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Anxiety or panick attacks

What you are describing...sounds like something that happens to me occasionally..I get that visual aura...like you said the stars and darkness and then if I am not able to lay down an rest I get a migraine....something to think about too.
 
Well, I went to the doc yesterday. He gave me Xanax to take as needed and Lexapro, which he said would take a few weeks to work. I follow up in 3-4 weeks.

Thank goodness I wnet and moved up my appointment. After taking care of my inlaws dog last weekend, I moved up my dog's checkup (I usually take her every 5-6 months since she's a senior). Her bloodwork was a little irreg., so we brought her in for an xray and ultrasound last night. She has very advanced stomach cancer. Showed virtually no symptoms, but in the last 10 days I noticed very little things on the margin....a little less coherent, little less stable on her feet. Doc said she wasn't in pain now but it was very large and right up against her spleen, so would be very painful if there was a rupture. It confirmed that 6th sense I'd had all week. In my heart, I knew we'd be putting her to rest within days and that that awful time had come. And that's why the attacks were so bad, so much worse than anything I'd ever had. I am an animal lover. Putting two dogs down in one week was just too much for me to bear. And our Molly had been thru so much with us, been there so much for us. This Xanax is a godsend. It's allowing me to just mourn and be sad but without all the crazy physical symptoms I was having. I'm still heartbroken but it's manageable. If you're the praying type, say a quick one for my little puppy girl and my family, please.
 
Sorry to hear about your fur-baby, but glad you got to the doc.

Take care of yourself - it is tough and double tough for you this week.
 
:huggy: and prayers to you and your family, tavogels. It must be very hard to be missing your special pup :huggy:
 
Update: So it took me a year or so to get up the balls to make an appointment. I want to tell you peeps that this place had everything to do with it esp. for my girl cookiemom.

I saw the doc. today (same guy that delivered both of my kids). I printed out a list of my concerns so I wouldn't forget any (dorky?) So when he asked what's up, I handed him the list and we talked from there. I shed a few tears (out of anxiety), he did some tests, etc.

I left with a script for an antibiotic for a killer sinus infection I've had and for the generic Zoloft. I filled these scripts but haven't taken them yet. Wanna talk more about Zoloft with you peeps.

I also have other results like (I asked him to check my thyroid) and he said it does feel enlarged.

I have a full blood test thing next week (I have to starve) and some other tests coming up...........I don't wanna talk about yet.

Anyway this week I've been out of my mind with anxiety about this appointment. Thank you all for your words of advice on the matter.

I'm really hoping that this year is the year that I get/ feel healthy.
 
mrsmom said:
Update: So it took me a year or so to get up the balls to make an appointment. I want to tell you peeps that this place had everything to do with it esp. for my girl cookiemom.

I saw the doc. today (same guy that delivered both of my kids). I printed out a list of my concerns so I wouldn't forget any (dorky?) So when he asked what's up, I handed him the list and we talked from there. I shed a few tears (out of anxiety), he did some tests, etc.

I left with a script for an antibiotic for a killer sinus infection I've had and for the generic Zoloft. I filled these scripts but haven't taken them yet. Wanna talk more about Zoloft with you peeps.

I also have other results like (I asked him to check my thyroid) and he said it does feel enlarged.

I have a full blood test thing next week (I have to starve) and some other tests coming up...........I don't wanna talk about yet.

Anyway this week I've been out of my mind with anxiety about this appointment. Thank you all for your words or advice on the matter.

I'm really hoping that this year is the year that I get/ feel healthy.
Click to expand...

Good for you mrs!! :) Keep taking steps like you just did and you WILL be better this year! :huggy:
 
It's time to take care of YOU!

I started on zoloft last spring when we were going through some really awful stuff. I am so grateful that I recognized the time to get some help. It is not a miracle drug or anything, but it did "take the edge off" a little bit and helped me cope/deal with the icky stuff going on in our lives. I am still on it and I don't know when I will stop. I don't feel ready yet as we are just finally at the end of all of the "stuff."

You're doing this for YOU and you recognize that something is not right. You should be proud of yourself for taking this step and getting the help you need right now. You will be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend when you put your needs first when you are down.

It takes a couple of weeks to kick in and the effect is not like this brand new feeling or something, it just takes the edge off and you will cope a little better. There is another antidepressant that also has an anti-anxiety medication in it. It might be something to discuss with your doctor to see if it is right for you, if over time you find the effects of the zoloft are not enough to settle the anxiety.

Congratulations on taking this step for yourself
 
mrsmom said:
Update: So it took me a year or so to get up the balls to make an appointment. I want to tell you peeps that this place had everything to do with it esp. for my girl cookiemom.

I saw the doc. today (same guy that delivered both of my kids). I printed out a list of my concerns so I wouldn't forget any (dorky?) So when he asked what's up, I handed him the list and we talked from there. I shed a few tears (out of anxiety), he did some tests, etc.

I left with a script for an antibiotic for a killer sinus infection I've had and for the generic Zoloft. I filled these scripts but haven't taken them yet. Wanna talk more about Zoloft with you peeps.

I also have other results like (I asked him to check my thyroid) and he said it does feel enlarged.

I have a full blood test thing next week (I have to starve) and some other tests coming up...........I don't wanna talk about yet.

Anyway this week I've been out of my mind with anxiety about this appointment. Thank you all for your words or advice on the matter.

I'm really hoping that this year is the year that I get/ feel healthy.
Click to expand...

First, glad you finally went!

Second, are you worried about taking the prescription? My mom is on something (sorry, don't remember what). She was very concerned about having to take a prescription. I would swear she talked to everyone she could think of that was on an anti-depressant before she would start taking it. Looking back to how she was before she started taking it, and to how she is now, wow, it sure has made a difference!
 
