suggestions please?!

[mrvslady]

I am a 32 year old female, and I have basically had panic attacks for maybe 10 years now, but not very often...(I think it is hereditary in my family?) anyways....I know I do it to myself and want to know if anyone has any suggestions that can help me, because I have read anxiety books etc...but what happens to me the most recent 2 years is I go to fall asleep, and if I'm not asleep with in 30 mins after laying down I start literally telling myself.."what if I don't go to sleep and I have to wake up early in the morning to take my kids to school, get stressed out, cannot focus due to bright lights from outside, and possible bring back seizures from the past?!" all of this is what comes out of my mouth and my gives me major headaches, have to urinate so many times in the middle of the night, it's crazy!!! What can I do to make myself stop thinking stuff like that?

[gochoosy1]

"""The only thing that has helped me is taking either Clonazepam or Diazepam before bed. I have my prescriptions in 5mg so that if I take 3 and I still cannot sleep, it is safe to bump it up a bit.  This is the only way I can sleep. If I didnt have the medication I would be up for days until I crash or have another anxiety seizure. """""

SEIZURES are from the MEDS, it isnt YOU!!    It isnt an anxiety seizure...... not unless you had a seizure disorder before........ SEIZURES are from WITHDRAWAL and can be very serious.... NEVER stop cold turkey.  Taper down SLOWLY

[gochoosy1]

HI, before anyone starts or stops taking Benzos, which is vallium, xanax,klonipin, diazepim,,, ETC,etc, you need to know that they ARE VERY PHYSICALLY DEPENDANT drugs.  I have been on xanax for about 5 years, I think, and I never took more than 1.5 mg a day.  I noticed over the years that my anxiety troubles were getting worse. I figured it was ME.  IT ISNT.  These drugs CHANGE your brain chemistry, which in turn affects your WHOLE body. I have recently tapered my dose down in half, and I have been in terrible withdrawal .  Im talking low grade fevers, hyperventilation, neck tics, headaches, exhaustion, panic, GERD.... diahrrea......etc etc.....DONT start Benzos. Im telling you. And if you are taking them and your getting worse, you need to taper down SUPER SLOWLY.  Heres a very Informative link....

http://www.benzo.org.uk/

[allmymarbles]

Have you ever investigated a physical cause for your anxiety, or has everyone, including your doctor, considered your condition to be psychological? High cortisol levels can cause your problem, especially the part about not getting off to sleep because you have things to do in the morning. High cortisol in the evening keeps you from settling down. So I recommend you take saliva and urine tests for neurotransmitters and adrenal function. You may have been suffering all these years because of incompetent doctors.

I had the same symptoms you do, but fortunately I rejected any mention of a psychological cause and searched for a physical explanation. I take medications for emphysema and experimented with going on and off the one I thought was the culprit. It turned out, in my case, that an inhaled steroid had a damaging effect on my adrenals. I got rid of that poison, had the proper tests taken, and am now taking high doses of vitamin B5 and a couple of capsules of Travacor daily. Temporarily I was taking Xanax to abort panic attacks.That was on an as-needed basis and the dose was small.

If you suffer insomnia you might be low on iodine. Paint a patch two inches square on your forearm, or thigh, or abdomen. The patch should still be visible after 24 hours. If it disappears in 12, you probably need to take iodine (Lugol's soluton or Atomadine).

[doctora]

I have the same problem you do. I will get myself all stressed out days before I have to do something, and as the time approaches I have worked myself into a major anxiety attack.

At night my mind races with thoughts of what I have to do the next day, or what might happen. I will be worried that because of my lack of sleep I will get into a car accident etc.

The only thing that has helped me is taking either Clonazepam or Diazepam before bed. I have my prescriptions in 5mg so that if I take 3 and I still cannot sleep, it is safe to bump it up a bit.  This is the only way I can sleep. If I didnt have the medication I would be up for days until I crash or have another anxiety seizure.

Talk to your Dr., I have found that my meds dont leave you with the groggy feeling the next morning you can get from over the counter sleeping aids. I also stop drinking any beverages about an hour before I go to bed, which has slowed down the amount of times I get up to go to the bathroom.