So its been about 3 weeks since i started to get these panic attacks and such and let me tell you it hasnt been good at all. I have had my fair share of ups and downs lately and my heart beat has been irritating me a lot. So about a week ago i have had these very intense panic attacks where i thought i was going to die from but my parents just told me to stick it out...soon the next day i had another one and i freaked out and told me mom to just call the emergency room. So im told to try lorazapam only at night and i find out it does make me relax a little more but i was still kinda irritated. Then i went to talk to a more professional person about my status and he told me that the pot that i smoked caused a panic attack on me which it did and he tells me to use the lorazapam every 8 hours(morning/after school) and take ambien at night. Things are getting better but im still not at ease. So last thrusday i went in again and told her everything from my random up and down moments to my heart beating harder than usual and she tells me to try an antidepressant every day in the morning and also to take 1 zyprexa at night. School has been very hard on me recently but lately i have been able to concentrate more so that helped a lot but my heart rate remains the same =/. Is my irritating heart rate the cause of all of the past anxiety attacks? Do i still have a lot of anxiety in me? Also i have to note that this medication, prozac causes me to be drowsy and maby even more irritable and anxios...should i just stop taking it and tell the doc?

Alex

Alex,

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time. I started having panic attacks ten years ago and I just hate them, and the anxiety. And your doctor added Lorazepam after your panic attack, and also Ambien? And you were already taking Prozac and Zyprexa?

I'm not a doctor, but I just wanted to be clear on what you are taking. Hopefully you have stopped smoking pot, because that will fry your brain and make everything worse. I don't think your racing heart is causing panic attacks, anyway for me it was the other way around, when I was having a panic attack my heart rate increased. But check with your doctor.

I know that stress at school can be really hard. My own daughter has had a bad time with school this year.

I personally have tried 4-5 antidepressants and they ALL increased my anxiety. If Prozac is increasing your anxiety, you should talk to the doctor about stopping or changing to a different antidepressant. I have heard that Celexa and Lexapro are helpful for anxiety, but I have never taken either one, and I am not a doctor.

Do you know that exercise can sometimes work as well as anti-depressants for depression? Walking or riding a bike for 30 minutes a day might really help. Or shoot some hoops, or walk the dog or ride a skateboard or whatever you enjoy to get outside and move around.

Do you have ADHD? Hyperactive or inattetive? Are you taking anything for that? Or OCD or PTSD? I'm sorry, I know I have read some of your posts, but I just can't remember.

Hang in there and keep talking. You have done a good job of taking to your doctors and kuddos for telling the truth about the pot. Let us know how you are doing.

So its been about 3 weeks since i started to get these panic attacks and such and let me tell you it hasnt been good at all. I have had my fair share of ups and downs lately and my heart beat has been irritating me a lot. So about a week ago i have had these very intense panic attacks where i thought i was going to die from but my parents just told me to stick it out...soon the next day i had another one and i freaked out and told me mom to just call the emergency room. So im told to try lorazapam only at night and i find out it does make me relax a little more but i was still kinda irritated. Then i went to talk to a more professional person about my status and he told me that the pot that i smoked caused a panic attack on me which it did and he tells me to use the lorazapam every 8 hours(morning/after school) and take ambien at night. Things are getting better but im still not at ease. So last thrusday i went in again and told her everything from my random up and down moments to my heart beating harder than usual and she tells me to try an antidepressant every day in the morning and also to take 1 zyprexa at night. School has been very hard on me recently but lately i have been able to concentrate more so that helped a lot but my heart rate remains the same =/. Is my irritating heart rate the cause of all of the past anxiety attacks? Do i still have a lot of anxiety in me? Also i have to note that this medication, prozac causes me to be drowsy and maby even more irritable and anxios...should i just stop taking it and tell the doc?

Alex

just relax a little bit why don't cha? Take a lorazapam and chilll.

Using marijuana can cause psychosis too, in some people. (Severe anxiety can progress to psychosis, BTW, as can severe depression. Impaired reality testing, delusions, sensory disturbances, etc.)

(Being a former hash-head, myself, i didn't want to believe the psychosis bit, either.)

But, I have read it in these patient's charts, and seen the psych. ward admissions when I was a student on rotation, and I can assure that it is true. Typically, pot-induced psychosis occurs in the late teens or early twenties (for males).


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Dunno if it is really fair to your brain (or mental health) to already be on an anti-psychotic (Zyprexa) and then use pot. (Or alcohol, or whatever else. Alcohol really messes up bad brains like ours... whether we have ADHD or whatever else going on.

It is like an alcoholic claiming they are depressed (it can cause wild mood swings). They show up in the ER wanting SSRIs like Prozac, but still are continuing to use alcohol.

Its' not fair for you, for your brain, or for your doctor.


_Our brain's chemistry is so fragile!_

A lot of people use pot or other drugs -- not to be 'bad' -- but, rather, b/c they are not coping well, or living in bad situations, or are feeling emotionally un-resourced, or to make themselves feel better (reduce anxiety, forget their problems, relax, etc).

