Anxiety (mine) - help! No, I mean really help!
Well, it's not like I never experienced anxiety, however, it never put me in the ER. Until yesterday. This is what's going on..
My bc, though I met NED in April, this month - 10/28 - will be my 1 yr cancerversary. I go for my 2nd mammo 10/29. I have that impending doom feeling going on. I have been on Arimidex since June with magnified hot flashes and night sweats. I already have fibromyalgia and a rotator cuff problem, so if I'm experiencing more joint pain, I'd hardly know since I hurt all the time.
I work full time and have been 'temporarily' transferred to a position I really dislike. I'm answering phones in a prime care clinic. I think of myself as a compassionate person, but not so much lately...
Both my parents are end stage, Dad with lung cancer, Mom with COPD. For the last 2 months, I drive up (almost 1.5 hours) Saturday mornings and return Sunday nights. My sister does the weekdays. Dad has a GI tube and is fed or medicated every 2 hours. I have always had a rocky relationship with my Mother ( a whole other story), so I have conflicting emotions.
Hubby works evenings,and I, days. This gives us roughly a half an hour a day together. He is preparing for retirement (at 75 - albeit a very healthy 75 - he should). I worry about $$ and health insurance. I'm on his and it's been wonderful, but we're not sure about after he retires. I have an adult daughter, is 22 really an adult?, who I worry about and who makes me crazy with some of her choices/situations.
Anyway, Friday night I was on my 3rd phone call to Verizon (that day) about my parents phone which has been mostly out of service since 9/2. And I lost it. I call every week, stating explicity the dire medical necessity of having a working phone. My BP went sky high, I had chest pain, pressure, etc. We live in the boonies, hubby still at work. I took an extra BP med, 2 baby aspirin, gas-x strips. Took an Ambien and went to bed with the theory that I might wake up, I might not. Put a little note on the counter in case I didn't with policy numbers and who to contact. I was a little surprised when I woke up.
Called my sister and told her I was going to UC, where they refused to see me - pumped up my BP a few notches. Sent me to the ER, spent 3.5 hours there. Fantastic and caring Dr, gave me 2 Ativan with a script for 10 more.
My sister told me she is on Zanax. And it is a godsend. So what helps you? I see my pcp at the end of this month and the onc next month. I think an anti-axiety drug might benefit me more than an anti-depressant.
What is you experience? Again, I apologize for the length of this post, but I thought stating all the facts would explain my dilemma.
Sue
Comments
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OK, my sister is a
OK, my sister is a psychiatrist, so I am regurgitating what I have heard--not my actual field.
Antidepressants are used for anxiety very effectively--some are more sedating than others , but a good psychiatrist can help with this. When and if you start an antidepressant, you may need to take and additional med for anxiety for about a month as the antidepressants can initially jazz up your system. But that effect is temporary--for me it actually only lasted a week or two.
Antidepressants can also be helpful with pain--especially nerve pain. They may interfere with nerve pathways so that you feel less pain. Again some are better at this than others.
If you do take an antidepressant for anxiety, make sure you run it by your oncologist as some are not recommended.
The benzodiazepines (xanax, valium, etc)don't work at all for me as they give me paradoxical severe anxiety (I know I'm weird). But they are effective--especially for panic attacks and specific triggers (fear of flying, etc) for most folks.0 -
P.S.CypressCynthia said:OK, my sister is a
OK, my sister is a psychiatrist, so I am regurgitating what I have heard--not my actual field.
Antidepressants are used for anxiety very effectively--some are more sedating than others , but a good psychiatrist can help with this. When and if you start an antidepressant, you may need to take and additional med for anxiety for about a month as the antidepressants can initially jazz up your system. But that effect is temporary--for me it actually only lasted a week or two.
Antidepressants can also be helpful with pain--especially nerve pain. They may interfere with nerve pathways so that you feel less pain. Again some are better at this than others.
If you do take an antidepressant for anxiety, make sure you run it by your oncologist as some are not recommended.
The benzodiazepines (xanax, valium, etc)don't work at all for me as they give me paradoxical severe anxiety (I know I'm weird). But they are effective--especially for panic attacks and specific triggers (fear of flying, etc) for most folks.
I love emedicine because the articles are written by experts in the field. Here is a link re treatment for anxiety disorder:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/286227-treatment0 -
Panic attacksCypressCynthia said:OK, my sister is a
OK, my sister is a psychiatrist, so I am regurgitating what I have heard--not my actual field.
