Dealing with anxiety

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JMC

JMC

Joined
Sep 10, 2011
Messages
640
After a month or so of feeling physically quite well, I have been suffering terribly with anxiety for the last few days. Things are tough at work at the moment and I have to lay off a number of people and I am in the middle of an on going discussion between my surgeon (says yes) and gastroenterologist (says no) about whether I should have a resection in the next few months. There are some fairly obvious triggers for these feelings therefore, but knowing that is not making them go away.

This is not the first time I have experienced something like this, but having battled through periods like this in the past with sheer will power, I am concerned that things are becoming worse and I do not want this to slip into a debilitating condition that could prevent me from working.

At the moment my symptoms are a pounding and raised heart rate, some feelings of breathlessness and weakness and an overwhelming sense of unease and dread. Small problems just feel huge and overwhelming. I am aware that they are really just small issues that most of the time I would just brush off, but right now it's a big challenge.

My biggest concern is just to get through the week ahead. I am probably going to give my GP a call tomorrow to discuss how I am feeling and see what can be done, but right now it would be good to hear from others who have been through this and hear what they did to deal with the problem.
 
i understand how you're feeling and my heart goes out to you.

The anxiety associated with laying off some employees is very normal. I know that one all too well. That is just a temporary anxiety, but coupled with your health and your arguing doctors, this seems a little much for someone to deal with.

I am on Sertraline for my anxiety. I mentioned to my GI that I have anxiety (to which, he quickly agreed with me), and he immediately prescribed me the daily tablet of 25mg. Next week (after having been on it for a couple mos) I am switching to 50mg.

For those temporary, more severe anxieties, like infusion day, or the week before surgery, for example, I take Xanax along with the Sertraline.

I have found that I can breathe again and not faint.

This is just what works for me so far. I wish you the best of luck in finding your own remedy. :hug:
 
Hi JMC,

I used to suffer with bad anxiety years ago so I know how you feel :-(

I used to take Propranolol, a beta blocker, which was a great help.

The other thing that would probably help is to sit down with someone and talk it all through but often this is easier said than done.

Let me know how you get on xx
 
I phoned my GP when they opened at 9am and got an appointment at 9.20am. I explained what had happened and how I was feeling and was booked in for counselling on 6th Feb and I was given a prescription of propranolol. I also had a flu jab and got a new azathioprine prescription while I was there, so a successful trip.

I am also going to see my surgeon this afternoon to discuss my recent colonoscopy so hopefully a firm decision can then be made about a resection which will at least sort out one of the problems.
 
Great news! I hope the counseling really helps. Talking about it is probably three quarters of the battle. Good luck.
 
The verdict was surgery in March after I come back from a skiing trip that I had already booked (as a 40th birthday celebration) and was loathed to miss.
 
Aw, bummer! Well I hope the surgery pays off...

My prayers are with you. :hug:
 
Any ideas on stress-related anxiety? I'm in law school and feel like my stress/anxiety/feeling poor is a vicious cycle: I start feeling tired or sick and that immediately stresses me out and gives me bad anxiety that I'm going to miss classes or exams, and then that makes me feel worse. I have neither the time nor the desire to see a psychologist/psychiatrist on a regular basis, as I barely have any free time already. I can't get in to see my GP until May 1, which won't help with the finals anxiety coming up in two weeks. I'm thinking of calling my GI and seeing if he can prescribe something to get me through the next month.

The other issue, though, is that I absolutely cannot take anything that will make me tired. I already have issues with being tired during exams because of the stress. When I was super sick this time last year, I was trying to study for exams, but had to go to sleep at 8 pm every night. Not good. Any ideas on medication that I can take more on an as-needed basis?
 
Have you ever tried meditation or yoga to help relieve your stress and anxiety? I know that your finals are only 2 weeks away, but it is possible to get some relief almost immediately. One of the simplest and most user friendly relaxation techniques is alternate nostril breathing and you can do it anywhere. Just Google it
 
Deep thoughts question: If stress causes the release of cortisol, why does it cause flares? Don't we take a form of cortisol (steroid) to reduce inflammation?
 
