Going on holiday.

[antk]

Hi.

I'm going on holiday for about a week to New York on Tuesday.

Slightly worried about the flight, I've suffered with anxiety for about 2 years on and off. I'm generally alright about it. Don't really get any anything anymore, apart from my vision going weird sometimes. Feels like I'm spinning out and it could going into full blown anxiety, difficult to control and focus properly.

It happened when I went on a short flight in January, but I managed to control it by squinting and moving my head. This flight is about 7 hours for me. Not worried about the plane crashing or anything like that, I generally like flying, but it just feels I have a hazy head all the time. Not taking any meds or anything.

Any advice? I bought some St. John's wort the other day, any good for mild anxiety? Just want this dizziness to go away.

Thanks.

[Lee Grant Irons]

antk,

The spinning you experience sounds like vertigo. It could be the trigger for your anxiety or concern, rather than the other way around. In other words, it might not be anxiety that is causing the vertigo, but it might be a separate issue, like something going on with your inner ear.

The good news is that a doctor can help you figure out if you have an inner ear problem that is causing the vertigo. One specific example is that some people get calcium carbonate crystals in their inner ear, which causes occasional vertigo. You can go to a chiropractor to have what is called an Epley Maneuver. This is a simple series of body movements that the chiropractor can do for you to clear out the calcium carbonate and eliminate the vertigo. A primary care doctor can work with you on other possible causes if it turns out that it is not calcium carbonate build-up.

[antk]

I had my ears syringed and checked out a few months ago and all was fine. When I panic over something that's when my head goes all fuzzy and lightheaded and my heart races a bit. I did think it may have been vertigo and took medication for it, but nothing worked.

[Lee Grant Irons]

Inner ear can't be addressed by cleaning the outer ear. However, it does sound like it is anxiety related. So is it general anxiety, or are there specific triggers?

[antk]

Just general really, nothing triggers it as such.

[Steven Daws]

You might not think that there are no triggers, but there might be a pattern. Try to write a diary of each time you get an attack, what you are doing, or just been doing.

In terms of the flight, taking things to keep you occupied during the flight will help, keeping your mind active on other things usually helps me.

[Lee Grant Irons]

Regarding advice on travel, a change of setting could be good for you. In general, I found my symptoms eased off when I went on vacation. But that was me. You know what anxiety feels like to you, so you can recognize it when it is coming on. You need to just keep telling yourself that it is just your anxiety and everything will be okay. Beyond that, you might take sleeping pills. Just make sure before hand that you have no adverse reaction to them. Diphenhydramine has the opposite effect on me. It wires me up. I found that out the hard way one evening when I was having a hard time with my anxiety and trying to sleep. I took diphenhydramine and then proceeded to get more agitated over the next hour. Took me the next couple of hours to realize I was not dying and figure out that it was a side effect. LOL

Has your doctor done any blood tests to look for any possible disorders that have anxiety as a symptom? Electrolyte deficiencies and thyroid disorders can cause anxiety.

[antk]

Yeah doctors have done blood tests for the above. Thanks for all the advice.