Anxiety & Panic Attack

[tmog]

One of the most aggravating attribute to having IC since 2005 was the anxiety which led to me having panic attacks. If I didn't have to deal with IC I'd probably be less anxious about my life. Just adds to the stress I'm already dealing with. Constant worry, stress & pain.
When I wake up suddenly to have a panic attack in the middle of the night, I instantly have to pee. While trying to pee, I'm feeling my heart race and the fear striking me.

[dg2901]

Ask your DR to rx you a lose anti-anxiety med. I keep some on hand just incase..I very rarely need to use them.

Wishing you well...
Diana

[tmog]

Ask your DR to rx you a lose anti-anxiety med. I keep some on hand just incase..I very rarely need to use them.

Wishing you well...
Diana

Hi Diana,

I've been prescribed xanax. I won't take it though. I'm scared to. I'm terrified of side effects of phrams.

[waterflow]

I have an awful time with pills too due to side effects but I went back on the cymbalta. Only side effect I have with it is not being able to sleep much. I finally went back on it because it was getting to were I was fighting with everyone. Even strangers at the store. It helps so I'm much calmer. Not zombie type.

[ICNDonna]

My suggestion is to give the medication a chance. If you do have side effects, you can always stop taking it. And it just might help you feel better.

I agree that there can be side effects to ANY medication --- I've had some --- but I can't imagine how miserable I would be without the ones that help.

Donna

[SharonA]

I totally agree with Donna. You won't know if the med will help or cause side effects until you try it. I know it is scary to begin a new medication (it is for me), but I still do it.

:):):)

[dverba]

most Dr's will tell you that most side effects last only a couple of weeks and are mild. Of course if yours are bad that is a different story. My Dr. gives me Xanax as well. I also take valuim to help me pee. With out them I can sit having to pee so bad it is very painful and nothing happen.

It seems we live the lives of " the lesser of two evils" most of the time.

[Preacher-Girl]

This is just my own story - not medical advice. I have a fast heart rate and some blood pressure problems (both high and low) AND occasional anxiety. I bought a pressure machine for $20 at Walmart. My doc originally thought these very similar symptoms were anxiety but they were really my heart racing brought on by chronic stress. I take BP meds and my heart no longer races. They are not addictive in any way. I also have Valium for bad flares and bad reactions to new meds. The valium certainly helped for my heart racing but my BP was the underlying problem.

Just my 2 cents.

[Goldfinch]

tmog, you sound like a person who is cautious about taking drugs, and that isn't a bad thing. I also was prescribed xanax for panic or anxiety attacks and especially for a sleep aid. I rarely use it, but every once in a while it comes in very handy. I have the lowest dose, .25mg, and sometimes I even cut them in half and they still work for me.

It's healthy to want to take the least amount of drugs possible, but you don't want to deprive yourself of help if it's available. Sometimes just knowing I have it in the medicine cabinet and that it will work if I need it is enough to make me relax--and not need it.

[Zygala87]

I am so sorry Tmog that you are dealing with panic attacks. Only another person who has them can understand. Just like IC. Most debilitating! I have had panic attacks all my life but did not know what it was until I spoke with a Doctor about it. I do take meds that help me live a near normal life. At first I put no hope in the meds but after a week they kicked in and now are very few. I had them long before IC. I care very much and hope you are able to find some help that will work for you. Hugs, Ziggy

[lisabar36]

Hi, I used to be extremely scared of meds. I remember back when I found out I had IC, I was given Elavil and some other IC meds all at once in larger doses, all I remember was waking up the next morning dizzy and the entire room was spinning. I never tried Elavil after that until a few years ago, the doctor said to me, we can start the lowest dose possible, to avoid any bad side effects, and I started low dose atarax and Elavil and I am so glad I did. Then he slowly upped my dose. When I am trying something new, I ask for the lowest dose, so I can see how I am going to feel. With most meds it can take your body time to adjust. I know the fear of not wanting to take meds because of my bad experience. If you have an anti anxiety med, ask the doc for the smallest dose, so you can see how you will react. I do get anxious sometimes, not often but sometimes, and I find my atarax and Elavil help me with that. However I was given xanax before to take if I needed it but I have never taken it. Good luck and hope you feel better. :)

