can't sleep can't eat! feel mental! help!

[worrywort]

please can some one give me some reassurance i'm not going mental! since i first went to the doctors on tuesday and she put me on 10 mg tabs of propanalol its been hell. ive rang them up a few times and i'm now taking 20mgs three times a day. in the day its not so bad cos you can keep yourself busy, but once i've takin my last dose around 7:00pm my heart is thumping and i cant sleep a wink. the thought of food makes me want to heave because i am panicky constantly. i'm worried i won't be able to look after my son propaly and that my hubby will get fedup. its a very lonely night when you cant sleep isn't it! has anyone suffered like this and managed to get out of it, i would really like to hear from them please. i'm going to try to get in at the doctors today, and ask him what i can have, i dont like thinking of sleeping tablets but i need to sleep even just that first night. andf i also need to eat my tummys rumbling but i cant face any food, please help

[sillymoo]

awww worrywort sorry 2 hear ur not good.i can remember being the same as u i didnt sleep at all 4 a whole week i wouldnt even allow my my mum 2 sleep as i was so scared of what was happening 2 me.i couldnt eat either i found the only way i cud eat was a tiny amount but often.as 4 sleeping i took temazepam it was the only thing that helped aslo relaxation tapes helped me 2.go bk 2 ur gp and tell him how u r im sure he can help.take care thinking of u luv mooxXx

[Piglet]

Have you had a good look around the site for reassurance and tips??

This actute stage won't last forever, we've all been through it and once you stop feeling so scared of the symptoms you are over halfway to getting better.

Oh and you most certainly not going mad!

Love Piglet :)

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[EebyJeeby]

Hi worrywort,

I went through exactly the same thing recently but am much improved now, so you CAN get through this. I was only taking 1 beta blocker a day and although I fully expected it to switch these feelings off, it didn't so I tried to find other ways.

The method that works best for me is that when I wake up in those lonely hours during the night, I no longer battle to get back to sleep. I accept that I am not in the right frame of mind to sleep, so I sit up, turn on the bedside lamp and start reading my trusty Claire Weekes book. For some reason, reading about the anxiety state reassures me that it is OK to feel the way I do and that I am not going mad! Of course, it also distracts me from my symptoms and focusses my mind on reading. I do this until I feel less tense (which I always do eventually), then I can fall asleep again. You can spend all night having poor quality (or no) sleep, or you can accept what's happening and go with it. I find the solitude scary at night, but rest assured that the morning light will come (wish it was summer with long days though...). Also, have a bottle of water by the bed.

As for eating, yes it can be difficult. I find that bananas are easiest to eat when I can't face food and they do have other benefits too. At one point I lived almost entirely on bananas for a few days and survived ok.:)

Most of all, the more you understand what's going on, the less you will suffer from the torment of thinking you are going mental. You aren't, you are just anxious and tired. Be kind to yourself.

Ellie x