Sudden fear, terror, panic, anxiety, or sensory overload from withdrawal

[Mort81]

I haven't been able to work since March but akathisia has only been part of the problem. I had gut pain for 10 months and couldn't eat food for 3 months. I couldn't control this pain, only time took it away. Than I had fatigue so bad that I couldn't walk my dog for about 6 months or clean up after myself. Now I have a mixed bag of symptoms but they are all starting to weaken. My waves are still very very bad but my windows are better and longer. Yesterday I almost had a full window throughout the day and evening. I hit an akathisia wave before bed and woke up with ridiculous nightmares and shakes. Not sure what today holds but ive seen some promising signs. Ive probably started to have better moments, hours and almost a day since the start of December. For me Im 16 months off Antidepressants.

[Mort81]

Ya the Intense Anxiety ive actually nailed what it feels like. I used to occasionally smoke Marijuana before WD . Sometimes when I would smoke way too much id get really paranoid and have a bad trip. This is what my anxiety/panic attacks feels like.

[Djones1984]

Anyone feel in your stomach like your about to go off the top of a roller coaster? It is so bad while driving I can hardly stand it. My stomach is tied in knots, New symptom 3 years out.

[ADropInTheOcean]

Its anxiety.

[Petunia]

Yes, I agree, its surprising you haven't felt this until now, its a common symptom. Have a look through this topic and see if you relate to what others have described:

Fear, terror, panic, and anxiety - Surviving Antidepressants *topics merged

Edited January 16, 2016 by Petunia
updated

[Djones1984]

I have had all the symptoms and mind gripping anxiety and panic attacks all the time. But never this bad in the stomach where I almost can't drive.

[Petunia]

Thankfully, my intense fear and panic symptoms have reduced considerably, but while researching glycine I came across this:

 

Supplement Glycine

Another approach that works for many is supplementing glycine during a panic attack. Glycine switches off noradrenalin thus reducing the feeling of panic. The best way to get it in fast is to break open four capsules (usually 500mg) putting 2 grams under your tongue where it can absorb sublingually more quickly than orally. You can keep doing this every few minutes, up to a maximum of 10 grams. No side-effects have been reported at these doses.

https://www.patrickholford.com/advice/natural-solutions-to-anxiety

 

I bought some glycine for improved sleep quality and have no need to try it for intense fear now, so can't test this out, but I thought I would share it.

 

As with all supplements in withdrawal, start with a low dose to see how it effects you.

[Mort81]

Hey Petunia are you still taking the Ltheanine aswell? Glycine sounds good, so is it more to be taken as a prn when you feel intense anxiety?

[Petunia]

I still take L-Theanine occasionally, it works well for me, but I found that Inositol works even better, I can't really explain why it feels better, its a subtle difference. I take half a teaspoon every 4 hours or so and feel calm in a more natural way than when I was taking the L-Theanine regularly. When I take L-Theanine, I tend to lay on my bed blissfully doing nothing and have the feeling I need to drink some coffee to get myself motivated again, but I'm off caffeine at the moment, so I can't. Small confession, I did drink some real coffee earlier today, along with 50mg of L-Th, one quarter real coffee, three quarters decaff.

 

Many people use Glycine for improved sleep, but I just found this reference to using it to lower anxiety and panic, it sounds like that's the way you would use it. (PRN) I don't have any experience of it myself because my capsules only arrived today.

 

As with all these supplements, the best thing to do is try them one at a time, starting with a small dose to find out how its going to effect you. Goodness knows I've tried a lot of stuff that hasn't worked before finding things that do... we are all so different.

 

If anyone has problems locating supplements locally, Swanson's online and iHerb.com are stores with reasonable prices and good reviews who ship internationally.

[Mort81]

Thanks for the review. I have just started the L theanine. I bought it at 200mg so I dump out half the pill. It still feels a bit too strong cause I feel something going on in my head. I may buy a lower dose and use half or just pour out 3/4 of the capsule . I think it works though but I cant tell for certain yet. Ive taken maybe 3 pills. My anxiety is really off and on. Some days no signs of it at all. So for me I guess id want something to use when I feel the waves of fear/panic coming on. Glycine might be a better fit for me im not sure.

