Hi everyone, does anyone have experience of coping with anxiety and panic? I’ve been taking beta blockers for six months now, have tried a few times to reduce them gradually but it doesn’t work, after a few days I get panic attacks building up again. Also take amitripline at night and same thing happens if I try to decrease this also, I am having CBT and hoping this will help, my psych says I’m depressed and will prob need anti depressants as well? Did try citalopram twice in last six months but it made my anxiety ten times worse, just wondering where I go next?? Would like to not have to take any meds at all but willing to try anything to overcome this anxiety thing which seems to be ruining my mental health and coping skills. Any advice appreciated. Thanx .
Hello Wanda,
Have you spoken to your MS nurse or your neuro they may be able to help you more than seeing your gp. Or you could ring the MS Helpline they are very good and would point you in the right direction. Sorry I can’t be of any more help but am sure there are others on here that will.
Take care.
Janet
Hullo Wanda,
I have ‘suffered’ MS for ~13 years. My ‘own’ treatment for anxiety was - let the ‘body’ repair ‘itself’. I used a ‘tape’ of deep relaxation (which I got from a ‘health shop’) I prefer that to using drugs - I am taking enough from my Doctor! I don’t know if you ‘remember’ the phrase of ‘PEACE, MAN!’ and I’m not avocating that you should try and be a ‘Hippy’ but I’ll tell you - when you ‘achieve’ true relaxation - you don’t ‘care’ how you got it - you just accept that it is normal and ‘relaxing’ - stay cool, dude!
Marcus. x.
Hello Wanda
I too, suffered with anxiety for years suffering with OCD. Saw a phsycologist because of it who taught me CBT. I was prescribed beta blockers and anti-depressants. The CBT took a while to start to have an effect, (I still use some of methods it taught me now after 20 odd years!) - they will work it just takes time, perseverance and patience. I know when I started on the anti depressants my GP told me it’ll take at least a couple of weeks for your body to get used to them, during which the anxiety may get worse, but stick with them, it’ll get better.
Maybe you aren’t ready to stop taking the pills, and need to stick with them for a bit longer. I’m still taking anti-depressants now (for different reasons). I was on Citralopram to start then, GP reckoned they weren’t working as well as they should (I was still as tearful six months into the course as at the start) so she changed the prescription to eCitalopram. I don’t know what the difference was between the two, but eCitalopram works for me.
Try not to worry about taking pills. If they’re helping you cope that must be a good thing, then you can come off them when you are ready to cope without them.
Wish you well
Jacqueline x
Thanx all for your really helpful comments!! I will persevere with CBT and stop bothering bout meds for now, perhaps relaxation and some positive activity outside my home “bubble” might be worth a try, realise patience is a necessity not just a virtue in this game. I have very low self esteem due to weight gain, prob depressed with it also, maybe should join a slimming club and/or gym, I must try and help myself a bit more!
The book by dr Claire Weekes was a lifesaver for me, it helped me understand my anxiety and that in itself helped me cope with it.
I think i could do with reading it again as i am feeling anxious going thru the menopause.
Thanx again all of you will def get the book and have already made a few positive steps outside, joined slimming world and local walking in sunshine is helping my energy levels rather than sapping it . Feel less anxious already by forgetting bout comin off meds and the CBT lady psych is really really helpful, think I can see a light. X