Panic Disorders :: Xanax Damage Derealization


Mar 24, 2014

I had my first panic attack 6 years ago, shortly after graduation from college, at 23 years old , in May 2008 and they became more and more frequent in the subsequent weeks. I did not have health insurance and opted to not go to the hospital. Eventually I became a hermit in my room, waking up in terror all night, not being able to breathe. My girlfriend at the time was seeing a psychiatrist and I finally went. She diagnosed me with panic disorder and depression, based on a dysfunctional childhood. She put me on Xanax .25 to .5 mg as needed. This drug was a miracle for me and I was quite ignorant six years ago in relation to health and meds. I was finally able to breathe again and live, until I woke up with constant urinary urgency that did not stop for several years, throughout this period I had 0 panic attacks, as I was in constant pain. Medication only made it worse, the only thing that helped me survive was Xanax. I never abused it. I was on and off every ssri and bladder pill on the market and tried everything from silver water to bee pollen. Nothing ever worked for the ic or prostatitis and doctors gave up on my chance for recovery. Through the years on my own, I found relief, but the anxiety increased as did the Xanax slowly. I moved to sc three years ago and quit smoking lost 50 lbs once I started to run 15 to 20 miles a week, and began to take classes in nutrition in my leisure time, getting rid of the fast food and substituting it with organic produce and juicing, after many years in constant pain I have become obsessed with learning the error of my ways. I started on my own tapering my Xanax and bladder pills, at the time I was on a combine 15 prescriptions, and now I am on two, Xanax and elmiron for the bladder, and I am reducing them. I started to have brain for, or derealization about two years ago in the midst of my health search. I can barely feel emotion, kind of like I am not alive, I can barely remember getting to work once I am there, I put on this smile and have been faking it for a long time. Life has lost all feeling. If I take a Xanax it gets a little better, as in I just do not care. I feel like a machine and sometimes I feel like I cannot take it. I am down to .125 mg to .25mg of Xanax a day and have started some herbs like st johns wort and kava, but am so fatigued and brain fogged Is the Xanax causing this? Or the withdrawal due to my tapering? Or is it the Anxiety? I cannot get any real answers from the doc, as he just wants to give me more chemicals, the only thing U S doctors do these days. Any experience this would my very helpful. How can I awake from this fog and feel alive again? How long will it take?

Any help would be much appreciated! I am a 29 year old male, 145lbs. I exercise regularly and have a very healthy diet.

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Cannabis Addiction :: Derealization, Slow Heart Rate And Panic Attacks

So basically it all started a few months ago back when i had a terrible panic attack on weed. I smoked a blunt with a friend, i don't know whether the weed was laced or anything, but my friend seemed perfectly alright so i don't think it had anything in it. I thought i was going to die, my heart beat really fast, i felt sick and i thought i was going to be insane for the rest of my life. The next day after the panic attack i felt slightly weird and a bit paranoid when i woke up in the morning. I then went to work as usual and i realized that something was a bit off. I didn't know back than that it was probably derealization. Anyway two days after my experience everything was fine and i didn't waste to many thoughts on my experience. Until about two and a half months later...

It was pretty much a stressful time period in my life and i worked quite a bit. I didn't touch anything after that experience, but one day after work and a work out at the gym i had a bad panic attack which was sort of like a flashback to my experience as well. It hit me when i was walking in a park at nighttime and i felt very bad for an hour. Eventually it wore off and I went to sleep that night. The next day i was thinking about what i had experienced the last night, but i thought i might have been just really tired or didn't eat enough. The next days i had small attacks which were bad, but didn't concern me too much, but little did i know that i was getting a flu. During my flu which lasted a week the derealization hit me again. All the lights were really bright and i felt in a dream like state. Those feelings eventually passed with the flew after about 2 weeks. 

A few weeks back from now i had another big panic attack which also felt a bit like my first panic attack on weed, so i guess it was sorta like a flashback. At that point i didn't know what was happening to me. Why was i always getting these attacks?? Did the weed trigger something or am i psychotic now?? I was really afraid to go insane and lose my mind. I was researching about schizophrenia and how panic attacks/derealization are a common symptom of it. I felt constantly like i was drunk/high, i had long after images, objects were breathing when i looked at them, lights were always too bright, everything felt unreal like in a video game. This made me feel really anxious all the time and i think this got me deeper into the derealization. The panic attacks have passed, but until now which has been probably about 2 months with more or less derealization i don't know what to do. I don't know how it got triggered, whether i do have a ptsd from my weed panic attack which i have to think of very often these days as i see it as the point where everything started. I am constantly worrying about losing my mind and don't know what to do. Do you think i might have a psychosis or is it more a ptsd or a anxiety disorder? Please let me have your thoughts.

