please help- post-op extreme anxiety

[nezavi]

Hi all-

I have a long history with anxiety and panic. However, this is a bit of a new situation for me. I just had surgery yesterday and was sent home early because everything went so well. However, you know how they scare you half to death before they discharge you with everything you need to look out for, what could go wrong, etc. and I've been a nervous wreck literally all day. my body is just clamped up, i'm exhausted but as soon as i doze off, i lose my breath and wake up. yesterday, immediately post-op, i was given xanax to help with the post-anesthesia jitters. and it did help, but i'm wondering if what i'm experiencing now is a xanax hangover.

the scariest part is, some of the symptoms of one of the complications following my surgery is a lot like anxiety- cramping, twitching, etc, but these are honestly my most major anxiety symptoms. my nose is twitching almost non-stop, but will stop if i put on my glasses (a weird thing i noticed about my anxiety related facial twitches a long time ago).

i'm so freaked out i don't even know how much sense i'm making. i just want to be able to calm down and get some rest, because i know that being this anxious isn't helping me, and even if i were to be having symptoms of actual complications, the anxiety would probably mask them.

so basically, has anyone ever experienced anything at all similar? is this just post-anesthesia anxiety compounded by my own predilection to anxiety? i have no idea and i'm ready to yank my hair out. i just don't want to make an unnecessary ER visit because i'm worried about something that is probably nothing as i've experienced this kind of anxiety in the past, just obviously not in this situation.

wow what a first post. :(

[alankay]

I think indeed you are just anxious. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't let it get the best of you. I can tell you are smart and know I'm right. Be well!:)

[nezavi]

thank you, alankay. i managed to sleep a fair bit last night, but as soon as i woke up the trembling and "internal shakiness" returned. nobody else notices it, but i feel it, that seems like the worst part.

has anyone else experienced something like this after general anesthesia? i know anxiety is a common side effect, especially for those already prone, i'm just wondering if it's unusual to still feel "on edge" now two days after surgery.

[alankay]

Well I think the whole stress of surgical experience is the cause of your peak in anxiety. I had three wisdom teeth out years ago and was anxious as hell before but just relieved after. But that was a limited procedure. I do think the suggestion of potential problems is in play here. You said it all("the scariest part is, some of the symptoms of one of the complications following my surgery"). And("they scare you half to death before they discharge you with everything you need to look out for"). Bingo. If you can't calm down, can you call your doc and tell him/her how bad it is for you and get a prescription for some klonopin perhaps? Just for a few days so you can get past the initial difficulty? As you heal and feel/see that healing your anxiety should decrease. I know too well sometimes one cannot indeed simply, as I said, "not let it get the best of you". I'm sure if you get past the next few days and start seeing yourself recover you will see your anxiety come down as well. Anyway, I'd call the doc and ask for a few days worth of klonopin or what they think is best. These post ops issues do come up. Message me any time. I'm sure you will get past all this peak in anxiety. Alan

[nezavi]

I actually spoke to the surgeon and explained what I was feeling, and he agrees it's likely anxiety. He wouldn't call anything in for me, but at this point tbh I don't want to go down the benzo route- I've had tough times coming off of those in the past, and maybe this will be a good thing. He told me that the symptoms of complications were NOT subtle, and I wouldn't be "wondering" about whether what I was feeling was related to that or not, if I was having them. So I have to definitely chalk this up to anxiety, and find a way to relax other than with meds. I have some chamomile/lavender tea with lemon balm that I might just have a few cups of, and the worst that'll happen is it'll put me to sleep, lol.

we'll see how it goes, it's a bit of a bummer to be dealing with this on xmas eve, my entire family will be coming over later and i'm going to be all post-op tired and anxious on top of it, i'll have to just pretend i'm in pain to get out of it i guess. :D

[alankay]

I understand. Maybe an antihistamine would help calm you a bit. Might make you drowsy but still, better than anxious as hell.