Anxiety the return
Discussion
The Dr has just phoned and now told me that I am low on VitD and marginally low on testosterone. I need to repeat the blood test in a month for T and they need to check something with calcium and bones and will then start me on Vit D3 supplements.
My anxiety is always worse in winter it seems so maybe the VitD will do something.
My anxiety is always worse in winter it seems so maybe the VitD will do something.
944fan said:
The Dr has just phoned and now told me that I am low on VitD and marginally low on testosterone. I need to repeat the blood test in a month for T and they need to check something with calcium and bones and will then start me on Vit D3 supplements.
My anxiety is always worse in winter it seems so maybe the VitD will do something.
Have you thought about trying a SAD light box?My anxiety is always worse in winter it seems so maybe the VitD will do something.
My daughter suffers from anxiety and at this time of year, we have a SAD light that we place on our kitchen table so when we are eating, it replicates the sunshine we don't get at this time of year.
I feel it has made a big change to my daughter's moods and she certainly appears to benefit from it.
We have this model - http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/sad-light-box-a20hw , I believe there is a minimum light output that most folk think is required to make the light effective but it escapes me at the moment.
Been having a mare with my health anxiety the last few weeks so went to the docs yesterday, she was very good asking me lots of questions so much so I ended up getting a bit emotional.I ended up deciding to give meds a try I didn't really want to but feel I need to try and get on top of it asap I'm also going to give the counciling a go as well.
Like you 944 I've been given Sertraline (probably don't want to know why you find it a nightmare
) but will give it a go and hopefully it makes a difference for me.
Like you 944 I've been given Sertraline (probably don't want to know why you find it a nightmare
) but will give it a go and hopefully it makes a difference for me.944fan said:
The Dr has just phoned and now told me that I am low on VitD and marginally low on testosterone. I need to repeat the blood test in a month for T and they need to check something with calcium and bones and will then start me on Vit D3 supplements.
My anxiety is always worse in winter it seems so maybe the VitD will do something.
Mine is/was the same but got really bad this year, foggy head was driving me insane, read online about d3 so got 5000iu to try and it changed my life. Cleared up anxiety and put a spring in my step no tiredness and no foggy head. I just need to go to the docs and find out why now. I should get the calcium blockers if not. Been on them 3 months and whilst not perfect I wouldn't give them up now. Main downside is having had it for several years its knocked my confidence in some situations not something that meds will fix but time will. My anxiety is always worse in winter it seems so maybe the VitD will do something.
bazza white said:
Mine is/was the same but got really bad this year, foggy head was driving me insane, read online about d3 so got 5000iu to try and it changed my life. Cleared up anxiety and put a spring in my step no tiredness and no foggy head. I just need to go to the docs and find out why now. I should get the calcium blockers if not. Been on them 3 months and whilst not perfect I wouldn't give them up now. Main downside is having had it for several years its knocked my confidence in some situations not something that meds will fix but time will.
It got some vit D delivered yesterday after reading about it on here got to be worth a try. Mentioned it to the doc on Friday she said there is no harm trying(she takes it herself).I work outside in all conditions so really should get my dose from the sun weirdly we normally have an October break in the canaries but not this year as were moving in the new year wonder if that has had an impact on getting anxiety.
Patch1875 said:
Been having a mare with my health anxiety the last few weeks so went to the docs yesterday, she was very good asking me lots of questions so much so I ended up getting a bit emotional.I ended up deciding to give meds a try I didn't really want to but feel I need to try and get on top of it asap I'm also going to give the counciling a go as well.
Like you 944 I've been given Sertraline (probably don't want to know why you find it a nightmare) but will give it a go and hopefully it makes a difference for me.
Quick update after 3 days of the meds I'm feeling worse, anxiety is in overdrive now seems to be one of the side effects.Like you 944 I've been given Sertraline (probably don't want to know why you find it a nightmare
) but will give it a go and hopefully it makes a difference for me.Got my first CBT appointment tomorrow night hopefully that will help.
Patch1875 said:
Quick update after 3 days of the meds I'm feeling worse, anxiety is in overdrive now seems to be one of the side effects.
Got my first CBT appointment tomorrow night hopefully that will help.
These type of meds can take 2-3 weeks to become effective. I wouldn't write them off yet.Got my first CBT appointment tomorrow night hopefully that will help.
Been to the doctor 6 times now in 2 weeks with my health anxiety had blood tests done on Monday and was told they would take a week to get the results.fast forward to today and I was taken back this morning by my wife as she became concerned for my wellbeing(don't know what I do without her). Good chat again with the doc blood tests are clear but decided to do another different one to really rule out my concerns.