I'm so type A that anytime I've tried yoga in the past, I end up just sitting there thinking "what a freaking waste of my time. I could be doing things that are so much more productive." No offense to anyone who does yoga, haha. Sometimes I do the whole breathe-and-count-to-ten, but I think the stress is just so pervasive that it doesn't really help. It's not just me, either -- literally, you can feel the finals tension as soon as you walk into the building, and you can probably cut it with a knife. I can manage the stress, or I can manage being sick and not stressed, but combined it starts teetering close to the edge.
 
elizamt said:
Any ideas on stress-related anxiety? I'm in law school and feel like my stress/anxiety/feeling poor is a vicious cycle: I start feeling tired or sick and that immediately stresses me out and gives me bad anxiety that I'm going to miss classes or exams, and then that makes me feel worse. I have neither the time nor the desire to see a psychologist/psychiatrist on a regular basis, as I barely have any free time already. I can't get in to see my GP until May 1, which won't help with the finals anxiety coming up in two weeks. I'm thinking of calling my GI and seeing if he can prescribe something to get me through the next month.

The other issue, though, is that I absolutely cannot take anything that will make me tired. I already have issues with being tired during exams because of the stress. When I was super sick this time last year, I was trying to study for exams, but had to go to sleep at 8 pm every night. Not good. Any ideas on medication that I can take more on an as-needed basis?
Click to expand...

You can take something like a very low-dose xanax, which can help cut anxiety on an as-needed basis. It makes many people a little sleepy, though others do just fine with it. However, I have to say that for what you describe, drug therapy may not be the best-solution for you long-term. Anxiety meds and anti-depressants can cause many, many physical and emotional problems. Learning stress management techniques may be a better bet for you. While you scoff, meditation and yoga have been around for thousands of years and have helped many, many people. And they help because they work, if you let it. Of course, there are other forms of stress management out there, you may have to do a lot of trial and error until you find what works for you. Coming from experience, I have worked at law firms for the past 25 years and the stress of law school is NOTHING compared to actually working as an attorney. If you don't learn to manage stress now, you will burn yourself out and give yourself a heart attack way too young.

Suzanne
 
Antidepressants for teens with Crohn's

Hi! My 16 year old with Crohn's Disease was just diagnosed with anxiety...the Dr. prescribed Celexa...has anyone used this? Please give me the pros and cons...we are supposed to start giving it to him but after reading all of the warnings I need a little bit of support.:)
 
soccermom3 said:
Hi! My 16 year old with Crohn's Disease was just diagnosed with anxiety...the Dr. prescribed Celexa...has anyone used this? Please give me the pros and cons...we are supposed to start giving it to him but after reading all of the warnings I need a little bit of support.:)
Click to expand...

I was prescribed Celexa for panic attacks. Make sure you give it with food. I was given it on an empty stomach while hospitalized and afterwards, and it savaged my digestive tract. It caused me to have my first ever Crohn's symptoms. I was switched to Effexor which has worked well for the panic symptoms without tearing up my system.

Lisa
 
I find self-hypnosis CDs very helpful. I particularly like the Glenn Harrold ones (although he does sound like a camp cockney market-trader to me!!).
I seem to be able to look for reasons to stress about, even where there are none. I'm not god at travelling, and I would be a blubbering wreck every year when we went on a ski holiday.
The year before last, I used the 'relaxation/tackle stress' CDs, and it was the first time I was able to take it all in my stride and did not collapse in a puddle of tears when we got to the resort!
This year, the first since my diagnosis, and without yet having symptoms under control, although much improved, I decided to put myself and my health first and just refused to go, full stop. My kids were so understanding, and it was the best decision I could have made, as recovery has to be my first priority.
I am blessed with not having the pressures of employment-related issues to deal with. But we are now starting the process of moving house, so I think I'll be digging out the CDs again!
 