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I would like to hear from someone about taking paxil and xanax for panic attacks.

I would like to hear the pros and cons.

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About two years ago on Christmas due to high blood pressure I lost little pieces of my right eye it hasn't come back Since then the doctor said it's ocular nerve damage does anybody think surgery or anything will make it come back

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Sleep Disorders :: Xanax Alternatives

Long story short- I wake up after two hours of sleep and CANNOT get back; the feeling is awful and I'm like a zombie all day, not really alive, if you know what I mean.

About three years ago my doctor gave me Xanax, 2mg. They made me sleep through the night. Those pills saved my life. A friend of mine uses them as well, for over ten years for sleep.

At first I was scared to take more than one every few days. When I told my doctor he asked why I didn't just take them every night? I was afraid of becoming an addict. He said, "You gotta sleep, just take them whenever you need." So I take them every night. Life is great, they're only $4.00 a month from express Scripts.

Now they stopped working. Just like that. I'm told that happens, you build up an immunity or whatever. I have a program I set up myself to wean myself off of them- taking a .25 piece off every four weeks.

My doctor gave me something called Trazodone (50mg), that I'm supposed to take along with the Xanax until I'm completely free. It's uncomfortable as hell, but nothing like 'monkey's crawling on my back' or anything.

OK- to the question: What alternatives are there to Xanax? This Trazodone is NOT doing anything.

Is there anything that anyone's tried that I can take to sleep without it killing me by taking it with Xanax?

If I wean myself off of Xanax can the process be started over with Xanax, and maybe last another three years? I'm in complete zombie mode coming off Xanax from lack of sleep.

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Eating Disorders :: Getting Panic Attacks Due To Eating

I am a 21 year old female, I am 5'3 and weigh around 103-104lb (7 stone 5-6lb).

I used to be just under 10 stone a few years ago and crash dieted to lose the weight. I wanted to be 9 stone, then 8 and a half, then 8, then I was happy bouncing between 7.10-7.12 for a few months. But recently it has dropped, I was fine at 7 and a half, but as it's gone down I've wanted it to stay down. I weigh myself everyday before eating/drinking. If my weight is at 7.5 I'm not too bad, but jf it js at 7.6 I panic that I'm getting fat and will keep gaining. I try not to eat until my evening meal, which I always make sure I have, though sometimes end up snacking before if I start to feel too hungry. I have 2 cups of tea a day with 2 sugars in each to try and suppress my hunger. I also worry that when I start eating, I won't stop. Sometimes I will have a big takeaway, medium pizza all to myself, continue eating it even if it hurts, and then half an hour after, continue eating. I never make myself sick/take laxatives and wouldn't, but I sometimes try not to eat all day in case I lose control and keep eating and eating. I have anxiety/depression/ocd issues anyway and I'm worried I may have some sort of eating disorder too.

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Anxiety :: Really Bad Derealization

I have had a very hard time for about 3 months from derealisation and anxiety that I got from exam stress but I can't help but think I have a problem with my heart. I get strong heart beats, flutters and tightness and occasional chest pain and despite constant reassurance from doctors that it is absolutely fine I still think it isn't in good shape. I am scared to go out for jogs because of my fear and the one time I went the gym to get my mind clear my heart was pounding but i'm still unsure if that's due to me worrying about it in the back of my mind. My derealisation had got better but then goes really bad which worsens my anxiety. I do have good days but I mainly have bad ones , I am also having strange thoughts about reality which is making me feel crazy, am I going crazy?, I'm only 17 and I just want to be back to my old self before going through all this.

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I used to suffer from panic attacks but don't really get them no more (only after alcohol)... 3 nights ago I did drink (a lot) and I had the classic panic symptoms but not the actual attack... The reason why I didn't have the actual attack was (I think) I took a friend's anxiety pills (propranolol) I had 1 x 10 mg two days ago and 1x10mg yesterday I havnt took one today because they haven't helped me at all... now I'm just stuck with (what I can describe) just the build up to a panic attack but no panic... I feel I have butterflies constantly in my stomach from worry but I don't know what I am worried about... I feel like this feeling will never go and that there is nothing that can help me has anybody ever experienced this? Also I am aware (now) of the dangers of taking unprescribed drugs I only did this because I felt this was my only option. I only took two pills I should be ok to stop taking the propranolol right?

