A night to remember, another panic attack and the feeling of dying.
Technorati Tags: panic attack, anxiety, death, seroquel
Let me explain why I take Seroquel, which is a neat little pill that almost knocks you out cold every night before bed. In the past 3 months, I’ve been suffering from panic attacks. Usually, the attacks happen right before bed while I am drifting off to sleep. A panic attack is one of the most horrific experiences, because you think you’re actually dying. Your heart races, and it feels like it is going to explode. All you want to do is just go to sleep, but you’re afraid you won’t wake up. The doctor put me on Seroquel (which is also used to treat Bipolar, a double shot with the Lithium), because it makes you fall asleep quickly.Every night before bed, I take both a Lithium pill and my Seroquel pill. Unfortunately, I missed my Lithium pill because it was being refilled. Taking just the Seroquel wasn’t good, because it triggered a panic attack. My heart was racing, and I thought I was going to die. I still live at home, and I was almost to the point of waking my father up. That is how bad it can be. Parts of the attack feel like an “out of body” experience, during which I believe I am dying. I tell myself that it will pass, but it lasts for what seems like eternity. It has been a month on Seroquel, and I haven’t had a attack. Last night was the second worse attack I’ve had. I hope I don’t have anymore… but that seems unlikely.
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15 Responses to “A night to remember, another panic attack and the feeling of dying.”
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I had a very weird, yet pleasant experience when I was on depacote. Just before I drifted off to sleep, I felt the presence of my women friends all around me, like protectors, angels, if you will. I got off the depacote — I gained about 50 lbs. and have since lost 30 of those since quitting it WITH my doc’s assistance.
Anyway, I’m up too late. But take care,
Joy
Ah seroquel. One of the many medications I have tried and stopped. It was prescribed to me for sleep along with Zoloft. I took it for about 4 months. For me 9 times out of 10 it triggered a panic attack also. It also left me feeling pretty zombied the next day. So all around pretty useless.
About 10 years ago, i was on prozac. I didn’t really have panic attacks until I started the prozac. I got off of it about a year later but i still from time to time have them. A few months before i was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 4 years ago, i was put on zoloft for depression & panic disorder. Sadly, the doc thinks that’s what triggered my bipolar.
Don’t beleive the hype. Seroquel is addictive. Seroquel can also bring on emotional outbursts, freaked out dreams, restless, sleep and yes the worsT PANIC ATTACKS. If you are on any other anti depressant and take Serequel, the fact is, the Seroquel is prescribed to deaden panic brought on by the anti depressant itself. I beleive in my heart of hearts that Seroquel is completely addicting, especially to a depressed or manic person because half the time we DON’T want to be fucking awake anyway, because you get spacey, nothing seems that unbearable and you eat and can deal with most things… which when on Seroquel amounts to next to little much. My BF actually started wetting the fucking bed and woke up in such a funk. Nastiness…. ugliness. PLUS, if you dson’t beleive it’s addicting why then are you prescribed a higher and higher dosage? Okay? There are so many other drugs, legal or not that can do the same w/o the panic side effects. ( By the way, I used to market and promote many pychiatric medications. Until Serzone.
I cannot say I have had a bad experience with Seroquel. I will say though that I worry about the long term effects.
When I was at 200mg I would sometimes be woozy the next day. Thus making it important to take it early and go to bed early. I am now at 100mg and, though it still puts me out, I do not have the next day side effect that I used to.
Seroquel does have one big plus. I used to be a heavy drinker and now I do not drink at all. I get an immediate negative reaction if I try to drink alcohol. I miss the booze, but hey the reason I drank too heavily I think was the bipolar. Is your mind racing? Reach for a glass of wine. Feel down? Reach for a glass of wine. Or 2 or 3 or 4. I don’t do that anymore, thanks to Seroquel.
But again back to the negatives. My blood sugar is now borderline. That is from the Seroquel.
I know that this 2 drug cocktail is standard Bipolar treatment, that is anti-psychotic (Seroquel) and mood stabilizer (lithium), but I honestly only can say that I understand one of them. The lithium had an immediate effect on me when I started taking it. The Seriquel just put me to sleep. My doctor said my improving condition had to do with the Seroquel taking a long time to do its magic. Maybe. But then of course before I had meds I just always came out of it magically on my own with a nice high.
