Depression and Weight IssuesHave you been diagnosed with depression, are possibly on depression medication, and find it affects your weight loss efforts? Post here for support!
So...i am currently taking 225mg of EffexcorXR and i also take Trazadone to help me sleep.
Ever since last December i have been suffering from nighttime anxiety, and to the point where i would drug myself with gravol to help me relax and sleep..Well..good news..the Trazadone works..the bad news..my night anxiety is getting worse.
My night fear: I know it sounds crazy..but my entire life i have been what i call a "Puke-a-phobe" ... I had an extremely traumatic couple of nights when i was really young. I basically puked so much that it felt like i couldnt even take a breath in.. i felt like i was choking..
Okay..fast forward...
Last December i got sick with some kind of stomach issue that caused severe nausea and stomach pain. I ended up in the hospital four times and each time they sent me home with pain meds and they also gave me gravol along with maxerane and donperidone(anti-nausiants used by cancer patients) They also gave me a few tablets of Diazipane which basically would knock me right out and make muscles relax.. They dont know why i was getting nausiated or why it wouldnt go away..i was due to go for testing with a gasto specialist.
Its several months later and im off several medications now and my stomach has gone back to normal...However..im still having this issue... Im suffering from such severe anxiety at night time when i lay down that i feel like im choking.. That, and i literally feel like i could puke...like someone is choking me around my gag reflex part of my throat...
Do you think there is a medication out there that could help me with what seem like mini pannic attacks at night???? cause i cant keep living like this.
How frightening for you! I've suffered from evening panic attacks, just as I was going to bed. For me it had to do with a lot of family stress-creating events, plus the escalation of menopausal symptoms. I talked to a therapist about it and also worked at creating a safe environment at home so I could go to sleep with as little stress as possible. And I got a dog too! It took a few weeks, some nights required a glass of wine and/or a hot shower.
I suggest that you talk to your doctor about this if you want a medication to help you with this.
Is the choking feeling physical or mental? Could you possibly have acid reflux? Acid reflux can cause you to feel like you are choking. If you're prone to panic attacks, the choking sensation could trigger one.
I have panic attacks but night time is not a trigger for me. I guess if it were me I would start trying to find out what the actual trigger is. Is it the dark? Is it hormonal changes that occur at night? Is it positional? Is it a health problem that is exacerbated by lying down (acid reflux falls here). Then if I could figure out exactly what it is, I'd go from there to try and treat it. Clearly taking tranquilizers to sleep isn't something you can do forever.
If you have panic attacks and still consume products with caffeine, you need to cut those. ASAP, permanently. Alcohol also. Recreational drugs, if you use them. All of those can trigger panic attacks.
You might ask your doctor about using Kava. Kava is natural and is as good at relaxing in many people as Valium (diazepam). You might also look at increasing your magnesium intake. Magnesium is a natural relaxant. Exercise every day is very critical- when I'm exercising regularly, I rarely have panic attacks. If you have acid reflux, remove trigger foods. Acid reflux can be triggered by food allergies- I had it for 9 years and it turned out I had a food allergy. I cut out the food I was allergic to, I stopped having acid reflux. A balanced and healthy diet is important so you know you are getting all the nutrients your body needs to stay balanced. A lot of people treat the brain like it's separate from the body, but obviously it's not. It's an organ in the body and is just as dependent on healthy habits as every other part of your body is. A book I recommend that addresses issues such as depression and anxiety and an integrative approach to treatment is "Spontaneous Happiness" by Dr. Andrew Weil.
I highly HIGHLY recommend the book "The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety." It pretty much saved my life. You may find yourself thinking, as you begin it, "this doesn't apply to me, they don't understand, what I'm feeling is real" (I certainly did!) but stick with it. It really really helps.
I used to have that sort of problem and it was due to anxiety. Antidepressants and have no caffeine for a few years helped.
But you should probably check to see if it isn't something else first. There are so many things that can cause a choking sensation and breathing difficulty. I once had it from swelling from wisdom teeth. Other problems that can cause it are some types of throat infections and allergies.
The choking sensation is definitely related to anxiety. I actually just talked to my nurse practitioner about feeling the same sensation when I lie down at night. (I tend to do a lot of thinking right before bed!) Anytime I have taken a big trip or something big is going to happen the next day I get a choking sensation that I have to deal with all night and sometimes during the day. I thought it may have been related to my weight, but when piecing my past medical history together to current issues now I can definitely pin point that it is due to anxiety. I suppose, if I were in your situation, but on the outside looking in, I would remind myself how many mornings I have woken up alive and well the next day. Also, I would consider sleeping on your side, too. IF that were ever to happen again that's the best position to be in. Meditation before bed or just over exhausting yourself with a great work out in the evening (like taking a long walk, practicing your breathing). Now that it's something I have recognized is an issue I have had to take extra precaution when I know a certain event or stresses will trigger it. Also, I sleep with my back slightly elevated. For instance, I do not lie all the way flat on my bed. I stuff pillows underneath my back so that my head is slightly higher than the rest of my body. I hope this helps and you're able to enjoy your rest.
Serious Anxiety at night..help?
