Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Galadriel]

Hi Kelly,

I wouldn't say I got over my anxiety, more that I have ways to manage it. I have been on ADs twice in the past for GAD.

This is what works for me - acupuncture (also helps with other peri symptoms), a good psychologist (not CBT), yoga, meditation, and above all, being kind to myself - nurturing from the inside and out. It is a work in progress, with some days being easier to manage than others.

The mind has so much more control over how the body feels and reacts than I ever gave it credit for.

Good luck with the throat investigation.

Galadriel x

[Kelly]

Thanks Galadriel I know what you mean. The anxiety grips you epecially early morning my heart beating and I can't get back to sleep. Can I ask what Ad you were on and for how long? Did you find it easy to come off them cos that's what worries me. Doc has given me citalopram 10 mg but I havnt taken them yet. Taken the odd diazepam to sleep. Did you get blurred vision at all cos I am suffering fom that.  I will look for acupuncture today . What about reflexology or hypnotherapy did you give them a go? I welcome any advice no matter how small.
Thanks for your best wishes .
Kelly xxxxx

[Galadriel]

I was on venlafaxine 75mg once a day, both times for over a year. It took about 3 weeks for me to see a difference in anxiety levels. Sleep patterns improved too. 
When it was time to come off, I swapped to the twice daily tablets and tapered off slowly over a month. No trouble at all.
 
10mg citalopram is a nice low dose to start with so I'd give it a go, remembering it will take a while for the positive effects to kick in.

I've not had blurred vision so I can't help you there.

I have no experience with reflexology or hypnotherapy other than to say go with whatever works best for you 



Galadriel x

[Kelly]

Hi Galadriel thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I have had a good day yesterday and today so was going to try without the meds. I really hope it's possible I haven't felt shaky since Saturday but did feel really weird in a hot bath yesterday morning . I went to the hospital yesterday and was okay so fingers crossed i can manage. Seeing doc in the morning so probably ask about psychologist .
Lots of love
Kelly

[Kelly]

Will do Sparkle. How are you getting on now you are back from hols?
Xxxx

[Kelly]

I know exactly how you feel Sparkle. It's is hard not having a nice cup of tea I know but my throats been better on a bland diet and no caffeine but what a life it is! I just bought camomile tea to try and get used to so I can have that instead. I spoke to doc this morning and said i hadn't taken citalopram and did she think I could get over it myself and she said its possible so I am giving it a try. Relaxation exercises , little walk and making myself go to tesco etc. I am just doing gaviscon after meals and bedtime Sparkle and that seems to work as much  as the omezprazole . I am convinced the omeprozole caused my anxiety but who knows? Are you taking it for the IbS . I have been having the High ph water from tesco with my meals .its called Saka and its about a pound a bottle. It was worth a try and people on line were recommending it to reduce acid. So it's either the diet, the water or gaviscon that's helping me . You cud give it a go just to see. Someone mentioned acupuncture for IBS . Have u tried it? Let me know your results when you get them . Hope they are okay.xxxxxxkelly

[LaineyWinks]

Hi ladies I've just been reading your posts and thought I'd share some things that have helped me.

Last year I went through a really bad patch where I constantly felt like I had something stuck in my oesophagus and was getting lots of indigestion and heartburn.

What I did was completely cut out caffeine, alcohol and carbonated drinks. I ate a bland low fat diet and took 60mg of Lansoprazole every day as well as Gaviscon. All this helped, but then I started looking into more natural ways of dealing with it as well. I'm not usually a believer in complimentary/alternative medicine but I read an article on line about Mastic Gum capsules and how they helped to get rid of someones stomach ulcer.

Even though I didn't have a stomach ulcer and after reading lots of good things about this mastic gum I took the plunge and bought some. The brand I buy is Mastika and I get it off Amazon and Ebay. Whether it was coincidence I don't know but after taking 2 capsules daily for 6 weeks I had improved 100%, so I stayed on them and I'm still taking them.

Gradually I was able to reintroduce things back into my diet although in a limited way. But now I can have the odd drink of alcohol, coffee, or fizzy drink. I can tolerate the odd spicy meal and joy of joys chocolate and cake !

Another thing that I do, is eat lots of cabbage and drink cabbage water daily. I used to make cabbage smoothies but they were awful unless you put other things in them, but when your desperate you'll try anything.

