Please help!

[retrogal]

I've always had anxiety and been a mildly anxious person but felt I had it under control until a recent unexpected hospital stay 5 weeks ago. Since then I've been on edge but trying to get back on track - eating really healthy, getting outside heaps etc - until just over a week ago when I woke up in the middle of the night suddenly with extreme chest pains, heart palpitations and trouble breathing, My GP said it was probably asthma and sent me on my way, but the medication did nothing to stop the symptoms. I went back after a few nights of not sleeping and severe anxiety and he gave me some anxiety medication to try and calm me down so i could catch up on sleep. This has only worked for a few hours at a time to sleep and my anxiety is still through the roof. I'm finding I need the anxiety meducation everyday to function at the moment otherwise I'm a complete zombie from the lack of sleep.

I went back once more yesterday and said I just can't take it anymore and he has given me medication to take. I tried Valerian with no effect first and don't know where to go from here. I feel like if I could just catch up on sleep I could asses the situation better. But it seems to be impossible. I've never been on antidepressants before and am scared to start. ANY advice or thoughts would be so greatly appreciated .

[retrogal]

Update: first night on the meds last night and I managed to get about 4 hours sleep (which is the most I've had in the past week!)

Looking positively to the future and hoping for better sleep each day! 🙂

[geoff]

Hi Retrogal, that's terrific and pleased about your new GP, that's all it takes, is for someone to listen to what you have to say.

Geoff.

[retrogal]

update: 2 nights on medication and still no improving in sleep. I couldn't physically take it anymore. I was so tired yesterday I couldn't stand up to make myself dinner or shower - so i went back to the GP today (after only having 3 hours last night on the medication again) and he has given me another medication to take with it for a few days and said he'd be shocked if it didn't knock me out tonight.

[Croix]

Dear Retrogal~

As I'm sure you suspect finding the right meds is fairly often trial and error. People react so differently it really can't be much else.

Its a nuisance, particularly if you have to tail off one before commencing another. It took me a very long time to find the right one, and I've been very happy with it, and my life improved greatly. The years I've been taking it have seen a real change in me, and amazingly without much in the way of side effects.

So I'm saying there is light at the end of the tunnel. It's a pity the tunnel can be so long sometimes 😞

Please let us know how the new meds work out

Croix