Please I Need Help re. Medication and Severe Anxiety
Posted , 5 users are following.
Dear All - I have been off work for many months with severe anxiety and depression. It is getting worse - well the anxiety is. For example I am finding it almost impossible to get off to sleep, wake frequently and early often in panic. The present terrifies me, socialising scares me, going out scares me, i feel like something awful might happen all the time - I constantly feel under threat - but really 'I' am because I am not who i was and am finding it more and more difficult to cope (I live alone too which is scary in this condition). My biggest fear is not getting better or getting worse. I am terrified of the medications out there for mental health problems. I know they can cause initial very bad side effects sometimes lasting and problems coming off seem horrendous. I am caught in that if I don't take anything I might continue to get worse but if I do take something I could still get a lot worse and have horric agitation/sickness/insomnia/nightmares etc.
I want to add that I am extremely sensitive to medication and a little effects me a lot. I could not cope with more agitation/anxiety and have a senstiive stomach. My mental health team worker was saying he would be discharging me now I am having CBT - it is too early. I do not have a specific psychiatrist assigned to me either. I am at my wits end, the days are torture - I spend hours on the internet trying to find the magic medication side effective and side effect free which does not exist. What med should I try what can I do about this - here is no real support my mental health team worker seems impatient with me - I am also terrified that if i don;t get better they will put me in hospital (section me). Also I realise antidepressants are not the magic bullett and there are a lot of problems. I could not cope with possible initial suicidal feelings. Please help/advise - I feel so alone, desparate and scared.....
0 likes, 36 replies
lynne82155 Caroline71441
Posted
Im sorry your feeling so bad.
Your situation is similar to mine,Ive had depression for 16 years the anxiety only started in December, I had to resign from work in February.
I have been messed around with my psych team (have not actually got to see the shrink yet just his posse)!!!!! for weeks now and my medication is still not sorted
I have just came back from yet another appointment still no meds adjustments and they told me the same I will be discharged because Im starting CBT on Friday.
It is an JOKE I am so sick of the NHS and the shoddy treatment of people with mental health issues
This forum is excellent for support Caroline even if you just want to vent.
But I haver no answers.
Stay Strong
Caroline71441 lynne82155
Posted
Thanks for responding and so sorry you have had to resign from work - will you manage financially??. It is so difficult I feel terrible at the moment, my anxiety is ridiculous feel so physically and mentally uncomfortable and cannot see a way out as I am so scared of psychiatric medication and the side effects and know is does not always work at all but don't know how to help myself either.
Are you on medication now that needs adjusting or do you mean you haven't started? Do you mind sayig what you have had (if any) and your experiences.
It must be common to discharge people if they start CBT. It was initially going to be a later thing for me so don;t know why it has changed. The trouble is I am so anxious and depressed I am finding it so difficult / impossible to put into practice.
Will try to stay strong but feeling very hopeless today.
lynne82155 Caroline71441
Posted
I was on 45mg of mirtazapine for 6 years it was great apart from the weight gain.
It stopped working in December,a first they would not change my meds then I was put on sertraline in the day and miirt at night I started with 50mg of sertraline and its now up to 150mg and its still doing nothing.
Ive also tried citalapram amatrpylyn fluxtine.
Its just all this tapering of one med onto another the horrendous side effects I just want to get better.
I took myself off to a and e twice when my anxiety started at first because I thought I was dying of heart attack or stroke but I had lots of test done and all is ok but im terrified I live alone and scared Im going to collapse and no one willl find me,
Mental illness really sucks
Caroline71441 lynne82155
Posted
You are so strong coping with what you describe as horrendous side effects - at the moment my resliiance is at an all time low and with the anxiety sky high I would be hyper vigilant with any medication and could not cope with side effects which I know I will have to with psychiatric medications. A huge fear is my stomach following the gastristis which caused some bleed - I want to get off the PPI Lanzoprazole but if I take an antidepressant I would probably have to stay on to protect the stomach. I think the PPI is making the anxiety/depression much worse now.
Anxiety attached sound terrible. I to live alone and am so scared of something like that happening to me particularly if I start a medication as they can cause all sorts of strange side effects plus physical problems. If I cannot get out to the shops for food I don't know what would happen. I could call friends but they cannot always come easily.
