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Fibro and Anxiety

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Posted 1/26/2009 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Alright, so I've had Anxiety for as long as I can remember, but with the introduction of my wonderful friend fibro things have gotten a whole lot worst.

How has fibro effected your anxiety? - I'm for sure seeing my p-doc today :) but I'm not even sure how to explain whats going on with me. If I leave my house I get headaches, if my anxiety is up, my fibro is worst. I know I'm not crazy.. but my anxiety (yay!) is making me worried that everybody else is going to think I am.

I've noticed a lot of people with fibro have anxiety too.. I was just wondering what your perspectives on it are.
Posted 1/26/2009 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Corrie,

Something you said may have answered your own question. If your anxiety goes up your fibro is worse. That makes complete sense... think about the anxiety. Your muscles tighten even if you aren't aware of it. Tight, tense muscles on someone with fibro means increased pain. At least that makes sense in this fibro brain...lol

Chutzie
Posted 1/26/2009 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
i had anxiety in my early 20's that was treated with therapy and xanax. i was fine for years until fibro reared its ugly head. my anxiety has gotten worse over the past couple of years and i had my first panic attack in over 10 years about 6 months ago. some serious family things were going on at the time, so i'm not surprised the anxiety has been back up, but once i started thinking about it, i could definitely see a relation between my anxiety and my fibro. one of the worst symptoms of my fibro is very tense, painful neck and shoulders. the tightness and tenderness in my shoulders just encourages me to slouch, which encourages the muscles to hurt even more, which also encourages me to have shallow breathing. all of these things combined really make my anxiety worse, i think.
Posted 1/26/2009 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
I find myself questioning my anxiety a lot, seeing as how I have always had it throughout my childhood due to my Bipolar Disorder... and NOW I have Fibro which also causes anxiety AND 2 anxiety disorders (OCD and DPD)... but YET, I no longer get anxiety so horribly like I used to.. I remember the last time I ever got an attack was in Walmart and that was a couple years ago. Where did my anxiety go? lol I must do something now every day that helps it without even realizing it!!!!

I do have my moments though of course, like everyone, when my husband leaves me home alone I get pretty anxious (have a huge issue with being left alone), and before going to doctor appointments I do sometimes...

So I'm not saying it went away completely (I honestly don't think I'll ever see that day) but something I am doing must be helping it from getting bad... maybe my daily meditation helps even more than I think it does? And I do "deep breathing" often as well, breathing deep from my diaphram.

______________________________________

21 years old

Fibromyalgia, Bipolar, OCD, Dependent Personality Disorder

"You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." -Mary Tyler Moore

Posted 1/26/2009 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
Thirteen! Is there a way that we can chat? I've been meaning to ask you this forever now :) I think we have a lot in common and I'd love if we could converse. I am also pretty much married - been living with my boyfriend for a year and a half now.
Posted 1/26/2009 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
Horrible anxiety and panic attacks, due to a very stressful time, was the beginning of everything that led to fibro for me. That's been probably 11 yrs ago by now and the anxiety has gotten much better and I don't have panic attacks but still fighting anxiety to some degree on a daily bases.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 1/26/2009 10:43 PM (GMT 0)

Hi..don't know what came first, the anxiety or the fibro.  I have a hard time distinguishing what symptom is from which disorder.  Today the dry mouth is terrible...don't know if its anxiety (had a stressful week-end), fibro, the meds or a combo of them all.  For me, the anxiety makes the fibro pain worse.  It's been a long, hard winter here in Central NY and the snow and ice keep coming so I can't get out much to distract myself.

As if fibro isn't bad enough...well you know what I mean!

Huggies

donna

Posted 1/26/2009 11:52 PM (GMT 0)

Hi there Corrie!!

I have both problems and I must agree that if I'm in the least bit anxious the pain and sleep issues start to kick in and the next thing I know its Flare O'clock!!  My worst panic attack happened about 2 1/2 months ago.  I wound up in the hospital because my BP skyrocketed and I was mimicing a heart attack.  Somehow I knew I wasn't having a heart attack but we went to the ER anyway.  After that panic attack I was in a full blown, horrible, flare for about 2 months.  (the past couple of weeks have been pretty good... looking for wood to knock on)  I try my hardest to keep calm about things but sometimes I get a little panicy for no reason at all.  However sometimes, when I feel a flare coming on, it makes me very anxious.  So I guess its a chicken and egg theory. 

Hope that helps and you're ok.

Warm hugs,

Posted 1/27/2009 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
The slightest anxiety, which happens from the smallest thing, makes me bad immediately, and unfortuantly im the worst for being anxious and nausious.  I just deep breathe and try find a distraction.  sue2z

Posted 1/27/2009 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Corrie-

My anxiety hit me when I was around 19 and it continued into my 20's. Thought I was losing my mind because I had no idea what it was. It became so bad I was almost housebound. With help, I learned what it was and they had me start doing all the things I feared (which was about everything) and baby step by baby step I got my life back. 32 years ago this was not talked about and I did not tell anyone till long after getting help. I carried that burden alone. It was awful! Now, thank god we can talk about all of this. That was so long ago that it is just a thought now. The only times I get any anxiety now is just before I go to the dentist, fly on an airplane or when the fibro fog hits bad. Maybe talk to your Dr. about this. I see you are on an anti-depressant, maybe he can increase the dose or try something else?

I know alot of others have anxiety with the fibro and it makes the pain worse. Mine is stress. If my stress goes off the charts so does the pain. sad

GamJill

 

Posted 1/27/2009 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
Gah! Hopefully I can see the doc today! There was an emergency at the hospital yesterday and my doc went home sick so I couldn't go the doctor yesterday. Hopefully my doc will be in today :) I do need something for my anxiety... to change something.. I was so anxious yesterday night that I had to take ativan and go to be early in the hope that it would go away and I'm not forseeing today much better. My pain has been much worst too. It's just frustrating.
Posted 1/27/2009 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
I think my anxiety is partially due to not being able to count on my body to do things I need to do. If i have an appointment looming or some social event (God Forbid), I become really anxious b/c I don't know if physically I'll be up to it. I have had to cancell many appointments and work related events, due to being so stiff and sore I can't even get dressed. That's anxiety's roll in my life.
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