How to not have anxiety after having fibroid surgery though.

I had the fibroid surgery done already. I have anxiety about when the pain from the surgery will go away ya. I don't really like dealing with the pain though. Can some one give me advice on how to have less anxiety after having the surgery though. Thanks.

Ya he did give me some medication for pain though it only helps a little. Thanks. Can the breathing thing help with chest pain. I was wondering about that ya. Thanks.

Thanks. I just have some anxiety since I still have some pain from the surgery ya. I think it will take awhile to be ok though.

I think I will try use a ice pack thanks. I am not getting any physical therapy though. I think it will just take awhile. Then I will be ok ya. Thanks.

Thanks. Ya I still have some pain though. I am trying to not take any medication for it. I think it may take a little while more until I am ok. Thanks.

Post Edited (asiangal555) : 1/18/2021 6:19:56 PM (GMT-7)

Ya I don't like to take pain medication since it makes me have no energy to do things. I think it will take a little while more until I am ok though. Thanks.

Ya it has been like two months ago since I had the surgery though. I am not in as much pain as when I first had the surgery. I still have some pain though. I think cuz I have anxiety so I think about the pain ya. I like to read things since it is interesting to learn about other things I don't really know about. I think the pain should go away in a little while. Thanks.

You said it's been 2 months since the surgery and that the pain is less than it was. That is good.

You also say, "I still have some pain though. I think cuz I have anxiety so I think about the pain ya."

Didn't you start Lexapro (Escitalopram) a few weeks ago, which net says is for depression and anxiety? Is that working for you?

You said you also had some chest pain. Is that still bothering you? I have chest pain from time to time, also. What helps when it is rather mild, is a heating pad. Have you ever tried a heating pad for chest pain? The heat expands the blood vessels, this case, in and around the chest.

It allows more nutrients and oxygen to get to the injured area.

If my chest pain gets too bad, I have to take an Ativan tranquilizer.

I like to read, also. But I also like to see what they're reading on TV, sometimes documentaries about true events. And biographies about people's lives.

Last night I watched a docudrama (based on truth) about a racehorse named "Seabiscuit." As a child, I read in local history that "Seabiscuit" trained for awhile at a horse training center near where I live. That's why I was doubly interested in it and watched every minute of it.

Like you, "Seabiscuit" was one tough hombre.

Give us some updates on how this is going.

Two weeks since the start of Lexapro anti-depressant and anti-anxiety, and two months since the fibroid surgery.

As for when Lexapro kicks in, www.nhs.uk.com says:

"You may not notice much improvement in your symptoms for a week or two until escitalopram (Lexapro) begins to take effect. It usually takes between 4 and 6 weeks before you feel the full benefits.”

I would keep up with it, however, to see how long it is taking.

You said, "I still have some chest pain. I think some of it is from the gerd condition. I think I can try out using a heating pad. Do you know how long you need to use it to work though. I am kind of sad from having the gerd condition. Ya maybe the medication will help in a little while. Thanks."

As for heating pad for Gerd, activebeat.com says: “But there’s also value in applying a heating pad to the abdomen in the event that you start to experience an upset stomach or serious indigestion. That’s because the warmth of the heating pad can help to loosen muscles in this part of the body, helping you overcome the discomfort and get back to normal”

I would suggest moist heat, by moistening the insert that comes with the heating pad, or a small kitchen or bath towel (moisten, then wring out excess water). I use it on my ears, I have ringing in the ears or tinnitus, and I find moist heat goes deeper). 10 or 15 minutes is one possibility.

houstonheartbeat.com says: Be sure to avoid the common heartburn triggers:
• Caffeine – coffee and soda
• Chocolate
• Tomato based products
• Spices

Houstonheartbeat.com adds:

"Yogurt." (I add apples (see below) with yogurt type food (cottage cheese) and it taste great and is good for me.)

"Usually we try to avoid any dairy provides while experiencing any kind of indigestion or stomach problems, but according to Reader’s Digest, “the probiotic qualities of yogurt — aka live bacteria — make it a good cure as it eases digestive discomfort and boosts your immune system. One important piece of advice is to choose plain yogurt that has no added sugar or flavor."

