anxiety again

[lea78]

I absolutely hate anxiety, I am having an episode of it at the moment. Mine comes in spells of a few days then can disappear for a while. I feel most of it as churning in my stomach and feeling a bit panicky, though I don't have full blown panic attacks. I also have trouble accepting I have anxiety.


Today I feel Down as well which is not really common for me and usually relate it to pmt. I have recently gone on the mini pill to see if it helps with mood changes. I felt really good at first but now I am at the point where I would normally be having a period and my mood as changed like it does do. Next week I will probably be back to my normal self, but can't predict my hormones now with this pill.

I am not sure which feels worse anxiety or feeling slightly Down.

I know a lot of people on here also have anxiety problems. How does it feel for you and how do you deal with them?

Leanne

[mshistory]

Anxiety can range for me from anywhere from racing heart and thoughts, heart palpitations, nervousness, etc. to being a complete and total mess that can't get herself out of bed. I manage it with .5 mg Klonopin twice daily and 100 mg of Zoloft daily  I could NOT function without them.

[Jellyb]

Hi Lea,
I am sorry about your anxiety, I suffer from it as well. And like you it seems to come in spells or episodes.

I have over the years figured out what my triggers are and try to avoid, if I can, what will set me off.

I have 0.5 mg xanex I can take as needed, and I rarely do, but it is nice to have something to get though a bad spell.

Maybe you could get your doctor to prescribe something for you.

[cargillwitch]

I can really block out what is going on with me physically but I KNEW something was very wrong about a year ago when I would awake middle of the night with crazy anxiety. It would also come in waves during the day as well. Not panic attacks per se just anxiety.

It felt extremely chemical in nature, not due to psychological issues.  I went to a Naturpath as I wanted to avoid standard drugs
( funny how we nurses seem to often do this!!). I cut out all caffeine in my diet- not a coffee drinker but it is hidden elsewhere- and all sugars. I also began to take a fantastic herbal supplement called  Adrenergyn by Vita Aid. It contains rhodiola, cordyceps cs-4,eleuthero, ashwagandha, and vitamin b5. To say it was very effective is somewhat of an understatement. I took it for a month then maintain with a host of supporting vitamins and herbal preparations and dietary alterations.

I still get the anxiety in a less extreme way and immediately  go back on the supplement for a few days to a week.I have also learned some basic cognitive behaviour techniques and use a lot of walking to assist me in keeping the anxiety in check.

Having never experiencing anxiety to that level before ( everyone gets nervous from time to time but THIS was much different!!) I knew that something was seriously up with my body. It wasn't long after that I really starting paying attention to what had slowly been going on with my body- red irritated eyes, muscle fatigue and swollen glands in my face, neck and cheeks. I  got my diagnosis within a few months.

[Pisces24]

Sorry you are going through a spell. I take an anxiety med myself. Oh gosh all kinds of feelings, etc. w/anxiety:  nausea, unsteady tummy, general aches & pains, trouble sleeping, racing brain. Me at times I feel like there is a little tuning fork inside me going Boooooooing! I been getting night sweats too.

Right now I am on a med to quiet my stomach (karaoke in there). and I still got my gosh durn sinus infection!     I just learned when you  get off your "regular" eating (like I do when I get a bad sinus infection) your tummy has to re-adjust. You can even get what is called "starvation diarehha"

So right now I am on an anxiety med for my stomach and one for the rest of me. 

I see my dr and get help with a medicine for anxiety. For me, that is the thing that helps. Or I try to take my mind off things reading but that doesn't always work either. My brain can tell me it is all ok but my body will at times say Nuts to That!  I don't like taking a med for it either but it helps. They are usually a $4 copay too. Worth it.

I hope you are able to get a handle on your anxiety. I know it is heck to be in the grip of it.
Good Luck

[KellyG999]

Hi there 

tend to have constant low grade anxiety with mixed in "spikes" that are quite awful. I never relax, never really settle down. It's a racing brain, tight stomach, always fearful feeling. When I have bad episodes of SjS I really go off the edge. At those times, the zoloft seems to help some...

Good luck, we are with you on this and it's normal when dealing with chronic illness.

Hugs,

KellyG

[lea78]

Thank you all for your replies, I have calmed a bit today thankfully and my mood as lifted. I have always been a worrier even as a child but I am sure hormones play a big part in it for me.

I have got a new book this week by Claire weeks called self help with your nerves, a very old book and a bit dated but some good info basically emphasising that you have to accept and face feelings of anxiety then the fear will subside. I think this will take a lot of practice as easier said than done.

Even though I don't wish anxiety on anybody its somehow reassuring knowing lots of other people know what I am talking about and not the only one dealing with it.

Thanks again leanne