afraid of taking SSRIs/panic attack?

[mjayster]

Hello, I'm new here my names Jason, I'm a 26 year old relatively fit male and id like to go into a little about my story and why I'm afraid of taking SSRIs. I was taking SSRIs for anxiety but I took them with pain killers and it had some sort of interaction, giving me serotonin syndrome. I waited a couple weeks and went back down to the lowest dose without being in oxycontin anymore and it gave me serotonin syndrome again. Now IM just too terrified to take any SSRIs and try to manage my anxiety with exercise, but in all honesty I think I need a bit more than exercise to manage it.

Like last night, I started getting extremely hot all of a sudden even though its 1 degree Celsius here. Then my mind started acting weird and I started seeing objects out of the corner of my eye as being something that their not, like a tree and thinking its a person etc. I was also becoming really critical of my own behaviour, like if I had a certain pattern of looking around while I walk down the street, like looking up and down at intervals I would think what is wrong with me. I was also urinating non-stop. I peed like ten times last night.

Now I'm trying to figure out what happened to me even though, I know I probably shouldn't. I'm thinking all the ab exercises I did that morning somehow inflamed my bladder/kidneys/prostate which in combination with being scared made me urinate a lot, my urination seems to be under control now. I don't have an appetite today, which is probably from being scared last night, but I cant help but worry it might be some kind of kidney or liver problem. I do have a lot more to talk about like my social anxiety and paranoia about the guy living under me trying to kill me but I suppose that can wait for other posts. I guess part of it is worrying about dying because I dint want my parents to be upset. But yes, if you have any comments good or bad on anything said please feel free to share.

[armygirl53]

Hi Jason. I'm sorry to hear about your experience/symptoms.

SSRIs, in my opinion, are far less scary on their own than benzos (Xanax, Valium, Ativan, etc.) as they tend to be medications that you could take on a daily basis and still feel relatively "normal". From experience, I loved how I felt when I was taking Lexapro 10mg and had little side effects. I was forced to wean off the medication, however, because I gained a significant amount of weight and cannot be overweight in my career field. Since, I have been prescribed both Valium and Xanax, which tend to turn me into a complete zombie.

You mentioned experiencing serotonin syndrome from a drug interaction: the specific SSRI you were taking and Oxycontin (an opioid). You also mentioned waiting a few weeks following your last dose of Oxycontin to continue the SSRI and still experienced serotonin syndrome. This is likely because the opioid was still in your system, even if it was a tiny amount. If you are no longer taking contradictory/interactive medications, and have been off of them for quite some time, there is likely no harm with taking your recommended SSRI dosage. I would recommend contacting the doctor who prescribed you the SSRI and inform them of your last dosage of Oxycontin and ask them about potential serotonin syndrome as a result.

If you are experiencing panic attacks/GAD symptoms, the SSRI, cognitive behavioral therapy, or both, is likely your best option. However, contacting your doctor for peace of mind wouldn't be so bad. Good luck!

[mjayster]

Thanks for the reply, I want to go back on SSRIs but I am really afraid ill get serotonin syndrome again, im in a different city now and not in contact with those past doctors or remember what SSRI it was, from what I remember my doctor telling me there shouldn't be an interaction between ixycontin and SSRIs. I guess im a little worried my mind is now somehow predisposed to serotonin sspyndrome no matter what ssri I take, im also concerned about the affects it could have on my stomach as I get diarreah often. The problem with my family doctor is that she isn't approachable at all, so I cant really talk to her in detail as she rushes you out of her office, although I did ask her for SSRIs fairly recently but stopped after a week because I felt some buzzing n my head and got scared of serotonin syndrome coming back and possibly dying from it. The problem is im In a very small city and there aren't many psychiatrists/psychologists to talk to about this sort of thing. So if I want SSRIs I can go back to my family doctor and ask for them again but there won't be any counselling involved.

[dsmguy21]

Hello Jason

This is also my first post on this forum, but I have been reading posts for some time. I have suffered for anxiety for many years and am currently working towards my MSC in clinical psychology. Although I am not qualified to offer medical advice yet, I can offer you my opinion based on expierience/clinical education. It seems you may have some sort of sensitivity to serotonin syndrome, if it has happened to you twice, I would greatly caution against resuming dosage without the consultation of your physician, as some individuals are indeed more predisposed to it. I have also taken SSRI's numerous times (Zoloft and Celexa), but have found they gave me some adverse effects so right now I am not on them. As well, have you been evaluated by a psychiatrist for your symptoms of paranoia and seeing things? It is possible there is another condition at work here (seeing things is not a typical anxiety symptom, and I would really recommend you report that symptom to a psychiatrist because could be indicative of something more serious).

I think the best course of action for you is to contact your doctor and get his/her opinion. Your doctor can help you sort the medication and the symptoms out, and can get you on the right path in terms of managing your anxiety. Hopefully this was helpful for you.
 
Good luck and let us know how things work out for you...

[armygirl53]

I did a bit of research on serotonin syndrome after reading your post and found that combining opioids/opiates and antidepressants (SSRIs) could definitely cause serotonin syndrome. If you Google "serotonin syndrome drug combinations" you could pull up several lists of interactive drugs that could trigger the condition.

To put your mind at ease even more, you could purchase at-home drug tests (specifically those for opioids/opiates) to see if the drug is still in your system prior to taking SSRIs again. If it is no longer traceable in your system, you should be okay to take SSRIs without experiencing serotonin syndrome.

If you take cautious measures, you should have nothing to worry about. Serotonin syndrome isn't just going to happen if you are taking your prescribed dose of the SSRI and not taking other medications such as Oxycontin or Tramadol with the SSRI. If counseling is not an available option where you are at, SSRIs might be necessary for you to function properly. I would recommend consulting your family doctor about returning to SSRIs for treatment. Make certain to mention your experience with serotonin syndrome and make her aware of any other medications you are currently taking or have taken in the past month or so. Do NOT let her rush you out of her office and make sure she consults you properly prior to leaving.

Also, as for the diarrhea as a potential side effect, think of it as a give and take situation: is living with constant anxiety worth it? Sometimes, we must trade one condition in for another, but I would certainly take occasional diarrhea over terrible anxiety any day. The side effects of SSRIs could be troubling (i.e. - headaches, nausea, etc.) but are also minimal in comparison to the overwhelming anxiety that is being treated by the medication.

[mjayster]

Thanks for the advise, I dont think it would still be in my system as this occurred about three years ago. Your post is very helpful in overcoming my fear of ssris, thank you.

[dsmguy21]