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Anxiety- side effect of drugs?

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Posted 4/19/2015 1:01 PM (GMT 0)
I have been doing so well! I am back to my old life. I am eating pretty much anything I want to eat.
But for the last couple of weeks on and off I have this horrible feeling of impending doom. Or maybe a guilty conscience.
It will keep me up laying in bed thinking "Oh no! What did I do? What do I feel guilty about? Who do I owe an apology to? What horrible thing do I not remember?"

Any ideas?
(Other than that I left someone at the airport or something... I checked. I didn't.)
Posted 4/19/2015 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
IMHO if could be just having a disease and being our age. Age brings with it extra drama. Try to focus on the good stuff. Glad you are feeling better.
Posted 4/19/2015 4:09 PM (GMT 0)
It almost sounds like survivors guilt...like maybe you feel bad that you're finally feeling well...I don't know, just a thought I came to when reading your post, it's the first thing that popped into my head, I could be way off.
Posted 4/19/2015 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Repeat after me: I'll be d-mned if I'm going to feel guilty for feeling better!
Posted 4/19/2015 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
i have health anxiety and it's horrible
Posted 4/19/2015 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think it's even mental. I think it's just physical. Maybe blood pressure?
Anxiety without anything to be anxious about. Like a mild panic attack.
Posted 4/19/2015 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
I know the feeling Happier! I am not a worrier, so when anxiety just comes out of nowhere...I'm convinced it is tied to a physical problem. There have been studies which show 95% of serotonin is made in the gut and that those who suffer from IBD have an imbalance of serotonin and/or dopamine. It's my best guess at this point. My worst anxiety so far was with Prednisone, and it took months to go away. But I'm still left with occasional "anxiety attacks". I may try 5-HT and L-tyrosine which are precursors to serotonin and dopamine. Old Mike has posted a ton of info on this. Best.
Posted 4/20/2015 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
Is your signature up to date, are you still on uceris? I ask because uceris is a steroid and it can cause enhance anxieties, make emotions swing wildly, etc. My vote would be drug induced/enhanced is you're still on uceris...
Posted 4/20/2015 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
Steroids would make me extremely anxious so if you're on prednisone or such that could do it.
Posted 4/20/2015 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for all of the replies!
Currently not taking any steroids at all.
I finally got off the Prednisone, then two months of Uceris. (I think that broke the cycle of the Prednisone taper bringing the symptoms back. Just guessing.)
I will be on the Uceris 2 months on, then off unless I am going to be dealing with something for sure. That's the idea anyway.
I finished the 2 months about a month ago. After sleeping for the next month, I have been feeling just so fine until this week.

Prednisone did not make me anxious. It made me psychotic. Like literally worked until my fingers bled and spent thousands of dollars on the credit cards on-line shopping, had the house full of workmen psychotic. This is NOTHING like that! Thank goodness!

I had not had coffee in about three years and I have been having a half cup every morning.

I woke up anxious (or whatever you would call this), so I doubt it really is coffee. Just in case, I did not have any today. I'll try a few days without to see if that makes a difference.

If that is it, I'll decide whether to try coffee again and see if I can get used to it. I LOVE the taste, etc. Miss it terribly. But, this is really annoying.

I just have this overwhelming "What did I forget?" feeling.
Posted 4/21/2015 1:10 AM (GMT 0)
Happier!, I am happy to hear you are doing so well! I get anxiety too, and it became even worse when I stopped taking birth control pills. I am now taking inositol (vitamin) and it helps to take the edge off (except for pre-menstrual anxiety). I take 2g. per day because I didn't notice a difference between 2g. and a much higher dose. Solgar sells inositol capsules and NOW foods sells it in powder form.

Also, for me, I always worry about my health. When I am feeling better I worry about what will/can happen again. I also worry about embarrassing myself at work if my body is struggling. Mornings are the hardest.
Posted 4/21/2015 11:27 AM (GMT 0)
Unlikely to be hormonal. Never was before and menopause was about 10 years ago.
Yes, when things were very bad and I had public accidents I was worried.
But, this is different.

This is the second day with no coffee. I don't think it has anything to do with it.
Posted 4/21/2015 1:12 PM (GMT 0)
I would argue that anxiety is a side affect of ulcerative colitis. I've been in remission since September of 2014, 1 bm a day, yet I still worry at times, it slips in unexpectedly. UC really messes with our heads, the fear of accidents, worries about when uc will get worse again, anxiety of being away from the toilet for long periods of time (multiple hour car rides, subway, unfamiliar areas, etc.). It's not overwhelming or ever present by any means, but it does slip in randomly, when I least expect it. I hoping it fades more and more in time.

I think it has something to do with our subconscious mind (the same thing that drives phobia reactions). We jump into worst case scenarios, uncertainties about the future, etc. I don't offer an easy solution, just say I can relate.
Posted 4/21/2015 2:17 PM (GMT 0)
You know, I think you might have it.

I was trying to remember when I ever felt this way before.
It was 2 times, AFTER a horribly stressful event.
While all the drama was going on, I handled it wonderfully. People told me they couldn't believe how well I handled things.
Then, once everything was all over, I had some kinda Post Traumatic thing.

I'm gonna go have a cup of coffee and stop thinking about this.

(What helped before, I think, was getting a big dog to protect me. Coulda been training the dog and walking the dog. I'm going to try spending more time walking my old dog, 15 years old, hard to believe it's been that long. And more time training my 1-year-old puppy. Can't hurt, might help... more productive than Googling.)
Posted 4/21/2015 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
Agreed with iPoop. People tell me all the time that I exaggerate or I'm too anxious and it can't be that bad. But I have all the reason to be. The prospect of a blood filled toilet just does that to me, sorry.
Posted 4/21/2015 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
Distractions help keep the mind tamed, as do reassurance that you've got the worst case scenario covered. I listen to the radio, and sing badly to it, while driving. I still keep an emergency change kit in my car trunk. Keep yourself busy and those worries are often kept away, it's idle periods when the mind brings them in (and then a vicious circle of anxiety starts building up). Building up confidence over time seems to help ease the subconscious mind as well, with challenge and repeated success.

Puppies help cure most things. You seldom see a frown when someone has a puppy with them.
Posted 4/21/2015 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
I don't feel stressed in the front of my mind.
In fact, I always felt like I had it under control, which is pretty crazy, since I sure didn't.

I did Google, buy books and spend TOO much time reading about this.
But, considering when this started I might as well have been a potato or a Gumby inside for all I knew, I had a lot of catching up to do. Now I could write books on how my insides work... or don't.

Finally, I decided to study Mandarin Chinese.
Well, if that won't give you another focus, nothing will.

I am back to volunteering 10 hours a week.

I have hired two new employees that I am training. Took on an intern, too. (Which may have been a mistake.)

The business is going well. The marriage is going well. I am feeling good. The meds are working finally. Off the Pred. I even hired a housekeeper (which is partially tax deductible if you have business use of your home, did you know that?)

There is NO REASON to feel like this. I am powering through web production work, and have this overwhelming sense that something REALLY BAD is going to happen any moment.

I'm going with PTSD.
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