Anyone experience panic attacks or anxiety after

their surgery? This is new to me and I have been experiencing some form of anxiety. But when I check my oxygen level it reads 97 to 99 percent. Thanks

I did, too, and it always seemed to happen at work. As soon I started feeling myself getting stressed about something, my mind would think that the stress was going to cause the Crohn's to return and that I would be sick again and would have to have more surgery, etc.

I told my gastroenterologist about it, and she said that it's normal to experience PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) after years with a chronic illness and surgery. She prescribed the lowest dose of Xanax to take as needed, and it really helped calm me down, so my mind wouldn't go there every time I felt stressed.

Now that I've been disease-free for 6 years, I don't worry about the disease returning and can handle stress a lot better.

Hope it helps you to know that you're not alone and what worked for us to get through the initial anxiety after surgery.

Cece

Thanks for your responses. I do have Xanax to take as needed. I have food allergies and the symptoms memmick an anxiety attack. I also have asthma so I have to rule those things out before I can know for certain if it's anxiety. I have taken Benadryl and my asthma meds yesterday and still felt uneasy with my breathing particularly on the right side. Today I am going to take half a Xanax and see how I feel. I had a total colectomy on June 25th with some complications and maybe there is fear lingering in my subconscious mind that is causing the mild anxiety. I am praying that my food allergies improved since the removal of my colon. One of the reasons I wanted my colon removed. I believe my colon was the cause of over 20 food allergies.

Good news the half of Xanax worked. It was mild anxiety. My breathing has improved. I am not tensed. Also, last night I was able to sleep in my bed for 3 hours since June 24th. I have been sleeping in a recliner due to bone disease.

I am a generally nervous person, and having a disease like UC made it worse. Now that the UC is gone, at least I am no longer in the vicious cycle worrying about the disease worsening because of the worrying. I sound a lot like 80s chick - stressing about things going wrong, but to my defense, they often do. I think I am the only recorded case of pyoderma in a person with UC who had a full proctocolectomy.

Panick attacks, PTSD, anxiety, I have it all. You are not alone. Rosemary