from citalopram to venlafaxine, good stories please!!!

[shedrain]

Hi Shedrain,
So pleased you had a good day. It must have been nice to get out and about yesterday..it all helps. its good you know your triggers too and the cbt will certainly help you with that, I don't always know what my triggers are so I tend to be thinking all over the place sometimes. I like to be busy but find it hard sometimes to push myself.

Thanks Anni!

Trying to push myself has been really, really hard. I've been off work for 6 weeks now and for the first 3 or 4, all I wanted to do was sit on the sofa and stare at the wall whilst painfully ruminating.

Changing to venla has helped that, but I've also tried to give myself somewhat of a schedule. I've started going to a yoga class once a week, a meditation class once a week, two days a week I visit a friend who is also off of work at the moment (teacher) - he's there for me now matter what state I'm in, is supportive and also gets me out doing things - the extra push helps.

If there is anything you can do to get out and get some sort of routine going I think that might help - whether it's a daily walk to a cafe where you drink tea and read a book, a visit to family or friends, yoga classes, chores that need to be done.. Just anything to get that anxiety causing pent up adrenalin to get moving.

[Pipkin]

Hi all,

I'm so glad you're starting to feel better Shed. You'll still get good and bad days but the bad ones will become less frequent and not so hard to manage. Try not to dwell too much on how you're feeling and just carry on with the things you want to do but haven't been able to recently. It sounds like that's what you've started doing already. As for propranolol, I often take it about an hour before I go to bed. I find that it helps me have a much more relaxed night's sleep and that I wake up feeling less anxious. I'm sure there must be a reason that the mornings are the worst for most people. It could be something to do with facing the day or blood sugar levels. I guess that doesn't really matter though, it's how we deal with it that's important.

To answer your questions Anni, yes, it's possible to be on too high a dose but I suggest you give it a while longer, if your doctor agrees. Honestly, it can take a long time to settle. If you still don't feel right in a few weeks, I'd discuss a reduction with your doctor.

For me, I need real structure and routine in my life to keep the anxiety at bay - work does this naturally for me. When I'm on leave, I have to make sure I've got things well planned to keep myself busy. Having come to know myself quite well over the years, I know that I really lack motivation to do things but that I also have very strong will power. What that means for me is that I rarely want to do anything but that I make myself do things anyway. This always works for me but on the odd occasion where I feel rubbish and give in to doing very little, I start to get really anxious. This is what has happened over the past couple of days. This is why I very rarely take sick leave because I know it's a downward spiral - I'm far better going to work and forcing myself through it.

I have rediscovered my will power today and I'm currently half way through an 8-mile walk with my dogs who are having a whale of a time chasing rabbits and rolling in cow poo. I'm also feeling much better despite having a bit of a dicky stomach - that's usually one of my first signs of anxiety. I've not been sleeping too well either so I'm actually pretty tired. I'm sat by a river at the minute and, if I didn't have the dogs with me, I could easily nod off for a while. I think a siesta may do the trick when I get home.

I hope things are going ok today. For what it's worth, my advice is to try and think positively, have faith that you're on the mend and keep as busy as you can. I really know what it feels like just to want to curl up in bed and hope that it all goes away but I've learnt the hard way that that's the worst possible thing you can do. I know it's hard but force yourself out of the house and do anything - a short walk, shopping, go and buy a paper, sit in the garden etc. You'll hate it but feel better afterwards, that's a Pip guarantee!

Take care

Pip x

[shedrain]

Hi all,

I'm so glad you're starting to feel better Shed. You'll still t good and bad days but the bad ones will become less frequent and not so hard to manage. Try not to dwell too much on how you're feeling and just carry on with the things you want to do but haven't been able to recently. It sounds like that's what you've started doing already. As for propranolol, I often take it about an hour before I go to bed. I find that it helps me have a much more relaxed night's sleep and that I wake up feeling less anxious. I'm sure there must be a reason that the mornings are the worst for most people. It could be something to do with facing the day or blood sugar levels. I guess that doesn't really matter though, it's how we deal with it that's iimportant

Thanks Pip.

I am starting to notice a difference - definitely finding myself ruminating less and feeling less anxious.

Today I have had a little more anxiety but everything has been manageable. I had a 1 hour nap earlier this afternoon and had a nightmare before I got up (all about not getting better) - then woke up heart pounding and it took a good 45 mins for that to calm down.

So overall today not as good as yesterday, but definitely an upward trend happening, especially when I compare how I am now to how I was this time last week.

