Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jessieblue]

Hi everyone.  Im sorry I keep posting on here with stupid problems that must seem insignificant, but my anxiety is firmly in coontrol and things keep cropping up daily with my health and I am near breaking point.  I wish I knew what to do to help myself.  I have tried hypnotherapy and self hypnosis and mindfulness.  I just cannot shut out the voices......Im starting to wonder if I have some sort of psychosis or something.

I have been having bad acid reflux, that comes and goes but is around all the time at the mo and in spite of taking the dreaded ppis!  Im terrified of that and I also have another piles episode which is not clearing up and is painful, despite using stool softeners and proctosedyl. I am afraid of all the meds, am not supposed to use proctosedyl for more than a week and its a week tomorrow.  I got stung by a bee twice in the last week and the one from last night has swelled my whole foot up and has blistered all across the top of the toe that it stung me on....it stung me underneath, so its pretty weird.  I saw the nurse who gave me antibiotics to take ONLY if the redness moves further up my foot or if i get striations.  In my state I am not the best to decide if I need them or not because I am sure I am going to die from one if not ALL of my health concerns.  I afraid I have cellulitis and afraid to take the abs because last time I had penecillin it started a whole horror story of cystitis kidney infection and months of anxiety.

I feel totally and utterly overwhelmed!  I dont know what way to turn and as some of you will know the climbing the walls anxiety state.  Where does one go from here?  I feel there is not much anyone can do to help me and I dont seem to be able to help myself.  Everything seems catastrophic.  Im so so tired.  Just need to reach out to a few of you who might understand or have made it through the otherside.  xx

[Annie0710]

I just want to send you a big hug and reassure you it's your hormones doing this to you, anxiety can be exhausting so no wonder you're shattered xx

[Yammy1]

Ive been on ppi's for about five years now, tried stopping but reflux and heartburn came back also when I have to take antibiotics my doc gives me a prescription for diflucin single dose and this stops antibiotics causing  cystitis or thrush, it really helps so maybe ask doc. Hormonal anxiety is a nightmare I have an emergency pill ( Xanax) I take half pill if anxiety is really bad, just knowing I have them helps, I only take it on rare occasions, when your tired its harder to think straight and everything seems worse. Have you tried rescue remedy, you can but it over the counter in the chemist, it can help take the edge off, just a few sprays on the tongue when needed. I hope you feel better soon as health anxiety is awful.

[dazned]

I really feel for you it's really horrendous feeling that way.

Have you considered getting gp to give you some diazepam which should give you some respite from it all and help break the cycle ?

[jessieblue]

Thanks everyone.  Sparkle I am on 10mg omeprazole a day which is the lowest dose.  I also take a zantac at night and the odd glug of gaviscon when needed.  |I really need to take a higher dose but am scared of the long term effects.  I dont get any side effects a such with them so thats not an immediate problem.  I worry about longterm especially with all the negative press of late. I have drawn a line but its swollen a bit more now.  Maybe less red but just puffiness.  The nurse said if the redness continued to travel, so im trying to go by what she told me because if its just an allergic reaction antibiotics wont help and i will have cystitis and thrush as well.  Its difficult and thats whats freaking me out because I dont know if I have sepsis or something.  I have bad health anxiety at the best of times so I am always dying of something or other.

Its brutal this anxiety.  I feel so alone.  My husband is at his wits end.  I am scared of everything, its pretty much paranoia and obsessive tendancies.  I think I need a psychiatrist to properly diagnose what is going on.  I am losing control of every aspect of my life.

[Mav196]

Hi jessieblue I am sorry that you are so anxious....I can totally relate to health anxiety and so you have my deepest sympathy on this. Years ago I suffered with acid and reflux and tried gaviscon, losec, Nexium and Zantac - none of these worked - I had a burning feeling constantly. My GP at the time switched me to Ranitidine (he told me that this is an older drug) and the difference was just unbelievable - I stayed on it for 6 wks and it stopped the reflux and burning in its tracks. It might be worthwhile trying that one if nothing else is working.
Hope this helps
Mav

[Mbrown001]

Oh I'm sending you a huge hug.

You don't have sepsis...I can assure you of that. My sis was in hospital in January with that and you have none of her symptoms and you would know if you did.
I am another PPI user...I hate them. Not because of the side effects but because I just hate pills.
There are a few alternative things you can take.
I'm not sure if you are on HRT but if your not and with a bit of checking you could benefit from St John's Wort. It can help with anxiety. A good Vit B can also help.
If you do a tiny bit of research then there are lots of options.

There is also a good website called No More Panic that is absolutely great.

You have to wrestle back control.

For me reading other websites...taking supplements....trying relaxation and breathing tequniques have helped.

Ask your doc to be referred for CBT.

I know it's difficult to be proactive when you feel rubbish but when you start to take back control then you can feel better.

[Julation]

I really feel for you it's really horrendous feeling that way.

Have you considered getting gp to give you some diazepam which should give you some respite from it all and help break the cycle ?

I totally agree with Dazned with diazepam.  I asked it myself as I thought I was going crazy.  Helps a lot with sleep and even if I still don't feel great in general with hrt, my anxiety has greatly subsided. 

[dangermouse]

It's interesting so many are on the PPIs. I was on them just before I realised it was hormonal issues causing extreme nausea and regurgitation if I tried to eat. As the docs thought it was an ulcer (and waiting list for endo was 6 months) they made me take up to 40mg a day of omeprazole. When I say 'made', I kept stopping them as I knew they made me worse and caused even more mood/anxiety feelings, but a doctor in A&E said they would refuse to treat me if I came back having stopped them again.

Anyway I stopped them as I knew I didn't have ulcer symptoms and you do have to deal with rebound reflux which was awful for 48 hours but then I was gradually better each day after that.