 

Inositol I did try before Medication. It was okay. Id try it again but I have a super sensitive stomach which could be a problem. I miss the regular coffees aswell! I was having them up until a month ago. My system has been changing. Enjoy the coffee ! Thats one thing ill enjoy having sometime down the road. I used to drink it every evening before WD. Those were the days! I settle for a couple squares of Dark Chocolate now.

[Cressida]

One theory I have whether relavent or not would be that Im taking 0.125mg of clonazapam and maybe my body is used to it. I have been taking it at this dose for 6-8 months. I don't wanna go up in dose but I do want my neuro anxiety to abate

[Cressida]

I apologise I ve stumbled upon this late in the day, and doubtless you know the benzodiazapine you are taking is highly addictive with possibly a worse WD syndrome than ADs. Have a look on benzo buddies. Upping the dose is climbing the ladder of doom. Must be very hard for you to tell what is causing what

[Mort81]

I definitely won't up the dose. If anything Ill take less.

[ChessieCat]

Hi Everyone,

 

These might be useful:

 

Panic Stations Coping with Panic Attacks

 

Facing Your Feelings Overcoming Distress Intolerance

[Junglechicken]

I haven't been able to work since March but akathisia has only been part of the problem. I had gut pain for 10 months and couldn't eat food for 3 months. I couldn't control this pain, only time took it away. Than I had fatigue so bad that I couldn't walk my dog for about 6 months or clean up after myself. Now I have a mixed bag of symptoms but they are all starting to weaken. My waves are still very very bad but my windows are better and longer. Yesterday I almost had a full window throughout the day and evening. I hit an akathisia wave before bed and woke up with ridiculous nightmares and shakes. Not sure what today holds but ive seen some promising signs. Ive probably started to have better moments, hours and almost a day since the start of December. For me Im 16 months off Antidepressants.

Mort can you explain your gut pain in more detail?  

 

I have been experiencing lower abdominal pain for the last 3 weeks and can't figure out what the problem is.  Is it muscular or something else?

[btdt]

I looked at the title of this thread and the first post

Fear, terror, panic, and anxiety

she was six years into wd and had the worst panic attack of her life actually three of them that wk....

 

and I thought of drug induced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder... how I read last wk it was drug induced in soldiers... things started clicking but then I thought what if you had this before the drugs... I didn't but I sure had it after as well as a changing diagnosis from pain to depression to can't even recall them all but ended with PTSD which is basically every dx you can think of under one title or wd... would be another good name for it...  

 

Just wondering what you folks here would think of this. 

Has anyone else seen info about drug induced PTSD/?  I can't recall if I posted it here or not. 

[Liquid]

I know that sometimes rumination and obsession can occur because of anxiety, but has anyone else ever had extreme anxiety over ruminating or getting stuck/obsessed thinking or worrying about anxiety?

 

I know most people just fixate on a fear or physical symptom they have anxiety about, but I feel like my anxiety has evolved into an awareness OF the rumination and has now become a trigger. I catch myself worrying/thinking about the anxiety and then immediately get anxiety because I cant seem to stop, no matter how hard I try to focus on something else or quiet my mind.. I then have anxiety over the fact that I cant stop thinking about how I cant stop thinking and so on..

 

I miss being able to just think without having anxiety over being introspective and being able to sit and watch a movie without anxious thoughts running through my head.

 

Its a terrifying cycle of getting stuck in thought and I have no idea how to fix this.. I know that increased anxiety causes/makes this worse, but Im afraid that I will never be able to reduce the underlying anxiety because I fixate so heavily on this fear.

 

It feels like Im stuck thinking in circles. It feels very similar to the last time I took and discontinued Citalopram and developed some sort of almost Sensorimotor OCD where I couldnt stop thinking about or manually controlling my breathing. Ive never had any other sorr of OCD afterwards.

 

How are you supposed to get past something like this? Does it just eventually fix itself or one day you just dont really care as much and its easier to dismiss? Is this classified as intrusive thoughts, racing thoughts, or just plain old anxiety?

 

Has anyone else had this issue? Is this just a normal part of withdrawal? Day 20 off of Citalopram.

[Junglechicken]

Yes definitely, particularly health anxiety.

 

The anxiety on top of anxiety made me so ill last month - messed up my menstrual cycle, terrible IBS, crying frequently and a crazy amount of exercising took place to try and calm my anxiety down.

