IV antibiotics and anxiety...Please respond!!!!

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BleedOrange1968

New member
Has or does anyone else have anxiety attacks when taking alot of antibiotics when of course we are sick?? My shrink(lol) moved me from 60mg of Cymbalta to 120mg and had to call him cause I couldn't <span style="font-family: times new roman,times;">sleep....he said <span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;">sorry<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">but that's why you are not sleeping so he told me to try 90 mg but it is still bad!!I'm taking Xanax but it lowers my breathing a little. Please respond and tell me if your have probs like me and what you do to help? The stress is about to kill me!!

<span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Thanks!!!!! Darryl 44 with CF Middle Tenn
 
B

BleedOrange1968

New member
Has or does anyone else have anxiety attacks when taking alot of antibiotics when of course we are sick?? My shrink(lol) moved me from 60mg of Cymbalta to 120mg and had to call him cause I couldn't <span style="font-family: times new roman,times;">sleep....he said <span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;">sorry<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">but that's why you are not sleeping so he told me to try 90 mg but it is still bad!!I'm taking Xanax but it lowers my breathing a little. Please respond and tell me if your have probs like me and what you do to help? The stress is about to kill me!!

<span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Thanks!!!!! Darryl 44 with CF Middle Tenn
 
M

Melissa75

Administrator
It took me a while to realize the quinolone class of abs (cipro, avelox, levaquin) make me prone to anxiety attacks--something I very very rarely have when off those meds--and they make my sleep wacky.
For me, it helped a lot to simply realize it WAS the antibiotics. (But that's how my head works...if I know the cause, half the worry/stress is gone.)
Also, cut out caffeine while you are on the meds. It is in the drug literature--fine print--that cipro reduces the breakdown of caffeine so it circulates i.e. buzzes through your brain for longer.
I guess I don't really have much advice. Just wanted you to know you're not alone.
Also, in general for anxiety, I find getting moving helps--a walk, a cleaning project whatever. I don't know how your activity level is hindered by your stage of CF or this exacerbation, so take that advice in context. I just feel stillness and being stressed and anxious is the worst.
 
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Melissa75

Administrator
It took me a while to realize the quinolone class of abs (cipro, avelox, levaquin) make me prone to anxiety attacks--something I very very rarely have when off those meds--and they make my sleep wacky.
For me, it helped a lot to simply realize it WAS the antibiotics. (But that's how my head works...if I know the cause, half the worry/stress is gone.)
Also, cut out caffeine while you are on the meds. It is in the drug literature--fine print--that cipro reduces the breakdown of caffeine so it circulates i.e. buzzes through your brain for longer.
I guess I don't really have much advice. Just wanted you to know you're not alone.
Also, in general for anxiety, I find getting moving helps--a walk, a cleaning project whatever. I don't know how your activity level is hindered by your stage of CF or this exacerbation, so take that advice in context. I just feel stillness and being stressed and anxious is the worst.
 
T

thekidsarealright

New member
my drug guide says nothing in the way of increased anxiety with cefepime, but from what I see with linezolid (the Zyvox) Cocurrent use with SSRI's should be avoided. Med's like paxil, prozax, effexor, and cymbalta. The linezolid increases the serotonin levels in the brain causing serotonin syndrome. Here's a website on it

http://health.yahoo.net/adamcontent/serotonin-syndrome

You have to take the antibiotic. They might need to taper the cymbalta, which can be difficult to do when you have depression. Talk with your pharmacist, then take your findings to the doc and see what they can do. Good luck!
 
T

thekidsarealright

New member
my drug guide says nothing in the way of increased anxiety with cefepime, but from what I see with linezolid (the Zyvox) Cocurrent use with SSRI's should be avoided. Med's like paxil, prozax, effexor, and cymbalta. The linezolid increases the serotonin levels in the brain causing serotonin syndrome. Here's a website on it

http://health.yahoo.net/adamcontent/serotonin-syndrome

You have to take the antibiotic. They might need to taper the cymbalta, which can be difficult to do when you have depression. Talk with your pharmacist, then take your findings to the doc and see what they can do. Good luck!
 
M

MMBinNC

New member
A similar thing happened to me. I took Ativan for like a week or so and then switched to Remeron (and antidepressant but with sleep/anxiety benefits), it's worked out well. The problem was that I literally could not sleep, and the doctors were getting worried after I had been awake for 5 days. Lunesta...nothing. Ambien...nothing. Ativan...out in a matter of minutes. If it's an acute thing I'd ask about Ativan (which is a really strong benzo) but try to switch to something long term. 7.5mg of Remeron, no noticeable side effects, and at that low a dose I doubt it would have any real effects on your Cymbalta. Ask...can't hurt.
 
M

MMBinNC

New member
A similar thing happened to me. I took Ativan for like a week or so and then switched to Remeron (and antidepressant but with sleep/anxiety benefits), it's worked out well. The problem was that I literally could not sleep, and the doctors were getting worried after I had been awake for 5 days. Lunesta...nothing. Ambien...nothing. Ativan...out in a matter of minutes. If it's an acute thing I'd ask about Ativan (which is a really strong benzo) but try to switch to something long term. 7.5mg of Remeron, no noticeable side effects, and at that low a dose I doubt it would have any real effects on your Cymbalta. Ask...can't hurt.
 
