Anxiety without depression.. drug treatment ?

[Miasma]

I have had PTSD related health anxiety for about a year and a half on and off. I get hideous physical anxiety symptoms and panic attacks, the physical shit is really difficult to deal with as it feeds the anxiety, it's a horrid vicious circle. I was prescribed sertraline last year but never had the guts to take it and then the anxiety got better and now it's got worse again. My GP was also going to prescribe me valium for the anxiety attacks but I couldn't have it as I was breastfeeding at the time

Does anyone take drugs for anxiety if they don't feel depressed ?

Are there any drugs that can be usefull for panic attacks ? Ive only recently started having these and they are not much fun. TBH I think it was them that has kicked off this round of anxiety.

I can't continue being neurotic about my health, it's annoying and exhausting but I don't know if it's worth borthering my DR with it again. I did have some councelling last year which was only slightly helpful but the problem obviously isn't going to just go away as hoped so maybe i need some chemical assistance.

Hi Miasma, I'm so sorry to hear about your tough time - I went through a similar thing when my DD was 16mths and i stopped breastfeeding. My chemical balance was all out of whack and she had been in and out of hospital too and once she got the all clear i mentally let go and had like a mini breakdown. A herbalist said that it was because i had stopped BF suddenly which i guess could have contributed and the Dr said that at 16mths PND was ruled out as she was too old for me to have got it then. I couldn't leave the house, i would have panic attacks and faint, be sick and feel so ill. My Dr was amazing and said that PND and anxiety go hand in hand and the medication is similar though a lower dose and prescribed me Citalipram (sp) to take daily 20mg and to have some diazapam 2mg for when i was so anxious I couldn't sleep or function. i only needed it for 4mths and weaned myself down to 10mg after 2 mths or so and only needed Diazapam twice in the end.I felt safe just having the pills "just in case".
My DD is now 6 but I still have odd moments when i know i am overdoing it and feel "funny" and i have to chill for a bit.
Counselling helped me too as stuff from my childhood came out that i had never realised i had had a problem with. i also wrote down all the stuff that was bothering me and let go of things/friends who agitated it. I quit the gym as that was stressing me out and got a cleaner to help out once a week.
I also bought some calms from the chemist which actually do help and are natural. I take them now before stressy appointments so maybe try those.

Reading your post has made me remember what I went through and the more friends i told the better it was and other friends who i thought were coping 100x better than me actually had PND or similar so we are all in a similar situation.
I do feel for you and hope you find something that works for you, please let us know how you are getting on.

A BIG mn hug winging it's way over to you

Thanks lazycow :) I really appreciate your reply. It sounds as if our situations are quite similar, my madness was all kicked off by my ds's ill health. He's fine now but I think when you have to confront stuff if's hard to get your brain out of thinking the worst in every situation. I am glad to hear your dd is better :)

It's great to hear that antidepressants helped you. Can I ask did you have any side effects ?

I can also relate to what you said about over doing it making it worse. Ive recently stared doing an extra nightshift and have wondered if that's might be making it worse. I'll try the calms, I don't know why I've never thought of that before!

Thanks for replying, it's nice to know I'm not alone :)

I really sympathise, Miasma. I have had anxiety symptoms, including panic attacks, for years. The thing that finished me off was a bereavement and, like you, health issues with my DS (mental-health issues, now resolved, thankfully), which I coped with brilliantly at the time, but then spiralled down afterwards. I did have counselling, but the thing that really worked for the physical symptoms was Citalopram. I started on 20mg and have now reduced it to 10mg. The side effects were horrible at first, though not everyone experiences them (felt very sick and had bad stomach), however they only lasted a week and then the benefits kicked in (it's a good idea to take them in the evening, so you can sleep through the side effects). I can honestly say they have changed my life.

Side effects: I did find that when I was on 20mg I was in a bit of a happy blur. With the loss of anxiety came the loss of any incentive to do anything, so my family had to adjust to me being late a lot and less organised than usual. My short-term memory was affected adversely too. And I put on weight, which was actually an advantage in my case because I've always been skinny, but is obviously annoying for a lot of people. The dr denied that weight gain is a side effect. Personally, I think it is related to the alleviation of nervous anxiety.

Now that I am on a lower dose, I can think clearly and am organised again. However, my anxiety has not come back, which is a blessed relief.

I hope this helps a bit.

I started with crippling anxiety attacks a couple of months ago. Mine were triggered by a death in the family. Like the other posters have said, I found Citalopram to be really effective. I started off having to take Diazepam until the Citalopram started to work properly. It's taken a good 7 weeks for it work, but I stopped taking the Diazepam after about 2 weeks, which is when the anxiety lessened. I'm now anxiety free which is wonderful.

