Is this really just anxiety?

[floridanon]

Hello, I've been suffering for what I believe is anxiety for the last four years or so. I've always had trouble waking up early in the morning for high school because my stomach would always be in complete knots. Because of this, I would start to panic that I would vomit, or collapse, and then my stress would keep going higher and higher, and then I eventually would vomit. I was put on Ativan for a while, which seemed to take some of the edge off. It was from a walk-in clinic though, so once it ran out, I was out of luck. After I graduated high school, I was fine for a while. Until up about last summer I started having really bad stomach pains and my heart would race. I was forced to stay on a couch for 4 days because I didn't have the strength to get up. Right now I'm 19 years old, 6 foot tall, and 130 lbs. I believe I need to gain weight, but I get full really easily, and am very cautious when it comes to my stomach. Ever since that attack in the summer, i've had good days and bad days. Sometimes i'll be completely fine, others I will just feel completely down all day, with a constant stomach ache and no appetite, as well as a "heavy" heart beat. I have already had my thyroid checked out, and it is well withen healthy bounds. I'm just afraid that my panic attacks, and my general anxiety could be something else, or something worse. It also keeps me from doing things that I would love to do, like travel, or be outdoors more. I also don't want to be on any SSRI's, as i've had to deal with Prozac before and the side effects are terrible. Sorry for the long post, I look forward to your replies. Thanks, FA.

[I MedusaX I]

Hello, I've been suffering for what I believe is anxiety for the last four years or so. I've always had trouble waking up early in the morning for high school because my stomach would always be in complete knots. Because of this, I would start to panic that I would vomit, or collapse, and then my stress would keep going higher and higher, and then I eventually would vomit. I was put on Ativan for a while, which seemed to take some of the edge off. It was from a walk-in clinic though, so once it ran out, I was out of luck. After I graduated high school, I was fine for a while. Until up about last summer I started having really bad stomach pains and my heart would race. I was forced to stay on a couch for 4 days because I didn't have the strength to get up. Right now I'm 19 years old, 6 foot tall, and 130 lbs. I believe I need to gain weight, but I get full really easily, and am very cautious when it comes to my stomach. Ever since that attack in the summer, i've had good days and bad days. Sometimes i'll be completely fine, others I will just feel completely down all day, with a constant stomach ache and no appetite, as well as a "heavy" heart beat. I have already had my thyroid checked out, and it is well withen healthy bounds. I'm just afraid that my panic attacks, and my general anxiety could be something else, or something worse. It also keeps me from doing things that I would love to do, like travel, or be outdoors more. I also don't want to be on any SSRI's, as i've had to deal with Prozac before and the side effects are terrible. Sorry for the long post, I look forward to your replies. Thanks, FA.

Who knows if it's just anxiety. From the sounds of it, it could be Major Depressive Disorder (sitting on couch for days, poor appetite), Bi-polar (Ups and Downs in anxiety and moods constantly, even days), GAD, and/or Panic Disorder (increased heart beat, throwing up). Do yourself a favor and seek medical attention immediately if you fear your anxiety/panic is getting worse.

On another note, SSRI's can be very dangerous and/or cause horrible side effects. SNRI's can have the same effect, Benzodiazepines are addictive, some people say Buspar is useless, and others love nerve pain medication like Neurontin and Lyrica.

Look, when it comes to medication, you have to weigh the benefits vs. the risks. Could you really handle having panic attacks constantly? Medication will help. You just need to find the right combo. If you are new to recovery from alcohol and/or drugs, I wouldn't reccomend a benzo. If you have sobriety under your belt, or you have never had an addiction problem, a benzo might be a good option for you. It sounds like you need a fast acting benzo like ativan, xanax, or klonopin wafers AS NEEDED from what you posted.

As for an Anti-depressant, everyone is different. Some people love Prozac. In my case, Prozac had NO EFFECT at all, even when I stopped it ubruptly. No side effects and no widthdrawl effects. You just have to find the right medications. Talk to a Psychiatrist. Also, Psycho-Therapy should be your first choice, because medication will only get you so far. It's your body and you can decide what to do with it. Just be safe about it and take as prescribed and follow ALL directions such as "not drinking alcohol" etc.

Hope this helps.

[MikeJsimon]

If you are not cured yet, then you're just coping with anxiety at best. And coping is not the solution at all.

Quoted from:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Severe-Anxiety-Symptoms---Are-You-Just-Coping-With-Anxiety-Attacks?&id=3855112