Can jet lag exacerbate or cause anxiety relapse?

[jaredlisted]

Can jet lag exacerbate or cause anxiety relapse?

I have been anxiety free for some time. a year ago, i took metaclopramide and had a very bad anxiety reaction. it took me 8 months to recover and wean off Benzos

I took a trip over 8 time zones upon landing, my anxiety started up again, it was so bad i decided to cut my tip short and fly back home. Im home and the anxiety is still in full force. Does anyone have any experience with this? will it go away when the jet lag goes.

[Rennie1989]

I suppose tiredness can exacerbate anxious, as that is one of the complaints of jet lag. My only suggestion I can offer is to sleep at the right time of the place you're in i.e. you're in India, where it's 7.5 hours ahead, when it's midnight (say that's when you go to sleep) go to sleep, even if your body is still in the UK when it's 4.30pm. It'll take time for your body to regulate its body clock again.

Are you anxious about anything in particular?

[jaredlisted]

Thank you so much for the response. Its just complete misdirected anxiety. No Reason, i know its irrational. If anything i would say im anxious about not recovering/staying anxious for months.

Im now back in my country and im trying to sleep at the right time. I didnt sleep well when i was in LA.

I am just hoping i recover. I spent far to much of last year in a very bad state.

---------- Post added at 16:29 ---------- Previous post was at 15:58 ----------

Do you think the change in the time i was taking cipralex affected the efficacy?

[Rennie1989]

You will recover, you're just going through a phase and it will go.

I really would not know, I've never taken Cipralex myself but I know some people have to take their medication at the same time everyday, but some people (like me when I was on ADs) could manage taking ADs at different times of the day. I think that and the messed up body clock probably didn't help.

[BrownCow]

Lack of sleep and lack of food can both cause anxiety or depression.

[jaredlisted]

My doctor has recommended that i take olanzapine. but im petrified. All i am on is Cipralex (20mg) and ACC (NAC) Like many people on here, i have had my fair share of issues with being on to many and wrong medications and i was just in a place where i felt that i was doing really well and in control and now this.

[Rennie1989]

Have you discussed your worries with your doctor?

[jaredlisted]

My Doctor is away. But i did email her when i was in LA, she is a little annoyed i think with me second guessing her suggestions. but i cant just put drugs into my body. Olanzepine sounds effective but its not without some really bad side effects. I am slowly losing it. i really dont see any other way out but to end my life.

[HoneyLove]

Jared, I know you're scared, but it's much wiser to trust your doctor and try a drug rather than contemplate suicide. If you're feeling that low then please get in touch with someone immediately, there are people out there who will care and help you. If you've been anxiety free before you can get there again xx

How do you experience anxiety? As in what are your symptoms both mental and physical?

Have you been eating?

Have you been getting good quality sleep?

[Rennie1989]

There is a way out of it, you must trust your doctor but most importantly if you are truly feeling like that you need to get immediate help (Unfortunutaly I don't know what services you have in South Africa) or go to hospital.

[jaredlisted]

Its hard to trust, in really so sensitive to medicine. At one stage a doc had me on Lyrica, Cipralex, Rivateol, Disipal, Molipaxen and who know what else. It took me 6 months to get off everything but the cipralex and i went through benzo withdrawl hell. Im petrified of any new medicine. Especially one carrying the label of antipsychotic with terrible side effects.

i have this heaviness in my chest, i have really bad tremors, nausea, no appetite, i have to force myself to eat even a mouthful, i cant and don't want to do anything i normally enjoy. I am sweating and battling to breathe, my eyes are really sensitive to light, i don't want to leave the house but in forcing myself. I have chest pains and constant intrussive thoughts. Im worried this will never pass. I research excessively about what could be wrong, what could have caused this, how long it will last. If it will go on its own. Im petrifies in going crazy.

---------- Post added at 19:24 ---------- Previous post was at 19:22 ----------

i am battling to sleep but i am now getting about 6 hours if i take melatonin.

[HoneyLove]

Do you feel like this constantly, or do your sypmtoms vary to different levels every day?

I know you said you think that travelling set it off for you, do you mind sharing exactly what happened? Did you wake up suddenly and feel this way, or was it a gradual thing?

When you say your eyes are sensitive to light to you get any other visual sypmtoms? I have a problem with light sensitivity so that it's hard to look around sometimes, especially on bright days, or the lights on cars and street lamps look incredibly bright, too bright to look at sometimes.

I have not had a proper diagnosis yet, but it's thought that I have a chronic migraine problem called vestibular migraine. Learning about this I read that migraine doesn't always mean headache, it's actually a disruption of the nervous system and can manifest in many ways without a headache and sometimes on a chronic basis where you have symptoms to different levels almost every day. Travel can be a trigger for this kind of thing, or it doesn't even have to be migraine, it may just have set your nervous system a little off whack and you need some time to bring it back into balance again.

