ADVICE

[Underkill]

I need some advice.
Hi i'm Andy (19yo) and about a month ago i suffered an anxiety attack and since then i have been to my doctor who prescribed me CITAPROLAM. I have been on a daily dose of 20mg of citaprolam for about a month. Although i have not suffered another anxiety attack i have come close. Throughout the day i'm constantly struggling to breathe and i feel light (sometimes i worry that i might be dying) i am also always twitching and trotting around. I feel like i'm hollow and i'm constantly gulping and forcing myself to yawn. I occasionally feel slighty faint or dizzy.
In the last three years i have been on a downward slope. I left school and ended a lifelong friendship, my parents had relationship problems and i am out of work and trying to claim income support. I need advice and i would be ever so grateful. I have never felt this bad before and i'm beginning to drink too much. My dad thinks i'm a work-shy wimp and my mum is also on anti-depressants (SERTRALINE). I just want to be FREE. Please help.

[Underkill]

I would also like to know if it is safe to take PROPANOL along with Citaprolam. I feel numb and can't sleep much. I hope i'm not like this forever.

[Karen]

Hi Underkill

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you are having a bad time at the moment but no matter how bleak things feel you do not have to stay like this forever.

It seems like the Citalopram is starting to help a little and it does take about 4-6 weeks to notice the true benefits of medication like this. You can take Propranolol at the same time and this is usually prescribed to help control a racing heart rate.

Have a read of the First Steps (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/default.asp?t=cms&c=firststeps) article which will give you an idea of how to start working through this.

The 7/11 breathing technique is very helpful for bringing down anxiety and for hyperventilation. It is simple to do this - you breathe in for a count of 7 and out for a count of 11. The number you count to is not important, just find what is comfortable for you. The important point is to make sure the out breath is longer than the in breath.

Some regular daily relaxation, using either relaxation CDs, or doing something like yoga or meditation would also help.

I am sure your Dad doesn't mean to be hurtful with his comments. People who have not experienced anxiety and/or depression issues find it difficult to understand what it is like.

Apart from the medication, are you currently receiving any other help? Seeing a therapist could also be helpful for you.


Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[Meg]

Underkill,

Do try not to let the alcohol intake increase too much. It just being additional problems

Yes you can take propanolol with an SSRI like citalopram.

You won't be like this forever , this is the acute phase.

Some vigourous exersise will help with the twitchiness.


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[clickaway]

Hi Andy,

Welcome to the site - we are here to help you and know all too well how bad we feel, which is not helped my unsympathetic family members.

Take comfort in the fact that this is down to their lack of understanding in how we feel, rather than anything else. Its a very common problem we all face.

Cheers,

Ray

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[jill]

Hi Andy

WELCOME TO THE SITE

TAKE CARE

LOVE JILLXXX

[sueiamnew]

Welcome to the site Andy.

[trac67]

Hi Andy,
Welcome to the forum, you will get a lot of great advice here, and make some good friends. People who have never suffered with anxiety find it hard to understand how we feel inside. Maybe if you tried to get your dad to read up on the anxiety and panic issues he would understand a bit more.
Take care
Trac xx

its "just a thought"

[Elaine1]

Hi Andy

Just to say a big welcome to the site.

There are lots of friendly people hear to support you.

Good Luck


Elaine

[Cinders4]

Hi I too have felt like life couldnt be any worse but never believed it could get better, but it did (several times!!!!!!!)

This is an accute period for you, but you will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the right support and this site is a very good place to find that.

Good luck with your journey and welcome aboard x

[tracyp584]

Hey Andy,

Welcome to the site,

Take care,

tracy x x

[Underkill]

Hello all it's me Andy. I'm getting on OK at the moment and i'm beginning to get used to living with Anxiety. I'm still short of breath and i'm not sleeping well. I'm trying to claim incapacity benefit to support myself (as my dad[}:)] won't help me) and i'm hoping that Anxiety will just be a phase as i don't want to be on benefits forever. How long does anxiety last for? i'm physically able to work but my head is sooo screwed up.
i can't remember the last time i laughed or smiled. I can't think of anything positive and i'm always moping around. Maybe i'm just a sissy or something. I even went to the cemetery yesterday just to get some peace and quiet (i would have never gone to a cemetery before now). It sounds spooky but i like it there as it is calm and hardly anyone is there. sometimes i feel like i'm mad.
I'm trying to cope with life and i'm trying to be positive even though i'm pretty much a recluse. Going places is terrible. I live in a city and when i have to go to places where there are lots of people i start to worry to the point of me having an anxiety attack. I just feel like a FREAK:(.
I THINK GOD MUST REALLY HATE ME:(. Maybe i'm cursed.
My mum helps me as she has suffered from Anxiety and Depression before. My mum is taking 50mg of Zoloft (Sertraline) and wants to know if she can stop taking them now or does she have to go down 25mg. She has been on Anti-Depressants for two and a half years. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully i can soldier on.

