Can anyone help!!!

[Froggy9999]

Hello all!

I'm new here and I'm so glad to be apart of a forum.  I've been living with severe anxiety for a little over 2 years now.  One night about 2 years ago, I was having such horrible chest pains.  I couldn't breathe at all and was gasping uncontrollably for air.  It felt like my chest was being crushed.  I ended up going to the hospital where they told me I was having a panic attack.  After that, I was always terrified I would have another one.  I stopped going out in public, especially crowded spaces.  I lost my job, life was going down hill.  I felt like I had no where to turn and no one could relate.  No one ever admitted they had anxiety that I knew so I had no one to talk to about it.  I did go see my doctor who gave me Effexor and Clonazepam.  The effexor, I've been on for 2 years now.  Originally on a 225mg dosage, and now I'm on 150mg.  THe clonazepam I take very rarely just if I feel a panic attack coming on so I would say about 1 pill per month.  I feel so much better now.  The Effexor has helped till no end.  I was suicidal before I started the clonazepam.  I had gained a lot of weight, and had severe depression as well.  What I want to know is, I would like to taper down my effexor to 75mg.  My doctor told me I can do this when I feel ready, but I'm scared to.  I don't know how to gradually do it and I'm scared the panic attacks will start up again if I decrease my dose of effexor.  Also, I have very weird dreams very night.  I think it's the effexor because I never had them before but severely disturbing, realistic, horrible dreams.  When I wake up, I'm sweating usually and it usually takes me a few minutes to realise that it was "just a dream".  Has anyone else here had problems with the dreams?  Also, I think the effexor has caused other things in my life like sometimes I almost hallucinate and I see things that aren't really there.  It's hard to explain, and I'm not psychotic, but ever since I've been on the effexor, I've been experiencing very weird things yet I'm scared to taper off it because of having more panic attacks.
Just some words to anyone out there with anxiety, it's terrible and realise you are not alone.  You owe it to yourself to get help.  I never thought I would be able to leave my house again, but now, I'm slowly able to do some of the things I once enjoyed doing.  I think with more time and treatment, I will be able to live a life free of anxiety one day.
Any help anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated.
THANKS SO MUCH.

[apple]

I have stupid dreams on the Nortripline.  I wake up so stiff from anxiety I hurt and sometimes I'm sweating too. Sorry I'm just taking it too, scared to change because I've had too many changes in the past two months and it really screwed me up.

If you are hallucinating, I'd tell my doctor...maybe the lesser dose will help with that, if not, see if there is another med IN THE SAME CATAGORY as the effexor(meaning works on the two parts of the brain)

Best of luck

Apple

[k4435]

Can you tell me how to post something on here so that people can respond to my problem too! Thank you

[apple]

Go into the one you want (eg. panic disorders) and click near the top "NEW TOPIC"

[anne40]

I would just like to say that I've suffered with panic attacks since I was 35 and I'm now over 60.  It has been horrible because I had never heard the words "panic attacks" until I had my first one...I really believe it's a chemical imbalance causing them.   I'm still fighting them..and now I'm agoraphobic also. Don't want to leave my home.  I've taken Valium for them and it calms me down, but they are always in the back of my mind.  I really feel that my life has been affected very badly due to the attacks.   At least now, with the Internet, I'm aware that I'm not the only one. I think it's just trial and error on the medication that will help.  I don't know if there is a way to get rid of them.  I think it's a condition that has to be controlled with medication just like any other body illness.
It's been really hard to explain to people when they have wanted me to go and do things that I know might bring on an attack.  I really think more research needs to be done and more attention paid to this disease as it completely changes one's whole life for the worst.
Good luck to us all that are suffering with this.

[alexiel]

i am the total opposite when it comes to going out in public! i would rather be in public if i was having an attack because i feel like if something went wrong i'd have people there to help me. i feel worse when i am alone!