 

I also had the worst depression and suicidal ideation to add to the wonderful mix.

[SquirrellyGirl]

How are you supposed to get past something like this? Does it just eventually fix itself or one day you just dont really care as much and its easier to dismiss? Is this classified as intrusive thoughts, racing thoughts, or just plain old anxiety?

 

Has anyone else had this issue? Is this just a normal part of withdrawal? Day 20 off of Citalopram.

 

Hi Liquid, 

 

Yes, this is a VERY common issue in withdrawal.  The cure really is time, but in the meantime you do your best to not develop panic due to secondary fear.  Many people find this syndrome vanishes when they are in a window.  If you haven't already visited this thread, please do so:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Many say that none of these methods work, but you gotta keep trying.  I think a lot of people are able to settle down when they practice Acknowledge, Accept and Float (AAF).  This means Acknowledging that all of this is withdrawal, Accept that this is withdrawal and that it will pass, and let then let the anxiety Float away.  The more time you spend reading around peoples' threads, the more you will see them go through what you are, but then come to that place of Acceptance which then allows them to settle and find peace with their situation.  The  more you fight it the more suffering you cause yourself.

 

I hope that helps.  No magic bullets here, unfortunately :-(  It is what it is, but how you process it makes all the difference!

 

SG

[Hopeinahpwr]

Petunia,

I have been utilizing CBT techniques for my fears and it seems to be really helping me. I too, as you state, fear getting sicker as I taper, or if so, no one there for my wife and daughters. I know how hard that can be to feel, but I also know it is a risk that must be taken to heal, to end our dependence on medication. Is it easy? No...but anything worth having, I believe...is never easy to acquire. I truly live by this thought.

[Area1255]

Yeah, it can help Anxiety, but, I would only use it as needed. 

Edited May 6, 2016 by KarenB
merged similar topics

[btdt]

Yeah, it can help Anxiety, but, I would only use it as needed. 

What are you talking about  glycine Inositol L theanine...or something else... does everything that slows down the creeps have an addictive side... I do wonder about that feedback loop if we mess with it does that send a message back that something is too low so the brain increases it making our situation even worse than before... 

 

anyone?

[Dalmo1]

Hi guys. I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced anxiety from consuming potatoes? Is it a well known phenomenon within anxiety/depression circles?

Thanks!

Edited August 29, 2016 by KarenB
merged topics

[KarenB]

Never heard of it!  But then I googled around because the thought intrigued me.  It seems that it can be an issue for some people:

 

'Every time you eat too many carbs in the way of breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, desserts, pastries, soda or sweet coffee drinks you send blood sugar and insulin surging and crashing. When this happens daily it can create a multitude of neurological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, mood swings, irritability, and fatigue. Skipping meals and drinking too much coffee also feeds this cycle. A lower-carb, whole foods diet with enough healthy proteins and fats can keep energy on an even keel and tame anxiety.'    From http://drflannery.com/what-causes-anxiety/

 

Maybe put lots of butter on your potatoes?

[gn11]

I just had potato salad and (not sure it was this because  ate some other stuff) my digestion was affected and I  am still sensitive today.  . Today I am not doing so well digesting stuff. I am wondering whether potatoes are  hard to digest in general unless they are mashed?

[Mjau]

I've heard that newly cooked warm potatoes are worse than cooked potatoes that have cooled down. When potatoes cool down the starches change their shape and glycemic index is lowered. And that means the sugars are absorbed more slowly. And maybe that could affect how one feels after consuming potatoes?

Do you feel the same way when consuming other high-carb food?

[gn11]

no, I do well with rice. I also do well with oats. I can eat bananas and blueberries. Occasionally I eat bread and crackers. I am feeling better so I will have organic chicken noodle soup with oyster crackers.

[icequeen]

It could be due to electrolyte disturbances. I have had a few disturbances like that in withdrawal. Hyponatremia (too little sodium), hyperkalemia (too high potassium), hypermagnesemia (too much magnesium). Other electrolytes have not been measured. Potatoes contain a lot of potassium. 

[Mjau]

Could it be potato allergy or intolerance? Check out this link:

 

http://www.allergiesexplained.com/pages/Potato%20Allergy%20and%20Intolerance.htm

 

It seems potatoes can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including neurological and mental, in people who are allergic to them!

