Trauma – PTSD

Question:

Hey, this is my first post to this group. I’m wondering if you guys can help me sort out a problem I seem to have with SSRIs. I’ve tried Effexor XR and Lexapro for my severe panic disorder. The Effexor was great in that it totally erased my general anxiety, but my panic attacks increased to practically three a day, and they were much worse and more physically intense than I’d ever experienced them before. For example, normally when I’m unmedicated and I have a panic attack, my heart rate will increase slightly, but doesn’t race. With the Effexor, I was dealing with my heart rate jumping from the 100’s to the 150’s or 160’s. It was very scary, and I ended up in the ER once. After five weeks of this getting steadily worse, I stopped taking it. I moved to the Lexapro (5mg). Once again, it started out great, and then within a few days the panic attacks began again. They started to get worse, and after two weeks I stopped the Lexapro. Should I have stayed on the Lex longer? Has anyone else had this problem with SSRIs? I know I don’t want to go back to the Effexor because of the way it made my heart so erratic, but I’d still be willing to try the Lexapro. However, I’d like to take an even smaller dose. Can you get smaller doses than 5mg? I’ve heard you can buy it in bottled liquid form. Another thing I wondered about was if I went on and off the Lexparo on a schedule. For instance, I seem to feel great going on or coming off an SSRI, but in the middle I’m in hell. So I was wondering if it’s possible to set up a schedule where I take the Lex two days out of three, or something similar. The other thing to consider with all this is that I can’t take benzos regularly because we’re trying to get pregnant with our second child. I’ve been hoping that I could find a good SSRI that would carry me through the pregnancy, but I’m starting to lose hope. Any advice out there? Thanks, – Hollie —- http://www.cheesepuppet.net/ — The charter is available at:

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