[Meg]

Mum needs to taper off very slowly if she had decided to come off but should plan to do it in conjunction with her GP.

You are not a sissy and this doesn't have anythihg to do with curses or anyone hating you . It stough to get through it and its hard work but you can make the changes in order to get there.

First Steps to overcoming Panic and Anxiety (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=942)

Read up in the successes catagories how people progress over time - this can be you too .

Have you had any support from your doctor yet for some therapy apart from your tablets ?







Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[calendergirl99]

No one understands unless they suffer from it. Get yourself this book HOPE AND HELP FOR YOUR NERVES by Dr. Claire Weekes and follow it 100%.......believe in it 100%. Stay away from sugar, caffeine, go to bed early, do deep breathing to calm yourself down, paxil is great for your problem but then get off it once you learn how to deal with your anxiety. You will get there if you follow this advice. Be a fighter, grap your control again. Good luck.

Elise Monte

[Underkill]

I have recently recieved a letter from the local mental health services telling me that i will have to wait 6-8 weeks before i can get seen. I am supposed to be starting Cognitive therapy. I feel really short of breath and i keep mumbling. I also occasionally get pins and needles in my hands and feet. I feel overwhelmed and exhausted. As soon as i wake up i feel like this.
I'm really frightened that i might have a Panic attack or stop breathing. I used to suffer from Asthma when i was younger and i have been told that Asthma can come back if you are very stressed. Should i mention this to my doctor? I'm scared and worried that i might die. I have tried deep breathing but it doesn't do much and my chest is beginning to hurt. I can't feel myself breathing and i feel unreal.
I know that these may just be symptoms or side effects, but i'm worried. I can't relax unless i'm drinking beer which i know will only temporarily calm my nerves. I hope that this will on be a phase as i don't think i could cope living like this for a longtime.:(

[missjones]

Hi Andy,
It's good news that you are going to start some CBT before too long.
I suffer from asthma too, and while its true that stress and worry can exacerbate your symptoms, you should be ok if you don't have regular symptoms. But please do mention it to your doctor, he may think it ok to prescribe you a reliever inhaler - just having it around may make you feel better.

I know it's really hard, but drinking really isn't helping you. I know you know its a depressant, and that the after effects make you feel even worse, but I would really urge you to give up the drink as much as possible.

Right now, I am supporting my boyfriend through a similar time. He has given up drinking and I think he's coping so much better without the hangovers.

I wondered if you did any exercise or yoga?

xxxx

[Tan The Man]

Hi Underkill

Welcome to the forum


<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">I have recently recieved a letter from the local mental health services telling me that i will have to wait 6-8 weeks before i can get seen. I am supposed to be starting Cognitive therapy. I feel really short of breath and i keep mumbling. I also occasionally get pins and needles in my hands and feet. I feel overwhelmed and exhausted. As soon as i wake up i feel like this.
I'm really frightened that i might have a Panic attack or stop breathing. I used to suffer from Asthma when i was younger and i have been told that Asthma can come back if you are very stressed. Should i mention this to my doctor? I'm scared and worried that i might die. I have tried deep breathing but it doesn't do much and my chest is beginning to hurt. I can't feel myself breathing and i feel unreal.
I know that these may just be symptoms or side effects, but i'm worried. I can't relax unless i'm drinking beer which i know will only temporarily calm my nerves. I hope that this will on be a phase as i don't think i could cope living like this for a longtime.:(

<div align="right">Originally posted by Underkill - 25 September 2005 : 20:29:34</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

I am new to the forum myself...but have suffered from panic and anxiety atteacks for about 10 years. I spent a lot of time researching my symptoms. So I can tell you that a lot of what you are feeling is exactly how I feel. Reading your posts it seems to me that one of the major factors that you find frightening is the shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. I can tell you that this is very common with people who suffer from anxiety. When you become anxious your breathing changes from a normal deep breathing to a more shallow rapid breathing...this way your body gets less oxygen. That is why you find yourself yawning more and get the pins and needeles. Let me reasure you that it is not going to do you any serious harm...you have to find some time (prefferably before bed) to just lie down and relax..taking deep slow breaths. This helped me a lot in the past.

