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[CLKD]

I have tried relaxation tapes [remember those  ] but found it difficult to sit down long enough a) without falling asleep which suited  ] or b) not being agitated so that I couldn't sit down.  Rescue Remedy mouth spray - used and I never thought 'will this work' I simply got on.  Sleep also helped.  Some find yoga and swimming useful. 

[Cadburys]

I literally could have written this post myself. I actually came to look on the forum because my period is due and I feel awful. Full of anxiety and panic worrying about my health. I have recently had more blood tests done and they have all come back normal. I ended up in a and e last month, had lots of tests etc done and it was confirmed to be just a panic attack.

I have suffered anxiety and panic throughout my adult life but this time just cant seem to get control of it. I dont think the pandemic is helping. I am 55 and have missed a few periods and they are becoming less regular and light. This time I have had awful stomach and leg pains, its horrible.....I tried sertraline which I have used in the past and its worked but this time, its made me feel worse......I feel rubbish most days and constantly worry about myself or the kids not being well......I am just not myself anymore.....so so horrible....

[daisie]

You sound like me I cannot tolerate side effects from most antidepressants I will give it a mention when I get my telephone appointment x

[CLKD]

Cadburys - be just a panic attack.  nothing is 'only' or 'just', these feelings are debilitating.  Often caused by hormonal upheaval 

[CLKD]

My GP prescribes as necessary.  I haven't seen a Psychiatrist since 1991 when she visited at home. 

How R U feeling today?

[daisie]

hi rockhopper ,clkd,i had a call back from doctors friday she gave me citlolapram to try but there it goes again another ssri medication that makes me feel worse i took one yesterday dont feel like im here today dont doctors understand when you have severe anxiety you need something to work on you in a few minutes not a few weeks iv got my phone appointment from psychiatrist on wednesday ill ask her again for an anti anxiety med if shes not willing to help me what is the point of them even talking to you.its so frustrating x

[Itwillpass]

Cadbury’s I’ve been on sertraline for 3 days now taking half the dose 25mg as really struggling with health anxiety it’s constant all day & waking me in the night. I’ve had a really nauseas upset stomach feeling & just feel yuk? Is this a normal side effect, will it pass? Feel a bit jittery too also my teeth have started aching? Currently on 6th week of Evorel sequin which hasn’t really made difference to my peri symptoms yet help! 

[daisie]

NICE guidance provides recommendations on pharmacological therapies for anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines are associated with tolerance and dependence, and antipsychotics are associated with a number of adverse effects. Therefore they should not be used routinely to treat anxiety disorders.

Here is the statement on benzodiazepines CLKD you are wrong advising people to ring their GP requesting “Valium”, they will not prescribe them. Your GP might prescribe them to you because you insist and you may have a long history of benzodiazepine dependency? Or that the psychiatrist back in the day prescribed them for you in then, sounds like you may need an outpatient review. You most certainly wouldn’t get a prescription for diazepam now in 2020 from the mental health teams just ringing up. I know I work in one

Rockhopper xxx

i understand what you saying about the bensodiazepines i was put on amitriptyline 12 years ago i was hooked on them i tried coming off them a few times the withdrawl was terrible had to go back on them again  the antidepressant effect stopped working for me but this time im fighting it and started the citalopram yesterday what i dont understand is when you are ill with anxiety you do need a quick fix to get you on your feet i find going out sometimes is hard cause of agrophobia fetched on through anxiety i would only use the valium in emergencies not constantly every day x

[CLKD]

daisie - some of the new ADs do make a person feel spaced out so it is worth continuing, when did you take it?  Maybe begin earlier so that you sleep off any fuzziness, it's a bit trial and error.  What dose have you been prescribed?  Do you wake to see how you feel, I certainly do when given something new  .  So it's playing on my mind even when I don't realise it. 

I still wake slightly hung over but it's better than the depression that kept me bed bound.  The hung over feeling disappears once I've eaten and moved around ;-).  Some ADs do help anxiety but I have to take something that works immediately on top of the nightly ADs.  I had a betablocka for many years which helped ease the early morning anxiety surges.  My GP and I discuss my medical history regularly and we can see that I haven't ever required more than he has prescribed.  The Surgery has a Policy of treating as necessary with regular updated appts. to allow guidance when appropriate. 

Some find Sertaline really helpful .  The reason that I was unable to continue with many medications in the 1990s was due to nausea which was impossible to overcome.  We were down to the last possible available AD at the time, fortunately it worked for 8-9 years B4 my brain got used to it.  By then new ADs were on the market and I've had no problems adjusting since.  The brain is an organ that requires support.  Out of sight etc..

Often people mistake addiction for withdrawal symptoms.  Under supervision there shouldn't be problems though it can be tuff!  been there etc..  People do not become addicted to ADs but as the body/brain readjusts symptoms can be difficult.  Once I realised that my feelings didn't become worse after 36 hours, I wasn't as worried: the "I will never get better I will have to go back on it" brain scenario went.  Phew!  GPs have access to smaller amounts of some drugs that are usually prescribe specifically for these circumstances. 

Currently many patients have to ring to request medications as GPs still aren't open for business, despite what Matt Hancock would have the public believe  . 

Have you tried rescue remedy pastilles or mouth spray as well?  Deep breathing once in bed at night. 