Antidepressants are used for anxiety very effectively--some are more sedating than others , but a good psychiatrist can help with this. When and if you start an antidepressant, you may need to take and additional med for anxiety for about a month as the antidepressants can initially jazz up your system. But that effect is temporary--for me it actually only lasted a week or two.
Antidepressants can also be helpful with pain--especially nerve pain. They may interfere with nerve pathways so that you feel less pain. Again some are better at this than others.
If you do take an antidepressant for anxiety, make sure you run it by your oncologist as some are not recommended.
The benzodiazepines (xanax, valium, etc)don't work at all for me as they give me paradoxical severe anxiety (I know I'm weird). But they are effective--especially for panic attacks and specific triggers (fear of flying, etc) for most folks.
I have had panic (anxiety) attacks for several years now, way before BC. I take Xanax 0.5 mg morning and evening. It has helped me tremendously. I had been taking Paxil (anti dep) until before I started Tamoxifen, Onc. switched me to Celaxa. I have been to the ER with a panic attack before too, thought I was having a heart attack. Meds rarely make me sleepy or even drowsy so that is not a prob for me with Xanax but I know it is with some people. God Bless
(((Hugs))) Janice0 -
I take the 'natural' approach....
When I get anxious, the first thing I ask myself is if it stems from something situational or not. If the answer is yes, I ask myself how much of the situation is within my control, and how much is not. Then I change the things I can, and try my best to shrug off the rest.
I have a mom who is end stage, as well. She is slowly starving herself, not eating. Drove me NUTS till I realized that I was doing all I can do...and can't force her to eat...I will miss her, but there is nothing more I can do. Well, except love her while she is still with us.
Anything else, I use the old test of 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day. I ask myself whether whatever is making me anxious will still be there in each of those time segments, and if it's anything I can do anything about (starting to realize my theme, huh?). I do what I can, accept the rest, delegating some of the anxiousness to others...lol!
As far as my 'scanxiety'...nah...don't get too nervous with that. First because I am so pissed at cancer for robbing me of 4 years of my 'normal' life. Second, because, well, by my being anxious, it's not going to change the results. And I'd rather know the battle I'm facing.
So, there it is...I find something to laugh about every day. If I'm taking something too seriously, I just remember that (almost) 6 years ago, I was given 6 months to live...
Hugs to you, my dear soul!
Hugs, Kathi0 -
I've suffered from panicKathiM said:I take the 'natural' approach....
When I get anxious, the first thing I ask myself is if it stems from something situational or not. If the answer is yes, I ask myself how much of the situation is within my control, and how much is not. Then I change the things I can, and try my best to shrug off the rest.
I have a mom who is end stage, as well. She is slowly starving herself, not eating. Drove me NUTS till I realized that I was doing all I can do...and can't force her to eat...I will miss her, but there is nothing more I can do. Well, except love her while she is still with us.
Anything else, I use the old test of 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day. I ask myself whether whatever is making me anxious will still be there in each of those time segments, and if it's anything I can do anything about (starting to realize my theme, huh?). I do what I can, accept the rest, delegating some of the anxiousness to others...lol!
As far as my 'scanxiety'...nah...don't get too nervous with that. First because I am so pissed at cancer for robbing me of 4 years of my 'normal' life. Second, because, well, by my being anxious, it's not going to change the results. And I'd rather know the battle I'm facing.
So, there it is...I find something to laugh about every day. If I'm taking something too seriously, I just remember that (almost) 6 years ago, I was given 6 months to live...
Hugs to you, my dear soul!
Hugs, Kathi
I've suffered from panic disorder for over 20 years, long before BC. I take prozac and clonazepam every day. I don't know how I would have done with all my stress, ( which sounds like nothing compared to what you are dealing with) but I wouldn't have wanted to find out. Be kind to yourself, don't suffer needlessly and I'm sure meds will help. Hang in.0 -
lOve my xanaxGayleMc said:I've suffered from panic
I've suffered from panic disorder for over 20 years, long before BC. I take prozac and clonazepam every day. I don't know how I would have done with all my stress, ( which sounds like nothing compared to what you are dealing with) but I wouldn't have wanted to find out. Be kind to yourself, don't suffer needlessly and I'm sure meds will help. Hang in.
never needed it until bc, but it sure does help.0 -
Wow! And I thought I was stressed?
