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Posted 1/10/2011 5:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there, I suffered from POst natal depression and anxiety about 9 yrs ago just after my son was born, i was prescribed buspirone (for the anxiety) and Sertraline (lustral for depression etc) my symptoms back then were just general anxious feelings, burning sensations up my back and arms and the feeling of falling and twitching when lying in bed at night! After about 6 months i was fine i had the odd panic attack after that but nothing serious or debilitating i was socially awkward for a while but got my spirits back which was fantastic!!!

Now 9 yrs on i'm experiencing the same thing although i dont think i have depression this time around, my symptoms this time are

constantly worrying about my health i.e my heart/luncg body in general
Tingling sensationsin in my legs (mostly my thighs and knees)
Tingling and slight numbness in my face which moves around sometimes my chin and jaw sometimes my cheeks and lips
feeing sick
I have no appetite at all i have literally eaten a slice of toast , some soup, crackers per day for the last 4 days

I was at my doctors last week and i have been put back on buspirone (5mg 4times a day now) and i also take bisoprolol for palpatations, my main anxiety symptom was racing heart andf heart thumps last week for about 4 days solid, thank fully these have abaited and disappeared but the other symptoms have now appeared with a vengeance, tingling everywhere, my face wont stop feeling tingly and weird, i cant sleep and i;ve lost my appetite completely, I'm doing classic anxiety sufferer things like calling the docotr every 2 minutes and thinking i'm going to die/or i'm rly sick (which i know i'm not) I think i just need some outside advice/help/support

I'm 29 yrs old, live with my mother and my little boy who is nrly 10 and i feel like i'm unable to cope, I cant even face going outside, i ahvent been out since last wednesday wehn i went to see the doctor, i really feel terrible and sick and i am at a loss of how to deal with it!!! Can anyone help??
Posted 1/10/2011 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
And i apologise for my typing i never spell checked when i was done many a typo Sorry!!
Posted 1/10/2011 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Ninja Kitty (love the name btw!) Many of us here suffer from health anxiety, and know exactly how you feel! I am glad that you are in contact with your dr. Since you have had a check-up, and ruled out any organic illness, you can start to treat your physical symptoms as anxiety.

You mentioned medication, but have you also had therapy? It is, in my opinion, the best long-term solution for recovery of anxiety and panic. Your dr. can make a referral to a therapist who offers Cognitive Behaioral Therapy-a highly effective treatment for what you are suffering.

In the meantime, I am going to post some url's that you might find helpful. Your symptoms soud very much like hyperventilation syndrome to me. I also struggled with this, and understanding how to breath properly will really help. The numbness, tingling, even palpatations can be a result of shallow breathing-a response to stress. Over oxygenating of the blood actually changes the p.h. to akaline, causing a whole host of very real and distressing symptoms!

Give these a try, and let us know how it goes. I hope that you will plan to stay on with us. This is a great place, full of fantastic people, information and support. Post anytime!

Take care
Scaredy Cat

www.stress-relief-exercises.com/
www.healthyplace.com
www.ehow.com/video_4405003_breathing-exercises-panic-attacks.html
www.psybersquare.com/anxiety/panic_relax_I
Posted 1/10/2011 6:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there , thank you!!! Yeah i plan to stay with the Forum As much as possible, after reading all the posts i can relate to what people are going through, I am seeing my Doctor again on wednesday and will ask about therapy /councelling! My medication has only been in effect for 6 days and i'm not finding it that helpful at the moment!!! I shall look at those links you have posted and let you know how effective i find them :=) I feel a little bit calmer already just reading the forum and knowing i'm not imagining things or actually going through some scary disease!! I really honestly cannot believe how utterly Horrible you could feel suffering from anxiety and such, you really do feel like your dying or you have something terribly wrong with you!! Also after reading some of the other posts i feel very very lucky to live in the UK where i dont need to pay or have insurance for my meds/therapy!!! It must be so hard for people who cant afford/dont ahve the right insurance with this condition , again thank you for the info i'm going to go and look at it just now and see what stuff i can do to help myself :=D

Thanks again!!

