FFS does ANYTHING work for anxiety?

[orangeandlemons]

Beacuse it damn well doesn't for me.

In Jan suffered stress and anxiety form work. Have been off since then. Was on 100mg amitriptilene when I went under.

Since then have been on a whole raft of ad's. ALL of which made me worse, much much worse, Crisis team intervention worse.

Failed ad's include: trazadone, imipramine, escitalopram, sertraline: all made anxiety terrible, or made me want to top myself. Even when I managed to get through the start-ups. Am allergic to prozac and lofepramine

Now on Mirtazapine which seems to be doing nothing at all for anxiety. Nothing. Have seen consultant ho suggested Paroxetine or Duloxetine, bith of which are SSRi or simila type drug. My gp thinks would be unwise to take this bearing in mind previous episodes, and I am terrified of taking them

I had high hopes for mirtazapine, but it just seems like an anti-histamine, made little difference to anything. Anybodyoffer any help?

I know how you feel kizzie, I get bad days out of the blue too.

I have been very quiet at work lately and it's horrible as it gives me too much time to think about things :/

I used to work 4 days, which suited me perfect but just recently my hrs got pushed up to include a Friday morning too and I just hate it... I feel like just going in and coming clean with them but my boss is of the nature that he just won't care

Anyway, good luck for tomorrow Oranges! Let us know how you get on!!

To anyone else reading...let's all hope for an anxiety free week ahead!

X x

May have already been mentioned but I took dosulepin for terrible anxiety. It helped me sleep initially but made me feel like a zombie for a week or so. Then settled down and felt
Well on it.

I took 75mg at night in the end at about half past seven and it helped me to wind down for the night and sleep well. Panic attacks and constant thinking had worn me out and I found guaranteed sleep made a huge difference. It also gave me the energy to exercise etc. I managed to wean myself down to 50mg then 25mg, then six days, then 5, then 4 a week etc etc until I was ad free. My dad however has taken the exact same ad for the last ten years and is happy on it. He would rather be well than off them. Must be hereditary for def. he totally understood how I was feeling - so many people did not.

Does anyone find their anxiety flares up around periods? Mine is hell in earth around a week before and two days in.

Defo. My dh knows there will be one day a
Month when I lie in bed shaking, teeth chattering. I always want to pack in my
Job, believe no one likes me and really fear for my kids - I think things like they are going to choke and die at school I must home school them. Then my period starts and I feel "normal" again. My logical brain knows that it is only pmt but my emotional irrational brain always wins out. Luckily my dh is lovely and tells me it will all be fine over and over.

Thanks for that popsypie. Had to day that through out the anxiety i've never really had issues sleeping! And I hope I never do!

When reading other people stories I think my anxiety disorder must b quite mild. I've never had a full blown attack (fingers crossed i never do) Just all the horrible feelings that anxiety can bring. I mostly just have the constant "fear". Just wonder if I should try ad's as I just long to live life to the full again

Tizzy my def gets worst at my time of month too :/

Thank God for lovely DHs. I'm the same. Bed bound for at least a day. Confuzzled, scared for no real reason - it all seems too much. The only solution is to pull the duvet over. Happy times!

A big black cloud descends over me and i get very irritable.
I took WellWoman vits last month and that seemed to help but i have terrible acne this week......is that another thread? ACNE GRRRRRRR

Ahh the constant fear. Me too.

I have found this thread very reassuring - thanks for starting it. I really admire my
Best friend who seems to worry about nothing EVER!!!! I have really good times then other times when I think "will I feel afraid for the rest of my life?"

Yummymommy, you must fight the rise in hours. We all know what a delicate lot we are, and how it takes very little to tip us over. Not wanting to pile on pressure, and therefore add to your angst but I have just reduced my hours on advice of a med person.

Apparently there is something called a kindling effect, meaning it takes less and less to set off an episode. I was quite devastated when I found this out, but it has made me reappraise my life.

Ist day of phased return tomorrow . Hope you all have a good start to the week, without out too much fear, trembling, panicking or whatever your particular bete noir may be. I am often thankful that I live now and not 150 years ago when I would probably be addicted to gin, or incarcerated in Bedlam or some other asylum.

Sweet dreams to all other angst sufferers X and there's another point, do you ever look forward to going to sleep just to escape your own mind?

Also Yommymommy there are different types of anxiety. Panic disorder means people have panic attacks and feel panicky. Generalised anxiety disorder(GAD) means just random feelings of fear and anxiety, that may attach themselves to something

Sounds like you have GAD. So do I

Ad's are good for GAD

funny that you should mention the kindling effect oranges - its something ive just been looking at and in my case at least it definately seems to ring true. It really frightened me at first because it felt like i really had no control over it - but i guess its like you say - got to reappraise everything.

Got called by someone at work at crack of dawn today waking me up. I dont mind if its important b ut it aboslutely wasnt

Kizzie, how are we today? Just what you need to start the day.

Going in to work soon...butterflies, knot of panic in throat....can't even decide what to wear......

just on way out oranges but good luck! Dont put too much pressure on yourself. And buy yourself a treat on the way home. Whatever you achieve today - even if its just going in - is a bonus

Morning Ladies,

Oranges you will b fine Once your in and sitting at your desk (assuming you have a desk job ) the panic will calm right down!!

Kizzie I hope you let work know you were peed off about early morning phone call :o

I'm already at my work. Have had a pretty good morning with regard to anxiety...hate saying that in case I jinx myself

Oranges I'm sure my GP would recommend cutting my hrs too, but if my boss won't do it there isn't much I can do

Hope you both have a good day x x

I'm sat on sofa with DD and panicked!!! Arghh I hate it!

Oh no, what's wrong tizzy?? X x

But can't you request flexible working?

What's wrong Tizzy? Panic attack? Aren't you meant to give in to a panic attack, and sort of let it happen? Not totally sure, but seem to rememebr someone telling me this ages ago.

Yeah I can request it...but your boss is allowed to knock you back. And he would as it was him who pushed for me to work the additional!

X x

He sounds a twat

I can't take ADs at all (had a massive manic reaction to a single tiny dose years ago). I had a period of acute anxiety after the manic episode and found a combination of basic 'mindfulness' meditation (worth a google), lots of exercise and propanolol (old fashioned beta blocker) got it under control. After a while I dropped the drug and just did the lifestyle stuff, but I have never been as grateful for any drug as I was for the propanolol when it was really bad. I think it helps particularly with the physical effects of acute anxiety (racing heart, shaking etc), not so much the psychological side, but I found it really helpful. And it's an old cheap drug that might be worth a try if you haven't before?

You got it in one oranges...he is a twat

Kalidasa that sound very scary glad you are feeling better now though!!its great to hear recovery stories! x x

I bet he is one of those dickheads who uses corporate bullshit, and is really energetic wanting answers NOW! I hate those sort of twats.

What AD did you react against Kalidasa?