[tmog]

I have an awful time with pills too due to side effects but I went back on the cymbalta. Only side effect I have with it is not being able to sleep much. I finally went back on it because it was getting to were I was fighting with everyone. Even strangers at the store. It helps so I'm much calmer. Not zombie type.

Hi Waterflow,

You're saying you were fighting with people when you went out in public? What did you fight about or fight over? That sounds like me almost. I can't go anywhere without butting heads with someone at the store, restaurant..etc.
And the cymbalta is helping with that? Are you angry all the time? Do you lash out at other people?
Thanks
Tmog

[tmog]

My suggestion is to give the medication a chance. If you do have side effects, you can always stop taking it. And it just might help you feel better.

I agree that there can be side effects to ANY medication --- I've had some --- but I can't imagine how miserable I would be without the ones that help.

Donna

Hi Donna,

Thanks for the good advice. Feeling so anxious all the time I know I need to start the meds. With my panic attack disorder, I feel I might have another one if I take the meds. It's very paralyzing and crippling to say the least.
:) Tmog

[tmog]

I totally agree with Donna. You won't know if the med will help or cause side effects until you try it. I know it is scary to begin a new medication (it is for me), but I still do it.

:):):)

Yes It's scary alright. What meds do you take? If everyone here who have IC on some sort of anti-anxiety or anti-depressant meds?
TTYL
:)
Tmog

[tmog]

most Dr's will tell you that most side effects last only a couple of weeks and are mild. Of course if yours are bad that is a different story. My Dr. gives me Xanax as well. I also take valuim to help me pee. With out them I can sit having to pee so bad it is very painful and nothing happen.

It seems we live the lives of " the lesser of two evils" most of the time.

Does the Xanax help with the IC as well? I wonder if it'll help me too with something other than the anxiety/panic attacks.

Bye :)
Tmog

[tmog]

tmog, you sound like a person who is cautious about taking drugs, and that isn't a bad thing. I also was prescribed xanax for panic or anxiety attacks and especially for a sleep aid. I rarely use it, but every once in a while it comes in very handy. I have the lowest dose, .25mg, and sometimes I even cut them in half and they still work for me.

It's healthy to want to take the least amount of drugs possible, but you don't want to deprive yourself of help if it's available. Sometimes just knowing I have it in the medicine cabinet and that it will work if I need it is enough to make me relax--and not need it.

Hi Goldfinch,

Dr gave me .50mg of Xanax. When I was in the ER having a major panic attack they gave that lose dose to me. It didn't do much. It calm me down and I went home after two hours and fell asleep. Then woke up after 2 hours with a minor panic attack. I filled the script later that day. Haven't taken one since. I've had about 100 panic attacks since then and told myself to just take one xanax (.50mg) but then I'm scared after reading the SE's. Like addiction & dependency. All my life I've managed to stay away from getting addicted to pain meds, alcohol & street drugs.
Thanks for everyone's kind words of advice. I can use it.
TMOG: :)

[tmog]

I am so sorry Tmog that you are dealing with panic attacks. Only another person who has them can understand. Just like IC. Most debilitating! I have had panic attacks all my life but did not know what it was until I spoke with a Doctor about it. I do take meds that help me live a near normal life. At first I put no hope in the meds but after a week they kicked in and now are very few. I had them long before IC. I care very much and hope you are able to find some help that will work for you. Hugs, Ziggy

Hi Ziggy,

Thanks for your kind words and being able to relate to what I'm going through. I know I'm not alone. Can I ask what meds is helping you with you PA? I used to take Paxil & Prozac for them years ago. But now they don't work any more. I have more anxiety now with the PA. I need something that will work for both. Paxil & Prozac doesn't address the anxiety and can cause it to become worst.
Thanks
TMOG :)

