Any take any anti anxiety drugs to help get thru some of this?

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Comments

  • ksf56
    ksf56 Member Posts: 202

    Well I think the key word
    Well I think the key word there is "good" psychiatrist. This one that I attempted to see was not! Any doctor, especially one that is dealing with people with serious emotional or mental issues , should never overbook appointments to the point of having 15+ in a waiting room that is hot and crowded facing over an hour wait. That is just NOT a good doctor, in general.

    Once I get more into the hell of my new life, I may see how I feel and seek out some additional professional help. For now, Im grateful my surgeon took the high road and helped me out.

    I will take my very first ever Xanax today, to see how I feel.

    Oh Diane!
    I am so sorry you are going through this! I can identify with your anxiety - I thought I was going to go crazy after my diagnosis. Almost like I was going to crawl out of my skin. I was put on Xanax - to take as needed and I took it only during the worst times - it worked great! This is an extremely stressed out time for you - you are currently not your old self. Treat yourself differently - seek help and let them care for you. Your office experience this AM is awful! I wouldn't go back there but do find someone else. Thank God for your surgeon - his nurse will be your ally. During my chemo, my MO also put me on Ativan - I was anxious all the time and all their help and caring got me through.

    Please know you are not alone - everyone here has been there to one degree or another. Do whatever it takes to take care of YOU! Our mental health really takes a beating during this journey. Please ask for something to calm you during the dye injection. The injection wasn't my favorite thing but it does pass fairly quickly and compared to everything you're going through it's just a blip on the radar screen.

    Take care - I'll keep you in my prayers!

    Hugs!
    Karen
  • SKBarger
    SKBarger Member Posts: 2
    In the same boat
    I can definately relate to how you are feeling. I am on Tamoxifen and one of the joys of this is raging hormones. I am unable to take Xanax because it counteracts with the Tamoxifen. The doctor gave me some valium when I was first diagnosed and they work great. I must be doing good because I have made 20 pills last since April. I only take them when I am having a very bad day. Even well adjusted and happy people need a little extra help with what we are dealing with. Good Luck!
  • dianehelen
    dianehelen Member Posts: 131
    ksf56 said:

    Oh Diane!
    I am so sorry you are going through this! I can identify with your anxiety - I thought I was going to go crazy after my diagnosis. Almost like I was going to crawl out of my skin. I was put on Xanax - to take as needed and I took it only during the worst times - it worked great! This is an extremely stressed out time for you - you are currently not your old self. Treat yourself differently - seek help and let them care for you. Your office experience this AM is awful! I wouldn't go back there but do find someone else. Thank God for your surgeon - his nurse will be your ally. During my chemo, my MO also put me on Ativan - I was anxious all the time and all their help and caring got me through.

    Please know you are not alone - everyone here has been there to one degree or another. Do whatever it takes to take care of YOU! Our mental health really takes a beating during this journey. Please ask for something to calm you during the dye injection. The injection wasn't my favorite thing but it does pass fairly quickly and compared to everything you're going through it's just a blip on the radar screen.

    Take care - I'll keep you in my prayers!

    Hugs!
    Karen

    Thanks Karen
    Seems like you

    Thanks Karen

    Seems like you got thru this horror reasonably ok, how are you doing now?
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537

    OMFG
    So I go to this appt

    OMFG

    So I go to this appt that was set for me, to see this doc to get some meds, I walk into the office, first of all its like 100 degrees in there, and there are about 15 people sitting waiting. I ask the receptionist, if all these people are waiting to see this one doc, and she says yes. I ask about how long the wait it, she says, oh its over an hour!!

    Really? over a HOUR in a waiting room thats 100 degrees, to see someone that deals with people with anxiety issues? Really?

    Ughh Im more upset than ever now.. I walked out, she said to come back at 1pm. I have to see if I even want to go back to that place..

    I know I was where you are at one point.
    I took xanex. I only took it a few times and took half of one, once I was able to sleep I was able to deal. Now I take 1, low dose Ativan every night to sleep, with orders I can take another if needed. I doubled up a few times while on steroids as they hype me to the point I cant sleep. I would get the script and have it on hand. If you are worried you can always take half and then the other half if needed, which is what my mo told me to do (I have a hard time with most meds and he knows how hard it was for me to take anything),
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    Hope this helps!
    A few thoughts.... First off, xanax, valium and the like can be great for getting through a short term crisis. They are not always as successful with longterm issues and, for those, a physician will usually use type of antidepressant that is also an antianxiety (probably wrongly named and antidepressant because this confuses the heck out of the public).