The initial side effects for me were a very dry mouth (corners of my mouth split), dry eyelids, increased anxiety for about 1 week (apparently this is common) and upset stomach. After 7 weeks I feel like my old self again, but a lot brighter and more able to cope with every day life.

Like Toffeefudgecake, Citalopram have changed my life too.

Anxiety is awful, and I never thought I'd get better. But I did, and hopefully you will too.

Hi Miasma, you have hopefully found the private message i sent you in your inbox.

Reading both of your experiences Toffee and Floriana it is like reliving mine too.I am so thankful that my Dr understood what was going on and prescribed Citalopram as once the initial side effects wore off I felt my anxiety lesson.That was 4 years ago!

I wish all of you the very best in getting fully better and keeping better - I do have the odd moment but it is fleeting but just a reminder that i must not take too much on.

I have only just discovered the private messages.. how cool is that ?! Have we had ot for ages ? I must be mega unobservant . I've replied now anyway

Toffee and Floriana thank you so much for your messages. I am sorry you both had to go though a berevement and that you suffered with anxiety too :(

Your messages have convinced me that I need to go to the doctors and try the drugs. I can't continue like I am. I have spent the day cooking up a storm for DH and thr DC but in my head it's been a whirlwind of destructive thoughts about my health and premature death. I had an absolute whopper of a panic attack in sainsburys which knocked my for six completly too. I almost asked for an ambulance to be called :(

I think even DH is being me trying the antidepressants now. He was completly against it last year but we have both realised that the way I think about things isn't normal and he's witnessed the panic attachs now.

I am not looking forward to the side effects but your experiences have reassured me that they wont last for ever. I do hope I wont put on any weight though, i'm fat enough already :)

Thanks again xx

HI
I have been prescribed propanol hydrochloride (a beta blocker) for anxiety, take it as anxiety/panic comes on when you need it

Does it work single1ds ?

I have also been prescribed propanol for anxiety. Taken as needed. They're great.

Hi Miasma
just got prescibed them last monday. i posted on here as i couldnt tell if they worked, i think cause i have been given a low dose. so took 2 (10mg )and there was more of an effect. i definately felt better yes. the tightness in my chest loosened and my head felt clearer quite quickly.
capricenelson
what dose do you take?

What do they actually do Caprice ?

SingleDs, I hope they work for you soon :)

Anxiety sucks doesn't it :(

I used to take Propanylol too, but it made me wheezy and I later discovered that you shouldn't take it if you get asthma (I do). It did work on the anxiety though, without making me feel muddle-headed.

However, now I am on Citalopram, I don't ever suffer from anxiety, whereas, before, if an anxiety-provoking situation cropped up unexpectedly and I hadn't taken my Propanylol I would feel panicky. This meant that I was worried every day in case something happened to trigger the panic. And, as you said in your OP, the trouble is that the physical symptoms of panic feed the anxiety, so it's a vicious circle.

The thing that convinced me to see the dr in the end was my children. I didn't feel it was fair on them. I had the summer holidays coming up and I wanted to be a good mum for them. As a result of the 20mg, I was a bit of a dippy mum for a while, but I was certainly relaxed, which was much better for them.

I really think you should go and see your dr as soon as possible to discuss all the options. You shouldn't have to suffer like this.

I forgot to mention that I took propranolol too. They were okay for me, but not brilliant. I found my symptoms to be worse in the morning and then by the afternoon I was fine again - don't know why. The propranolol did help to ease the tightness in my chest. As soon as the citalopram started to work I didn't need the propranolol anymore. For me, taking citalopram more or less cancelled out the need for any other drug.

Nobody wants to take AD's but in my case they have been a life saver. Miasma, when I was at the height of my anxiety I constantly thought about my health and of awful things happening, I was consumed by it. I don't have those destructive thoughts anymore, and I feel totally in control again. Going to see your GP will help. Good luck.

I take 40mg. They slow the heart down and really work - for me anyway. I hope you get sorted with whatever works for you. Anxiety is horrible.

How are you doing miasma? Did you decide in the end to see the Dr and get some meds? Would love to see you you are doing.

P.S I have namechanged for Hallowe'en but it's pretty obvious what my old name used to be lol!

I'm not so great actually :(

My doctors appointment is on Monday and it can't come soon enough. I've had what seems like endless anxiety attacks ( which seem to last 3 days or so) with a few archetypal 'panic attacks' thrown in for good measure. I've got horrible physical anxiety stuff going on too. Such a viciious circle :(

I got some Kalms and they do help but I can't take them continually as they make me too ditzy/spaced out to drive so I tend to just take them when I'm having a moment.