[tmog]

Hi, I used to be extremely scared of meds. I remember back when I found out I had IC, I was given Elavil and some other IC meds all at once in larger doses, all I remember was waking up the next morning dizzy and the entire room was spinning. I never tried Elavil after that until a few years ago, the doctor said to me, we can start the lowest dose possible, to avoid any bad side effects, and I started low dose atarax and Elavil and I am so glad I did. Then he slowly upped my dose. When I am trying something new, I ask for the lowest dose, so I can see how I am going to feel. With most meds it can take your body time to adjust. I know the fear of not wanting to take meds because of my bad experience. If you have an anti anxiety med, ask the doc for the smallest dose, so you can see how you will react. I do get anxious sometimes, not often but sometimes, and I find my atarax and Elavil help me with that. However I was given xanax before to take if I needed it but I have never taken it. Good luck and hope you feel better. :)

Hi Thanks

When i was diagnosed with IC the DR gave me Elavil but it made me have panic attacks again. So, I had to stop the meds. And when I started taking Paxil again. It wasn't working and I was in/out of the ER with panic attacks! Then I started taking celexa and it would never work. I started having bad panic attacks which were made worse. Now, I'm scared of all medicine.. lol
I'm screwed I guess. I'm now have medicine phobia! Oh Great!
When I was in the ER recently with a major PA. The nurse wanted to give me the xanax and I freaked out. It took 2 hours of convincing me to take it. OMG what am I going to do? I hate being me & I hate being alone!
Thanks to everyone.. Bye bye
Tmog

[SharonA]

I take several different meds for several different things. The only one I take for IC is Elavil (Amitriptyline) 25mg with is a low dose tricyclic antidepressant. It acts as a pain med by blocking the pain receptors in the brain.

[tmog]

How well does the elavil for for pain?

[Goldfinch]

Just one other thought, tmog. It's possible that xanax isn't the best med for you. Continue to discuss it with your doctor. There are plenty of other ones available. Although primary care docs frequently prescribe anti-anxiety meds and antidepressants, they aren't experts, the way a psychiatrist would be, so it might be worth seeing if your doc can recommend a consult with a psychiatrist to discuss meds.

If you take a very low dose of xanax only occasionally for panic attacks--and it works for you--the potential for addiction shouldn't be worrisome, but if that does bother you, you might ask your doctor about an ssri such as Zoloft, which is often prescribed for OCD and anxiety disorder.

[SharonA]

Elavil is my miracle med. Before taking it, I was in some horrible pain. The next day after my first dose of 10mg, the pain was almost gone. Now I take 25mg and really don't have much pain at all. Oh, I do have occasional break through pain or a flare, but they don't last long nor are as intense as they were before Elavil.

[Zygala87]

Hi Tmog. The medicine I take is clonazepam 1mg each tablet. I take one in the morning, two at noon and two in the evening. It is my understanding that it stays working all the time unlike Xanax which wears off and is a quick fix. For me, it evens out emotions and has pretty much taken away my major panic attacks. I still get the normal emotions that every person has, worry, happy, anger, stress etc. but no horrible fear, racing of my heart and all that goes with true panic attacks. I feel nothing different at all on these pills. Except for the fact my anxiety is very normal. Only a Doctor would know what is best for you. I'm just sharing my own experience. I never did lash out at people. At my worse I withdrew and was very depressed. I would not socialize with people. As with any medical problem, it effected my whole family. If we have family we are never going it alone. They are pulled into it no matter how we don't want that to happen. Because of that I was bound to find help and never stopped trying. Thank GOD I was able to find help. Their lives became much better as did mine. Keep trying Tmog. There must be a correct med that can help you. I REALLY do know what you are going through and I care deeply. Hugs, Ziggy