u/HerbivorousTrash

Started 25mg sertraline on Thursday. I’ve been taking it at 9am. Days 1 and 3 I had massive panic attacks- 5pm day 1, 1pm day 3. Yesterday was okay for most of the day, but around 5pm or so, the anxiety trickled back in and I got jittery and felt so weird. Also got an extremely dry mouth and felt like I couldn’t swallow at times. No panic attack this time, but I didn’t feel right at all and couldn’t sleep once I laid down. Like not myself, very out of it- kind of like a bad high. Woke up several times in the night too.

Could this be because I take it in the morning and it’s wearing off by evening time? I really want this to work because I’ve been so incredibly anxious lately, but these weird symptoms are freaking me out 😭

So I just started 25 mg sertraline on Thursday per recommendation from my new pcp. Some backstory: On April 24th, I went to the ER for numbness and other symptoms, got an MRI, and they found a 5mm herniation of my cerebellum onto my brain stem. It’s called an Arnold chiari malformation.

So needless to say, I’ve been pretty anxious and on edge the past few weeks. I was prescribed hydroxyzine to help by the ER. Now, I’ve been anxious off and on for years, but I’ve only had a handful of moderate panic attacks.

So after telling everything to my pcp, he wanted me start sertraline to help me manage the pretty intense anxiety following my diagnosis while I wait to see the specialist. I started it Thursday morning, felt pretty fine all day, then flung into a massive panic attack around 5pm. Called 911 and everything. I’d been having an icy hot type feeling through the right side of my chest, and it elevated from there.

Paramedics checked my vitals, I eventually calmed down, and assumed it was a new symptom from brain compression/pressure from the chiari. At this point, I didn’t assume it was the medication.

Yesterday, I felt the cold sensation/panic coming on again, but was able to manage it before it took off again. Cool! But then today, I was in the Home Depot with my mom, when I got a super strange cold feeling from my neck down my back… like someone had poured cold water down my back. I got an odd “out of it” feeling after, and it progressed into another panic attack. This one wasn’t as big as the first one, and I came out of it quicker, but was so disturbed by the strange cold sensation.

Has this happened to anyone else? Is it a spike in anxiety before things get better? I’ve never taken ssris or any kind of anti anxiety medication before now, so I don’t know what’s what. Then in trying to google it, I stumbled across serotonin syndrome which also didn’t help 😭

UPDATE: Got a call back. I have my first appt with the neurosurgeon June 1st! Just a few days after my imaging. Thank you to everyone who’s responded to me- you make me feel validated and less freaked out! I’m now feeling incredibly grateful to be seen so soon after hearing how long it CAN take. Now it’s just day by day till the end of the month!!

I posted a couple days ago about a summary of my symptoms. Now I’m trying to figure out what constitutes as a “normal” progression? I’ve gone most of my life with fairly mild and manageable symptoms up until the 24th of last month when I went to the ER.

Ever since then, my symptoms have progressed, in my opinion, super fast. Sudden and persistent leg and arm weakness in my left side, increasing numbness and paresthesia, reduced “awareness” of my body (I.e. diminished hunger signals), vision and eye issues. But no obvious pain or headaches. I still have function of my limbs and all that, but I’ve gone almost my entire life without ever having anything like this. I’d never even heard of Chiari until 2 weeks ago…

Should I try and get in sooner to get more imaging? The er did my brain mri, but I was unable to get through my spine… and radiology through the neurosurgeon ordered csf flow mri for the 28th of this month (soonest) BUT how do I know if I should wait until then?

With how quickly things have already been progressing, what can I do to speed up this process? Should I go back to ER? Would they even do more imaging? I have an appt on Wednesday to get setup with a pcp (mine that I’d had basically my entire life left the practice suddenly and I had to get a new one)

This is all so new and unsettling, and I’m literally just in limbo waiting to hear back from the neurosurgeon. I’ve heard he’s a really good one who specializes in Chiari, and works alongside one of the top Chiari surgeons in the area… but I’ve yet to be scheduled despite calling every day.

Ugh what should I even do? Not necessarily asking for medical advice, but I’m just so lost in how to navigate this sudden onset of persistent symptoms

Newly diagnosed as of April 24 at the ER with “mild 5mm cerebellar tonsillar ectopia on right side”. Went into the ER with facial and left hand numbness.

Ever since then I’ve noticed overall just reduction in sensation. Like I can feel but it doesn’t feel 100% like in my hands and fingertips. It’s so odd and I can’t explain it. I’ve had migraines off and on since 2014 and pins and needles/random nerve issues for the past 5 years or so… But had never even heard of Chiari until a couple weeks ago.

My MRI when I went in for mild symptoms in 2021 didn’t show anything apparently, or was missed. Was told I had low zinc and to supplement.

So I’m having a hard time figuring out if my symptoms are worsening or if I’m just hyper aware of them now. I have basically full function of my body, apart from left side arm and leg weakness (and a numb spot on the top of my left foot that used to be more like a pins and needles sensation and has recently changed to almost fully numb).

Are there any signs I should be looking for? I should mention I’m EXTREMELY anxious about all this and was unable to finish my second mri because I felt like I couldn’t swallow right when laying flat. That one was supposed to check for a syrinx and they only got my neck and shoulder area.

I’m waiting to hear back from a neurosurgeon who specializes, and my referral was finally authorized last week on Tuesday I believe. I call every day and the soonest they could get me in was the 28th of may for a CSF MRI.

Is my weird diminished sensation a cause for worry? I honestly cannot tell if my heightened anxiety is triggering/making it worse and I just want to get the process moving quicker so I can know if I need urgent treatment or surgery. I’ve also been soooo out of it and not “present” the past couple weeks.

Not so much a question I guess, but I’m just freaked out and want to feel better…