[gn11]

Thanks for the link. Interesting! I haven't been paying attention to potatoes very much and I don't eat them that often. Just in case I'll stay away from them. I do fine eating rice as my side dish.

[scallywag]

People can have issues with plants in the nightshade family: potatoes, tomatoes, green/red/yellow peppers, eggplant, tobacco.  I can't remember what the specific compound is that causes negative reactions, but there's always dear google.

[KarenB]

And sometimes it's not the plant/food itself we react to, but the ways it has been changed/treated with sprays/hormones etc. 

[manymoretodays]

Potatoes for lunch today.......potato soup and some fries.  No anxiety but just really tired about a half hour after eating.  I love occasional potatoes.  Hopefully just a mild transient case of too much of them for me.

[Area1255]

It's most likely the carbohydrates which, as the second poster here said, are sending sugar up and Insulin bursts are being repeated.

[manymoretodays]

Thanks.  And while that is all happening.......the sugar spikes and insulin bursts.........a bit of dumbness sets in.........LOL..........not to be confused with my W/D cognitive impairment.   I had read the whole thread after it was started but well, oh........it is what it is.........

 

Thanks though as I will probably get an A1C???  next week.  With my lab work at the doctors.  The test where it measures your blood sugars over time.  I had forgotten that he usually does that one along with the rest.  So far, for me.........so good......... but time to get going on the low glycemic diet and choices of foods.

[elbee]

Mort, you are another person now who I have found say that a panic attack feels like a bad trip using a hallucinogen. That's very much how I have experienced panic. I actually differentiate anxiety and panic for myself (on a continuum actually) where anxiety will build as primarily physiological symptoms, and once the mind stuff starts to kick in (mind gets foggy, intense fear kicks in, feels like I'm going crazy and it will never end - "bad trip") then I start to understand that for myself as a panic attack. Is this de-realization, btw?

 

Both anxiety and panic for me are generalized. If there seems to be source connected to my experience, I call that fear. But sometimes it's both. Like with me for work, I'm not working, haven't worked for over a year, and I have a lot of fear about being able to go back to work. However, this "fear" feels much larger than simply the "rational" things I can point to. So I would say I have generalized anxiety about doing back to work, too.

 

My introduction to psych meds began with an onset of panic attacks in college 25+ years ago. As I've experience protracted withdrawal and actual WD (and how I've still experience intense anxiety while on meds for those many years), it's no surprise to me that I continue to experience increased anxiety, sometimes pushing its way up into the panic levels as I WD. And of course, anxiety and depression go hand in hand. The more I struggle with anxiety and not being able to "escape" it, the more depressed I get. I too have found that the practice of simply "being with" the anxiety (acceptance?) as opposed to fighting it or even fighting to "let go" of it has been the only approach that seems to make sense in dealing with it. Distraction can work sometimes like a bandaid that can temporarily alleviate the symptoms, but I've found I can't run with distraction forever, nor do I want to.

 

Petunia I also experience anxiety worst generally when I wake up. Sometimes it fades on its own in the am, but oftentimes it sticks with me until sometime between 3 and 7 p.m. when oftentimes I feel like it "releases control" of me (tension in my body dissipates, my mind becomes more clear, and I feel relatively "normal"). It's kind of like a daily cycle of wave to window. There are some days the window never comes, but perhaps that helps me remember to appreciate the windows when the do come.

 

And Petunia, I think it was you who talked about anxiety in the context of a spiritual awakening (Adyashanti, Chogyam Trungpa, Pema Chodron). I do have times when I can view what I'm going through at least in part in a spiritual framework such as this. Pema in particular has been inspirational to me in this way. I was raised Jewish but the concepts I had religiously as a child no longer work for me. But I do feel an openness (again at times) to the idea that my "suffering" is part of a spiritually evolutionary process I'm going through. And perhaps I might not only get to a place of greater peace, but also be of benefit to others.

 

Note: it's about 6:30 pm when I'm writing this, and as I've been typing this out on my phone (which has taken some time!), I've felt the grip of anxiety releasing a bit. My earlier posts today are frought with fear and anxiety So goes my daily anxiety cycle. And I SO want to never forget gratitude for the experience of inner peace when it happens! It's a practice I suppose