[Kelly]

That's interesting Lainey winks . I am doing exactly the same as you cutting out everything but its a boring life isn't it? I will look up that gum . Also where do you get cabbage water and is that alkaline ?

Thanks for advice
Kellyxxx

[honeybun]

You get cabbage water from chopping up a cabbage and boiling it in a little water. Strain the cabbage and retain the water.
I remember my dad doing that many years ago as he said it was good for you.



Honeyb
x

[Kelly]

Oh I see don't know if I fancy that?
Kelly xx

[LaineyWinks]

I hated it at first,but now I find it easier. I always put a bit of salt in it, but if you don't want to do that, the best thing is to let it cool and neck it all in one go.

It's definitely worth trying and I find Savoy the most pleasant tasting.

I've read that aloe vera juice is good but I've never been able to find it.

The mastic gum capsules have been a life saver for me.

[Kelly]

Hi everyone yes we hve a few things to try now dont we. I am definitely going to try the gum. Why not? Sparkle I really feel if I have the water with  my meals or afterwards it might neutralise the acid as its a higher ph than to water. Even if its just in my mind! Like the gum people on line swear by it. My throat has been better for a few days now so its either the water or the diet so I have to carry on with these adjustments. I am managing the anxiety as well myself so hopefully will get through it . I have ordered some low acid recipe books to give a go but I sometimes think caffeine was a big culprit for me.
Keep me posted Sparkle .
Thanks for everyone's advice .
Kellyxx

[LaineyWinks]

Thank you both, Kelly & LaineyWinks, for more good ideas.

Kelly, I don't think the Omeprazole caused my anxiety although I suppose it might not be helping it. Anxiety has always been a problem for me and it's definitely been worse over the last 2/3 years when lots of perimenopause symptoms raised their ugly heads!  You sound like you're doing really well at the moment with your diet, etc.  I have such good intentions but sticking to them is always my problem!  It's often said that IBS only affects the lower half of the digestive system.  Well I can vouch for the fact that for me it's always affected it from top to bottom (sorry if that's TMI!).  I think once it becomes dysfunctional it can affect different parts at different times.  I've certainly always had a tendency to suffer from heartburn as much as cramps lower down! I've never tried acupuncture for it though.  Walking is definitely my thing - just me and the dog in the fields is very calming I find.  I had read about alkaline water and how some people have found it really helpful, I didn't realise it was so easy to get hold of though so that's another thing to try.  Do you think it's helping you Kelly?

LaineyWinks, do you know I'd forgotten about mastic gum, thank you for the reminder.  Years ago when I was on yet another quest to sort out my digestive problems I remember being told about that by an assistant in a natural health shop.  I did try it back then but it didn't really make any difference.  Who knows though, it might help now so I shall look that up again!  60mg of Lansoprazole is high - did you have problems with that dosage?  I found 20mg of Omeprazole twice a day made me feel unwell and just couldn't take it.  Did you just persevere or did you find it OK?  And cabbage water - actually sounds OK to me as I've drunk spinach water in the past!!!!  My dad got me into that, no idea why he did it but he used to add a bit of salt and pepper and a tiny knob of butter and it was really tasty!  These days I tend to have spinach raw in salads although I do some times cook it.

Thank you all once again for all your help and advice - it really is appreciated.

S xx

I've had absolutely no problems with the Lansoprazole, in fact I find the 60mg dose much more effective. As for cabbage, I read an article about it being good for digestive problems and how a prison in America had put some inmates on a diet with lots of cabbage and it had cured those inmates stomach ulcers.

[Kelly]

Well anything is worth a try Laineywinks isn't it. I am working on anxiety at the moment and had reflexology this morning. While I was at the Heath centre they offered 3 one to one relaxation sessions free so i am having them as well. Don't know if the reflexology did anything other than relax me. Anyone got any thoughts? I am going to have a few more but maybe I should have gone for acupuncture ? Welcome anyone's opinion! Xxx
Kelly

[LaineyWinks]

I'm a retired psychiatric nurse and even though I've counselled people, taught relaxation therapy and have even had counselling myself. I find nothing works better for me that anti depressants and tranquilisers.

If used short term and correctly there is little chance of dependence, in fact my GP has given me some Diazepam to help me cope with what's going on at the moment. I'm also on 75mg of amitriptyline for depression. Although amitriptyline is a slower acting drug it is better for the stomach than SSRIs such as sertraline etc.