[daisie]

daisie - some of the new ADs do make a person feel spaced out so it is worth continuing, when did you take it?  Maybe begin earlier so that you sleep off any fuzziness, it's a bit trial and error.  What dose have you been prescribed?  Do you wake to see how you feel, I certainly do when given something new  .  So it's playing on my mind even when I don't realise it. 

I still wake slightly hung over but it's better than the depression that kept me bed bound.  The hung over feeling disappears once I've eaten and moved around ;-).  Some ADs do help anxiety but I have to take something that works immediately on top of the nightly ADs.  I had a betablocka for many years which helped ease the early morning anxiety surges.  My GP and I discuss my medical history regularly and we can see that I haven't ever required more than he has prescribed.  The Surgery has a Policy of treating as necessary with regular updated appts. to allow guidance when appropriate. 

Some find Sertaline really helpful .  The reason that I was unable to continue with many medications in the 1990s was due to nausea which was impossible to overcome.  We were down to the last possible available AD at the time, fortunately it worked for 8-9 years B4 my brain got used to it.  By then new ADs were on the market and I've had no problems adjusting since.  The brain is an organ that requires support.  Out of sight etc..

Often people mistake addiction for withdrawal symptoms.  Under supervision there shouldn't be problems though it can be tuff!  been there etc..  People do not become addicted to ADs but as the body/brain readjusts symptoms can be difficult.  Once I realised that my feelings didn't become worse after 36 hours, I wasn't as worried: the "I will never get better I will have to go back on it" brain scenario went.  Phew!  GPs have access to smaller amounts of some drugs that are usually prescribe specifically for these circumstances. 

Currently many patients have to ring to request medications as GPs still aren't open for business, despite what Matt Hancock would have the public believe  . 

Have you tried rescue remedy pastilles or mouth spray as well?  Deep breathing once in bed at night.

hi ckld this will be my 3rd day on citalopram i havent felt the nausea yet but i have felt a bit more depressed and the anxiety a bit higher but it does say that on the side effects, its hard to give it more time when the side effects are like the illness you want to cure no i havent tried the rescue remedies yet but worth a try ill wait and see how i get on with the citalopram i tried sertraline i got terrible nausea with that theres no end to this feeling misserable .thathung over feeling is what i got with the amitriptyline every morning but the feeling i have now is a horrible depressed feeling when i wake x

[Justjules]

Just throwing my two penny worth in....having suffered from severe anxiety on and off for the last 20 years or so, and particularly bad HA during and after meno, I know how dreadful it is. I have used Valium short term in the past when I had the most caring and understanding GP (now very sadly retired) who realised that when somebody comes into the surgery almost on their knees with anxiety and who literally can’t function with it, to send someone off with a prescription for ADs which aren’t going to kick in for at least a month, two weeks prescription for Valium works wonders and will not become addictive whilst sorting out and helping to cope with the side effect start up symptoms of the ADs. It’s cruel to leave people in such a state, especially when there isn’t instant access to decent mental health support anywhere. My friend’s GP has just given her a month’s prescription because he knows she won’t abuse them and it’s just to tide her over a very bad few months.

[CLKD]

Tnx Justjules - my GP works on what is in front of him rather than what might work in 2-3 weeks/months.


daisie - I don't know why some meds make us feel worse initially  ........... it was hard for me to get over, I found pottering in the kitchen/garden helped as I knew it would improve a bit by mid-morning.  If I didn't feel better I would go to bed with 2 cats and a dog and doze.

[daisie]

Just throwing my two penny worth in....having suffered from severe anxiety on and off for the last 20 years or so, and particularly bad HA during and after meno, I know how dreadful it is. I have used Valium short term in the past when I had the most caring and understanding GP (now very sadly retired) who realised that when somebody comes into the surgery almost on their knees with anxiety and who literally can’t function with it, to send someone off with a prescription for ADs which aren’t going to kick in for at least a month, two weeks prescription for Valium works wonders and will not become addictive whilst sorting out and helping to cope with the side effect start up symptoms of the ADs. It’s cruel to leave people in such a state, especially when there isn’t instant access to decent mental health support anywhere. My friend’s GP has just given her a month’s prescription because he knows she won’t abuse them and it’s just to tide her over a very bad few months.

hi justjuels you are so right what you say it is cruel to let you suffer especially when the side effects from ads make you worse im onto my 3rd day of citalopram im going to ask the psychatrist again if she will let me have valium like i said i only need it for emergencies the anxiety is crippling me at the moment i just hate adding to the problem when side effects are just as bad x

[CLKD]

Keep on with the AD if possible  .

When I was last full of anxiety : July 2015 : I crawled into the surgery in absolute terror  and the GP fitted me in.  I haven't needed the anti-anxiety medication for almost 2 years other than on 1 occasion in March.  In fact the medication may well be out of date 

[Justjules]

Birdy, I fully understand that Valium is totally addictive but I don’t know anyone who has become dependant or addicted to them when prescribed for short term use I.e for the first fortnight, when prescribed ADs to counter effect the dreadful side effects when starting to take them. Unless you’re very lucky and you don’t get any.

They have their place from time to time.  I would never have been able to fly without them (prescribed by the GP) and deprived the family of many holidays abroad for quite a number of years because of my fear.