I am a 39 year old mother of 2, son 22 & daughter 16, they are great. I was diagnosed w/panic disorder 5 years ago, RIGHT AFTER HAVING GALBLADDER SURGERY. now some say the panic, comes straight from the gut (stomach), as well toxins which come from the adrenals. these studies have been said to be correct in the UK. I know take half of 25mg. of zoloft as well and a total of 0.5mg of ativan daily (in 2 doses/broke in half each dose). i am sleepy all the time. i have no energy at all@! i have tried taking 5HTP 10mg a day, low dosages because I am extremely sensitive to med's. i find the herb 5-HTP has caused me to barley have a heart rate, where as it would beat very slow. although i never took it w/zoloft. i started the herb and took it for 1 week and felt better, yet in the morning after taking it at night i found i would be to tired in the mornings. also, taking the zoloft (its been 4 MONTHS) and i am still tired on such a low dose, and this is why i started tappering off of it and started an herb natural approach. i have been on several SSRI's, Effexor, Paxil and others and they didn't work. actually i took effexor for 2 years it stopped the panic attacks, but raised my blood pressure and cause massive heart palpatations all the day long. i have decided to continue on the zoloft at the low dose my doctor has said, as well find a good natural vegan energy vitamin to help me out with energy as well as i exercise daily. i have had multiple tests done, checked myself into the Mayo clinic, and nothing else seems to be wrong they say. now i find myself not going anywhere alone in fear of panic. i am lost with this. it is worst than ever before since they took me off effexor i am a different person. HELP.
Q: I would like to know if anyone can tell me about serontonin & SSRI's, i am sleepy all ways.
Hello Urs,
I am pasting in a response by Dr Jennifer Fee to another question that I think will help you. You can also read about commonly prescribed medications for panic attacks here in the drugs database. You can also read more about Panic attacks here in the overview. Online sites like Health Central are great for getting the information you need to ask all the right questions of your doctor, but can never take the place of your doctor's sound medical advice.
Good luck and stay in touch!
Vicki M
p.s. Dr Fee's note below
Lexapro is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which is a very fancy way of saying that that the drug helps your brain keep the chemical serotonin to be where it needs to be. More specificially,
1. Our brain works by sending messages from one nerve cell to the next via the release of messengers (neurotransmitters such as serotonin)
2. When one nerve cell releases serotonin, it does not all go to the second nerve cell, the first cell "takes some back," which is called reabsorbtion.
3. Drugs such as Lexapro block this reabsorbtion, allowing more serotonin to be available to the second nerve cell.
No one fully understands how brain chemistry affects anxiety and depression, but it appears that serotonin levels in the brain are important.
So, all SSRIs work the same and have the same potential side effects. However, individual people have different experiences with different SSRIs. You might have unpleasant side effects with one SSRI such as Lexpro, but not another, like say Zoloft. Another person may have a terrible experience with Zoloft, but do great on Prozac. I've even seen people have difficulty with a generic version of an SSRI but not the brand name version. This is all do the variance in the ingredients and in how individuals respond to those ingredients.
So, if you are taking Lexapro and it is not working well for you, don't give up! Go see your Psychiatrist and be very specific about your concerns. A good psychiatrist will work with you to find the right medication and dosage for you.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Jennifer Fee
When I started taking Lexapro it made me immediately sleepy, and then a couple of hours later I wouldn't be able to sleep. It lasted for about a month before my body adjusted to it and while I can feel tired when I take it, it isn't overwhelming anymore.
When I started taking Lexapro it made me immediately sleepy, and then a couple of hours later I wouldn't be able to sleep. It lasted for about a month before my body adjusted to it and while I can feel tired when I take it, it isn't overwhelming anymore.
Hope that helps...
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