Thought the medication initially seemed promising, one major hiccup nearly derailed the entire process. My pediatrician prescribed a “taper on” regimen, in which I would begin with a lower dose and work my way up through three levels until I reached the full dose. I began at 5 milligrams, and after two weeks bumped up to 10. Two weeks later, we jumped up to 15. Since there were no issues, we only waited a week until jumping up to the full 20 milligrams dose.
Skipping that week ended up being a problem. One night, not too long after starting the highest dose, I experienced a panic attack. Immediately, I freaked out because my mom told me to go to bed and I wasn’t ready yet. I locked myself in my room and began hyperventilating. I was not in control of my body or actions at the time.
Hearing my gasps for air and pounding on the floor, my mom called for my dad. In one strong kick, he literally broke down my door and carried me outside to get fresh air. I caught my breath, calmed down, headed back inside, and went to sleep.
The next morning, there were only 15 milligrams waiting for me at breakfast. My mom had called my doctor and he recommended to decrease the dose.
Time would tell how this adjustment would go.
—
image credit – pixabay
