HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Does anyone take anything for stress?

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/2/2009 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
Stress is like one of my main problems with fibro. If I get worked up, start doing too many things at once, or get upset, or mad, I'm instantly in pain. Previously my doctor tried to address this as an emotional problem and put me on an anti-depressant. First Celexa, which made me depressed, then Depakote, which made me completely irrational. Oh yes and Wellbutrin which did absolutely nothing. I'm just wondering, because someone mentioned taking Xanax to me for this -- would it work? I don't want another emotional rollercoaster just because I get stressed out. Does anyone take meds for stress?
Posted 4/2/2009 6:12 PM (GMT 0)

Hey Rache,

I have some problems with anxiety, I DO take xanax, but mostly at bed time.  I've had anxeity attacks at bedtime and it's awful.. woke me up out of a sound sleep.. Terrifying!!!

I also take elavil and I think that's helped with my pain and anxiety.  I can't say I'm 100% but I've had problems with this for so long that I don't know what 100% is like anymore.

Stress really does effect fibromites.  some more than others.  Stress brought on my last flare and it's been going on for a long time.  As soon as I start feeling that stress again, I start a vicious circle of flaring.  I think it starts to be a chicken and the egg theory after a while.

If its really getting to you, talk to your doctor and look up some relaxation techniques, like deep breathing or yoga.. maybe some scented candles (if you can handle them).

Hope you get it under control.. we're here for you so hang in there.

Take care & gentle hugs,

Posted 4/2/2009 6:12 PM (GMT 0)
I'm very similar to you, stress is one of my biggest enemies when it comes to my fibro symptoms. I too had tried so may anti-depressants and had some awful side effects. I found xanax to be too strong, but a very low dose of valium has done wonders for me. I take 2.5mg in the morning (1/2 of a 5mg pill), 2.5mg in the afternoon, and a whole 1 at night. I have the ok to take up to 3 whole ones a day, but I rarely need that many. In fact most days I only take 1/2 in the morning and a whole one at night. I have found it keeps me calm, but not feeling drugged up. It also helps me relax and sleep a little better at night. I don't feel like a zombie on it and I deffinately don't feel depressed. I feel like me only better. My doctor was a little reluctant to try it, but since I am doing well on such a low dose he is ok with me staying on it. I think if I ever had to up the dose he would want to look at other options just because of the risk of dependancy. It's something you would want to discuss with your doctor for sure.
Posted 4/2/2009 7:04 PM (GMT 0)
I will ask my doctor next time I am there and see if he thinks I can go on xanax or valium... the valium probably sounds like a better idea, but I guess it will depend on my meds I already take... my rheumy already has me on tramadol daily (up to a max of EIGHT pills a day -- the most I take is four) flexeril 2 pills at bedtime, and trazodone two pills at bedtime, along with 50,000 IU Vitamin D once a week and Concerta 36mg once a day for the fibrofog. Sometimes I wish I could just forget about it so I wouldn't have to take another pill, but another part of me is desperate to get rid of the pain when I get stressed... it always is in my shoulders and collarbone when I get stressed, without fail.

Posted 4/2/2009 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
Mine rests in my shoulders and back of my neck. I also take Tramadol, and on occasion flexeril (though valium is a muscle relaxer too which is a nice benefit). I used to take trazadone, but it messed with my head too much. I too hate the pills and wish I could just pretend this doesn't exist, unfortunately that's not really an option. I have been researching alternative treatments to try and cut down on the number of meds I need right now. I am starting physical therapy in a week, and I have a whole list of other treatments to try.
Posted 4/2/2009 9:05 PM (GMT 0)
 OMG Stress // Hello Rache , it seems like I am always stressed out, so I have been on Valium a long time now 10 mgs these days and Robaxin , a muscle relaxer helps with that nasty word,Stress . It seems your on a lotta meds, ask for a small dose of vailum .When it gets in your shoulders,try massage and medtiation also, deep breathing,take a " time out " for your stress out time.Good luck and keep us informed please.Take care {{ gentle Hugg }}, Kat
Posted 4/2/2009 9:40 PM (GMT 0)

STRESS!  Just because I am watching our retirement go down the toilet(we're in our early 60's) and I am drawing straws to see which one of our children's attic's we can live in???  YIPES!  I take 5mg of valium once or twice a day.  It does put me to sleep sometimes but that just means I don't have to do the laundry.  It takes the edge off.

