for the same reason you did.
Howll Needhelp_asap
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Thank you.
I do practice meditation, breathing exercises, I've had counselling, I taught myself to crochet. It helps to some extent but I think I'm too far gone. I need to accept I can't beat this alone. Stress and anxiety can also be a seizure trigger so it's probably not helping my epilepsy.
Needhelp_asap Howll
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sally81965 Needhelp_asap
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sally81965 Howll
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Please see your dr and explain that the drugs that were prescribed for depression and anxiety are contraidicated in those with epilepsy.
You say you were seizre free for six years then had a big seizure 12 moths ago.
?Do you recall if your medication had been changed rior to the seizre?
Are you under a neurologist?
?Relaxation exerrcises can help you but the epilepsy has to be addressed and managed properly which is only possible from the sounds of it by a neurologist who specialises in epilepsy.
?I take it you are in the US. If in the UK there is a very famous neuro hospital in London. If you dribve then please tell your dr don't take any risks
Needhelp_asap sally81965
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sally81965 Howll
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No wonder these drugs made you feel worse.
Aren''t these drugs contraindicated in people with epilepsy?
?Are you taking any anti epileptic drugs at all?
Howll
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I am under an epileptologist, the seizures are result of damage to my brain caused by a condition I had as a child. I was worried about taking medication, because I did hear that it could lower seizure threshold however I have read many articles and read a study on epilepsy patients that Citalopram doesn't seem to make any increase in seizures and also has had some anticonvulsant effects on their seizures actually reducing them.
I am not on epilepsy medications, that is a personal choice at the moment because my epilepsy isn't severe. I tend to have very small seizures every 6-8 weeks, but I believe they've increased due to my anxiety as it's a trigger for me. I have recently had an EEG and MRI and there were no changes detected.
When I was previously on Citalopram, it was about 2 years after my first seizure. I didn't notice any increase in seizures over the 18 months I was on Citalopram so I'm hoping it should work the same as before with any luck.
I'm male and I'm from the UK.
sally81965 Howll
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Howll sally81965
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My Neuro has previously suggested I try SSRIs again so I don't think he would have any concerns.
sally81965 Howll
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Things change.
Angel_V Howll
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My doctor prescribed gabapentin for me to take for my anxiety. It's really a drug for epilepsy, but their using it for a lot of different stuff now including anxiety. Since you have epilepsy maybe you should ask your doctor and see what he says. I can't take antidepressants because they make me feel worse especially citalopram. That drug had me having terrible nightmares and increased anxiety. I took it for two weeks and had to go off of it. I couldn't even watch tv because it looked like the people on the tv screen were jumping out at me. If you took it before you should do okay with it.
sally81965 Angel_V
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Angel_V sally81965
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Yes it has. I only take 100 mg 3x a day. Very low dose. I'm very sensitive to medication so for me a little goes a long way.
lee12629 Howll
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