:huggy: the first step is sometimes the hardest! When I needed dental work, just making the first phone call and then showing up for the appt were the 2 worst steps. Congratulations on going and taking those first steps.

and YAY cookiemom!
 
I was diagnosed with Acute Panic Disorder in college. For years before that, I secretly thought there was something really wrong with me and felt like I had this dark secret. At its worst point pre-meds, the attacks were happening daily. They would could come on strong and for no apparent reason (like even waking up from a sleep and having one - and immediately having to run to the bathroom and be sick...not fun when you're in the dorms...). Anyway, at that point I was put on Paxil, which worked well at the time. Because it takes awhile to kick in, my doc also gave me a low-dose script for Klonapin (sp?) in case I felt one coming on. Was on Paxil for 5 years, then decided I'd like to start a family and Paxil's not a particularly preggers-friendly drug. I gradually worked my way off (not the funnest thing ever, but really no more than a week or two of withdrawal symptoms). For the next 3 years, I was on no meds and managed my panic attacks with deep breathing, exercise, gutting it out, etc. However, after I had twins and my oldest was only two and a half (plus major other extended-family drama going on), my defenses were way down and I found that the attacks were starting to interrupt my life again. At that point, I went on a low dose of generic Zoloft and it's been working great ever since. I still have the "emergency" Klonapin for particularly stressful situations. They're pretty low-dose too, and I usually just take a half of one. I could probably take a sugar pill to the same effect...just knowing that I have some control is so key. I feel like having them as a safety net helps me keep the daily Zoloft at the lowest possible dose to be effective for me, though. I know I'll probably go off it someday, but in no hurry at all. Congrats on decision to take action. Hope whatever you decide to do works and improves your quality of life!

BTW, I just read through this post from the beginning and a big thanks to everyone who shared! It is so great to relate to others - for so long I truly thought I was all alone in this. What a great group of peeps!!!
 
This may be long so if you don't have time to read, I won't be offended if you skip my post. I just want to share my story because I think that mental health issues are a serious problem that people are embarrassed to talk about.

I have always been a person to worry about every little thing related to my and my family's health. Terrible headache - OMG, do I have a tumor?..things like that. I will spare all the details, but a few years ago my worries were just crazy. My newborn daughter had pupils that were two different sizes. At 5 month they ran tests to make sure she didn't have a tumor on her adrenal glands. It was a lot of worrying and very terrifying (she is fine). I had a miscarriage, my grandpa had a stroke and thought he was gonna die, my husband passed out and I found him, thought he was dead and had to call 911 (he was fine) and then my dad cut his thumb off at work.

I had a hard time with everything, thought I was doing okay, and then I started having weird symptoms. My ears would get bright red and feel hot. My arms and fingers would get tingly. Then I would feel a constant light-headedness that I couldn't get rid of. My heart would race and I just felt like I couldn't be in my own skin because I was was so uncomfortable. I was in the ER, had all the heart tests, an CAT scan of my brain, everything was normal. It got really bad, I didn't want to be around my daughter, I just felt crazy. I honestly thought all my symptoms were physical and didn't even think that it was mental.

I ended up getting in touch with a therapist who put in an emergency call to a Pyschiatrist to get me in. I lost 30 pounds in one month because I could not eat anything at all (I was not overweight to begin with). No appetite and when I did eat, I would gag so bad that I couldn't keep it down.

Anway, after a month or so of this, I finally was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I was put on Zoloft. It didn't work right away and I would call the dr. and say, "this isn't working, I need a stronger dose." He assured me that it would take time to get in my system. Finally after a few weeks I started feeling normal. I had to take a couple weeks off work, my husband had to use FMLA to take care of Peyton because I couldn't do anything at all but lay in bed and be so uncomfortable in my own skin that I couldn't handle it.

Anyway, I was on Zoloft for a few months and then, shocker, got pregnant. I couldn't stop cold turkey but I was weened off the meds. The dr. wanted to keep me on it, but I did not want to take it while being pregnant (it's supposed to be a "safe" one for pregnancy). Dr. told me that if I had any problems, to call him and we would work it out.

Parker is now almost two years old and I have never had to go back on the medication. I still worry about things, but I tell myself that it's not helping the situation and try to get past it.

I didn't want to get on psych meds because I just didn't want to be "crazy." The dr. explained it perfectly. If you have Diabetes or Cancer or any disease, you take meds to help. Mental health issues are the exact same thing. I had no control over it so I had to take meds to help.

Now, whenever I hear about someone having issues with anxiety/depression, i will share my story because if I would have known that what I was going through was mental, I could have taken care of it a lot sooner and not had to put myself and my family through all of that.

Also, one more thing (so sorry this was so long) I am glad to hear that you are getting thyroid tests done. If you do a search on symptoms of thyroid disease, you would be shocked to see that people are quite often misdiagnosed as having anxiety when it's really because of their thyroid...There is a checklist available online...(that was not my case).

Talking about mental health issues with other people is one of the best medicines I found. I just wanted to feel "normal" and it's always great to find someone else who has walked in your shoes. If anyone wants to talk, feel free to pm me!!
~Brooke
 
Wow bmezo22 thanks so much for your post. For so long I fealt so alone.............so many of your stories are like mine.

Thank you.
 
Glad to hear you got to your appointment and DR. was able to help...you are so worth it!

I have a dentist appointment in a few weeks...ugh!
 
Mrs. Mom I have taken Zoloft for post partum depression before and it helped me tremendously. As AbbeyD says it takes the edge off. It is very mild, one day you will just feel better.

I am happy you went to the doctor and hope 2011 is a great year for you.
 
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