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4.12.2012 I smoked ak-47 and it was just awesome. But I freaked out a little and it got me depersonalization and derealization. Depersonalization is almost insensible. And derealization - I think I've already been feeling like this,  in childhood.

I also smoked weed in 21.12. and 31.12.. It was not as awesome as it used to be, while high, I was little scared that I might stay in dr forever.

Sucks. I have not visited psychiatrist yet, I'm going to do this month. I really don't think it's any bad (while reading other's stories, I must say my story is peaceful towards theirs'), I don't have panic attacks or anxiety (just ordinary problems such as school). It's just dr/dp.

Okay, I expect it will take up to 2 months before I will be completely healthy.

Will I ever be able to smoke weed again? (and not getting into those dr/dp things)

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I felt something in my eye I rubbed my eye it went away then I started freaking out thinking it was a bug because my head started hurting now I think the bug is eating my brain lol or something crazy I know and now I have bad derealization which is scaring me.

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Cannabis Addiction :: Cure To My Derealization / Depersonalization?

I'm 16 years old. I only smoked weed from the middle of September to November 28th and since I quit I've had some withdrawal symptoms: headaches (went away), sleepiness throughout the day (still there), insomnia (I got this like a week and a half ago and I'm pretty sure this is over now), depression (still there), short term memory loss (this just came about a week and a half ago and it's still there), & anxiety/derealization/depersonalization (still there and is the worst of it all)

From a lot of what I read a lot people who go through derealization from weed had experienced derealization while high, never touched it since, and then go through derealization sober (because their brain is still "scared"; that's just my thought on this). I feel like what happened was that a "switch" was turned on in my brain from too much weed, and smoking (just a little bit) again and getting a good, pleasant high would turn that switch off and basically tell my brain that everything's ok as long as I don't overdo it (my panic attack came from smoking WAY too much good weed at once). It makes sense to me but I wanted other opinions on this

Now I know you're probably thinking this is stupid, but I just don't think that since I only smoked for 2 1/2 months I should still have derealization after almost a month and a half of being sober. Now it has gotten better in the past 45 days; I've even seen an improvement since New Years but this is taking a huge toll on me. Now for the reason I say weed could possibly be my cure: From what I understand about DP/DR, it's something that "gains it's power" from worrying about it. And I know when I smoke weed I forget all the BS.

Then again I feel like weed could possibly make things worse than they already are and I don't wanna make these past 45 days wasted time and end up back in square 1. I read that it could take 6 months for this to be over but those were cases for 1+ year smokers. Will it still take 6 months for my 2 month use??? And because I still feel this way I feel like I messed up my brain for good. I just want my memory and sense of reality back!!

PS: I'm planning on going back to weed in the future (I'm talking once a month/every other month, maybe every 3 months) so should I start in moderation now or wait 'til everything's over?

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I have had derealization, head pressure numbness, constantly dizzy and at night bright lights are very blurry and bright with halo around them, I have had a couple headaches also, this all started after doing a very heavy weight lifting exercise call deadlifts, ever since then I have had derealization 24 7 along with all the other symptom besides headaches I have had 2 so far, I have been like this for half a year 6 months my worst feeling is the derealization, I feel as if nothing around me is real like I'm in a cartoon and it gives you a spacey dumb feeling, I have natural high blood pressure and was taking creatin while working out maybe I caused a anyresum in my brain that deals with reality perception.

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Can Migraine Permanently Damage Inner Ears?

So for the past 11 months I have been having a number of inner ear related problems (or so I think), but some other neuro problems as well.

It all started from 3 separate exposures to very high decibel noise which left me with a little permanent hearing loss in both ears and major depression.

Though I have not been around intense noise since May, my symptoms have progressed and now I have 'episodes' consisting of mild-moderate vertigo attacks (counterclockwise rotation or a rocking boat sensation), periods of non-disabling imbalance (yet I can have trouble walking), very high or low frequency tinnitus (high pitched squealing or a low pitched rushing sound like the tide), ear pressure, and small bouts of very high or low frequency hearing loss that are usually permanent. These episodes are usually set off by loudish but absolutely safe noises, as well as strenuous exercise and possibly foods.

