Social anxiety symptoms and conditions

I was literally in tears when I found this site and read all of your posts. It was as if I was reading something I HAD WRITTEN. Having just returned from getting a CT scan of my head, I started researching "causes of severe headaches not related to migraines" and lo and behold this site popped up in my search. What caught my attention was the word "Mirena". Up until today I had never even considered that all of the issues I have been having since the birth of my daughter in August 2008, were in any way related to Mirena. When my daughter was about 2 months old (after my 8 week check up and insertion of the implant) I became extremely moody, sad, social anxiety kicked in, I cried for no reason, had no desire to talk to anyone, not even my husband - VERY unlike my personality. After talking to my doctor it was determined I had post partum depression so I was prescribed zoloft. Didn't work. Was still irritable and lethargic but maternity leave was up so I went back to work. I was exhausted, couldn't process my thoughts, was constantly dizzy and had blurred vision and it was all attributed to the "baby schedule (nightly feedings, no solid sleep, adjusting to schedule, etc.). My mood swings were out of control and it got to the point that I even through a knive (albeit a butter knife) at my husband. I began seeing a psychiatrist who determined I had mild bipolar disorder so he put me on medication for that. It has helped some but still doesn't control my crying spells or occasional outbursts. Recently I was so dizzy that I saw my ENT doctor who said I had vertigo. I was prescribed something for that. Still, I am dizzy and feel off balance. Most recently, I have had severe, severe, severe headaches and though there is a great possibility it is a viral issue, I was ordered to have blood drawn and to obtain a CT scan. Nothing much revealed so we set an appointment to see an neurologist next week. So, because of the worry over it, I started doing an internet search and her I am. Reading these posts brought on an overwhelming sadness because my poor family has had to endure my wrath for past 12 months. I am so angry that I didn't see this sooner and moreso that their !@#@#$% side effects didn't list ANY OF THESE discussed here. Additionally, my hair has been falling out in clumps and I can't seem to lose weight despite my 1500 calorie diet and exercise.
I made an appointment TODAY to have it removed. If I could yank it out myself I would. Thank you all for your posts. You may have just saved my marriage and my life.

severe short term memory loss, notable irritability and aggression. I've been on 1-2mg a day for a year now and prior to that I was on .5mg a day with memory loss issues even then. If anything, I'd say the higher the dose, the higher the aggression, lethargy, confusion, and irritability are. Also I have blurred vision but since I am on adderall, that tends to go away shortly after I take it. For me the side affects outweigh the risks...Klonopin slows my racing thoughts and practically erases my overwhelming social anxiety and panic. I also have very, very few intense panic attacks anymore, maybe twice a year? This sure beats twice a day...With school it is hard, I am a senior in college and the memory thing is quite the frustration. But, like I said before, it outweighs the risks to take this drug. I also used to be a drug addicts and have had no issue with abusing this drug. I respect its limitations for it resects me by helping me, literally. Hope this helps.- H. in South Florida.

I went online tonight to see if I could find a connection between the severe tooth and gum pain I've been experiencing and Singulair - the only prescription drug I'm on. What a revelation! I am so angry! My teeth are sore, my gums are red and receding, my bite has changed, and I'm grinding my teeth. I know its the Singulair! Now I am also wondering about the worsening social anxiety and isolation I've been experiencing. I'm off this poison forever and going back to herbal remedies. Have I ever been a fool!

Hello, PLEASE HELP

I've recently taken doxycycline for about a week. I have suffered anxiety,depression off this medication. I'm taking paxil also right now. Can someone PLEASE tell me how long before this stuff is out of my system?

Thank You!!

I have only been on Budeprion for a week so I don't know if I am experiencing side effects or not. Yesterday I had hot flashes and dizzy spells, but I attributed them to the warm weather. I've had chronic dry mouth/throat which I heard is a side effect. I've also noticed that my hands have been cold and kinda sweaty, and today they feel pretty numb. I started taking this because I have been battling depression, smoking, and social anxiety for a long time and decided it was time to seek medical assistance. Yesterday I went out and had a good time, but afterwards I had a big panic attack...the first one in months! I think it's too soon to attribute this to the Budeprion XL. They said it could take over a month for it to build up in my system/take effect. Has anyone else had similar experiences?

