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1556337 tn?1341708611

First Post - Anxiety is ruining me

Hiya everyone, I've never used a website like this before,I've seen many of them and been too shy to step out and say anything so this is a first for me.

I'll try keep this short for a first question.

6 weeks ago i recently quit smoking and stopped taking Citalopram with Amitriptyline, I've been on Citalopram itself a good portion of four years and smoked roughly the same amount of time.

During this 6 week period I've had unpleasant days, and a whole host of symptoms. From coughing up dark blood tinged and tarry phlegm, caught tonsillitis, repeated respiratory problems,my hearing's slightly blocked in one ear,nausea and vertigo/dizziness, my eyesight seems blurrier and distorted when i take my glasses off, outbreaks of panic attacks from doing simple things or when i have drunk alcohol, terrifying moments of thinking the worst and feeling certain danger,repeated headaches and migraines,constant head pressure from slight to extreme in my temples to entire face. i feel like I'm almost on edge all of the time. i probably should be used to those sensations related to the anxiety but it doesn't matter how many times it happens, it scares me to death and the worse it gets i find myself not wanting to go out, nor talk to people and stay secluded which before i was diagnosed with chronic depression i was bouncing about and go lucky!

Right now I'm waiting on going to see therapy and counseling, and syringing for my blocked ear. i'm just still after all this time i've had it, find it so hard to cope with anxiety and panic. what can help?, is there anything that can stop panic attacks happening so often?
Best Answer
Avatar universal
Hi and welcome, we're glad you found us!  This was a big step for you and I think you will find the forum very helpful...lots of nice people here! You did two big things to make things worse for you, stopping your medications and stopping the smoking at the same time.  Don't get me wrong, you have done yourself a big favor by quitting the smoking, but to do both at the same time can wreak havoc with your anxiety.  Why did you stop the medications?  It may be that you still need them, or if you didn't wean off of them under your doctors care it may be withdrawal from the meds and cigarettes.  Have you addressed all your issues with your GP? Tonsillitis is not a part of your anxiety, nor is coughing up black, tarry phlegm and this needs to be addressed ASAP!  Your ear problem is most likely causing you to have dizziness and vertigo but it can also be from you anxiety or withdrawal.  If you normally wear glasses I would think your vision would be blurry when you take them off, and your vision may have worsened.  Were the medications helping you?  If not, there are many others that would.  Unfortunately it is often trial and error in finding the right one(s) but well worth it when we do.  Your anxiety will be higher due to stopping the smoking, but not worth continuing and this will imporve with time.  I understand your frustrations with anxiety and depression, but you need to keep fighting, and looking for ways to control the symptoms.  Therapy may do this for you, but often medication is still needed, especially since therapy can be a lengthy process. Alcohol increases our anxiety, so you want to avoid this for now.  To answer your question, medication can stop panic attacks and you may want to think about going back on them until you start to feel better thru therapy.  You also need to have a very thorough check-up for the vomiting. You're suffering from being off the meds and quitting the smoking, so you need to address both issues. Find out if there are any medical conditions causing any of your symptoms, and then you can address the rest. Anxiety medication would help with the anxiety from not smoking.  You don't want to be afraid to leave your house, this is allowing yourself to be held hostage by all of this, and you don't have to live like this.  Look at depression and/or anxiety like any other medical condition that requires medication to control the symptoms.  Too many get caught up in because it is a mental issue that we should be able to handle it on our own, and we can't, we need help. Hang in there, you're obviously a strong person who just needs some help in sorting all of this out.  Address your general health and your anxiety so you can get your life back.  Don't allow this to beat you!  I know this is easier said than done, but I've been where you are, so there is hope!  Stay with us as others offer support and advice, and know you're not alone.  We are all sufferers too, understand and care. Chat with us all you want and I hope this has helped.  I wish you all the best and take care!
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1556337 tn?1341708611
I'd just like to say thank you for the response mammo!, for me to come onto this website and actually post something up is a breakthrough!, it sounds so silly to most people that something so simple as to just using a website like this is nerve racking to me, but i know thats gotta be the case for other people too.

i raise up my hands that i dont get to tell my GP everything when i've gone to the clinic, its a case of you get a certain amount of time and then your sorta ushered out after they think you've finished e.g "take these two a day off you go bye!" its a pain sometimes needless to say heh.

You've addressed a lot of issues there that i have considered and will think through! :D

i'm hoping to help others out on here too, and i'm gonna keep fighting! i've gone 4 yours with these symptoms, it will go!.

thanks again! and take care of yourself too :D
Helpful - 0
1556337 tn?1341708611
Heya Sorcha5!, i have a few of what you've got there too, and i've been to my doctor almost countless times and they keep telling me to go on anti depressants and i just turn them down, and its taken them this long to send me to therapy after so long its like....why do they mess you about?!

Stay strong and dont let it grind you down!, i'll be doing the same!
Helpful - 0
1457916 tn?1287819113
I feel 4u,i gt constant head pressure,chestpain,pains in arms,legs,stomach,nitemare,cnt sleep,fear of dieing and so on,tis way 24/7,it a horror,being 2doctor,dnt think they wnt 2knw,wt ur doc say to u,life hard,
Helpful - 0
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