Though I would think these symptoms describe cochlear hydrops, these are not my only symptoms I experience during said episodes:

1. Headaches that can best be described as an increased pressure sensation, like my head is being blown up. Usually, the headaches begin at the temples accompanying a small hearing loss, then progress into my sinuses where they become painful.
2. Tingling that returns in specific areas of my hands and feet
3. Pressure and 'dullness' behind the eyes, and sides of head (I see perfectly but it's as if my brain dissociates from my visual field)
4. Crackling sounds in my head
5. An infrequent 'fuzzy' and lightheaded feeling in my head and around my neck. Lots of lightheadedness.
6. Almost passing out on a few occasions
7. Occasional visual aura (once it was a blurry spot in vision, another time it was little white specks flashing in both eyes)
8. Brain fog and cognitive problems
9.Feelings of dissociating from the world around me, typically when some hearing goes out.
9. Jaw pain
10. Tight neck and facial muscles
11. Frequent perception that I have a low grade fever
12. Mild nausea
13. Constant fatigue (I'm 21 but I have the energy levels of a 60 year old it seems.)
14. Frequent panic attacks

Anyway, does this long list of symptoms seem to be suggestive of basilar or vestibular migraines?

Relatedly, can migraines cause small degrees of progressive hearing loss, especially in the high frequencies? That's by far my most distressing symptom personally but I cannot find too much literature linking migraine to permanent hearing loss and cochlear symptoms in general.

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Smoking Weed Cause Damage To Your Heart?

Firstly I don't really smoke that much weed only the occasional joint with mates, but yesterday, some gave me a joint, so I had it to myself last night whilst watching some TV, I guess I smoked it all in quick succession (btw it wasn't a joint, it was a bit smaller, but bigger than the average cigarette size) anyways, I felt good after it, got good and funny sensations, like my limbs weight a lot, not being able to move because I was so comfortable, but then it went downhill, all of a sudden I felt my heartbeating, I tried to ignore it, but I guess once you think of something like that, its always in the back of your mind, I felt my heartbeat go crazy, and then I got horrible sensation in my heart area, like it was filling up, felt cold right in my heart then it felt like I was having a heart attack, as in pulsating and shooting pains, I was riving in pain on my couch, I genuinely thought "this is it, I'm going to die" it was the worst thing I've ever felt, after maybe 10 minutes of this unbearable pain, it went away, I thought it was over, I said ok, I better go lie down, big Mistake.

I walked/stumbled from my TV room to my bedroom, I was blind, it was like a headrush, but I literally couldn't see anything it was like being blind, but all I could see was like bright light, it was horrible, I lay down in bed, thinking I was dieing, I was like, I'm going to be like this forever, dizzy and my heart beating irregularly, I'm not going to get out of this, then I thought I was going to be sent to the looney bin, as no one would believe me, I lay down in bed, other strange things happened, I can't really remember then.

But then, the heart pains came back, just as long and as bad as the first time, I thought, I was actually dieing, couldn't get up to call a loved one, as was in too much pain, eventually it subsided, then I heard things like doors slamming, cars and vans driving past my windows, doors being knocked on etc, all at one, getting really really, deafeningly loud, it was weird I knew it was all the noises ever heard in the flat just played at the same time if you get me? I heard other noises as well, but can't remember them.

Then I tried to get to sleep, but the whole time, I was thinking this was a game, my mind was playing with itself, I thought someone maybe dipped the weed in LSD or something (but I don't think so now, as I didn't hallucinate, and its not economically viable for any dealer to dip their stuff in LSD) so anyways, I was thinking it was a game, I also thought if I went to sleep I would go into a coma and die, I was fighting for my life as such, it was so real and surreal at the same time, it truly was the worst experience of my life.

Throughout the course of my "trip" I had the heart pains, and weird noises thing again, and then eventually it wears off, still felt weird, paranoid and horrible, I sat up in my bed, to get some air or something, and said, OK I will watch some stuff on my laptop, I did, then my buzzer rang, I kinda freaked out, I thought it was my landlord, so I was like ohh c**p, but answered it anyways, it was my flatmate who was returning from a holiday, it was such a relief to see him, we went back into the sitting room chatted a bit more, then I went back to my bed to watch stuff on my laptop. I started getting better from there, I had a headache though, I watched a couple more hours of stuff on my laptop til my other flatmate came home, we had a beer (which calmed me down a bit) and watched TV, and went to bed.

I woke up this morning with a blinding headache, still here, I think my heart's still beating fast, but I dunno, I could be still a bit paranoid, but it was definitely beating a million miles an hour the whole of yesterday.

Should I see a dr? - I've had a new outlook on life since this happening to me, I want to do more things with my family (we live in diff countries) and just love my gf and friends more, you know? - I want to start eating healthily as well...

What should I do, can anyone advise?

TL;DR version:

smoked a doob, got high, got paranoid ( i guess ) thought I was having a heart attack, worst thing ive ever experienced, what should I do?

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