It is hard to tell what side effects come from which med but after reading other peoples experiences I think that its easier to put my finger on. I have been taking Lamictal and Lexapro since last spring/summer. I started to feel a lot better as soon as I started the Lamictal. I have a history of being severely depressed all the time. It has been a long road in search of the correct combo of meds. We added Lexapro and I got even better. I was on Wellbutrin and Topamax before this and it was too much drugs in my system causing loads of anxiety. I heard Topamax makes you Dopey so I was happy to get off that. I don't notice Lamictal doing the same thing. I think clearly now, but I do have trouble crying - which is fine with me. I am so sick of fucking crying everyday. Aren't you??? The whole point of treatment is to increase the quality of life and These drugs have definitely helped me to be happy which is all I care about. However, I do still wonder what I would feel like without them. It is tempting to stop once you feel this good. Why cant i just be able to feel this good naturally. WHY WHY WHY .

Holy crap this website is depressing! Paxil is not all bad people! I've been on it for 1.5 years. I'm a 24 yr old female. I take it for social anxiety and panic attacks. It takes about 3-4 months for your body to adjust to taking it. You are likely to experience MINOR side effects. I had a lot of sweating, tiredness and HAPPINESS. Yes, I was really happy...its an anti-depressant after all. After that you might be a little more tired than you use to, but other than that it is fine. You can't quit cold turkey, you have to be weaned off of it...just like you will be gradually put on it. I take 30 mg a day, but started at 10 the first couple weeks. Don't get freaked out because of all the bad reviews on here. Everyone just wants a place to whine about their bad experiences and how horrible their life is. Paxil cured my panic attacks and my anxiety. I feel so much better. I think so much more clearly and I don't constantly worry about what everyone thinks of me. Would recommend paxil to a friend.

Nausea is the only side effect I have noticed after taking 300 mg of Wellbutrin for over three years now. The nausea is worst in the morning, after I take the pill. My stomach feels very acid, like I just drank a pot of coffee with no breakfast. It usually gets better if I eat something, although not always.
For the first few years, I also experienced decreased appetite - no complaints there! I lost weight, but this year I regained it. Not sure if the appetite suppression effect wore off, or if this year has just been really stressful for me.
I also found it impossible to smoke cigarettes - they tasted nasty. Another good side effect for me.
Overall, Wellbutrin has helped me with depression and social anxiety. Best of all, I have absolutely no sexual side effects, unlike with every other antidepressant I have tried.

I have been on wellbutrin for about 4-5 years.I thought it was a God send..I was feeling so good and had so much energy at first..then recently Im having a lot of memory loss..thought it was due to getting older,kinda normal..but it has gotten so bad..I cant even remember what I had for dinner,or remember names,or even a conversion,Im having I just forget it in the middle of talking to someone,I cant even read,seems like I read the same sentence over and over...Its gotten to the point my family members,including my own kids are noticing it,I feel like Im dumb,or not even capable of anything anymore.I have gone cold turkey as of Dec.31st..I hope I can have my memory return...I even got so scared,I had an MRI on my brain..thats how bad I am.but it came back normal.....what can I do?..I also suffer form hair loss..I have short hair to begin with,I hurts when people just stare at your thin spots,and know what there thinking.
mgd761

I took Lexapro for about a year and it worked wonderfully for me for about 6 months. It stabilized my moods and helped with my social anxiety. Then I felt like it wasn’t working anymore so my doctor took me off it. We tried something else, got zero results, so I switched back. Again, it worked fabulously for awhile, then stopped. We did the switch again, went back to it, and same thing. This became a nuisance so I’ve gone off and am trying something new but maybe you’ll have more permanent results. I would recommend it for sure. I did have the decreased sex drive though. It literally diminished to nothing, but I'm told that's common with anti-depressants. I also had headaches but I can't swear that to the Lexapro. I would definitely recommend this drug for social anxiety, depression, or bi-polar. I don’t know about other uses for it so can’t give an opinion.