    There are reasons for this as 1) longterm meds are often more effective and 2) the shortterm meds can be very hard to get off of (psychiatrists have nicknamed xanax "superglue" for a reason). Now, of course, if you are Stage 4, this may or may not be an issue.

    Psychiatrists are no longer what many people still wrongly believe. No couch or therapy...lol (or I should say extremely rare these days). They are usually simply psych medication experts called in to take a look-see at your condition, your symptoms and your other meds to figure out the best meds for you. I know this because my sister is a psychiatrist. For example, if you are on tamoxifen, some meds should be avoided. Kudos to your docs for realizing this!

    Also, you would be amazed at the wrong prescriptions handed out by GP's for anxiety--a friend was given welbutrin for anxiety by her GP and I convinced her to go and talk with a psychiatrist after she was bouncing off the wall with even more anxiety.

    A significant number of cancer patients do experience anxiety and/or depression. See: Anxiety, Fear and Depression http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/002816-pdf.pdf

    I am on lexapro for my day in, day out anxiety and it has really, really helped me cope with my cancer. There are many other antidepressants approved for anxiety including cymbalta, effexor and viibryd (just to name a few). Some can have serious drug-drug interactions, so a psychiatrist can be helpful in sorting this out.

    My advice is to take what works for you shortterm (such as xanax) and then see the psychiatrist to figure out the very best medication for YOU. You need to be strong to fight this beast and, as you said, this disease does do a major number on us. Big, big hugs!

    P.S. I see that you have seen a psychiatrist before. Please don't let the one bad apple spoil your opinion. I had a lousy one once, but have since had one great psychiatrist and one terrific psychiatric NP. Good luck!
  • ksf56
    ksf56 Member Posts: 202

    Thanks Karen
    Seems like you

    Thanks Karen

    Seems like you got thru this horror reasonably ok, how are you doing now?

    Diane
    I'm still working on this new me. I finished active treatment in March 2012. I had surgery, chemo and radiation. I look back and feel like I've been thru a nightmare but I made it! I'm feeling pretty good - lots of follow-ups with docs etc. My first post-treatment mammo (it was very scary for me) was good! Cancer entered my life and there was an earthquake in my world and now I'm cleaning up the mess. I'm a work in progress, just like everyone else but, there's lots of new things that are positive. I've met some amazing people along the way that have enriched my life - all the staff, particularly, the nurses and other people with cancer. It makes you look at life in a whole new way - I try to appreciate mundane and not so mundane stuff more.

    Remember, there's alot of us that have gone before and can help you along.

    Karen
  • dianehelen
    dianehelen Member Posts: 131

    Hope this helps!
    A few thoughts.... First off, xanax, valium and the like can be great for getting through a short term crisis. They are not always as successful with longterm issues and, for those, a physician will usually use type of antidepressant that is also an antianxiety (probably wrongly named and antidepressant because this confuses the heck out of the public).

    There are reasons for this as 1) longterm meds are often more effective and 2) the shortterm meds can be very hard to get off of (psychiatrists have nicknamed xanax "superglue" for a reason). Now, of course, if you are Stage 4, this may or may not be an issue.

    Psychiatrists are no longer what many people still wrongly believe. No couch or therapy...lol (or I should say extremely rare these days). They are usually simply psych medication experts called in to take a look-see at your condition, your symptoms and your other meds to figure out the best meds for you. I know this because my sister is a psychiatrist. For example, if you are on tamoxifen, some meds should be avoided. Kudos to your docs for realizing this!

    Also, you would be amazed at the wrong prescriptions handed out by GP's for anxiety--a friend was given welbutrin for anxiety by her GP and I convinced her to go and talk with a psychiatrist after she was bouncing off the wall with even more anxiety.

    A significant number of cancer patients do experience anxiety and/or depression. See: Anxiety, Fear and Depression http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/002816-pdf.pdf

    I am on lexapro for my day in, day out anxiety and it has really, really helped me cope with my cancer. There are many other antidepressants approved for anxiety including cymbalta, effexor and viibryd (just to name a few). Some can have serious drug-drug interactions, so a psychiatrist can be helpful in sorting this out.

