In need of advice

[Perfectly_Imperfect]

I've been dealing with anxiey & semi-panic for approx. 2 years now. I don't have "attacks" per say but I worry, a lot, and am always anxious, restless, etc. The nervousness has effected my body in the form of stomach & bowel upsets (IBS) ... frequent urination, tension head aches and the newest is dizzy spells (vertigo) ... I absolutely hate feeling sick every day. I have Xanax to take that does calm me down, I also have Klonopin but I don't take it, I have Meclizine that I take for the dizziness which does help ... I am in CBT since August and it has helped with my thought patterns and my self esteem ... but not with the anxious feelings I have every day. I am considering an anti depressant but I don't know what to expect. Will it make my physical symptoms go away? I know it's not a happy pill but will it help me to get through the day without struggling? I'm so confused. I'm trying to do the right things, I exercise, take recommened supplement (calcium, magnesium, fish oil ...) and use my CBT techniques when needed.
I'm just always anxious and feel like sometimes I'll snap at people. I don't like myself and that's one of my biggest problems ... I'm just not sure what to do anymore...

[txQC]

TheBigpicture is right about some disease who trigger anxiety... but in other hand, sometimes the anxiety is the main problem and it's the only source of physical symptoms, especially the symptoms who are linked to the stomach and the intestine...

I was thinking that I had something wrong with my stomach and my intestine and my Doc RX a CT Scan with contrast for the abdominal-pelvian 1 month ago and everything is perfect, so the gaz bloating + severe constipation is linked to my anxiety, that's what my Doc say... I also had a gastroscopy last year because I had a lot of acid reflux and they didn't find anything wrong with my stomach and they told me it was also linked to my anxiety again... Of course, I had a med RX for my stomach call Pantaloc, but it was not effective to reduce the acid reflux, since then I take 1 tums everytime I feel sick in my stomach and it's doing the trick very well... sadly for the gaz-bloating and intestine pain, nothing help me... maybe just put a hot bag on my belly, who help me to pass some gaz and reduce the bloating and cramps... for the constipation nothing to do also...OTC meds don't work and RX meds like the Lactulose don't work and increase the cramps, pain, bloating and gaz... fiber to the same things, it's worsing my pain... When I know that my intestine are full and need to have a bowel movement I use only rectal glycerin suppository, it's the only thing who allow me to have a bowel movement now...

For the Buspar, if you don't have a panic disorder and only anxiety, mainly general anxiety, it will help for sure, allow 2-4 weeks before seeing any improvement... but normally, it's not working for the panic disorder, especially for the peoples who already take a benzodiazepine med (Xanax, Klonopin, Valium...), some studies show that peoples already on a benzo med who have a genereal anxiety disorder  and start the Buspar will not respond to that med. But of course everyone is different, I know some peoples who feel better on the Buspar than on a Benzo med for their anxiety and some peoples feel better only on a benzo med... Personnaly, the Buspar was the first med who was RX to me for my anxiety back in 1994 and it didn't work cause I had a panic disorder problem, not a general anxiety disorder... so I was put on the Paxil and was free of panic and anxiety 3 months later with also the help of a Psychologist...

So I hope it will work for you, if not ask for a SSRI antidepressant...

[Perfectly_Imperfect]

Thanks for your reply ... I did think it was my stomach actually and had an Upper GI Series of x-ray's and an Endoscopy ... I was told I had acid reflux (extra acid build up just in the stomach area due to anxiety) and am on Prilosec. I was just put on buspar yesterday and am nervous about it but I'm really hoping it'll work to just keep me calm, I am restless and jittery all the time.

[TheBigpicture]

I would like to add that i do still struggle with stomach issues but i am no longer dependent on meds for anxiety. I took xanax for 6 years and they even tryed buspar and zoloft and a couple others which the zanax did ease it a bit but life was still hell because i was not treating the actual cause only bandaiding the symptoms.

[TheBigpicture]

This may also apply to people with IBS and anxiety.

[TheBigpicture]

I had the same issues but one of my friends gave me some advise and i followed it. i do not suffer from anxiety anymore. i do have little spells but i know where it comes from now and i can beat it back. i hear alot of people say they have stomach issues from their anxiety but what if you have it backwards. Maybe it is your stomach that is  causing the anxiety. My friend was told by a doctor 20 yrs ago that stomach problems can cause anxiety and panic disorders. The dissiness might actually be irratation of the sinus nerve/ vegas nerve. Google it. you may have Gerd (acid reflux) and in turn could trigger anxiety. What alot of people dont realize is some people get acid reflux from a food or persevative intolorence and it goes unrecognized. I don't know if you fall under this catagory but it would not hurt for you to dig a little dipper and find out. if that is your problem, then you can be freed from this monster easily. I'm not trying to steer you into the wrong path and you should definetly speak with your doctor but don't be afraid to research stuff like this because you may stumble up the very answers you are looking for. this will not apply to everyone but it may apply to you. I hope you find the peace that i have found, God Bless.

[txQC]

Hi ;-)
      Hummmm sound like general anxiety... i'm not a PDoc but, can I ask you if you are anxious about only yourself and your health OR anxious about things that may happen to peoples around you?

Glad that CBT help you, not surprise that CBT alone don't cure all the physical symptoms of your anxiety... i'm living the same situation than you + a severe panic disorder... I also have the same pain in the stomach (bloating), abdominal cramps, constipation since more than 9 months now and it's getting worse each week... I also have frequent urination as well, especially when i'm very anxious about going to the bed and having insomnia again OR when I have to go somewhere and have to do exposure... and have tension headache daily... and I admit that it's not easy to live each day... have many more symptoms but will not name all of them!!!

If the Xanax don't cure your chronic anxiety symptoms, maybe you should try to add a low dose of Klonopin, it's basicaly the same kind of med than the Xanax with a longer half-life... and it's seem that adding an antidepressant like a SSRI (Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, Zoloft...) will certainly help to make your physical symptoms go away... Ask your Doctor about having one RX to you, you should try it...

Self-esteem is hard to build... Therapy help a lot with this for sure but it's hard, I had done lot of Therapies in the past and never succeed to improve my low self-esteem and I don't really like  myself, physically and mentally... I think the childhood is an important part of the life and it's where we build our self-esteem and too bad I had a not so good childhood... that's hard to forget all the pain the others done to me... and impossible for me to forgive... anyways...

Hope you will find a way to feel better soon ;-) Keep the faith!!!