Pip - thank you again for all of the support you have given so far.

[roxy46]

Hi all. Just thought I'd check in. Day 7 of my increased dose. Still experiencing a lot of flushes and sweats. Starting to wonder if these are medication related. I suppose time will tell.

My sleep has improved as the week has gone on. Still quite restless, but at least managing to get a few hours.

Had a good day yesterday. Not great today, took the afternoon if work and my other half is out all evening. So not really found anything to do with myself. My own fault really, buys its so hot and I'm tired but not relaxed by any means. I really need to push myself back the gym and swimming. Aim for next week!

I can relate so much to what you say about being off work pip. I struggle so much breaking my routine, in fact I'm sure it's what triggered my latest bout of anxiety. I used to love holidays and days off so much! Maybe one day we can enjoy them again

---------- Post added at 19:58 ---------- Previous post was at 19:55 ----------

Shed I've wanted to give yoga a try for a while. I'm a member at our local sports centres and they do a few classes. How do you find it? I'm a bit nervous as I've never done it before. Have visions of everyone with their legs behind their necks! I'm a long way off!

---------- Post added at 20:02 ---------- Previous post was at 19:58 ----------

Such good advice pip. Your posts are a big help!

[TJSMITH]

Reading all your posts makes me feel so so much better as I was getting myself worked up about having relapse but this latest bout has been since kids broke up from school and since I work in a school my routine also stopped.

Like you all I loved holidays etc and find it harder now.
I felt myself withdrawing a lot this week and not doing things but today a friend came over kids played in pool, we went shopping then had dinner I found myself relaxing again but anxious on coming home.

I read a lot of you saying about bad days getting less over time but nearly two years and I'm still have at least weekly episodes monthly which concerns me, can anyone not relate to this?? Or once you have suffered anxiety is this expected???

[nicola1980]

Hi Tracy i can totally relate, Im still getting bad days, i had a fantastic 2 weeks abroad with no anxiety at all, it was like i was back to my normal self and it felt great but since I've been back wham Im in a blip :-( i woke up at 2 this morning with a migraine which i always get when Im stressed and anxious and i felt absolutely dreadful, the last time i was on cit i led an anxiety Free life so i just don't understand why now Im still having these bad days/weeks?? X x

[Pipkin]

Hi Tracy,

Yes, I know just what you mean. I think what I've done over the years is get better at tuning out when I don't feel great - it's only when my anxiety gets really bad that I notice. I know this might sound a bit odd but I used to spend so much time dwelling on how I was feeling that I made a conscious effort not to. Ven also helps to control this ruminating, as Shed refers to it.

It's the same with panic. I've never had panic disorder but I get panic attacks of varying degrees of severity. I try to take a deep breath, smile and carry on. I try to see them as a playful kitten nibbling my toes rather than a tiger waiting to maul me. Even kittens give a nasty scratch sometimes though!

Pip

[TJSMITH]

Ah I'm not alone then lol
I think I have to learn to enjoy the good days when they happen and stop looking for the old me then plus I think hormones a trigger but seeing a gynaecologist end of month.

Nic that's fantastic about the hols and maybe coming home triggered it?? I think being gone does that to me and I used to love it at home but you had a good holiday and I remember last year that not being the case for either of us.

Pip I'm on sertraline but don't think a change will help as seems like some of it has to come from me I guess and ruminating my biggest issue now even on good days I analyse it grrrr x

---------- Post added at 22:43 ---------- Previous post was at 22:40 ----------

Ps Nic do you think hormones maybe a trigger for you too??
I'm 39 think you a bit younger though??
It took two years of blood tests to confirm my mum was at 37 and she had loads of strange things happen to her not the same as me but her memory went to the point didn't remember things she done the day before also she said she felt no emotion be it happy or sad.

[nicola1980]

Tracy, i think hormones are a major trigger for me but Im only 33 but it happens the same time every month only this time its happened after my period? I had my period on holiday no problem at all, no pmt or anything?? Im a strange one and think it even baffles my shrink, did your blood tests come back normal? I remember you said you were having your hormones levels tested? X x

[TJSMITH]

Yeah they came back normal but gp does think its Perimenopause related with all the symptoms which is why I been referred to gynaecologist again plus like you mine not always when I expect it but most of time it is.
Gp said confirming if with blood test not very reliable as hormones fluctuate so much added to that I'm on pill so results prob not accurate. X