It's just not fair to be dealing with brain problems (as we all are here) and then toss Pot (or Booze, for those who think it is benign) -- into the mix.

You need to do several things NOW before you end up with a first class train wreck.

1) stop using pot

2) stop using alcohol

3) talk to your doctor.

Do those three things and stick with it.


Now about anxiety attacks...

Anxiety attacks can cause your heart to not just speed up, but to pound like crazy. You can end up hyperventilating ... it can feel like you are suffocating, like your chest is in a vise.

Antidepressants can help relieve anxiety, but you probably need to take the meds appropriately... waiting until you are having an anxiety attack is probably a little late so take your meds as prescribed.

Prozac is often given to treat anxiety. It generally does not cause anxiety. You need to tell your doc about the effects it causes.

The Lorazepam is good for anxiety and it works well. It works very fast and is sometimes prescribed as an emergency medication.

The zyprexa ought to help with anxiety a lot too.


If you have a pill that is prescribed as an emergency medication take it as prescribed.

Lastly, I'm a little concernd about the combination of meds you are taking. Hopefully the same doc prescribed them all, and hopefully the doc who prescribed them knew/remembered what meds you are on before providing you with even more medication.

To top it off, taking your meds improperly (or not at all) can set you up for problems like anxiety attacks and can make an existing problem worse. Mixing the meds with pot and alcohol can add to the situation in ways that are hard to predict, so you want to avoid that.

Do you have a lot of anxiety in you ? I have no way of knowing, but if you say you do, I believe you. :) I have an anxiety disorder myself, but I typically don't have anxiety attacks. I have tons of anxiety all the time. I guess people who have anxiety attacks have more anxiety ? If so, then I feel for you. Please take good care of yourself.

Beyond that , try to relax and if you have a panic attack try to relax as best you can. Exercise might help if you are just feeling stresed. Or maybe finding a calm place to relax in. Do whatever works for you.

good luck

ME :D


So its been about 3 weeks since i started to get these panic attacks and such and let me tell you it hasnt been good at all. I have had my fair share of ups and downs lately and my heart beat has been irritating me a lot. So about a week ago i have had these very intense panic attacks where i thought i was going to die from but my parents just told me to stick it out...soon the next day i had another one and i freaked out and told me mom to just call the emergency room. So im told to try lorazapam only at night and i find out it does make me relax a little more but i was still kinda irritated. Then i went to talk to a more professional person about my status and he told me that the pot that i smoked caused a panic attack on me which it did and he tells me to use the lorazapam every 8 hours(morning/after school) and take ambien at night. Things are getting better but im still not at ease. So last thrusday i went in again and told her everything from my random up and down moments to my heart beating harder than usual and she tells me to try an antidepressant every day in the morning and also to take 1 zyprexa at night. School has been very hard on me recently but lately i have been able to concentrate more so that helped a lot but my heart rate remains the same =/. Is my irritating heart rate the cause of all of the past anxiety attacks? Do i still have a lot of anxiety in me? Also i have to note that this medication, prozac causes me to be drowsy and maby even more irritable and anxios...should i just stop taking it and tell the doc?

Alex

Medication-wise, the gold standard for anxiety treatment is Paxil. It is a sedating SSRI medication.


It is augmented with long-term Klonopin (clonazepam), if needed. Klonopin takes a while to work after dosing, so there is little 'high' or addiction risk. It stays in the body for a long time (almost as long as Valium), so it breaks the anxiety attack cycle by 'preventing' attacks.

The idea being to prevent the ups and downs of anxiety/distress that can be created by taking/withdrawing constantly from a fast-acting/short-acting med like Ativan (lorazepam).

re: Assessment

Anxiety and Depression cannot be assessed if people are actively using or withdrawing from drugs or alcohol.

People show up in Emergency Rooms drunk or high (or in withdrawal) and are crying or raging or irritable or suicidal or otherwise in distress. This is the drugs/alcohol "talking".

My own SO has told me many times that he refuses to do mood/anxiety disorder assessments/diagnosis in people who are "actively using" or who are "under the influence".

Why?

Drugs and Alcohol "blur" and "distort" the clinical picture.

hey guys thanks so much for the replys!!!!!!!

first i want to mention that i stoped taking the ambien and zyprexa, i dont think i need them. the prozac is starting to make me think suicidal thoughts almost every day in school!!! also i have been very scared of pot lately just becuase of the affects it caused me so im sure i will not do that again. my heart has been beating harder i think ever since this pot smoking panic attack happened but its getting better. It's been like a month and a half though so i think im gona go see if i can get a beta blocker from the doctor to help my heart not beat harder and so i dont lose my breath so easily. I think ever since i tried ritelin ive been kinda depressed so maby the pot just increased my derpression level therfore causing anxiety attacks. I just remember feeling my heart rate and panicking because i thought i was going to die, so maby i could be allergic to pot, idk.