I can relate to you on some levels, but just reading your post made my bp go up!
No doubt you are under an enormous amount of stress. You need to make some major changes and learn how to deal with your stress in healthy ways.
Xanax is a good friend. So are anti-depressants. But, they will only do so much. I would seriously consider joining a support group, seeing a counselor and getting into a regular fitness routine to help with the stress level. Yoga is really helpful. Just learning how to breathe correctly can make a world of difference.
I've been on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds off and on over the years. They do help, but eventually your body gets use to them and they don't work as well after awhile. That's not to say you shouldn't take them. But you need to do things to take care of yourself as well. Sounds like you really know how to care for others. You just need to take some quality time for yourself! Talking to someone who can help you figure all that out and what that may look like for you could be really helpful. It made a huge difference for me.
So sorry you have a tornado swirling around you. But you can find "calm" in the middle of it!
Blessings,
Sally0 -
Kathi, I LOVE your naturalKathiM said:I take the 'natural' approach....
When I get anxious, the first thing I ask myself is if it stems from something situational or not. If the answer is yes, I ask myself how much of the situation is within my control, and how much is not. Then I change the things I can, and try my best to shrug off the rest.
I have a mom who is end stage, as well. She is slowly starving herself, not eating. Drove me NUTS till I realized that I was doing all I can do...and can't force her to eat...I will miss her, but there is nothing more I can do. Well, except love her while she is still with us.
Anything else, I use the old test of 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day. I ask myself whether whatever is making me anxious will still be there in each of those time segments, and if it's anything I can do anything about (starting to realize my theme, huh?). I do what I can, accept the rest, delegating some of the anxiousness to others...lol!
As far as my 'scanxiety'...nah...don't get too nervous with that. First because I am so pissed at cancer for robbing me of 4 years of my 'normal' life. Second, because, well, by my being anxious, it's not going to change the results. And I'd rather know the battle I'm facing.
So, there it is...I find something to laugh about every day. If I'm taking something too seriously, I just remember that (almost) 6 years ago, I was given 6 months to live...
Hugs to you, my dear soul!
Hugs, Kathi
Kathi, I LOVE your natural approach. I do the same thing and have found that laughter is truly the best medicine. I have always been a half full type of gal!!0 -
I've suffered from
I've suffered from depression & anxiety waaay before my bc diagnosis. Been on several differend anti depressants over the years & zoloft has been the best for me. Anti depressant & also anti anxiety. Those alone help prevent the majority of any anxiety issues I get, but I do have xanax for that. I like that the zoloft still works well for me after 10 + years being on it, and i still feel like myself when im on it, not like a zombie all doped up like i did on some of the others. So sorry for everything you're going through. Sending you lots of hugs & good wishes -
heather0 -
My heart goes out to you,
My heart goes out to you, Sue! I have been fighting depression since my teens, though I have only been on meds for it for a few years now. (I'm 39) I currently take Celexa & it has worked fine for me. However, since my bc dx, my blood pressure has been higher than anyone likes. Oc prescribed some med for it recently, but I haven't started them yet. I was hoping it was just a phase. I suppose that the whole bc situation is stressing me more than I realized, though, so the bp med might be the only answer.
I sympathize with your situation. I've never had a real panic attack, but I know they're no fun. It,s a shame we can't somehow take a break from the everyday stresses of life while fighting bc. Like it isn't stressful enough on its own! But life goes on in spite of our illness, & we all keep right on going too because we're warriors.
I hope your Dr. Gets you the meds you need & that they work like a charm for you, too. I'll keep you in my prayers!
Jenn0 -
Xanax
It's saved my life at times. Hope everything settles down in your life soon, in a good way.
marge0 -
I take Lorazepam - Ativan,
I take Lorazepam - Ativan, that is. I don't take it daily but after I haven't slept for a couple of nights (2mg before going to bed). On the days after taking it I don't feel like my nerves are on end, all fired up and super sentistive. The Lorazepam is good for anti-anxiety. For me, it takes the edge off, I don't feel numb just a little more normal and less on edge and of course better rested. All round it has been good for me.