I have been on Trileptal and Celexa for months..I have bipolar II and mostly deal with depression.. Luckily no side affects but I do occasionally have panic attacks…
they so suck! but I usually take antivan if I can’t get thru it on my own. But the Trileptal really helps with that for me…Not familiar with seroquel, but it sounds intense. There are alot of options out there…make sure you get second opinions! And I never heard of an anti-pyschotic and a mood stabilizer for bipolar to comment on what Brian said….only anti-depressant and mood stabilizer….hmmm maybe that is just me..
anyway, take care….
deep breaths…
J.
For Julie,
Like you I am Bipolar 2.
Just to clarify my comment about mood stabilizer and anti-psychotic combination. The anti-psychotic, in my case Seroquel, serves the purpose of the anti-depressant.
We with Bipolar Disorder cannot take normal anti-depressants because there is a risk of triggering a manic episode. I remember the time years ago I was presribed a regular anti-depressant for an episode that I was having. For whatever reason I did not take the drug. I was not diagnosed Bipolar at that time and I shudder at the thought that had I taken that drug I may have had a manic episode.
Seroquel is one of the common anti-psychotics for Bipolar (I take lithium as my mood stabilizer). Seroquel’s website notes indications for Bipolar and Schizophrenia. When you surface read the Bipolar symptoms that Seroquel addresses you only notice the mania. However I have read and my psychiatrist has quoted studies tha Seroquel is effective in preventing re-occurrence of severe depressive episodes.
I think that this blog is a great. Expression and release in a healthy manner are sooo necessary.
cheers!
Ken Hoyt
I have bipolar and I can’t be in a large group of people for long. I always thought I was socially retarded until about 5 1/2 years ago (I’m 32) when I was diagnosed. I also have a major issue with people who can’t drive where I’m from (Dallas, Tx) I approved your request on Myspace. Thanks for blogging, sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are others out there who suffer from the same type of thing.
Tiare:
I am disappointed that someone who once sold and marketed drugs would say such strong statements about a drug. If you knew what you were talking about you would know that drugs have different effects on different people. That drugs like Seroquel have saved thousands of peoples lives, that the drug is far safer than many other atypicals. Af for addictivenss…. what about benzos for anxiety? When it comes to mental illness folks rely on a Psychiatrist…no some mentally ill, anxious single source when making decisions that are life changing/impacting. One never knows a persons true intentions on these blogs.
Best of luck to all!
I’m on lithuim, lexipro,ziprexa,tegital,and advain I have been a documented bioblar 1 for about 15 years and I’m 56 so there has been alot of crazyness in my life. The meds make me tired so I don’t have alot of engry to exercise. I work retail and couldn’t makeit thru the day without my adivane, yes I know it’s addited but it helps me cope , for me is take the anzitey away. I stay positive and hopfull, Ive done the therpy bit, the journaling, after awhile I decided that I needed to firgure out my way of staying sane, I’m finding life is never easy, but you just gotta keep on going.
i hate being bi polar…they try everything for me I am 115lbs 35yrs old and i take 1500mg litium 90 cymbalta 40 geodan ambien and xanax
I go thru periods of time when I think that I have it all together and then I discover that my meds have run out, or my job throughs me a curve, and it all comes back to me that I have a mental illness.And Ive got to make ajustment in my brain to firgure things out, this is probalby the hardest for me , my cougintive skills aren’t the best. I know that part of it is my meds. I was on serquel for a while and I couldn’t wake on it , I felt like I was in a fog.shelley
I know that this 2 drug cocktail is standard Bipolar treatment, that is anti-psychotic (Serology) and mood stabilizer (lithium), but I honestly only can say that I understand one of them.
I took a half of a seroquel and had the biggest panic attack ive ever had. I thought I was going to die and my heart was going to explode. I take klopin for my anxiety and panic attacks so what I stated feeling that was I took my regular meds and started to feel a little better. Never taking that again