Anxiety attacks

[AppyLover2]

I've been having anxiety attacks lately. Sooooo unlike me. My daughter was a pharmacy tech for years and said it might be the medication I've been taking; and sure enough the info that came with the pills says anxiety could occur. This is driving me CRAZY. They come over absolutely nothing. I've quit taking the medication but would sure like to know what else I can do ..... except have a good stiff drink. LOL

 

[Hosscrazy]

You might want to look into Rescue Remedy - not sure if it would have any interactions with the meds you're on, but it's worth looking into.

It's all natural and works great!

http://www.rescueremedy.com/

Liz R.

 

[disneyhorse]

I have them, but they are triggered by a phobia. Really terrible to have to deal with!

If it's just recently, and coincides with medication, I'd DEFINITELY stop taking the medication and seek an alternative. Otherwise, it's very hard to stop an anxiety attack once it's started.

Andrea

 

[AppyLover2]

When I had one while sitting at the computer this morning I decided enough was enough so I went to the Dr. I told them I had quit taking the meds and that they simply had to give me something to help with them. Took one and now I'm gonna go lay down and see if I feel like a new woman when I get up. (Fingers crossed)

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I hope you find out what's triggering yours. It seems we take a medicene for one problem, then it causes something else.

I've had them, but they were all stress induced.

What's wrong with a stiff drink???

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

I'm no expert, but I don't think its good to mix depression/anxiety meds. with alcohol. Try Young Living Peace and Calming Oil. Try Progressive relaxation-really great for helping you sleep. Vigorous exercise is good for working out extra stress. Also proper diet- no soda, limit caffeine etc.

 

[wiccanz]

I absolutely sympathise with you, I've had them on and off for the last 18 odd years ... pretty much all stressed induced. I can go for very long periods without any problems, but as soon as a major stressful situation occurs (and there have been rather a lot of those in the last 20 years), they come back. The latest ones are, I believe, caused by the onset of menopause .... oh joy.

I initially used relaxation tapes and chamomile tea and the like ... they were useful to some degree. Once I learned what they actually were, what caused them and what the first signs were, I sort of learned to deal with them as best I could. Learning how to breathe correctly can help a great deal, as can physical exercise, like a 30 minute power walk each day, enough to get your heart and lungs working. And simply knowing that I am NOT about to die, that it's my mind playing tricks on me, and that my heart is NOT going to burst out through my chest, helps me a little to get myself under control again. Sometimes I just have to very sternly talk myself out of them. Oh, and a good stiff drink helps me too

Brigid

 

[Mominis]

Anxiety sucks! I have had anxiety issues on and off myself and I can totally relate. Just out of nowhere, it can seem like the world is caving in on itself. Sometimes, it helps to just 'reason' with yourself about the subject of your anxiety...kind of talk yourself down. Deep breathing and progressive relaxation work well too. It also helps to talk to your spouse, life partner, or trusted friend(s) and tell them about the issue. They can go a long way to helping you talk your way to relaxation. In the end, anxiety is a very real issue and I'm so glad that you went back to your doctor about it. Please let us know how things are going for you.

 

[Indian*R*A*I*N*Dance]

I can relate, 2 years ago I found out I had anxiety and at points I couldnt even get out of my house.

Like Mominis said, talk to someone and explain how you feel, it does help. Breathing and consintrating on something else while its happening gets your mind off of it so you have no time to react. Or while it is happening, give yourself updats on whats happing like 'my heart rate is raising' (then you know that you have to consintrate on your breathign to get your heart rate down; breath in through your nose and out through your mouth).

Even though the medication you were taking cause them, the change of seasons (summer to fall, spring to summer) causes anxiety because of the time differences.

I havnt tried a stiff drink yet though...give me a couple more years

Anxiety isnt necissarily a bad thing. It can tell you when you get to stressed out and need to calm down. I talked to this with my therapist and I realized that if I didnt have anxiety, I dont know how I would function lol It seams weird but it keeps me alert on whats going on around me.

Just remember, BREATH!

 

[anoki]

I have been having anxiety attacks since April....I have had the same type of episodes very irregularly for about 15 years, but I would have an 'episode', then nothing for months...and then nothing for YEARS...and then suddenly they were occurring DAILY and sometimes more than once a day. I know exactly what was causing the problem this time, and there was really nothing I could do to help the situation, but time has lessened the 'attacks'. I hadn't had one for a couple weeks until today....

~kathryn

 

[AppyLover2]

Thanks for the support ladies. Gotta say I'm really susprised to hear that so many have had to deal with them. It's sure more common than I would have expected. The pills seem to be helping and not taking the ones that were causing them can't be a bad thing either - until I need something for that problem again. LOL Just told the Dr that I would deal with the original problem if it happens again.

 

[Jill]

Hey, Donna --

I started to reply before, but I didn't want to encourage extra meds if just stopping the other med would do the trick.

My big problem is I have a really over active imagination + am a gifted worrier. If H is late getting home, I just need a little bit of time to come up with a story of what might have happened and then I'm a nervous wreck. So many chances each day for me to take one little thing and do the "what if..." and get myself worked up. When I feel like I'm about to indulge that thought pattern, I take a low dose of xanax. I don't take it a lot, but it really helps me to cool it when it comes to weaving all these "what if" things that get me so worried. Also, after I lost Winston, it helped me then as well. I just kept wallowing in it and any time I'd stop crying, I'd think of something else about him to make me cry again (and it usually wasn't just crying, but bawling / loud, etc.). Then the xanax helped me to stop that impulse to drudge up more to make me even sadder. It didn't make not having him hurt less, but it kept me from spending even more days in bed simply / literally WALLOWING in the misery.

So, in my experience, that xanax is VERY good stuff if the type of anxiety you are having is similar. It just helps me to nip it in the bud when I'm about to get myself worked over things I don't need to get myself worked up over, but it doesn't seem to effect me being able to concentrate, etc. I am happy I'm able to keep it on hand for when I need it.

I hope you keep feeling better and feel good to have a "safety net" too when necessary!

Take care,

Jill

 

[rockin r]

The past year, I have had them. Dr started me on .25 Xanax. Moved me right up to .50. That did the trick. Took it for about 6 months, 1X a day. My body was totally addicited to Xanax.. Horrible experiance....If I did not take it on schedule, I got the shakes, could not focus/concentrate...Took myself off of them. The withdrawls were horrible. Sweats, could not sleep, shakes.....Found Remedy Rescue, I think that is what it is called. It is all natural. You can get it at Whole foods or any all natural supplement store. Still take it everyday. It is not addictive. Good luck....Also slow deep breathing helps...

 

[Jill]

I just saw the above post. For what it's worth, I've used Xanax as needed for years. I do not usually take it every day, but if something major is going on, I may take it several times a day. I've had zero problems with taking it, or stopping it. Everyone's different, I guess, but it suits me for just the reason it is manufactured. I take .50 when I need to take it, up to every 6hrs. Again, not regularly but if something is going on that has me too worked up, I let it help me out as it has helped many others.

 

[CZP1]

I have had anxiety attacks for many years and tried many things that the doctor would recommend for a non-medic more natural way. I finally switched doctors and she put me on a few different meds until we found the right combination of things, now I take effexor once a day and have been in a "right frame of mind" for over a year and half. Hubby probably wouldn't agree

(LOL)

Everyone is different and previous posts, being on a pill isn't a bad thing you have to do whatever works for YOU.

I have to have back surgery on Monday and I can honestly say I would have been more of a basket case without my "happy pill". Good Luck!