I would talk to you pcp about it and really find something that works for you or meets what you need in the best possible way.0 -
Sue,mariam_11_09 said:I take Lorazepam - Ativan,
I take Lorazepam - Ativan, that is. I don't take it daily but after I haven't slept for a couple of nights (2mg before going to bed). On the days after taking it I don't feel like my nerves are on end, all fired up and super sentistive. The Lorazepam is good for anti-anxiety. For me, it takes the edge off, I don't feel numb just a little more normal and less on edge and of course better rested. All round it has been good for me.
I would talk to you pcp about it and really find something that works for you or meets what you need in the best possible way.
I have had issues with
Sue,
I have had issues with depression before and used medication. Thankfully they were brief and I have not needed them for years. Never had anxiety issues but a friend's daughter has real problems with this. She used medication (not sure what) and sees a therapist and it has been helping her a lot. There is much to be anxious about with a cancer diagnosis and it can trigger reactions that we never expected. Talking with your doctors and finding a solution that works for you is imperative. You need to be able to function, if not at a "normal" level, at least well enough to handle the daily stress and striff. My prayers and good thoughts will be that you find resolution for this. We don't need any extras heaped on our plates.
Stef0 -
I understand
as I face anxiety every day to a large degree. I take antidepressants but they don't get rid of my anxiety. I take 20mg of Prozac (Fluoxitine) and Wellbutrin and also Trazadone at night which is an antidepressant with sleep properties.
What does help me is Lorazapam taken twice a day---if I didn't do it, I would jump out of my skin...
Hugs to you
Teri0 -
Sue
so sorry you ended up in the ER. Glad though that you got help. A support group might be helpful. I was dx with clinical depression in 2001. I had issues dating back to puberty through menopause. My father abused me, my 1st husband died in a car accident at age 23, I quit a 38 year smoking habit and I gained 80#s during menopause. Yikes! I was put on Wellbutrin by a pyschiatrist. All was ok until I started falling down in May of 2006. After 6 falls and 11 surgeries my life was turned upside down. I couldn't drive a car for 18 months and had to quit my job of 18 years as a church secretary. I sought help from an APRN who does counseling for adults. She helped me get to point of control. That's what was missing - I felt as if I had no control over my life. I went back to WW and lost weight only to gain most of it back since starting bc treatment. I eat my emotions and that fuels my dislike of myself. I've been off Wellbutrin since late March and doing quite well with bc emotions. The only anxiety I have is when I eat mindlessly at night. It is a viscious(sp?) circle. I already talked to my oncologist about when and if I do feel depressed again. He told me to seek out my APRN if I needed meds.
{{hugs}} Char0 -
Here's my experience...I
Here's my experience...I haven't had a chance to read what others have written so I apologize in advance if this is duplicated. I have always suffered from anxiety and BC made it immensely worse. I was taking xanax and ativan, both worked well for a time but when I was done with my surgeries I was adamant that I get off of all the drugs, I was tired of the drugs. Here's what I do now. I examine my anxiety, I actually welcome it and look at it as a learning tool. I get to the root causes and conditions of what's making me anxious and if there is anything I can do about it. I take several deep breaths as I do this and if it's out of my control then I put it in Gods hands because He is in control of everything. Years ago when I had no faith and didn't know who God was I couldn't do this, now I'm proud to say I can turn anything over to Him and the problem goes away. Another thing that helps me is if I stay in the solution and out of the problem, when I focus on the solution, the problem goes away, when I focus on the problem, the problem gets worse. We have little control over people or situations around us, we can only control what we say and do so no sense getting all upset over others out of our control. It's taken me a really long time to learn how to do this but it's a huge blessing that I'm able. At times I still get anxious and have a hard time putting it out of my mind but it has gotten a lot better. It has been a really long time since I've almost passed out from anxiety. Best of luck to you and I hope this helps, even if only a little.
Hugs,
Kari0 -
Thank you, everyone.
I have always been just about the strongest person I knew, having dealt with horrendous stuff from an early age. I am a survivor. I am. But dealing with Verizon over my parents phone line that has been out of service for 6 weeks just put me over the edge. And I didn't feel panic or anxiety really, I felt rage. I was enraged when they set a repair date for 10/14 when they knew how dire the situation is and my BP zoomed to 188/98, which in turn caused the pain and pressure.
I see my pcp at the end of the month, but since I work in a pc clinic, I will see a provider there (a friend) tomorrow. Sounds like lorazepam is the way to go for just a little while to take the edge off and let me get back to being me. I can't let anger get the best of me.
Again, thank you all so much.
Sue0
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