I am being selfish and putting this in the anxiety thread as well as here, but I am really searching for help, thans for indulging me and I am sorry for taking up two spaces.

My dear friends,

I had a xanax this morning and ran food shopping, did a few errands, etc and felt fine. Then, it all went downhill. My hip/butt, felt funny, then my legs, then my arms started hurting. i came home, ate, and felt shaky. I waited the 6 ours since the first and took another at 1:30 and got a quick dizzy spell. I proceeded to cry like a baby to my poor dear hubby, who had the patience of a saint. I fell asleep for a good hour or so after that. I just woke up and dont' want to move for the fear of feeling "off" may return. My butt'hips feel tight. I dpn't know why I am such a wreck. Sometimes, legs and arms just hurt. It's the "weird" feeling I hate. I told my husband I am worried about some dreaded like MS and ALs and he reminded me that I use a nordictrack 30 minutes 5 days a week, and walk the dog every day, etc. I had a brain scan two years ago and all was fine. I wish my little brain would just chill.

Please tell me you don't think I have an awful disease and that my body is just in overdrive. I keep thinking the cold damp weather is causing this or those dreaded hormones. After all last week was my placebo pill week and I lost two pills so had nothing for two days, and beleive it or not, felt fine. I spent 6 hours baking cookies with my kids and shopped a few days for hours without a problem.

Thanks so much and please, please respond as soon as you can.

I truly believe you are suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. Anxiety can cause all these things that you are experiencing. Because you are having such a rough go of it the xanax alone might need some assistance. Talk to your doctor about all of your concerns, at least for peace of mind.

Health anxiety is the worst. You have to mentally help yourself through it. If you focus on a symptom you will tell yourself...it could be this...it could be that. It just builds and builds. You have to stop that train of thinking (it is not easy, but it can be done). Keep your mind busy. You said that you were baking cookies and shopping and felt fine. You probably were busy and not focusing or waiting on another symptom. It took me sometime to do this, and I am sure many on this site can relate. I still have my moments but I try to stop them immediately.

Take care, dear.

Bella

Enough,

I understand what you are going through. I've had a return of my "heartburn" today. Chest hurts/lots of burping/gas. My thoughts have been running away from me all day. I too have had all the heart tests in August, ALL NORMAL. I am sitting here reading your post and could've written it myself. The best thing is to just remind ourselves once again that THIS IS ANXIETY, its been here before, it goes away. I feel like I am always crying to my husband (who like many others husbands on here is a saint also!!) about some random symptom. I also talked to my sister who reminded to breathe and do my relaxation tape I have, sometimes talking to a trusted source helps also.

Don't let the fear ruin your day......stay focused on something else although that is harder than it sounds when you are in the thick of it, believe me I know.

Better days ahead!!!!!! count on them!!!!!!!

Cheryl

big hugs to you! i have had everything that you have described & when it all 1st started happening it was the worst because it made me so scared & further anxious. remember that all of it is most likely related to peri & will pass through. you will feel better, maybe tonight, tomorrow, in the next half hour.

even though i have had ample opportunities to practice 'floating' through the worst of this stuff, there are still times that are harder than others. keep focusing on comforting things & reminding yourself that you will get through this. at my worst, i use whatever i need to in order to calm the overdrive.

take good care. i know that you have been hit with alot of symptoms lately & that can be so scary & can wear you down. but hang on & keep coming here.

most importantly, i hope that you are feeling better soon.

xo,
ellen

Hi Enough

The pain can come from being tense. When you have anxiety or panic..it tenses up all our muscles....then when you take xanax..it relaxes your muscles....so then once the muscles relax they hurt. And the vicious circle starts again....the :OMG I have pain all over ...I must have a dreaded disease"...the muscles tense...you take xanax...you start to relax...muscles relax......you sleep....you wake UP AND MUSCLES HURT...and cycle starts again. Try this simple exercise to test my theory....make a very tight fist or make a muscle in your arm....then relax it...how does your hand/arm feel....I can bet it hurts some...same thing happens to our muscles in our body when we have anxiety or panic. And with that exercise you are only holding that muscle for a few minutes...with anxiety or panic..you are holding the muscles tense for hours on end....so it hurts more once they relax. And more so with panic...because with panic adrenaline shoots thru our bodies with a fight or flight response...so our muscles gear up for the fight our of life...when those muscles relax..they hurt like Heck! And as far as the MS & ALS stuff....I think we have all had those same thoughts...i know I did..i thought I was dying for years...so take heart...you will be ok. You just have to get the anxiety under control and it is easier said than done I know...but you can do it. If you havent already read this book..i suggest you go out and buy it..it will ease your mind as far as your bodies response to anxiety and also teach you how to deal with it and fight it. The book is "hope & Help for your Nerves" by Dr. Claire Weekes. Also another book is "From panic to Power" by Lucinda Bassett. I hope this eases your mind some.

Peace
AA

Thank you all for your kind word and support. I took a xanax at 1:30 and here it is 11:29 and I made it this far. Just a quick twinge in my stomach and feeling a little queasy, but managable. I hope tomorrow is a better day,

Please remember how lucky I feel to have all of you. Have a great day.

enough i definitely think you are having hormonal and anxiety problems here is a link that will help you to understand anxiety hope it helps hugs terry
http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml

enough:

my primary anxiety centers around emotional patterns and crazy sticky thoughts but I wanted to extend my empathy to you, offer you support and let you know to not be afraid for that makes it much much worse - often the fear creates the panic and the pain rather than the other way around.

With loving thoughts for you -

hugs - pookish

Thank you all for your answers. I took a xanax at 8:30 and it helped a bit, but I am still a bit uptight. I will wait until 2 and have another. Maybe .25 mg when I am really wound up is not enough, or every six hours could go to 5.

Any thoughts?

Happy Hannakah and Merry Christmas to you all.

I hope you all have a peaceful and healthy holiday.

enough - have you tried a different anti anxiety med? what about klonipin - that's what i use. 1/2 of a .5 mg to start and if its bad you can you up to a reasonable amount - I believe some people take up to 2 mg.s daily.

Hang on baby!

xo pooks

((Enough)) -

I have been following your posts and heart goes out to you! Try to stay calm (not easy I know) as the others have said because the panic makes it all so much worse. I think as we get older we are afraid all of these weird sensations caused by anxiety are something much more sinister - our thoughts take off and BAM - we are sure something is really wrong and we are doomed!

I had anxiety like you experience a long time ago when I started this mess called meno and I thought I was a goner too! I ended up on an AD which helped for a time until it stopped working....after that I pretty much muddled thru - I still get it sometimes (don't we all?) but not nearly so bad...sigh, ain't life grand?

If it makes you feel any better I have a kid going thru a pretty rough time with it right now from a bad reaction to an AD (he is 18)and he has anxiety and panic a lot! I worry about him but watch with interest as he reacts so differently to it at his age than we do - he does NOT think he is going to DIE (he is young and very strong and healthy) but he gets angry and annoyed that he has to endure this and he then gets sad if he has to miss out on something as a result. Right there I know he has an advantage - he is convinced it will pass and does NOT let the physical 'feelings' scare him as much and so can lay down and breath and get thru the worst of it with some relaxation. It does not always work but at least he trys.

Listen to the ladies here - they have helped me to help him - and every one of them are angels from above!

Pookish is also right - perhaps the xanax is not the right choice for you right now since you are still stuggling - maybe you should ask you Doc about this?

Just take heart - no one ever died from anxiety - but we know it sure can feel like it.....

My best wishes and hope that you can enjoy your holiday with some peace my dear.

Linda