Medication phobia

[spacebunnyx]

Hi,

Does anyone have this? I have a condition which means i have to take medication. Everytime I try something new I get sooooo anxious.

Space xxx

[TexSpirit]

I have a fear of taking medications. Thankfully I found a really understanding doctor that understands this and doesn't push meds on me all the time. But yes I get like that with a lot of new things that come up. But I try to push myself to get past it and face that fear. Not always does it work. But I tried. ^.~

[Sam Winter]

i get anxious about new medication, i also have a fear of swallowing pills i just physically can't lol
when i got put on omeprazol and when i had to take my first dose i cried lol
i also can't swallow them whole so i have to take it out the capsule its really annoying lol

[dakotasmom]

I also get really anxious when I start a new medication. I just recently started on a blood pressure medication and made myself sick worrying about having an allergic reaction. I always think that I'm going to be the 1 person in a million that will die from taking the medication...

[Sam Winter]

omg same here, even though i've never been allergic to anything in my life i was still worried i'd die from a reaction lol x

[TexSpirit]

omg haha what a small world for us. ^.^ When they had to do a cat scan on me they made me drink this clear stuff. Didn't tell ME what it was. Just told my 18 year old son sitting beside me. He wouldn't tell me. So I drank it all thinking it was water to hydrate me because I was thirsty. Plus when I was pregnant with my daughter they did those ultra sounds and you have to drink a lot of water to fill your Blatter so they can see the babies better. So to me nothing made me fear for it.
WELL when they got me to the CT room they started putting a clear liquid in my IV. Again didn't tell me. I just thought it was again to hydrate me. You know those clear IV bags they put into IV for everyone. Well when the machine began to pull me in the guy said my son had to step out and he would hold my hand. Well soon as it pulled me into that tunnel thing and pop me in and out of it. Freaked me out a little but nothing bad. Then all of a sudden my body started to have a reaction to it. Heart beat was so fast made my chest hurt and I couldn't breath. They had to stop and stood by me trying to tell me to breath. but I am. I felt I was. But then they saw something that they again wanted me not to know but hello I know SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT. so panic happens and not my fault. But they were calling for a doctor to come stat. O.O everyone know pretty much what stat means in a hospital. :/
Well they pull the IV contrast dye out of my arm IV. Then the doctor stood beside me at this point son in fear now because he didn't know what was happening.
I started my breathing method I learned from YouTube.lol and calmed my own self down with no help besides people around me saying.... 'You need to. Alm down and just look up at the pretty picture on the ceiling. I wanted to kick them and tell them to shut up and be quit and just hold my hand. But I just smiled and did my own thing.
Was sent back to my er room area? Something happened even after that I rather not say.lol but when they came back to room and told me they couldn't find anything wrong and sent me home after an hour or two. Because of the dye stuff. Well next day I had the reaction. Looked like a lobster. I never got that red even from being in the sun too long . fair complected. Well I itched and heat flashes and omg anxieties kicked me bad. Headaches as well and didn't want to eat. Anyways went back and they were like ohh that isn't what caused it. It has never shown signs like that afterwards. Went over to another hospital and lady saw how red I was..... Yeah she said it was a reaction and gave me predazon (sp) and told me to get some (sp check again lol) benadryl .I was so scared to take anything after that scan dye. So I only took the benadryl which I have to take them for allergies. Took a longer time to get over everything but I did it. And my gastro doctor told me when he did a endoscope on me I had an ulcer and also a cancerous palip . got the palip out and had to heal the up er on my own. But he told me to mark the CT dye into my allergies because next time it won't be so light. o.o light? Mmmk but what he meant next time it would kill me. So he did it for me in my records online and in his own as well. Now that is a good doctor right there.
Sorry I tend to go too long. ^.^ many times do I fear a medication to only be tricked and given it without me knowing because my son or now daughter won't tell me. They know my allergies and make sure but didn't know about the dye. So I forgive home. He he he. But now when things come up and daughter has to be there for me She now has to fool me behind my back just so I will take the meds. Might be bad to some but to me it keeps my fears down. ^.~ trust me. My fears get so bad I have kicked a doctor and two nurses off me when I was a child and as an adult I punched a doctor just to get away from a needle for poison ivy. I get fighting scared.lol helpful to not be told the truth what something is if the people you are there with knows your allergies and phobias. ^.~ right now lightening out and it is one of my top fears. But took a xanax soon as I herd the first boom. Helps. Wish I wasn't like this. I love streams and rain sound like one just don't like lightening. I would go on and tell you why and is my mom's fault on that. OK OK I am done. Sorry again.