I have been taking the generic form of Wellbutrin (social anxiety with a touch of ADHD) for just over six months and as much as I hate to admit it, I believe that the bad is finally, convincingly, outweighing the good.
The good things that came along with 150mg of the SR every morning at 11:00: Weight loss (but only after an initial one month period of eating every form or carbohydrate I could find), it seems to brighten the whites of my otherwise cloudy eyes, helped me maintain conversations with people that I would have normally cut off early, and possibly--but only possibly--helps me focus (although the hyper focus that I used to get via the ADHD is gone. Completely. Non-existent.)
Which brings me to the bad: This goes against most of what I've read other people experience on Wellbutrin but lethargy has set in. And it feels like it's here to stay. It's not really a sedated lethargy but more of a false contentment that everything is just fine the way it is. No progression, no improvement, and looking to the future is almost impossible through the fog. I too, during the first two or three weeks, had the speedy, productive reaction to the medication. But that has subsided. Next, hair loss has become a concern. I'm in my thirties and it could be just how it goes but I truly doubt it. Mild constipation may seem bearable but I miss regularity more than I have time to describe. Ringing in the ears. Impaired memory. Confusion. Forgetfulness to a fault. Mild hives on the back. Irritability. A marked shortness of breath. After one month on Wellbutrin, I could barely run a mile on the treadmill when I've been accustomed to flying through three to five with ease. I feel weak, vulnerable even. Working out has therefore fallen to the wayside. And last, but probably the worst, this medication has seemed to cultivate a serious craving for other drugs. I can't explain it but I can't take it anymore either.
Like most people on a medication, I have read numerous posts and some people share some of my concerns but mostly, it seems that the people who report in are the speedy folks on day two or week two. That is, in my opinion, only a bit helpful, since these effects are usually short-lived. Wellbutrin started out with promise but while parts of me look into the mirror and see an improvement, underneath it all, I know that it is purely a nicely dressed form of prescribed avoidance.
I haven't posted this to discourage anyone. If it works for you--great. Really. But I also haven't read anyone's experience that matched my own so I figured it might help someone who is going through any of the same. Good luck.

I have been on Celexa (citalopram) for about 13 months. I took it at night, starting with 10mg and over time worked up to 60mg which is the max. dose. My doctor switched me to Lexapro and then Cymbalta to see if they worked better, but eventually I ended up back on Celexa, that seemed to be best. I did gain about 35 pounds on it, though and was still going, along with absolutely NO sex drive whatsoever. When my husband could finally coax me into it, I couldn't orgasm at all. I finally begged him to even stop trying, the attempts seemed to annoy me. This wasn't me, so I slowly tried weaning off of it. First down to 40, then 20, then 10.

so here's my question: I've been completely off of it for 3 days now and I'm still feeling dizzy, lightheaded, have indigestion, headaches, etc. The other times I was off of it, I went right on another med, so I didn't seem to notice the side effects. Anyone who has been taken off of Celexa, PLEASE respond and let me know how long these awful effects last? I have a 2 year old I have to care for and she doesn't understand why mommy feels "woozy" all the time.

Hi everyone,
I cannot live without xanax and its terrible, I have been on them for 5 months and have tried to stop them and its a nightmare. I suffer memory loss, have blackouts that I do not remember what I have said after a few drinks. It does help ease the social anxiety. But I have become moody, sleepy. . Does anyone else have these problems?

5 months Singulair free,yesterday was Matts first day of high school,his first day of regular school in 2 years as he could not leave the house or cope with out panic and fear.7am he awoke by himself and got ready for school,the only thing i saw in his eyes was excitement,he left the house smiling.While he was gone i passed and worried waiting for the phone to ring in case he needed me ,watching the clock and wondering how his day was. he arrived home at 2 thirty still smiling,i asked him how his day was he said fine, i asked him what they did he said nothing ,lol all is good ,thank you thank you thank you

I've been on 300 mg's of Lamcital since last December. Great drug, really helps my mania get under control. Lithium wasn't cutting it for me with my depression, in fact the side effects were making me even more depressed. My pdoc decided to try out Geodon (at 100 mg's). In the most part, it has been great. I feel alive and like myself again for the first time in years. But...
I wonder if making me so stable has also given my mind way to much time to over- analyze what I see and do. I see things out of the corner of my eye all of the time. I had something appear right in front of me the other day. I can no longer sleep past seven in the morning. And I have three facial twitches: my lower lip, the arc in my left eyebrow and the very top of my forehead where the first of my hair follicles start on my widow's peak. Those drive me nuts.
I am also on 40 mg's of Propranolol (Anderall) and Cytomel for my thyroid. For having such a severe case of BP, it's nice to be on so few medications. Geodon has been a lifesaver and has given me back my creativity and my marriage. I'll take seeing things and facial twitches any day for those.

