posted March 17, 2013 08:11 AM            

Natural treatment for anxiety that I found effective (my symptoms were mild, only fast heartbeats, sweating palms and mild breathlessness)

-sprinkle a mix of ylang ylang-lavender essential oil on my bed. The fragrant helps to relax my mind. Or you can find an aromatherapist.

- drinking chamomile tea.

I take a vitamin, there’s this Blackmores Executive B Stress Formula Tablets. I don’t know if it is available in your country though.

posted March 17, 2013 09:20 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by hippichick:
Could be xanax withdrawls, but get your self to a doc...

asap!

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posted March 17, 2013 11:23 PM            

hippichick- yeah I had a feeling it might be.. though when I would do it recreationally the withdrawals were more like depression/anxiety

I made an appointment with a counselor as well since the one they recommended is kind of nuts. When I saw him long ago he diagnosed me with adhd and being bipolar for being a homosexual.

Lexi- Yeah, I will Quitting cold turkey is pretty bad.. I should know -_- Hopefully they are just withdrawals and nothing else.. I prefer that

posted March 18, 2013 01:45 AM            

I've read horror stories of people trying to get off of those kinds of meds and that's why I won't take them.

I was prescribed Xanax for anxiety (by a doc) and supposedly should be on an anti-depressant, but I won't do it - i won't take them. I was given a prescript for them when I was having a nervous breakdown after my dad died, but i dumped them down the toilet instead. I didnt even swallow one of them. Pills scare me.

I'd rather self medicate once in awhile. Once youve been on them for years, it can be just as hard as heroin to get off of and they do a lot of damage to your body. I don't care that a doc says it's okay. Do some research and you will see why it's best to stay away from them and find alternative ways to cope.

Don't quit hardcore drugs like that cold turkey. Touch base with your doc. It's probably not anything serious, but don't play around with cold turky-ing from those drugs.

posted March 18, 2013 02:58 AM            

Anyway, yeah, if it's perscriibed to you then it's supposedly okay. I don't agree with that. Won't go into why here. Many docs are worse than street drug dealers. I won't ever be under someone's thumb or take something that's going to make me zone out all zombie like. I'd rather go to a shaman, drink a few beers or explore other remedies that might help me truly heal and not just put a blanket over my issues. Sure, we all need help sometiems and a couple of drinks or a joint can help, but I'd rather not take the risk of getting addicted to pills like that and fall into a complete haze and not honestly look at what might actually be going on..

that's the easy way out to me. Next thing you know, youre robbing pharmacies to get them.

If your heart is doing freaky things, I'd see a doc. That's all there is to it.

& especially if you know you have an addictive personality.....stay away from drugs like xanax

and coke.

posted March 18, 2013 03:32 AM            

Yeah, it was at that point that I became the super uncool sister.

posted March 18, 2013 11:42 AM            

In the meantime refrain from caffiene, any stimulants.

If it is anxiety related and not a physical health problem, you need something to calm down your central nervous system. A nice glass of red wine or a benedryl may help.

You could take a xanax to see if it quells your symptoms, if so, then there you have it.

All benzos should be tapered down, they change your brain chemistry.

But it is always possible you have something physical going on as well.

I have PTSD which messed my my heart, and on meds to get things under control.

So, I do have a physical ailment, that came from a brain thing.

Anyway, if it gets worse get to the ER!!!

posted March 18, 2013 11:48 AM            

My new doc gave me a prescription for clonazapam, the weaker of the benzos, but lasts loner and also is a muscle relaxer.

I have found my heaven. Been searching for peace in my life for the last 30 years atleast, and now I have it.

She gave it to me for sleep, cause I never sleep, but I do now.

She changed my antidepressant to effexor from lexapro and the combo has made me a new person.

I dont like being on drugs, but with PTSD and my brain chemistry changed for ever and the assult it has put on my heart, I choose to do the meds.

I am not really an addictive persoanlaity, per se, but I do like the buzz.

I am being very careful with the benzo, just taking it on my work nights, when I NEED to sleep!

I am still on quality supplements Shaklee, I love, they have a stress tab that is awesome, and for my sick liver their other supplements.

Anyway, just my story, you are not alone with all you have mentioned....

again blessings!

posted March 20, 2013 12:30 PM            

I had a murmur as a child which "went away".

Not sure of your age, but I am 32 (the hole was discovered at 30) and back then, we didn't have fancy ultrasounds so my hole went undetected until after I had a child and 30 years of damage to my heart caused the right side to become greatly enlarged and I was exhausted all the time.

I would be winded after climbing stairs. I would have palpitations that would cause me to nearly faint.

My surgeon told me it was very common for this to appear in people this age since the technology wasn't so great when I was born, and it is something that you can live with until all that overwork starts to affect you.