[systemoverdrive]

Hi

I too have this phobia.
I'm currently worried to take some antibiotics I have been given from my dentist, I have a general phobia of taking or eating anything new, including food that I (irrationally) think could possible cause me harm.
As I feel that I could experience an allergic reaction to the product but 'brush' the allergy signs off, as being signs of anxiety, such as the reddening of skin, fast heart rate, tight chest, and feeling short of breath. which would be dangerous as I would think its a panic attack when really I need medical attention....silly I know!

I have had anxiety for many years and after going through CBT I have found it a lot more manageable. I really did think at one point that it would never get better and that I was an awful person for never being able to 'get on' with things, or enjoy life, as anxiety took over so much!

However its not gone away completely, and is prevalent in taking medications to the point where I actually start thinking id rather deal with the consequences of not taking the antibiotics than dealing with the anxiety that comes with taking them! its ridiculous? so why does it take over so much?

Its really reassuring to read I am not the only one with a phobia similar to what I think I am experiencing. I hope everybody here finds there way through their anxiety, thankful for a place like this, I feel anxiety can make you sound like a very irrationally person to people who don't 'get it.'

[MissyMischief]

I didn't used to feel this way, but I do now. I feel anxious the first couple days I start something new or increase a dose. When I realize it's not going to make me hallucinate or something, I can relax. Hallucinations, dizziness, nausea are my biggest fears when it comes to meds right now.

[the_anxious_mind]

Space Bunny, you are in good company here!

I am new to this forum and I am a severe long time pharmacophobic. I actually overcame my latest fears of a new medication with the help of the kind folks here. I would tell myself I can do this, put the pill to my mouth and every time I just couldn't swallow it. You are DEFINITELY NOT ALONE!

It took me 5 years to work up to taking a medication for my anxiety--5 years--that a GP gave to me off the cuff without any explanation. Every time I would try to take it I would make excuses, my throat would tighten, I would get dizzy, panic, and cry. I never took it.

I finally broke down and went to see a psychiatrist this past summer and he wanted to put me on Valium (Diazepam) to calm me down. I had had it IV when I had my wisdom teeth cut out but I still couldn't bring myself to take it in pill form.

And what is terrible is, the one thing that could possibly help me, I was terrified to take. It was a vicious circle! My husband and the rest of my family just couldn't understand why in the world I wouldn't take something that could possibly alleviate the horrendous anxiety I was feeling. I have GAD, panic attacks, and specific phobias--some centered around food and swallowing. I could hardly leave my house, go in the supermarket, or drive. I had no life whatsoever outside of the time I spent in my home with my husband. And of course, this made the anxiety and the pressure to take it worse!

I had to finally hit rock bottom and some how after praying and just throwing myself into it, I crushed the Diazepam and ate it with applesauce. A very small small amount but enough to tell myself "Look, your throat didn't close up!" That is my fear.. Losing control and throat closure. (Even though I have zero allergies that I know of!) Now I am able to take it whole.

And of course, once I tackled the Diazepam, my psych said I needed something that would stay in my system longer (as valium is not a long term fix) so he decided to put me on an SSRI Lexapro (Escitalopram). Well, here we go again. I have never been on a medication long term.

With this medicine, it is the unknown. It is the long list of side effects that could possibly happen. My worst fear is dizziness! I also feared because it could take up to a month or so to feel anything and my mind is excellent at running away with things. But I am proud to say I am on day two of taking it (with no visible side effects--yet ) and thank goodness it only took me a day or so to work up to taking it. I finally had just decided I couldn't continue living the way I was and life is so worth living in a "normal" mindset.

Advice from a fellow pharmacaphobic: think about the life you want and the life you are living. Doesn't the possible benefit outweigh the risk? If you want different results, you must try something different. Good luck to you and to the rest of us--and for God's sake DON'T google the symptoms!!!

Hugs to ya!

[strongerthananxiety]

I suffered with General Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks for years. I know its not an easy road especially when a person is always guessing what is going on with them. Health anxiety is tough because you are always asking yourself if it could be this or that for the reason that the fight or flight mechanism makes people feel in different ways. Yes there are common symptoms but then there are many others that not everyone experiences.

Acceptance plays a big part in overcoming this thing. This does not mean to accept this thing forever but rather not fight it in the short term to prove to yourself that there is no real fear. When we accept the fear, face it and prove that it is harmless again and again, it creates a new habit of not being afraid. Just a thought.