Huggies

Donna

Posted 4/2/2009 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
Chocolate.
Posted 4/2/2009 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
LOL Dagger, that reply earns you a cookie! hehehehe
Posted 4/3/2009 12:15 AM (GMT 0)
Donna, I'm in the same age group as you and yeh retirement has become scary.  I even told one of my sons-kind of joking-that we may have to move in with him.. Complete silence on his end of the phone.  Probably his worse fear smhair    I wonder if all this stress has

anything to do with how bad I've felt recently.  I have xanax for airplane trips but use occasionally to sleep.

Posted 4/3/2009 1:10 AM (GMT 0)
I take lorazapam. I'm taking it right now as my husband's job is very iffy. It's so stressful. It helps quite a bit to take this drug.
Posted 4/3/2009 7:48 AM (GMT 0)
Gee, I wish. I have to swim to de-stress. My doctor would not even consider prescribing xanax.

Donnaeil
Posted 4/3/2009 10:58 AM (GMT 0)
yes, i take xanax and valuim,i have been on and tried MANY scripts.these seem 2 help take the edge off.but,is the edge ever really gone? i have had fibro" for 5 yrs.i am at max dosage of xanax and just started valium 4 months ago.it does not seem to increase the fibrofog.i would discuss with ur doc.maybe start at a low dosage and see if it helps. Meditation does help some also.           good luck!

Post Edited (everyday pain) : 4/3/2009 5:13:52 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/3/2009 12:19 PM (GMT 0)
I also take an anti-anxiety med, Klonipin at present, but it is short acting and there is rebound anxiety. However, it doesn't zone me out. I can still walk, talk, write, work on computer, etc. However, I don't drive while taking it. I get a driver or say put. I had been taking valium, it was excellent b/c of the muscle relaxer effect. I felt better than I had in years. but, I developed a tolerance to it so my doc switched to klonipin.

Posted 4/4/2009 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
My DH and I are charter members of the "Oh crap what are we going to do now" club. I told my children I will live in a little one room apartment before I move in with any of them. I don't want to live with those people any more than they want us living with them.

 

I get very upset with my mind and body cause my body reacts to stress no matter how hard I try mentally not to let it. I don't even have to be thinking about something stressful for my body to react. I have been on xanax for about 11 yrs and I'm very careful to keep the dose at what my doc wants it. I don't like being on it but it gives me a quality of life I wouldn't have without it. I inherited all these good things and I am thankful they have meds to control it. My grandmother spent most of her adult life in institutions cause they didn't have the meds they do today. I was having horrible anxiety and panic attacks when I was put on xanax and I never want to go through that again.

 

I'm also on two anti-depressants.

 

Everyday pain what is the max dosage of xanax???

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 4/4/2009 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Marleel; I checked adult dosage of xanax. It is; .75 to 1.5 mgs. daily. occasionally, larger dosages may be prescribed. Personally, I prefer valium due to muscle relaxer effects. However, my pdoc put me back on Klonipin. So it goes. I was once on xanax, for a month, a different doc was filling in and mistook pretty little peach colored pills for pretty little orange pills. I found it most effective for anxiety. However, the klonipin is from my pdoc, and is for a different condition yhan Fibro. Facing a life where you wake up in pain everyday, and most days it sticks around, no matter what is anxiety provoking. Pain causes anxiety, anxiety intensifies pain. How brave are we? Pretty brave, I'd say.

Posted 4/5/2009 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
It seems like different docs have different ideas on what is max dosage Tyno so I was wondering what Everyday Pain's doc thought was max dosage. The only pysch I have gone to for meds had me on 6 mg a day, 1 1/2 three times a day. My GP said that was way too much and I'm on 3 mg a day, 1/2 mg twice a day and 1 1/2 at bedtime.

 

I've never tried valium.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 4/5/2009 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
Wow. I looked it up in the Family medical guide. That was the guideline there.
Posted 4/5/2009 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
4 Milligrams of Klonopin also known as Clonazapam, usualy about 2 to 4 a.m. when I wake up and can't go back to sleep. This is a huge dose by the way. They usually start off at .25 milligrams twice a day. But I have been on it for so long I am extremely resistant to it. If this was alcohol instead I would be the guy at the drinking contest that downs a quart of whiskey and walks away. It is such a high dose it sometimes has a reciprical effect and I become totaly mentaly clear on it and feel a little edgy.