Thankfully, I never abused drugs. I would have had symptoms much earlier, I think.

I underwent open heart surgery in September, 2011 to correct the problem. I have been fine since then. It's honestly like having a new life.

I too, thought it was just anxiety.

posted March 20, 2013 02:43 PM            

I would still get a check up and, IF you choose, wean yourself off, very, very slowly!

posted March 20, 2013 04:05 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by ghanima81:
I had these symptoms and thankfully went to the ER and was found to have a hole in my heart.

I had a murmur as a child which "went away".

Not sure of your age, but I am 32 (the hole was discovered at 30) and back then, we didn't have fancy ultrasounds so my hole went undetected until after I had a child and 30 years of damage to my heart caused the right side to become greatly enlarged and I was exhausted all the time.

I would be winded after climbing stairs. I would have palpitations that would cause me to nearly faint.

My surgeon told me it was very common for this to appear in people this age since the technology wasn't so great when I was born, and it is something that you can live with until all that overwork starts to affect you.

Thankfully, I never abused drugs. I would have had symptoms much earlier, I think.

I underwent open heart surgery in September, 2011 to correct the problem. I have been fine since then. It's honestly like having a new life.

I too, thought it was just anxiety.

Not to scare you, but wanted to share another possiblility.

---

posted March 20, 2013 04:53 PM            

You say it was different than an anxiety attack. It's the lightheadedness and paleness that worries me.

Hippi is WAY more the expert here than I am, it just sounds exactly like what I went through.

I hope it's not, but know that if it is, they can fix it!

It took a few tests before they found it. I had an EKG in the ER. It came back abnormal. They scheduled me for an echocardiogram, and in the meantime, I wore a Holter Monitor for 24 hours and had to record any flutters I felt in my heart.

The echo was also abnormal. They then scheduled me for a transesophogeal echocardiogram, which is performed in the cath lab, and they put you under for this. That is when they really saw the size of the hole.

From there, I was scheduled to meet a surgeon and discuss options. It was "do you want us to send you to a specialist in Boston to see if they can try to do a femoral clamp, which may not work, and will put you out of work for at least 6 weeks, or do you want to trust me and get the open heart surgery?"

I went with option B. Thank goodness I did. The hole was really big, and the clamp would have failed. I have a huge scar on my chest now. They said I could have had them go through my ribs (thoracic incision) but the healing time and pain would have been greater. I ended up going with the sternal surgery. My sutures would not discintigrate, so I had a lot of issues with wound healing, which made my time out of work longer. But in the end, I am BETTER.

This is something that only had to be fixed once.

I am so glad I finally stopped being stubborn and went to the doctor.

posted March 21, 2013 11:50 AM            

I don't have a PCP, so I had to go to the ER. I explained my symptoms, and they ordered an EKG.

posted March 22, 2013 01:00 AM            

I just got back from my psychiatrist and I told him my story though I was reeaaaallllyyy hesitant since I don't trust shrinks. He totally figured my mind out pretty fast. I was surprised and kind of ****** lol.
Anyways, he said I needed Lexapro since my drug history screwed up some receptors in my brain which is why I'm really paranoid and anxious all the time. I told him I didn't want them and I wasn't going to take them but he convinced me to try it out. He said I was developing agoraphobia.. which I think that's just a trend most psychs diagnose people with.. Idk. My paranoia/social anxiety is pretty bad sometimes though. He put me back on xanax and I took them and I feel way better.

Tomorrow I'm going in for an ECG just to relief myself and to be sure I'm psychically healthy.

I told my psychiatrist about my palpitations and how my heart felt and he claimed it was anxiety. He offered to take care of it by doing some ear acupuncture but I declined his offer from suspicions. Idk I don't trust him all that much.

posted March 22, 2013 02:57 PM            

I dont want to have to rely on "head meds," however my brain chemistry has forever been altered by my late "husband" and his abuse, hence PTSD.

I hope to get myself off my new meds, which are working very well for me now, Effexor (been on Lexapro for years) and Clonazapam for sleep and destress, a new one for me.

Please be easy on yourself...we need help in all forms and fashions, as we re-build ourselves!!!

ALL the blessings in the world!!!

posted March 22, 2013 04:38 PM            

I hope this Lexapro does cure me once and for all from all my mental issues. How did it work for you?

posted March 23, 2013 02:40 PM            

But my doc suggested Effexor which is a SNRI, seratonin-norepinepherine reuptake inhibitor and can make you feel really happy, due to the noreip.

Been on it before and I gained alot of weight cause I couldnt sleep, but with the lightweight benzo, it seems to be a good mix for me.

Lexapro, generally is a good drug, as with any head med you will have to monitor your situation and increase the dose as needed.