Mark Nelson said:Man, you really went through the ringer, didn't you?😢
As far as side effects go, when I first started Seroquel, I broke out in this nasty rash that was itching like crazy. My doctor tried to tell me it wasn't from the Seroquel, but honestly, the timing felt way too perfect for it to be anything else. Eventually, the itching cleared up, so I just kept going with the Seroquel.
I've been on psych meds on and off since July 2011—so about three years total, give or take.
I originally started on Quetiapine to deal with some depersonalization and derealization issues. It helped a bit, and I ended up doing group therapy too.
Around month three of last year, I ended up hospitalized with an F23.2 diagnosis. I actually had to switch psychiatrists because my old one works in pediatric psych, and they wouldn't admit me there since they only take patients up to 18, and I was already 19.
Since I live in NYC, I ended up being treated over at the Brooklyn facility.
While I was there, I was on a cocktail of Haldol, Zyprexa, and Cogentin... along with a ton of dose adjustments that would be way too much of a headache to list out right now. These days, I'm taking Lopomin, Seroquel, Lamictal, and Lorazepam.
So yeah, that's my messy little history with meds and treatment..
Do you have any actual advice on how to beat panic attacks and anxiety? 🙂
I definitely struggled... honestly, at the start of my treatment, I had all these urinary issues—constant trips to the bathroom. It wasn't enough to make me lose my mind, but there were no infections either. My blood pressure shot through the roof, but the doctors didn't even blink. Then Zyprexa sent my blood sugar soaring. As for myself, I felt totally disconnected; walking down the street, I couldn't even process things like cars passing by. It was a mental fog I'll never forget. My memory was shot—I couldn't concentrate, couldn't even read properly—I basically hit total amnesia. I lost my period for a good year, then my right hand just stopped working, shaking like a leaf. It was pure horror; more harm than good at times. I had derealization, though that subsided quickly. Regarding that rash you mentioned, it's almost certainly from the pills, but your doctor will never admit it. I learned that the hard way—my own doctor tried telling me certain side effects weren't caused by the meds, but they were. I know my body better than they do, whether I'm on them or off, but of course, they don't want to scare us. I was put on Paxil for anxiety, and my god, I couldn't even get out of bed. My head was buzzing, depression was clawing at me, and my appetite vanished. I couldn't handle it, so I switched to Effexor. That was better, but for two solid months, I felt this constant lump in my throat 24/7, along with nausea. So yeah, I have a bad history with these pills. For anxiety, you really have to train your mind—stay active, try to think positively. It isn't easy, obviously, because it's wired into us. You have to face the fear, and once you realize nothing actually happened, you start seeing things more realistically. And whatever is eating at you, let it out. Don't bottle it up; that's what triggers the attacks.