Honestly don't know how I've got myself into this situation my mood self assessment at CBT is pretty grim reading but feeling a bit better now hopefully over the next few weeks the sertraline kicks in.
Honestly don't know how I've got myself into this situation my mood self assessment at CBT is pretty grim reading but feeling a bit better now hopefully over the next few weeks the sertraline kicks in.
From my experience, sertraline was nasty stuff, it didn't work for me. I went through a load of different medications, and I think sometimes you have to jump around if after a few weeks it's not working out. Prozac didn't work for me either.
I was on beta blockers for a while because I thought everything on the inside of me was going to end up on the outside of me, for really simple things. I'd have to go back home after just getting past half way to work because I'd thought the gas was left on and that I'd come home to a smouldering mess and I'd killed people. In the run up to the half way point, it'd be in my mind but I still would think it was OK, things were fine. Soon as I went 51% of the way, bang. Thought my heart and stomach were exploding and I couldn't keep my legs still but couldn't move them myself. Made driving a bit interesting .
I hadn't eft the gas on (or whatever it was that I had in my mind that was certain death).
Just the thought of it or rather, the thought of it on it's own was making me ill. After a couple of weeks on the beta blockers I could think a bit better about whether or not I had actually left the gas on without having blind panic and my blood pressure going through the roof. What I found was that beta blockers didn't stop the thought but they took away that upside down feeling, so I had to make up a checklist of things so I wouldn't get the 'you haven't thought about this, the gas, remember, death and stuff' from my brain that would nag away at me. When I had the list, even if it was a mental checklist I was better.
I had to change my thinking and most of my thought patterns were habitual and breaking habits is really really hard. I read a book about experiential avoidance and the patterns that I was making that I didn't really realise I was doing. I think once you're aware of something you can start to question it a bit, look at it from different angles and see it for what it is.
It's not some buddha enlightenment thing, far from it, more seeing things for what they are. The Benefits of Saliva is a really good way of looking at things from a different perspective and seeing how your brain can s
t on you. Saliva is really good - lets you swallow, keeps your mouth from getting dry, good of teeth and gums. Imagine if you spit in a glass and keep spitting in it, the glass will fill up with saliva. Imagine drinking it. It's a nasty thought, and it's not actually an action - just the thought alone of drinking a glass of saliva makes me wretch.
It took something like that to help me spin things around as thoughts and actions are different. Sometimes I wasn't making that distinction. I'd get trapped into a thought pattern that I couldn't break out of and my brain was talking st to me.
I was on beta blockers for a while because I thought everything on the inside of me was going to end up on the outside of me, for really simple things. I'd have to go back home after just getting past half way to work because I'd thought the gas was left on and that I'd come home to a smouldering mess and I'd killed people. In the run up to the half way point, it'd be in my mind but I still would think it was OK, things were fine. Soon as I went 51% of the way, bang. Thought my heart and stomach were exploding and I couldn't keep my legs still but couldn't move them myself. Made driving a bit interesting .
I hadn't eft the gas on (or whatever it was that I had in my mind that was certain death).
Just the thought of it or rather, the thought of it on it's own was making me ill. After a couple of weeks on the beta blockers I could think a bit better about whether or not I had actually left the gas on without having blind panic and my blood pressure going through the roof. What I found was that beta blockers didn't stop the thought but they took away that upside down feeling, so I had to make up a checklist of things so I wouldn't get the 'you haven't thought about this, the gas, remember, death and stuff' from my brain that would nag away at me. When I had the list, even if it was a mental checklist I was better.
I had to change my thinking and most of my thought patterns were habitual and breaking habits is really really hard. I read a book about experiential avoidance and the patterns that I was making that I didn't really realise I was doing. I think once you're aware of something you can start to question it a bit, look at it from different angles and see it for what it is.
It's not some buddha enlightenment thing, far from it, more seeing things for what they are. The Benefits of Saliva is a really good way of looking at things from a different perspective and seeing how your brain can s
t on you. Saliva is really good - lets you swallow, keeps your mouth from getting dry, good of teeth and gums. Imagine if you spit in a glass and keep spitting in it, the glass will fill up with saliva. Imagine drinking it. It's a nasty thought, and it's not actually an action - just the thought alone of drinking a glass of saliva makes me wretch. It took something like that to help me spin things around as thoughts and actions are different. Sometimes I wasn't making that distinction. I'd get trapped into a thought pattern that I couldn't break out of and my brain was talking s
t to me. andy-xr said:
From my experience, sertraline was nasty stuff, it didn't work for me. I went through a load of different medications, and I think sometimes you have to jump around if after a few weeks it's not working out. Prozac didn't work for me either.
