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[renee]

I just wanted to find out if there's anyone on here in a similar situation to myself birthday and advice to help me as I'm kinda at my wits end!!

I suffer from terrible anxiety, this year alone I have tried 4 different meds to help alleviate the symptoms.....lofepramine, Sertraline, doxepin and now I'm back on Trazadone which I was on a few years ago. The lofepramine I was on for 4 months and it made me feel aggressive and I couldn't sleep. The Sertraline and doxepin gave me restless legs every night....now I'm on trazadone 100mg but it's not helping my anxiety at all, it's kind of more a sleep aid. I had anxiety before going through the menopause but it has worsened the past 2 years.

I also have an under active thyroid and I'm on femoston 2/10.

I am very wary of anti depressants due to reports Iv read regarding them affecting your heart as my mum and maternal grandmother both died suddenly from a heart attack so I hate taking them but Iv tried CBT and other methods to help this awful anxiety but nothing helps!!!

Iv had a bad bout of it recently and my IBS kicked in and the doctor thinks my vagus nerve has been irritated too which can be linked to stress/anxiety. Can anyone help me, or give me advice on any medications you have tried and they have helped for anxiety.

I'm currently waiting to see a pharmacist based at my local hospital to see if he can source something that will help me, as my doctor is running out of options. I have had Citalopram in the past but I was grinding my teeth while sleeping and had to get dental work done due to the pain this caused so was taken off them too!!!

Thank you x

[CLKD]

Do you continue to grind your teeth?

I have taken several different anti-depressant medications.  Never heard of them affecting heart conditions and one has to consider quality of Life: which you don't seem to currently have  .  I currently take 5mg escitalopram morning and evening which helps the depression. 

Have you tried Rescue Remedy or relaxation therapy?  Do you know what triggers the flight/fight anxiety responses?  Even though I know that what happens is 'normal', when the physicality takes over, no amount of logic helps   

I also have an emergency drug to ease those sudden anxiety surges which floor me and give me dark thoughts.  They do work!

Has your GP offered a BetaBLocka?  I swallow 40mg Propranalol each night the idea being that it stops any anxiety surges in the early morning which is when I feel worse.  How does the anxiety make you feel?

 

[Dorothy]

I'm no expert, but I would have thought continued stress/anxiety would be more potentially damaging to your heart than any AD would be?  Also, as CLKD says, quality of life is important.

Have you considered consulting a nutritionist/dietician?  I've heard of a few people who have had problems with anxiety due to diet/allergies they were unaware were causing a problem.  Might be worth exploring, especially in view of the IBS - mine was linked to both stress AND diet.  Camomile tea always soothed any flare up for me, and as it is also a mild sedative, it might help a little with anxiety?  I'm not suggesting these things will make the problem go away totally, but it might help.

[Hurdity]

Hi renee

Sorry can't remember how old you are and how far along the road to menopause?

Do you find the anxiety worse at certain points in the cycle? Maybe the HRT dose isn't right for you? I did read (and I think it says in the prescribing leaflets but someone will correct me if I'm wrong) that oral thyroid meds can interfere with oral HRT (or the other way round) so it maybe that transdermal eg patch - would be better for you. It could be that you are not benefiting as much from the HRT due to absorption problems too.

You say you are running out of options but if the ADs do not suit you then perhaps think about trying a different HRT preparation - there are plenty more options here? 

Hope you manage to find something that suits you.

Hurdity x

[renee]

It's kind of a long story but I suffer from complex trauma, Iv had anxiety/panic attacks for 10 years. I was on Trazadone for 5 years and it was fine but gave me restless legs which I then got ropinirol for. I had CBT during this time and all seemed better....so I slowly was taken off the meds. About a year later my I started thyroxine for an under active thyroid then blood tests diagnosed I was going through the meno, at this point I was 44. Then the trauma stuff started to return, so was put on Sertraline....gave me restless legs. I didn't want to go back on ropinirol as its actually for Parkinson's so I then tried Citalopram....I was grinding my teeth nightly for 6 months, when I was taken off it stopped. Then I tried Doxepin...again restless legs then Lofepramine!!

Iv got a stash of diazepam 2mg I use for emergencies, my insomnia kicked in again so a different Doctor has tried me back on Trazadone, I'm fine on the low dose for the RLS but I need a higher dose which sets it off. I'm kinda at my wits end. I also get low mood which is worse in the morning, think that's why I need an anti depressant.

Yes Iv came to the conclusion that I can't base what Iv read in newspapers regarding anti depressants affecting the heart, my heart could be affected more from the anxiety attacks but who knows!!

Iv just started a period this afternoon and the anxiety has miraculously settled, I have settled. Maybe I need to go on the HRT patch, I'm ok on the femoston 2/10 and I wonder if it comes in a patch form? Thank you all for your help xxxxx

[CLKD]

You are so welcome!  Trial and Error is tiring 

Restless Leg Syndrome can be caused by a lack of potassium or possibly magnesium.  It keeps me awake if I don't eat bananas, has your GP considered that the medication aggravates an already low mineral? 

Does the Trazadone come in doses that you could split, i.e. morning and night to ease symptoms rather than taking one tablet?

Some of your symptoms seem cyclical and maybe the 2/10 is worth re-considering? 

[renee]

I don't get the RLS when I'm not on anti depressants. The Trazadone has a slight sedative effect, so I take it about an hour before bedtime.

When I finally get the app through for the pharmacist I have written down a few questions...
1. Which med will lower my chances of RLS and give me long term relief from anxiety.
2. Would the tablet form femoston interfere with my thyroxine or vice versa

I take my thyroxine before breakfast.....HRT in the afternoon then a Trazadone at night so their all spaced out through the day. Thank you CLKD....you are always do helpful. It's actually great to bounce off my queries, as it makes me a bit more motivated to seek help. Xxx

[CLKD]

  ……..   

On a Forum such as this we can bounce ideas and experiences, taking what is appropriate for our situation at the time.    How are your legs at other times, I can feel the RLS background all day ……. it doesn't begin begin troublesome until I get into bed.  So when it starts I have to up my banana intake  - I found out by accident that bananas eased RLS symptoms, I was eating them to keep blood sugar levels even in the 1990s 

[dazned]

I believe that there is an interaction between hrt and thyroxine but I can't remember what it is/how it is exactly.Sorry 

[CLKD]

I'm sure it's been discussed here …… but meno-brain here can't remember where 

[Dorothy]

Bananas & RLS?  THANK YOU!!!  CLKD, I didn't know that and it is going to be soooooo helpful in future.

[renee]

Very helpful tip about the bananas CLKD...thank you.

Mines starts at night too when I'm on an anti depressant but I don't get it at all when I'm not on them.

I started a very heavy period yesterday, must be why my anxiety was a bit worse!!!

[CLKD]

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