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AnxietyAlly
11-03-2013, 03:55 PM
By the time anyone sees this I assume her attack and feelings will be over (I hope at least), but just looking for tips here. She doesn't have a good coping method for dealing with this it seems.

She visited me this weekend and drank too much last night and didn't get enough sleep. She's identified these in the past as things that cause her anxiety. But not until today did she tell me again that she had figured that out. She has been better at managing this on her own, but not amazing (she's 22 in college).

She started having symptoms at noon eastern. It's now 4:45. I got her to sleep around 2 pm. She's woken up a few times and freaked out a little but then back to sleep.

She was/is vomitting, a lot. I've tried to keep her breathing normally when I can. While she is sleeping she is def. having some weird dreams. Most sound harmless, but who knows. A few times she's hearing things that aren't there (like me talking to her). I think this is a combo of the anxiety med (she takes it through the butt) and the sleeping pills (both prescribed by the psychiatrist).

In the past, she has had these and they have sometimes taken days of recovery. This apparently happened last week and with her newly prescribed meds that a psychiatrist gave her, it was over by the morning (she was just groggy, but not having any attacks).

So, just looking for tips. Should I be talking to her about random stuff to keep her mind off of this? She can't keep any water or food down, unfortunately.

1. how can I stop the vomiting (lately it seems a dream ends badly and she starts breathing heavy and then needs to vomit).
2. i dont want to wake her up from the dreams but if they end in horror that seems like a never ending cycle. She is talking out loud at times, but I dont want to respond and startle her. Which happened before.
3. what do I say? I'm following some stuff I've read (dont say calm down, dont say it's ok or all in your head, say you're here for her, etc.)
4. These attacks just seem to last too long. I hear people with a few minutes, even a few hours. But not into the next day. She's boarding a plane back home tomorrow morning. I'm prepared to reschedule her flight if need be. But I want to do whatever I can to get her feeling normal by the end of today -ideally.
5. she has a bad relationship with her parents, and "wants her mom" but her mom isn't great at dealing with this at all. While having the attack she often says she wants her mom, is looking for her mom, doesn't know where her mom is, etc. This conflict of wanting her mom but also thinking/knowing her mom is making it worse is a bad one. I don't know what to say to get through this wall/catch 22 of needing and wanting her but knowing she isn't good for her. Most of these dreams do seem to be flashbacks to former conversations with her mom. The dreams are far better than the attacks where this conflict gets played out in a much scarier and serious way.

Chris C
11-03-2013, 04:05 PM
Oh wow. Yes alcohol and lack of sleep definitely can trigger anxiety the next day. What meds is she on. Can you see from the labels?

She needs to stay hydrated as that can also make anxiety worse. Try to get her to drink water. I realize she's having a hard time keepin it down.

Chris C
11-03-2013, 05:16 PM
How is your friend doing?

AnxietyAlly
11-03-2013, 05:26 PM
Oh wow. Yes alcohol and lack of sleep definitely can trigger anxiety the next day. What meds is she on. Can you see from the labels?

She needs to stay hydrated as that can also make anxiety worse. Try to get her to drink water. I realize she's having a hard time keepin it down.

she kept one gulp of water down for about 20 minutes I'd say.

She has Clonazepam for sleeping. Also has the generic form of Prozac. And the Prochlorperazine for nausea and vomiting. As far as I know she hasn't taken the Prozac, yet.

Chris C
11-03-2013, 05:43 PM
I take both klonopin and Prozac too. Not much point in trying to take a pill if you're going to throw it up.

If this keeps up you may want to get her to a hospital. They can at least get some iv fluids in her. some people with anxiety freak out about going to the hospital. I've had to go a few times and find I actually feel safer there and my anxiety lessens.

trinidiva
11-03-2013, 06:04 PM
I take both klonopin and Prozac too. Not much point in trying to take a pill if you're going to throw it up.

If this keeps up you may want to get her to a hospital. They can at least get some iv fluids in her. some people with anxiety freak out about going to the hospital. I've had to go a few times and find I actually feel safer there and my anxiety lessens.

Agreed. And depending on how much she drank, she could have alchol poisoning. She definitely needs fluids though. She should try to keep drinking water or even Gatorade. ...so she can replinish her electrolytes. I hope she feels better soon though.

AnxietyAlly
11-03-2013, 06:57 PM
Agreed. And depending on how much she drank, she could have alchol poisoning. She definitely needs fluids though. She should try to keep drinking water or even Gatorade. ...so she can replinish her electrolytes. I hope she feels better soon though.

she is not holding water down at all. At all.

meichmann
11-03-2013, 07:01 PM
If she cannot drink water, you need to take her to a hospital. She needs to stay hydrated as best as possible. Alcohol and anxiety mixed with lack of sleep can produce very bad results.

I hope she is ok. Keep us ip to date.

James Valdez
11-03-2013, 07:25 PM
cannabis helps me
A TON

AnxietyAlly
11-03-2013, 08:49 PM
If she cannot drink water, you need to take her to a hospital. She needs to stay hydrated as best as possible. Alcohol and anxiety mixed with lack of sleep can produce very bad results.

I hope she is ok. Keep us ip to date.

Thanks. I have gotten her gatorade and the last few hours have been fairly good. She is getting rest, and holding any gatorade she has drank down.

meichmann
11-03-2013, 09:59 PM
Good, glad to hear it.

Chris C
11-03-2013, 10:05 PM
Good to hear. Let is know how she's doing in the morning.

AnxietyAlly
11-03-2013, 11:31 PM
Good to hear. Let is know how she's doing in the morning.

Thanks folks. Will do. Anything I can do if I need to calm her down? This kind of thing feels like a fight, and I'm not sure she knows how to really battle it. I've read about people accepting their anxiety to fight it but I can't understand this in practice. And I certainly don't know what I could say to try to "get through" to her on that. I'm not playing dr/psych but just curious.

Chris C
11-04-2013, 12:06 AM
At this point it's probably best just to reassure her that you are there if she needs anything. Remind her that although it feels terrible now it will pass. Panic attacks always pass eventually.

AnxietyAlly
11-04-2013, 07:22 AM
At this point it's probably best just to reassure her that you are there if she needs anything. Remind her that although it feels terrible now it will pass. Panic attacks always pass eventually.

Thanks to everyone for the support and tips. She was much better this morning, and needed to board a plane home(which I was worried we would have to reschedule). She made the flight with no problems. Just tired. Will be good for her to be in her own bed.

Tregan
11-04-2013, 12:22 PM
I went the route of alcohol and sleeping pills, very dangersous indeed and that was 12 years ago.

When you are in pain with anxiety you will try anything to make it stop.

Tregan
11-04-2013, 12:23 PM
Been alcohol poisoned twice in my life and both times almost died. Unfortunately it's usually the first thing people reach for when anxious or depressed.