I have been on birth control since I was 16 due to severe cramps during that time of the month. I have been on several different kinds. They placed me on Yasmin about 3 yrs ago. I thought that was the best one that I had ever been on until I went off of it. I have been off of Yasmin for about 2 1/2 months, since then I have developed anxiety, panic attacks, depression, with racing thoughts. I have contacted my OBGYN who said that this would not be a side effect. I have to say that everyone's body is different. I would like to know if anyone else has experienced any of these symptoms and if so how long will I feel like this?

My daughter who just turn 7 has been on and off Zyrtec for the past 6 months. This last time it finally clicked... She was on it for about 3-4 weeks and I notice her mood changed and she was now very angry at anything and started hitting her sibblings and throwing things at me out of anger. She also was waking up at night either with bad dreams, or couldn't sleep. My husband and I realized that this all started about the time we put her back on Zyrtec. Two days ago, I took her off it and the next day she was an "Angel" compared to before. WOW what a difference. I did notice today (day two) she was sneezing more and didn't feel as well physically. So we are not out woods yet.

She also has been taking Singular for several years and I have been reading more about that medicine as well. I am not sure if needs to be taken off that yet, and will do an experiment. The timing isn't the best since school starts in just two weeks, but it might be worth it to have a happy child again.

On a side note, last year in school, they diagnosed her as having social anxiety. She is "extremely" shy and closed off in school. It would take her hours to do her homework which should have taken about 30 min. I am curious if stopping singular would help clear her head and make her less anxious. (She was on Zyrtec as well during that time).

This would be such an answer to prayer if it works. My two sons are so much happier than my daughter and I always wondered why. This may be the answer!

Ive recently started taking zoloft for anxiety..just started on the 50 mg today after 4 days of 25 mg. The first two days were awful for me...intense headaches, feeling sick, nausea, tired, constant yawning, jaw ache from clenching and grinding my teeth. This is my 5th day and i am restless, i cant focus on study and keep putting it off. I am so tired i feel i could sleep through the entire week. my vision is slightly blurry...but not so bad i cant see the computer screen, however my typing is really bad...that may be due to the restlessness and agitation.
I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, even if it's only been 5 days im not too sure why zoloft was prescribed for me when its more for depression and social anxiety. Today in the car i felt really panicky, and i thought i could just fall asleep at the wheel or have a heart attack because my heart beat has felt even faster than before. If these side effects go away in a few weeks and i can be reassured i will start to feel better and happier and less anxious then i will continue them. However my university assignments are going to be really poor.

My son is 8 and he has been on singulair for at least three years, maybe four. When I heard about the side effects a few weeks ago, I stopped his medication right away. I have since learned that it should be tapered off, but won't put him back on to do that. He had so many of the depression, I hate myself, everybody hates me, facial tic, stomach ache symptoms . . . Now he is almost two weeks off of singulair and he is throwing screaming fits, kicking, threatening, uncontrollable for up to two hours and more! Is this a side effect of coming off of the medication? Has anyone else had this experience? Please email me at amy-weaver4@sbcglobal.net - I'd really like to hear if anyone else has experienced these symptoms. Thank you! Amy

My son, who is now 12, has been taking singulair since he was in the first grade. He has always been emotional and we just figured that was his personality. A few years ago, I stopped his medication because his personality changed. He was extremely irritable and not happy. Once I stopped the medication he returned to his happy go lucky self. In November of 2007 I started him on the medication again after the doctor telling me it could not be Singulair that was causing his change in behavior. My son is an honor student, very active and has always liked school. In December he described having feelings in the morning at school and in speaking with his counselor, we thought he was having some type of social anxiety. He refused to go to school and he was grumpy and was crying very easily -something we had not experienced for several years. He was not himself and we blamed it on his maturing and the change from elementary to middle school. When I read the article about singular last week, I immediately took him off of Singulair without telling him anything. He went back to school on Monday and when he came home I asked him about the feelings he usually had every single day. He told me he did not have them that day. The next day I checked again and he did not have them again. He is also very calm and very much like his old self. There is a connection with Singulair and his problems. Singulair is probably a beneficial drug for many patients and many patients probably do not experience side effects, but it apparently can effect others severely. When prescribed, doctors should monitor children to make sure it is not having a negative effect and parents should be well informed by the doctor upon receiving a prescription of Singulair.