Kitty
Posted 1/11/2011 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
Kitty,

Hello and I am Kitt - WElcome to HealingWell. First of all I see you have played the fun trivia and I hope you stick with us as it is just in fun and no one is better then the other. I take a longer time then many but hey they should see me ride my motorcycle.

You have come to a great place as all of the members know about how it feels to have anxiety. SC posted some great links.

Another therapy that may help you is a free, online course called MoodGYM. therapy – a proven treatment for depression and for anxiety.

Here is the link for MoodGYM: http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome

Keep on believing in yourself and know that we are here for you.

Kindly,
Kitt
Posted 1/11/2011 10:50 AM (GMT 0)
The Anxiety is worse today than it was yesterday, I dont feel the Buspar is working and i am trying relaxation techniques also, I am waiting on the doctor calling me back as i think i need something else to take the edge off during the day/when i first wake up!! I have been told dizepam and clonazepam (Klonopin) in small small doses are safe to take with Buspirone , is this true and has anyone had any experience taking benzo's with buspar?? My doctor seems to be not very knowledgeable when it comes to anxiety Meds and i think maybe seeking a 2nd opinion would be a good idea!!

Thanks
Kitty x
Posted 1/11/2011 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning Kitty,

I am sorry to hear your anxiety is higher.

I use Buspar and it seems to help me. It may take up to a month or more to get the full effect of this medication. I also notice your dose is only 20 mg per day. I take 15 mg in the morning and 15 mg at bedtime = 30 mg/per day. I was at 30 mg twice daily ( 60 mg) at one time but do well at the 30 mg now. Perhaps your Dr. will increase your dose.

I take Valium and Buspar together and have not had any problems. My psychiatrist orders all my mental health care and medications.

People with anxiety as you probably remember from 9 years ago can have peaks and valleys. When your feeling good you fear the next time you will have a peak in anxiety. Remember you will always be a work in progress.

I am a 29 year survivor of anxiety and I have worked full time for 28 years before taking full retirement. There is always hope so hang on and make a list of what you want to talk with your Dr. about tomorrow.

Remember you have anxiety, anxiety does not have you.

Kindly,

Kitt
Posted 1/11/2011 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
Now i'm feeling very light , not lightheaded or anything like that just like i cant really feel parts of me properly and i'm tingly but not much panic and no palps to speak of, i think maybe the buspar isnt right for me I dont know, I see my doctor tomorrow for a check up thats 7 days on buspar now and i'm not sure how its maing me feel I just rly dont like this overly calm yet not calm feeling my legs feel weird as does my tummy like there too calm or something :( it just feels wrong :(
Posted 1/11/2011 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hi N.K. It is so frustrating to feel 'not right' I don't take meds, but I have felt like what you are describing from anxiety alone! It is hard to distinguish between the side effects, and the crazy symptoms that your body throws at you from stress!

I would write everything that you experience down to bring to your appointment, so that your dr. can know how to proceed. If you are getting the feeling that he/she is not familiar with A/P/D meds, then you may need to ask for a referral-I'm sure you'd be accomodated.

I hope that you can get this resolved and start feeling better soon!

Take care,
Scaredy Cat

p.s. keep rockin' the trivia;)
Posted 1/11/2011 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hiya S.C Thanks for that and yeah i can't make up my mind if its the anxiety or side effects from the meds I originally started the buspar last wednesday beccause i was having rapid heart beats and very frequent and sporadic thumps in my chest and they went away by the friday, then the other anxiety symptoms started i.e the hot tingly feeing sin my arms and legs and back, tingling in my face, loss of appetite etc etc, i had ecg's done less than 3 weeks ago and they were fine mild very mild arrythmia after a massive palpatation attack but thats nirmal and all differences were begnine but my face has been tingling for about 5 weeks now and i know it isnt a stroke (i know the signs of a stroke and tia) Its not numb just tingly and weird, so i was told it may be a neck issue in the spine which is fine but still to get a mri/xray done for it!! So i'm presuming all my worries over the massive palpatation episode(which i srsly thought was a heart attack) and everything else have just triggered the anxiety!! I just wish it would all go away and let me have one day without anything bothering me!!! I guess i'm just really fed up with it all atm :(

Kitty
Posted 1/11/2011 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
I know what its like to have health anxiety pretty much all the time. I'm currently worrying myself constantly about having asthma or some type of breathing issue. It happens at night for me. But at any given time I can have a strange body sensation that will send me into panic. I know how you feel as far as that goes!