    My advice is to take what works for you shortterm (such as xanax) and then see the psychiatrist to figure out the very best medication for YOU. You need to be strong to fight this beast and, as you said, this disease does do a major number on us. Big, big hugs!

    P.S. I see that you have seen a psychiatrist before. Please don't let the one bad apple spoil your opinion. I had a lousy one once, but have since had one great psychiatrist and one terrific psychiatric NP. Good luck!

    Thanks for your thoughts
    Thanks for your thoughts Cynthia

    I dont know if you misunderstood or misread, but I have NEVER seen a psychiatrist, or any mental health professional. I have never needed one, have lived a wonderful, fulfilled, loved happy well adjusted life, until now. So my need for Xanax to deal with getting thru the dye injection and the surgery, is really all I need, at least for now.

    Once and if I get thru that, and start to proceed to the next level of Dantes Hell with this, I would not rule out some other type of help. Tho it sure wont be with a doctor who has 15+ people waiting in a hot office to see him :)

    I took just 1/2 of one of the Xanas pills today,. It did sorta mellow me out a bit, just wanted to start very slow to see the effect. It only lasted a few hours, so , so far so good.
  • dianehelen
    dianehelen Member Posts: 131
    ksf56 said:

    Diane
    I'm still working on this new me. I finished active treatment in March 2012. I had surgery, chemo and radiation. I look back and feel like I've been thru a nightmare but I made it! I'm feeling pretty good - lots of follow-ups with docs etc. My first post-treatment mammo (it was very scary for me) was good! Cancer entered my life and there was an earthquake in my world and now I'm cleaning up the mess. I'm a work in progress, just like everyone else but, there's lots of new things that are positive. I've met some amazing people along the way that have enriched my life - all the staff, particularly, the nurses and other people with cancer. It makes you look at life in a whole new way - I try to appreciate mundane and not so mundane stuff more.

    Remember, there's alot of us that have gone before and can help you along.

    Karen

    Thanks for taking the time
    Thanks for taking the time to reply, Karen, you sound like a very well grounded and strong woman. I aspire to be like you in the coming hell I face.
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member

    Thanks for your thoughts
    Thanks for your thoughts Cynthia

    I dont know if you misunderstood or misread, but I have NEVER seen a psychiatrist, or any mental health professional. I have never needed one, have lived a wonderful, fulfilled, loved happy well adjusted life, until now. So my need for Xanax to deal with getting thru the dye injection and the surgery, is really all I need, at least for now.

    Once and if I get thru that, and start to proceed to the next level of Dantes Hell with this, I would not rule out some other type of help. Tho it sure wont be with a doctor who has 15+ people waiting in a hot office to see him :)

    I took just 1/2 of one of the Xanas pills today,. It did sorta mellow me out a bit, just wanted to start very slow to see the effect. It only lasted a few hours, so , so far so good.

    I pray you are one of the
    I pray you are one of the lucky ones who just experiences shortterm anxiety, but, if you feel this cancer wearing you down, don't hesitate to see a psychiatrist. It doesn't mean that you are not well-adjusted or a failure in any way if you do need one. As I said before, cancer patients often need a little help.

    For me, living with Stage 4, this constitiutes a 1/2 pill of a low-dose of lexapro. That's all I need to keep myself feeling normal :-). Good luck!
  • dianehelen
    dianehelen Member Posts: 131

    I pray you are one of the
    I pray you are one of the lucky ones who just experiences shortterm anxiety, but, if you feel this cancer wearing you down, don't hesitate to see a psychiatrist. It doesn't mean that you are not well-adjusted or a failure in any way if you do need one. As I said before, cancer patients often need a little help.

    For me, living with Stage 4, this constitiutes a 1/2 pill of a low-dose of lexapro. That's all I need to keep myself feeling normal :-). Good luck!

    Oh Thank you Cynthia, I sure
    Oh Thank you Cynthia, I sure wont hesitate to ask for some help down the line, I probably will need it.

    This, for now, is JUST to get thru level ONE of Hell ie; dye injection and surgery panic ughhh

    As the week moves on, and the weekend of crap begins, Im really frightened, and sure hope I make it thru this weekend ughh