I was on beta blockers for a while because I thought everything on the inside of me was going to end up on the outside of me, for really simple things. I'd have to go back home after just getting past half way to work because I'd thought the gas was left on and that I'd come home to a smouldering mess and I'd killed people. In the run up to the half way point, it'd be in my mind but I still would think it was OK, things were fine. Soon as I went 51% of the way, bang. Thought my heart and stomach were exploding and I couldn't keep my legs still but couldn't move them myself. Made driving a bit interesting .
I hadn't eft the gas on (or whatever it was that I had in my mind that was certain death).
Just the thought of it or rather, the thought of it on it's own was making me ill. After a couple of weeks on the beta blockers I could think a bit better about whether or not I had actually left the gas on without having blind panic and my blood pressure going through the roof. What I found was that beta blockers didn't stop the thought but they took away that upside down feeling, so I had to make up a checklist of things so I wouldn't get the 'you haven't thought about this, the gas, remember, death and stuff' from my brain that would nag away at me. When I had the list, even if it was a mental checklist I was better.
I had to change my thinking and most of my thought patterns were habitual and breaking habits is really really hard. I read a book about experiential avoidance and the patterns that I was making that I didn't really realise I was doing. I think once you're aware of something you can start to question it a bit, look at it from different angles and see it for what it is.
It's not some buddha enlightenment thing, far from it, more seeing things for what they are. The Benefits of Saliva is a really good way of looking at things from a different perspective and seeing how your brain can st on you. Saliva is really good - lets you swallow, keeps your mouth from getting dry, good of teeth and gums. Imagine if you spit in a glass and keep spitting in it, the glass will fill up with saliva. Imagine drinking it. It's a nasty thought, and it's not actually an action - just the thought alone of drinking a glass of saliva makes me wretch.
It took something like that to help me spin things around as thoughts and actions are different. Sometimes I wasn't making that distinction. I'd get trapped into a thought pattern that I couldn't break out of and my brain was talking st to me.
What was the book? Bit worse again today seems to be when I speak to the doctor the reassurance I get just drains away. Had a better nights sleep( I've been given sleeping pills to take for a few days) and went for a swim earlier to help clear the fuzz head. Also managed to go all days without checking in with Dr Google!I was on beta blockers for a while because I thought everything on the inside of me was going to end up on the outside of me, for really simple things. I'd have to go back home after just getting past half way to work because I'd thought the gas was left on and that I'd come home to a smouldering mess and I'd killed people. In the run up to the half way point, it'd be in my mind but I still would think it was OK, things were fine. Soon as I went 51% of the way, bang. Thought my heart and stomach were exploding and I couldn't keep my legs still but couldn't move them myself. Made driving a bit interesting .
I hadn't eft the gas on (or whatever it was that I had in my mind that was certain death).
Just the thought of it or rather, the thought of it on it's own was making me ill. After a couple of weeks on the beta blockers I could think a bit better about whether or not I had actually left the gas on without having blind panic and my blood pressure going through the roof. What I found was that beta blockers didn't stop the thought but they took away that upside down feeling, so I had to make up a checklist of things so I wouldn't get the 'you haven't thought about this, the gas, remember, death and stuff' from my brain that would nag away at me. When I had the list, even if it was a mental checklist I was better.
I had to change my thinking and most of my thought patterns were habitual and breaking habits is really really hard. I read a book about experiential avoidance and the patterns that I was making that I didn't really realise I was doing. I think once you're aware of something you can start to question it a bit, look at it from different angles and see it for what it is.
It's not some buddha enlightenment thing, far from it, more seeing things for what they are. The Benefits of Saliva is a really good way of looking at things from a different perspective and seeing how your brain can s
t on you. Saliva is really good - lets you swallow, keeps your mouth from getting dry, good of teeth and gums. Imagine if you spit in a glass and keep spitting in it, the glass will fill up with saliva. Imagine drinking it. It's a nasty thought, and it's not actually an action - just the thought alone of drinking a glass of saliva makes me wretch. It took something like that to help me spin things around as thoughts and actions are different. Sometimes I wasn't making that distinction. I'd get trapped into a thought pattern that I couldn't break out of and my brain was talking s
t to me. Out of interest, what exactly did the sertraline do to you?
I deal with a lot of anxiety and depression and work with a lot of chronic cases. I frequently see people who say that they have tried all of the meds and none of them suited them and when looking back through the notes they have indeed tried many meds for 3-6 weeks and then stopped them. On further questioning they say that they stopped them as they just made them worse.
