Anyone on Anti-Anxiety Meds?

Does anyone take anti-anxiety meds? The reason I ask is because over the past six months I have felt on edge, and get really anxious and fearful in public places..I equate the majority of this to my UC, and really have been blowing it off lately. Recently, I have felt the beginnings of panic attacks(hard time catching breath, hot flashes, and feeling really on edge)...Should I just let this past and it wlll blow over, or should I talk to a doc about it....It's so weird, because I have always been a calm person, and lately I feel slightly like a different person.

Yes, I take Klonopin when I need it. I have always been an anxious person, high strung. But it seemed that the older I got, the less I find that I could cope. Of course it didn't help that my teenage daughter was putting me thru the ringer! I find that Klonopin helps calm me down, but it doesn't seem to help my Uc much. I guess I have a Uc that refuses to be tamed. But overall, I do have to say that at least it puts my mind in a much better place. It also helps eliminate panic attacks....I would usually get them out in public, more so when standing in line at a cash register for some reason. I would get hot, shaky, narrow vision, rapid breathing and a feeling like I just HAVE to get out of there. I normally control that with deep and calming breaths.

I have recently been dealing with this also since my flare has been bad. My dr prescribed fluoxetine (prozac) for everyday and then lorazapam just when needed. I took the lorazapam and it made me doped up so I can only take 1/2 and that is more than enough

I've been on Paxil for a long time now. Longer than I've had UC.

Pred made my anxiety much worse.

Breathing (as wavey mentioned) really does help. Good luck to you.

Glad you're feeling better, Q, and sorry about the nausea. Hope it clears up.

A quick perusal of our signatures shows that many are on anti-anxiety medications. I am not sure about this so please check with your doctor, but once you are on antidepressants isn’t it is very, very hard to end the dependence? Even short term fire extinguishers like Lorazepam can be habit forming if taken steadily over a couple of weeks. Another question is whether they affect your libido. One friend said that Wellbutrin is better than most but I don’t know so please ask your doctor.

You can try cutting back on caffeine and asking your doctor about some natural herbs like theanine. Here is one brand my girlfriend likes. Fish Oil is also noted for reducing anxiety and an added benefit is that some think it is helpful for UC. If you are going to try antidepressants perhaps ask your doctor about how to avoid long term dependence such as taking something like Lorazepam for short durations only. Or perhaps there are some drugs that are less habit forming.

www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=SR-7444

Anti-depressants are life-saving for some people. I've been on them most of my life and have no intention of getting off of them.

I also take klonopin occasionally to sleep. That I worry about in terms of addiction.

My antidepressant is Lexapro and it is amazing. Getting off of it is a problem though, but I don't have any plans to.

It's so important to get the right amount of sleep. So sleeping pills, if need be. I take klonopin occasionally to sleep.

Hi Quincy, just to say I have been on anti-depressants/anxiety meds for quite a few years now - was suffering from panic attacks and after the initial 2 wks of side-effects they really helped me. No more bad panic attacks. I take (the ingredient - in case it's marketed under a diff name in the US) Citalopram. Anti-depressants/anxiety meds (SSRIs) are NOT habit-forming. It's the benzoates (i think they're called) - the tranquilisers - that are very dangerous - cause dependence when used frequently.
My one friend was crippled by anxiety - panic attacks and agoraphobia in malls, driving, going to movies, going anywhere. She was with a terrible psychiatrist who had her on the wrong meds and kept on upping her tranquilisers, telling her she could take up to 12 per day! She got progressively worse until she left him for a wonderful psychiatrist who weaned her off the tranquilisers and changed her meds to the one i am on actually. She now drives, runs her own business in the MALL, has a good social life, got married, had a child etc... I totally believe in SSRIs and think they can give people who suffer from bad anxiety a chance at living life again. You just have to see it through their side effects for the first couple of weeks or so. I believe having the right doctor looking after you is equally important. I was lucky - I simply had a General Practitioner who was lovely and supported me in getting onto anxiety medication.

I'm glad you are feeling better x
CTC

I was on a low dose of Effexor XR after my last flare. I think it was an important part of me reaching remission. It helped my anxiety sooo much, really helped to calm my gut too. I only went off of it b/c after a year I started gaining weight.

If I flare again really bad, I would go back on it. I know a lot of people will say that going off of it is hell. BUT, I tapered very slowly and had ZERO withdrawal. Good luck!

I have a history (family and personal) of anxiety attacks and depression. Anxiety increased greatly with UC. Lorazapam (as needed) has helped immensely with feelings of anxiety and warding off an anxiety attack. I also take antidepressants which have made me 'functional' for the first time in my life.

One thing that I feel should be explored more, however, in our discussions is the connection between mood states and gut disorders. A significant amount of serotonin activity happens at the gut level according to research that I have read (can't find the ref right now). I always feel worse when flaring. I'm pretty in tune with my emotions and employ meditation and deep breathing often to cope. However, whether it's sub conscious worrying about the UC effects, or a brain chemistry imbalance influenced by gut inflammation, these techniques often fail me in a flare. Leading me to think it's the latter theory...

Just my thoughts...

I really appreciate reading all of these posts. You all give me hope. I have scheduled an appointment with my primary care doctor on Wednesday because I have been dealing with depression and anxiety, particularly since loosing my job last May. I am 50 years old and have come to the realization and acceptance that I need help. I believe I have been dealing with all of this since I was a child and have used various forms of distraction to not deal with the "elephant in the room". Now that I am not working I have nothing to think about but my misery. I have isolated myself for many years and believe my depression and anxiety affected my job performance, actually every aspect of my life has been affected. I am also currently trying to fend off an impending flare.... Wish me luck and thank you all for your honesty and openness is sharing your experiences.

Subdued, what is the ingredient of Lexapro - just wondering if we get it here in SA. I also suffered from certain social anxieties - different to yours but equally debilitating. I'm much better on meds!
Crazybug, what you say about gut affecting brain chemistry is so interesting - wish someone would do more research on that.

In a similar vein, I'm taking part in a clinical trial for UC and asked the research co-ordinator if there was evidence of a certain personality type being more prone to getting UC. She said no, that all types of people are affected by it: highly strung, non-emotional, placid etc... doesn't make a difference. My doctor says it's purely a case of bad luck!