BRAT Diet
"Everybody loves a good acronym! One of the rules to follow for an upset stomach, ease nausea or diarrhea, especially when it comes to children is to feed foods following the BRAT rule: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. BRAT contains low-fiber, high-binding foods. None of these foods contain salt or spices, which can further aggravate symptoms. This bland diet is a go-to for when you’re feeling sick but still have to eat something,” says Healthline.

apricots, and prunes. All of these foods are packed with fiber which means they’ll help get things moving, and as a result ease any stomach aches. ) It also recommends cherries and raisins, but they have so much sugar in them, I wouldn't even think about eating those.

Viverhealth.com. Apples

"The old adage about an apple a day keeping the doctor away may also apply to heartburn, according to a growing consensus among nutrition experts. With a pH of about 4, apples are considered moderately alkaline – although red apples, which tend to be sweeter, are a better choice than sour green versions in this regard. Additionally, apples contain the alkalizing minerals calcium, potassium and magnesium, which is an ingredient in many acid reflux drugs. Apples are also a rich source of fiber, a trait fueling their ability to help absorb excess stomach acid."

(Maybe combine sliced apples with yogart [above]).

2. celery

Sorry you are going through that with the GERD. I looked at that topic and got different results with the duration of that condition. I have a similar situation with Diabetes. I’m supposed to cut way back on my carbs. But it’s very hard to do. I can reduce that for awhile, but then I sometimes fall back to eating too many carbs. So I have an idea of what you may be going through. Is your anxiety reducing? Does the heating pad help, maybe with sleep? Did it help with the chest pain? Or the yogurt and with sliced apples, or apples, applesauce or yogurt on their own? Do you think an anti-depressant would help? Are you still reading?

Net says, Lexapro is for depression and is an anti-anxiety.

For sleep, I take Melatonin health food pills. I would give the Lexapro time to work, and I would ask my doctor about that health food tablet.

As for medicine that helps with gerd, webmd says, antacids, H2 blockers, Proton pump inhibitors and Prokinetics.

Net says there are also several medical procedures that may help.

In addition to diabetes, I also have bipolar in which I can get manic or very depressed. For that I take Lithium for the mania, and it also helps with the depression, and I also take Mirtazapine anti-depressant.

As for those conditions making me anxious, they probably do, but the medicine helps calm me down. Yes, without the medicines, I am very anxious.

Are you still trying to stay positive? Did the tips I saw in a newspaper column help you toward that? Some call it CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), which this website encourages and talks about in "Anxiety-Panic Resources" at the top of this forum's list of names of people writing in with problems.

It tries to get you thinking positive on your own, rather than sitting back waiting for others to help. It really helped me, because I used to sit back and wait for others to help me, because I couldn't think on my own, because my unconscious mind was negative.

It was negative until I read that column on first thinking that you could solve a problem before you even thought about the problem ("Think positive, think positive, think positive"). Which set my unconscious to trying to solve the problem. And it often would.

With that positive attitude going into the problem (I would simply say, "Think positive" before thinking about the problem), I solved a lot more problems, because I didn't know that my unconscious was set on negative from childhood training, and I was defeating myself. And by thinking positive going into a problem that I could solve it, I became my own best friend instead of my own worst enemy.

I didn't have to ask others (whose minds were set on positive) how to solve my problems. My mind (when set on positive) was just as good as theirs.

Glad the heating pad is helping with the chest pain. I keep my heating pad plugged into the wall near my bed. Hope the yogurt helps. Apples are supposed to be good for you, can you tolerate those? I eat sliced apples with cottage cheese. Maybe you could try that with yogurt.

Post Edited (Tim Tam) : 2/6/2021 11:29:33 AM (GMT-7)

You’ve been on Lexapro (net says for depression and anxiety) almost a month, isn’t that right? I think it says 6 to 8 weeks to take full effect.

And your surgery was about two months ago.

Glad you're trying to stay positive. It helps me a lot. Were you raised in a positive household?

I did not know carbs were not good for gerd. I had mentioned I had diabetes and was supposed to eat less carbs (potatoes, rice, bread) which turn to sugar.

You wondered about getting diabetes. That is the time to think about diabetes, before you get it.

Net says to reduce chances of getting diabetes:

1. Cut Sugar and Refined Carbs From Your Diet. 2. Work Out Regularly. 3. Drink Water as Your Primary Beverage. 4. Lose Weight If You're Overweight or Obese.