You probably had to wait ages in A&E - sounds horrible for you. From what you say your medication does need to be looked urgently.
Mental illnes is the worst thing I agree.So painful, so debilitating and it can be so enduring - no respite.
lynne82155 Caroline71441
Posted
Stay strong and message me anytime
Caroline71441 lynne82155
Posted
What were the worst side effects you experienced on your meds/changing meds? Di you get worse anxiety/agitattion too. At the moment when I do sleep the dreams I remember are good ones, I hear that antidepressants and other things can cause nightmares.
lynne82155 Caroline71441
Posted
Now if I had spoken to the psych myself and they had done there job proplerly and got my medical records I would be on my new meds by now.
Side effects I get are anxiety/depression x10 flu like symptoms sore limbs no appetite its just awful
Caroline71441 lynne82155
Posted
That is what i could not cope with - increased anxiety/depression not to mention other things like nausea and the stomach stuff. At the moment I am finding how I am feeling unbearable i I am a strong minded person (or was) and know that the feelings would be terrible for anyone It is difficult to describe but it is like an terrible internal tension/painful feeling that I want to run away from but can't. At the moment it eases in the evening thank god but I cannot cope with feeling like this in the day for long. It has only been this bad for around 5 days or so. I just don't know what to do. It will make going to appointments so difficult /impossible - i need to work on a form for benefits but am finding it so difficult concentrating with the painful internal feeling. I keep snacking as that is a bit pleasurable but don't want to overlaod stomach. I am so scared and dont know who to talk to about it professionally as I fear meds...
lynne82155 Caroline71441
Posted
It is a vicious cycle and medication well everyone reacts differently to it.
Unfortunatley the three times I came of meds for depression I was hospitalised and I would not wish that on my worsed enemy
There are also charites like MIND who do reduces cost therapy
I dont know what else to suggest.
Anxiety depression is a nasty illness and I dont think there are any poitive answers
Stay strong you are not alone.
Caroline71441 lynne82155
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lynne82155 Caroline71441
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Not nice places
That is why I do everything I can to stay out of those places
Dont be scared everything will turn out fine
Caroline71441 lynne82155
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lynne82155 Caroline71441
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tonia_2003 lynne82155
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Caroline71441 lynne82155
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When you were in hospital did they try and give you anything else apart from anti depressants? I have read that psychiatric wards can give anti psychotics for anxiety to some people or to help them sleep. That sounds dangerous particularluy as they come with some heavy side effects. Have you ever had akathisia on anti depressants??
lynne82155 Caroline71441
Posted
When I was sectioned I booked into a hotel and overdosed I was found by a maid and taken to a psych hospital when your sectioned you have to stay for 1 month and cant go out on your own.
The other twice I felt myself go downhill suicidal thoughts so it was agreed with the CPN I would go in voluntary, I was allowed to go out of the hosptal but always had to be back at a certain time.
Medication is reveiwed I did not get ant type of therapy you see things
that make you more depressed.
EG People being restrained someone smashed up the sitting room someone broke a window and cut there wrists.
All these things I would not have seen.
In my experience its not the place to be,I would rather be treated at home and have a CPN come round
Take Care
Caroline71441 lynne82155
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Caroline71441 lynne82155
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lynne82155 Caroline71441
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I dont think I really wanted to end my life just a cry for help.
I would not take meds for just anxiety I take AD's for depression and to stop the above happening again. I feel AD's make anxiety worse,
I went to see the psych on Thursday I have now to take 200mg of sertraline 15mg of mirtazapime and quetiapine which is an anitpsycotic drug used in bipolar and schizophrenia.
I feel they just throw medication at everything.
I am going to try and stick with the sertraline and continue with my CBT
Hope you find peace soon
Stay Strong
Stay Strong
Caroline71441 lynne82155
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lynne82155 Caroline71441
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I have been on fluxotine twice and it did me no good.
But it made me think does he prescibe fluxotine to ALL his patients.
Everyone reacts differently to med what works for one may not for another,
It is a farce as far as I am concerned
Caroline71441 lynne82155
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Caroline71441 lynne82155
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lynne82155 Caroline71441
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Hope your well
When I started sertraline I had headaches blurred vision diahrea
It was not nice but it wore off quite quickley now Im on the top dose 200mg and it makes me feel like a zombie!!!!!
It never ends
Stay Strong