You are not alone!! And I hope that you find relief soon!!
Posted 1/11/2011 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
I am sorry if I offended you in some way that you are not reading my posts to you. Yours was the first post I answered today.

Kindly,
Kitt
Posted 1/11/2011 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Kitt I saw your post hunni thank you I'm going top see my Doc tomorrow and see about upping my buspar or possibly gettin Diazepam to help with the onset of the panic etc etc you didnt offend me at all, if anything you inspire me, i read lots of your posts and find you one of theeeee most helpful people on here you have a fabulous insight into the world of Anxiety etc :) Sorry if you thought i was ignoring you but i posted underneath it how i was feeling again :) Please dont stop replying to my posts i'm finding what you ahve to say really insightful and helpful :=D

Kitty xxx
Posted 1/11/2011 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
Raynebow

yeah I know exactly what thats like unfortunatly for me at the moment the weird sensations have been literally constant for weeks now and i just want some relief, but fingers crossed after seeing the doc tomorrow we will have a differnet outlook on it all :=) xx
Posted 1/11/2011 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
Kitty,

All is fine,  just having one of those days really trigger by some recent events in my life.  I love so much helping people and I am glad if I was able to help you.

Sometimes I feel my sense of humor makes people think I am making fun of them when I am sincerely not.  :-)

May your heart be filled with the joy of life.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 1/11/2011 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
Oh Kitt your posts are a joy to read, and if you need to vent and talk about your issues blast away i like to help also, very good at helping others, i'm absoloutly rubbish at helping myself lol!!! I am not easily offended and i can assure you i take all advice/jokes/comments as they are intended :D
Posted 1/12/2011 1:11 AM (GMT 0)
Ninja Kitty,
I hope you get relief and your dr. can help guide you tomarow w/ a therapyst that can help you and some temparary meds to get you over the high anxiety your feeling. I too know exactly what your feeling, i was recently put on zoloft after having anxiety 26 years of my life, and recently its come back, but the zoloft made me feel "off"...so i still take xanax as needed (and i did take it with my zoloft as well), and it was okay for me. Im currently looking into therapy myself, and trying somthing new. I feel for you deeply, and hope you find relife soon, but know, you are truley not alone.

thinking of you and wishing you well
babette
Posted 1/12/2011 8:18 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Babette,
Off to the doctors in around an hour (i'm uk time) So fingers Crossed, this morning hasnt been as bad as others managed to chill a little bit quicker on waking up, but, i'm still unable to eat properly (literallly having one small bowl of cereal and a bowl of soup per day atm) I just cant seem to bring myself to eat totally solid food yet!! It's been around 2 weeks now since i had proper solid food, does anyone have any ideas how ot keep my strength up, food or food suppliments i cant try so i start putting weight back on?? Any Suggestions would be welcomed!!

Thanks
Kitty
Posted 1/12/2011 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
Ok so i went to the Doctors today, and she didnt prescribe anymore medication and prefers tokeep me on the 20mg a day of buspar (4 5mg tabs a day) she sent me for a ecg to check my heart which the technician said had a few extra beats but it was absoloutly nothing to worry about the underlying ecg that they worry about was perfectly fine (phew what a relief) She sent me for the ecg because she wants to try other medication she said but wont prescribe anything till i had the ecg done and she recieved the results back (I am grateful for this as i was worried about my heart) she also mentioned something about there being a hormone problem possibly, where i secreet too much adrenalin!! So i'm going ot be going for tests for that as well, but, at the moment I;ve to stay on the Buspar, thankfully the panic attacks arent so prominent, its mostly just constantly feeling uneasy, tingling, dry mouth (which is horrid and driving me mad) and a sense of feeling not really "with it" if that makes sense!!

