anxietycat
01-23-2014, 07:41 AM
Oh gosh- where do I start? I've been dealing with anxiety for as long as I can remember. It can be okay for a while and then will really kick into overdrive at times. I first got on an SSRI in college after dealing with panic attacks. I didn't take it regularly and just stopped one day. After college, I began getting debilitating panic and anxiety to the point where I wouldn't travel and always thought something was wrong with me. About 3 years ago my OBGYN put me on Zoloft. I don't think I responded well, so I went to a psych for the first time a couple of months later who put me on Lexapro and Klonapin. I felt amazing at first, but soon stopped taking the Klonapin after doing some research on it. It did really help calm me though. Ever since then I've been on 10mg of Lexapro (for about 3 years). I was doing okay until this past December when my anxiety just became outrageous. I would diagnose myself with a new disease every week. My OBGYN said I needed to up my dose of Lexapro to 20mg, but i didn't really want to, so i stayed on the 10. Might I add that I've never had issues with sleeping with my anxiety. I could always just pass out at night and sleep about 8-9 hours.
About 3 weeks ago I had my very first episode of anxiety related insomnia. I started googling stuff and ended up staying up all night. I had to work the next day and was a complete mess. That week I had two nights of no sleep. I called my OBGYN who wrote me a rx for ambien 5 mg. Naturally, I was terrified to take it and my husband basically had to force me to take it the first night. It worked OKAY at first, but really only allows me to sleep for 3-4 hours. The next week (just last week) I saw a new psych who said I had obsessive anxiety and wanted to put me on Keppra and Ambien CR or lunesta. She wrote me a RX for both as well as ativan as needed. I still haven't tried the the keppra, ambien cr, or lunesta out of fear that they may not work. Honestly, I don't want to take the Keppra, I'd rather take Klonapin again.
I feel so helpless and out of control. I hate this. The not sleeping well has also made me quite depressed. I just want to feel normal again. So here I am today at work having gotten 3-4 hours of sleep last night still taking the original Ambien bc I am scared to try the others. I really poured it all out! I am so glad to have found a forum for people like me because up until now I have felt so alone and isolated. I know a lot of people struggle with anxiety, but I know they don't struggle as bad as I do.
About 3 weeks ago I had my very first episode of anxiety related insomnia. I started googling stuff and ended up staying up all night. I had to work the next day and was a complete mess. That week I had two nights of no sleep. I called my OBGYN who wrote me a rx for ambien 5 mg. Naturally, I was terrified to take it and my husband basically had to force me to take it the first night. It worked OKAY at first, but really only allows me to sleep for 3-4 hours. The next week (just last week) I saw a new psych who said I had obsessive anxiety and wanted to put me on Keppra and Ambien CR or lunesta. She wrote me a RX for both as well as ativan as needed. I still haven't tried the the keppra, ambien cr, or lunesta out of fear that they may not work. Honestly, I don't want to take the Keppra, I'd rather take Klonapin again.
I feel so helpless and out of control. I hate this. The not sleeping well has also made me quite depressed. I just want to feel normal again. So here I am today at work having gotten 3-4 hours of sleep last night still taking the original Ambien bc I am scared to try the others. I really poured it all out! I am so glad to have found a forum for people like me because up until now I have felt so alone and isolated. I know a lot of people struggle with anxiety, but I know they don't struggle as bad as I do.