Panic attack as a side effect? Which drug?

I started 25 mg of lamotrigine and 20 mg of citalopram over the weekend. Needless to say, I must be very sensitive, as I have had a ton of side effects from the meds, from tiredness to restlessness, tremors, jaw clenching, anxiety, lower appetite(not complaining about that one...) and now we can add a fricking panic attack. Took the lamotrigine at night, within an hr my breath was short, my chest felt weird, i couldnt concentrate, and I felt panicky. I dont know if my heart was racing, but I went to lay down in bed and couldnt stand my husband rubbign my arm as it felt liek sensory overload. It was everythign i could do to try to control my breath to keep from hyperventilating. My mother suffered from panic attacks for many years, so I am very aware of what they are and have had mild ones before. woke up this morning still feeling panicky, but it subsided some as the morning went on.

It seems like it may have been the lamotrigine, since it started shortly after I took it, although admittingly, i felt super anxious all day long, just without the "attack". The Dr added the lamotrigine to his initial suggestion for citalopram after I was displaying hypomanic symptoms and he read more of my history (I refused to take an ssri alone because I thought that I might be bipolar). So that makes me wonder if its actually the citalopram causing it, and that I just didnt get panicky until later that night. Although it seems liek both drugs can have this as a side effect.

I am just glad that i grew up with a mom having panic attacks (ok, not really, it was scary as a kid) so I could recognize the symptoms and not freak the heck out and go to the hospital like my mom always did (in the days before it was readily recognized).

Citalopram is an SSRI if I had to guess it would be this med thats messing you up. Lamictal never had that side effect on me but I know we're all different. Also lamictal takes about a month to get to the right dosage and a while to take effect so it's possible you're not receiving the mood stabilizing effects to equal out the SSRI. You're BP, right? Whats your target dosage for the lamictal? When I started out lamictal they tried to add paxil on to it and I had such a severe panic attack my blood pressure went to 170/120 it was the worst attack I've ever had. I was at an outpatient program and they were getting ready to send me to the psych ward =/

I guess the dr agreed because when he found out he took me off the citalopram. I almost wonder if he was testing me, because the week prior he only wanted me on that and I refused.

I have no idea what my target dose is, but had another one tonight. Thank you progesterone! Yeah, apparently that stuff can cause depression and mood swings and I have not been doing so well on it ( I even read that one dr said her bipolar patients that tried to test out low doses to see if they could handle BCP's wanted off of it right away, and I dont blame them. And I am on a dose that is much higher than most BCP's have). Yet, I need it for a health related issue for the next 5 days, then 10 more days next month.

ugh. I have an appt tomorrow, so I guess I will talk to the dr about it then.