So JMC how did the resection go? I am facing same thing soon and would like to know if you felt it was worthwhile. I have 2 strictures in ileum but far enough away from the valve that they should save it.
 
I had a pretty traumatic diagnosis experience that resulted in a lot of anxiety and bouts of depression. I tried all of the yoga and stress relieving techniques in the world but it doesn't help much these days. I was prescribed sertraline which I take on and off but I try to stay as unmedicated as possible. It makes me feel weak if have to. Same with pain killers.
 
JMC said:
After a month or so of feeling physically quite well, I have been suffering terribly with anxiety for the last few days. Things are tough at work at the moment and I have to lay off a number of people and I am in the middle of an on going discussion between my surgeon (says yes) and gastroenterologist (says no) about whether I should have a resection in the next few months. There are some fairly obvious triggers for these feelings therefore, but knowing that is not making them go away.

This is not the first time I have experienced something like this, but having battled through periods like this in the past with sheer will power, I am concerned that things are becoming worse and I do not want this to slip into a debilitating condition that could prevent me from working.

At the moment my symptoms are a pounding and raised heart rate, some feelings of breathlessness and weakness and an overwhelming sense of unease and dread. Small problems just feel huge and overwhelming. I am aware that they are really just small issues that most of the time I would just brush off, but right now it's a big challenge.

My biggest concern is just to get through the week ahead. I am probably going to give my GP a call tomorrow to discuss how I am feeling and see what can be done, but right now it would be good to hear from others who have been through this and hear what they did to deal with the problem.
Click to expand...

Essentially going through the same thing as you. I flared and ended in hospital, with surgery an option, and my pushing for dose escalation of humira/exclusive enteral nutrition/methotrexate to at least try and get some healing to minimize the amount resected (which I assume is going to happen at some point anyhow).

I'm a casual worker (is the only work I can get being sick so often) but casuals legally can be fired for no reason really, so being in hospital for a week and then still recuperating at home, I lost my job. Thank god crohn's at least means I don't go out as much, I have savings - but a bank loan (gotten just before diagnosis, ha!) plus health insurance, bills etc. I ended up going to GP and just giving a list of thigns I'm feeling. She referred me to a psychologist (she's a bit of a nut really, but knows her stuff).

"At the moment my symptoms are a pounding and raised heart rate, some feelings of breathlessness and weakness and an overwhelming sense of unease and dread."

Essentially every time I wake up, and sporadically through the day at the moment. lol. It might be hard to do, but perhaps you can take some time off whilst you deal with it? I' not someone who ever sat around, ever - my brain is always doing something, but the last week I've found alot of peace in simply staring out a window (at my neighbours brick wall, but still) lol...

Is there a way for you to do work from home? Make a list of essential things that MUST be done that week, and get them done first. In past jobs if I was flaring and couldn't work, I'd usually still go in and get the main things done and then out the door, if the pain wasn't too bad.

Good luck mate :)
 
If you look at the date of my post, it was 2012. A lot has happened since then. Resection, stoma reversal, emergency trip to hospital with gallstone which resulted in my gallbladder being removed in 2013. Made redundant in 2014. Set up my own company which I ran successfully for 2 years before going back into permanent employment at the end of 2016.

But I am still here, probably stronger than ever, both mentally and physically. In 2015 I ran my first half marathon. In 2016, I ran another one and I am convinced regular intensive exercise has helped reduce my issues with stress and fatigue.

What ever you are going through, you will be ok and it will get better. Best wishes to all.
 
I take Wellbutrin for my anxiety. For the most part it works pretty well. When my husband was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer I added Lexapro at night. Not sure how many more meds I could possibly take, although if I were to go off them I would be bat *&^% crazy!

I hope you feel better soon, when you feel it hit log onto here, someone is always logged onto and willing to talk.


Lauren
 

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