I am hoping the Gabapentin I started taking for nerve pain, helps me wean down this dosage. I was reading Gabapentin is good for depression and anxiety also, but can take a month to kick in on that and can require high dosages you have to build up to..
Posted 4/6/2009 12:24 AM (GMT 0)
So right. The enemy is stress. Stress landed us here. Another name for the psychic effects of this disease would be PTSD. I swear. If we were to tell our stories of strife that landed us here, most people would look at us real funny and move away from us on the bench. Like Arlo Guthrie singing about getting busted for littering. He was sitting there with four other guys, murderers, bank robbers; they asked him "so, what are you here for?"  He said "litering" and they all moved away from him on the bench. So, as long as we are not hurting anyone, raising kids, or driving, why don't they give us our medicine and leave us sufferin souls be. Amen
Posted 4/6/2009 3:24 AM (GMT 0)
I have basically changed 75% or more of my life to avoid as much stress as possible. I don't/can't work anymore, and I have to do certain things to keep stress as low as possible. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any magic pill to avoid stress -- maybe one of you can prove me wrong! These include: eating healthy & at the right time, adequate and right kind of exercise, making only one appointment or task or whatever per day. Like laundry day I don't go out & get groceries. Grocery day I don't go to the movies -- everything has to be slower paced and widely spaced. Stress still happens -- like when the bills come before the LTD check. Or when yet another piece of insurance paperwork or medical bill comes along....it's almost more stressful to handle being on disability than it is to be healthy & working! Getting worked up, doing too many things, or doing something too long is my worst enemy. Some days I feel great and forget to stop before I'm tired, and the next two days are...awful. I totally agree that PTSD is a huge part of what got us here. For me it was the divorce from hell and all the awful accusations thrown around by the ex, drawing in friends, neighbors, work associates - it was ridiculous. Cheers,
Posted 4/6/2009 11:08 AM (GMT 0)

How wise and insightful, lynwood. You seem to have it mostly figured out. I am still in my infancy, that way. It seems whenever i get things straightened out, I foul stuff up by taking on more than I can handle. Then there's those pleasant little surprizes like, when the bank makes a mistake, rent cheque bounces and I get charged a fee for an NSF cheque, created by a bank error. I had to let that slide almost a month before I could approach it, it upset me so. I think now, i can't get a good reference due to the foul-up with the rent cheque bouncing. The landlady just ignors my requests.So, here i sit, wondering; will  i be able to get a decent place to live?

Like right after my Dad was placed I needed my son to help wih all the heavy lifting, getting all of his and her (wife's) garbage/belongings out of the Nasty Falling down house in order to sell it cause it was uninhabitable, but she wanted this and this and oh yeah that. Then the backlash from the other sibs (You sold the Farm!), like I was going to be able to keep paying her debts (wife-Gambler). Now my son is still here three months later, not contributing, sleeps untill 2 PM. So, do I take on more than I can handle, Oh Yeah! I can't turn him out b/c he will go directly to this associate who is Bad News. Next thing, he'll be in jail. Nope. so it continues. I think I am broken. I don't know how to fix all this. My son speaks disrespectfully to me, sometimes. I am doing my absolute best to get him on track. This is just another stressful situation replacing the last impossible situation. My only support is this online community. i have no where else to turn. 

Posted 4/6/2009 2:11 PM (GMT 0)
Lorazapam here.. Only at night and choclate M&MS nutrageous bars. I started gambling because of stress and have now stopped it Just added more stress. I walk and do deep breathing exercises they deep breathing helps with panic attacks as you can see we are all stressed here I think when you have pain it makes your stress level go up alot.
LeeAnn
Posted 4/6/2009 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
tyno3 : ( I am sorry to hear this. I wish i could help. There is nothing worse to me when our kids talk disrepectful to us. I have been blessed so far with my daughters on that, but my husbands son is another thing. We went thru that and he did get in with the wrong crowd and is now back in prison, not jail. Sending you lots of hugs.
Posted 4/6/2009 7:13 PM (GMT 0)
Coffee, 2 cups in the morning and 1 around noon. Gives me plenty of stress. :-)

Seriously though. I take Klonopin at 4 mgs a day, which almost no Doctor will let you run that high. I just happen to have a Doctor that I think is more stressed out then I am and probably on the stuff himself.

If you are not on any interacting medications, such as Benzo's or Anti-depressents, like I used to be, I got away with taking Valerian root as it says on the bottle. Two much Valerian will cause a reciprical effect and make you more nervous. I also effectively managed my stress and anxiety for a number of years by taking Kava Kava at bed time, but it took about a month before my stress level dropped to almost normal.

Edit: I would add that in my opinion, had I stayed on my nightly dose of Kava Kava and not been so stupid as to get involved in the Tech Stock Market and lost my rear end, I would not have had the second crash and burn that advanced my pain and depression and anxiety and ended up living on these medications. Just a personal opinion, but stopping what was obviously helping with my stress and cognition, and jumping into the stock market and running a coffee pot all day long wasn't to bright of me.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12