When I saw this story on in the news I could not believe it. My 9 year old has been taking this for 2 years and has had all of the problems I have read with other children. We too were told it was add or ocd or bipolar or some other
medical term. Never once was this one and only medication questioned.
I cried when I realized I had been torchering him with this allergy pill.
He has been off of it for 4 days now and says he " feels like a brand new me"
He is happy, fun, interested in everything and no more headaches or stomach pain, or depression.

Please take your child off of this medicine if you are not sure and contact your MD. Listen to your child and your instinct as a parent.

Hi I'm 20 years old and i've been on Singulair for at least 6 years (seems like forever) since i was about 14/15 (around the time i started Singulair!!!!) i have been developing severe anxiety. social anxiety, and just random panic attacks. for the past 1 1/2 years i have had at least 1 panic attack a day. Most of my days i am in a complete fog and cannot focus on anything, and seeing that i have a one year old to take care of this is NOT good. i just stopped taking the Singulair completely the day i heard the news about its negative side effects- so now I'm clutching to my inhaler all day just in case until i can get to my PCM to get a safer medication!

i am really shocked to hear this news about Singulair, i never would have considered that this could be causing my daily anxiety. It could be completely unrelated but i really hope this is at least a large portion of my issue since no medication other than tranquilizers have ever helped me.

I have been on Topamax for a little over a year. I've had most of the side effects; tingling, numbness in the fingers, dry mouth, forgetfulness, and weight loss - love the weight loss. All the side effects have sort of slowed down as I've been on the medication longer. The weight loss has slowed and I've even began to get my appetite back- I'm afraid I'm going to start gaining weight now! I've lost about 40 pounds and I needed to lose it, so that was wonderful. I've had a very hard time losing weight all my life so this was wonderful.

I was addicted to Coca Cola and this med also helped me kick that habit because I lost my taste for the carbonation.

Does anyone know if the weight loss usually evens out after about a year or a year and a half? I need to lose about 30 more pounds and was hoping that I would continue losing weight!

Anyway, I was on the Topamax for headaches and it has completely helped that! It has truly been a God-send for me. Other than monthly hormone headaches, I don't get migraines hardly at all!

I am wondering about having my doc up my dosage for the weight loss aspect????

I had trouble with my vision, sweating more than usual, mania and then about 4 days after my dose was increased to 150mg from 75mg I I suffered from blackouts, confusion, suicidal thoughts, suicidal actions which resulted in a stand off with the police. I have been in and out of the mental hospital for the past month until I refused to take anymore anti depressants and became stable on my own. I still have some panic attacks and nightmares which I have never had before in my life. I would advise any one who is prescribed this medication to report all side effects they are experiencing to their doctor because once you start blacking out it's too late for you reach out for help. I will never take another drug that interferes with the chemicals in my brain and am seeking counsiling to deal with my social anxiety disoder rather than taking meds.

I'm so glad I found this site. I, too, thought I was going mad. I had a baby 7 weeks ago, and have been on the nuvaring for 7 days. A few days ago, I started experiencing social anxiety, severe insecurities, crying at the drop of a hat, depression, severe nausea. I felt like everyone at the grocery store was staring at me. I found myself snooping through my husband's phone because I was convinced that he was having an affair. I'm a normally happy and confident person. When my tennis team asked me to lunch, I felt like it was only to be nice and that they secretely hope I won't go. I am feeling like a burden to everyone in my life. So, I took it out last night. Had great experience prior to having baby with the copper-t iud b/c of no hormonal side effects and it lasts 10 yrs. My husband is going to get a vasectomy, but I guess we'll use condoms until he's cleared with that. Thanks for listening.