M

MCGrad2006

Guest
My doctor will not admit that there are side effects such as you describe. I have had them too. They exist and no matter what someone tells you yes they do.

Like someone else said, get up and move. Even walking around the house helped me. Go sit in a different room. When I have had these problems in the past I would sit in one place and basically watch the clock until my (at the time) boyfriend would get home. Then I couldn't even eat. Or I wouldn't be able to stay home alone at night. But if I got up, walked around...I would sometimes feel better.
 
M

MCGrad2006

Guest
My doctor will not admit that there are side effects such as you describe. I have had them too. They exist and no matter what someone tells you yes they do.

Like someone else said, get up and move. Even walking around the house helped me. Go sit in a different room. When I have had these problems in the past I would sit in one place and basically watch the clock until my (at the time) boyfriend would get home. Then I couldn't even eat. Or I wouldn't be able to stay home alone at night. But if I got up, walked around...I would sometimes feel better.
 
V

vvgogh

New member
The dreaded anxiety from antibiotics and prednisone.. yes. It can become very challenging. I will say that I have resolved myself that is just the price for getting well/part of the treatment. So any time i start up Antibiotics I have to brace myself for all that comes with that treatment! I try to take the antibiotic right after breakfast if possible theorizing that the earlier i take it perhaps i can sleep easier. I try to invite a friend over to visit, that can help with the anxiety when i am alone. I like to study the bible also which helps me. I also get ahold of some movies or documentaries that hold my interest. I have had to abandon the "sleep aids" myself as they seem to contribute to my anxiety, even benadryl and especially the xanax will give me the blues for several days after i take it. So there isn't any one thing that just resolves the anxiety for me. I just "muscle" through it and remind yourself and ask others to help remind you that it is part of the medication and it will go away when you finish up your treatment . Don't isolate yourself if possible. My dad always told me when i was young to think about something nice, like ice cream. even at my age now I can see that so much of anxiety and fear is about where we focus our thoughts. I hope you can find a way to manage your anxiety and get some relief. Always recheck your medication interactions yourself and inform your doctor of your concerns. He works for you. But he/she can't know everything that there is to know about how your body handles medications etc.. The nice thing about the forum is finding about other medications also that you can ask about.
 
V

vvgogh

New member
The dreaded anxiety from antibiotics and prednisone.. yes. It can become very challenging. I will say that I have resolved myself that is just the price for getting well/part of the treatment. So any time i start up Antibiotics I have to brace myself for all that comes with that treatment! I try to take the antibiotic right after breakfast if possible theorizing that the earlier i take it perhaps i can sleep easier. I try to invite a friend over to visit, that can help with the anxiety when i am alone. I like to study the bible also which helps me. I also get ahold of some movies or documentaries that hold my interest. I have had to abandon the "sleep aids" myself as they seem to contribute to my anxiety, even benadryl and especially the xanax will give me the blues for several days after i take it. So there isn't any one thing that just resolves the anxiety for me. I just "muscle" through it and remind yourself and ask others to help remind you that it is part of the medication and it will go away when you finish up your treatment . Don't isolate yourself if possible. My dad always told me when i was young to think about something nice, like ice cream. even at my age now I can see that so much of anxiety and fear is about where we focus our thoughts. I hope you can find a way to manage your anxiety and get some relief. Always recheck your medication interactions yourself and inform your doctor of your concerns. He works for you. But he/she can't know everything that there is to know about how your body handles medications etc.. The nice thing about the forum is finding about other medications also that you can ask about.
 
L

ladeedah

Guest
I have been a "fly on the wall" for years while reading these threads... but this topic focuses on a major problem in our home. My 24 year old CF daughter has always had a problem with antibiotic drug side effects but most especially to the fluoroquinolones (Cipro and Levaquin). Even though her doctors don't seem to take her side effects seriously because they have told her that "none of their other CF patients have such extreme reactions". They tried to prescribe anti-depressants but she refused to take them and instead insisted that they give her a cocktail of different antibiotics rather than Cipro. It just takes a quick google search to see that this drug can cause extreme side effects for some people. While other antibiotics also cause her to experience Anxiety Attacks, Cipro has the worst side effect for her... to the place where she could barely function while that drug was in her system.

I would also like to mention that it isn't just my daughter because when my mother, my sister, and myself were prescribed Cipro for infections as simple as a UTI we all had bad side-effect problems with it. Some people are obviously more sensitive to this drug than others. In our family we will only take Cipro when it is the only option.
 
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ladeedah

Guest
I have been a "fly on the wall" for years while reading these threads... but this topic focuses on a major problem in our home. My 24 year old CF daughter has always had a problem with antibiotic drug side effects but most especially to the fluoroquinolones (Cipro and Levaquin). Even though her doctors don't seem to take her side effects seriously because they have told her that "none of their other CF patients have such extreme reactions". They tried to prescribe anti-depressants but she refused to take them and instead insisted that they give her a cocktail of different antibiotics rather than Cipro. It just takes a quick google search to see that this drug can cause extreme side effects for some people. While other antibiotics also cause her to experience Anxiety Attacks, Cipro has the worst side effect for her... to the place where she could barely function while that drug was in her system.

I would also like to mention that it isn't just my daughter because when my mother, my sister, and myself were prescribed Cipro for infections as simple as a UTI we all had bad side-effect problems with it. Some people are obviously more sensitive to this drug than others. In our family we will only take Cipro when it is the only option.
 
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