My dh is being fuckig useless, keeps going on about our lack of sex life a d I fee like screaming at him and asking how horny he'd feel if he spent 59 minutes out of 60 thinking about death/dying/dieases etc etc.

I'm actualy looking forward to trying the anti depressants now and I'm going to ask for some diazepam too, I'm going to try and get the week off work.

How are you ? Thanks for checking In, it's really kind of you :)

Hi

Just wanted to say I have anxiety and I have recently taken a short course of valium (diazapam) they took ten mins to work and felt sooo much better. They are addictive so you cant be on them for very long.But enabled me to calm down.

I didnt have panic attacks but some of my symptoms included throwing up especially after eating and was shaky and couldnt sleep because my head wouldnt shut up.

I am 3 weeks into citalopram and today I think it is finally starting to work. Have a review Monday.

Hope you feel better soon.
Anxiety is a horrible thing.

ask you GP to refer you for CBT

Thanks littlebear, I appreciate your message :) how are you feeling on the citalopram ? I'm glad it's starting to work, it must be a huge relief!

Lillibet, I don't know if they will refer me for cbt because I've already had some councilling. Does cbt work for anxiety? I thought it was more depression and I don't feel that depressed really though not my usual self by a mile :(

I thought about about emdr but I bet the Tories have cut the funding ;)

Hi miasma, thanks for coming back again to update us. We didn't have a sex life while I was going through my episodes, it really was the very last thing on my mind. My DH was my absolute rock and so I am so sorry to hear your DH isn't being as supportive. I'm sure it was several months before i had the ability to relax enough to have sex let alone enjoy it. Anxiety is all consuming and it is all you can think about and annalyze - last thing you need is to be thinking of someone else's pleasure when it is all you can do to eat or even sleep!
Re: driving, I didn't drive at all whilst on the meds as I was too dizzy and disorientated. Kalm's never affected me with driving and i still take them now and again now but the Citalopram def did.
I am so pleased you have made a Doctors appointment. Hopefully you can go alone because the last thing you need is LO's needing your attention at the inopportune time.
Write down everything you have been feeling and all your symptons as you may forget in the flurry of the appointment. Emphasise that you have such physical symptons like shakiness etc and I am sure he will prescribe you diazepam. You may only need a dose or too and then the Citalopram will kick in. Remember what we have all said though about the side effects, they do last a week or so and you can feel like you feel worse (I know I did) but persevere and they will start to balance you.

Please pop back and let us know how the appointment went. I wish you the very best in you getting back to tip top health again. You have a lot of MN'ers here who are rooting for you and wishing you well. xx

I've had a really crappy day :( it started off beautifully then decended in to panic attack hell after convincing myself id managed to to ingest a huge quantity of weedkiller after squirting some on the patio.. I didn't of course but I've spent all day massively anxious about it blowing in my mouth or up my nose and me not noticing, I have just been talked down by a colleague who said all the right things and has made me feel better... 9 hours after the event :(

I had to tell her why I was so anxious and I felt like such an irrational fool but it transpires that's she's suffered from mental health problems herself so didn't point and laugh.

My appointment is today and it really can't come quick enough. I feel like i've actually gone mad!

Well I've not long been up, I worked last night and hardly slept this morning and I feel like shit :(

My boss has given me this week off after seeing the state of me this morning so that's good. My appointment is in an hour and I'm fighting the urge not to leave the house now and wait outside her door!

It would appear I'm taking to myself now, lol. It's helping though ;)

Hi Miasm

Not talking to yourself!! Hope your appt goes ok and you get some help.

Been to my GP and got more valium (hooray!) and Citalopram. Plus big form to fill in for CBT. Big waiting list apparently.

You are not mad!

Good luck with your appointment Miasma, we all understand what you are going through and hope it goes well. i am meds free now but citalopram was my saviour (and diazepam when needed) and the more people i opened up to the better i felt.

I used to talk to myself too, kinda helped me with what i was trying to achieve at the time e.g: getting dressed etc as i was so bad i couldn't even face the day ahead before meds.

So glad you have the week off, try and relax and let DH take the strain especially with LO's if you have them.

All the best and come and tell us how it all went!

Well I'm back with a box of 50mg sertraline and some propanalol. Dr was lovely. She's going to ask my old counciller to ring me and hopefully I can see her again and bypass the waiting lists. I feel better just for having got the appointment over with.

I'm less than pleased at the do not drink advice on both leaflets and I'm not looking forward to the side effects one bit.

Fingers crosed the fog will start lifting soon.