new to the forum - anxiety

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum. This past new years eve, I woke up crying and shaking, and sweating profusely, I felt like the world end was ending, and I was going to lose my entire family, and had strange thoughts about losing sense of reality. I called my doctor and they gave me Xanax 0.5mg, and I became very tired but the symptoms went away. The next day I woke up and felt like another attack was coming but all it was tightness in my stomach, and diaharrea, along with feeling anxious. The feeling would not go away, and I started having the crying spells again, so we went to the ER and they gave me some medicine called Ativan through an IV, and I was out like a light, and woke up feeling fine but loopy, this was on Sunday. I went to work on Monday, and felt the same anxiety symptoms, so I took a xanax and went to work which was a bad idea. We went to see the psychiatrist and he started me on Citalopram 20mg, along with Xanax as needed, along with a FMLA three week leave, which I dreaded because everyone around me (my family) was going on through their daily life, and I feel like a miserable prisoner in my own mind watching the world go by sitting on the couch. Well its now, Friday, and everyday including today, my symptoms in the morning always start with having to go to the bathroom, and having loose stools, and feeling anxious, no desire to eat at all, and then having to take a xanax to calm things down, and then by around noon-one i can eat something, and by evening i feel normal. this same repetitive cycle for a week now, will it ever go away?

all i can remember is this happened once to me about five years ago, and it diminished in about a week or two, but i didnt take medication because we were not insured.

i feel so hopeless and hope the citalopram does something.......has anyone felt like this?

Post Edited (zshkhan) : 1/7/2011 5:06:22 PM (GMT-7)

Hi there Zshkhan,

I never had anxiety as bad as you so I am not sure how long this will last. But if previously it went away, I am sure that this will too. I think that counseling would help you get to the root of what is causing your anxiety. Have you ever gone? Maybe it would help you cope with the things that make you anxious.

I take .5 mg of xanax 3 times a day. It works well for me. I have had bouts with anxiety, but not as bad as yours.

There are other members who are probably familiar with your medication as I am not. I have never taken it, but I have taken a lot of different antidepressants that do help with anxiety.

I am sure that soon other members will be here to greet you too. But wanted to make sure to welcome you to the forum.

Take care,

Hugs, Karen

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  Moderator-Depression and fibromyalgia

fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue, depression,allergies

Hi zshkhan and welcome. I am sorry that you are suffering so much right now. I can definately relate to the panic attacks, they are the scariest and most powerful experience for sure! The reason that you may be having such a hard time in the morning is partly biological. Cortisol is a stress hormone, that along with adrenaline, is a cause of panic attacks. In the morning, cortisol is at it highest level. This is actually benefical in that it helps us to 'get up and go'

In an individual who suffers panic, the levels are either too high, or the person is super sensitive to the Cortisol, causing the symptoms. I actually started to feel better just knowing that there was an explanation for the way I felt upon waking up. I hope that this helps you a little

I am glad that you are seeking help for this. I would certainly recommend that you ask your dr./therapist about CBT therapy. It has helped so many of us here. It helps you to change your reaction to the stress in life. It eliminated my panic attacks. (I also recommended this to Hippy Chick in your first post, hope that you saw it)

This is a great place for information, support, and sharing. Please post back if you have any further concerns/questions, and let us know how you are doing soon:)

Take care,
Scaredy Cat

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Moderator:Anxiety/Panic

"Courage is not the abscence of fear, it is feeling afraid and doing it anyway!"

Hello zshkhan,
I am going through the excact same thing right now.. It's horrible! I just joined this forum today. I have been going through this for 1 week now.. But have had anxiety in the past. Im 30 and have had anxiety spells on and off since I was 22. I have been waking up and the 1st thing I think of is WHY ME? Then I start crying and shaking etc. I have no appetite what so ever. I am freaked out about leaving my house. I have been an emotional basketcase (seriously) I am completley humiliated and feel like nobody knows what I feel like ..This sucks. Hope you get well soon

Hi and welcome to this site -

One more thing I'd like to add to this thread: praise yourself for any tiny bit of progress!

For example, when you're able to eat a small amount of food, or when you are not shaking, etc... tell yourself  "I did great!" "It's going to be alright, I'm moving along" and "Good job!" Because, when I was in the throes of anxiety, that's exactly like it felt, a job. I had to constantly work at it, so you have to praise yourself when you feel that"window" of good feeling happens.

Best of luck, we're pulling for you!