Although I am quite proud of myself i managed ot make it out of the house and to the doctors and go to the pharmacist to get my meds without gettin to panicky!!! And also up to the hospital for the ECG :=D so i guess thast an acomplishment for one day, although now i'm back home i'm back in my bed trying to chill out :=( which i guess isnt that positive, but when my son gets home from school i'll get up for a little bit to play with him and talk to him and possibly have some food (only had a banana today) The Doctor told me not to worry about the not eating at the moment, thats it quite normal and i can build myself back up once i have settled a little bit!!! I;ve been feeling like this for a week now it started with major heart palps and fear constantly for 2 days then it wore off, then i took scary panic attack hot tingles palps etc, can anyone give me an idea when the BUspar should kick in properly and i can feel well enough to do normal every day things like go ot the store or just spend time with my family without hiding in my bedroom?? xxx

Thanks

Kitty xx
Posted 1/12/2011 5:08 PM (GMT 0)
hi there! YAY! you went to the dr, and all those things without panicing! that is really great. and it sounds like your dr. is taking all the right steps to make sure you are okay before putting you on any other medications, that is also very good. alot of dr's will just give you this and that and do no other tests, so it sounds like you have a good dr! it takes the buspar anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, it depends on the person. Everyone is different. but, statistics say that mostly its about the 4 to 6 weeks time frame for it to really kick in, where the side effects start to fade, and the benifit of it helping w/ anxiety kick in... one day, you will be sitting there and think to yourslef... "hey, i havent felt to panicy today, or this week"... i hope it kicks in soon for you!!
there are drinks you can get that have alot of vitamans and electrolights in them to help you with your energy, like pedialite, and stuff like that. they dont taste too bad. Ive had to drink them before. and they give them to older folks that have a hard time eating and need thier nurashment as well. maybe you can blend them with ice, like a shake.. and make it more appealing to you?
I go to the therapyst on monday to start my new kind of therapy... ive always just had talk therapy with my phycologyst or phyciatrist, but this time its the EDMR.... im hopeing it works. Im going away for the weekend w/ some girlfriends, for some "relaxation" time.. im a bit nervouse about that, i dont wanna have anxiety while im with thm, but they all understand and dotn judge me, and i do have my xanax just incase, but, i will look forward to my therapy on monday. I hope you do well today, and know agian... you are not alone, and good for you for making it to the dr. and everything! YAY!!!

Babette
Posted 1/12/2011 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Babette, You will be fine on your weekend just make sure you have your meds "just in case" and since its with Friends who know about your anxiety etc that will make it easier :=D And yes my Doctor is very thorough and i appreciate whats she is doing for me :=) Like i said i;ve only been on the Buspar since last wednesday so taking one day at a time, and considering what i had to do today i feel not too bad, which surprises even me :D And the light headedness is starting to annoy me a bit but thats the side effects and the lack of food i think!!


Thanks to everyone for all there feedback and support its fantastic

:D


Kitty xx
Posted 1/15/2011 10:23 AM (GMT 0)
Just a quick update, Dr took me off Sertraline yesterday as i had a bad reaction to it on thursday evening, Massive anxiety/panic attacks all evening and all through the night i couldnt sleep or calm down at all burning sensations in my hands and arms and through my head also, aplpatations right through till the morning, Dr has now taken me off it and has prescribes 25mg of buspar a day 5 tabs of 5mg and also temazepam at night to help me sleep, took the first one last night and it really helped fell asleep within 15 mins and woke up 8 hours later thankfully a full nights sleep :D

This tingling i experience in my arms and head is quite stingy or hot feeling and can last for some time, has anyone else experinced this with their anxiety??


Kitty xx
Posted 1/15/2011 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning Kitty,

Ouch, I am sorry to read about your bad reaction to the medication. I went through a very similiar episode years ago when my Dr. switched me from one Antidepressant to another - ordering mg per mg in the switch.  I was way over dosed on the new med and about 1 hour after taking it I had the most awful panic attack - ended up in the ER and was admitted over night.  I was given IV Ativan as well as oral doses of this med. 