However, still get the Asthma checked by your doctor...I am sure it will all be fine.

And Please, please, please lay of the booze :D

Take care

Tan

[Cinders4]

Its great that you found this site.... You wont always feel this way. x

[Underkill]

I am going to see my doctor on Thursday and i will mention that i suffered from Asthma when i was younger and that i am constantly short of breath. I don't do yoga but i am going to try and do aerobics as my mum has one of those fitness videos. I am drinking a lot of water instead of tea or pop. Is there anything else i can do to beat anxiety? I am feeling overwhelmed and exhausted at the moment. I hope i'm not like this for ten years! I wouldn't be able to cope. Thanks for the advice that everyone has given me - it's good to know that i'm not alone.

[Incii]

Hiya
welcome to the site [8D]
You sound very down at the moment, but in time things will improve, you will realise that although you feel terrible nothing bad will happen.

Try not to put yourself under pressure by wondering how long you will have anxiety for because that will make the problem worse, it will calm down but asking yourself and telling yourself you cant manage unless it goes quickly will make you more anxious.

Just try to take the advice you get here and understand you are not alone, we are all here to talk to and fear of something only makes it seem real adds credability to it, and therefor makes us anxious.

Sharon

[Underkill]

I went to visit the doctor today and he has told me to carry on taking citaprolam. He also said that anxiety can make asthma worse. He has given me an inhaler to take. Hopefully that will help. I'd like to know if i can take anything to help me sleep better. I know i probably won't be allowed to take sleeping tablets etc... is there anything else that could help me sleep better?

[south]

Hi Underkill
Its nice to meet you everyone is really friendly on here and full off advice, ive been on citroplam for 2months now i used to get breathing problems but found i was hyperventalting. Brought on by panic i've learnt just to block the thoughts out,when im finding it hard to breath, and the feelings now pass.
With citroplam just make sure you take it every day ive missed three days and not feeling the best but up to now ive felt alot better than ive done in along time.
I no what u mean about not being able to sleep i would ask ur doctor if he can prescribe you any sleeping pills.
Take care
South

[Underkill]

Hi everyone[8)] i have two new updates.

1. On Friday i saw my doctor and he has told me to keep taking Citaprolam and he has also given me two salbutamol inhalers.
They seem ok
2. On Tuesday i visited my doctor again and he has told me to keep on taking my medication and keep using the salbutamol inhalers as they have made my breathing better. However he told me that it is likely that due to anxiety my Asthma has came back and he given me ANOTHER inhaler for me to take twice a day. I will find out what it is and post details a.s.a.p.

I'm feeling ok at the moment. Still slightly short of breath and finding it hard to sleep. I also have a cold (Just my luck[Sigh...])
Hopefuly i will get better someday. I hope everyone is doing okay. Thanks for advice and support. See you all soon and wish me luck. Pray for me!

[Underkill]

Hi again. I am finally going to start Cognitive therapy on the 1st of November:D Hopefully it will sort me out! I am still feeling surreal. I am constantly afraid of Dying by having an Asthma attack caused by Anxiety:( I feel wierd and i can hardly feel myself breathe sometimes. I feel like maybe i am turning into a hypochondriac. I am also weary of going out as i worry that something bad will happen to me. I'm so overwhelmed and my dad reckons that i'm 'just a bit nervous' and that i should 'get off my arse and get a ****** job etc'. I honestly feel that going into a workplace and meeting a room full of people i don't know would TERRIFY me! I just want to be normal and not worry so damn much. My confidence was already low and i had also suffered depression AND NOW THIS!
My mum is the only person who believes that i have a problem. Everyone else thinks i'm putting it on and that i'm lazy. I feel lonely and i worry that i won't be able to lead a normal life...if i live that is! I'm getting worried about my Asthma which has reoccured due to anxiety. Deep breathing and my inhalors don't seem to be doing much. The Citaprolam isn't helping a little. I've been on it for 2 months now.