My hormone imbalance in peri cause slow transit and this can feel like reflux as the food just sits there regurgitating so the s could be the case for many here.

Re the anxiety, please try to calm your mind and rationalise your thoughts as it's very possible that the adrenal surges (from hormone imbalances) are being made worse by panicked thinking. You will be fine and things will settle down. Breathe your anxiety out (breathe in with your mouth closed for 4 seconds and then breathe out with your mouth open for 6 seconds, really pushing your breath out). This can nip the emotional anxiety in the bud.

Work with your GP to discount any concerns you have and in the meantime stay calm and in control by breathing out anxiety and breathing in confidence.

Things will work out!

[jessieblue]

Thank you all so much.  Its so so hard living like this.  Im sorry you guys have had to go through these horrible symptoms too.

[Tracey]

Jessie,

I can totally relate to what you are going through. Over the last 18 months I have had 3 episodes of crippling anxiety. The first 2 times it only lasted a few weeks and I managed to get control over my though process, but couldn't understand what on earth was happening. In February this year anxiety hit me full force. I became quite manic in my thinking, my skin broke out in hives for 3 months, my hair started to fall out and acid reflux. I took myself to A and E so many times convinced that I was dying and that they were missing something during tests. I became obsessed with my health and couldn't think of anything but different symptoms that were appearing daily. My family were so distressed, I even asked my husband to have me committed to a mental health unit at one point. I felt as though no one could help me.

I am now 5 months on and things have a lot better, my crisis has passed, as others told me it would, even if I didn't believe it at the time. But its been hard work getting to were I am now. I really had to stop fighting the anxiety and accept it, trust that everything that was happening was my body's response to the stress that my thought processes were putting me under. I resisted medication initially, too scared to take it (anxiety) but knew I couldn't live like I was living any more.

I was given Diazipam for 2 weeks. This pretty much zonked me out but I helped my body and mind relax enough to get some respite from obsessive thinking. I was them prescribed Sertraline, I kept it in my bag for 3 weeks not wanting to take it, but there was part of me that was stuck not able to move forward and get back to work and my life as I knew it before. I was housebound. Then I just bit the bullet, started the anti-depressant, got through some minimal side affects for the first 3/4 weeks and now I am so much more in control. I can put things into perspective, I am back at work (yay!) and I am coping.

I still have hives but not so bad, my hair is still shedding but its not stressing me out. I ache all over but living with it and am now in a position to consider HRT to combat these symptoms. I also see a private therapist, talking therapy has been a real helped with my thought process. I practice mindfulness which was initially impossible to do, but I combine it with yoga and get great relaxation from it.

I hope my story can in some way reassure you. I really understand how you are feeling, things will get better with what ever support it right for you.

Take care
Tracey

[CLKD]

   bee stings HURT! but ADs wouldn't have made a lot of difference had the venom spread.  It was surely an anti-histamine jab that would have been more appropriate?

Were you advised to elevate the affected limb? 

As for PPIs, they can cause more side-effects than they solve.  Short-term use is OK - that is 3-4 months, otherwise ..... have a look-see at Dr James le Fanu in the Daily Telegraph on a Monday, he advises other medications for reflux.   I can feel it now but I've been stuffing pizza, chocolate, cups of tea  and am upright. If I try to lay down, the reflux will begin  .  At night if it's a problem I chew 3-4 Rennies.  I try not to take my evening Anti-depressant and Beta-blocka too close to going to bed otherwise    .  Sometimes the reflux wakes me with lots of saliva and acute chest pain .........

Anxiety can be controlled.  I too have been over-whelmed, it sends me into a corner, shivering with fright.  My GP has given me an emergency anti-anxiety drug which works within 25-40 mins., giving me complete relief usually as I go to sleep.  I know it will work so it isn't going to be addictive.  For years I used Valium, successfully, as necessary.  I have used relaxation therapy - breath in sharply through the nose, count for 5 which I couldn't do initially, then release through the mouth as slowly as possible.  For 3 times then rest.  Also, laying quietly and tensing the muscles groups all the way up: tense, hold, relax: can also help as one has to force the brain to think about the muscle groups.

A Doctor is not allowed to tell a patient that they won't treat them if advice isn't taken  it is against the Hypercratic Oath.  Otherwise .......  .  So if you feel distressed, do not be afraid to call the Samaritans or go to your A&E.  That is why they are there!

How R U this afternoon?

[MIS71MUM]

I think Tracey has put it perfectly.

I also took diazepam for a few weeks at a low dose - just to give my mind and body a rest.

Like Tracey, I was prescribed AD's, I took 1 set for a week, then my anxiety told me I didn't need them, took a 2nd set for a week, again my anxiety told me I didn't need them and finally I made myself take the 3rd set until I felt better.

I can't believe that my mind tied me up in knots so much.  I also had an irrational fear of death and catastrophised everything.  I like you thought I had developed a phycosis of some sort because I had 2 voices in my head all the time. The emotional mind and the wise mind.

Try and stop off Dr Google too as that never helps. I also learnt that the mind doesn't always speak the truth.

For the record, the AD's or Diazepam have never made me sick.

Could you speak to your GP about some CBT therapy maybe?

[CLKD]

My anxiety is physical, the gut lurches first then the mind starts whirring.

[Annierus3]

Hello I am new on here. Firstly, thank you so much everyone for this web site. It has already helped me a great deal. I am really struggling at the moment with different symptoms, and thinking that these are serious conditions that are going to kill me! I feel ridiculous. I have muscle/bone aches, feeling like flu from time to time. My hands are tingling, worse maybe at night, and really hot in bed. The weight gain has been getting me down. I feel like a grumpy, frumpy mess. Currently the hot hands/feet is the worst. Anyone out there?