SSRI drugs (such as sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram etc) often have the side effect of making anxiety much worse during the first 3-6 weeks of treatment. In my experience, those patients that experience this and manage to stay on the meds have a much better outcome in the long term and the increased anxiety/depression usually lasts for a couple of weeks. In this case I tend to prescribe short term diazepam or another hypnotic just to get them through this patch (not long term as they are addictive). I have had great success treating people this way who thought that they were going to suffer for life but they do need intensive support whilst the meds kick in.
SSRIs can also cause gastrointestinal upset (diarrhoea, nausea), very vivid dreams, dry mouth, loss of sex drive and inability to reach climax but these almost always settle down with time.
Meds are not always the answer and IAPT are very good if counseling suits you but some people find it is not for them or is not enough by itself.
No Panic are very good: 0800 138 8889 and have a look at www.mentalhealthmatters.com and www.depressionalliance.org
I hope that you feel better soon, it can be a long road to recovery but don't give up.
GB
I deal with a lot of anxiety and depression and work with a lot of chronic cases. I frequently see people who say that they have tried all of the meds and none of them suited them and when looking back through the notes they have indeed tried many meds for 3-6 weeks and then stopped them. On further questioning they say that they stopped them as they just made them worse.
SSRI drugs (such as sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram etc) often have the side effect of making anxiety much worse during the first 3-6 weeks of treatment. In my experience, those patients that experience this and manage to stay on the meds have a much better outcome in the long term and the increased anxiety/depression usually lasts for a couple of weeks. In this case I tend to prescribe short term diazepam or another hypnotic just to get them through this patch (not long term as they are addictive). I have had great success treating people this way who thought that they were going to suffer for life but they do need intensive support whilst the meds kick in.
SSRIs can also cause gastrointestinal upset (diarrhoea, nausea), very vivid dreams, dry mouth, loss of sex drive and inability to reach climax but these almost always settle down with time.
Meds are not always the answer and IAPT are very good if counseling suits you but some people find it is not for them or is not enough by itself.
No Panic are very good: 0800 138 8889 and have a look at www.mentalhealthmatters.com and www.depressionalliance.org
I hope that you feel better soon, it can be a long road to recovery but don't give up.
GB
gingerbeard said:
Out of interest, what exactly did the sertraline do to you?
Dick disappeared off on holiday somewhere, sleep was patchy and not particularly good, anxiety and heartbeat through the roof, general unwellness, jumpy legs, zombie feeling. It's one of the worst other than Prozac. With venlafaxine, my experiences of it were positive, other than taking ages to 'finish' and the bad head zaps coming off it, needed sleeping tablets through the day to get through it
andy-xr said:
Dick disappeared off on holiday somewhere, sleep was patchy and not particularly good, anxiety and heartbeat through the roof, general unwellness, jumpy legs, zombie feeling. It's one of the worst other than Prozac.
With venlafaxine, my experiences of it were positive, other than taking ages to 'finish' and the bad head zaps coming off it, needed sleeping tablets through the day to get through it
Yep those are usual s/effects, not nice but everyone is different and it is often a long time to find one that suits you. Venlafaxine can work well as long as your heart is fine and you don't drink too much but you are right about the head 'zaps' when coming off it, lots of patients complain of that and it can't be nice. I'm glad you found one that worked for you With venlafaxine, my experiences of it were positive, other than taking ages to 'finish' and the bad head zaps coming off it, needed sleeping tablets through the day to get through it
GB
Sorry I never followed this after my advice..
As the DR's in the UK are next to useless when it comes to TRT, what were the actual numbers from your blood tests? To just say you were 'marginally low' says nothing but it's typical of the NHS!
I was on the cusp of 11nmol and the 'specialist' said I was within range but at the low end, I felt absolutely awful at that number. They seem to treat numbers instead of symptoms in this country, an argument I've had with two supposed specialists now, for record when my body was producing test and I felt good my reference number was 20nmol.
Without numbers it's hard to say what the cause is but the results of a full blood work would help, in the US the blood panel results are shared, not so here so you may have to pester to get them.
I'm still confident if he says you're low, that it's low test that's causing the problem.
As the DR's in the UK are next to useless when it comes to TRT, what were the actual numbers from your blood tests? To just say you were 'marginally low' says nothing but it's typical of the NHS!
I was on the cusp of 11nmol and the 'specialist' said I was within range but at the low end, I felt absolutely awful at that number. They seem to treat numbers instead of symptoms in this country, an argument I've had with two supposed specialists now, for record when my body was producing test and I felt good my reference number was 20nmol.
Without numbers it's hard to say what the cause is but the results of a full blood work would help, in the US the blood panel results are shared, not so here so you may have to pester to get them.
I'm still confident if he says you're low, that it's low test that's causing the problem.
Edited by Evolved on Wednesday 16th December 07:58
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