5. Quit Smoking. 6. Follow a Very-Low-Carb Diet. 7. Watch Portion Sizes. 8. Avoid Sedentary Behaviors.

Best foods are: Fruits (blackberries and strawberries are best for diabetics), vegetables, whole grain bread, brown rice, beans.

Instead of refined carb white bread, eat whole grain bread; instead of refined carb flavored yogurt, try natural yogurt; and instead of refined carb breakfast cereal, try oatmeal.

Also watch what you buy at the super market, with canned food having the most salt, frozen much less, and fresh food the least of all.

For instance, canned corned beef hash has has 980 mg. (40% daily value) of sodium, compared to 43 grams for frozen fish, and 70 mg of salt for fresh chicken, which is lower in cholesterol and fat.

Canned lima beans have 300 mg. of salt, while frozen lima beans and broccoli have none (1% for broccoli).

This website has a diabetes forum where the moderator, Laney, gives a lot of good information. By reading the questions and replies, you can get a lot of help, including how to reduce the chances of getting diabetes.

You wrote on November 11 of 2020 that you had just recently had the surgery, and said, “I have anxiety about when the pain from the surgery will go away ya. I don't really like dealing with the pain though”

So on Feb. 12, you write: “I only have some pain from the surgery when I walk around for a little while. I think it is cool that I am almost done with that.” That is very cool. When you first wrote in, again, you said, ““I have anxiety about when the pain from the surgery will go away ya. I don't really like dealing with the pain though”

So, that’s good you’ve dealt with that. So it took about 3 months which is about what my neighbor said was going to take for her shoulder surgery.

So now we have the Lexapro anti-depressant and anti-anxiety which net says takes about 5-6 weeks to work although it can be helpful before that. You said you’ve been taking for a little over a month.

about the anti-depressant, you said, “I am just sad that it seems like the lexapro is making me want to eat more things. It is hard to lose a little weight ya. Do you think most anxiety medication make people want to eat more though.”

Yes, I’ve found that out about my anti-depressant, also, Mirtazapine. It is very frustrating. I think most anti-depressants could be like that, although I don’t know.

Psyc.com.net) says there are some anti-depressants which supposedly don’t cause weight gain, like fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) and bupropion (Wellbutrin, Aplenzin, Forfivo, Zyban).

If the Lexapro doesn't work, you might ask your doctor about fluoxetine or bupropion.

It is a very difficult situation, and it affects my diabetes diets, also, in that I want to eat the house down which, again, is not good for my diabetes. It might be called the price of getting older and being sick.

Again, you mentioned how to reduce chances of getting diabetes. Laney G. on the Diabetes forum on this web site said on 8-20-2019, which I printed out:

"We need to have a food plan and also do some sort of exercise on a regular basis. Food with carbohydrates will raise our blood sugar. The more bread, potatoes, rice, food made with flour and sugar that we eat, the higher our blood sugar will go. You will know this because if you test your blood sugar right before you eat and then about two hours after you finish, you will see how your blood sugar rises when you eat any of that food.

"What can you eat? Meat, chicken, fish, vegetables (but not potatoes or corn), lettuce and other leafy greens, peanut butter, eggs, milk products with no sugar added, cheese, nuts. Corn is a grain and has a lot of carbs.

"A good meal could be a piece of chicken, some sauteed bell peppers with some slices of onions, a small salad. Other dinners could be a different piece of protein (meat) and different vegetables like mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini squash, small portion of green beans. Instead of a salad, have a little plate of salad type food you can pick from like pieces of: celery, radishes, a slice of tomato, a small cucumber, a piece of cheddar.

"Chicken salad or tuna salad wrapped in a couple of lettuce leaves can be lunch.”

(I, Tim Tam, have read limit eggs to three a week because of the high cholesterol, 60-70% of what you'll need all day for one egg.) (“Good” Wraps have only 5 mg of carbs, lower than bread (25 mg), look like small pizza’s, found in bread dept. I think.)

I can’t eat wraps for too many meals in a row. So, I’m thinking, low carb bread. I went to the net, and they do make that (from zero to a few carbs). You can also type into the search engine, “Where do they sell low carb bread” or add “in my hometown”.