Any suggestions to help get through the day?

[angst guy]

I have had anxiety for 2 years now. I was on paxil the the anxiety came back and I was put on citalopram. That worked great for about a year until the fall when my anxiety came back and was put on zoloft. 3 months later my anxiety is back and really making it hard to get through the day.

I am seeing my doc tonight about a new med but I was curious if any of you have the following symptoms and how you get through the day.

I have woke up all week between 2 and 3 A.M. I get a tense stomach and I am very jittery. I do not get back to sleep and the past two days I did not go to work because I could not function. I also have diarheeia and I dry heave pretty bad. I forced myself back in today and have major jitters in my stomach all day long. I also feel weak and have to force myself to eat the llittle I do to try to get through the day.

Anyone ever experience this and if so what do you do to get through the day?

 

[HeidiM]

I feel your pain. I've been off work for a few days and am kinda afraid of going back because I don't want any panic attacks whilst at work and then end up going home.
But I guess we just gotta pull through, keep our minRAB busy, chat with as many people and not feed into our fear of places and whatnot and our panic since it's only a sensation and usually goes away with ten to thirty minutes. Although I do know how difficult it is if it happens a few times a day.
Just think of positive thoughts, I usually think of a huge comfy bed ( kinda funny I know ) and I almost instantly feel better.
Or just put into your head that you are stronger then this and you won't let this bother you in any way.
What kind of medication did your doctor prescribe you this time?

 

[angst guy]

Thanks Heidi. Actually my doc left me on zoloft thinking it is best for me but am raising my dose from 100 mg to 200 mg. I also take xanax and trazadone at night so I get a good night sleep. It worked well so far but my stomach still stays a little tense throughout the day. It is odd, I always know it will pass and I will be fine shortly and will get through it but when it is at its worst it just seems to always win and get me worse. Luckily this time it was only 2 days. In the fall I missed two weeks.

I am feeling better now but still have thoughts of what causes my anxiety and they concern me still. My wife and I want another child but I am afraid right now to try because after my daughter was born is when all this began. Not that I am blaming her, I love her to death. Also, my anxiety alsways kicks in right before I travel so now, I have concerns about traveling and my anxiety coming back. It is an odd situation like I cannot win but I am working with a therapist about the thoughts and trying to take it one day at a time.

 

[HeidiM]

Hey

That's strange that your stomach continuously hurts the next day. Have you told your doc about this? Might just be a side effect of one of your meRAB or anxiety still. I sometimes have a weird tightening feeling the next day after taking benzos.
I usually wake up with wickid anxiety in the middle of the night. Do you think youu may be afraid of change that goes through your life? I know when things like that happen to me I become a little anxious, just because I am comfortable where I'm at now.
Sorry if I blabbered a bit there.
Hopefully all your anxiety goes away very soon!

 

[angst guy]

I am not sure. Sometimes I feel it is still the anxiety and sometimes I think the stomach is from the change in my dosage. I am trying to give it time but it is tough. Plus I wake up everyday with it and it is so hard to get out of bed and get motivated to go to work. Not like a normal I am tired and do not want to go, but more of an I cannot get up unless I force myself. I have constant worries about having a second child though which is why I think I am this way. I have a little girl now and my wife and I took the second child off the table for a while until I clear my head and anxiety but for some reason I just have this fear of eventually trying and my anxiety coming back, the lack of sleep, and everything that goes with a newborn. I just worry I cannot have another and I really want one.

 

[HeidiM]

Hey,
I’m not sure exactly how it feels to have a child ( since I don’t have children ) but I most definitely understand what it means to have this constant anxiety and it’s very annoying. I know.
Have you thought of going to see a therapist at all? I hear that while taking meRAB AND going to see a therapist that helps. I can definitely understand the stress you may be feeling when thinking of having another child; it’s a lot of work and responsibility! How does your wife feel about everything?
With regarRAB to your stomach problems, how long have you had them since upping your dosage? It may also be the benzo’s that you’re taking that are doing this. But I also find that there is always a nagging feeling in the bottom of your stomach when you have anxiety or an anxiety disorder.
I definitely understand the whole not wanting to get out of bed, I am so afraid of getting out of that bed and getting an anxiety attack over nothing…just thinking of how I am going to get through the day.
This is definitely something that is very difficult to deal with and can be debilitating.
What began your anxiety in the beginning if you don’t mind my asking? You said in your first post that you’ve had anxiety for 2 years now. What do you think brought it back on?
I hope I’m helping somewhat. I find that we all have to stick together, the support does help quite a bit I find.
I’m always here to talk.

 

[angst guy]

Thanks Heidi. I actually do see a therapist to talk and a psychiatrist for the meRAB so I have that going for me. I talk to my wife a lot and at times I know she gets frustrated. She is sort of mixed about the whole thing because we had such problems having the first child. She really wants another but does not feel she wants to go through everything we went through to get our daughter (fertility clinic, shots, and lots of painful stuff for her). My stomach is actually better today although I woke up in rough shape with the nerves and a bout of dry heaving which I have not done in a few days now.

Kind of funny but my daughter caused my anxiety. When she was born I slept very little because I was taking care of her and my wife because she had a C section and my doc just said that I was overloaded and run down. I actually had anxiety and major panic attacks. Then I was fine for about a year an dit happened again. Also caused by overload between worrying about my daughter flying, grandfather dying, buying a new car and few other things. The good news is I really don;t have the panic attacks anymore, just the anxiety.

Now my latest attacks were brought on by various reasons. I got sick in the fall and I do not know why the anxiety came with it but it did but over winter it was because of traveling. I was worried about taking my daughter on a plane because I did not know how she would act. I also was concerned about how my wife would handle the situation because I times she gets frustrated. Then I got it again when we drove to Albany. So a lot of this is from travel and my daughter I guess.


Thanks for your help and to everyone on the board. It helps getting this out to others who understand and are willing to talk. Plus I am trying to be more active hear with others as they are with me.