My Dr apologized and said "Oops "  

It was an awful feeling so I do understand what you have been through.

Glad to hear you had a full 8 hours sleep as that helps so much to get back on track. 

Wishing you peace,

Kitt

Posted 1/15/2011 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
YEah the temazepam really helped!! i;ve to take it for a few nights till i get my sleep pattern back, but i'm hoping the Dr will give me a during the day pill other than buspar to help with the anxiety so i dont need to take sleeping tablets, Although my Dr is very reluctant to give me diazepam which i have researched and found to be one of the best at controlling anxiety especially while waiting to get CBT etc, I do not want to reply on medication my whole life but at theis precise moment and time I think i really need it!! I would much rather take some meds, feel better, start therapy and then come off them rather than waiting and feeling anxious and continously in fear all the time!! And i'm not over exaggerating when i wasnt on buspar the palpatations were 24/7 as were the tingles/numbness/all the other symptoms i have had and in my opinion it is no way to live.

I may be ranting a bit here but i dont understand the Doctors inability to give you what you quite clearly need at the time to help calm you down, You would think after years of research they would prescribe the suited medication to help especially people who suffer from extreme anxiety where it just never goes away for days at a time, I guess i'm just being slightly bitter because for 3 whole weeks now i have been at the lowest i ever remeber and my Dr was like oh well thats a shame have some buspar they will owrk now go away!! Thankfully now she has seen the error of her ways and realised i NEED HELP!!! Wether its with medication or therapy or even spending some time in a hospital I dont really care, I;ve had the guts to admit i have Severe anxiety and cannot cope with it at all, and admitted i need help for my depression!! I dont like anti depressents they dont seem to work well for me and always seem to highten my anxiety (wether it be a chemical thing or a pshychosomatic thing i dont know) All i know is that I cannot and Will not feel like this for the rest of my life and my Doctor has the resources to Help me achive this!!! I am a Strong believer that benzos in the short term (or in the long term if need be) Are beneficial to Anxiety sufferes along with anti anxiety meds, anti depressents and CBT or any other type of therapy!!!

Sorry about the long rant but i feel i need to let it out somehow!! I also feel that her ein the UK we are shunned for having these issues, from what i have read from the forums, dr's from the U.S and other such places seem highly happy to give you short or long term help for your anxiety and also recommend therapy, maybe its a social no no here in the UK but we seem to get LAbelled as Weird or Different if we want or need therapy/med/etc that control anxiety ....... As Kitt always says you have the anxiety it doesnt have you, so gettin help to control what you have seems fairly logical to me!!!!!!

Again i apologise for my rant, I'm just feeling frustrated at the social stigmas our Dr's here put on us for wanting and needing help with our mental Illness's!!!

Thanks for reading
And Again thank you KITT for showing me that i am certainly not alone when these things happen and its not all in my own head!!!

Fantastic Support as always

Much love and warm hugs to all

Kitty xxx
Posted 1/15/2011 3:16 PM (GMT 0)
And Kitt thats exactly what happened to me, I have been of Sertraline for 6 years Dr instantly put me on 50mg told me to take one with my dinner that night and another the following morning, Withing an hour of taking the sertraline my heart rate went mental and i had palpatations, i went to the out of hours GP service and he told me to basically work through it take my buspar when i was supposed ot go home and try to calm down, he even recommended my Dr put me on Diazepam for a month or so to help with the anxiety attacks etc, anyways, I came home and i was buzzing the whole night, my palps wouldnt stop my mouth was dry and i couldnt swallow, i kept hyperventilating, no breathing techniques worked, my pupils were massive and wouldnt dilate, I then started having very hot stinging tingles in my arms and hands, my body felt red hot to the touch, but my temp was ok not too high, i was restless and felt truely Awful, I then called the out of hours Doc again and they basically told me they couldnt give me anything to help i was to wait it out till the morning and see my GP, I never slept the whole night by about 2pm yesterday i started to feel ok again it was obviously working its way out my system by then but i still feel on and off antzy today but i'll get through it :)

Again ranting i'm sorry

Kitty xx
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