[jaredlisted]

It really hasn't been the easiest ride for me this time round. the first few days were contant at a very intense level. and it has been cycling at the moment its most severe in the mornings and it lasts severely until about 12 and then it gets a little better.

Visually light seems far to bright too often i also have these floaters, if i look at a white surface, its like these floating shadows and twinkly things floating around. It honestly does feel like a nervous system disruption. Before the first trigger (metaclopramide) i had normal levels of anxiety, people may have said i was a nervous person but not to the point that it became what it became.

I spoke to my doctor on the phone and has suggested i up my Cipralex (Lexapro) to 30mg from 20mg and up my NAC (n acetylcysteine) to 4 GRAMS!!! from 800mg. She said if i do nothing i have a 50% chance of everything sorting itself out if i up as she has suggested i have a 90% chance of the anxiety going.

Today i upped the Cipralex to 30mg and i have upped the NAC to 1.8grams. 4grams would see me go through 80 tablets in 10 days. That cant be right?

When and if anxiety goes. does it go with more and more panic free moments? or does it just disappear? or do you have clear moments and they get longer and longer? I am trying to keep a diary to record when its at its worst.

I am not sure what else to do. I just need to get my life back.

[HoneyLove]

I don't know anything about the medications you're taking, all I can say about that is to trust the professionals who are trying to help you, your doctor sounds like she's really trying to help here.

It does sound like your nervous system is really on edge after travelling, so as well as listening to your doctor you should do some work to soothe your nervous system again (or technically to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, your sympathetic nervous system is very much in control at the moment).

- avoid caffeine (were you drinking extra when you were travelling?)
- avoid alcohol & stimulant drinks like Red Bull
- avoid excess sugar
- go to sleep & get up at the same time every day, don't nap
- eat regularly & don't skip meals, especially breakfast
- get some gentle exercise, even a walk, every day, outdoors if you can
- do some meditation or deep relaxation for at least 10/15 mins every day
- drink plenty of water, stay hydrated
- take a B vitamin complex like Berrocca if it is compatible with your medication
- learn some calming breathing exercises & use them throughout the day
- write your worries out in a notebook every day
- distract yourself with hobbies, things you like to do & things that make you laugh, don't sit dwelling on how bad you feel
- listen to soothing music & do anything that helps you relax
- talk to someone about how you're feeling, take some of the weight off your shoulders
- search for Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tutorial videos on YouTube, it's a tapping technique that you can use to reduce anxiety when it's at it's worst. I find it very helpful to cut off panic attacks.

The meditation/relaxation is important for activating your parasympathetic nervous system, don't underestimate the power of these methods. You can use guided meditation CDs, learn to do your own mediation or even listen to stress relief hypnosis CDs - whatever suits you best. A yoga class would be another good option.

In my experience the extreme anxiety fades as you work on it. It is different for everyone, but you have been anxiety free before so remember that.

At the moment relaxation is important for you, because your fear about the anxiety is making your situation worse. Reading Claire Weekes book Self Help For The Nerves might be helpful for you.

Remember it will take a little while to work your way out of this, to try to just accept how you feel and be patient & gentle with yourself.

It often feels worse in the mornings, that's a common experience - are you skipping breakfast? How soon do you eat after you wake?

[jaredlisted]

I will certainly try take as much of that on board as possible. Thank you. I battle to eat, especially in the morning. I cant even. Home down a piece of toast. But i force myself even if i can only get down half a slice or something. The nausea is just too great. I try eat as soon as possible, but its a battle.

[HoneyLove]

I get the feeling that low blood sugar may be part of the problem, since you feel worst in the morning and better as the day goes on - this is a pattern that suggests as you eat your blood sugars are stabilising and making you feel better.

One of the funny things about low blood sugar is that it can make you feel nautious and not want to eat, but eating is what will solve it. Your body needs fuel to work properly, if you don't eat well it can cause all kinds of problems including anxiety and panic attacks.

My suggestion is to really force yourself to eat, I know that's hard but it would be worth experimenting with to see if it helps you. Work with soft foods like bananas, fruit juices, porridge/oatmeal, smoothies, yoghurt - top yourself up soon after you wake with something easy to eat, then follow it a short while later with a proper breakfast.

I used to have this problem myself, waking up feeling anxious and panicked first thing. Eventually I read about the blood sugar connection, and now don't have trouble with morning anxiety as long as I eat properly. Even if I'm slow getting breakfast I'm no longer panicky as I understand what is making that off feeling of anxiety in my body.

Give it a try for a few days, work past the nausea, if it helps you then it'll have been worth it.

[yogiblonde]

Jaredlisted.....I flew from the UK to Australia last week and I'm due to fly home tomorrow. My anxiety has been sky high this week so I know how you feel. Its the time difference and lack of sleep I think plus blood suger levels all messed up. Today I have had the worse panic attack I've had in years and I can only put it down to jet lag so dont be hard on yourself.
Yogiblonde